Episode 25: The Book Publication Process with Vicki Atkinson

In this episode of the podcast, I'm with Vicki Atkinson and we're discussing the book publishing process. We talk about the trepidation that publication can bring, the feeling that comes with opening what you’ve worked on privately for so long to a wider audience. Vicki helps to counter that by grounding us in knowing our purpose and inspiration for writing. We talk about the difference between writing to spill secrets and writing to provide insight into how to be resilient through tough situations. Often, the difference lies in doing the work to center ourselves so that we are ready to write. Then one can operate from a foundation of curiosity and healing instead of just recounting the stories that wound. Vicki walks us through some of the marketing activities she is currently wrangling with, regardless of how you publish a work, all the effort that goes in to promote it. We discuss what a different animal marketing is from writing, even though they both leave us feeling tenuous and exposed. We discuss the differences between self-publishing and signing with a publisher, ranging from all the components like cover art, and editing that you need to fund if you self-publish and comparing it to the distribution and contracts that come with a publisher. And then we circle back to having a clear purpose for writing the memoirs that are so personal and mean so much to us, and how that pushes us through all these uncomfortable aspects of not only writing, but the marketing and beyond. Episode 25 show notes This is a great episode about taking books to market and all that comes with it and I know you’ll love it.