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What's Your Biggest Challenge with Your Book?

I'd be interested to learn what authors/publishers on this network think their biggest challenges are with their book. I wonder if there's any common, pervasive challenge we all face.

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I am reluctant in replying to this sight, but what the heck.

I am an inexperienced writer and have many great ideas but seem to have stumbled along my path. If you read my profile it may give you a clue to my issue at hand. Fine, you twisted my arm and so now I'll share.

It all started last year around January. My mother told me she was a member of a well established book club and as usual she thinks the world of me. She asked if I would share some real estate articles that I wrote and placed on my website. I was kind of nervous of someone judging my work versus just enjoying the point I usually was trying to make, so I denied her. he he :) If that was not a stuck up move then I don't know what is.

Anyways, the moment motivated me to start writing and I had my heart set on writing movie scripts but considering I have no clue as to what I'm doing (as evident in this reply thus far), I continued with my dream. I wrote my script in less than three days and must say I was quite proud of it but there was still the feeling of incompleteness (if that is such a word).

I felt as though my words and imagination were too good for black and white materials (I know what you're thinking, stuck up move again). I then decided to build a website with plenty of pictures and sound effects to bring my words to life. I had about six close people read and interact with my website. to my surprise it was with great response. The problem, for me at least is they all stated that it read more like a novel than a movie script.

What the heck do they know!

So now I am debating whether I should write it as a book or still stick with the big screen (like I have a choice) idea. I was also contemplating of hiring a ghost writer (it may be too expensive) to help with my project. I wish I was bald so I would not be tempted to pull my hair out.

So here is my biggest challenge. To write is really not difficult to me. I attribute that to my great imagination and competitiveness for those who don't think I am capable of finishing the job. What seems to be the problem is the process, such as to have my work copy written, proof read, edited, published, and marketed. So if you have the time to either point me in the right direction or give me some pointers, that would be great!

Sorry for the length of this reply. It probably has nothing to do with what you're asking but thought I try and retrieve a bone of info. Just so you know my script/book is a horror suspense, which is probably the reason why I felt compelled to build a generic interactive website.

BTW, they (my friends) call me Big Henry.

Nice to meet all of you.
For one or two copies, I simply put my trial book onto Blurb.com and let them do the printing. I can also ask interested parties to review the first few pages and let me know what it looks like. There is no requirement to sell to outsiders, but you can. There is no cost other than you must purchase one copy. I like the site for experimentation. You can see some of my practice books there, which are not for sale on Blurb, by the way. I am under Dr Robert E McGinnis. My son has the same name, so look for the author that has paradise in the titles, both of us usually pop us at the same time. Mine are fiction, his are for children. You can also find my books by a google search by using my name.
Great tip on Blurb.com. What a great idea to test book ideas there.
My experience is that writing the book is the first in a long series of steps. Your step will be to get an editor who you can work with. This is not as easy as it sounds, because there are editors who are frustrated because they haven't written a book, so they try to take over yours. Then there are editors who do the technical stuff, but hate your characters and won't give you any insight. How about the other side of the coin, one who will do the technical, but considers what was written as sacrosanct and still will not discuss ideas?

Then there's publishing; to self publish or try to find an agent. I haven't gotten an agent yet, so I can only speak from my self publishing background. I can tell you that you will be more involved in your book than you planned or even dreamed. It's my understanding that you will be involved in marketing no matter how you go, but the burden is fully on you when you self publish.

I could go ahead and fill a couple of pages with advice and ideas, but I think you may have gotten the gist of where I'm going. Probably if you can approach writing as an expensive hobby, you'll be okay. Whatever you do, though, don't stop writing.

Marshal
Hi Marshal,
Writing is a gift that is not handed out all at once, but the gift presents itself though years of hard work. My first story in the late fifties for my literature class turned out very well and I was impressed when the professor read it as a good example to the class, but honestly, it wouldn't have sold. It did do a good thing, it got me interested in writing and I have been doing it ever since. My first paid publication began in 1979 and the little money that I got further encouraged me in the effort. Once I got beyond the idea that I was writing for money, it became much easier. I no longer look very hard for people to buy my books, I let them look for me. No, you are right, I don't sell a lot of books, but my attitude has grown over the years in such a way that I write for pleasure. Just as I am writing this to you, I am enjoying myself immensely. I have ten books on the market, five partially in edit and five others well underway in various stages of completion. I have no schedule and no one breathing down my back. I love my fans and enjoy hearing from them. You are absolutely correct in saying, don't stop writing. If it makes you happy and if you love the work, keep it up. Thanks for you comment, I enjoyed reading your words. By the way, reading is only a part of any message, I could feel the depth of your effort and frustration. I have no advice, unless you ask for specifics, I think you have the picture well in hand.
Dr Robert E McGinnis

By the way, I might tell you that my staff consists of two editors (both college graduates, English majors with several years of experience), two local readers, two distance readers and I go over everything several times and still, we don't get it right every time. I wish you well.
Bauke—
Adding a second and third colored paper to your book is not something a POD printer normally does. You will most likely need to move to a short-run, digital printer. Check into U Build A Book, DeHarts, Sir Speedy Whitter or Sir Speedy Phoenix. All these printers will be able accommodate your needs.
Can you recommend a template for a book image? There are plenty of instructions on youTube for how to make a "box" in Photoshop, but I haven't found what I want: an image of a slim volume, ideally with spiral binding (I'm offering eBooks, not Moby Dick), and a drop mirror shadow. I've also looked at many template sets for sale on the internet, but don't see what I'm looking for. I know it's out there, because so many websites have attractive images marketing eBooks. Many thanks to this helpful group!
If this shows up twice, I am sorry, I just lost the first attempt. But, here is what I said. I usually take a picture of the central theme using a good camera and then approach the art teacher in the nearest high school to let the students practice making a cover for me. The students get experience, the art teacher gets recognition and when it is over, the class gets a free pizza party.

Speaking of that. During my career in the business of education, I used to find vacant walls for the art teacher and her class to do murals. The best one was a tropical scene on a blank wall outside a Pizza Hut on Dale Mabry just south of the Kennedy crossing. This made Pizza Hut happy, the customers were extremely happy, the art teacher was happy, the student's were happy and you get my point. The business always pays the bill.
Dr Robert E McGinnis
As a completely new author I recently e-published my book titled "The Opposite of Normal" - a unique view into the world of Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

My biggest challenge: Getting the interest of an agent. I have been searching for an agent for over a year now and have been through hundreds, if not thousands of agents and all the responses I get are "not interested" or "we don't accept unpublished writers". I'm stuck at a loss - I know my book is interesting, and was written with deep passion and it really would make a difference to anyone that reads it. I run a channel on youtube with over 10,000 subscribers and they are all waiting for the publishing of this book so I know for a fact there are people out there who want to read it. I just can't seem to get the attention of an agent or even an editor who believes in vision and my passion
Andrew—
It sounds like you're not targeting the right agents with your pitch. One trick is to check select agents by specialty in Literary Marketplace (LMP). You can find LMP at the Reference Desk of your public library. Another trick is to go to the bookstore and select some books on your same subject. Turn to the Acknowledgments page. Many authors acknowledge their agent on that page. Get the names of agents who have represented books similar to yours.

Good luck with your book.
My challenge is to find out what do I do with my book? I published it, but do not know where to find my audience. My audience determined to be young women and women in general, I guess. My book is a non-fiction memoir and I start to think it has a very limited audience. I do not know where to start.
Hi Svetlana,

What is your book about, what does it cover? You may have a larger audience than you think. Give me a short synopsis of it.

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