What I have learned about publishing independently.
There are several things we need to decide, when making up our minds whether to self-publish. My next series of blog posts will attempt to summarise what I have learned about publishing independently.
There are a series of basic questions that need to be answered before we even think of publishing a book.
~ Have we got the time to do some research – aka read some books about publishing – that will help us decide what our priorities are, for example, whether we want to outsource cover design and formatting, and if so, how much we are prepared to invest in this? The cost of services on offer to prospective publishers is as variable as weather on a spring day, so reading about and researching the various options is vital.
~ Do we have a regular income that will support the initial outlay of publishing? Unless we are able to source the expenses of editing, proofing, ISBNs, typesetting, formatting, imagery and cover design at low cost, some of these will crop up. Yes, some platforms allow authors to publish for free, but it is really vital, when learning about costs, to appreciate what that means. For example, if we publish on major virtual platforms for free, the platform will usually allocate to our e-books the equivalent of an e-ISBN number, which means that effectively, the platform becomes our publisher of that e-book.
~ The financial implications of publishing are not always obvious at the outset, so it is vital to be aware that the cost of services that are offered to would-be publishers can vary from several hundred to several thousand pounds. Do research the markets and options carefully.
~ Do we have time to write and edit endlessly, until we have a good enough book? There is no-one else out there setting our publishing deadlines or chivvying us up to get stuff sorted and sent. We become our own diary keepers and deadline setters.
~ Are we interested in writing, publishing and promoting? Because if we are going to be publishing, we need a good enough product, which means that writing and editing will come to the fore. Thereafter, promotion will be part of what we do, which will, of necessity, eat into our writing time. But each of these has its part to play. So decide which, at any given time, is your priority, and don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do it all, all the time.
Thanks so much for reading.
Please share:
June 17, 2018 @ 9:29 am
great start to the blogs on publishing.
June 17, 2018 @ 3:57 pm
Gosh, I’m glad you think so, Diane. I am still such a novice, but there is always so much to learn and I guess what matters is deciding what we are prepared to do ourselves and what we are going to have to pay for. Time is such a limiting factor.. but I’m really hoping that this time things are easier, since I have set up all my accounts…. Fingers crossed. :-))
June 17, 2018 @ 8:49 pm
Fran, self-publishing is a choice many of us make these days in order to maintain control over our work, but yes, you are right, there is so much to do and so much involved. I shall follow your posts with interest! I’ve been self-publishing since 2006 and I still don’t have all the answers. Why? Because things change and develop and in truth, it’s a very different ball-game from the one I started playing in. Thank you for this!
June 18, 2018 @ 9:41 am
Hi Val! I’ll always feel like a novice when it comes to indie publishing, but I am so glad that, a couple of years down the line, I know a bit more about it. (I’m the kind of uploader who presses buttons very reluctantly…!) But with every book I learn something new. So it’s interesting. Thanks for reading my posts.
June 24, 2018 @ 5:29 am
Thank you for sharing Fran. I have found writing and publishing such a huge learning curve and am still learning. Good though to be in control of your own work even though it takes so much time and there is so much to do. I look forward to reading your posts.
June 24, 2018 @ 9:32 am
Thank you so much Julie, for visiting and commenting. There is so much to learn with publishing, and the many paths available to us keep changing, so that I have found the most important aspect is to take a view on all the alternatives and decide. As with so much else, is all about our priorities. Thanks so much for reading my posts!