September 2019: You’re self-published. What’s next?

Congratulations! You now have a book to promote. Get yourself on Twitter and use #amwriting and #WritingCommunity hashtags to meet up with fellow writers. If you published through KDP, set up an author page at Author Central and at Author Central UK. Join the Author Program at Goodreads to set up your author page there. Once you have one, you’ll be able to post a blog. Using an RSS feed, you can link that to your Author Central pages, and whatever you write on your blog will get published there too. I would have suggested investing in some paid advertising on Goodreads, where you have access to a vast community of readers. Unfortunately they are closing this service, “to focus our efforts on products that better help authors connect to readers”. Hmmm, as Gooseberry would say.

Join LibraryThing, add your book to your virtual shelf, then lay claim to it as its author. You may be permitted to set up an author page there as well. In any event, what you can do (if you published through Smashwords) is offer free copies of your book to other members in exchange for an honest review. If you did publish on Smashwords, now’s the time to set up your author page there. You might also consider starting your very own blog. Blogger and WordPress are both good.

You now have a much larger online presence than any vanity publisher is likely to provide you with, as well as much better odds of people discovering your book. For further ways to promote yourself, check out two of my former posts, Build yourself a brand, part one and Build yourself a brand, part two.

It’s probably high time I spoke about taxes, at least for UK authors. Both Smashwords and Amazon.com (though not Amazon.co.uk) are legally obliged to withhold 30% of your royalty payments (the “statutory withholding rate”) to cover any taxes that may be owed to the US government. In actual fact, the US and the UK have a reciprocal tax agreement in place. If you are resident in the UK, you are covered by Article 4 of the convention (Code: UK, Treaty Article Citation: 23).

It’s been a steep learning curve, I would guess, but you just saved yourself at least £700 on the basic package from the vanity publisher we looked at back in May…more, if you didn’t splash out on the entirely unnecessary publicity materials they provide. Better still, now that you understand the process, you now have total control over any revisions or updates and, unlike if you’d signed up with a vanity press, you won’t be charged a penny. That’s got to be good news.

Michael Mills, an author who’s considering self-publishing, shares his experience of the process:

MM: When I signed up to KDP and Createspace, I had to fill in the relevant tax forms. They were fairly straightforward and painless for the most part. As a UK resident, I was exempt and it didn’t take all that long in the grand scheme of things. There are two things which are absolute must-haves; a tax number (National Insurance number for my fellow UK residents) and a UK address. The rest is just following a step-by-step process. When I completed mine back in 2017, it was pretty much compulsory to complete the form before you were allowed to publish your book. I remember seeing a warning at the top of the page reminding me to complete it. Once I did so, it took a few days to vet the information and I was good to go. I highly recommend that you take the time to complete these forms and put your mind at ease.

MG: I’m glad that they’ve made tax easier. Me, I’m stuck in an old system with an EIN—an employer identification number issued by the American IRS—and I cower at the thought of filling in the paperwork every three years. I never get it right. Authors from certain other countries may find they are also covered by Article 4 (though the code and the citation will be different). I should also point out that UK authors are then responsible for reporting any earnings to HMRC, and I would suggest that any newly published writers contact them to seek their advice. Make sure you can quote the amount of your royalties to date when you do. If it’s not a lot, you might be pleasantly surprised.

MM: One thing to bear in mind, if you are not a UK resident, is that not all countries can receive electronic payments.

MG: In this day and age, it’s extraordinary! I looked into this and, from what I’ve seen, authors from Canada, Australia, and South Africa (to name but a few of the countries affected) are forced to accept payments by cheque. In some cases, these come with certain conditions attached. You may have to accrue $100 in royalties before a payment is made.

That aside, if you’ve been following these posts, you now the wherewithal to become a self-published author. It’s been a steep learning curve, I would guess, but you just saved yourself at least £700 on the basic package from the vanity publisher we looked at back in May…more, if you didn’t splash out on the entirely unnecessary publicity materials they provide. Better still, now that you understand the process, you have total control over any revisions or updates and, unlike if you’d signed up with a vanity press, you won’t be charged a penny. That’s got to be good news.

MM: You couldn’t be more right. Congratulations indeed to anyone who has managed to finish their author journey. You’ve finally finished your manuscript and hopefully published it. Get to know what social media can do for you as an author and the vast community eagerly waiting to accept you and willingly share their vast and invaluable knowledge. One of the best things I ever did as an author was to join Twitter and start using the hashtags you mentioned. The response was overwhelming. I got to know some amazing authors—present company included—and before long I got to know about Goodreads from your good self, Michael. During the course of our work I have been slowly working to improve my online presence, including starting a blog of my own, claiming ownership of my book on Goodreads, and setting up my author’s page. Even with so much more to do I can honestly attest to a significant rise in the attention my posts, blog, and general interactions as an author.

The first post you and I wrote together was about the rise of vanity publishers and their promise of fame, especially to new authors who often are unaware many of the things we have been writing about. I know this to be true because I was once one of those authors. Though, rest assured I will be putting what I’ve learnt to good use in my subsequent books going forward.

It really has been a steep learning curve and it’s one that I am very glad I took. Vanity publishers have contacted me, and I am not going to pretend what they were offering wasn’t tempting. But their offers now seem lazy, knowing what I do now. I hope anyone following these posts now has the knowledge to go from story inception to being a published author. With a little bit of work and time you won’t have to part with even a dime you weren't willing to spend. For me, from start to finish it has been—and continues to be—a learning process; as the old saying goes, “everyday is a school day”. That had never been more relevant than when I decided to write my first book.

MG: Michael Mills, thank you for joining me these past few months. I wish you all the best for your writing career, sir.

This month’s special offer is for The Scarab Heart. The Valley of the Kings, 1885. Lizzie is about to meet a young woman named Merit, and her life will never be the same again. Offer ends on September 30th 2019. You’ll find links and details on my website.

“If you like a little bit of Victorian social history, ghostly happenings and tales from Ancient Egypt you are in for a real treat.”—Sausage, Amazon UK Reviewer (5 stars)

Happy reading!
Michael

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