I keep reading blog posts about new authors crying about not being able to afford to publish their next Gone With the Wind story. For Millennials, it’s a famous story about love during the Civil War, but that’s beside the point.

Initially, there was the traditional method where the author types up his/her story and submits the manuscript to the various publishing houses and then spends his/her time collecting rejection slips. An unknown author has little chance on getting their book published until all of the James Pattersons have died.

Next, are the ads on television for people who promise to publish your book. Then after draining your bank account, you end up with a thousand copies of your book mildewing in the garage. Don’t fall for this scam!

Finally, we have self-publishing your masterpiece, except for the fear and the unknown of how to do it. You may be surprised to learn that a reasonably intelligent person can self-publish their works at close to zero cost out of pocket. That’s what I’m going to teach you today and won’t even charge you for the experience. If you were nice, you could buy one of my books but it’s not required.

The first hurdle I can’t help you with is whether you have something to say that others are willing to pay to read. Writing a story is harder than it seems, and while some have the necessary skills, others do not. Before proceeding, I’m going to assume that buried somewhere in your brain is an interesting story.

Before you make a downpayment on a new Range Rover, take a breath and be prepared to wait for success to beat a path to your door. It takes time for your talent to be recognized, so don’t quit your day job just yet.

I’ve been writing for thirteen years and I am reasonably successful. I’ve published over forty novels and twenty paperback books. Honestly, I don’t work on it as I should because I hate dealing with advertising, but I love to write. I throw a story out there and pretty much let it sink or swim. If you check my reviews on Amazon, I get decent reviews, but I haven’t ordered my Range Rover yet.

But this post is not about advertising, but simply how to get something to advertise.

This is a list of the basic tools you need to get started. I’ll list the things in my toolbox along with the open-source (free) alternatives if you want to save money:

1. Word Processor – Microsoft Office is a common tool to write with, but Libre Office is a good alternative to WORD. Available in both Windows and macOS versions. I use Scrivener, which is about $60, and I find it better than a straight word processing program.
2. Cover Designer – CorelDraw is my go-to for graphics design software. This different from PhotoShop or GIMP, which are designed for image editing. When doing cover design, it’s handy to have all of the different parts as objects that you can move around whereas this is much more difficult with an image editor (PhotoShop). A free alternative is InkScape.
3. Image Editor – When you need to crop or alter an image, use PhotoShop or GIMP which is free to do the work.
4. Publisher – When publishing a paperback, it’s necessary to generate a PDF file of the entire book. I use QuarkXpress or Scribus (free) to generate the PDF file. For new authors, I’d recommend skipping paperbacks until you get the rest of the process worked out. While it’s cool to be able to hold your story, it can be a head banging experience.

That’s the software you need and an open-source or free program is available for each of the products listed. The paid versions typically are a little smoother and more functional but the open-source versions are certainly fine.

Next, create an author’s account on Amazon and SmashWords (Draft2Digital). I’d recommend that you start with these two first. Amazon is the Walmart of publishing and gives you world wide exposure. SmashWords is popular for erotica stories that Amazon may not handle.

After getting your SmashWords account, download their free The SmashWords Style Guide. If you follow the basic instructions, your story will be acceptable to both Amazon and SmashWords.

At this point, you’ve spent a minimum of zero dollars and are ready to take the next steps.

You will need a cover image for your story, and can cost up to several hundred dollars for a cover. When thinking about a cover, consider the fact that typically you are going to make about $3 per book sold if your sell price is above $2.99. Let’s say you spent $300 on a cover, that means the first one hundred books you sell will go to pay for the cover.

Study other author’s covers and spend $10-$20 for a stock image or find one on the free stock image websites. Then make your own cover using InkScape.

Another money suck is an editor, which may cost you hundreds of dollars. Try asking your friends to read your work of art.

That’s getting started in a nut-shell. Hit me back with any questions.

I’m Larry Archer, a writer of erotic narratives for those eager and interested. Alongside my partner Foxy, we’re active swingers, and I draw inspiration from our real-life experiences. My tales often delve into themes of swinging, unicorns, Hotwives, and cuckoldry. While this lifestyle isn’t suited for everyone, it has brought us great enjoyment. My work is explicit and intense, yet often woven with a semblance of a plot. Larry Archer’s adult fiction is typically upbeat and entertaining, reflecting the fun we’ve found in swinging. You can find my stories on various popular platforms. Larry’s erotic romance novels are offered in digital, paperback, and audiobook formats.

Kinky Literature
Amazon Kindle
SmashWords
Apple iBooks
Google Play Books
Kobo
Barnes and Noble
Scribd
Gardner Extended Retail

Larry Archer on BlueSky (take that X): https://LarryArcherAuthor.bsky.social

Larry Archer on Medium: https://medium.com/@larryarcher69
Larry Archer on MeWe (Explicit Content): https://mewe.com/i/larryarcherauthor