Jennifer Kohout
Research, and not just about what you want to write. Research the business of being an author. I love writing, but being successful isn't just about having a great story or a striking cover. Those things are important but so is marketing. Whether you self publish, get an agent or sign on with a publisher, to be successful you are going to have to spend time (and money) marketing yourself.
Also, invest some time and take a look at Scrivener. It's an amazing program that makes writing more efficient. It can also handle exporting your manuscript into just about any format you will ever need. Some editors also work in Scrivener, which makes file sharing easier.
And that brings me to my next point. If you do nothing else, hire an editor. Your best friend might be a grammar nazi but chances are they will either miss things or be too close to you to give you strong, honest feedback. A professional editor will make a huge difference and stop those negative reviews criticizing your spelling.
Also, invest some time and take a look at Scrivener. It's an amazing program that makes writing more efficient. It can also handle exporting your manuscript into just about any format you will ever need. Some editors also work in Scrivener, which makes file sharing easier.
And that brings me to my next point. If you do nothing else, hire an editor. Your best friend might be a grammar nazi but chances are they will either miss things or be too close to you to give you strong, honest feedback. A professional editor will make a huge difference and stop those negative reviews criticizing your spelling.
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