Artwork by Kolapo Olanrewaju “WowStylus”
Do you have a published book? Is it one that you’re proud of?
Or do you suspect that it could be better, that it could be taken to the next level?
I published my first book three times before I finally published a book I was proud of — one that became a best-seller on Amazon.
With my first book — my memoir — I did everything experts said to do. I hired a developmental editor. Hired a professional book cover designer. Spent hours that turned into days that turned into weeks learning how to format a book properly and upload it with the right keywords, categories, pricing, distribution rights, and other choices.
In the end, I had a published memoir. But in my heart I knew it could be better.
My reviewers thought so, too. Although I got a few good reviews, I got enough critical reviews that I had to stop and evaluate. I wanted my book to impact people’s lives. I didn’t want to come off as a talkative old woman boring everyone at the dinner party.
I had two choices: give up or go back to the drawing board to see if I could take it to the next level.
I tried again.
This time I learned how to design the book cover myself and to critically evaluate my writing, my book’s content and its structure. I had it professional copy edited, and I published it again.
The book did better and my reviews were better, but I still had the nagging feeling that I could do better.
So I tried again.
I taught myself how to evaluate it from the perspective of a reader of fiction. I restructured the book to more closely match a novel. I created a cover that was both dramatic and touching. I took my book to the next level, and my readers knew it. The book hit best seller status and got glowing reviews.
I started Soul Sonshine with the express purpose of helping other authors avoid the trauma that I went through while publishing my book three times.
Soul Sonshine’s processes help authors create beautiful, impactful and touching books. Don’t be satisfied that you’ve gotten a book published. Instead, become the author of a book that you can genuinely be proud of. A book that is truly on the next level.
One of my staff artists sent me a painting of a grapefruit this morning. It was so skillfully rendered, it looked like it had just rolled off the table of a Vermeer painting.
It reminded me of how a skillfully written, edited, formatted, and illustrated book is like that grapefruit. It’s something you want to reach out and grab. Your mouth waters just to look at it. Or maybe your mouth even puckers a little– after all it IS a grapefruit.
Why waste time trying to edit your own book, find your own illustrator, figure out how to format a book, and publish on kdp? Only to end up with a book that’s just mediocre when it could have been so much more? You spent your precious time writing a book. Now it’s time to let professionals take it to the next level. Wouldn’t you rather be writing another future “Vermeer fruit” masterpiece?
