By Chris Patterson
The first step in the self-publishing process is figuring out what type of writer you are. I have three different types of writers:
- The Biographer – You want to leave a legacy. You write a memoir about your life, your family tree, or an event you went through and you don’t care who reads it … probably just family and friends. You don’t care about sales. You simply want the accomplishment of writing a book.
- The Messenger – You are writing to spread awareness of some other cause. Unlike person #1, you do care how many people read your work – more eyes mean more awareness – but you don’t care about sales. Your writing has an ulterior motive.
- The (full-time) Author – You want to make a living through your craft, whether it’s fiction, non-fiction or poetry. This is me. You definitely want more people to see your book(s) and you care about how much you make from your books. Chances are, you are willing to spend extra money on editing, covers, advertising, etc.
All three types of writers are great. No one can deny the accomplishment of writing a book – memoir, issue awareness, or piece of fiction – but most of this advice will be in regard to writer #3.
In the next couple of articles, I will talk about Planning, Editing, Cover Art, and Polishing Your Book, but for now, go to kdp.amazon.com and create an account. If you already have an Amazon account, they’ll link, but this is the first step. And then, decide which writer you want to be. Until next time, happy reading!
Christopher Patterson is a teacher in the Vail School District. He and his wife, Kellie, have three children, all of whom are students in the Vail School District. If you are interested in his books, scan the QR Code in the above advertisement.
