Welcome to my new blog series! I’m excited to start this, and in the next couple weeks, I will be adding another series as well titled Motivational Mondays with Kate.
The difference between the two, you ask? Indie Friday is more about self publishing and the things I’ve learned along the way as I published my first book, and as I publish the Series that grew from my first book.
Motivational Mondays is more for the newer writer. Again, things I’ve learned along the way and would like to share… if you’ve dreamed of writing then this is for you!
A bit about me! I’m a Canadian Indie Author and I started my writing journey about two years ago. At first I only wrote short stories, but one in particular grew into a full length novel and then a series which I am now writing, editing and publishing.
I found that hearing about the successes of other Indie Authors has been incredibly helpful, and it is definitely a growing sector in the book business. Never before have Indie Authors had access to such ease of publishing, control over their works and lives and the ability to turn their love into writing into much more. So now I am ‘paying it forward’ if you will, and sharing my journey and experiences.
I hope this will be only the beginning of my life as an author and this is but the newest part of my journey. I hope you will join me.
So to get into our first topic. Is self publishing right for you?
Truthfully, the only person who can answer that question is you. There are many pros and cons when you compare Self Publishing to Traditional Publishing. Publishing your own book is not always easy, and there will be days you will ask yourself what you’ve gotten yourself into… I’m sure every Indie Author has gone through that moment. It’s an enormous time commitment and you have to be prepared for that… there are so many details!
This is not meant to scare you, but rather to have you prepared for the reality. It is much like running a business of any sort, quite honestly. It takes time to get established and you can have the most amazing book in the world but… if no one sees it, or reads it, then what’s the point? If you only want to write and leave the details to someone else, then you might want to consider Traditional Publishing, but even that is not such an easy choice these days. So walk in with eyes open, but I can guarantee it will give you an amazing feeling of accomplishment when you see your book in print!
I thought I might share a few of the reasons why I chose the Indie Self Publishing route:
- It allows me to retain full control over my work. Traditional Publishers will have more control over your story than you once you sign the contract, which will last for a specified period of time as per your contract.
- I can distribute my work easily, as there are options for both Print on Demand Paperback copies and for your E-book versions. (Creating an E-book is easier than you might think!) And as the market grows, I am sure the options will too!
- I like being responsible for designing my book. I enjoy the creative side of making book covers, doing the interior layout, editing and all that comes along with it. If there is something I can’t do on my own, there are plenty of people who can and a whole up and coming industry of professionals you can contract if you need someone to design a cover or format your book or edit/proofread.
- There are plenty of resources for Indie Authors if you look for them, it is a growing community.
- It is difficult to get your book published traditionally and it can be a long and arduous journey. Finding an agent alone is time consuming, and you really are at their mercy. You send out your manuscript and you might get a rejection notice, or you might not. Agents get a huge volume of requests on a daily basis and getting your manuscript noticed is an uphill battle and even if they are interested it could take months for them to respond. There are success stories of course, and if being Traditionally Published is your dream, then it’s worth pursuing.
- It gives you more control over your earnings. This is an important point, and a whole topic unto itself, but you are essentially removing one or more of the ‘middlemen’ by self-publishing. The profit margins on books isn’t really that big for the author after everyone takes their cut, so keeping a bit more for yourself after all your hard work is definitely something to consider.
Thanks for joining me. I welcome questions and comments from readers. If you have a suggestion on a topic you’d like to hear about, please let me know.
Have a fantastic weekend, look for an all new post coming for Motivational Monday!
Kate
