Writing My First Novel: What I Learned
Five lessons I learned self-publishing my first novel.
4/6/20251 min read
I wrote my first novel in 2024 after nearly forty years of writing for fun. Always starting stories, but never finishing them.
Timeline:
First draft = May — June
Beta reader = July
Editing = August-October
Soliciting cover artist = November
Finalizing format and uploading to Amazon = December
Here are 5 lessons I learned in the process:
The first draft should proceed as quickly as possible before you lose track of your trajectory, momentum, and passion.
FOR ME: music inspires so much during the first draft. The tragic love story playlist I repeated over and over again really fueled me.
Beta readers are a God-send. Treat them nicely and reciprocate if you can. It can be fun. If you are paired and it’s not the right fit, be upfront and honest. Don’t ghost them. I found my beta reader on reddit writing.
Wait at least three weeks before you perform your first major edit. You need to distance yourself from your first draft to gain a better perspective.
Write for yourself. Don’t let concern for others’ opinions or reactions creep into the words you put down. Write a book you would want to read. Be selfish. And, if you’d want to read it, chances are there a whole lot of other people who’d want to read it as well.