WEEKEND WRITING
Write and publish your book part-time while you work full-time
*Keep 100% of the rights, royalties, and creative direction. Yes, really.
Do you have a book idea in your head but you’re not sure when you’ll find time to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard? Or maybe you have a manuscript but you’re not sure how to begin the publishing process? I feel you.
I’m Lauren, a published author with a full-time corporate job. My challenge? Carving out time during the week to write my next book—and then figuring out how to publish it. Add on the intense deadlines associated with traditional publishing and writing a book suddenly became a bit of a pipe dream. That’s where Weekend Writing comes in.
Do you want to write a book but aren’t sure where to start? I was there, too. Working in corporate full-time, I didn’t have time or energy to go down the traditional publishing route. Instead, I worked with a hybrid publisher, but even then, I felt like I didn’t have as much creative control as I wanted—so I tried self-publishing.
I thought it would be easy. So many people self-published books! It was so popular, it was disrupting the industry! I searched for a step-by-step guide for how to self-publish but couldn’t find any. Sure, there were individual guides—how to purchase an ISBN, when to submit your book to the Library of Congress, how to format your PDF for KDP, and how to print a shipping label—but they were in individual articles. I figured it out by googling every step of the way.
All that to say, can you google this information yourself? Of course, but the benefit of Self-Publishing Reimagined is that I essentially spent hundreds of hours doing the research for you so you can spend less time researching and more time writing. This is the resource I wish I had when I published (and that I will use when I publish my next book!).
Why Self-Publish?
There are three main forms of publishing:
Go the traditional route. Find an agent and sell your manuscript to a publisher. While your name is on the cover and copyright, you lose most creative control and receive a small percentage of the royalties (because the publisher owns the material, not you). You get an advance, and then you don’t earn money until the royalties cover the cost of said advance. It’s a lengthy and often draining process with no guarantee of publication; however, traditional publishers tend to have teams of editors, marketing and book tour budget, and connections with bookstores so there’s a higher likelihood of selling more copies. That said, you often do not own the rights to your work. For example, you may not be able to print bookmarks, stickers, or other swag with the book’s title without the publisher’s permission.
Hybrid publishing. I’ve seen three types of “hybrid” publishers:
A true hybrid model, where you and the publisher split everything 50/50 (or another agreed-upon percentage). As the author, you get higher royalties and have more creative control, but there is still a publisher who has a say. They are spending money and time creating your book, so they are invested in the success of your book and will help promote it—albeit, likely not at the same level of a traditional publisher.
Guided self-publishing. The publisher will coordinate editors, designers, marketing coaches, and give you instructions for making your book available on sites like Amazon and various e-stores, but you as the author do all the legwork (e.g., uploading your manuscript to the distributor, marketing, etc.). If you want your book to be in a bookstore, you have to reach out to the bookstore directly to negotiate. The benefit is that you do not have to hire your own team and that you own 100% of the rights and royalty; the downside is that you don’t have a say in who your team is (similar to a traditional publisher, you are assigned editors and designers).
Vanity publisher. You can
Self-publishing.
Self-publishing gets a bad rap, and it’s easy to see why. Anyone can upload their book to Amazon’s platform and call it a day. That said, there is also an opportunity to create a publisher-worthy book on your own time and your own terms.
Self-publishing Reimagined will walk you through the exact steps to create a book that’s as high-quality as one created with a hybrid publisher.
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If you want to do it well, self-publishing is a beast. There are countless steps between writing your manuscript and seeing it on digital shelves. I’ll walk you through every step, which you can do on your own terms and timeline.
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One of the most time-consuming parts about self-publishing is determining which editors, designers, etc. to hire. I’ll give you a short list so you can skip the formalities and jump straight in.
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I’ll tell you exactly what tools and platforms I use to self-publish my own books. When possible, I offer coupon codes or discounts for more affordable access.
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Think of this as a digital co-working space to work on your books. We’ll log in to a Zoom room, say hi, then all go onto mute and work on our books. It’s a simple way to stay accountable.
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To support and learn from other indie authors, we’ll read their books and get together over Zoom for a live convo and Q&A with the author.
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Connect with other aspiring authors via our exclusive ____ group.
You ready?
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You ready? 〰️
There is a recommended fee for joining Self-Publishing Reimagined; however, you can also set your own price if you prefer. This allows attendees to pay according to individual means and makes the group available to all regardless of their financial situation. Each tier includes access to the self-publishing guide, lists of contacts, exclusive discounts, Weekend Writing membership, and book club. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
LOW COST
$38/month
If you're interested in a low-cost membership, this is the option for you! While the true cost is $68/month, it’s important that no one is turned away for lack of funds. Pay what you can.*
True
Cost
TRUE COST
$68/month
The true cost of the membership is $68/month. This helps cover the administrative costs and my time. Thank you for your support!
Note: this does not include the cost of editors and tools.
PAY IT FORWARD
$98/month
By paying more, you can support others with fewer resources while helping cover administrative costs. Your generosity is appreciated.
Meet Lauren
Hey there! I’m Lauren Bartleson, an Oregon-based indie author, communications manager, and mental health advocate. From 9-5(ish), you’ll find me behind the computer, managing communications at one of the world’s most recognizable brands. In 2022, I published my first publisher-backed book, Behind the Facade: A Mental Health Memoir, on top of a self-published poetry collection. I have a follow-up memoir, a travel novel, and a few other ideas in the works. When I’m not working or writing, you’ll probably find me on the couch, Kindle in hand. I read about 75 books per year and tend to gravitate toward romance, thriller, and realistic fiction, though I’m currently on a fantasy kick. I love sunrises, local coffee shops, and all forms of word games.
FAQs
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