Writing Your Own First Book, Do You Have Experiences?

Good morning to all-
Mr. Fousnaugh-
What your folks have found is what most writers discover. Writing and trying to sell books in print is a very hard thing to do. Most publishers will print and list a book- I'm speaking now of best-sellers, sex and violence, sort of books- but the publishers won't do much to promote and sell a book that doesn't go into gore and sex and other things..
I would recommend to your folks that they look at e-book publishing. Kindlebooks is a good company to work with, and they do a good job of helping writers get their material together and any artwork which the book needs. Of course, the newly published book is not in hardcover format, but ebooks sell quite well- depending on the topic and the presentation.

Getting a book published and out in the hands of people who can benefit from it is a hard thing to do.

you all be safe and keep well- Ed

 

@Johnny Forster: I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, but I was on holiday for a few weeks. I'm not from Tirol, I'm from Vienna, but the world can still be a tiny place.

@Thomas Terry: Of course it depends on your experience, but I think it's admirable that you help your students and PhD candidates. Maybe I'm a bit critical in this respect, but I assume it's not obvious. Regarding pressure, I just heard from a friend today that she is under a lot of stress currently and not feeling well, even though she enjoys her work. So yes, pressure can be toxic, although I think it can sometimes have its benefits.

@Ed Marsh: In a sense, I am comforted that a writer and journalist with your experience and routine suffers from short deadlines, too. Besides, my experience is that private research can be very time-consuming until I find the desired information. Gemini Advanced now helps to some extent, but even this information must be taken with care. It's good that Google allows you to check which information has been verified on Google. Can I ask what public-facing abbreviations you can recommend?

@Cody Fousnaugh: Thanks for this post with such personal insights! Of course, she may be too old for this at 80, but even so, I think it would be wonderful if she can fulfil this dream. To what extent did the son-in-law spend the money to find a good publisher?

 

I meant that you should never lose the fun or drive and it's just mindless work. You would realise that with a creative job like writing.
I don't mean that it's not real work and everything is easy. On the contrary, I'm right there with you. You have to invest a lot of time here. But if you enjoy doing it, you'll realise that.
I notice it in myself too. I like to sit down and invest my time in topics that I'm interested in. And then there are tasks that have to be done. I don't need to be creative, that's certainly an advantage, but I think you can tell what's important to me and what isn't
Of course, it gets easier and easier with experience. You also create your own shortcuts. That's how you compensate for a certain disadvantage. I see that with younger colleagues, for example. They are then better at most online things or now especially with AI. They also use other programmes. But I have years of experience and know where to find what I need.
If you have little or no time pressure, the work will always be best.Yes, you need a certain amount of pressure, but not one that just makes you despair.I do see a difference there.

Yes, of course I'll help you, that's what I'm here for First of all, dealing with stress is crucial.Not everyone lets themselves get stressed.How well you can deal with stress varies.Good news: you can learn to do it. What many people also see as a weakness is asking for help.I see it quite often.You're afraid to ask or don't dare.Then you'd rather do something completely wrong in the hope that it will work out.It's better to ask too many questions than too few. If I apply this to writing - if you don't feel confident about self-publishing, then it's better to look for a service publisher who can give you help.I don't see that as a failure.There's nothing wrong with being provided with an editor or an experienced author helping you in certain situations.Some can do everything on their own, some just need help from novum publishing, tutoring from a professional author, practice sessions, tutorials,... Pressure is good when it motivates you.Pressure is not good if it is damaging you and you are desperate.If you are unable to ask for help in situations like this, you will have a problem in the long run.

 

Thank you for your thoughtful response! I agree with you in the fact that managing stress effectively is crucial, and it's true that people have different thresholds for dealing with it. Furthermore, I appreciated reading that you don't see asking for help as a weakness. I appreciate that as a helpful standpoint.

However, your mention of the fact that one can get help from professional writers, attend workshops and use tutorials particularly caught my interest. Certainly, it's good to know that there exist various options for support when one struggles or just wants to improve. Do you or someone you know have experience with this and if yes, how was it possible to find the right one for one's needs?

 

Long ago I was writing. And we had a writer's club in town. It met at the technical college.
You can always try starting a writer's club. (some really 'interesting ' people show up.)

 

You have to find something that suits you. If you have nothing to do with the internet at all, it will be difficult to convince the person of YouTube tutorials, some want personal contact - but that requires local writing clubs or at least private lessons. You should have a look at everything and then decide. I think a mix is certainly the best solution. But of course it always depends on the person, where they live, what's available,... I don't want to make any judgements, I think everything can help you.


Many students use YouTube. It can even replace private tuition in some cases. If you find the right channel for maths, English,... it can be very useful. At school, teachers and lessons don't suit everyone. Online, other teachers prepare it differently, which can suit you better. And then it goes much better and you understand things better/faster.


The right way is always the one that helps you best. Regardless of whether this is the right way for others or not. It has to be right for you. I would just pay attention to that.

 

I've tried but don't get past 10 or so pages.

 

Mary my oldest granddaughter likes hearing stories of past times. I do write a few pages now and then.

 

Firstly, I apologize for taking so long to write back. I've been so busy that I've only been able to connect to the internet via my smartphone outside of work.

@Mary Stetler: It sounds like joining the writers' club worked out really well for you! Honestly, I'd love to do something like that, but I just don't have the time right now. What I can do, though, is look around for a writers' club in my area and see if there's anything local. Hopefully, they won't expect me to turn up regularly.

@Thomas Terry: I can definitely get something out of it, but of course quality matters. The good thing is that YouTube-Videos are easy to watch on a smartphone. But there are so many now, it's challenging to keep track. Are there any tips that a non-expert can use to pick out the good ones? It makes sense that a combination approach would be better.