Though I am the author of two traditionally published books, No Angel and Earthbound, I have recently been researching the possibility and indeed the probability of going indie – or independent. Why would a traditionally published author even consider leaving the comfort of a publishing house? For me – the answer is obvious, going indie will mean more control over my writing – no more waiting for my books to come out, no more sitting on unpublished novels that have already become best loved stories of the few that have had access to them as beta readers.
And here’s a big reason – indie means more money – lots more if you consider the percentages. Traditional publishing got me 10% with paperbacks and 20% with e -books – but through indie, I will be receiving around 70% . Because No Angel and Earthbound are published in a small publishing house, I already have been responsible for most of the marketing, so assuming that role as an indie author will be no problem at all and in fact, it will become a passion.
From what I’ve researched, successful indie authors must be prolific. One cannot expect to succeed with publishing only one or two books a year. As of today, I have my third angel book, PLUS an additional three books in that series already written. As an indie author, I will be in complete control of when I want to publish them – and it won’t be once a year! I envision the No Angel series to have a minimum of ten to fifteen books, and by going indie, I can continue to write this remarkable story – publish it after each book is finished and then move onto a new series.
However, along with my No Angel Series, I have already written in two other genres. My fantasy, Sons of Elderberry has one completed novel and part of a sequel written. I envision that series to have a minimum of three books. My mystery/suspense novel, Escape is one of a two-book series, with that sequel partially written too.
Going indie just makes sense to me, though I must admit, I am a little skirmish, because so much of my books’ success rests on me alone, but wait – that’s a good thing, isn’t it? As a realist, I don’t expect it to be smooth ride at first, but as I work out the kinks, eventually, the ride will be thrilling! I hope you will come along with me for that ride.
Here’s what I know about going indie:
First ~ write a good story.
Second ~ revise and edit that story.
Third ~ have three or four beta readers read your story.
Fourth ~ revise and edit your story from your beta readers’ suggestions.
Fifth ~ have your story professionally edited. This will cost anywhere from $300.00 – $1000.00 or much more depending on the service you use.
Sixth ~ revise and edit per suggestions from your professional edit.
Seventh ~ paying a professional to design the ever-important cover – the first thing my readers will see.
Eighth ~ this is where I begin my journey of self-publishing. I believe this step will involve paying someone to format my book – both for hard copies and e – book.
Ninth ~ before my book is on the path to publication, I will undergo an aggressive marketing campaign – more to come.
Tenth ~ Now my book will be ready to be published ~ probably through Amazon, but we shall see. I will do much more research before I make that decision.
Eleventh ~ put the next book on this same path, and then the next, etc. while continuing to aggressively market the other three books (the two traditional and the first indie.)
Sounds like a good plan and one I know will continue to evolve as I learn more about becoming an independently published author. Stay tuned! 🙂
Here are some excellent articles I’ve read on indie:
Publishing is Broken, We’re Drowning in Indie Books, And That’s a Good Thing written by David Vinjamuri.
Ten Visual Steps to Self-Publishing Your Book on Amazon
The Real Skinny About Indie Publishing by Tracy Marchini via Nathan Bransford
