Author Adelaide Acree shares the writing process of her fourth self-published novel from conception to publishing it on e-platforms.

Plotter, Pantser, or Plantser

You already know who you are. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, the definitions are as follows:

• Planner / Plotter: Focuses on structure and preparation before writing, creating detailed outlines, character bios, and mapping scenes in advance. I would suggest that if you are going to write a series (and one as long as mine), you need to map out your story and create a story bible to keep track of characters, locations, etc.

• Pantser: Writes without a map, relying on instinct, character, spontaneity, and creativity to discover the story during the drafting process. Though I am an avid plotter, as I write my novel, my characters sometimes want to go in a different direction. And that's okay. It's all about iteration and being flexible.

• Plantser / Planster: A hybrid approach where the author prepares a basic structure or key plot points (plan), but improvises the scenes and details in between (pantser). This is what I would describe myself as. I have spreadsheets galore, coded a family tree app, and designed mood boards, so I remember it all. But as I mentioned in the pantser, I realize creative writing is not always like a waterfall project going from A-Z. If halfway through your writing, you want to change something, go for it. But don't forget to change your plan.

Editing, Beta & ARC Readers

After my fourth book, I realized what my process is. You won't know yours until you try it and see if you feel comfortable:

1. Write the first draft and write it from the heart. I would avoid doing any editing or any rewrites. Just let the words flow. I do keep an eye on word count as I know my novels need to be at least 70,000 words. I aim for 2,600 words per chapter, but if I don't reach it in the first draft, that's fine. When you complete your second draft and complete the edit recommendations from your readers/editors, I always add another couple thousand more words.

2. Read through it. I sometimes read it without making any edits or combine it with number 3.

3. Writing the second draft includes making edits, checking grammar and style (I use ProwritingAid), tighten the story. As I write, I play it in my head like a movie. I think this is a good method as I can see if there are any developmental edits I should be making, plot holes that need to be filled in, or scenes I should change.

4. Read through it a second time and do a final edit in ProwritingAid. I leverage Echoes, All Repeats, Overused, Grammar, Style, and Consistency (if there are any others you think I should be using, let me know, please).

5. Send to 2-3 Beta Readers. If you can find good Beta readers, I don't think you need a developmental editor, in my opinion. That being said, they should leave lots of comments on what they do/don't enjoy, if they got lost, or if something doesn't make sense. I think I went through ten different beta readers before I found my regulars. I found them on Fiverr, Instagram, and my local writing groups.

6. Draft 3: Using the beta reader's feedback, make the changes. Read through it to make sure it still makes sense. 

7. I would start marketing your release here. I did a cover reveal, a publish date announcement, and asked people to be my ARC readers.

8. Send to line/copy editor. They are in charge of cleaning up your writing and elevating it to a professional level. My manuscript always comes back with lots of edits and comments without changing my voice. I'm still trying to find one I can afford that I like. I have been using one from Fiverr, but they only do under 70,000 words. I found another on Upwork, but I realized they didn't do the best work, even though they had more experience and charged more. Speaking of money, choose someone who charges per word, not per hour. Guarantee, they won't be able to complete in the allotted time, and you won't get the best work back. 

9. Again, do more marketing. I use Adobe Express, so if I create a reel, I can use the aggregator function to publish directly to Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and TikTok. I hope one day, they'll add YouTube, but for now, I usually download the reel and manually upload to YouTube.

10. Draft 4: Using the editor's feedback, make the changes. Read through it to make sure it still makes sense.

11. I then do a final edit through ProwritingAid and ChatGPT to proofread. With EditGPT, I just ask it to list any proofreading issues. If you ask it to proofread only, it tends to rewrite with the changes. Some authors say Claude and Perplexity are better, but I think I've trained my agent long enough; it knows my series and writing as much as I do.

12. I post the final draft onto Booksprout, which is an ARC subscription service. As I mentioned earlier, I only got one reviewer. Otherwise, you can try to get readers through the Reddit ARC community, Facebook groups, and CTA on your socials. I also sent out a newsletter, but didn't receive any replies. ARC readers are important as they are your first reviewers and they'll rate/review on official sites like Goodreads and BookBub.

Publishing

There are different ways you can publish. The two main ways are via the Amazon KDP Select Program or publishing wide. 

I'm sort of anti-Amazon, but for a debut author, this is a good way to publish your book and earn money quickly. I've never used it before, and the thought of putting all my eggs in the Amazon basket makes me shudder. There are a lot of YouTube videos and blogs if you want to go in that direction.

I've chosen to go down the wide path. I always wanted to publish to Google Playbooks, Booktopia, and get my books into libraries. I found it quite easy by using the Aggregator website, Draft2Digital. You can even publish it to Amazon (not Unlimited), if you don't mind deducting a percentage for convenience. I originally did that when I first started publishing, but I recently moved my books over to Amazon's Author Central, where I can publish directly. It isn't that difficult once you have set it up.

I currently use D2D to publish to Barnes and Noble, Kobo, as well as Apple, which I understand you can also publish directly. I tried to set up my account, but there's a lot of documentation and forms you have to fill in, so I'll have to do that in the near future.

I currently only sell e-books, but plan to sell paperback copies in May onwards. Audiobooks are another story. I can use AI companies for $2,000 or hire real people and spend $20,000. 

Five days before my release date, I posted a daily post to count down to my release. as well as five days after, to keep the momentum up.

And that's pretty much it. Oh, I make my own book covers using Adobe Express. There are plenty of templates. I went into a bookstore and browsed all the Regency Romance books, seeing what I liked and didn't like. I most probably will change it again when I publish my physical, but that is the good thing about e-books. You can regularly update your book cover to refresh your brand or to get new readers. If you have any questions, let me know.