Text Box:   Top 5 Most Important Things an  Author Should Do Right Now By Nicole Gay Protect your work!  This is critically important.  Before you self-publish or send your manuscript to a publishing house, make sure you get it copy written.  You can do this by downloading a form from the USPTO.gov website.  The cost is $45.  But, before even doing this, start adding a copyright notice on your work.  It looks like this:  © 2007 Your Name. Protect your ideas!  Do not share your manuscript with everyone.  The more people that see your work before it is published, the more people can “borrow your ideas” and create their own.  Even close friends should be made to sign a Non-disclosure form which you can make up yourself.  It simply says that no one may share or use the material included in your manuscript for a period of 5 years.  You can choose the amount of time you want, however. Hire an Editor! You will become so accustomed to looking at your own work that who will not be able to see mistakes.  Hire an editor or proofreader. If you pay them (yes, you need a work contract or agreement) then that protects you from having your work leaked out to others or being stolen.  You may have to cite the editor as a contributor to your novel or you can simply thanks them in your acknowledgments. Research the benefits of self-publishing vs. house or corporate publishing.  Before you agree to offer, make sure you understand the terms of the agreement and you know how much you will make off of royalties, etc.  Many publishing houses offer a 60/40 split so that may be a good deal but you have to find out who will own the rights to work… you or them?  If you decide to self-publish, be prepared to do a lot of legwork and hustle and bustle. You will have to find a printer, figure out a marketing plan, and sell your book.  The benefit is that you get to keep all of the profits!  There are pros and cons to both methods so weigh your options before you decide what to do. Register for the "I Should Write a Book" Aspiring Authors Conference! This list is just the tip of the iceberg! Attend the Conference and gain a wealth of information and resources to get your book from out of your head and into your hands! Click here to register   "I Should Write a Book!"

 

 

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