Self-publishing – What I Have Learned
Within the last decade writers and performers have gained many new tools to make it possible to present their work to a potentially world-wide audience. Some are using these tools more effectively than others. I would like to share with you some of the things I have learned in trying to become a better writer and to make the most effective use of technology in my writing.
The ability to disseminate content more easily does not relieve the writer of the need to make that content as compelling and well crafted as possible. The ability to self-publish means writers must be willing to take on those tasks that would otherwise be managed by a conventional publishing outlet. Two of the most important are editing and proof-reading.
I occasionally get asked to look at another writer’s work. I am very reluctant to do this. The main reason is that I find few writers, particularly those starting out, who are open to constructive suggestions or critique regarding their work. Developing a willingness to accept substantive critique was a painful and hard lesson that I had to learn in the early stages of my own writing.
If you are relatively new to writing it is important to realize that your final product will little resemble your first or even fourth drafts. If you are by nature sensitive and easily bruised emotionally you have two choices – leave writing and take up something else or learn to develop a thick skin.
In writing, as in other areas of life, you need to develop relationships with people whose judgement you trust. Friends and family members, unless they have particular expertise in writing, editing or proof-reading, are unlikely to be good choices. You need to seek out people who will provide the objective commentary that you need to improve your work.
In my writing life there are two people I turn to, one a lifelong reader, the other a meticulous editor and proof-reader. The first tells me what works and doesn’t work with the story, the second takes my prose and tells me what is technically wrong with it.
A safe assumption is that none of us possess all the tools we need to be great writers when we start out. Turning to others to provide a critique of your work does not remove the need to gain personal expertise. There are several ways to achieve this. First, do not overlook the advantage brought by being an omnivorous reader. Recognizing good prose helps us to write better prose. Classes may or may not work for you depending on the level of expertise that particular teacher and group provides. I have a similar observation to make about writing groups. The expertise (and personalities) of the members will determine how much you gain from the experience. Do not overlook the technical aspects of writing. There are countless style manuals – I have a stack of them – that you can refer to. Mine see quite frequent use. And do I need to tell you not to rely on computer spell or grammar checkers?
Attention to detail should extend to everything an aspiring writer posts online. Poor spelling, clumsy sentence structure, grammatical errors convey the wrong impression to a potential reader. We all trip up on occasion. However, persistent misuse of language signals a problem. Protect your online reputation as jealously as a company preserves its brand name.
A software tool that I find particularly useful is a product called Scrivener from Literature and Latte. I am using it to work on my current project, a sequel to Roses of Winter. Scrivener allows the writer to structure his or her project. I find it useful in keeping track of characters, plot lines and in gathering research in one place. There are probably as many ways to use Scrivener as there are writers. I use the Mac version but it is now also available for Windows.
As you gain experience you work will undoubtedly improve. A good way to look at your early work is that you are serving an apprenticeship, learning your craft. However, no matter how skilled you ultimately become, there will never be a time when you should ignore the input of others.
When I completed my first book, Roses of Winter, my first impulse was to put it out only as an ebook. It didn’t tale long to start getting questions about how to obtain the print version. I learned a lesson from that – give the reader your work in a number of common formats. Online discussion about the imminent demise of ‘dead tree’ books should be taken with a sack of salt.
As a complete novice I looked at many options to create ebook and print versions of my books, including services that do the work for you. I ended up doing the work myself. If you decide to use a service I recommend that you look carefully at the terms of the agreement for that service. I don’t have enough space here to go into all the pros and cons – you can find out what to be wary of in a careful Internet search.The important point to take away is that there is no one way to achieve your goals. If you are willing to put in some effort there are low cost solutions out there. I was able to publish my ebook in Kindle, Sony and Nook versions without using any service as an intermediary. If you are outside the US this may not apply for some sites.
There are many sites on the Internet including group forums that discuss writing and publishing. I do go to a few of these but some cautionary advice is in order. One potential problem, particularly in group discussions or forums, is that you will find many opinionated individuals who favor one particular approach. ‘Group think’ can also be a problem. It is also easy to get drawn into spending too much time discussing writing rather than doing it. You can find good advice but you need to maintain your critical faculties.
Cover of my novel Roses of Winter
Following my review of methods for creating ebooks I selected a software option. I felt that this would give me more control over formatting and the final product. Before committing to one particular product (Legend Maker for Mac) I downloaded a number of trial versions of software that looked promising and/or received good reviews. If you decide to go this route I suggest you look for tools that suit your particular preferences and situation. Try before you buy.
I created a rich text format (rtf) file that became the input to the software. This was easy to create and update. With a little trial and error I was able to produce various formats that matched the more popular ereaders such as Kindle, Nook and Sony Reader. Testing was accomplished using readers I downloaded from their respective sites and also by sending copies to people I knew who owned readers and were willing to test my version.
For the print version I decided to use CreateSpace’s print-on-demand service. Some of the factors in my decision were low set up cost, distribution across the Amazon sites and other online sellers as well as CreateSpaces’s own online store, and no need to maintain inventory. CreateSpace also provides economical proof and author copies. CreateSpace will provide an ISBN number as part of their package, you do not need to purchase one on your own. The requirement to buy an ISBN number and their much smaller market share is why I have not yet placed my ebooks on the IBooks site.
Again, I wanted to do most of the work myself. Using templates provided by CreateSpace I was able to create the body of the book. For the cover I forwarded the template and the cover image to a graphics professional. For my book Roses of Winter, the cover image was licensed at a reasonable cost from a library archive. Notice that I used the word licensed. It is important to respect copyright. If you use the work of others make sure that you have the appropriate permissions in writing. If there is a fee pay it.
Cover of my book A Hole Without Sides
One possibility is to tap your own social networks for talent. In my case I know several very skilled photographers and musicians (for the audio versions of my books) whose work fits my needs. If you know such people (which is likely) they might well be quite happy to work with you to showcase their work.
An example is the cover of my book A Hole Without Sides, which uses an image by the photographer Jean Morrison Phillips who also designed the cover.
Writing the book and getting it ready for publication are tasks that require a lot of work and focus. Perhaps harder still is the struggle to market the book and gain attention for it.
The most basic thing is to write a press release. I use a free press release service called PRLog. Here is an example of a press release I prepared for the ebook version of Roses of Winter. Since Roses of Winter is set in World War 2 Glasgow I sent press releases to media in Scotland as well as in my local area.
Another feature that I consider essential is to have a personal website and a website for your book (or books). It is possible to register distinctive web addresess for little cost at sites such as GoDaddy. This is so inexpensive that I even register sites that reflect working titles for new books. I may not ultimately use them but it is a good idea to think ahead. You may have noticed throughout this blog that, whenever I mention one of my books, I include an active link to the website for that work. Similarly, when I use my name (as at the bottom of this blog post) it is an active link to my personal website.
There are a number of websites that cater to authors and readers. One of the better known is Goodreads but there are a number of others. I will let you search those out for yourself. Here is my page on Goodreads. Goodreads, like many other sites, has discussion groups. Whatever site you frequent I recommend that you take time to acquaint yourself with the local rules of the road and customs. It is common for such groups to have one place where authors can talk about their work but they often frown on attempts to do so elsewhere.
Some of the things I have done to promote my work on Goodreads is to have a Question and Answer session about Roses of Winter. Currently I am running giveaways on Goodreads for the paperback version of Roses of Winter and A Hole Without Sides to draw attention to both books. Clicking on each book title above will take you to the giveaway for that book. Who knows, you may be one of the lucky ones to win a free copy of the paperback versions.
There may be sites that are a good fit for your material. Here is one example. Since Roses of Winter is historical fiction it is also featured on Past Times Books, a site that specializes in this genre and caters to its devotees.
In addition to sites that are specifically for writers and readers I use social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus and Twitter. Yet another method to reach potential readers is the blog you are currently reading.
I am always thinking about how to promote my books. However, it is necessary to strike some kind of balance. Overnight success is rare as is success of any kind. You need to take a long term view. Promotion, while important, should not distract us from writing. Structuring our time to do both can be a challenge. Writing books of lasting value should be our main goal. Let’s face it, for many writers, perhaps most, it also has to be the reward.
Author of Roses of Winter and A Hole Without Sides
