Nicholas Warack's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
The Woes of Self-Publishing
With less than seven more days before the release of
The Sailor & The Porteña
on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and, now, hardcover formats, I'm bustling to ensure I approach this self-publishing business with a standard of contentment. As you may know or can imagine, self-publishing has many moving parts.
Although the cover and pages remain sedentary until the reader moves them, the marketing and distribution appear ceaseless. I have objectives in mind: expanding visibility and accessibility to potential readers and piquing their interest in the book. The writer must displace their invested self from the book and step into the shoes of the uninvested reader; they don't know if this story is worth a scrap of coin—I think it is. If I didn't, I wouldn't publish! However, suppose I am to enter this business of hawking my work. In that case, I cannot, nay, I must refuse to allow my attachments for my story to obscure the aforementioned end goals of self-publishing. It seems self-evident, but in practice, it's tricky. I think, "Oh, they won't set it down after this chapter," or "It's such an easy-read, I can't imagine them not giving a few dollars for the salt." Yet, I know that is not how this works; I know this isn't a sure thing.
There is still much I'm learning about writing and crafting stories. It's enjoyable, but I think of it like cooking. We know how to heat, cool, toast, fry, etc., but the writer's kitchen is limited to aspects they understand. Mine may have lettuce, chocolate chips, garbanzo beans, saltines, and grape juice. I must conjure what I can from these ingredients. I may have a jar of coconut (I dislike coconut) in the back of the pantry, but do I have the motivation to look? After toying with these strange ingredients, I realized the coconut is necessary to complete the flavor. So, do I even want to cook now, knowing I must use such an element? I am prattling unto the far reaches of my point, but you can get the picture. In the end, one must put in what they know ofwriting cooking with what they have accessible to them. It is up to them to continue expanding their capacity, including increasing their pantry, utensils, ingredients, etc.
Since I've cooked something up, I need to sell it. Thankfully, Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) provides one of the world's highest-grossing commercial platforms and a relatively user-friendly experience. I've had a bit of experience with advertising on Meta platforms in the past, so I will utilize my amateur expertise there. In other words, I have a plan. The execution of it isn't my concern, but rather the delivery and reception. Beyond that, this book will outlast me; stories outlast us. I must continue finding means and methods to promote and advance this story in perpetuity, or if I decide, some other publishing house can do a better job, assuming it would be in their interest.
It's a story within itself, which I'll keep you posted. I'm all ears if you have any solid advice or experience to share on these matters.
Although the cover and pages remain sedentary until the reader moves them, the marketing and distribution appear ceaseless. I have objectives in mind: expanding visibility and accessibility to potential readers and piquing their interest in the book. The writer must displace their invested self from the book and step into the shoes of the uninvested reader; they don't know if this story is worth a scrap of coin—I think it is. If I didn't, I wouldn't publish! However, suppose I am to enter this business of hawking my work. In that case, I cannot, nay, I must refuse to allow my attachments for my story to obscure the aforementioned end goals of self-publishing. It seems self-evident, but in practice, it's tricky. I think, "Oh, they won't set it down after this chapter," or "It's such an easy-read, I can't imagine them not giving a few dollars for the salt." Yet, I know that is not how this works; I know this isn't a sure thing.
There is still much I'm learning about writing and crafting stories. It's enjoyable, but I think of it like cooking. We know how to heat, cool, toast, fry, etc., but the writer's kitchen is limited to aspects they understand. Mine may have lettuce, chocolate chips, garbanzo beans, saltines, and grape juice. I must conjure what I can from these ingredients. I may have a jar of coconut (I dislike coconut) in the back of the pantry, but do I have the motivation to look? After toying with these strange ingredients, I realized the coconut is necessary to complete the flavor. So, do I even want to cook now, knowing I must use such an element? I am prattling unto the far reaches of my point, but you can get the picture. In the end, one must put in what they know of
Since I've cooked something up, I need to sell it. Thankfully, Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) provides one of the world's highest-grossing commercial platforms and a relatively user-friendly experience. I've had a bit of experience with advertising on Meta platforms in the past, so I will utilize my amateur expertise there. In other words, I have a plan. The execution of it isn't my concern, but rather the delivery and reception. Beyond that, this book will outlast me; stories outlast us. I must continue finding means and methods to promote and advance this story in perpetuity, or if I decide, some other publishing house can do a better job, assuming it would be in their interest.
It's a story within itself, which I'll keep you posted. I'm all ears if you have any solid advice or experience to share on these matters.
