Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

Hello,

As an author nearing the end of my first book under a pen name, I am unaware of many things in the publishing world. As a novice indie writer, things are pretty straightforward; most, if not all, of the work is done yourself. From the concept through to publishing, there are no third parties involved other than the publishing medium, namely Amazon KDP.

Lack of funds is the main reason for this. Being a pensioner means I have almost no disposable income to plough into developing the book. There would certainly be major improvements with essential edits and professional advice across multiple areas throughout the book's progress. Then there is the marketing end, where it is currently like hitting my head against a brick wall; being a new author with no online history is a major obstacle.

If there were a choice, I would certainly love the opportunity to get professional opinions throughout the book's creation. The question I ask is, how do you do that without funds? Are there places that can assess/review books, or edit and publish them, without fees, relying solely on a share of royalties once on the market?

I am not totally blind to prudent options, but there is so much out there that promises a lot while omitting the full story on terms, conditions, and fees. It is like drawing straws.

Does anyone know of any sources writers have tried firsthand that can help improve and possibly publish a book without financial commitment from the author? If not, plan A works for me, since making money from my book isn't the reason I wrote it, just a quest to make it the best it can be.

Martin Signorin wrote:  "... without fees, relying solely on a share of royalties once on the market?"

No such avenues exist.

However, to defray your expenses, you should easily be able
to tap into a plethora of grant money available to new writers
from both government and charities, assuming of course
that you are a woman of color.

Or at least non-binary.

Best of luck!