Four Things Learned While Indie Publishing

It's interesting how much one learns when undertaking Independent Publishing and we have a fourth in our Planet Of The Eggs Series just released, ERUPTION! It’s the first part of a two part adventure within the series and we’re excited and proud to see it launch. Adventure and the battle between good and evil time jumps to the Jurassic period and the T Rex isn’t friendly!

So what have I learned, aside from how much fun we’re having?

Well, one is patience. Life has a way of teaching us that, but Indie publishing does even more so. Don’t rush, don’t push. Let it get finished in its own time. That doesn’t mean sit back and do nothing. As writing partners Charlene Brash Sorensen and I work every day whether together or apart. But the key is realizing if there is knot that needs untying, take the time to do it right. Slow down.

Second is pay attention to detail! That’s one thing that will slow you down if you do it right. Ours happens to be a comic book series and not a novel or short story or script, but the same applies to all. Heck, it applies to life most of the time. But back to the comic books. When we create there are dozens of small elements that come together. Since our method is one of creating pictures from bits and pieces there are plenty of details to be remembered. With two of us creating and editing and reviewing we do have an easier time than some in catching each others’ gaffs.

Third, be appreciative and don’t forget to thank those who lend a hand. Yep, another of life’s lessons that come along when publishing indie. There are lots of folks out there who mention our comic books individually and the series. We do our best to thank them all personally and to lend them a hand as well. It’s the way things should be, right? And yet, so many times it can be forgotten or overlooked.  

And fourth, imagination is amazing. Really. Be sure to let yours go, no matter what direction you might apply it. You don’t have to be a writer or artist to have a wonderful imagination and enjoy it. We all have it in us. It’s true. Decorating a house, making something from popsicle sticks, finding a new and exciting solution to a problem at work. It’s all imagination and it’s great fun. Play with it. Keep it rolling. Doesn’t matter what someone may think, it’s YOURS.

 

And now on to our next adventure on Planet Of The Eggs – the second part to the two-parter, Eruption, tentatively titled Saving Dot. We’ll be learning a lot more for sure and I’ll keep you posted.

Connecting Your Writing With Publishing

If you write a lot and along side of that, read a lot, then you’ve no doubt heard the screams of the publishing industry – “the sky is falling, the sky is falling…” And, “it’s the end of the world as we know it!” Ebooks, digital, Indie publishers, oh my!

Yep, it is, well, for some, but we as writers need to connect with that even if many big New York publishing houses aren’t and recognize the new blooming opportunities. The publishing industry can appear to be an out-of-touch unstable mess with policies of granting silly, over-bloated advances to ‘high brow’ writers who generally sell very few books. Meanwhile readers are looking for entertainment and/or information. So the publishing industry on some levels is failing, but in other areas, there’s great potential. Read on.

Think about this. If there’s so few ‘dedicated’ readers, and the number is dropping all the time as many big publishing houses will tell us, then myohmy, how are they paying the rent on all those posh Manhattan offices? 

So, what’s really suffering in the publishing biz? Mostly Literary Fiction. Have you ever been to any of the book shows and seen the lines for writers such as Danielle Steele, Stephen King, or other icon of ‘entertainment’ fiction? Those lines wind round and round and never seem to get any shorter. Publishers are doing pretty good on that one. 

So, from the writer’s viewpoint, don’t buy 'the sky is falling philosophy' and don’t worry. Quietly watch what people buy at bookstores or check out Amazon to see what’s ‘bestselling’. Readers in the real world decide what they want, not a publishers in New York or wherever. And those readers want a lot. I recently spotted a patron in a bookstore check out with a copy of “Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting”, a craft magazine on beading, a copy of “The Husband” by Dean Koontz and a paranormal romance by Christine Feehan. So, looks like readers really aren’t locked into the “same ol, same ol” after all. Wish I could peek over the shoulder of a reader purchasing books online to see what they’re getting.  More research would be needed for that.

It’s time for writers to find more venues and to explore more markets. It’s up to us to rearrange the publishing business in the model we want to see. And even while we do that, check out the most current listings of Publishing Houses in the United States. It’s staggering. And it includes the monoliths as well as the independents. Monoliths are slow to move, but keep your eye on the more nimble independents. They’re the more creative in business models, innovation and marketing. 

Big publishing is slowly beginning to think beyond the book – flat, bound, nice and useful. Okay, yep, and no. The web is the newest outlet and the E-book market is growing by leaps and bounds; but I bet you know that already! Self-publishing for niche markets is growing quickly as well. Look into them, research, don’t limit yourself. 

Don’t corner yourself to one field of writing either if you have the capacity. Love fiction? Me too. But I also write articles, grant requests, have taught online courses and on the ground courses. I’ve written travel articles, how to articles, and biographies, screen scripts, blogs and magazine articles. Broaden your abilities as much as you can. The publishing industry can’t sustain itself as only ‘print’ and so it’s making content digitized, downloadable, and yes, there’ll still be a place for the hard copy book.

Change is already upon us and more is coming. You, as the writer, must recognize this reality and forge your new path. Mix your career, write in different areas, of course approach the print publishers if that’s where you want to place your work, but don’t rule out other avenues as well. E-publishing, self-publishing, publishing with independents; all of these are now open doors to writers. And a bit of research will glean you even more opportunities to build your own empire.

Remember, the future of publishing is not technology or free samples. The future is about giving readers what they want and there have never been so many opportunities to do so. As a reader I currently read from my Kindle Fire, my computer and hard copy books. So I suggest you enjoy what you write and don’t limit yourself to any one possibility – there are many and for now it just seems to be growing. 

Resources:

Amazon Kindle  

Don’t have a Kindle? Get a free reader for your computer: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311

Self Publishing Manual 

2013 Writer’s Market – Kindle Edition 

Writers And Readers Websites Wednesday

Found BoSacks Precision Media Group this week and it's an excellent one. Bob Sacks delivers industry news from writing world along with his own well-reasoned commentary. There's a daily newsletter offered, publishing links, sometimes short videos. Yep, definitely worth a visit and some exploration time. Readers and Writers alike will find the site as well as the newsletter enjoyable and educational. So what're you waiting for? 

 

Readers Stalking the Wild Indie Writer

http://bit.ly/mSefTW

Well, not stalking...not really, but readers don't you want to discover some writers who aren't always just the main stream? There are some great writers out there who aren't on the "best sellers" list whether said list is for real or manufactured. Yep, for every great or even rather poor author you see heavily promoted through a publisher, ther are many others wonderful writers out there who've opted to self publish and go the Indie route.

The market is driven by just that, the market. If a book doesn't fit the cubbyhole a certain agent or publisher has, then the book is passed over and it may be a great read you'll never see because of it. 

But the Indies are bringing it to you. You might dreat light reading in your favorite genre or discover very specific technical or research materials.

There is still a bit of a negative image of self-published writers and many misconceptions. So let's talk about that and see where we are.

One thought is that a self-published author can't be any good or that author would have publishing contracts with an established house. Well, I won't dispute there are lots of self-published books out there that probably should never have been published. But, if you think back over all the stuff you've read you no doubt feel similarly about a lot of books that were traditionally published.  I know there were a good number of those I never finished.

The reality right now is that publishing is changing - fast. Writers have a lot more freedom and many more choices. Some self-publish because they find themselves in a niche so narrow not enough people would buy the book to warrant a big publishing house or even a smaller one to publish. Others want to keep the entire process in their own hands and not be dependent on the publishing house's whims. Still other writers make the decision to self publish because it's business - they can actually make more money. Yes, writers, just like you, actually have to earn money to live.

I'm doing some self publishing now and I have been published by major houses Doubleday, Harlequin, Five Star, Pinnacle, Manor and internationally as well. Why? Because I like it. I like the process and the control. I can pick my own designer, my own art work, etc. And there are other reasons. That's just an example. Everyone has his or her reasons for being an Indie.

So, why would you, should you be interested in Indie authors? 

You might like to support individual artists.

You might like the variety, enjoy discovering new things and new sources for your entertainment buck.

If it's non-fiction you like you might unearth helpful books published by experts in your field - and you might not even realize they're self-published.

You might be interested in shorter works like novellas and such that major publishing houses don't do much of.

There are lots more reasons to support Indie authors, but that's just a few.

So, how do fascinated readers who want to become avid fans find these gems?

Well, Amazon  is one obvious place to look. There you can find lots of Ebooks as well as paperbacks, etc. through their hard copy arm, CreateSpace. Smashwords  offers a wide variety of Ebooks as well. You can toss a search into your search engine searching for your favorite genres and see what turns up.  There are smaller Ebook publishers as well. The Fictionworks handled publication of my book, Stormrider (2 5 star reviews so far and a recommendation from Tony Award Winning Actor John Cullum) and offer a wide variety of Ebooks and sees to it they're available in a variety of formats. Your local bookstore will no doubt carry Indie published titles by local authors and maybe some from afar. There are others, Kobo for example.

So go forth and seek. Oh, and hey, if you find a great source, a great book, or an equally great Indie writer let us all know. Post your suggestions in the comments box below and tell the world.  

Writers & Readers Websites Wednesday

This week I stumbled across Squid Inc.  Here's what they say about themselves: 

"Squid Inc is all about the writer. It is our mission to bring independent, self-published authors and poets to the attention of readers and publishers alike.

We aim to serve you by showcasing your talent, introducing you to a wider audience and offering advice on taking the next step.

We want to help you to sell your book."

I like it - I'm going to give it a shot; always good to find new ways to generate publicity. They offer free services (asking for a donation if you can) and for pay services. It's definitely a site worth checking out. 

Great for writers and an excellent place for readers to check out new or undiscovered writers to add to their favorites.

Fiction is a Much Maligned Market

 

Karen Cole Executive Director of Ghost Writer, Inc. is my guest blogger today and she has her opinions on Fiction and Non-Fiction and conventional vs. indie publishing.  

Welcome Karen ~

Fiction is a Much Maligned Market-

Nonfiction is what sells, they all say. Depending on whether or not you’re an atheist, here would you include the Bible in that area? It sells more copies than any other book on the face of the planet, and it’s in dispute whether it’s a work of fiction or nonfiction. Which one do you think it is? Meanwhile, another best-selling book is Lord of the Rings, and there’s no dispute as to its category: fiction. Harry Potter: fiction; Star Trek: fiction; Alice in Wonderland…etc.

So you’d think there’d be more of a genre or niche market for general, original fiction. But it does tend to be the absolute niche markets that attract fiction writers nowadays, namely steampunk, urban fantasy, cozies, chic lit, fan fiction, etc. And the last market on that brief list doesn’t usually entail professional writing. Instead, the idea is to have amateurs write stories based on someone else’s characters, and mostly just have fun in the process. That’s all my daughter does when she writes, add to the growing fan fiction base of work.

Is there such a thing as a real market for fiction? Since it can be hard to go through the slush piles at agenting and publishing houses, and since once you get an agent it can be slogs again to find a publisher, a lot of people think the way to go is self or independent publishing. This way at least you can get a book in hand to show to your family and friends, maybe your coworkers too, and although it’s not a best seller you did indeed get it published. Some say ebook and independent publishing is how to go about getting a fiction book published nowadays.

I’m inclined to agree. Unless you can get an “in” with a literary agent, which entails practically inhabiting writer’s workshops and parties, it’s very hard to get hold of one of those erstwhile personages. It’s doable, and there are ways, but they usually involve building relationships over time with such people. Not the easiest way to go for a new author with a new idea, who’s never, ever published any books before.

It helps to have a swami mentality, building up a “feel” for when you can find an available agent who isn’t too persnickety to listen to you, but those can be as rare as finding a pearl in an oyster at a sushi bar. 

Still, you can try for it, but I’m starting to like self-publishing. Agents don’t always lead to publishers – if they don’t find you one, you have to break your contract with them and start over. And their lists of demands can be outright mean, even pathetic. Try to hang in there and make contact with a particular agent if you can, but you might want to consider indie publishing as well.

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If you need some help getting those stories written and polished, Karen's Ghost Writer, Inc. offers ghostwriting services for dreamers who should be doing.