Monday 15 June 2015

Four Successful Authors' Views on Self-Publication

compiled by Dee Scully

This week on the Breathless blog we are fortunate enough to have four self-published authors talking with us about their adventures on the journey to publication, how they got there, and their thoughts on the whole process.


First up we have Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, and Young Adult author, Maree Anderson. Her Freaks of Greenfield High series has been optioned for a television series and her Liminal series was selected for inclusion in the iBooks Store Best Books category!

Maree Anderson

I was first published with a small press and, long story short, when my amazing editor left the company I paused to take stock of my writing career. After much soul-searching (and a heap of research!), I dived right in and indie-published my version of a “backlist”—a bunch of unpublished manuscripts in a variety of genres that I figured might not totally suck because they’d either won, placed or finalled in various contests. I didn’t have high expectations so imagine my delight when I started getting actual fan mail from readers!

Would I suggest self-publishing for others? Hell, yes! Some authors believe a traditional publishing contract “validates” them—i.e. confirms they’re “good enough”—but I’ve finally realized that for me, it’s kinda been the opposite. My second self-published book was a YA that’d been rejected because I didn’t have a “YA voice”. I put it up on Wattpad to get some feedback from my target market and was stunned when it was “discovered” there and optioned for TV. To date that book has over 2.2 million reads on Wattpad and thousands of comments from both teens and adults—male and female. Self-publishing also brought me to the attention of Apple iBooks, who gave one of my paranormal romances a huge amount of exposure, while another YA book was selected as an iBooks Best Book of the Month. Bottom line? My foray into self-publishing has given me the courage to continue writing what I love, and thrown a heap of amazing opportunities my way. Plus, having control of each part of the publishing process means I can quickly jump on these opportunities. I love having options and choices (turns out I’m ever-so-slightly a control-freak—who knew?), so for me Indie Publishing = Epic Win!


Historical Fiction and Fantasy author, Michelle Diener has worked on both sides of the publishing spectrum, having previously worked as a publisher and now as an independent author. Michelle is a master world-builder and pulls readers into her fictional worlds whether historical, as in A Dangerous Madness, or futuristic sci-fi like her upcoming Dark Horse (to be released June 15, 2015).


Michelle Diener

Thank you to Dee for inviting me to participate.

I am traditionally published with Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books imprint. However, I had a book, 'Daughter of the Sky', which my agent had sent out to a number of other publishers, and while most had come back with the feedback that it was a great book, none of them wanted to publish it because they thought the setting was too unusual and the period not popular enough with readers. (It is a Victorian-set historical, centred around the start of the Anglo-Zulu War in Zululand.) As a result, when it seemed all other avenues had been exhausted, I decided to self-publish. I wasn't expecting to prove the publishers wrong, in fact I accepted what they said was probably true, but I didn't need to worry about numbers very much if I self-published it, and I believed in the book. I had done an incredible amount of research for it, personally lived in the area where the battles took place, and felt very strongly about the novel seeing the light of day. Self-publishing allowed me to accomplish that.

It was a steep learning curve, but because a number of my friends in the US, in particular one of my critique partners, had already taken the self-publishing plunge almost a year before I did, I had a very good idea of the work involved. I looked on my first self-publishing project as my trial by fire. I wasn't in a rush. I did as much as possible myself in order to learn how things worked, even if I decided it would be better to contract out some of the tasks if I did it again. I also went in with a very clear idea of my limitations. I am not a graphic designer, and never intended to design my own cover. I had three things going for me. I had previously worked as a publisher for an academic publishing house, so I knew how things worked at the back end of publishing and the steps I would need to take. I was already published as a historical author with a large New York publishing house and had had to do the promo and marketing work on my other books. And I had a number of friends who were happy to help me when I had a question. I broke even on 'Daughter of the Sky' within six weeks of publishing it, and while it is by far the slowest seller of my self-published books (those publishers were right :)) I have never regretted self-publishing it and getting it out into the world. While it doesn't sell as many copies as my other books, it gets consistently wonderful reviews from those who do read it. :)
The enjoyment I get from self-publishing is immense. The control, the involvement in every aspect of the process (which makes it an artisan endeavour in my opinion), and the satisfaction when the project is complete, has made self-publishing a real factor to consider in my overall career arc. I would highly recommend it, with the caveat that you understand you are competing against major publishers with your work, and it needs to be professional, and the very, very best it can be.


Cathleen Ross has been around the world and back in her self-publication journey. After a trip to the USA, she joined together her love of writing with her knowledge of technology and started self-publishing. Probably best known for her self-published historical Highlander romance series, Cathleen has recently embarked on a more contemporary leg of her writing journey with Nella, a title in the Secret Confessions: Sydney Housewives series published by Escape.


Cathleen Ross

I went to the RWAmerica conference in 2011 and noticed there was a lot of excitement around self-publishing. I had several backlist short stories and a love of new technology so I put a whole day aside to read through the hundred-odd pages of rules of the Smashword’s 'How To' Guide. Bear in mind that I’d already read 'The Brain that Changes Itself', which proposes the theory that if we do totally new things we will have neural growth and stave off dementia. This was my 'something new'.

I uploaded my backlist short stories and they sold immediately. I have a passion for 14th century Scotland and wanted to write a blend of romance with accurate history, so I went to Scotland last July with Alison Weir to follow the trail of Mary, Queen of Scots. My first Highlander story sold immediately, too. Next I wrote a Highlander novella and a book, uploaded it as a boxed set and it also sold immediately. It still does, especially as I made the first story free. People seem to enjoy the history, medieval Scottish knights and romance combination.

Then my life’s mission hit me, well one of them. I realised that I only used 5 short steps to upload to Smashwords and, being a trainer of some thirty years' experience, I could teach others to do so. I put 39 people through the OWL’s course and it’s so exciting to see them spread their wings and self-publish. I’m teaching the process of self-publishing through the Mosman Community College and recently, together with Kandy Shepherd, did the same for WriteFest.
Although I love writing for Harlequin, there are projects I want to do that may not suit my publisher and these I self-publish. I’ve found I’m making more money from self-publishing than I’ve ever made from publishers and I get paid every month. It’s incredibly freeing being in charge of my writing destiny.
I will come to writing groups and teach them how to self-publish as I’m determined to spread the word across Australia. S.E. Gilchrist organised for me to speak to the Hunter Group last year and they are now doing some really cool self-publishing.
My mission - to free authors - is spreading.


I first met Jenny Schwartz while coordinating RWA's 2013 The Claytons Conference when she had only just started on her self-publication journey. She's busted out of the beginner category since then with over 20 titles to her name. Jenny's not only self-published with titles such as Kiss Me, Quick, but also traditionally published with both Carina Press and Harlequin's Escape.


Jenny Schwartz

It was during the 2013 Romance Writers of Australia conference that the realisation slowly dawned on me that all the cool kids were experimenting with self-publishing. I’m not cool, so I filed that realisation under “later” and got on with life and writing. However, I started to follow people’s discussions regarding their experience of self-publishing and, a year and a bit later, I decided to experiment. I naturally write short, which can be difficult to sell to traditional publishers. However, Amazon’s lending library was at the time geared to favour shorter works. So I decided to accept Amazon’s exclusivity clause in exchange for getting my stories into its lending library, Kindle Unlimited. Sales trickled in, but what really changed for me was getting my hand on sales data – what was selling, where and when. That meant I could focus and improve my promotional activities.

The sales data that becomes available to you as a self-publisher is why I’d recommend people try self-publishing. But there are other advantages – you control deadlines, covers, blurbs, metadata, price points, everything! Of course, that means you have to organise and pay for all of this (downside) and take sole blame for failures (huge downside). With self-publishing, there’s nowhere to hide. It’s all you. Self-publishing is daunting and it’s no guarantee of success (in fact, with the avalanche of new books out there, discoverability is a major issue). However, if you’re willing to put in a ton of time and energy, self-publishing can be a master class in getting your books to readers. Just remember, learning is hard work, and sometimes the lessons hurt!


There you have it! Four self-published authors with varying journeys to self-publication, proving there is no one way to THE END!

Do you have a question for our self-published authors? Now's your chance to ask? Don't be shy!  
or
Have you read a self-published book lately? What was the title and who was the author?  

  
I love to love...my friends; they are beautiful in every way.


I love to laugh...at my dog; she knows just how to make me smile.

I love to learn...from self-published authors; they've learned heaps and aren't afraid to share their knowledge.

113 comments:

  1. You're all so inspiring! Group hug! (everyone welcome) :)

    And in total seriousness...thanks, Dee, for putting together this great post. I'm honoured to be part of it.

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    1. I'm honoured to have you here!

      Jenny, you seem so prolific with your writing. So many titles, so little time! How do you do it? I mean you not only write them but you self-publish them too! Do you ever sleep?

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    2. Ditto, Jenny; I'm honored to be included with y'all... and that I can finally be considered one of the cool kids :)

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    3. Maree, your self-publishing seminar at Claytons in 2012 was amazing -- gold star proof of how generous self publishing authors are :) You're the original cool kid!

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    4. Awww... thank you, sweetie - muwah! I was pleased to be able to give something back in a small way, after benefiting from the generosity of the IndieRomanceInk loop members. The well of knowledge in that group is endless *shakes head in awe*

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    5. I'm in such good company! Thanks for having us on, Dee, and hi to Jenny, who I know in real life, and to Maree, who I've met a couple of times in the cyber world. And now I've met Cathleen, too. :)

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    6. Hey Michelle *waves from New Zealand* !!! It's a small world out there :)

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    7. Hi everyone
      I'm a little behind as I'm in Italy at the moment. Dee your blog looks wonderful. Hello to the other authors.

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    8. Hi, Maree Anderson! What do you mean...you are THE COOL KID!

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    9. Hi, Michelle Diener! Thank YOU for chatting on the Breathless blog! So excited to learn about your journey to self-publication!

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    10. Hi, Cathleen Ross! Thank you--we love our blog!
      Squeeeee!!! Italy!! Are your travels for research purposes?

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    11. I'm on holiday Dee, but I think as a writer I'm always researching, especially when I visit ancient places like the Tivoli gardens where I went today.

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  2. Dee, I was lucky (heh). I had a stack of older stories that I'd not sent out to editors because they weren't the right fit anywhere. They gave me somewhere to start: something to learn editing and formatting, covers and promotion on from the self-publishing side of the fence. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to see readers enjoying them.

    However, now reality bites, and since I'm determined to continue self-publishing -- but also want a traditional book contract so that the two can bounce off and promote each other -- I'm writing to a crazy schedule. Let's not talk about it *swigs coffee*

    One final related point -- my crit partner is hugely important in my self-publishing journey. She tells me if I'm stupid and encourages me when I doubt. And Eliza's first book with St Martin's is out in one month!!! I'm so excited for her.

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    1. Can you talk more about 'not the right fit?' I hear this stated a lot but I often wonder, how exactly is it meant?

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    2. Nothing like a great crit partner!! (To keep up with you she must be a coffee drinker too!)

      What's Eliza's writing name and title of her book...we'll give her an early shout out and maybe spawn some pre-sales!!

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    3. For me -- the length of the story, its heat level, the subgenre, whether it's part of a series -- and look at publishers' guidelines to find a match (and often that's not there). Also taking into account what sort of thing the publisher is successfully selling because that's the audience your book needs to reach to have the greatest chance with that publisher (and I'm probably wrong on this last point, but I do think about that these days0.

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    4. Eliza is Eliza Redgold and she's retelling Lady Godiva's story in "Naked", giving the story behind that famous ride http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Novel-Godiva-Eliza-Redgold/dp/1250066158/

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    5. Cool. Thank you.

      I know you've written steam punk. Was this for a traditional publisher? It seems (and this is just a personal observation) that steam punk is waning in popularity...kinda like historicals did a few years back. (It will revive!!!) Would steam punk sell to traditional publishers right now or would this fall into the 'not the right fit' category, do you think?

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    6. Thank you! We Breathless bloggers will be sure to Google+ for Eliza Redgold's Naked, next week! And of course, buy our own copies!!

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    7. It's an interesting situation. Some books are doing really well in steampunkland -- like Viola Carr's "Diabolical Miss Hyde" and Bec McMaster's series. But on the whole, steampunk hasn't made it into the mainstream so I think you're right and publishers mightn't be so willing to take a chance on it. That may change. Jim Butcher (author of the hugely popular urban fantasy series, "The Dresden Files") is starting something in steampunk, and that may push it back in front of readers. Who knows! I wish my crystal ball worked

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    8. And historicals are still strong, despite reports of their demise. Michelle's books are proof of that!

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    9. Thank goodness as that is what I write. Every year they try and kill us off but we keep on keeping on despite their efforts. And yes, Michelle's books are proof.

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    10. Some people are suggesting historical romance is set for a resurgance -- you'll ride the wave!

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    11. No one really knows what the right fit is only what has sold in the past. But as a writer I don't like to be boxed in. I like writing in different genres. There was a time that publishers didn't like that. With self publishing there is room to experiment. Readers will often read right through my backlist.

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    12. That last statement is so true, Cathleen. Once I discover an author new to me whose recent release I love, I always go in search of their other books. (That's how I came to read all of Juliet Marilllier's different series.) Authors' backlists, made so accessible by self-pubbing, are a god-send as far as I'm concerned.

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    13. Cathleen Ross and Marilyn Forsyth, I've done the same...found an author who really resonated with me and then scrounged bookstores and the net for everything else they had written.

      Cathleen, I can understand not wanting to be boxed in. Are house publishers keen to 'brand' you into a set type/genre e.g. romantic suspense even though you want to write historical romance?

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    14. I haven't found that with Escape publishing. I've done a contemporary, Love, Lust and Lies, a category, Ruby's Fantasy and I've just written a dystopian novel called Base which will be out in November. I noticed the American publishing house were keen to brand their authors because it increases sales. That's why we see a lot of series coming out.

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  3. I have a question for the guest bloggers...

    This has been playing on my mind a lot lately...

    In today's world, there are soooooo many books out there to read. I mean it's getting harder to choose a title and even when I do sometimes that title sits in my Kindle for months before I get to its place in my TBR pile.

    How do you ensure a reader not only picks up your book but goes on to purchase it and then put it at the top of their TBR? Is it your cover, writing the best damned book ever, your blurb...?

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    1. I've asked readers this ... the cover is vital. The blurb seems even more so. But one reader *may karma shower her in book vouchers* told me it's "the premise". I think she's right. The cover and blurb both have to convey a truly engaging premise -- and then the story has to deliver it.

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    2. Ooo, excellent! The cover catches their eye and gets them to pull the book off the shelf then the blurb (premise) engages them and your story pulls them in and keeps them coming back for more titles. Awesome. Easy, right? LOL

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    3. I agree with Jenny: cover is key; it's the first thing that will catch the reader's eye. So IMHO it's really important to have an eBook cover that looks good and uses fonts that are readable in thumbnail form. (If you want to know what I mean, just check out an iBooks top 100 romance category page. Which covers stand out for all the right reasons? Can you read the title, sub-title, author name?) With eBook covers, if you haven't got a lot of money to invest, keeping it simple is key. Next would be a catchy, well-written blurb that captures the essence or premise of your story. And then the sample pages the retailer makes available to read or download--i.e. the first 15-20% or so of your book. You can lose a potential reader at any stage of course, but if you get all those right, then chances are higher they'll give your book a shot.

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    4. I totally agree with Jenny and Maree (and apologies if this comes through twice, I answered and when I hit publish it disappeared) cover is so important and has to look good in thumbnail. If I can't figure out what the picture on a cover is in thumbnail, I usually don't give it a second look. Blurb is vital, and so is delivering on the promise you've made with the outer trappings by having an awesome book. But you also have to advertise, because no-one can read it if they don't know it exists.

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    5. All of the above is essential but in terms of marketing make the first book free. Release as many in the series as you can and write shorter but more often.
      Cathleen

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    6. Some of the American authors say that you need 9 books out before you see an upsurge in sales. I saw it when I did my boxed set.

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    7. I don't do much in the way of paid marketing but I've had great success with permanently first-in-series free books :)

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    8. Maree Anderson, it's only recently that I realised how important those thumbnail front covers are...when I got my first Kindle. There are so many titles that don't catch my eye right off the bat because I can't see what the picture is and thus what genre the romance is and also because I can't read the author's name! (Reminder to self...when finally published, make author name half the size of the front cover.)

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    9. Michelle Diener, delivering on the blurb's promise is essential, isn't it!? In a recent face-to-face writers meeting we read a book and discussed it's merits and pitfalls. The BIGGEST pitfall which hid all it's merits was that the blurb discussed a plot that had nothing to do with the actual book! Talk about a let-down...that's what I remember about that book, not that the actual plot was decent, but that the promise was not fulfilled.

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    10. Wow! Nine? I'm still working on my first.

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    11. Dee, often it's simply a matter of font-choice; a nice clean, simple font can show up even in a teeny tiny thumbnail. And for those of us who have old kindles (like me!) the cover needs to look fab in black and white, as well as colour.

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    12. Covers need to look good in black and white -- Great point, Maree! I read on an old kindle too. Also, I think if something looks good in black and white, chances are you've gotten the contrast right and it will scale down to thumbnail size better, too.

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    13. Wow--these are all golden nuggets for self-publishing!!! Thank you!!!

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    14. Exactly, Dee. Your blurb is your 'promise' or 'offer' to the reader, and if you don't deliver, even if what you DO deliver is good, it will lead to disappointment.

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  4. Oh this is just wonderful. I see that some of you self publish and still have traditional contracts with publishers. The best of both worlds. I like the idea of self-publishing but I admit I am a hesitant about going it alone. There seems to be so many resources out there for self published authors now that was not available before and you have all become your own support group it seems. Is this how all of you have found the SP world?

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    1. Cassandra, I've found so much info online. Balancing that with a real world crit partner and semi-regular catch ups with other authors here in Perth helps me stay balanced (at least, I hope it does!). Self-publishing looks far harder and scarier from outside than once you try it.

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    2. Cassandra, it's like anything: having more options is always a very good thing. If you're a trad pubbed author, and your contracts allow you to self-publish works, then you could definitely look at doing both. For example, if you were publishing say, a historical series, then you might be able release a novella featuring a secondary character, or set in the same "world" between your trad pub releases to keep your readers engaged and happy (and remembering your name!) I'd love to have a trad pub contract that gave me that flexibility :)

      So far as "discovering" indie-publishing, I joined a couple of indie-pub loops, lurked, soaked up all the info, saved a bunch of info and worked out a step-by-step plan of what I needed to do, before jumping in. It worked for me, because then if I got stuck, I could ask a specific question about the stage I was at, and get almost immediate answers from loop members. So I encourage everyone to do a bit of research first, and come up with a plan of attack. Then take it one step at a time :)

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    3. Cassandra, the best way to learn is to do, and as Jenny says, it looks scarier from the outside than it really is. I had great help from my crit partner, who was already successfully self-publishing, and through her learned about a number of resources that I've since shared with other writers. I like how everyone gives back and lends a hand. We know reading is not a zero sum game, and our success doesn't come at the expense of someone else. There's room for everyone at the table.

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    4. Cassy you have to jump in. The support system is still the same. Use your critique partners, a good editor and cover designer. Write for both a publisher and for yourself. Learn to write fast and how to market.

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  5. I'm a young poet and recently self published a poetry book on Amazon anyone with any help so I can get some sales?

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    1. Saccheen, I wish I had an answer! Your cover is striking and I think you're reason for publishing your poetry collection is an excellent one.

      Unfortunately, I know nothing about successfully publishing poetry. Maybe including some lines of your poetry in the blurb might help? I have heard rumours that blurbs should be at least 300 words -- but rumours are very unreliable!

      I wish you lots of luck with your excellent project.

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    2. Oops. Typos -- I should have checked! "your" not "you're" reason *sigh* Early Monday here.

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    3. Saccheen, I haven't checked your book, but I'm guessing from your comment you've only published to Amazon? If you haven't enrolled it in KDP Select (and must wait out the 90 day term), then I'd recommend publishing it at other vendors such as Apple iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Barnes & Noble (you can either go direct or use an aggregator such as Smashwords or Draft2Digital to distribute to some of these vendors). I'm a firm believer in authors making their works available on as many platforms as possible to reach a wide readership. You never know where your poetry collection might "take off"! Publishing to iBooks, for example, gets your work into over 50 different countries throughout the world, so you might find fans in places you never dreamed of. Good luck!

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    4. Poetry is traditionally a harder sell, so be patient, keep putting books out and see if you can build an audience.

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    5. Great advice ladies!!
      Saccheen Laing, best of luck! Your poems are truly evocative. I look forward to reading more of them in The Voice of Jamaica.

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  6. Great post and very educational. I have a family member interested in self-publishing so this is just great. Thanks Dee Scully for recruiting Jenny Schwartz, Cathleen Ross, Michelle Diener and Maree Anderson to share their stories about self-publishing.

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    1. Karen, I hope your family member has a great time with self-publishing. It has it's frustrating moments, but is also truly rewarding. Good luck to them.

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    2. Karen, oooh how exciting for your relative! It's a fantastic time to be an author -- so many choices :)

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    3. Karen, good luck to your family member. I've found self-publishing a really good fit for my personality (control freak :)) and it is really rewarding.

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    4. Karen remember RWA runs my How to Self Publish online course through the OWL program. It's only 30 dollars for non members. I've got the formula down to simple learnable steps. Sharon Sherry is the OWL contact.

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    5. Thanks everyone, it is my father who is the family member interested in self-publishing. He helped my mother Lynne Wilding with editing etc with her writing before and after she was published and has written quite a few manuscripts which I think are good. Might be a bit biased though. Like many others he has been close to being published... It is his dream to publish one of his works and I would like to help him with that. He is almost eighty but fantastic for his age - plays tennis twice a week - which is better than me... Again thanks so much for that advice and information. I will checkout the RWA course for sure and see what happens.

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    6. For more information on the Romance Writers of Australia's OWLs, log into http://www.romanceaustralia.com/new/showowls.asp .

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    7. Don't worry if you don't see the self publishing course in the OWLS line up. Sharon will run it when she has enough people.

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    8. Karen I meant to say your mother was greatly loved by members of our organisation. Our group sent her angels and I rang her before she passed away. She was such an inspiration.

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  7. I read mainly self published books these days because so many authors are putting our awesome books with great covers and if it's a series, I don't have to wait a year or two for the next book.

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    1. Great point, Suzi! The turnaround time is shorter -- and as a reader, I agree, I love that!

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    2. So true! Before indie-pubbed books became so widely available, I would hold off buying a new series to read until there were at least 3-4 books of the series out so I could read them all at once rather than waiting. And I'm thrilled that authors who've had series discontinued by their publishers mid-way through, now have the option to self-publish and complete much-loved series for their readers :)

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    3. In self publishing the ability to write fast and put out a series is essential if you want to make money and build a career. Readers don't care whether a publisher has put out the book or not. They're after the author.

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    4. I'd like to add that it's still possible to be successful if you don't write fast. The hugely savvy Courtney Milan gave a workshop on just this topic at our RWNZ conference last year, just when I was panicking about all the advice I was hearing to release something new every 90 days *gulp*. Her advice for slower writers (like me!) is to do something to change it up every 3 months. LIke run a sale, publish a novel, release a bundle of already pubbed books, release a print edition, do a paid ad, etc etc. It's certainly worked for her :)

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    5. Phew! I was starting to panic...I'm a slow writer. (But a good one.)

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  8. Loved this post! So informative. Thanks to all the authors for doing their bit (all your books sound awesome), and to Dee for organising it.
    The last self-published book I read was 'Dark Past' by Catherine Lee, and I can recommend it as a great read.

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    1. Thanks for the recommendation, Marilyn -- I'm always on the look-out for new authors to glom onto so I'll be sure to check this one out :)

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    2. Thanks, Marilyn! Glad you found the information helpful.

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    3. I have read multiple titles from all of our guest bloggers and I will say this...if you haven't picked up a Jenny Schwartz, Michelle Diener, Cathleen Ross, or Maree Anderson book DO IT NOW! Click into the links above to find purchase information!!

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  9. The self-pub route often sounds slightly terrifying to those not in the know. So terrific to know there are people out there to support and encourage you. Thanks, Dee, for co-ordinating these Fab Four!

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    1. You're so right, Malvina -- it can seem utterly overwhelming! But the indie-pub loops I belong to have been golden. I can't think of more supportive bunch... well, except for romance writers ;)

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    2. Malvinas someone as experienced as you should jump in. You have a great critique group too.

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    3. Welcome to the Indie world ;)

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    4. I agree Malvina...indie's are so very supportive! Just look at these fabulous authors who have given of their time, their talent, and their knowledge! Thank you Cathleen Ross, Michelle Diener, Jenny Schwartz, and Maree Anderson!

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  10. Malvina, you are so right about the terror of the unknown. Thank you Cathleen, Jenny, Maree and Michelle for showing me I have no need to fear. Very informative and positive post about self-publishing. And also very encouraging to writers wondering whether to pursue that path.

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    1. It's very scary at first -- the things you need to achieve can seem insurmountable! But it's just a matter of making a plan, taking one thing at a time, and asking for help when you need to. A basic first indie-pub book plan *could* look something like this:
      1) Finish manuscript
      2) Send out to beta readers for feedback
      3) Send to editor/proofer
      4) Organize cover, and while you're waiting, work on blurb
      4a) Cover reveal!
      5) Finalize edits
      6) Send to formatter to create epub and mobi files
      7) Upload epub and mobi files to aggregators (e.g. D2D/Smashwords and Amazon)
      8) Update website/shout-out on social media
      9) CELEBRATE!

      I always forget to do #9 but IMHO it's more important that ever to pat yourself on the back and have a little private celebration of your achievement when you're indie-pubbing.

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    2. Yeah. Why is it in life, we forget to celebrate?

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    3. I love your list Maree. Can any of you tell us more about beta readers and do you still need them if you have a critique partner?

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    4. Maree Anderson excellent list!! I'll print it off and hang it on the wall.

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    5. Cassandra, I guess it really depends on you and your critique partner, and the level of critiquing you're receiving. You may not need to explore anything else!

      Where beta readers can be useful is once a manuscript is pretty much done and dusted. You could opt to send your baby out to beta readers for feedback on general specifics like pacing, comprehension, likeability of hero/heroine etc.From what I see in discussion loops, it's beneficial to have a bunch of specific questions for your beta readers. For example, when I sent the third Freaks book to a beta reader, I was keen for a) a man's opinion (because a couple of my male readers had expressed a desire for more of the science around my teen cyborg heroine), b) whether there was too much obvious backstory for someone who'd already read books 1 and 2. I didn't want readers I'd already hooked to be bored by the details, but needed to include enough details that new readers starting with book 3 wouldn't be all at sea.

      So you don't necessarily "need" beta readers, but they can provide valuable insight. Hope that helps?

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    6. Just wondering...is there a beta reader service anywhere? I can find heaps of people who want to read what I've read (before I publish) but not so many with the talent/skills to read with a critical or even semi-critical eye.

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    7. Thanks for the list, Maree. Very positive! And thanks for clarifying about beta readers vs critique partners.

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    8. Thanks for the list, Maree. Very positive! And thanks for clarifying about beta readers vs critique partners.

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    9. Thanks for the list, Maree. Very positive! And thanks for clarifying about beta readers vs critique partners.

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    10. Dee there are beta readers out there for hire, as well as for free. A lot of authors find beta readers by developing relationships with fans on the FB pages or wherever they are most comfortable interacting with readers.

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  11. Enisa it is very doable. If you look at Draft to Digital, it is easier to manage than Smashwords. Don't let fear stop you. I'm always happy to help people I know.

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    1. Wow! That's so generous Cathleen Ross!

      I think a lot of the fear is the fear of the unknown...self-publishing is relatively new-not how it use to be done, but you've all shown that courageous authors willing to take that leap of faith can achieve great things with these new platforms--if only they open their eyes wide and--JUMP.

      What is it that Marilyn Forsyth, Cassandra Samuels, and I always say about new tech..."Get in there and play. Have fun. Make mistakes. Learn from them. In the end just give it a go."

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    2. Absolutely Dana. It's good to know though that if we do get in and have a go we are not alone.

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    3. Thanks, Cathleen. Have learned a lot with this post

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  12. I'm curious (as always)...do readers even know they are reading a self-published book? I'll admit to never looking at the publishers page...I skip right to the first page of the book and read right through to the end.

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    1. They don't know, especially if they aren't specifically looking for it. Although usually they can guess, because self-published authors are able to price their books cheaper than the big publishers.

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  13. When I started researching self-published authors I had trouble with the terminology. I thought indie publishing, vanity press, and self-publishing were three separate things!

    What are some of the other terms used for self-publishing?

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    1. Dee, I always skip back to the covers coz I love looking at covers *g* But I'd agree it's often hard to tell if you're reading a self-published book -- especially if the author is publishing her books under an imprint name, which on the surface appears to be a small press publisher.

      As for terminology; add "authorpreneur" to that list -- another term I've seen bandied around when referring to indie/self-publishers, because we are in the business of publishing *g*. I'd hesitate include vanity publishers under the same umbrella, though.

      I think the confusion comes from the whole concept that "money should flow to the author", and anything else screams vanity publishing. People see that indie/self-publishers are paying to have, for example, covers designed and eBooks formatted to mobi/epub by a professional formatter, and equate that with money flowing from the author, ergo "vanity publishing". But we're not truly "paying" to have our books published. In reality, we are simply acting like a traditional or small press publisher, by contracting out certain tasks that a publisher would either have their employees do, or pay someone to do (in the case of cover design).

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    2. Maree Anderson, thank you! I didn't realise vanity press was a horse of a different colour! Good to know.

      I like authorpreneur...I actually saw a TED Talk about an authorpreneur the other day. I'll see if I can find it and post a link.

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    3. Dee it's important to avoid vanity press. They charge a fortune to publish writers and then earn very little. There is no need for this now authors can self publish. Though it is important to follow Maree Anderson's advice and do all the steps, especially hire a good editor.

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  14. Huge thank you to Maree, Cathleen, Jenny and Michelle for your time and for sharing your publishing journeys. It's been fantastic.

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    1. You're very welcome, Cassandra. I was thrilled to be invited to participate -- thank you so for including me, Dee!

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    2. Thank you MAREE ANDERSON!!

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    3. My pleasure, Cassandra. I'm glad we could help a little.

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  15. Thanks so much for this post and to all who contributed. As someone who is eyeing off dipping a toe into the self-publishing waters (as so many of us are!) I found this really interesting. The learning curve frightens me a bit, even though I've been reading about and researching the process quite heavily. I'm a horribly slow writer and having to do a lot of the leg work myself would slow that even further. Even with contracting out, I'd have it buzzing in my head. Still, I'm sure it can be done. Great to read these encouraging words from others who've already taken the plunge. Thanks!

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    1. Unleash your inner control freak, Cathryn! Those freaks love self-publishing :)

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    2. Cathryn Hein, author of The Falls, if anyone can do it, you can!! I have complete faith in you!!

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    3. Ha ha ha, Jenny! Maybe I should let her loose. Could be scary though.

      Aww, Dee, thank you!

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    4. Cathryn (waves hi!) it is good that you understand it is extra work, but then everything that is worth something is. Especially if you aim to do it well, which I'm sure you do :) However, more and more mainstream publishers are handing over the task of marketing books to their authors, or at least expecting us to shoulder a lot more of the burden, so in the end, it probably isn't as much extra work as it would have been two or so years ago.

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  16. It's worth it Cathryn. Readers don't care if the work is self publlished or not. Also, after a while you'll have a profitable backlist. Something to think about.

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