Being Indie: It’s All About The Control
by Janiera Eldridge
There are people who are not familiar with the indie world that wonder why would anyone want to be an indie author? Every part of the process rests on your shoulders. You’re in control of making the cover, editing and finding an editor, marketing and controlling profits. I can totally see why this would turn people off but, for a perfectionist like me, it is the most awesome thing in the world! I personally recommend self-publishing over publishing with any publisher at all (even small) because even though it is hard work, it’s rewarding work.
One of the things I like most about self-publishing is that you control what your book cover looks like A lot of people don’t know that authors don’t have control over their covers when they’re with big publishing companies. The cover is such a big part of creating a book; I don’t understand why an author can’t be more active in this process. There have even been incidences where authors write books with people of color in it and the cover featured a Caucasian person on the front. The poor author took a lot of flack over something they may not have been aware of until the book was being putting on the shelves. Being a self-published author you can work with indie friendly (and price considerate) cover designers like Strong Image Editing to come up with the cover of your dreams. Companies like this will work with you to give you a product you both approve of.If you’re tight on cash (which I always seem to be) you can create your own cover with Foto Flexer. It’s an advance online photo editing site that helps people like me who are totally photo design inclined, to create cool covers for free!
You also get to work one on one with the editor of your choosing. There are great editors whose prices are geared toward the tight budget of an indie author. Choosing your own editor allows you to control who you work with and whose editor’s style you find the best. Different editors have different style and not all styles match all authors. When you hire your own editor you can ask questions about the edits to help you learn new things and develop your writing skills. Even an inexpensive editor can cost a bit more money than a self-published author is willing to shell out. I don’t recommend Pro Writing Aid in place of a human editor but it really does look for all of the things a human editor would look for in your work. You can improve your story and your craft through this easy to use but detailed software.
Although marketing can seem daunting to writers, it really doesn’t have to be. After getting the hang of marketing my book it has become a bundle of fun. I’m learning new ways to market my book everyday! A great way to market your book is by planning blog tours. You can plan a blog tour by hiring someone to plan it for you (there are indie friendly book tour companies out there) or by planning one yourself if you don’t have the money. Does it take more time to plan your own? Sure! But, it can be done. I believe every author should have their own blog tour. Blog tours can make a huge difference in book sales. Other ways to market for free and online include finding book reviewers and randomly appearing on blogs. You can meet great people and it’s not as bad as it sounds.
Well, those are my reasons for loving being self-published. At the end of the day it is about doing things your way and controlling how well your book does.
Are there any things you’ve heard that makes self-publishing sound great?
About Soul Sisters
Soul Sisters is an urban fantasy novel about African-American twin sisters Ani and Dana who have a rather unique secret: one sister is human while the other is a vampire. While the sisters have lived peacefully with each other for many years one fateful night will change both their lives forever. When a drunken man tries to attack Dana (the human sister) Ani (the vampire sister) protects her sister with all of her ferocious power.
However, when the vampire’s leader Donovan finds out about the public display he calls for the sisters to be assassinated for disobedience. Ani and Dana now are in for the fight of their lives to protect each other as well as the lives of their dedicated friends who have joined them on their mission for survival. If Dana and Ani can make it through this time of uncertainty, Ani can take her new place as vampire queen. Soul Sisters is expected to be a trilogy; The book also features a multicultural cast of characters that brings a new edge of chic to the vampire world.
About Janiera Eldridge
Janiera Eldridge loves feeding her book addiction and putting all her crazy stories on paper. When she is not immersed in the world of fiction, she is working as an entertainment freelance writer. Janiera also enjoys connecting with other authors and supporting their work on her book blog Books & Beauty.
You can find her online on twitter, facebook, pinterest and goodreads.
This guest post is part of the FMB Blog Tour.
