Self Published Writer Essentials
Self Published Writer Essentials
There are numerous characteristics that a writer considering the self-publishing route will need to have to successfully navigate the road to publication. I am sure there are several other things to consider, but as I wrote a list down of all of the things that I learned over and over again during my first self-publishing experience, eight essential attributes topped my list:
• A complete manuscript with an understanding of page length implications: You have to have a finished story. Nothing else will take place in the publishing process until you complete your masterpiece. So the first and most essential thing you have to do is focus on the writing and finish the book! You also have to understand how page length affects cost-to-publish estimates. My first book was originally over 500 pages long – way too long for a new author novel and too costly to be attractive in current markets. I had to find a good place in the book to divide the manuscript into two different books, ensuring that both books had an outstanding start point, flow, and ending. This was difficult because I was doing it after the fact rather than during the creative process. Understanding how much a book will cost, based on page count, and how much profit you will get per book is useful knowledge while finishing your book.
• Understand the intended audience: You need to understand who is most likely to read your book. This is critical to applying your limited resources (time and money) to those that are most interested in your topic or genre. Demographic and marketing studies through online retailers can help. What I was most surprised about, even after doing a fairly thorough market analysis, was that atypical readers were interested in my story because of sub-plot lines or intellectual tones. Perhaps the best way to get started is to ask yourself the questions, “What do I like about my book and what is unique about my book?” Then ask yourself, “Who would want to read my book based on the two previous answers?” You should then know the types of readers most likely to be interested in your book and you can start looking for their interest sites on the web.
• Excitement about learning: I found that one of the things I love best about the self-publishing world is the control I have over the process. It can be daunting but it can also be fun. To have fun, you have to understand the publishing process. I’d recommend looking at both the major publishing firm and self-publishing company processes to understand the timelines, costs, and decision points. You can take an easier road and put a lot of the work into the hands of the self-publishing company, but you will pay more for it and learn less (which can be a detriment to future publishing ventures). So have fun by embracing all of the data available on the in’s and out’s of publishing!
• Ability to scrutinize and make decisions: Ultimate success rests in your hands! You need to be a critical thinker and embrace your role in making decisions. Where things like cover design, interior layout, cost and marketing strategy are typically out of the control of a writer going through a major publishing house, these things are totally up to you in the self-publishing world. This is another reason that I like self-publishing! I may not get a signing bonus or advance, but I get to direct how much time and energy I spend in advertising, marketing, and design (I get to tailor the artistic flavor of the book based on my priorities). Sure, a good editor or sales representative in self-publishing will still try to advise you on what will or will not sell books, but the final decisions are still yours to make.
• Desire to communicate with the publisher and potential readers: Most of the direction and decisions are up to you and you have to effectively communicate your intent, ideas, and decisions to the publisher. If you are not clear about what you want then the publisher will have a hard time producing a polished product. Additionally, if you have a hard time reaching out to potential readers then no one will know you have a book to begin with. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people – especially via the internet (twitter, blogs, and forums), to attract business.
• Fundamental understanding of publishing costs: A writer must consider their overall budget and be realistic about what they can do on their own and what they will need help with; some things are better left to professionals. Many self-publishing companies provide novel packages that include ISBN, an editorial analysis, simple cover design, page layout, and sales. Additional options you can purchase include editing, proofreading, marketing analysis, detailed cover design, and association to major markets like Amazon and Barnes and Nobles. Professional editing should be considered essential. All of this will have to be factored against how much the book will cost to be printed versus how much it will retail for versus how much readers will be willing to pay for it. Costs are normally determined by factors that include hardback or paperback, page length, number of photos and whether the company has agreements with major wholesalers.
• Self-Marketing - Know how to use the internet, web search engine capabilities, webpage design, and blogging: The only way to level the playing field against the competition is to use the internet to your advantage. The cost of marketing and advertising is simply too high to be considered by most self-publishing authors. Developing a quality webpage will cost you time, energy and some money but should be considered a foundation for your book marketing strategy. You will need to understand the importance of a crawl search engine update, key word searching, and web design. If you think web design is beyond your capabilities you can always hire someone to create and maintain one for you, but many domain servers will offer free, basic web layouts for people to use. Blogging and providing valuable comments to other forums will increase your credibility and point people towards your webpage.
• You have to have PATIENCE: You may have a masterpiece on your hands but no one knows it … they have to know about it … they have to know about it before it is too LATE! We all feel anxiety about our writing and what it will look like and whether it will sell. Having the patience during the publishing process is essential to maintaining balance until the book is in print. It’s better to develop a professional product then to rush through it to get something on the market. Writers should communicate with their publisher to determine the timeline to production, the publication date, availability date and any suspense dates.
For more information, including examples of things discussed in this blog you can go to www.todlangley.com
There are numerous characteristics that a writer considering the self-publishing route will need to have to successfully navigate the road to publication. I am sure there are several other things to consider, but as I wrote a list down of all of the things that I learned over and over again during my first self-publishing experience, eight essential attributes topped my list:
• A complete manuscript with an understanding of page length implications: You have to have a finished story. Nothing else will take place in the publishing process until you complete your masterpiece. So the first and most essential thing you have to do is focus on the writing and finish the book! You also have to understand how page length affects cost-to-publish estimates. My first book was originally over 500 pages long – way too long for a new author novel and too costly to be attractive in current markets. I had to find a good place in the book to divide the manuscript into two different books, ensuring that both books had an outstanding start point, flow, and ending. This was difficult because I was doing it after the fact rather than during the creative process. Understanding how much a book will cost, based on page count, and how much profit you will get per book is useful knowledge while finishing your book.
• Understand the intended audience: You need to understand who is most likely to read your book. This is critical to applying your limited resources (time and money) to those that are most interested in your topic or genre. Demographic and marketing studies through online retailers can help. What I was most surprised about, even after doing a fairly thorough market analysis, was that atypical readers were interested in my story because of sub-plot lines or intellectual tones. Perhaps the best way to get started is to ask yourself the questions, “What do I like about my book and what is unique about my book?” Then ask yourself, “Who would want to read my book based on the two previous answers?” You should then know the types of readers most likely to be interested in your book and you can start looking for their interest sites on the web.
• Excitement about learning: I found that one of the things I love best about the self-publishing world is the control I have over the process. It can be daunting but it can also be fun. To have fun, you have to understand the publishing process. I’d recommend looking at both the major publishing firm and self-publishing company processes to understand the timelines, costs, and decision points. You can take an easier road and put a lot of the work into the hands of the self-publishing company, but you will pay more for it and learn less (which can be a detriment to future publishing ventures). So have fun by embracing all of the data available on the in’s and out’s of publishing!
• Ability to scrutinize and make decisions: Ultimate success rests in your hands! You need to be a critical thinker and embrace your role in making decisions. Where things like cover design, interior layout, cost and marketing strategy are typically out of the control of a writer going through a major publishing house, these things are totally up to you in the self-publishing world. This is another reason that I like self-publishing! I may not get a signing bonus or advance, but I get to direct how much time and energy I spend in advertising, marketing, and design (I get to tailor the artistic flavor of the book based on my priorities). Sure, a good editor or sales representative in self-publishing will still try to advise you on what will or will not sell books, but the final decisions are still yours to make.
• Desire to communicate with the publisher and potential readers: Most of the direction and decisions are up to you and you have to effectively communicate your intent, ideas, and decisions to the publisher. If you are not clear about what you want then the publisher will have a hard time producing a polished product. Additionally, if you have a hard time reaching out to potential readers then no one will know you have a book to begin with. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people – especially via the internet (twitter, blogs, and forums), to attract business.
• Fundamental understanding of publishing costs: A writer must consider their overall budget and be realistic about what they can do on their own and what they will need help with; some things are better left to professionals. Many self-publishing companies provide novel packages that include ISBN, an editorial analysis, simple cover design, page layout, and sales. Additional options you can purchase include editing, proofreading, marketing analysis, detailed cover design, and association to major markets like Amazon and Barnes and Nobles. Professional editing should be considered essential. All of this will have to be factored against how much the book will cost to be printed versus how much it will retail for versus how much readers will be willing to pay for it. Costs are normally determined by factors that include hardback or paperback, page length, number of photos and whether the company has agreements with major wholesalers.
• Self-Marketing - Know how to use the internet, web search engine capabilities, webpage design, and blogging: The only way to level the playing field against the competition is to use the internet to your advantage. The cost of marketing and advertising is simply too high to be considered by most self-publishing authors. Developing a quality webpage will cost you time, energy and some money but should be considered a foundation for your book marketing strategy. You will need to understand the importance of a crawl search engine update, key word searching, and web design. If you think web design is beyond your capabilities you can always hire someone to create and maintain one for you, but many domain servers will offer free, basic web layouts for people to use. Blogging and providing valuable comments to other forums will increase your credibility and point people towards your webpage.
• You have to have PATIENCE: You may have a masterpiece on your hands but no one knows it … they have to know about it … they have to know about it before it is too LATE! We all feel anxiety about our writing and what it will look like and whether it will sell. Having the patience during the publishing process is essential to maintaining balance until the book is in print. It’s better to develop a professional product then to rush through it to get something on the market. Writers should communicate with their publisher to determine the timeline to production, the publication date, availability date and any suspense dates.
For more information, including examples of things discussed in this blog you can go to www.todlangley.com
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Thanks, Phyllis. Definitely good points. I'd also recommend people check into whether the company accepts returns from distributors/retailers. It would be impossible for a self-published book to be carried by Amazon and others without that feature ... 75% of my sales come from that location.
Generally, POD (print-on-demand) publishers do not accept returns. This has been a stumbling point in the past. However, and don't ask me what the details are, my self-publisher is POD but still places books on Amazon and other on-line venues.More traditional publishers are now using the POD option, which may change the dynamics of the publishing world.
When considering a self-publisher it's an excellent idea to check out their publishing affiliations. This also gives you a list of references who can alert you to any difficulties or recommendations they may have about the company you're considering.
And one more thing... READ the CONTRACT! Understand the contract! If it's shrouded in legalese, either reject it or get a good lawyer--but this alone should be enough to make you wary. Most authors are not practicing lawyers and publishers know that.
Great comments, Phyllis.I believe the strong point to look for with POD is whether it will be listed through Ingrams Book Company (US) and Bertram's (UK). These are the largest distributors.
A good return policy for unsold books is another. Borders, Barnes and Nobles and Amazon will shy away from carrying books ... even local author support shelfing, if they can't off load unwanted books.
I've got both features and was lucky enough to get shelved from the "short list" at a few stores in Indiana and Maryland. The rest will now be up to me - to get the word out.
Hope more people will comment on their lessons learned with self-publishing.
Regards,
Great ideas! I'm also self-publishing because I also have one of those books with content which the traditional publishers would shy away from. It also hovers between the genres of Romance and Sci-fi/Fantasy, but doesn't really fit into either one completely. I've noticed in talking to a lot of people, many readers don't care, especially if you're up front about what's in your book. I do a lot of renaissance and pirate faires and festivals that I get a huge fantasy crowd anyway and I could sell my book from my booth. Tod, my book is 531 pages, but I found a way where I can print it and bind it on my own. I tried to split it into two books, but it just didn't work. I hired an artist to do the cover. I spent the most on this, but figured a top notich cover would get attention. I figured I can also sell the POD on my website.
So far Amazon still proves to be the head honcho in online sales. So I'll have it through Amazon Advantage and Kindle.
The problem I have with Ingrams is unless you're doing print advertising amd marketing to the bookstores, then your item is simply listed in the thousands of other books. With no direct marketing, unless people are going in the store asking for them to stock your book, it's going to just sit there. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, especially if you can get people to go and ask for your book and order it through the bookstore. But they aren't likely to order extra copies. Maybe I'm wrong here, this is just what I've found doing my own research.
I know some Barnes & Noble and some Borders will take your book, but you have to stay in close contact with them. I've made friends with a number of employees who have asked to see my book. I know when my CD came out in 2002, it was being sold at a Barnes & Noble and a Borders on consignment. Perhaps working out a return policy directly with them can be a way.
Those are just some of my little tidbits. Once I get out in the trenches, I will probably learn more lessons.
I just had a conversation with someone that described a similar situation. The theory/experiment is to have supporters request the book from several bookstores simultaneously, approximately 5 books per store.I think you can try this in just one state ...
Wait about a week after delivery of the books to the stores and then make sure that all of them are purchased. There is an internal software system at the major retailers that tracks sales to inventory. When something is carried and quickly sold out it establishes an alert that the chain may be missing out on something. It then asks the general managers to consider carrying the book more.
This seems a little shady, but the concept is to establish buzz that catches the eyes of book retailer purchasers simultaneously across a region. Reaching out to each individual manager takes way too long and has no lasting effect.
If you can talk with managers to let them know about the quality of your work AND have purchases made across a region at the same time, you may have better success.
Of course, this is going to take time, strategy and money. I have not been able to try this because of the time element. If anyone has ever tried this or has other examples, I'd love to hear about them.
Since there were some aspects I couldn't handle financially and time-wise I went with a large self-publishing company. I've been happy with the results and posted comments and blogs about it in various online locations. I'm always happy to answer questions and definitely recommend self-publishing in today's publishing world; although with a very stern caveat about checking the pedigree of any self-publisher very thoroughly.
One more thing I find a lot of people don't yet understand: the publisher (unless it really is you, yourself and your dog) ALWAYS makes more money. This is true of both self-publishing and traditional publishers.