Choosing to independently publish is a huge decision, but it doesn’t end there. There are so many more decisions to make after you make that one, from how to publish to how to market and the list goes on. I asked a few indie authors what they wish they knew before they started. Here are their tips…
A. E. Costello’s debut novel, The Other Side, is only available on Amazon. She shares her words of warning…
“I self-published my novel The Other Side on Amazon in 2018. I was a lot younger back then and so excited with my finished work, that I went for self-publishing with Amazon without a lick of research. Really, I saw "self-publish with us" on their site, and clicked it, no questions asked. It's true they made it really easy to do and efficient, I was able to self-publish by myself without a problem.
It wasn't until after my book came out did I see the problems.
The Other Side will never be sold inside a bookstore, never. And it cannot be available inside libraries. The Other Side can only be available at Amazon, and nowhere else. I've talked to multiple bookstore owners, and they've told me they cannot sell my book, because of how Amazon owns it. And libraries cannot host my book either, same story.
If I had known this, which I'm sure research would have told me, I would have never gone for Kindle Select Publishing. At least not the route that I took it, surely I clicked on some sort of option that made me give all ownership of the book to Amazon. Obviously, I did not know what I was doing.
Research, research, research.
I know now that I would have rather gone with a self-publishing service where my book can get into bookstores and into libraries.”
Michael Jamin is a professional TV writer who chose to indie publish. His credits include King of the Hill, Beavis & Butt-Head, Just Shoot Me, Wilfred, Maron, Rules of Engagement, Out of Practice, Brickleberry, Tacoma FD and many others.
“My book, A Paper Orchestra, is a collection of personal essays similar in tone to David Sedaris. It was intended to be a passion project more than anything else. Because it wasn’t about the money, I was unwilling to make the necessary compromises in order to traditionally publish. I wanted full control over cover, audiobook production, title, etc.
So I resisted traditional publishing and decided to indie publish. What I was not expecting was how much more money I’d be making by self-publishing. I earned more in my first week than my advance would have been.
If I were to do it again, I’d probably make my book exclusive to Amazon for the first 90 days, at a much higher royalty rate. Then I would’ve gone wide, instead of going wide at launch date.
Also, I qualified for a BookBub deal last month, and offered my ebook at steep discount for a few days. I probably wouldn’t do that again. I topped the charts in several Amazon categories, so I can officially say I’m a bestselling author, but there’s no point in getting the title again when I already have it.”
Sarah Styf’s latest memoir, The Life I Never Knew I Wanted, is about the new world that opens up when you choose to go on the road and off the grid. She shares what she wishes she knew when she first started her indie journey…
“Oh, there is so much!
I will start here, though: Amazon has been an amazing platform for new writers to publish their work and get discovered, but I wish I had known how to go wide and not exclusively do KDP from the beginning. Breaking away from solely KDP has allowed me to easily give my work away (in electronic form), get into libraries, and support the wider industry. I also wish I had been more bullish about pursuing opportunities for local author fairs from the beginning. As I prepare to launch my next book, I'm working on sending ARCs to author fairs, libraries, and indie bookstores in an effort to get my work into more hands from the beginning. I want to better embrace being a local author.”
Lesa Knollenberg is the author of Corpse Pose, the first in a new series combining yoga and murder in such an excellent twisty and suspenseful way. She shares…
“I wish I had given myself agency right from the start. After so many years of taking classes, querying, listening to insightful experts, and learning from those that published before me, when it came time to make decisions, I hadn't given myself permission to be at the wheel. It took me a while to realize that when it comes to my book, I'm the authority now. I get to take what I've learned and make the decisions that matter most to ME.
One of the things that mattered most to me was choosing the right partners to make my book the best it could be. Whether it was choosing a graphic designer or a developmental editor, I wanted people on my team that were astute, creative, and kind. (I'm looking at YOU, Kristen Weber!) It made all the difference in the world. Every decision on the indie path is weighty, but when you trust yourself and your vision, the results can be amazing.”
Have you met Holt Jacobs yet? Lily Stirling’s series hero is a sarcastic engineer turned amateur sleuth who can never quite get enough coffee…or stop stumbling on dead bodies. She shares what she’s learned on her indie journey…
"There’s no magic bullet.
When I self-published my first mystery, A Not So Shocking Murder, I made the mistake of believing advertisements targeting Indie authors. They went something like, Have a professional product, and you’ll rake in the sales.
Without any experience under my belt, it was easy to believe the siren song of seven-figure authors who’d say, “The secret to my success is…”
Once I’d written my book, I attempted all the right steps for a successful book launch. I got multiple rounds of professional edits and a genre-specific cover. Then, I proudly released my story. Hindsight, it wasn’t a badfirst release, yet I’m nowhere near buying a private island and spending my days on the beach.
There are a lot of books out there, and it can be hard to get your book noticed when you start out. Somehow, I ignored the fact that plenty of traditionally published books, with all the right professionals involved, don’t sell past their advances.
One way or another, your book needs readers. And for that, you need visibility through some type of marketing. Quality is a factor when it comes to readers finishing a story. Still, you can write a perfect book, but if no one reads it, no one knows how good it is."
Sharon Ward is the author of the very exciting Fin Fleming scuba diving series. The latest, Sea Monsters, just released but if you haven’t checked out this series yet, start with the first book, In Deep. She says…
“The thing about indie publishing that startled me the most was the sheer volume of decisions you have to make. Use an aggregator or publish direct? Kindle unlimited or wide for your eBooks? Do you need hardcover as well as paperback? What about large print? Should you have your own online store? Which cover artist has the best handle on your genre’s cover requirements—and what exactly is your genre anyway? Amazon has over 13,000 categories, so choosing the allowable three can be tough. What size should your print versions be? Do you need an audiobook? How do you choose the best narrator? Amazon Ads, Facebook ads, or TikTok ads? Are you better off doing library events or staying home to work on your next book? What will your publishing cycle be, and can you sustain it long term?
You need to make a lot of these decisions right up front, but the problem isn’t necessarily making the decisions initially. The platforms, aggregators and distributors change their terms frequently, sometimes as often as quarterly, and you need to read that whole boring document again to make sure it’s still right for you. (You are reading the platform’s terms before you choose one or more, right? It’s a contract binding your business, so bite the bullet and do it!!)
This is only an off the top of my head list. There are about a zillion more. But to be honest, the problem isn’t so much making the decisions initially—it’s that they keep coming back. You need to make the same decisions many times, as you publish more books, as the platforms change, or as your genre/category/competitors evolve.
That’s why I advocate that every indie author should create a business plan up front and update it quarterly. I don’t mean a massive spreadsheet or an endless PowerPoint deck. Mine is a simple one page document. It outlines my objectives for my business—which is simply to be a top author in my categories and to earn a certain amount of money. Then I list the ways I will measure myself against the goals, including any paid tools I’ll use. I list at least 3 strategies and tactics I will use or try out, and I check that they worked at my next update. It’s not a painful process, but the document serves as my north star whenever those pesky decisions pop up!”
Are you an indie author with advice to share? Please add it to the comments.
When I wrote my first novel Friends In Low Place, I did a ton of research but was blindsided by the nuances. I knew to own my ISBN so I could use Ingram Spark and KDP. But what I didn't realize was that pre-order buzz does not work as well on IS, because you get book orders from stores that then can end up as returns. I got killed on returns to IS, basically negating much of my royalties. I learned about niche markets which really pushed sales. But on my second novel Lose Yourself, I saw how I missed an opportunity not knowing my audience thoroughly. Still trying to make it work.
The key is to be patient, be true to your goals and mission, make the best product possible, then be proud of it, then try everything you can to sell it. But, if things don't work out, learn from it and keep moving forward.
I self-published through a company specializing in such. I’ve been writing for years but was hopeless at getting my work out there, so I chose a comprehensive package. It was pretty expensive as I am retired from my former professions. I would do it again, but use less of the company’s services and shop around for editing. The most challenging part is finding ways to get exposure and market my specialized novel. If I discover the magic bullet, I’ll write about it.