Behind the Scenes of a Productive Author

Does this happen to you? It happens to me.

Each time I decide what I want to be when I grow up, a picture comes into my head. The picture invariably is of me (and my team) with the shiny finished product with throngs of people lined up to buy or use that gorgeous piece I’ve created. Cash is flowing. People are jubilant and crying for more…

But is it that simple?

Hmm. Not so much.

I’ve flipped career paths several times over the years simply because of the behind the scenes demands.

Demands like:

• Graveyard shifts because I’m a morning person. I turn into a pumpkin at sundown.
• Working with a redneck crew that shun and torment a woman in their midst.
• Micro managers that must give permission for a bathroom break when it will affect no one else on the floor.

It’s easy to block out the details of what goes into the production of a product. Especially when you have no clue until you get there; having leapt smack into the bubbling pot of goo.

So, in preparation of your leap into becoming a productive author, here’s a peak at what goes on behind the scenes to get a book from thought to publication at Alexie Linn, Author.

1. The Inspiration:
   • Ask the question. Define the problem that needs a solution. (The reason for writing the book)
   • Who are the characters that have the problem? What is each character’s quirk?Does the protagonist need a sidekick?
   • Make the antagonist 3 dimensional. Why are they so darned antagonistic?
2. Outline the story — make a gazillion decisions:
   • How does the story begin?
   • What led to the problem?
   • Where is the problem happening? Research places.
   • What are the options to fix the problem?
   • Refine the options with what happens along the way
   • Research the options for suitable fixes
   • Attempt to fix the problem
   • Keep working the fixes until one clicks.
   • Will the chosen venue work?
   • Tie up all the loose ends… or leave them dangle?
3. Write the story:
   • How much material have you to work with?
   • What’s the slant? What are you selling to whom?
   • Who will be reading it? A pre-schooler or a scholar?
   • Average 5-letter words or 20-letter words?
   • How many chapters? About how many words per chapter?
   • How many total words?
     • Is it a:short story (1,500-30,000 words);
     • a novella (18.000-40,000 words);
     • a novel (40,000-150,000 words);
     • a flash fiction (300-1,500 words); or
     • a nonfiction (25,000-150,000 words)
   • Decide whether to start at the beginning, middle, or end.
   • Look for a publisher (write and submit a proposal) or indie publish (write the proposal for yourself or just skip it)?
4. Publish the Book
   • Prepare the manuscript for indie publication
   • Write or rewrite the description
   • Select key words or phrases for search engines to snag —  
   • Design the cover
   • Write and arrange for Pre-order ads
   • Run the editing gambit (See Publishing Checklist)
   • Publish to the website with available when date
   • Format the MS for E-book and Print versions
   • Upload to the server(s) – Phew! — Almost done…
   • Prepare the narrator’s version of the manuscript
     • Remove photos and anything else that the narrator should not read or describe.
     • Compile an audition script; including character ages and voice inflections like a stutter, lisp, or an accent.Select a narratorNegotiate a contract with the narrator
     • Upload the narrator version of the manuscript
5. Promote, promote, promote
   • Order author copies of print versions for promotion and gig sales
   • Schedule book signing and sales gigs
   • Post the new book to social media servers from the website often and frequently
   • Write the blog
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5

And there you have it. A nutshell peek at behind the scenes of Alexie Linn, Author.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this behind-the-scenes journey and are now more prepared to dive into the very busy life of authorship.

The inspiration, outline, write, and publish process takes about 30-days for this author. Promotion never ends.

I’ve seen books promising you can do it all in 7-days. And I just opened an email from a homesteading blogger that her 85,000-word book is finally done. Her project took 5-years.

We each work at the speed that best suits us… or that providence allows. The most important step is to keep plugging away at it. Artificial intelligence does it faster. But it will never do it better than you. Strive for perfection, but keep going to the end.

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