I have not talked to other authors, so I do not know what the “normal” steps are in writing a book. I organize my files in a way that makes sense to me. For example, like most books, I have a Table of Contents, Introduction, main text and an Index. I do not like typing all the titles and page numbers for the Index because, well frankly, it is a chore. I love typing the titles and page numbers because it means I have finished formatting the main text and everything is in order. It is one of the last steps before the final pre-publication check. Except when it is not.
What do I mean by that? It means I should save typing the Index until last, but as usual, I couldn’t wait. For me, it is a rite of passage, a symbol of progress. Except when I have not finished formatting the main text, or decide on changing something. That means the keyword chapters are off, the title pages are off, and guess what? I get to retyped that Index all over again. You would think by now that I have learned my lesson. Nope. I just retyped that unloved Index all over again for the third time! The lesson here is not to anticipate the goal. My end goal is to get the file off to my chosen publisher. Your goal is probably entirely different, not related to publishing a book or even to art. The thing we need to remember is that while it is good to set goals, skipping steps along the way is not good and only leads to setbacks. Sometimes it is the minor details that become the largest stumbling blocks and takes the most time to correct. So let us make an agreement not to anticipate the end goal by glossing over the necessary steps we need to take to reach the finish line and save ourselves some frustration along the way. Here are some websites that I have used for learning about putting together a book file for publishing. My first two books I did pre-sales, and ordered copies from this self-publisher. Minimum order is 25 books. https://www.instantpublisher.com/ For my second edition and eBook I am using: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/ Comparing foreward, preface and introduction https://kunzonpublishing.com/2016/04/foreword-vs-preface-vs-introduction-a-guide-for-self-publishers-2/ Comments are closed.
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