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Things New Indie Authors Should Know
1. Do not spam2. Really, don't do it.
3. Stop talking about your book on every thread that's even vaguely related to your genre.
4. DO NOT SPAM (wait, did I already mention that?)
Pay for a professional cover artist. And for the love of God, pay for an editor (and make sure you get some beta-readers before that).
* Some of your beta readers should be not your friend/family. Your mum won't tell you something is wrong with your book (she might just be amazed you finished it).* Try to go to other authors for beta reading. A banker or a dentist may be very well educated but not in things like story arcs and character development.
Patrick wrote: "Pay for a professional cover artist. And for the love of God, pay for an editor (and make sure you get some beta-readers before that)."Try to have multiple editors.
If you do your own editing, wait at least one month from when you last read you manuscript, so you have a fresh perspective.
1. Twitter is not the place to promote your book. Don't be one of "those" authors.2. Start mailing list immediately---it can be your best friend.
3. No matter how much you proofread your book, you will always, ALWAYS find typos after publication. Happens every time.
4. Being a good indie is less about what you do and more about what you DON'T do. Always respect people and their time. It's amazing how many authors don't do this (like not responding to an email, or being crass to people who leave bad reviews). Don't get on people's bad radar, and you'll do fine.
Mod
I would also add the following need to knows:
1. Look into several publishing companies and don't settle for the first one you see. (whether your looking at traditional or SP it always good to look into more then one company. It helps decide which is best for you and makes sure that you don't come across an issue with the company to the point where your already under contract and can't get out.)
1 and 2) B&N will stock your book on the shelf. They have a seperate indie program. Give them one print copy to start. Contact B&N for details. For now, any brick and mortar bookstore is just not connected with the same online database. It's the different databases that confuses them. It's best to meet with someone from the store in person and have a business meeting.3) Accept that publishing is publishing regardess if it's independent or traditional, and all forms of publishing must maintain a certain degree of professionalism.
4) There are no short-cuts. Being an indie author means MORE work and wearing all hats, not less.
5) Always do your research.
:)
Wear thick skin. Expect that somewhere along the line, you will feel insulted. Not everyone is going to like your book, just the same as some like vanilla and chocolate.
Anne wrote: "Wear thick skin. Expect that somewhere along the line, you will feel insulted. Not everyone is going to like your book, just the same as some like vanilla and chocolate."This is a good tip.
I have another one. Practice walking up to random people and initiating conversation. As an indie you have to get comfortable with speaking.
This is one I'm working to overcome because I'm a terrible speaker and an introvert.
Michael wrote: "1. Twitter is not the place to promote your book. Don't be one of "those" authors.
2. Start mailing list immediately---it can be your best friend.
3. No matter how much you proofread your book, you..."
Perfect advice. Proofing is often overlooked in the value chain.
Don't read reviews. They're not for you. They're for other readers. If you want professional feedback on whether you can write well, pay for it via a top notch editor.
Do not beg people to read. Do not spam people to read.
Don't overvalue your work.
Don't undervalue your work.
Did I mention the editor? Good ones cost a lot, but are worth it. If you can't afford one - wait until you can.
Try and drive people to your website, and sell direct to them.
Go to conventions. Face-to-face will get you the best fans. (And cash in your pocket!)
Always look for tips and tricks on how to improve your writing and put them into practice immediately. All criticism is good. Even the bad, personal stuff, because it makes you tougher.
Go to festivals where you can pitch your book/s to agents. Don't expect to succeed, just use it as an experience to practice selling your book and yourself.
Believe! And don't give up.
If you do give up, make sure you have a support network around you that will encourage you to change your mind and get on with your next novel/poem/short story.
m
PS I mean it about the editor. And proofreader.
2. Start mailing list immediately---it can be your best friend.
3. No matter how much you proofread your book, you..."
Perfect advice. Proofing is often overlooked in the value chain.
Don't read reviews. They're not for you. They're for other readers. If you want professional feedback on whether you can write well, pay for it via a top notch editor.
Do not beg people to read. Do not spam people to read.
Don't overvalue your work.
Don't undervalue your work.
Did I mention the editor? Good ones cost a lot, but are worth it. If you can't afford one - wait until you can.
Try and drive people to your website, and sell direct to them.
Go to conventions. Face-to-face will get you the best fans. (And cash in your pocket!)
Always look for tips and tricks on how to improve your writing and put them into practice immediately. All criticism is good. Even the bad, personal stuff, because it makes you tougher.
Go to festivals where you can pitch your book/s to agents. Don't expect to succeed, just use it as an experience to practice selling your book and yourself.
Believe! And don't give up.
If you do give up, make sure you have a support network around you that will encourage you to change your mind and get on with your next novel/poem/short story.
m
PS I mean it about the editor. And proofreader.
Michael wrote: No matter how much you proofread your book, you will always, ALWAYS find typos after publication. Happens every time.
Just had this happen to me.
i'll be the first to admit I screwed up bad on not getting a professional editor on my first book. and with all the advice I've been getting that's the main one. Get an editor haha
Mod
1000$?! That's rather steep. I know there are plenty of freelance, home-based editors who work for far less than that. A freelance editor is still a professional.
I paid $700 for mine. Used my tax return.
Mod
Courtney wrote: "I'd love to hirer a professional editor however affording one is a different matter. I'm not sure how you guys swing it but $1000 on edits is about a month's pay for me. That unfortunately won't ..."I think every sp author should read this book at least once. If I haven't already mentioned that to you, lol. It saved my life (or at least my wallet). Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print. The most helpful book on writing I've read.
I did shell out for an editor on my first novel. Even with an editor, amateur writing is still amateur. I just went through a massive edit of my first novel, which took me a solid year (I was rewriting another book at the same time) and I was cringing from start to finish.
I have paid a lot more than $1000 for one editor and a lot less for another. A third, whose pricing was somewhere in the middle, did the best/most thorough work.What amazes me most about self-published work, and correct me if I'm wrong because I have yet to use Createspace or Smashwords, but if someone tells you there's an error, can't the author go in and fix it even after publication?
I edit and edit and edit and send to editors, but you're right someone will always find at least one error. I find them in Big 6 works. But if I could go in and fix them, i would in a heartbeat. Is it just laziness that some self-published authors don't fix them, or can things not be changed once you hit "publish"? (I really don't know - not trying to insult anyone)
If you saved the exact file you uploaded, it's easy. It's only hard when ppl say "there were a few errors" but you don't know what they're talking about.
Jason wrote: "I have paid a lot more than $1000 for one editor and a lot less for another. A third, whose pricing was somewhere in the middle, did the best/most thorough work.What amazes me most about self-pub..."
My understanding is, no. I've been told by a number of SP authors that CreateSpace has a steep learning curve, and fixing a tiny typo can become a nightmare.
Which reminds me... fonts. Use simple fonts, no matter how cool and fancy your favorite fonts might be, don't use them. It's not worth it. A simple font is not only easier to read, it also has a greater chance of digital transfer because the code for the font will be less complex. Trust me on this one.
Lena wrote: "If you saved the exact file you uploaded, it's easy. It's only hard when ppl say "there were a few errors" but you don't know what they're talking about."I cut indies more slack than I would the mass market stuff, but I often tell the authors privately and respectfully some obvious errors/typos I notice. Most are appreciative. I appreciate it to when others tell me... I may not be able to fix them now, but I will be more cautious about making the same mistake in the future.
I just changed typos on my CreateSpace book last month. It wasn't a big deal. If you take the time to set your book up correctly, it's not a hassle. Ed Ditto has a great walkthrough on his site for any that are interested. Courtney, $1000 for an editor is way too steep, even for 100k. You should try posting your project on elance to see what kind of quotes you get. With a book like yours, I'd probably expect around $500-800. You might be able to find an editor who's just getting started and willing to do it for less, if you're on a budget. My manuscripts are usually 50k, and I'm usually in the ballpark of $200-400.
Jason wrote: "What amazes me most about self-published work, and correct me if I'm wrong because I have yet to use Createspace or Smashwords, but if someone tells you there's an error, can't the author go in and fix it even after publication?"I just fixed some errors in my root file, converted it to the PDF and just uploaded back to CreateSpace. It usually takes a day for the file review to finish, but that's an acceptable time to me.
It does take a day or sometimes a few for the file to go through review (ebook or createspace) but it's quite simple to make the changes.
Lily wrote: "Jason wrote: "I have paid a lot more than $1000 for one editor and a lot less for another. A third, whose pricing was somewhere in the middle, did the best/most thorough work.What amazes me most ..."
Good to know. I plan on self-publishing something one of these days...
Lily wrote: "Jason wrote: "I have paid a lot more than $1000 for one editor and a lot less for another. A third, whose pricing was somewhere in the middle, did the best/most thorough work.What amazes me most ..."
It might be worth fixing, but only if you have noticed a lot of typos, and do everything in one go. One or two are annoying, but not worth a "second edition".
Also, from what I've seen, the "second edition" bit tends to be frowned upon, in that a lot of people may understand instead that "the first edition wasn't great at all, but I couldn't wait to upload it at the time." (Not necessarily true, just what a fix might make readers think.)
I have the same problem as Courtney regarding paying an editor. I'm not there yet, so I still have time to save money, but I'm worried nonetheless. I'd happily fork out $2000 dollars (or rather £, it'd be better for me to aim for a British editor), if I had them. As it is, I do care, but I also have to keep a roof above my head.
Good thing I had an excellent grammar teacher, huh. ;)
Oh, and I'll second Lena's advice on that book (Self-editing for fiction writers). I read it back in 2005 or 2006, and will do so again soon. It taught me a lot of things, and has prevented me from making stupid mistakes in the first place. (I still make mistakes, of course, only they're not as blatant anymore.)
Here's what I want to know: How do you tell the merits of an editor? Over and above not using the ones with spelling mistakes in their adverts, of cause.
Publishing advice I've heard from traditionally published authors:If you want to catch errors, read your entire book backwards. That way your eyes are forced to look at every single word. Also, read your book aloud--forwards-because then you catch a ton of mistakes. Maybe read aloud backwards, too, if you're really ambitious.
One thing I've noticed is indie authors who are unaware of the difference between an editor, a copyeditor and a ghostwriter.Copyeditors fix typos.
Editor fix flaws in the overall story structure.
Ghostwriters do everything based on an author's ideas.
Ideally, an author, whether indie or otherwise, shoud fix their own typos. At the very least, it saves money. In traditional publishing, it saves a lot of time and grief.
Paying up to 1000$ for a copyeditor is a ripoff and borderline scam. Basically, it's taking advantage of authors. I personally don't see the need to pay more than 500$ for an editor for a 100k book.
I've seen many, especially online, who offer "editing services" when they are in fact a ghostwriter, and ghostwriters can charge whatever they want.
Let me just note that editors don't actually fix errors. They tell you where you have errors. You have to fix them yourself, if you agree with their expert opinion. You are free to disregard it if you wish ( but you still have to pay them :)
You don't have to pay anyone unless you signed a contract. But, it's true. Editors don't fix typing errors, grammar mistakes or typos. That's a copyreditor. Editors work with the whole story structure.
I would add to the editor clarification:Developmental/Substantive Editor: They look at big picture stuff and make recommendations on a high-level, such as rearranging chapters, developing characters more, or fixing the plot.
Proofreader: They review the work at a sentence and word level, point out typos, grammatical & usage issues, etc.
Ideally, though, you want a different editor for each of these processes.
Also, find an editor you can trust and develop a working relationship with them. It creates an open dialogue because the editor knows you and your quirks, and you know the editor's style and can self-edit your work much better before sending.
Mod
In that case, it shouldn't be that expensive, especially if your typos are at a minimum. Copyediting is a quick job. A full editor would involve a lot more.
Mod
Thanks Thomas for starting this thread. I just published my first book in February and am in great need of advice! There's been some fantastic tips here so all I would add is to give yourself much more time than you think you need--at each stage of the process, so you get it right without more stress than necessary.
Courtney, if all you're looking for is a copyeditor/proofer, I do that (and I certainly don't charge anything close to $1,000.00). Let me know if you want any additional information and we'll talk.
Mod
Cool. And thanks for considering me, Courtney!
New one based off of another author's blog. Consider turning your book into an audio book because the market is different and you may reach more people.
Please keep posting your tips! I'm sure I'm not the only one reading, and appreciating all the helpful advice on this thread!
It's information that would have been awesome to have had before I hit publish.Honestly, I should have done a lot more research on things before I jumped headlong into publishing, but hindsight, 20/20, so on.
I just hope that some of the information that we all have been providing here will be received by some aspiring authors and utilized to help them. :D
As an editor who is a member of the Editors' Association of Canada (EAC), I really can't help but add a comment to this thread, just to shed a bit of light on the editing process and what it really entails. Different associations and editors have different names for what they do, but the EAC breaks it down into four categories: Proofreading, Copyediting, Stylistic Editing, and Structural Editing. Note, though, that all of these things are still considered "Editing." They are simply different types of editing.
In real life though (and this comes up again and again in all of the EAC standards), stylistic and structural editors still do a lot of copyediting as they go, copyeditors will try and catch as many proofreading errors as they can find, and proofreaders will often have to query any structural and stylistic problems that they notice. There is a lot of overlap to everything. It's the nature of the beast.
Any kind of editing is a painstaking process and is generally not quick, even if the writing is good. Copyediting is not just about catching typos; it involves eliminating redundancies, fixing logic problems, making all spellings consistent (which can take forever), making sure that no information seems missing, and that the sentences flow well. Among other things!
Proofreading can sometimes take even longer, as you have to look at pretty much every single syllable of every single word. It's long and it's finicky and it's time-consuming, no two ways about it.
I can generally copyedit at about 1000 words an hour depending on the quality of the writing, so a 50,000-word book would take about 50 hours, or a couple of weeks working half time. An editor who charges around $200 or $400 for that work would be making between $4 and $8 an hour. So minimum wage or less for a professional with degrees and certifications? Whoa. But for sure, it depends on who you're hiring... Of course, you can always speed up the process to make more money, but then you have to cut corners and something will inevitably suffer.
In my corporate translation/editing business, I charge between $70-$100 an hour for any type of editing, but of course I would never ever dream of charging an indie author that amount. That's just insane. The self-publishing market simply can't bear it.
So, Courtney is really not out of her mind with the assessment of $1000 for a book of that length, as in certain markets this service would cost a lot more. The issue is not really whether that amount is a ripoff, but whether the editing will make a difference in your book sales. If not, why pay that much? You can definitely find editors in a price range for your market.
But as your sales go up and you are making more money and reaching different markets, there will be an expectation for your book to have professional-quality production values, that's for sure.
So I've begun thinking about things that self published indie authors should know, and I think we should pull together and compile some crucial information that might help aspiring authors.
I'll start with a couple key examples that I learned this weekend.
1) If you decide to self publish and use a POD (Print on Demand) company like CreateSpace, their Extended Distribution option will get you listed for stores, but the book will be listed as non-returnable and Barnes & Noble will not stock your book on their shelves.
2) Barnes & Noble does not offer consignment programs and will not stock your book that way either.
Feel free to add key pieces of information that you have learned that you think other aspiring authors should know.