How I Wrote My First Novel “Getting By” Part 3: Putting Myself Out There

After finishing the first draft of my manuscript, I made self-edits and revisions using Grammarly before seeking a professional book editor (I highly recommend you connect with one!) After spending some time researching to find potential editors to work with, I reached out to one I felt would be a good match for me and my book.

It took about three weeks for my editor to review my manuscript. First, they performed a developmental edit, after which I spent an entire month making additional revisions to strengthen the story while using my editor’s constructive feedback as guidance.

Finally, my editor performed a copyedit and proofread my manuscript. The entire editing process took about ten weeks from start to finish, but once my editor finished proofreading, I was ready to begin publishing my novel.

My editor recommended a self-publishing company that she previously worked with called BookBaby. As I’ve mentioned, I decided to self-publish because I didn’t want to wait for someone to give me an opportunity, having experienced enough of that during my employment searches over the years. For once, I wanted to create my own opportunity.

While publishing my book, I submitted my manuscript to BookBaby to first create a digital proof and a book cover. They saved me the trouble of finding a designer by creating a cover for me, and I could inform their design team about how I wanted it to look and provide images I found as references.

I decided to include key elements from the story for my cover. For example, Carver is interested in photography, so I wanted to see the same vintage camera he uses in the book on the front cover. BookBaby exceeded my expectations with the design, impressing me immediately with how beautiful their work was for my book.

That said, they didn’t knock it out of the park with the first go. My book cover underwent multiple revisions before getting the final approval. For instance, I requested they add a BISAC category on the top left corner and three endorsement excerpts beneath the book’s summary on the back cover. But once we worked all that out, I got the cover I have today.

My proof also underwent many revisions before submitting it for approval. Some edits were due to noticeable errors, such as typos, odd formatting, and text spacing, which is where my second editor came in handy. I also requested new additions to my proof, including an endorsement page, a copyright page, and an author bio page. That took two months before I could submit my cover and proof for final approval because of my requests.

But that wasn’t just for the physical print of my novel. After approving my digital proof and cover, my second editor sent over my eBook conversion files the next day. All of the revisions and additions I requested for my digital proof were included in the eBook files. So, once my editor proofed the files, I submitted them for approval.

With my eBook files approved, all that I could do was wait for BookBaby to print out a physical copy of my final proof, which I received about a week later by mail. It was thrilling! After almost ten years, I finally had the physical form of my novel in my hand. I was now a published author.

The hardest part of publishing my book was being patient throughout the entire process: I was getting so close to publishing Getting By that waiting was difficult! However, I knew it was best not to rush the process. Ultimately, it was well worth the wait and the satisfaction of having my first novel in print.

After I received my final proof, I ordered 36 copies of my book for myself (something to note, which may be the same when you publish, the proof had a matte cover, while the final copies were glossy over paperbacks.)

After that, I began the process of launching my book, which included redesigning my professional website, creating social media handles, and setting up Amazon author and Goodreads pages. I also started to work with some marketing services to build an email list and created multiple book promotion materials, such as a press release, book trailer, media kit, and social media content collateral.

I also ensured numerous online shops would sell my book, including Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and Indiebound. Within a few months after ordering copies of my book, my debut novel launched in August 2020.

I received a lot of positive reviews for my book after publishing it because most of the plot is based on actual life events; it’s not surprising when people tell me the storyline is realistic. Now that I’m working on a new story, I intend to use the feedback from my debut when I publish again. I will also apply what I learned from self-publishing to have a stronger release for my next book.   

Now that people can buy my book, I want to ensure it reaches its intended audience! One of my goals is to have Getting By connect with as many readers as possible since it tells a story that we sorely need in our current world circumstances. I hope the novel will resonate with my target audience and leave a positive impression on those who read it (plus, I hope for increased sales!)

I’m currently working on marketing strategies to raise awareness of my book and get it in the hands of those who most need it. As any author needs to, I’m investing a lot of energy into my book and publishing efforts with the hope it will be successful and leave a positive impact on my readers and that my investment will pay off someday.

Until then, at least I can share that I am a published, award-winning author, and the journey has been a brilliant learning experience. Have you read Getting By and want to share your feedback, or have further questions about my process? Please get in touch with me at jsims@jairesims.com or reach out on social media as I’d love to hear from you.