InHouse Publishing is a company based in Brisbane, Australia that supports self-published authors. It is a family-owned business providing expert knowledge and assistance to aspiring authors through each stage of the publishing process.
The team have compiled a list of writing tips and advice for budding authors in the article below.
But first… what is their favourite picture book from childhood?
Scott: Master Snickups Cloak – Alexander Theroux
Karen: Silly Street – Roz Abisch & Boche Kaplan
Debbie: Peter Pan – J.M Barrie
Jacquie: Winnie The Pooh – A.A Milne
Lisa: The original Wizard – Oz by L. Frank Baum
In the Article:
Writing Tips
Writing creatively is a pursuit both frustrating and fulfilling, like all good vocations. While writing will never be pinned down to a formula or a single best approach, there are some approaches that many writers use in their own practice.
Below are some tips you may find helpful.
Plan
When it comes to your plot, a timeline or plan can help you find the holes in your story before you even start writing. If you’re not a planner, you can apply the logic of a plan in reverse: list major plot events after you finish your manuscript, to check if everything makes sense for your story’s chronology, pacing, and more.
Get comfortable!
A pot of tea, a nice view, a few cushions to sit on … make your writing space a place you want to spend time in. If you’re too cold or your chair is too hard, your writing practice will become a dismal chore.
Write
This is an obvious one, but you simply have to sit down and write if you want to produce some words to work with. A lot of career writers talk about writing anything just to get their fingers typing or their pen scribbling. While you might not use it in your manuscript, write about a memory or a dream, to start your mind ticking over.
Keep it simple!
All fellows of the writerly persuasion should endeavour earnestly not to apply their learned verbosity to their onerous early drafts. In other words, keep your writing simple. Flowery, verbose language should only be used with purpose; e.g. because your narrator is a flowery individual, or because, in a particular sentence, only a more complex word will do. Writers often make the mistake of using big words and long descriptions instead of empowering the reader; all this does is confuse them and discourage them from using their own imagination to visualise the story.
Get to know your characters!
If you know the characters of your story well, they will lead you through your writing practice, rather than you struggling to make them realistic. Make lists of your characters’ mannerisms, likes, dislikes, social connections, etc. Put your characters through tests: Write them into a romance scene-what would they do? Write about them doing their shopping. Write about them dealing with a difficult customer at work. Practicing putting your characters through inane day-to-day activities will teach you a lot about who they are and how they will deal with whatever situations your manuscript’s plot calls for.
Show, don’t tell
The best writing provides information by showing something to the reader, not telling it to the reader. For example, take the sentence Millicent was very angry. Well, okay then-but what does she look like? Where is she? How do we know she’s angry? Consider instead the sentence Millicent glared at the table while Tom heated the soup. The writer hasn’t stated that Millicent is angry, yet the reader gets that and more from the sentence; that Millicent is angry, that she perhaps passively wants Torn to know she’s angry, that she is in the kitchen with Tom, and that the weather must be cold enough for soup.
Break some rules
Go on; we dare you
Biggest Mistakes Authors Make
1. They choose the wrong company
- Research publishing companies before you work with them.
2. They have an unrealistic deadline
- Give yourself enough time to publish your book.
3. They don’t get the book edited by a professional
- Employ a qualified and experienced editor
- Establish what you want the editor to accomplish before they begin.
4. They have rigid ideas on the design of their book
- Listen to your team of professional cover designers, formatting designers, and web designers.
5. They don’t ask enough questions
- Ask questions. Even if you think they are ‘dumb questions’.
- Feel confident to ask your team their opinion too.
6. They don’t have an author platform
- Before you begin marketing, establish your unique author platform.
- Ensure customers can purchase online – website, social media page, or online store.
7. They expect the book to sell itself
- Set realistic goals
- Plan time into your schedule for marketing your book
- Don’t give up
- Ask for help
For more information on how InHouse Publishing can help you in your publishing journey see the teams contact details below:
Phone
07 3208 7576
Publishing Office & Bookstore
Unit 1 / 75 Parramatta Road, Underwood QLD 4119
publishing@inhouseprint.com.au
Website
My Experience with InHouse Publishing
InHouse assisted me in publishing my first children’s book: My Mum Wets Her Plants. I cannot thank the team enough for their help in getting my book printed and, in my hands, so quickly. Not only did they deliver a quality product, throughout the process they were so responsive to my emails and phone calls – answering my questions with kindness and patience. Thank you, team InHouse! What a wonderful experience you made publishing my first ever book! If you are an aspiring author looking to print and publish a book in Australia, give them a call to see how they can help you!
– Courtney Birch
