I am a self-published author and I love what the potential of this outlet means for not just myself, but for so many writers out there that are looking for a platform in which to be heard. Gutenberg look out! When I was involved with writing my first book all I could think about as I was approaching completion was how I was going to get the word out about what I had accomplished. Looking back, I never really understood the importance of the ARC or how reviewers would embrace the use of this type of vehicle.
As I began to format my eBook change seemed to be an inevitable part of the process. There was always something that didn't line up quite right or a page break that wasn't being recognized. Formatting for an eBook already had me embracing change, and it seem nearly an impossible task to get it all done in one pass so you make the corrections and keep makings changes because you can! These changes can happen even after you press the publish button. I found pesky little mistakes and would correct them on the fly. (as of this article I have around 79 versions of my Smashwords novel - I
really had no idea those changes were being kept track of in this way). My justification for allowing these corrections revolved around my need to publish the novel. Once I had done that it would give me a legitimate platform in which to talk about the project. This was my first mistake in not utilizing the ARC.
My second error was not understanding the full spectrum of the editing process. I undercut my editor and pushed the
publish button before she had a chance to do a second pass. This was my fault in it's entirety, a miscommunication on what "finished" for my novel really meant. When she said she was done with her edit, it meant she was done with the edit for continuity and story flow, it had nothing to do with punctuation, grammar, or spelling. I am sure it was much to her horror the story went out and was made available on every type of electronic device. (I published on both Smashwords and Amazon).
I had been so immersed with the formation of the story and then saw the wall I needed to climb in getting the word out about the book that I never took seriously how an ARC could have helped me in those moments. The Advanced Reader Copy as it is known, is your version of the finished work made available to reviewers and other people who might be interested in getting the word out about your story. The ARC is a tool to get reviewed for your idea, all the while allowing for a certain elasticity to your edit which you will come to appreciate as you finalize your work. Granted you will see this "advice" as a review, but it will also be reviewed as an ARC. This gives an author time to evaluate content like acknowledgements, credits, the cover, the interior jacket of the book, about the author, final words, and any possible links you might have to share with your audience. There may even be a review or two you may want to quote and include on the cover of your new book!
The ARC is a great buffer to the first time self published author in achieving all of this. If you are a fan of film like I am, you realize how much editing can and will make a difference in what you are watching. (There are a lot of things that can pull a viewer out of a film - suspending his or her suspension of disbelief). Editing gives pacing, a timing to a film that an audience can rely on as they immerse themselves in the suspense, humor, or sympathy building within the story. If the cuts are choppy or distracting the viewer can become lost.
We know that fans of films will categorize a project according to the level of effort or budgetary constraints the project finds itself in, rating it as an independent film, B-movie, Bomb, or Blockbuster. These same labels can be applied to your book.
Many readers of a published novel have a level of expectancy for how polished it should be. If this isn't met through shoddy punctuation, misspelled words, or continuity problems, your audience may not give it a second look. This translates into the word about your project not getting out there, (There are instances where the reviewer might not even review your book at all wanting to spare you a brutal review, be thankful and move on), and that is the point of the ARC to get the word about your work out there in the most positive light.
I spoke with a few authors who have been published, the process for editing is a minimum of three passes. This means the book is edited and proofread three times. They are looking at punctuation, spelling, continuity, and flow. This may seem obvious but to the writer who has spent years with their first work this process seems like adding another lifetime to the project before it will ever be seen.
Having another set of eyes on your story is vital. If it is your first book you have probably been with your work for years, hacking it out at all odd hours of the day and night, and beating those words and sentences as if they were the ball of dough in a busy pizza shop. The familiarity with your work makes it hard to have an objective perspective of what you are trying to say. The editor can help with this, and so can the distribution of your ARC. (The more set of eyes the better, right?)
It is disheartening to an author to think that more time might go by without reaching your potential audience in the immediate but one has to remember this is a process. The ARC will help you build that audience and make your eventual book giveaways and signings that much more fun and meaningful because you will have a polished work you can stand on. (You can even stamp your book with the words "this is an ARC" before you hand it out so there is no confusion later on when you hand out your finished novel).
Self-publishing brings a sense of the immediacy making it seem like your project will be in the hands of an audience tomorrow. There is no ARC button when you are ready to launch from those platforms, yet that is exactly what is needed to make you a more effective author.
Now that I realize where the stage of my work really is (and this was a painful process to have to admit to myself, really hitting home after my first book signing). I really feel I can't do another signing until I allow my editor to complete the job she had always wanted to do. It is a disservice to the editor and your potential readers not to try and put the best possible product out there.
My exuberance to publish my work cost me in building something solid in a marketing approach. Not all is lost though, my editor is going over the chapters (after much begging on my part), and in due time a new edition of the novel will be out there that gets a little closer to these standards.
My hope is that more self-published authors learn from my mistakes and take advantage of using the ARC. It is an outstanding tool in helping you gain an audience and to finish your novel. It might seem like it is adding more time to your project, believe it or not that is exactly what you want in helping your audience grow with you. I have no doubt in the long run you will be grateful for the finishing touches it will bring to your master piece.
Thank you for your time - I hope the above advice has helped.
Post Notes:
The novel discussed in this blog is:
Red Planet Pioneer - Modulus of Resilience
Any edition of this novel as of this writing can be considered an ARC - I have come to terms with that and for all the right reasons.
To make amends in the immediate I will be offering this book for FREE with a coupon code. The FREE book will be in eBook form ONLY and I will extend this offer for as long as it takes to finish the edit of this version. (So if it takes 45 days from the writing of this blog post to complete the new version, the FREE coupon code will be good for forty-five days after the new version is published on Amazon and Smashwords).
The coupon code will be posted on this blog at the date of that completion.
