While only one name typically goes on the cover of a book, any author knows that there’s usually a whole team behind the book. That’s not to say people writing the book for you, although ghostwriting is a great option as well. Instead, I mean a support team—people who are in your corner through highs and lows.
In today’s post, let’s talk about four important people every writer needs in their life.
The Honest Reviewer
The process of writing a book is probably very similar for all of us: we finish it, we’re proud of it because we wrote a book(!), and then we need to find out how other people feel about the work.
That’s when we need a review, and there are two different types of reviewers in this world: the kind reviewers and the honest reviewers.
Kind reviewers will tell you what you want to hear. They’re people-pleasers that will compliment even the worst of books because they know you sunk a lot of time and effort into it. You don’t want that.
Instead, find an honest reviewer—the kind of person who will tell you not only what’s working for the book, but also what’s not working. These are the kind of people that, although their advice might not be what you want to hear, will prove the most helpful. They want you to succeed, and they show it through their feedback.
The Enthusiastic Editor
Good editors are tough to come by. Ones that will do it because they’re your friend are even harder to find.
But that’s the enthusiastic editor: somebody who will read your book and point out the typos and mistakes in exchange for a dinner, pizza, gift card, etc. You most likely don’t have thousands of dollars to sink into editing, but if you can find a friend who enjoys participating in the process and is willing to work for goodwill or food, that’s an infinitely valuable resource. They don’t have an English PhD, either, just be smart readers and capable writers to help you spot mistakes.
A good place to start looking is within your family or close friends, depending on their writing backgrounds.
The Exceptional Ear
Writing a book sometimes feels like a communal effort. It’s often helpful to have somebody to bounce your ideas off.
Sometimes what makes sense to you might sound crazy and fall apart if you try to explain it. Other times, you might be uncertain about a plot point and receive insight from a close friend that opens your eyes or helps you connect the dots.
While some writers work in a vacuum, I always advocate for having an exceptional ear in your life who will listen to your ideas and help you think about them from all angles.
The Mighty Mentor
Often for new writers, it’s hard to find the way from writing a book to publication. That’s where the mighty mentor adds value.
There’s no clear path from manuscript to novel, but if you have somebody in your life who has navigated from Point A to Point B successfully and doesn’t mind sharing his or her insight with you, always take advantage of that opportunity.
Sometimes these mentors are people we have in our close friend groups. More often, they’re connections we make by getting involved in the writing community. Either way, if you can find an Obi-Wan of publication who will help you, it can be the resource that pushes your book toward publication.
Bonus: A Publishing Team that helps every step of the way.
As you can tell from this article, writing a good book often involves having great people in your life who are willing to help you.
That’s true of a publishing team, too. In fact, MindStir Media might be your secret weapon of publication. With the best self-publishing packages in the industry combined with a team of approachable experts, MindStir Media could be your answer to go from manuscript draft to bestseller. I highly encourage you to check them out today!
Is your team in place?
If so, now’s the perfect time to turn your book ideas into a reality. Feel free to reach out to me Twitter at @authorjjhebert with any thoughts or questions. I’m always happy to help!