Behind the Scene

Self-publishing puts an author in the driver's seat. But that doesn't mean he/she is carrying the whole load.

Sure, the writer produces the words that make the book, but you have to consider some other parts such as who turns the manuscript into a book? Who delivers it to stores and/or websites? And who provides royalty payments?

While those folks are often unseen and unheard, they work behind the scenes to keep the proverbial ball rolling for the author.

As those who follow my blog already know, I self-published for the first time when "Laments" was released in August. I hired an editor, cover design, and formatter to get the manuscript in shape and ready for the market.  I probably could have done those things myself, and many authors do, but I wanted input from others, much like I get through a traditional publisher.

I've done some marketing and promotion for the book -- much like I've done for previous books -- but I still rely on companies such as CreateSpace, Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble to serve it up to the public and provide me with royalties through their accounting departments.

I hope you can see, that while I've self-published, it's taken the assistance and support of others to make it all happen. 

Until the next time…

Off to the Cleaners

After writing ten short stories and then spending the past two months going through five rewrites, I’ve sent them off to an independent editor.

When she is finished cleaning the copy, I’ll give them one more read before going through the publishing process. I know there are a few things in several of the stories that need to be tweaked, and I’m sure the editor will note some items as well.

If all goes well, I hope to have the collection published in August. At least that’s my goal at this point. I’ve been asking some of my author friends for advice about self-publishing and they’ve been very helpful and encouraging. I'm entering unfamiliar territory so it's nice to have some guides.

I've also downloaded several books and read numerous articles and blogs on self-publishing. There is so much to learn and consider!

Until the next time...

Not Bad at All

A friend of mine has self-published three ebooks on Amazon.com the past six months with remarkable success. Her royalties for January has exceeded $10,000.

This author had never been published before, and after rejections from traditional publishers, decided to strike out on her own. Her books sell from 99 cents to $2.99 each. At that price, she's sold lots of digital books.

Not bad. Not bad at all! 

As the publishing industry is shifting toward ebooks, authors have the opportunity to take control of their destiny.

USA Today had an informative article about self-published authors in December so I'm not going to rehash what's been reported. And there are several other articles in various writing magazines about the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing.

The common thread for success seems to be promotion. These authors did more than simply write stories. They spent time getting the word out about their books. The same holds true for success in traditional publishing.

Check out these successful self-published authors.

Until the next time...