#323: Writing Well: Are These 3 Myths Keeping You From Finishing Your Book?

Are these three myths keeping you from self publishing? Hi, my name is Shelli Hitz and I have seen over and over many writers get stuck and never publish their book. I don't want that to happen to you. You know, I, I get it. Self publishing can be overwhelming and expensive. You know, you've probably done some research and you know, you've most likely been praying about the best way to publish your words and to get your book out into the hands of those that need it. However, you may have some doubts and hesitations and I've been there. We have all been there. And so I don't want you to let the paralysis of analysis keep your book as an unfinished project on your computer's hard drive or in your notebook's gathering dust. But instead, let's break through the myths that may be holding you back. So I'm going to share three myths and you can kind of see, see if any of these apply to you. Myth number one, traditionally published books are of better quality than self published books. You know, there's that myth out there that, you know, traditionally published books are so much better quality. But the truth is self published books can have the same quality as a book published with a traditional publisher. There are certain things you can do to make sure that when someone picks up your book, they won't know that it has been independently published or self published. And you know, if you want to self publish a book that has that quality interior design, you know, like on the pages that it just looks, it just looks like any other book. But you want to do it on a budget. You want to make sure to check out our Kingdom Writers Conference. It is going on right now. So you need to sign up today because Registration is closing May 6. But you'll want to check out Dave Chesson's presentation@the kingdomwritersconference.com he's going to talk about how to choose the best formatting software. And you know, by doing this, you can really have a high quality interior form formatting of your book and do it on a budget. So did that myth apply to you? That was, you know, the myth that traditionally published books are of better quality than self published books. Sure, there are some self published books out there that are not done well, but you can choose to do different. And we're going to share with you some strategies at the conference. So make sure to sign up for free today@ Kingdomwritersconference.com Myth number two, it costs thousands of dollars to self publish a book. I hear this over and over. From writers. But the truth is you can get a high quality book self published without breaking the bank. And what I have found is that many writers get confused between self publishing and what's often termed as vanity publishing. So vanity publishing is when a small publisher agrees to publish your book at your cost. So a lot of times, you know, traditional publishing, you get, you know, a, you know, advance, you get paid for them to publish your book. But when we're talking about a vanity publisher, they're charging you to publish your book and they typically charge thousands of dollars for this service. Plus, in order for you and your publisher to make money, you often have to price your book so high that it's not difficult to sell it and it often gets priced right out of the market. So one of the things though that will cost you the most when you're self publishing is professional editing. You know, it's just, it will be one of your biggest costs. And therefore, if you want to learn three ways to cut costs with editing, make sure to check out Deborah L. Butterfield's presentation at the Count the Cost edition of the Kingdom Writers Conference. Again, you can sign up@domencewritersconference.com all right, so the first myth was that traditionally published books are better quality than self published books. And the truth is, it doesn't have to be that way. Myth number two is that it cost thousands of dollars to self publish a book. Yes, you can pay thousands of dollars, but again, it does not have to be that way. Myth number three, self publishing a book is overwhelming. And I'll agree writing a book and publishing it can be overwhelming. I get it. There are so many details. However, I want you to consider something. What if you start with a short Kindle ebook? Right, A short Kindle ebook and a short book is easy for, for your readers to consume. Plus it's quicker to write, it's a quick win and can help you build momentum for the next book. And you know, when you publish as an ebook, there's a lot less details to manage and you know, you can always add the other versions later. A print book, an audiobook, you know, different translations, there's all sorts of things you can do. But you know, what if you just need to do something that's not going to be as overwhelming? Get, get it done. Build some momentum, become a published author. I highly recommend starting with a short Kindle ebook. So if you want to learn more about this as well as the length I recommend for these size of books, be sure to check out my presentation at the kingdomwritersconference.com cost count the Cost Edition all right, so let's look back over those three myths. Myth number one, traditionally published books are better quality than self published books. Myth number two, it costs thousands of dollars to self publish a book. And myth number three, self publishing a book is overwhelming. And so, you know, choose one of those that is currently affecting you the most and take action on it. One of those actions you can take, and a way you can get a whole lot more help with self publishing on a budget without compromising quality, is to sign up for free. Kingdom Writers Conference Count the Cost Edition and we are having we've got eight seasoned writers and publishers lined up and ready to teach you everything from saving on book cover design to choosing the best formatting software. So some of the speakers you might recognize include Dave Chessen from kindlepreneur.com Matt Tommy, Shay Bines, Thomas Umstad Jr. Heather Hart, Deborah Butterfield and more. So we, we kicked off already yesterday on May 3rd, but you can still get in. And the thing is, you're going to get ongoing access to this. We're not taking away access for this particular conference. So go ahead. You're not missing out on anything by getting signed up today. Go sign up@domedywriters conference.com and I can't wait to see you there. Bye. Bye.