I NOW HAVE A MANUSCRIPT…..WHAT NEXT?

Following a year of writing, I found myself with a mass of foolscap pages, with pencil lines, question marks and red lines, all in a messy pile.

How was I ever going to turn this disorderly pile of paper into a seamless manuscript?

It was fortuitous for me that I met Donald Macdonald, an author, playwright, and actor who was in my Italian class. Our conversation turned from Italian to writing and he generously offered to help with the editing of my book. It was with the guidance of Donald, that my book began to take shape. Many months later, I was the proud owner of an edited manuscript.

What next?

I had absolutely no idea what to do next, but I knew I wanted to publish independently. My enterprising husband had met some one connected to the publishing business, but he was selling his business. This news sent me into the depth of despair, but, luckily, not my husband who had met a lady who had published with Ocean Reeve through InHouse Publishing. (Ocean is now working in his own business, Ocean Reeve Publishing www.oceanreeve.com)

“I’ve done all the research, don’t look any further than Ocean Reeve,’ was her advice.

I have never regretted my decision to publish with Ocean. Following further edits and planning, book covers etc, I was finally holding my book in my hands. It was the most rewarding and exciting feeling in the world.

BUT WHAT DO I DO NOW??

Ocean gave me the tools to market my book. I had never given the marketing a thought! I just wanted to write…. isn’t that what authors do?

‘Go sell your book,’ said Ocean.

This was when my marketing journey commenced, a time I was to enjoy and find extremely rewarding and successful, selling 2000 books in nine months.