When I first started writing, there were so many things I didn’t know. I had the story, the characters, and the dream, but publishing a book takes a lot more than just finishing the last chapter. I hope sharing a little of what I learned helps another new author before they publish.

One of the first things I learned was to make sure your cover is completed early. Your cover is such an important part of your book. It is the first thing readers see, and it helps bring your story to life before they ever turn a page. Personally, I love using Canva. It has been such a helpful tool for creating graphics, posts, and book-related designs.

I also did all of my own editing in Word, and let me tell you, that was a learning experience. I spent hours going back through chapters, fixing mistakes, adjusting sentences, and trying to make everything flow better. Along the way, I also learned how useful Google Docs can be, especially when sharing work and getting feedback from others.

Another big thing I discovered was BookFunnel. Before publishing, I had no idea how helpful it could be for sharing copies of my book with readers. It made sending out ARC copies so much easier and helped me stay more organized.

And most importantly, I learned about ARC readers.

Let me just say, OMG, I would have been lost without my ARC team. They helped me in ways I didn’t even know I needed. Their support, feedback, excitement, and encouragement meant everything to me. Finding that team took time, though. I spent hours searching on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. I searched for ARC readers, followed so many readers and authors, and tried to connect with people who truly loved books.

There were times when it felt like too much. I work full-time, I have a large family, and finding time for writing, editing, posting, planning, and publishing could feel overwhelming. Some days, I wondered how I was going to get it all done.

But I was lucky to have support and understanding around me. Sometimes we adjusted events. Sometimes people sat beside me and helped me create. There were a lot of FaceTime calls while I was typing, planning, fixing, and figuring things out as I went.

Writing a book is one thing. Publishing it is a whole different journey. It takes patience, learning, late nights, mistakes, support, and a whole lot of determination. If you are a new author, my advice is this: don’t be afraid to ask questions, build your reader team early, give yourself grace, and remember that you don’t have to know everything when you start.

You will learn as you go.

And sometimes, the people who support you along the way become one of the best parts of the journey.