What does it take to publish a book?
Wondering how to publish a book? This complete guide for first-time authors covers everything from overcoming imposter syndrome to choosing between traditional publishing and self-publishing. Learn about the editing process, cover design, interior formatting, and what debut authors really need to know about breaking into the publishing industry. Whether you're a romance author, a BIPOC writer, or part of the LGBTQ+ community, Hawthorn & Aster is here to help you navigate self-publishing with confidence and clarity.
(Now that the SEO gods are appeased, let's talk like real people...)
Hey there, friends!
Welcome to Hawthorn & Aster's first ever blog post! Allow me to introduce myself–my name is Ivy DeWitt, and I am the founder and creative director here at Hawthorn & Aster.
We are a queer-owned marketing and pre-publication services company who specialize in the romance genre. We were built by authors for authors, and have dedicated our professional careers to excellence in author services and helping debut and baby authors take the guesswork out of publishing.
Don't let our specialization fool you: we love working with authors of all genres. Which is why we do our best to keep these blogs informational and universal. Romance-specific blogs will be labeled appropriately, don't worry!
So, without further ado, let's dive in, shall we?
So, you wanna write a book…
Congratulations! No, seriously.
The fact that you're here and reading these words means that you've already gotten over the biggest hurdle every author comes up against—imposter syndrome.
I can't tell you how many clients have told us that it took them years to even start writing, because they were so convinced that they were talentless, or their story had already been told. But, I'm here to tell you something vitally important—don't let the voice that says you 'can't' stop you from trying.
If you're feeling the call to write, if there's a story singing in your blood, you owe it to yourself (and to the world) to tell it.
That said, it is an incredibly daunting process. Not only do you have to worry about writing, but then you have to think about editing, the cover design, marketing—and did you know you have to consider the book's interior formatting? Yikes!
Don't worry. Hawthorn & Aster, your gay bookish auntie, is here to hold your hand through this.
Getting Started: Everything You Need To Know To Start Publishing
Let's start with the basics.
Write.
Just start.
Is it that simple? No.
But also, yes.
Let me explain—the human brain is designed to make us avoid uncomfortable things. Regardless of how desperately you want to write, there will be times when you're too unsure, too busy, too stressed, too much of a perfectionist. There will be times when real life stands in the way. And while all of these feelings are valid, it's important to not let them become the norm.
Let them be the exception.
Find a way to make writing a part of your routine—and play with it. Not just with the bones of it, like the time and place, but with the process itself. Feeling stuck on a vitally important lore-dump scene, and really only feeling inspired by the heroic rescue attempt, the burning castle, or the steamy scene? Your book, your rules. Write it.
No one ever said you had to write in order!
But beyond all of that, remember that your first, second, third, fourth, fifth (etc.) drafts are never going to be perfect.
That's why editors (aka word sorcerers) are paid the big bucks.
Pro-tip: Use the time that you're quietly writing to build a social media presence. You don't have to dive straight in with a comprehensive marketing plan. Just talk about your journey—tell your audience about your highs, your lows.
We've been saying this for as long as we can remember, and we're going to continue to say it until the words become a hellish echolalia to everyone in a 500-mile radius of us: you are what makes your book magical. Don't undercut your most important asset.
The Logistical Nightmare (Aka: The End… and Then What?)
You finish the book. The manuscript is left open on your computer, the cursor blinking in celebration as you type every author's favorite words — THE END — only to realize, crap. What do I do now?
It's a totally normal feeling, but here's the thing: you won't feel that way. Why? Because you stumbled into the great big ol' world of Hawthorn & Aster. You read this blog and now you're armed to the teeth with industry know-how, and a nearly fatal amount of aggressive positivity from the H&A crew. You won't feel that same anxiety. You'll feel ready.
Traditional vs. Self-Publishing: A No-Bullshit Breakdown
By this time, you're likely wrestling with the question that keeps manuscripts as drafts: traditional or self-publishing?
Let us be very clear: if you are a BIPOC, queer, or woman author (outside of romance, of course), the odds are stacked against you in the traditional publishing world. The data backs this up—a comprehensive PEN America study found that 95% of American fiction published over nearly 70 years was by white authors, and the publishing industry workforce remains 76% white. Sure, there are imprints that have made a decided effort to champion diversity, but those are few and far between and, let's face it, fielding more queries than those spam calls you've been ducking since seven this morning.
We're not saying this to discourage you. We're being transparent about the significant internal bias in the publishing industry. And we cannot change broken and unfair systems without calling them by their name.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a serious, no-bullshit look at traditional publishing vs. self-publishing.
Traditional Publishing
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Self-Publishing
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Only you know what journey you'd like to embark on. We've worked with authors who have never formally queried, some who have been traditionally published but pivoted to self-publishing later in their careers, etc.
But whatever you do, if you are querying? Make sure your manuscript is already edited.
Nothing will send an agent screaming toward the hills faster than an unedited block of text. It's a logistical nightmare—you'll give them hives.
Which is what leads me into the next stage: editing.
The Editing Process: What to Expect
Every writer loves to hate this stage. It's a truly toxic relationship, founded in emotional vulnerability, incorrectly used semicolons, and an embarrassing lack of understanding as to how commas work.
But it is crucial.
If nothing else, as a first-time author, hire a line editor. You will thank me for this advice in the future.
(A line editor will tidy up messy or awkward phrasing, and tighten your prose for legibility and readability).
My first ever manuscript (a high fantasy that went well over five hundred pages) was "red-penned" to the point that it honestly hurt my feelings. But after I dried my eyes and replaced my third IV bag of straight coffee and crippling self-doubt, I realized, "oh hell, what I wrote before was barely legible."
Most authors experience that same gut punch when an editor goes over their work for the first time, but please believe me when I say, if you treat it like a learning experience, you will become a stronger writer.
And here's the part where I know you're going to want to leave some rather unkind things in the comments: the editing doesn't stop here.
No, my magical, mystical friends. The editing process is like Dante's Inferno. We just keep descending into madness until finally, we have something that looks clean enough to not send grammatically minded readers into anaphylaxis.
The next step is copy editing. This is, more or less, high-level proofreading, designed to catch any lingering grammatical errors, or fuddy-duddy sentences (my word, not theirs).
And then, my beautiful little crumpet, you're ready to either query or you're on the fast track to publishing!
Already know that you're planning to do it yourself?
I'm going to make this as quick and dirty as possible for you. Self-publishing has a lot of moving parts, and an endless amount of options. If I covered everything in this blog, I would make War and Peace look like a novelette.
Don't worry, I'll cover each of these subjects more extensively in this blog at a later date (subscribe to our newsletter to get regular updates).
Self-Publishing Essentials: Cover Design and Interior Formatting
Cover Design: Book your cover artist the second you can. I mean, literally Usain Bolt your way into their DMs/Contact Forms/Email, etc. Cover artists book out quick, and you'll want to make sure that they (and you) have plenty of time to consult, design, and tweak before your book goes live.
That being said, if you have some graphical grit, you can always design your own using tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, GIMP, or even Canva!
Interior Formatting: It's weird how often the book's interior is overlooked, but it is an incredibly important part of your publishing journey. You can find services that offer templates (like ours), or even work with a designer to make something custom (hey, we do that too!).
There are plenty of tools out there to do it yourself, too. The learning curve can be a bit steep, and the free software often leaves a lot to be desired with the end result.
And then, boy oh boy, onto the big one: marketing.
Stay tuned for a later blog for that too!
If you enjoyed this content and would like to read more about the ins and outs of the self-publishing industry, please consider subscribing to our newsletter. You will receive weekly emails about our upcoming blogs. We won't spam you with promotional opportunities or other sales-related things (unless you opt into our authors-only newsletter in the signup form, of course).
Our hope is to pull back the veil and let you get a peek at what goes on behind all the high-gloss covers and appropriately used semicolons to make self-publishing a less daunting process for authors—seasoned or new.
I hope to see you back here! I have so many wonderful things planned.
Talk soon, Ivy
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