Frustrations as an Indie Author
I enjoy writing (usually) and I can honestly say that if I didn't I certainly wouldn't have written a book at all. But the process of trying to get published traditionally killed me. It was a long list of thanks but no thanks letters and even one that came back with just a note that said "Are you serious?". So I jumped at the Self Publish route and have to say that I didn't expect the learning curve to be that great. Or the fact that when you mess up there is no lack of people to remind you of that fact. I have learned valuable lessons, and made many mistakes and miss judgments along the way. And I know that there are still many more to make.
I don't dilute myself into thinking that someday I will become a famous author. If it does happen by chance than so be it. I don't have delusions of receiving Thousand dollar royalty checks in the mail either. When I complete a book though unfortunately I do fall into the thinking of why is it not selling? Its the best damn book out there.
When I tell people that I'm an author they make comments like "oh anyone can do that." Well in theory that true but not everyone can tell a story. It takes months of research and writing to get a first draft. Then more months of re-writing to pull it all together. Then you send it out to a editor who marks it up. and sends it back to you for a third re-write. What you end up with is a publishable book.
Then the real work begins. you have to design a cover. Figure out who you are going to have print it. Where or who to sell your eBook versions. And you have to have three or four different outputs of eBook versions because there is no standard across all the types of ereaders out there.
When your done if you don't have grey hair then you have probably pulled it all out. Then you sit and wait to see if anybody will buy it. Then you do some marketing, and maybe you make a few sales. So you do more marketing and you quickly realize why marketing could be a full time job. Then you see more sales.
Congrats you are an author. Sooner or later you realize that you have the urge to write another book, and the process starts all over again.
I don't dilute myself into thinking that someday I will become a famous author. If it does happen by chance than so be it. I don't have delusions of receiving Thousand dollar royalty checks in the mail either. When I complete a book though unfortunately I do fall into the thinking of why is it not selling? Its the best damn book out there.
When I tell people that I'm an author they make comments like "oh anyone can do that." Well in theory that true but not everyone can tell a story. It takes months of research and writing to get a first draft. Then more months of re-writing to pull it all together. Then you send it out to a editor who marks it up. and sends it back to you for a third re-write. What you end up with is a publishable book.
Then the real work begins. you have to design a cover. Figure out who you are going to have print it. Where or who to sell your eBook versions. And you have to have three or four different outputs of eBook versions because there is no standard across all the types of ereaders out there.
When your done if you don't have grey hair then you have probably pulled it all out. Then you sit and wait to see if anybody will buy it. Then you do some marketing, and maybe you make a few sales. So you do more marketing and you quickly realize why marketing could be a full time job. Then you see more sales.
Congrats you are an author. Sooner or later you realize that you have the urge to write another book, and the process starts all over again.
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by
Lilo
(new)
Jun 23, 2013 01:16AM
I was traditionally published, years back in Germany. And when I started writing again, 20 years later, in English, here in the U.S., I was aiming for traditional publishing again. Therefore, I browsed the internet for literary agents (as this is the way it is done here). I found most of their advertisements rather arrogant. One agent was different. I queried her and received a very cordial, standard letter (within 4 business days), informing that due to work overload and serious health problems, she is unable to take on new clients. She recommended self-publishing with CreateSpace. I still wanted traditional publishing. So I browsed the internet again but didn't find any agent I really liked. Lots of them posted, "If you don't hear from us within 6 months, you can assume that we are not interested." And then they don't like it if you query more than one agent at the same time. This wasn't for me. So self-publishing it was. My 2 books are still in the process of being edited. And then the hassle will start. I want to be a writer. Never wanted to be a publisher or marketer. So, what's the lesser of the two evils? Deal with arrogant agents or go crazy with self-publishing? I'll let you know when my books finally hit the market. Be prepared. I might be writing from the nut house.
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