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Vince Wetzel's avatar

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.

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Voron Forest's avatar

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.

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