Sure, everybody has to start somewhere. But I should have done more research before I slapped my novel onto the interwebs back in 2020. To aspiring indie authors: Here’s my two cents so you have a little shortcut to knowledge!
What I’ve learned for my debut novel relaunch:
- Cover: The cover is important. When readers are scrolling through literally thousands of titles, your cover is the first (and sometimes only) thing they’ll see. If you don’t spend your hard-earned dough anywhere else, spend it on the cover. You can get great covers from sites like GetCovers for only $30. Note: You can add an author photo and bio if you want, but I wish I hadn’t, so my updated novel cover doesn’t include it. I think it was pretty cheesy to have that on my book as a newbie! I’ll save that for after I write a bestseller.
- Editing: If you can’t afford an editor, do whatever you can to edit your manuscript well. I don’t claim to be foolproof, but I’ve created a five-step editing process that takes me at least a month, minimum. The most useful tool I discovered was Microsoft Word’s Read Aloud function. It takes a good bit of patience to get through, but it’ll catch typos, choppy sentence/dialogue flow, and character motion errors that you’d never catch otherwise. Sometimes when you’re reading, your brain will insert the proper word through context instead of seeing the wrong word that’s actually there. When your script is read aloud, you won’t have that problem. Note: I hired an editor for my debut novel and plan to do so for all my future novels, but I self-edit my novellas and short stories simply due to cost.
- Formatting: Having professionally-formatted pages makes a huge difference, but you can save a pretty penny if you’re willing to learn to do it yourself. If you can, invest in a formatting program like Vellum or Atticus. By recommendation of a successful indie author, I bought Atticus ($147) and have zero complaints (though you might if you want to add high-quality images; it’s not great for that). Otherwise, study the formatting of other novels and format your book in Word or Kindle Create (it’s free!) to the best of your ability.
- ISBNs: If you’re planning to be exclusive on one platform – i.e. Amazon or Draft2Digital – use their free ISBN. There’s no roadblocks there that I’m aware of. But if you want to distribute your book widely and be available to bookstores and libraries, you must own the ISBN. You can buy it through Bowker and save money by getting a bundle of ISBNs that don’t expire; you can then assign each ISBN to a new book title as needed. Note: Most bookstores and libraries prefer the price of the book to be listed on the paperback/hardcover’s barcode, so in that case, you should generate the barcode on Bowker as well. Don’t forget to give the barcode to your cover designer!
- Your Publishing Identity: For the longest time, I assumed I could only have “Independently Published” listed as the imprint. Not true! Your self-publishing press can have a name and a logo. I used a free logo design site, paid to download the logo in print-friendly quality, and added it everywhere from my website to my book cover. It’s affordable, it’s fun, and it looks much more professional. Note: Obviously you can pick whatever title you want, but as an example, I chose “Man Devil Press” since my last name literally translates to Man-devil. I’m proudly proclaiming my indie author status!
- Marketing and Selling: I’ll be frank here. Shelling out the $$$ for ads and begging for reviews hasn’t gotten me anywhere. I’ve found the best way to start acquiring credibility and fans is to start local. Push that imposter syndrome far, far away from you – fake it ’till you make it! – and simply let people know “Hey, I wrote a book!” Once you’re ready with stock on hand, look into selling your books in person. Book a table at vendor markets, talk to local bookstore managers, and make sure your author website/social media is up to date because they’ll be checking it out. As a confirmed introvert, I find the experience of selling in person to be similar to riding a roller coaster. You’re terrified as you’re approaching the drop, but the ride itself is a fantastic experience. You’ll have a good time even if you don’t sell out!
- Have Realistic Expectations: Every sale is a victory! The ease and accessibility of self-publishing has oversaturated the market, and unless you’ve written a knockout spicy romance (which I seem incapable of doing), your book most likely won’t be flying off the shelves. It can take up to a decade to acquire a loyal fanbase and regular sales. Most of us will have the typical “hills and valleys” experience of a month of sales followed by a month of nothing… But a handful of us will publish just the right genre for just the right time and hit that sweet spot. It could be you someday! So don’t give up.
