If you love backpacking and have decided to pursue your dreams of becoming a self-published author but have no idea where to start, then this guide on publishing a book is perfect for you.
Backpacking through scenic places and tourist destinations is a sought-after experience by many. As a backpacker, there’s just something about visiting picturesque cities and quaint wonders of nature that never cease to renew our passion for life. All of those experiences will come in handy if you are interested in becoming a self-published author.
The best thing about backpacking, though, is that for each place you’ve visited, you also get a nugget of wisdom in return. Traveling is one of the best sources for unique life stories. Stories that could easily inspire people to keep chasing their passions.
Here are 5 key steps to get you starting on becoming a self-published author.
1. Know Your Destination
Publishing a book is just like daydreaming about one of your trips; you have to know your destination. Or, in this case, know what type of book you want to write.
Since backpacking inspired you to become an author, it would be fitting to write about your travels. Writing about one of your interests means you’re letting your passions drive you towards your destination.
Ask yourself what type of book you want to write. Will you be interested in writing fiction? Or is non-fiction more your thing? Doing it this way will help you stay motivated, especially when you feel like doubting yourself.
Pursuing your goal as an author will become less taxing and stressful if you align it to something very close to your heart.
2. Plan Your Backpacking Trip
Now that you’ve identified the type of book you want to write, it’s time for you to start planning how to get there. It’s the same thing you do for most of your travels, especially for destinations that are high up on your bucket list.
Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, creating a plan (a book outline) is considered a very crucial step. Doing this will help you capture what you want to share with your future readers and organize it into a well-developed book structure.
A plan will help you get a sense of direction, and it will also prevent you from continuously stumbling into the infamous writer’s block.
3. Immerse Yourself In The Experience
Every time you backpack through a new place with a different culture, you always try to experience it through the eyes of a local. If you want to write about your experiences and publish a book about your backpacking travels, you have to fully immerse yourself in the process, both as a backpacker and as a writer.
If you feel like your personal trips and insights are not enough or you’re still craving for something ‘more’ to add to a topic or a place you’re writing about, research is an additional tool you should add to your writing itinerary.
Extensive research is vital if you want your readers to feel the authenticity of your stories portrayed in your future book.
4. Connect With The Right People
There are travels you want to do on your own, but there are also trips that you want to do with your people. With self-publishing, even if it has the word ‘self’ in it, you still need to find and connect with the right people.
Not only will you need a team of beta (and/or alpha) readers, editors, and cover designers, it’s also essential for you to connect with a community of writers.
A writer’s group can guide you towards the right platforms for writers, give you insights and helpful feedback on your work, and even inspire you with their own self-publishing journeys.
These are people who will have your back when the writing process gets a little tedious. Or they could also be your source of memes or joys on days when writing your story feels like an impossible task.
5. Share Your Experience
Every author dreams of becoming a published author one day. Getting published means sharing your experiences with everyone who buys a copy of your book.
When it comes to self-publishing, you have to select the platforms where your books will be available for your readers. You can either ask someone to do the correct formatting for you, or you can decide to do it yourself.
If you do choose to learn the nitty-gritty of publishing your book on your preferred platform, then you have to remember that it will only seem complicated on the first few tries.
Once you’ve got the hang of it, publishing your book won’t seem as daunting anymore.
Self-publishing your book might just be exactly what you need to level up your passion for travel. You could treat it as your personal travel journal of anecdotes. Or you could just start with writing a novel inspired by one of your favorite trips. Whichever path you take, just know that your story, whether published or not, is always worth sharing.
So what do you think? Now that you’ve read our 5 tips, are you ready to start becoming a self-published author? Leave a comment below and let us know.
