Things I didn’t know before I published a book…

I'm having one of those “why?” days…

Here are a few things I didn't know before I started publishing my books.

– The book in your hands represents months of work. Months. No self-respecting author simply writes the book then hits publish. They write. They rewrite. An editor rips their carefully constructed words apart. They rewrite again. Those pages contain more than just ink. They're full of tears, headaches, love and determination.

– Publishing a book costs money. Think at least $100 for a cover, and three times that at a minimum for editing and proof reading. Then there's software, formatting and marketing.

– For $0.99 books, Amazon pays 35 cents in royalties. Even less in the UK, because 20 percent goes to the government in tax. Please think about that next time you say $2.99 is too much for an eBook.

– Reviews matter. Even if they're just one sentence, every author appreciates that somebody took the time to write that line. Because reviews affect how your book is ranked on Amazon (or iBooks or Kobo or B&N), and your ability to market, and that in turn affects sales. If you don't want that book you loved so much to die a slow death, take two minutes to write a review.

– Most authors appreciate that not everyone can afford to buy books. If you want to support your favourite authors without spending money, then help them in other ways. Share their books on social media. Get a free advance copy and write a review. Offer to beta read. Or even just send them a message. Sometimes on a bad day that can make all the difference.

– Writers may write for the love of it, but they don't publish for the love of it. Editing, formatting and marketing are work. Not fun. Work.

– Marketing is the bane of almost every author's life. Spending a day fine-tuning a Facebook advertising campaign when you could be writing is akin to dancing in the fires of Hell. Barefoot.