When I first started out on this indie author journey, I knew very little. That isn’t to claim I didn’t have a bunch of preconceived ideas. Totally did. How hard could it be, I thought. Write a book and publish it on a platform.
Ignorance is bliss.
In the five years and nine books since, I’ve learned a lot. Not everything, of course (there’s a ton to learn and I’m always learning things. Besides, there are a variety of ways to approach this business. I only know what I know, you know?).
So here are five things I’ve learned about being an independent author that I hope might help someone else on their journey.
I wish someone would have told me it isn’t just about the writing. Sure, you HAVE to write the books. You MUST write the best book you can, but really what it comes down to isn’t just writing the book. It’s selling it. If you don’t care about selling it, then sure. Go be a hobbyist. But chances are, you do care about an audience, about a place where someone opens your book and treasures what’s between the covers. And since that’s where most of us are, Writing the book is only the beginning.
Truth #1: Writing and authorship, no matter if you are indie or traditional, is a business.
When I first started out, I didn’t understand this and it required a paradigm shift for me. My books are a product and when I publish them, they become a part of the marketplace. What it takes for me to write them and get them there, is a business. I’m a business, and how I do business deserves investment.
I did it all as cheaply as I could the first time or two out. Why? Because I couldn’t justify spending money on something that I wasn’t sure would return any money. But that’s where I got it wrong. All startups need money. Whether they invest themselves, get a loan, or draw from investors, new businesses recognize that they will operate in the red for a while. And there are things you should invest in as an indie author.
I wish someone would have told me where to invest the money. My first two books were done with zero investment but my time. (Slaps palm against face recalling it.) I used whatever free options there were. A free ISBN? Sure! A free cover template? Sure! Upload. Done. Publish.
Truth #2: “Free” things in book publishing AREN’T free.
Remember this. A “free” ISBN might be free of charge, but by using it, you give up the rights to the book. A “free” template seems like a wonderful cost saving measure to a poor independent artist. Only it’s a cover that sells the book, so when it looks like a template, you’ll lose money in sales. Asking the friend of your aunty’s third cousin who’s really well read to be your editor might seem like a cost-saving choice, but that choice could cost you future sales if the edit isn’t up to professional standards.
It’s difficult when you’re first getting started to reconcile the idea that the art that you’re making and want to continue making needs to make money. I mean, idealistically, if we could make the art, live and eat without having to worry about a way to pay for it, sure. But we don’t live in THAT society. We live in a capitalistic one, so when someone says, “want this for free?” Most of us recognize there’s a catch.
It’s the same with publishing. There’s a catch when you take the “free” option. Know that upfront. If these hidden costs don’t bother you, great, but they did me. I wanted complete control over my books and I want them to be profitable so I can keep doing this.
I wish someone would have told me there are a lot of sharks swimming in these waters. Okay. I went with a metaphor here. Replace sharks with shady people. Whatever you want. Sara Bareilles wrote a song called “City” in which she writes about people squeezing gold even though all you’ve got is silver. There are always people looking for the dreamers, because let's face it, dreamers are notoriously easy to scam.
It isn’t because dreamers are dumb. Nope. Dreamers are idealistic by nature. We imagine things as they can or should be, not necessarily as they are. And that makes a dreamer a target for someone trying to make a buck. Don’t get me wrong. There are really great people in this business just trying to make a living as well. Talented artists, editors, book formatters, publicists, social media consultants. The list goes on. And for every legitimate business owner, there are a plethora of people who think they know but don’t and are perfectly willing to get paid for it. There are swindling vanity presses, and people who claim to be publishers but aren’t.
Truth #3: Do your research and vett possible service providers with references and samples.
It’s critical to do your research before committing to pay for a service. There are too many horror stories of writer’s getting taken advantage of. Paying money to someone who claimed to be a developmental editor and what they got in return was a plagiarized book, or the author that paid a publisher to help them publish their book only to have the publisher disappear. Thankfully, this isn’t something that happened to me, but I’ve gotten an email from a “Russian Publishing Company” that would like to buy the rights to my work. Or the “reviewer” who wanted to review my work for a very well known website, but upon further research discovered the “reviewer” was impersonating them. The sharks are always circling.
I wish someone would have told me not to pay for reviews. Okay. The truth is, I haven’t paid for reviews unless those reviews were connected to some reputable places (i.e. Kirkus for example is a reputable place). Why? Because when we pay for reviews we mess with the authenticity of the system. Look, a review should be given without conditions. When money exchanges hands, it calls into question the legitimacy of the reviewer's opinion. The same is true for giving a “free book” and then demanding a review. This is bad form. It’s acceptable to provide copies of books to reviewers (i,e., ARC copies, Netgalley or Edelweiss listings, etc), but always remember it’s up to the reviewer whether or not they provide the review. You should NEVER demand this.
Truth #4: Reviews are important, but not as important as writing the best story you can. Keep writing.
And…
Truth #5: Don’t stop learning.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to wish for this. As an educator, I’ve always been a believer in lifelong learning. This tactic has served me well, because I’m always seeking to be better and to be more knowledgeable about my practice. That’s how I know I have the ability to grow, and growth is essential in any realm of life, right?