What self publishing has taught me
The important thing is that self publishing has actually managed to teach me something, meaning I'm not as dense as everyone says.
So this is it, the biggest lesson I've learned...
No one is going to buy your book!
Tada! Oh wait...
I'm not saying this with any ill feelings. I went into this publishing adventure prepared to lose everything I put into it. As much as I love writing it is a hobby and I'm fortunate to have a good(ish) job. But, as I have learned a few things I thought I would share them in case any would-be self published authors stumble across my blog.
I chose various marketing and promotional options when creating my self publishing package. Now, several months after the publication date I can safely say that this process is the same as going to a wood, foraging for twigs and sticks, building a fire, throwing all of your money on it and then standing around wondering why your books aren't in shops. Honestly, it did absolutely nothing.
I don't begrudge my self publisher of this. They have a business model that has been designed to make them money. Sadly, that business model also happens to take my money and produce absolutely zero results. They said they'd contact sellers, have my book promoted and send out copies for review (among other things) - all for a cost. I'll be honest, I got much better (as in actual) results doing it myself for free!
What I'd do if I was to do it again.
1. Not pay the publisher to market my book
2. Contact book bloggers and give them free copies in exchange for honest reviews well before publication date
3. Collate all the reviews and create a "Praise for my book sheet" you know, like you see on the inside of some books.
4. Create my own sales pitch that explains: what the book's about: details (length, genre, age rage, etc.), where you can get it from (Gradners, Bertrams): all the lovely things people have said about it (hint! don't include the ones that say it's shit!) and send it to book shops. I used https://www.booksellers.org.uk/booksh... to find out where all the bookshops are.
OK, so even doing this and emailing the bookshops individually, I still got very few replies. But, the important thing is that before I did this, there were no copies of my book in bookshops and now there are. Yes it takes time, but I think it's worth it.
Something else I've done is email council libraries and offered free copies of my book for their libraries. While some of the books I've sent out have been lost to the ether (they've not bothered to put them in the libraries even though they said they would) other libraries aren't a-holes and have stocked the books. I can even look them up on the online catalogues.
I'd recommend doing this. It places your book where lots of people can access it. True, it's not making you money, but that isn't why you wrote a book. You wrote it to be read and libraries are the best place for that!
So this is it, the biggest lesson I've learned...
No one is going to buy your book!
Tada! Oh wait...
I'm not saying this with any ill feelings. I went into this publishing adventure prepared to lose everything I put into it. As much as I love writing it is a hobby and I'm fortunate to have a good(ish) job. But, as I have learned a few things I thought I would share them in case any would-be self published authors stumble across my blog.
I chose various marketing and promotional options when creating my self publishing package. Now, several months after the publication date I can safely say that this process is the same as going to a wood, foraging for twigs and sticks, building a fire, throwing all of your money on it and then standing around wondering why your books aren't in shops. Honestly, it did absolutely nothing.
I don't begrudge my self publisher of this. They have a business model that has been designed to make them money. Sadly, that business model also happens to take my money and produce absolutely zero results. They said they'd contact sellers, have my book promoted and send out copies for review (among other things) - all for a cost. I'll be honest, I got much better (as in actual) results doing it myself for free!
What I'd do if I was to do it again.
1. Not pay the publisher to market my book
2. Contact book bloggers and give them free copies in exchange for honest reviews well before publication date
3. Collate all the reviews and create a "Praise for my book sheet" you know, like you see on the inside of some books.
4. Create my own sales pitch that explains: what the book's about: details (length, genre, age rage, etc.), where you can get it from (Gradners, Bertrams): all the lovely things people have said about it (hint! don't include the ones that say it's shit!) and send it to book shops. I used https://www.booksellers.org.uk/booksh... to find out where all the bookshops are.
OK, so even doing this and emailing the bookshops individually, I still got very few replies. But, the important thing is that before I did this, there were no copies of my book in bookshops and now there are. Yes it takes time, but I think it's worth it.
Something else I've done is email council libraries and offered free copies of my book for their libraries. While some of the books I've sent out have been lost to the ether (they've not bothered to put them in the libraries even though they said they would) other libraries aren't a-holes and have stocked the books. I can even look them up on the online catalogues.
I'd recommend doing this. It places your book where lots of people can access it. True, it's not making you money, but that isn't why you wrote a book. You wrote it to be read and libraries are the best place for that!
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