Blog: Celebrate Milestones to Combat Discouragement

As a writer, I think one of the most important things you can do is to celebrate milestones. Writing takes time. Writing is not a sprint; it is like running a marathon. It takes lots of perseverance and creative energy. So, it is easy to get discouraged along the way. I know many authors with several unfinished manuscripts. Sometimes, it is a good choice to drop a manuscript, but many times authors are just discouraged and do not finish a manuscript that could be turned into a great book. To reduce the number of unfinished manuscripts and avoid discouragement, celebrate milestones as you go. Celebrate finishing the first chapter of your book or creating the perfect title. Celebrate revisions and rewrites. Celebrate finding the perfect cover picture or the perfect photographer. Every step that has a beginning and an should be acknowledged.

What do you do to acknowledge your accomplishment? That depends on what gives you the most satisfaction. Tell friends and family. Sit in the sun and enjoy a glass of wine. Take the kids for ice cream. Or, send your spouse with the kids and enjoy some down time. The possibilities are limited only by your creativity.  The main thing is to acknowledge your accomplishment. That will go a long way in helping you to the finish line.

Traditional Publishers: These are the big 5 publishers. Writers submit manuscripts. Publishers accept manuscript and offer a contract. However, as most writers know it is very difficult to get someone to even read your manuscript, much less offer you a contract. It is a very long process. These publishers offer:

  • Advance (though it may be small)
  • Auto-Listing on Amazon and Barnes and Noble
  • Market Support (often not what is expected)
  • Wholesale distribution
  • Orders for wholesale are filled for you
  • Accept risks of publishing
  • Editor changes your book to control risks
  • Publisher owns your book and copyright

Self-Publishers: Writers who are going through Amazon or a similar company to publish their book.

  • Retain 100% of rights to your book
  • Control the content of your book
  • Set retail pricing
  • Higher royalty rates
  • Listed on Amazon or Barnes & Noble
  • Obtain editing services on your own
  • Format document and create cover independently

Independent Publishers: Otherwise known as indie publishers. This is the most rapidly growing type of publisher in the book publishing industry. As a matter of fact, some indie publishers are now so large they do not take unsolicited manuscripts. Anchor Book Press, Ltd is a new publishing company and we are currently considering all manuscripts that fit our submission guidelines. Anchor Book Press, Ltd offers the following advantages:

  • Author keeps 100% of the rights to your book
  • Auto-listing on Amazon
  • Author controls content – editing needs your approval
  • ISBN is included in your package
  • Author sets retail price – guidance on best return rates
  • Author receives higher royalty rates – up to 70% on e-books and 60% on paperbacks, less printing cost
  • Print on demand – no stockpile of books you must store
  • Your book will be listed in Books in Print
  • Support for editing – changes subject to your approval
  • Support for formatting e-books and paperbacks
  • Record keeping tips – avoid problems with the IRS
  • Fast turn-around – instead of years, your book can be published in months
  • Risks are shared by author and publisher
  • Author retains ownership of the book and the copyright
  • Lowest cost in the industry for author