Things I Wish I Knew Before I Self-Published
Hey readers! Guess what?
It's nearly been five months since I self-published my first novel, THE GIRL WHO WALKED THROUGH FIRE, with Draft2Digital. (It was followed by two additional self-published novels.) Can you believe that? Time flies!
Since then, I've been doing moderately well with my sales. Aspiring authors and readers have asked me to discuss my journey with self-publishing, and after months of procrastination, here it is!
Hopefully by reading this list, you can see some of the pitfalls of self-publishing and learn from my mistakes.
1. You're Probably Not Going To Make A Lot of Money
It's true. While there have been a few incredibly successful self-publishers (like Amanda Hocking, who is apparently a millionaire after self-publishing her fantasy novels), many never sell.
You're probably going to have to keep your day job, but hey, at least your writing is out there! I don't care about the money. For me, it's all about connecting with readers and making progress. The feeling of accomplishment is worth more than gold.
2. You Probably Won't See Your Books In Stores
If you choose to self-publish e-books like I did, then you won't get to see your work at your local bookstore. Self-publishing paperbacks and hardcovers is much more difficult, as it requires spending money to make it, either through IngramSpark or CreateSpace. Even then, big bookstores are reluctant to accept your book if you haven't been represented by a major publishing company.
If you're really adamant about getting your books in stores, I suggest calling your local independent bookstore and asking about their policies. Inquiring never hurt. I still think e-books are the better option, as they have the ability to reach millions of people online. Plus, people are shopping online more often these days, and preferring e-books over the real thing!
3. Marketing Lies In Your Hands
If you were traditionally publishing, your literary agent would handle all of the marketing (which includes paying the money for it.) Since I'm not a millionaire, I didn't pay anything to advertise my book. I've just been using social media like Twitter and Instagram to promote it (which is very important for new authors).
I think if I were going to self-publish again, I'd do it properly and spend a little money on marketing. Still, I'm happy with how everything turned out.
4. People DO Judge a Book By Its Cover
Since you're in charge of everything related to your book, you need to have a catchy cover that will pull a potential reader in. People are very superficial when it comes to these kinds of things. While you can certainly spend money on hiring a professional artist to design the cover, there's also a free option.
If you want something quick and free, the Canva website is a good place to start. They have many designs to choose from. It's where I designed my covers!
5. You Might Regret Your Decision
Sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision with self-publishing. Since the vast majority of literary agents WON'T accept a submission from a previously self-published book (unless it sold a million copies in its first week), self-publishing is a pretty permanent decision.
Should I have continued to query agents until the book was accepted? Maybe, maybe not. At least with self-publishing my novel trilogy was released exactly how I wanted it, without edits or changes from a literary agent. When you're reading my books, it's 100% made by me, and I worked very hard on them.
6. You Might Get Discouraged A Lot
Because you haven't taken the traditional publishing route, it's difficult for people to know about you and your book. Your books might not sell for months, and this can leave you feeling discouraged and disappointed. You might even consider giving up.
Don't quit. Self-publishing is a strange business. I won't sell books for weeks, and then BOOM! Dozens of copies are selling per day. You have to keep going. You owe it to your stories and characters.
All in all, self-publishing is a personal journey which can be difficult and stressful at times. It's a learning process which varies for each individual. If you love writing and want to share your stories with others - and you're fed up with literary rejections - consider self-publishing. You won't turn into Stephen King over night, but at least you have a chance of reaching some readers!
And who knows? Maybe your books will sell a bunch of copies and a literary agent will discover you. (Self-published author Christopher Paolini of The Inheritance Cycle went on to sell 33 MILLION copies). Remember - anything is possible.
Reminder: My novel trilogy, THE DRAGONWITCH CHRONICLES, is completely FREE on iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Indigo/Chapters! Why don't you check out my self-published books and tell me what you think?
Happy reading!
Sincerely,
Dana
It's nearly been five months since I self-published my first novel, THE GIRL WHO WALKED THROUGH FIRE, with Draft2Digital. (It was followed by two additional self-published novels.) Can you believe that? Time flies!
Since then, I've been doing moderately well with my sales. Aspiring authors and readers have asked me to discuss my journey with self-publishing, and after months of procrastination, here it is!
Hopefully by reading this list, you can see some of the pitfalls of self-publishing and learn from my mistakes.
1. You're Probably Not Going To Make A Lot of Money
It's true. While there have been a few incredibly successful self-publishers (like Amanda Hocking, who is apparently a millionaire after self-publishing her fantasy novels), many never sell.
You're probably going to have to keep your day job, but hey, at least your writing is out there! I don't care about the money. For me, it's all about connecting with readers and making progress. The feeling of accomplishment is worth more than gold.
2. You Probably Won't See Your Books In Stores
If you choose to self-publish e-books like I did, then you won't get to see your work at your local bookstore. Self-publishing paperbacks and hardcovers is much more difficult, as it requires spending money to make it, either through IngramSpark or CreateSpace. Even then, big bookstores are reluctant to accept your book if you haven't been represented by a major publishing company.
If you're really adamant about getting your books in stores, I suggest calling your local independent bookstore and asking about their policies. Inquiring never hurt. I still think e-books are the better option, as they have the ability to reach millions of people online. Plus, people are shopping online more often these days, and preferring e-books over the real thing!
3. Marketing Lies In Your Hands
If you were traditionally publishing, your literary agent would handle all of the marketing (which includes paying the money for it.) Since I'm not a millionaire, I didn't pay anything to advertise my book. I've just been using social media like Twitter and Instagram to promote it (which is very important for new authors).
I think if I were going to self-publish again, I'd do it properly and spend a little money on marketing. Still, I'm happy with how everything turned out.
4. People DO Judge a Book By Its Cover
Since you're in charge of everything related to your book, you need to have a catchy cover that will pull a potential reader in. People are very superficial when it comes to these kinds of things. While you can certainly spend money on hiring a professional artist to design the cover, there's also a free option.
If you want something quick and free, the Canva website is a good place to start. They have many designs to choose from. It's where I designed my covers!
5. You Might Regret Your Decision
Sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision with self-publishing. Since the vast majority of literary agents WON'T accept a submission from a previously self-published book (unless it sold a million copies in its first week), self-publishing is a pretty permanent decision.
Should I have continued to query agents until the book was accepted? Maybe, maybe not. At least with self-publishing my novel trilogy was released exactly how I wanted it, without edits or changes from a literary agent. When you're reading my books, it's 100% made by me, and I worked very hard on them.
6. You Might Get Discouraged A Lot
Because you haven't taken the traditional publishing route, it's difficult for people to know about you and your book. Your books might not sell for months, and this can leave you feeling discouraged and disappointed. You might even consider giving up.
Don't quit. Self-publishing is a strange business. I won't sell books for weeks, and then BOOM! Dozens of copies are selling per day. You have to keep going. You owe it to your stories and characters.
All in all, self-publishing is a personal journey which can be difficult and stressful at times. It's a learning process which varies for each individual. If you love writing and want to share your stories with others - and you're fed up with literary rejections - consider self-publishing. You won't turn into Stephen King over night, but at least you have a chance of reaching some readers!
And who knows? Maybe your books will sell a bunch of copies and a literary agent will discover you. (Self-published author Christopher Paolini of The Inheritance Cycle went on to sell 33 MILLION copies). Remember - anything is possible.
Reminder: My novel trilogy, THE DRAGONWITCH CHRONICLES, is completely FREE on iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Indigo/Chapters! Why don't you check out my self-published books and tell me what you think?
Happy reading!
Sincerely,
Dana
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