Don’t Rain on My Parade: Common Pitfalls

As a self-published author I strive to deliver excellence. Over the years, I’ve made many mistakes. I’ve identified common pitfalls that we’ll  discuss in order to manage them. I’ll bring attention to three areas:

• Foreword Versus Preface and Introduction

• Author Biography

• Professional Editing

Presentation is essential to the finished product. Yet, some of us cut corners which is disheartening because it could dim opportunities and credibility. My book, In Her Own Ink, shares the differences between the Foreword, Preface and Introduction.

Can the Author Write the Foreword?

Depending on the type of narrative we’ll include a Foreword section. However, a lot of authors get this element of the book confused. The Foreword is NOT written by the author. In fact, it typically is authored by an expert in the field, or someone who specializes in the book’s area of focus. 

The expert will promote your book. Giving readers a glimpse of their insight as a specialist, their relationship to you, the author, and the advantages of continuing to purchase the copy and reading onward. Generally, this element of the book is one to three pages.

What Distinguishes the Preface from the Introduction

Still, the Preface is another important part of the story-line.  Some authors utilize the Preface to reinforce their expertise on the topic, offering their credentials to strengthen credibility. Also, to give an account of the story behind the story, or the book’s title.

The Introduction gives a background the reader won’t get in the body of the book, and helps set the stage for the story. Sometimes, authors bypass a Preface and include that information in the Introduction, which is fine. Some readers overlook the Introduction, therefore, I encourage you to keep the Introduction concise to motivate the reader to capture all of that good content.

Author Biography

There are three points of view; first-person, second-person, and third-person. First-person perspectives use “I” statements. While second-person viewpoints walk with the reader by use of the terms: “us” and “we.” 

Finally, third-person is the narrator. I’ve seen some authors write their biographies in first-person point of view which is incorrect. Your biography should always be written in third-person. Even though I’m sharing my story, I will write my biography as the narrator; “Ashley Smith self-published seven inspiring books that emphasize inspiration, prayer, and hope for recovery…”

Cutting Corners: Professional Editing

Finally, the last common pitfall we’ll look at is editing. I’ve seen some authors strive to cut corners by bypassing the professional editing process. This is a terrible mistake because catching grammatical errors in copies is a distraction for our readers. 

When seeking an editor, provide your word-count to get an accurate price, not the amount of page numbers. Note there are different types of editing beyond grammar. There are different editors that specialize in various books. For example, children’s book editors and so forth.

Conclusion

You are a great writer, evident by you doing your homework by reading my blog articles on how to enhance the work. I’ve published a few copies and made mistakes. To this day, I still make mistakes, but you can overcome these issues and ensure a polished product by continuing to follow my blog.

Let’s continue to deliver professional presentations and get our messages across to readers with greater confidence. Again, recall the differences between the Foreword versus Preface, and Introduction. Always write your biography as the narrator, and never opt-out of the professional editing phase.