But maybe more importantly....what made you hit the "buy" button? Had you seen that author before? Was it a recommendation for a friend? Think about what made you want to buy it in the first place. This can kind of help you reverse engineer how to do the same for your own books to make your readers hit the "buy" button for you!

I’ve been thinking about how much of self-publishing happens after the book is finished. Writing the book is one thing, but getting the right people to actually discover it is a completely different challenge. For those of you who have already published, what’s one thing you learned about marketing, visibility, reviews, Amazon, social media, or getting readers that you wish you had known before launching? I’d be interested to hear what actually worked for you and what turned out to be a waste of time or money.

Hey everyone! I've been scrolling and viewing some pasts few post and most post genuinely caught my attention because behind every meaningful piece of writing, there’s a deeper story, the spark that brought the idea to life, the personal experiences that shaped it, and the unseen challenges that come with turning imagination into something others can connect with. I was curious about your journey: when you began writing, did you expect the creative process to be the biggest challenge, or did you discover that building visibility and reaching the right audience became an entirely different chapter of the journey? I’ve been exploring how authors are creating stronger connections around their work, and I’ve noticed some fascinating patterns in how stories gain attention and build lasting relationships with readers. I’d genuinely love to hear your perspective, what’s one approach, lesson, or discovery that has made the biggest difference in your writing journey so far?

A big thank you to everyone who commented on my posts re proof reading and editing. On a more positive note a local organisation has said I can run a course for them on women’s lives in the time of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë, which is 1775 to 1855. So that is positive and that gives me a big boost in terms of getting the book done.

Does anyone have tips for self editing and proofreading. I find it almost impossible. People who do know how to do it are expensive.