Provide book formatting/layout solution to author with page issues.

Published on 06/05/2025KOL Promotion Opportunities

Here are potential influencers or active community members from the Reddit thread who might be open to collaboration, along with suggestions and expected benefits:

  1. User: Commenter who stated: "Publishing draft 5 instead of draft 7." (Comment 1)

    • Identified Need/Problem: This user faced a critical error by publishing the wrong manuscript version, suggesting a need for better version control or pre-publishing organizational tools.
    • Collaboration Suggestion: Offer this user a trial of a manuscript versioning tool, a robust pre-publication checklist software, or a service that helps authors organize and finalize their drafts before publishing.
    • Expected Benefits:
      • Solve a Real User Problem: Directly addresses a significant mistake that can be costly and damaging to an author's launch.
      • Gather Feedback: Obtain insights into how authors manage multiple drafts and what features would be most helpful in preventing such errors.
      • Potential Testimonial: If the tool/service helps them avoid future mistakes, they could provide a compelling testimonial about the importance of proper draft management.
  2. User: Commenter who mentioned: "My first book mistakes happened twice now. It had too many extra blank pages and forgot to add page numbers." (Comment 6 - reinforcing previous analysis)

    • Identified Need/Problem: This user has repeatedly experienced concrete formatting and pre-publishing issues (excess blank pages, missing page numbers).
    • Collaboration Suggestion: Offer this user a free trial or access to a book formatting tool, a KDP (or general publishing) pre-flight checklist, or a service that specifically handles interior book layout and pagination.
    • Expected Benefits:
      • Solve a Recurring User Problem: Addresses a frustrating and specific issue the user has faced multiple times.
      • Gather Specific Usability Feedback: Get detailed input on how well the solution handles common formatting pitfalls like blank page management and automatic page numbering.
      • Potential Testimonial: A strong candidate for a testimonial if the solution effectively resolves their persistent formatting challenges.
  3. User: Commenter who shared: "I’ve heard other people say this on here too (so I think it’s common?) but I still don’t know what genre my first book was. I still don’t think the concept was horrible, but the plot was a di" (Comment 9)

    • Identified Need/Problem: This user struggles with genre identification and potentially plot structuring, which are crucial for targeting the right audience and marketing.
    • Collaboration Suggestion: Offer this user a consultation with a genre expert, access to a beta reading service that provides feedback on genre fit and plot, or a trial of a story outlining/development tool that helps clarify genre conventions and plot structure.
    • Expected Benefits:
      • Provide Clarity and Direction: Help the author define their work, which is a common challenge for new writers.
      • Feedback on Conceptual Tools: Understand how authors perceive and use tools or services aimed at early-stage book development and genre positioning.
      • Potential Testimonial: If the collaboration helps them successfully categorize and refine their book, they could speak to the value of gaining such clarity.
  4. User: Commenter who admitted: "not putting paragraphs, it looks like a letter" (Comment 11)

    • Identified Need/Problem: This user made a fundamental formatting error, indicating a possible lack of familiarity with basic manuscript preparation or the tools to do it easily.
    • Collaboration Suggestion: Offer this user access to a very simple, user-friendly formatting tool with clear guides or templates for basic manuscript structure (including paragraphing), or a brief tutorial on essential formatting.
    • Expected Benefits:
      • Solve a Basic but Critical Issue: Proper paragraphing is essential for readability.
      • Gather Feedback on Simplicity: Ideal for testing the intuitiveness and ease of use of basic formatting features for novice users.
      • Potential for "Before & After" Story: Illustrate how a simple tool can dramatically improve a manuscript's presentation.
  5. User: Commenter who detailed: "Spending months querying, hiring a developmental editor off readsy, our proofreader choice ended up being a flop as well." (Comment 13)

    • Identified Need/Problem: This user has faced significant challenges and frustrations with the traditional publishing path (querying) and finding reliable freelance services (editing, proofreading), even when using established platforms.
    • Collaboration Suggestion: Offer this user a trial of a service that vets and matches authors with qualified editors/proofreaders, a query letter review service, or access to a platform that offers a more curated or quality-controlled approach to finding publishing support.
    • Expected Benefits:
      • Address Major Industry Pain Points: Help with the often difficult and disappointing process of finding good support services.
      • Comparative Feedback: Since they've used other platforms, their feedback on a new service could be particularly insightful for differentiation.
      • Strong Testimonial Potential: If a service provides a demonstrably better experience or outcome in finding reliable help, this user could become a powerful advocate.

Origin Reddit Post

r/selfpublish

First book mistakes?

Posted by u/theTrueLocuro06/05/2025
I'm about to start mine. What were your first book's mistakes?

Top Comments

u/DoubleWideStroller
Solidarity.
u/smoleriksenwife
Spending months querying, hiring a developmental editor off readsy, our proofreader choice ended up being a flop as well.
u/RobertPlamondon
My protagonist was too quiet. This meant that other characters stole most of the scenes and I couldn't turn the banter up to eleven unless there were three people in the room. I also though
u/TheLandoSystem59
Putting the F word in it. People don’t like that, especially older people who tend to read more than other demographics.
u/apocalypsegal
Read the wiki and learn stuff. Learn how to tell stories before you even think about publishing. Everybody makes mistakes, but no one has to make all of them.
u/No-Yogurt6594
My first book mistakes happened twice now. It had too many extra blank pages and forgot to add page numbers.
u/OnlyReflection6
not putting paragraphs, it looks like a letter
u/DCON_Youtube
Starting posts on Reddit about writing rather than just writing. 
u/LoveAndViscera
Publishing draft 5 instead of draft 7.
u/A_Abrems
This is embarrassing, but I wrote my first book back when I was 13. Of course, as a 13 year old dyslexic child who was never taught the proper rules of prose, it sucked. My declining mental h
u/Lemon_Typewriter
Im rocking in a corner reading that!
u/AverageJoe1992Author
"First book mistakes" usually end up being things to do with publishing, rather than content. Content is subjective. Don't worry about 'mistakes' until you have something to publish
u/SillyCowO
Don’t worry about the marketing until your first draft is done and edited. Don’t toss the first draft because it’s “bad.” The first draft is supposed to be bad. It’s the bones for your stor
u/Substantial_Salt5551
I’ve heard other people say this on here too (so I think it’s common?) but I still don’t know what genre my first book was. I still don’t think the concept was horrible, but the plot was a di

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