Some key information for people thinking of writing their memoir and trying to figure out if they want to sell it to a publisher or to indie publish.
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Memoirs are designed to share your experiences with the world. However, this makes them incredibly hard to market if you aren’t a celebrity, influencer, or…
Source: Writing a Memoir? Read This First
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Valerie Biel of Lost Lake Press, lays out the good and the bad of both traditional and indie publishing in a clear, easy to understand way. If you’ve ever questioned why to do one or the other, take a look at this post.
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Welcome to a three-part series on the pros and cons of independent or self publishing. This is going to be an honest discussion about what you need to consider before deciding which route is best for your publishing goals and skill set. First, we’ll look at overall concerns within the positives and negatives of each type of publishing. Part two will dive into potential earnings and royalties along with the business concerns you must address for successful independent publishing.
Source: The Pros and Cons of Independent Publishing: Part One | Valerie Biel
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Dean Wesley Smith really doesn’t like traditional publishing (see link below). I’m not as dead set against it as Dean. I think it might be right for certain people – not for me, mind you – most of the time.
I have tried to find an agent for my middle grade novel series (my Agnes Kelly Mystery Adventures) to try and traditionally publish, to get greater access to the school market. But it has gotten into 3 schools anyway, through people I know who are middle grade teachers and one teacher who found me at a book sale and really liked my book. So it is still possible to get into schools, but it’s not easy.
In general, however, I find I like the creative control – of the writing, of the cover, of the interior design (which is why I help others with these tasks as well 🙂 )- and I like the control of when it gets out there and how much I am selling it for (besides a significant royalty over traditional publishing). Of course, that means me taking on the risks – paying for editing, taking the time to find out what the process is and how best to do it, keeping abreast of the book business…
Since most of the time with a traditional publisher you have to do most of the marketing anyway, why give them rights and lose the control, and wait and wait for the book to come out and make changes to it that you may or may not agree with and… Well, you get the point.
But for some who don’t have any interest in the process, can be patient, and don’t want to put any money into the game, or want to get to a difficult market – such as my example of getting into schools – it might be the way to go.
The point is to know what you’re getting into with either direction.
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Mark Coker of Smashwords fame has come out with FREE, yes, FREE apple podcasts on self-publishing. I’ve had a sneak peek at the first 5 (he’s going to have new ones each month) and they are helpful to all authors, whether you have yet to publish or you already have a few books out there.
And who can’t argue with FREE education!
Mark has been working in the ebook publishing world for many years and he sincerely has the author’s interest in mind. This is just such an example of what he’s done to promote indie publishing. So click on this link: Apple Podcast, or the image above and take a listen. It is well worth your time.
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Indie Pride Day: On July 1st , Indie Authors from around the world, intend to raid social media with pic’s of us holding up our books with the hashtag #IndieBooksBeSeen..Last year thousands participated, and our indie pride day almost trended .And this year i believe we can! We are about to make history as the biggest online showcase of indie authors and titles ever! I hope that you’ll support us in our day to shine! Tell every indie author that you know to mark their calendars for July 1 st!
Here is me in St. Paul at the Midwest Book Awards. I was a finalist for the historical fiction book I am holding, but I didn’t win the whole enchilada. Maybe next year!
I am not a reader in the romance world, so I have not heard of Jamie McGuire, but it sounds like a lot of other people have. Regardless, her discussion on Mark Coker’s blog is very helpful to any author who wants to publish either the traditional way or through self-publishing or both! Thanks for sharing Mark and Jamie! Smashwords: Why Jamie McGuire Returned to Self Publishing. CKBooks Publishing Where Publishing Dreams Become Reality
Susan Kaye Quinn makes some good points about self-publishing, or any type of publishing really.
Four Ways to Think Long Term in Indie Publishing | Indie Author News.
My take on the subject: Persistence, persistence, persistence… That is persistence with writing, with marketing, with networking, with learning about the craft, with helping fellow writers…
If you haven’t read about the Amazon vs Hachette (a Book Publisher) dispute, you should take a look at the Mark Coker’s post below.
It seems to me that the agency model of publishing is on it’s way out, but only time will tell what will replace it. We (authors, indie-publishers) do work in a ever-changing field, and that’s going to be the status quo for some time, I’m sure of it.
Smashwords: Amazon’s Hachette Dispute Foreshadows What’s Next for Indie Authors.
If you aren’t familiar with Joanna Penn, let me introduce you to her. She is a great resource for people who write and want to publish.
Self Publishing A Book: 7 Mistakes Of Indie Authors and How you can fix them | The Creative Penn.
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