Friday Speak Out!: Self-Publishing Tips For The Girl with a Million Stories to Tell

by Chanel Hardy

A love for writing isn’t something that just appears out of the blue. It’s a feeling that rests inside the soul of your typical introvert. She daydreams about imaginary boyfriends and fictional witch powers. She spends her days watching everyone and everything around her and writing about it in a journal. She even turns her favorite TV or movie characters into bizarre romantic fanfiction. That’s what we do. We dream, and we write things. But sometimes the journal entries and fanfic just aren’t enough to satisfy her creativity. She wants to break out into publishing real stories for people all over the world to read. But writers want to write, we don’t all want to spend our lives querying in hopes that some publisher will think we, or our stories are good enough. So, what do we do? We self-publish. There are some tips I always share with anyone looking to self-publish.

1. Keep a journal for notes, and outlines of the story you want to tell. Profile your characters, imagine they are real people, and write about them like they are real humans you interact with daily. In the mind of a writer, they are real people.

2. Have a budget prepared for editing, cover art, and ISBN numbers. These things are essential when publishing on your own.

3. Create a website. You need a space that is all your own to display your work and keep in contact with your fans/readers.

4. Make friends in the virtual writing community of social media. Publishing can be hard, whether you’re doing it on your own, or working with a publishing company. You’ll need the support and advice from others who share your love for creating stories

5. Never let anyone discourage you from from doing what you love. Not a negative review, not a book snob, or those who wish they had the passion and talent to create like you do. Have faith in yourself and your work, and the blessings will be never ending!

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Born and raised in Washington D.C., writing has been my passion since I was young. I'm a multi-genre published author, blogger, freelancer, philanthropist and I aim toward marginalized groups with my work. I use my talents to give back, by raising awareness and donating my book royalties to non-profit organizations that aid women, children, those in poverty and other minority groups. 

My website ; My Amazon profile


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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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