Okay, so I promised a little change for the newsletter in 2024.
I am splitting it into two: one for AUTHORS and one for READERS/ FANS/ SUPPORTERS.
Over the next year, I’m going to be writing about being an independent author; the highs, the lows, the mistakes, and the successes.
It will be half how-to and half experience and how it’s gone. Lots of tips/advice and reflection and evaluation.
If you want to simply know about my books, and not all this background publishing stuff, I will send out my first READER email (which will be a different list) soon.
If you don’t want to know about all the AUTHOR stuff, do unsubscribe at the bottom of this email - I appreciate how much our inboxes get stuffed with things these days and I’d hate for you to have to sigh and delete or ignore my emails.
The plan is to cover the following things over the course of the year:
Where to Start
Reading, Listening, Talking, Planning, Bank Accounts, Become Ltd
Writing
Idea, Outline, First Draft, Betas, Writing Software
Editing
Developmental, Line, Copy, Proof, Sensitivity, Editing Software
Cover illustration/design
Ideas, Making a brief, Contracts and Payment, Illustration, Design
Formatting
Cover, Manuscript, Front and back matter, Vellum, DIY or Atticus
Uploading
KDP, Ingram Spark, BookBub, BookVault, Draft-2-Digital
Registering
ALCS, PLR, British Library, Gardners, Waterstones, Goodreads
Selling
Where, How, Pre-orders, Blurbs, Cover Quotes, Direct selling
Marketing
Where to spend, How much to spend, Advertising, Visibility, Canva
Publicity
ARCs, Media, Blog tours, Social Media, Website
Launching
Party, Book shops/tours, What to do on the day, How to manage the lows after
Post-launch
Maintaining the buzz, Awards, Sequels, Staying relevant
It splits up nicely over the course of 12 months and I will try and keep it as much about what has worked and hasn’t worked well for me in all these areas, as well as helping you take those first tentative steps, too.
So, where to start?
Well, the best place is to start with definitions of what we mean by self-publishing and becoming an independent author.
What is it?
Self-publishing refers to the process of an author or creator publishing their own work without the involvement of a traditional publishing company.
This means that the author takes on all the responsibilities of the publishing process, including editing, design, formatting, printing, distribution, and marketing.
How do you do it?
With the rise of digital technology, self-publishing has become more accessible and affordable than ever before, allowing authors to reach a global audience without the need for a traditional publishing deal.
Many self-published authors use online platforms such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Barnes & Noble Press, or Smashwords to publish and distribute their work.
Pros and Cons
Self-publishing can offer authors more creative control over their work, higher royalties, and the ability to publish more quickly than the traditional publishing process.
However, it also requires more work and resources from the author, and may not provide the same level of distribution or marketing support as a traditional publishing deal.
Okay, so that’s a nice summary of the main things involved, and a few of the pros and cons. If you’ve read that and think it might be for you, or even if you’re still unsure, here’s a few more things to do before you decide for certain.
Reading
The first place to start is by reading everything that's out there, that's free.
Blog posts, interviews, and even the odd low-cost e-book on self-publishing.
The ALLi blog (Alliance of Independent Authors) is great place to start but it does encompass everything, not just children’s books, so you may have to filter and mine a little.
For kid’s books, I’d start with Karen Inglis’ How to Self-publish and Market a Children's Book.
And also worth checking out this reflective account, From Blank Page To Book, from YA author Emma Bradley.
Listening
There are several great podcasts out there about self-publishing and some brilliant YouTube channels, too.
Watch and listen. See if it's still for you. Make notes if it is.
Some good ones include:
Self-Publishing Show (James Blatch and Mark Dawson)
ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors) which rotates hosts and guests but has good, varied content
The Creative Penn (Joanna Penn)
Two Indie Authors (probably my favourite!)
Bethany Atazadeh has also been at this a long time and has a great YT channel.
Of course, I also have my own podcast and YT channel, where I’ve discussed the 1000/100 project (launching my first book) and a variety of other SP videos giving advice and tips and sharing experiences.
Talking
The very best thing you can do before deciding on this path is to chat to a few other authors who have done it. Either on Zoom or via DM or email.
There are also lots of SP groups/forums, so you can try them to. Most are on Facebook.
Useful ones I’ve found are:
Planning
This is the most important part of the initial work, and it's worth taking your time on this, though there's no real substitute for experience here, so don't linger too long - you may just have to jump in at some point.
I’d suggest making a list of the things you’ll need to, how long it might take, and produce a timeline.
Hint: ALL stages will take longer than you think, so do add in 20% extra from what you originally think.
Some useful headings for you plan:
Editing (depends on how many stages you want to go through but this got way out of hand for me in terms of my timeline)
Cover illustration/design (when you outsource, this may take a month or more to get done and back to you - there will be back and forth, so it’s not a quick aspect)
Uploading and distribution (lots of YouTube videos out there showing you how to)
Testing and Quality Assurance (make sure you get copies from wherever you upload before you put on sale/pre-order)
ARCs (make sure you send your book out to people who will read in advance, give you quotes/reviews and generally help you spread the word)
Launch/marketing/publicity (leave a good amount of time for this, too. It’s always more than you expect)
I hope that serves as a good starting point for most of you? Some of you will know much/all of this, but for many it will be the first time reading about this world, which is so different from traditional publishing in many ways (but very similar in others).
I always say self-publishing is for anyone, but not for everyone.
But the great thing is you don’t need to decide anything right away - it took me several years to build up to doing it. And then a year or so of reading and listening and talking, and then planning.
So there is no rush. But stick with me if you want to find out more.
Next time we will look at the business side of becoming an independent author.