The title of this post is misleading in my case, because technically the money was spent by DH, which technically isn’t me.
Here goes:
Confession time: I’ve not spent much
$ as a writer. I spent lots of time, thought, and effort. Money hasn’t been in
the equation. I imagine for the self-published the money they spent and how
they chose to prioritize is pivotal.
But there was some money spent, regardless. Count membership at SCBWI, a few
conferences, paper & mailing (in the ancient days pre-all digital submissions)
and a few books on the craft or business of writing. It adds up to something.
The latter brings me to the best money
spent from my address. It was a birthday present from DH twelve years ago; a curiously titled The
Complete idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books.
Note that the word “complete” refers to the
idiotic reader. In reality, this book is more of a complete guide and the
reader is no idiot but a smart person because they know they don’t know.
This basic book was the best investment,
as it did cover almost anything a novice needed answered. As a tiny bonus, it
also served as an acknowledgement of one’s status as a know-nothing, something to
keep inflated egos in check for the barrage of inevitable rejections to come.
For the novice it’s $ well spent.
