The Truth About Self-publishing by Leia Shaw

I spoke at my local Romance Writers of America chapter this weekend about self-publishing. The president asked me to do something similar to what I did at Fiction Fest last year, which was a how-to workshop called “Anyone Can Self-publish!” or something positive-sounding like that. But I didn’t have access to the visual equipment needed to go in depth about how to self-publish. So instead, I took a more in-your-face reality check approach. Anyone can self-publish but that doesn’t mean everyone should.

I’ve had at least 2 books self-published for an entire year now. The first 6 months in 2011, I hardly count cause I was just getting starting and hadn’t sold much more than a thousand copies of two books. But 2012 I published my 3rd book and started seeing some success.

The biggest thing I’d like to stress to all you go-getters that want to dive into the world of self-publishing, is that it is very much a business.

Yes, you get to use that wonderful part of your brain to create the most imaginative stories and yadda yadda yadda. But if you want to make money, you have to make writing a business. To people like me, and probably you, business is boring. Math and spreadsheets and accounting are my worst nightmares. This is not what I thought my glorious writing career would be about.

So what do I mean by a business? Making writing a business – a career – is about the little and big things you do that aren’t writing. Such as: the erotic reading I participated in last weekend. Teaching writing classes at the local community center. Attending conferences. Speaking at conferences. Running book sales off your website. Doing graphic design jobs on the side. Those are a few examples of the things I do that don’t include writing but help build my brand, my platform, and my career.

It’s truly amazing to me just how often I’m working without even having opened my manuscript document.

So, I’m going to break down what I do into 3 main categories then tell you, on average, how much time I spend doing each activity.

Business = answering emails, setting up blog tours, paying bills, designing covers, website maintenance, registering for conferences, getting workshop material ready, etc.

Marketing = social media, planning ads, blogging, twitter, forums, etc

Writing = actually writing a book.

Control (period between releases as you’re writing your next book): 40% business. 30% marketing (if you have a backlist). 30% writing.

Just before book release: 40% business. 50% marketing. 10% writing.

After book release: 40% business. 60% marketing. 0% writing.

I am never JUST writing. So those of you with grand visions of spending long days in your pajamas, writing to your heart’s content… Well, good luck.

Also notice that the business percentage doesn’t change. That’s because I always have to pay my bills. I always have to answer emails. I always have to maintain my website. That’s not a choice.

Did I meet my goals at the end of 2012? Yes, I did. And I’m very pleased about that. Can I do better in 2013? I’m sure as hell going to try. The journey into self-publishing has been worth it in every way. I could not have made the same amount of money I did in one year had I traditionally published. But I’m constantly learning and growing and hopefully becoming a more successful author and person as I journey on.

I guess my point is…if you have the determination and ability to adapt as you learn, self-publishing might be a good choice for you. Just be aware that it’s not as glamorous as you think and you have to really want it in order for it to work. Just like everything in life.

Good luck. And as always, I’ll be answering questions in the comments below.

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