Learn about my journey of creating my website, while redrafting, working a day job or two, and trying not to ignore my family and sleep.
Juggling My Author Life with the Rest of My Life
When I decided 2021 was the year I was going to go all in and really make a valid effort at becoming a real life author, I was working a full time and a part time job in the mental health community, a new grandbaby on the way, a teenager in online schooling that he hated, and oh yeah coping with the Global Pandemic! It was the perfect time.
I had a manuscript for my first book whose fourth revision was making its way with my Beta Readers. I was super proud of it, but it still needed a full rewrite of the third act, because of changes I made in the middle. I knew I wanted the world to see it and I knew I needed the push to get it out there.
What better push than an eager audience asking you, "When is your book coming out?"
So I engineered my own push, I decided to self-publish so I could control all the aspects that I care about: Release Date, Cover Design, Back Blurb, and Marketing.
Self-Publishing Successfully = Time/Skill or $$$
I knew nothing... NOTHING... about the self-publishing process, so I turned to what I like to call YouTube University! I watched hours of videos from successful and beginner SP Authors and Trad Authors. (See my Unknowing Mentors Page available to my members for my favorites.)
I learned very quickly that to SP a book that could respectfully sit on the shelf next to my traditionally published favorites, that I needed to master the skills to do it myself or the money to pay someone to do it for me every time.
So I created a list of categories based off other authors' must do steps to SP and determined what I would be able to learn and what I would have to find funds for. The most important steps I found that I could do myself (once I learned how!) were: formatting my manuscripts for upload to various platforms, promotion of my books, and the most vital (outside of having a well written book) creating an Author Website!
Creating My Author Website Myself
I watched more "tutorials" which stressed more the importance of having your own website and the reasons you could do it yourself, than HOW to do it yourself. Then I found several references to Author Brittany Wang's Authorsite Boot Camp and decided it was worth it to dip into my author fund and learn how to not only build my website from scratch, but then to be able to make it a living, growing hub that I could connect with my audience and other writers.
I made my way through the five week boot camp, tailoring the pages I wanted to have. I wanted my website to be everything that I always hope to see when I look up my favorite authors' sites. Remember I had a ton on my plate so that meant juggling, lots of juggling.
I watch tutorials on my phone in down time during my 56 hour day job work week. Created graphics and scoured fonts to find the perfect ones. I built pages after getting off work late into the night.
I drank coffee in the morning to keep my eyes open after forcing them to close for a few hours.
My family learned to ignore the lap top appendage that I grew overnight. I worked at the dinner table, at family movie night, BBQs, you name it was there!
Determination Gets the Job Done!
My sticking to it has paid off! I started with ZERO skills in web design or even how to use the drag and drop platforms made for people just like me. I kept at learning how to do the pages and layouts that really communicate who I am and what I want to see when cruising my favorite author sites. It wasn't always easy and it is not ever complete as I grow as a writer it will grow with me, but now I have this amazing site to call my author home. Best part I won't have to pay someone for that growth, because I can do them myself!