emily marie ⊹ ࣪ ˖ (Jesus is King) (semi hiatus)’s status > Likes and Comments
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Happy to help if you ever have any questions!
I . . . have very few tips honestly because I don't use social media 😅 but do try to hype it up as much as possible before its release! I'm not sure what platform you're wanting to use, but I go with Amazon. (PLEASE, please, whatever you do, don't use Lulu.)
For formatting: if the platform gives you options for cover finish (glossy or matte), you'll want to choose based on the overall colors of your cover. For a dark cover, that usually shows up better in glossy. Dark colors tend to get muted in a matte cover.
Also for paper, for the love of all that's good, PLEASE choose cream (or, if it's available, groundwood). Straight white paper feels too sterile and hard on the eyes. 😭
Try to build an in-person fanbase as well as online. A lot of sales happen because of word-of-mouth. I've had a LOT of success at craft fairs and the library's yearly local author event. You could also reach out to local bookshops or coffee shops to see if they'd consider hosting you. Keep an eye out for local opportunities.
You're going to need an author website. WordPress has a free site plan, and it's pretty easy to figure out. (If you want to upgrade, personal paid plans are very reasonably priced.) People need to know where to go to find you.
Try to build connections with other authors. Don't underestimate the value of reviews, because that's what drives the algorithm (and interest). Review copies are always an option, especially if you and another author want to do a review swap (win-win for everyone!)
Oh my gosh so exciting!!! I’d love to talk about indie publishing! I’m still new at it myself but I’ve been researching for years and I learned a ton from full time indie authors
I'm nowhere near publishing yet, but some of my favorite resources that I've found are Erin Phillips (one of my favorite indie authors) and The Artisan Author by Johnny B. Truant (although small content warning, he does use some crude language here and there), if you'd like to check those out!
I’m by no means a pro, but I would love to help if you had any questions or anything. I would say just be prepared that it is going to be more expensive than you originally thought. But no matter how hard or frustrated you may get don’t give up. It is so worth it in the end. I apologize if there are any grammar mistakes or anything doesn’t make any sense because I am using a microphone to dictate this message lol. Also, that is very exciting to hear! As far as cover designer, it honestly depends on what you want and how much you’re willing to spend.
This is so awesome! I am not successful at all, but I'm always happy to chat.
I like Emilie Haney for cover design (she's booking new clients starting May 2027, which would align with a fall release date), and though an editor isn't in my budget, I've heard that Gillian Bronte Adams and Megan Schaulis offer those services.
You're doing much better at marketing than me 😭 Highly recommend Instagram, though.
Absolutely do ARC copies (Bookfunnel is super easy to work with and costs $20 for one month to send out quite a few ARCs)
I don't have an author website, but I'm planning on starting a free Substack or newsletter soon.
For publishing companies, KDP is awesome, but if you want preorders (which are really useful), I'm going to try IngramSpark out for Revival. You could also look into using a Kickstarter for preorders.
If you want full tutorials and information, WATCH BETHANY ATAZADEH ON YOUTUBE. I've learned SO much for you.
@Maria, I would love to hear any of your indie publishing tips
Keira wrote: "@Maria, I would love to hear any of your indie publishing tips"
Ok, ok, I haven't done all of these things but I have or my mentor who has 13 indie books out has.
For publishing companies, you can do KDP for ebooks and IngramSpark out for paperbacks. I've heard Kickstarter is also great.
Newsletter - it is really really important to have a method of communicating with your audience that you own (so not instagram youtube, substack) but a newsletter that you have the control over (you can have welcome emails and lots of customization) and if God forbid the you lose one of your other platforms you have a way to tell you readers what happened. also pro tip - call this a readers list not a newsletter - a lot of people have a bad taste in their mouth with the word newsletter. It's also great if the signup for the newsletter can be your website (again this means you have the information on the people on your site not someone else who isn't doing anything with it)
I highly recommend instagram - it can truly work great as a faceless account. Emily - I know you don't want to show your face so you'd be a product brand - Keira you seem to be a person brand. Consistency is really helpful. I've been posting Monday through Friday since mid June and have 300 followers. Most of my friends that post most days had 1,000 to 1,500 by the one year mark. Work to the trends when it works and reels have the most reach.
Word of mouth is by far the best marketing strategy. So street teams and arc teams are really important. But word of mouth start with you getting the book out to the right audiences by marketing yourself.
Kairos Book Design & Editing has done covers for a few indie authors I know. Haven't spoken to anyone about their experiences though. My editor for book one was Chelsey Gordon, she's only on instagram for bookings and she doesn't usually edit fantasy, but I had a wonderful experience with her!
Amanda Keys is a proofreader on instagram who is fast and really inexpensive. (I'm talking 100 dollars for a 100k manuscript.) Two indie authors I know have endorsed her work.
Thanks y’all! This really helped! I’m trying to do a good amount of preparation so I’m not stumbling through the process when I do decide to publish Grimalka
I do plan to get Insta and will have to convince my parents (I have very strict parents when it comes to social media. Yes I’m almost 19 and yes I’m still not allowed to have insta *cough* *cough*)
@Maria I do plan to do a “face reveal” or reintroduce my face onto social media soon. I mostly just stopped showing my face because I was in a time in my life where I just wasn’t comfortable with how I looked at all and putting myself online just made it worse. Would that still work even if I haven’t shown my face yet?
emily marie ٠࣪⭑ (Jesus is King) wrote: "Thanks y’all! This really helped! I’m trying to do a good amount of preparation so I’m not stumbling through the process when I do decide to publish Grimalka
I do plan to get Insta and will have ..."
Yes absolutely. That totally makes sense. All those things will work without showing your face. There are just different marketing strategies if you were planning to never so your face so I just wanted you to know if you were planning that route that it's totally a thing.
emily marie ٠࣪⭑ (Jesus is King) wrote: "Thanks y’all! This really helped! I’m trying to do a good amount of preparation so I’m not stumbling through the process when I do decide to publish Grimalka
I do plan to get Insta and will have ..."
I'm 23 and not allowed to have pretty much any social. You're not alone 😉
I have never published, but I’m so excited for you to go indie!! Like Keira said, Bethany Atazadeh has AMAZING videos on anything you might want to know, between formatting, what places are best for publishing, detailed videos on how much she spent on each of her books and why, and so much more!! She is very honest and knowledgeable and I’ve learned a LOT from her!
Another thing I think is super important is having a newsletter and website. Whenever I hear about an author, I go straight to their website to see what books they have (WIPs and published) what they are about, etc. It’s also just really helpful for readers to have all the information compiled in one place!
The newsletter is super important too because it keeps readers updated, tells them about new releases, and things like that!
I’m also not allowed to have Instagram so I feel you 😭
Yeah...I really need to start a website and newsletter 😭 Whenever I find a new author, though, I normally just look them up on Amazon because then I can actually read all the descriptions and samples of their books.
Keira, I believe in you!! And that’s true too! I never look at amazon lol 😝
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I . . . have very few tips honestly because I don't use social media 😅 but do try to hype it up as much as possible before its release! I'm not sure what platform you're wanting to use, but I go with Amazon. (PLEASE, please, whatever you do, don't use Lulu.)For formatting: if the platform gives you options for cover finish (glossy or matte), you'll want to choose based on the overall colors of your cover. For a dark cover, that usually shows up better in glossy. Dark colors tend to get muted in a matte cover.
Also for paper, for the love of all that's good, PLEASE choose cream (or, if it's available, groundwood). Straight white paper feels too sterile and hard on the eyes. 😭
Try to build an in-person fanbase as well as online. A lot of sales happen because of word-of-mouth. I've had a LOT of success at craft fairs and the library's yearly local author event. You could also reach out to local bookshops or coffee shops to see if they'd consider hosting you. Keep an eye out for local opportunities.
You're going to need an author website. WordPress has a free site plan, and it's pretty easy to figure out. (If you want to upgrade, personal paid plans are very reasonably priced.) People need to know where to go to find you.
Try to build connections with other authors. Don't underestimate the value of reviews, because that's what drives the algorithm (and interest). Review copies are always an option, especially if you and another author want to do a review swap (win-win for everyone!)
Oh my gosh so exciting!!! I’d love to talk about indie publishing! I’m still new at it myself but I’ve been researching for years and I learned a ton from full time indie authors
I'm nowhere near publishing yet, but some of my favorite resources that I've found are Erin Phillips (one of my favorite indie authors) and The Artisan Author by Johnny B. Truant (although small content warning, he does use some crude language here and there), if you'd like to check those out!
I’m by no means a pro, but I would love to help if you had any questions or anything. I would say just be prepared that it is going to be more expensive than you originally thought. But no matter how hard or frustrated you may get don’t give up. It is so worth it in the end. I apologize if there are any grammar mistakes or anything doesn’t make any sense because I am using a microphone to dictate this message lol. Also, that is very exciting to hear! As far as cover designer, it honestly depends on what you want and how much you’re willing to spend.
This is so awesome! I am not successful at all, but I'm always happy to chat. I like Emilie Haney for cover design (she's booking new clients starting May 2027, which would align with a fall release date), and though an editor isn't in my budget, I've heard that Gillian Bronte Adams and Megan Schaulis offer those services.
You're doing much better at marketing than me 😭 Highly recommend Instagram, though.
Absolutely do ARC copies (Bookfunnel is super easy to work with and costs $20 for one month to send out quite a few ARCs)
I don't have an author website, but I'm planning on starting a free Substack or newsletter soon.
For publishing companies, KDP is awesome, but if you want preorders (which are really useful), I'm going to try IngramSpark out for Revival. You could also look into using a Kickstarter for preorders.
If you want full tutorials and information, WATCH BETHANY ATAZADEH ON YOUTUBE. I've learned SO much for you.
@Maria, I would love to hear any of your indie publishing tips
Keira wrote: "@Maria, I would love to hear any of your indie publishing tips"Ok, ok, I haven't done all of these things but I have or my mentor who has 13 indie books out has.
For publishing companies, you can do KDP for ebooks and IngramSpark out for paperbacks. I've heard Kickstarter is also great.
Newsletter - it is really really important to have a method of communicating with your audience that you own (so not instagram youtube, substack) but a newsletter that you have the control over (you can have welcome emails and lots of customization) and if God forbid the you lose one of your other platforms you have a way to tell you readers what happened. also pro tip - call this a readers list not a newsletter - a lot of people have a bad taste in their mouth with the word newsletter. It's also great if the signup for the newsletter can be your website (again this means you have the information on the people on your site not someone else who isn't doing anything with it)
I highly recommend instagram - it can truly work great as a faceless account. Emily - I know you don't want to show your face so you'd be a product brand - Keira you seem to be a person brand. Consistency is really helpful. I've been posting Monday through Friday since mid June and have 300 followers. Most of my friends that post most days had 1,000 to 1,500 by the one year mark. Work to the trends when it works and reels have the most reach.
Word of mouth is by far the best marketing strategy. So street teams and arc teams are really important. But word of mouth start with you getting the book out to the right audiences by marketing yourself.
Kairos Book Design & Editing has done covers for a few indie authors I know. Haven't spoken to anyone about their experiences though. My editor for book one was Chelsey Gordon, she's only on instagram for bookings and she doesn't usually edit fantasy, but I had a wonderful experience with her!
Amanda Keys is a proofreader on instagram who is fast and really inexpensive. (I'm talking 100 dollars for a 100k manuscript.) Two indie authors I know have endorsed her work.
Thanks y’all! This really helped! I’m trying to do a good amount of preparation so I’m not stumbling through the process when I do decide to publish Grimalka I do plan to get Insta and will have to convince my parents (I have very strict parents when it comes to social media. Yes I’m almost 19 and yes I’m still not allowed to have insta *cough* *cough*)
@Maria I do plan to do a “face reveal” or reintroduce my face onto social media soon. I mostly just stopped showing my face because I was in a time in my life where I just wasn’t comfortable with how I looked at all and putting myself online just made it worse. Would that still work even if I haven’t shown my face yet?
emily marie ٠࣪⭑ (Jesus is King) wrote: "Thanks y’all! This really helped! I’m trying to do a good amount of preparation so I’m not stumbling through the process when I do decide to publish Grimalka I do plan to get Insta and will have ..."
Yes absolutely. That totally makes sense. All those things will work without showing your face. There are just different marketing strategies if you were planning to never so your face so I just wanted you to know if you were planning that route that it's totally a thing.
emily marie ٠࣪⭑ (Jesus is King) wrote: "Thanks y’all! This really helped! I’m trying to do a good amount of preparation so I’m not stumbling through the process when I do decide to publish Grimalka I do plan to get Insta and will have ..."
I'm 23 and not allowed to have pretty much any social. You're not alone 😉
I have never published, but I’m so excited for you to go indie!! Like Keira said, Bethany Atazadeh has AMAZING videos on anything you might want to know, between formatting, what places are best for publishing, detailed videos on how much she spent on each of her books and why, and so much more!! She is very honest and knowledgeable and I’ve learned a LOT from her!Another thing I think is super important is having a newsletter and website. Whenever I hear about an author, I go straight to their website to see what books they have (WIPs and published) what they are about, etc. It’s also just really helpful for readers to have all the information compiled in one place!
The newsletter is super important too because it keeps readers updated, tells them about new releases, and things like that!
I’m also not allowed to have Instagram so I feel you 😭
Yeah...I really need to start a website and newsletter 😭 Whenever I find a new author, though, I normally just look them up on Amazon because then I can actually read all the descriptions and samples of their books.
Keira, I believe in you!! And that’s true too! I never look at amazon lol 😝