Lessons to Apply to When Writing Your Second Book
Publishing your first book is a huge accomplishment in your life. You spent months, maybe years, perfecting your book to make it the book of your dreams. Now, it is out in the world, ready for readers to find, read, and share with others.
But, what happens now? You are a published author, and the sky is the limit. If you enjoyed the writing process, you will probably want to continue your literary journey. Likely, this will manifest as writing your second book. Your follow-up can be whatever you want, either in the same vein as your first or completely different. This is the next step in your life as an author.
Throughout the writing, publishing, and marketing processes, you likely learned valuable lessons to take forward with you. Your experience as an author will always be unique to you, but there are some common general takeaways. This article will look at how you can use the lessons you learned from your first book.
Hone Your Writing Style
Perhaps the most direct lesson to take from your first book is honing your writing. This can include stylistically, thematically, or anything else. You may have written your first book without a clear sense of direction or experience as a writer. When approaching your second book, you will have direct and relevant experience.
This does not mean your first book was poorly written. On the contrary, some of the most acclaimed books in literature are novels from first-time authors. Everyone’s journey to publishing a book is different, and you can have a strong literary background in other ways. The lessons you learn from publishing your first book, however, are unique. You will be able to cement your identity and brand as a writer going forward.
Build an Audience
When you start your first book, you probably do not have much of an audience. Therefore, you will have to build your readership from the ground up. This can be one of the most exciting parts about being a published author. People will read your books and want more from you.
During the writing process of your second book, you will want to consider the audience from the first book. Who read it and liked it? What did they like about it? Why did they like it? You can assess audience reviews and feedback to get to the root of what about your book worked for them.
Your job is not to repeat what you did the first time, just take those lessons forward. Instead of cloning your first book, write to your strengths. If you think critically about your writing, you will find your voice and fanbase grow with each new book.
Gain Connections with Other Writers
As with any industry, networking and building connections are key to success as a writer. Knowing other authors gives you a community of like-minded people who share your passion. You can give each other feedback, advice, or pep talks at any stage in the writing process.
The connections you build with other writers will be different than any other. Sharing a common purpose allows you to build confidence within your own writing. Growing a community with other writers can carry you through your follow-up book. As you write more and more books, you will become a more engrained member of the literary world.
The Ropes of Marketing
When you publish a book, marketing is just as important as the writing and publishing processes. This is when your book gets in front of new people all around the world. Your marketing starts with a press release upon publication and goes from there. You control how you market your book; this can include social media, television appearances, book signing, etc.
Your first book can be a trial for how you can best market your writing. If some methods worked for you, you can carry those forward. However, you can adjust your strategies. Use the methods that worked best and focus on those. For example, you might love in-person events and interaction with potential readers. Embrace those events when marketing your second book.
