Sometimes people think being an author is all about focusing on the creative side. It's true creativity is a big part of being an author, but there's more to it. There's the business-side, too. Because, whether you're interested in traditional or independent publishing, or a hybrid of both, expect to invest your money in your work in order to bring it to your audience. Since it's your money, you'll want to invest wisely.
You'll face a lot of potential costs. Cover art. Dedicated software. Research services. Promotional services. These are only a few examples, and I'm sure you can come up with many more. But for this post, I'd like to focus narrowly on a subset of your costs, and how you can save yourself money by tapping into writing groups.
To begin, once you're ready to get feedback on your manuscript (and it might be while it's in progress or once it's completed), you will want to put some fresh eyes on it. This brings you to a lot of choices, from alpha and beta readers to sensitivity readers. You might consider development, line and copy editors, even proofreaders. Bad news? All these steps can cost you money. Good news? If you're in a writing group, you can defray some of these expenses.
I know from personal experience. At a time in my life when I was on a super tight budget, I worked with the members of my critique circle to get their input on my draft story. They stood in for formal alpha/beta readers and copyeditors. Their work was invaluable to help me get my story ready for submission. At another time, I was in a critique group, where one member loved to proofread. She caught things that nobody caught and went beyond the kinds of mistakes that Word highlights. So, thanks to her generous time and attention, I had clean and correct copy at no personal expense.
And an author I'm acquainted with shared her success story. Publishers rejected her manuscript over and over. As an act of last resort, she joined her local library group to work on the manuscript. They had a lot of advice and recommendations, and she said she forced herself to listen even when she wanted to throw in the towel. After she made changes, she submitted and secured a publishing contract. She told me it was all down to that writing group.
Of course, many editors do a fabulous job, and you might want to go ahead and pay for their services. Also, writing group results will vary. Some groups aren't resources for rich and helpful support. But some groups are! So, if you're in a group today that doesn't provide wallet-friendly and useful input, keep looking. But if you are in one of those wonderful groups, pat yourself on the back for being so smart and frugal!
And while you're being frugal, don't forget The Write Group provides lots of real-life stories, along with useful tips, for you and your writing group at a very low cost. Click here to get the ebook.
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