John David's Blog: Life--Observed and Reported - Posts Tagged "self-publishing"

To pay, or not to pay for publishing services, that is the question.

From my own experience . . .

Few to no sales without a "professionally designed" cover.

A few more sales once professional covers are in place.

HOWEVER:

I highly recommend that self-publishers learn how to do their own cover art and design, if only for the simple economics of the equation. Paying for a cover may simply not make sense.

My series of children's bedtime stories, for example. I paid $50 each ( X 3) to have good covers produced for the trilogy. The titles sell for $1.49-$1.99, depending on the platform.

The math on this (at a 35% royalty) means that I needed about 150 sales of EACH title just to break even on the cover investment, or about 450 sales for the series.

Fortunately, the Purrennium Trilogy has become rather popular, especially in English-speaking countries outside the U.S. (go figure) and I reached the "break even" point long ago.

Self-publishing is a business, first and foremost. Writers need to remember that. Will your title sell if you spend a bunch of money on it?

Maybe.

Will it sell if you do not?

Maybe.

The key is knowing when to spend and when to save. In my example, I should have produced my own covers, and used the money elsewhere, on my other, more "profitable" work. Fortunately for me, I am quite capable as an editor and proofreader, even for my own work, so I do not spend anything there.

On that note, I am also a professional narrator. Part of that process is "auditioning" for the work. Here's a tip for any aspiring narrators:

DON'T send a note to a Pulitzer prize winning writer offering to correct the terrible editing/proofreading in their audition script.

Should there be a comma pause after "military?" . . . for the military, of wealth and grace . . . Should the "99s of Biloxi" be continued as plural? (99 degrees, 99 percent humidity) Should it read "$50 OR less," rather than "OF less?"

(My suggested corrections are included in the above quote).

The lesson here? Apparently Mr. Prize Winner paid SOMEONE or several someones to "edit" his work. Was it money well spent? Well, if results are any measure . . .

Nope. The moral is, paying for something does not guarantee quality or performance. NOBODY is as invested in YOUR work as YOU are. If you are going to self-publish, learn the business, ALL of it.

Discover and use every FREE resource that you can. Swap proofreads with other writers, editing for cover design, formatting for . . . whatever.

I cannot count the number of times I have been told about the "hundreds" of dollars some aspiring writer paid to have their terrible work "edited." Don't pay any editor who does not guarantee their work. Don't pay before reviewing it. Don't pay if you are not happy.

Ultimately, it is your name on the cover. Your name that will be remembered for shoddy or great work.

Like I always tell my daughter . . .

When you finish a job . . . walk away proud.

If you do, people will notice.

If you don't, they will notice that, too.

This post is my response to the original thread of the same name, by the esteemed author Russell Blake, where he has graciously shared his experience and knowledge with other self publishers.

I agree with you regarding the "visibility" of a work being the key.

How to obtain that visibility is the question.

I read your posts with great interest. They are always cogent and persuasive. We share many of the same belief systems, but I would respect your opinion even if we did not.

There is no sure-fire methodology by which a writer magically transforms into a "successful" writer, and, like you, I believe there is as much luck in that metamorphosis as there is skill, or even marketing.

I have heard it said here that one should spend fours marketing for every one hour spent writing, and besides agreeing with that, I will add the following:

For newbie authors, contemplating the release of your first work. Calculate the number of hours you spent writing, proofing, editing, and polishing the work. Make sure that you are releasing the finished product, and not a draft.

Take that number and multiply it by four. This is the total number of hours that you should spend promoting your book BEFORE you push the "publish" button for the first time. This time would include preparing/formatting the book for paperback, Kindle, Nook, ePUB, and even audiobook as well, so that all versions can be released simultaneously.

The one author that I know and have worked with who went on to make the NYT list followed that strategy. She tied her work in very nicely to pop culture, and made sure that she had huge social network visibility, garnering over thirty reviews within ONE WEEK of release.

Contrast this with my first title, which now stands proudly with seven reviews (after the removal of several, of course).

My first work was my baby, and it still is, but I rushed into publishing it out of sheer exuberance and joy at the opportunity to do so. This was a mistake.

Two years later, at least four revisions later, for both Kindle/ePUB and print versions, the book is now where it should be, and should have been, two years ago, BEFORE I released it.

In my defense, it is a non-fiction work, extremely relevant to MILLIONS of Americans, and I thought it would soar like an eagle simply because of the information it contained.

It did not.

The bright light for me is that I was recently contacted by a reporter for the #5 fastest-growing media company in the US. She asked if she could interview me for a series of articles that will be released soon, probably around the New Year.

IF the articles are positive, my sales of this title could potentially hit 4 digits monthly, or more, even if only a fraction of the millions of readers convert to buyers.

My point is simply this:

Now that I am on the brink of "instant" success, (after two years of polishing and promoting) would I or my work have been ready for this two years ago?

NO. The work would have been met with a resounding "MEH" from all, and universally panned, despite the value of its content. It would have died, stillborn, and never had a chance to live. At least now, it MAY become what it was intended to be. Chance and fate have given me the opportunity that I almost lost through impatience and willfulness.

For that I am grateful.

I apologize for taking this lengthy path to bring you to my conclusion, which is simply this:

Avoid complacency at all costs. Take the VERY long view towards your career as a writer. It is very possible (and likely) that you will fail in the BUSINESS of writing, even if you have succeeded at the ART of it.

You will certainly fail if you do not respond immediately to market forces, if you do not evolve rapidly, if you do not produce work that is AT LEAST as good as those authors you seek to exceed and emulate.

To stand out in this business, your work must be BETTER than what the Trads release, better written, better edited, better promoted, because it WILL be scrutinized much more carefully. Every flaw will be magnified, every opportunity to criticize exploited, both by those within the industry, and by the very readers you seek to reach.

Never miss an opportunity to promote, to perfect, to proceed. Always network, contribute, review, share, be a part of the community.

Like the shark, we must swim . . .

or die.