Is Publishing a Book a Good Way to Start Your Writing Career?
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If you’ve got a way with words and love to write, why not consider making a career or a side hustle out of it? Writing can offer a lot of flexibility, and in many cases, you can choose your own schedule and work remotely from just about anywhere. It’s a great way to express your creativity while also making some money.
There are many different ways to launch such a career — like blogging, copywriting, and freelance journalism, for example — and many people will view publishing a book as one of the more difficult routes.
While writing a book isn’t necessarily easy per se, there are many great reasons to consider launching your career by publishing one. In this piece, we take a look at the things you need to know about doing just that.
Why publish a book?
There are various, less time-intensive ways you can make money with your writing: many people will start by honing their skills and submitting articles and short stories to magazines and other publications, or even undertaking internships and learning from others. But while publishing a book might seem a bit ambitious, diving into the deep end can actually be the perfect way to kickstart your career.
Writing and publishing a book provides a good learning curve that will help you improve your writing, and it will provide you with experience that you can always use when you move into other areas of writing. In turn, the experience can teach you a number of other valuable skills, such as how to keep yourself on track, motivated, and focused. It can also be a good way to build up your resume as a writer, opening the door to other writing opportunities once you have a published book that demonstrates your skill and/or expertise.
Plus, if your main goal is to eventually become a published author, then you might as well start working toward that goal right now. There are, of course, other ways you can prepare yourself and refine your writing skills, but finding too many reasons to hold off on publishing a book might mean you never get around to it.
What to consider about publishing a book
It's important that you have the right motivations and expectations about both writing and publishing. If your primary ambition is to get rich from publishing a book, become a famous author, or if you think that writing a book sounds like the kind of lifestyle you want — you're going to struggle. Writing can be a long and difficult process, and most authors won't write a bestseller the first time.
Without the right motivation, you're likely to find it hard to stay on track and it might be tempting to give up. If you're thinking of writing a book because you've got a great idea, something interesting or valuable to get out there, or you want to share your expertise, then you're going to be more motivated in the long term and have a much higher chance at success.
That’s because writing a book requires a significant commitment. Many people who start writing a book don’t cross the finish line. It takes a lot of time and discipline to finish writing a book and to get it published. You need to be prepared to do the work and keep on trying, even when you're feeling distracted or uninspired.
How to support yourself while writing your book
Publishing a book can be a good way to start your writing career, but it's not going to earn you money straight away. In fact, as a new author, it’s probably going to be some time before you actually see any profit from your writing. If you don’t have another source of income to support you while you’re writing your book, then these are a few ways you can bring in some extra money.
Freelance writing and editing jobs
There are plenty of freelance writing and editing jobs out there, and it's a really flexible way to support yourself while writing your book. You can find work on job sites or take a look at Finances Online’s reviews of freelance websites to find the best opportunities. Alternatively, find freelance work by reaching out to your existing contacts and networking online.
Getting paid to write articles and short stories for online magazines and blogs is also a great way to support yourself. It will help you to practice and improve your writing at the same time so that you can use those skills in your book.
Create an online writing course
If you already have quite a bit of writing experience, then why not share it with others? Put together some lessons and set up an online course. You can find the best online course platforms by reading Learning Revolution’s online platform reviews. Once you've created it, people can sign up and take the course, and you'll be able to earn money with plenty of time to focus on your writing.
Stick with your day job (for now)
As tempting as it can be to fully throw yourself into a new career straight away, it can be a good idea to keep your day job in the beginning. While it’s not always easy to find the time around work to pursue writing, if you set yourself a strict schedule and keep your future goals in mind, you’ll be surprised at how much progress you can make in your spare time. Less financial stress enables you to be more creative.
Tips for writing and publishing your first book
There's a lot to learn when you're first starting out in your writing career. These few tips will help you to reach your goal of publishing a book.
Learn from others: There are plenty of great writing books and writing courses that are going to help you learn and improve. While it's important not to procrastinate or spend too much time just learning, brushing up your skills can't hurt.
Start with an outline: Very few writers can actually sit down and just start writing a book without some sort of outline or overview. It will help guide you and keep you focused on where your book is going.
Set targets and deadlines: Set an overall deadline for finishing your first draft, and for getting your book published. Then commit to writing a certain number of hours or a set number of words every day, and stick to it.
Learn to self-edit: Your first draft is never going to be perfect, so you need to go back through your book and look for ways it can be improved. Be ruthless and go through it several times before you get feedback from someone else.
Find ways to overcome roadblocks: Some days you're not going to feel inspired or motivated — find ways to overcome those blockages and stay on track.
When it’s time to publish, determine your budget, research your publishing options, and begin reaching out to a shortlist of partners that can help you accomplish your goals (like FriesenPress!).
If you’ve got a great idea and the right motivations, then publishing a book is a great way to start your writing career. You just need to be prepared to put in the time — and push yourself to stick with it if you get stuck!
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Laura May is Digital Editor at Just Another Magazine. JAM writes about beauty, fashion, lifestyle, relationships, travel, trends, and anything else that matters to you. Name throwing you off? Don’t take it too seriously — JAM intends to stand out from the crowd.
