Advice About Going Indie

Did you know I'm still alive? Ha! I know, I know. I haven't posted on this blog in ages. With Devotion's release and managing my other blog (www.KristieCook.com), I just haven't had the time. But this is my blog about writing and sometimes I have something to say about writing or to writers specifically, so I don't want to close it down. Today is one of those days.

I'm often asked what advice I'd give to writers who are considering self-publishing. There's a TON of advice I could give. But here's the most important things I can tell you before you dive in:

First, do your homework and be sure you understand all that it takes—formatting and uploading is the easy part. It’s all the marketing and promotions to get your book noticed that authors don’t expect or want to do. It takes a lot of work, but it’s so worth it.

Then, commit to this as your career path. I don’t mean you can’t keep trying to go the traditional route, but throwing up one book that didn’t get an agent just to get it out there is not going to make you happy. The more committed you are, the more success you’re going to see. This means commitment to marketing and promotions and also commitment to your readers by bringing them more of your work – more books for them to enjoy.

Hire an editor and, almost as importantly, hire a professional cover designer. Many people will suggest saving yourself the money and creating your own cover in PowerPoint. Trust me – covers make a HUGE difference. I have graphic design experience and used fancy software and everything to create my original covers. They weren’t bad and even won some Best Cover competitions. But after I hired someone much more experienced and talented than me to redesign them, I now have covers that rival any of those produced by the Big 6 publishers. They’re gorgeous! And they’ve made a HUGE difference in attracting the right audience and boosting sales.

You’ve made the investment of your blood, sweat, tears and hours upon hours of time to write your book. It deserves the monetary investment to hire an editor and cover designer to really make it shine. Especially when there are virtually no other costs to self-publish.

So that's my initial advice. I actually have some other topics I want to write about soon, too, so maybe we'll see a little revival here. Hopefully, I'll have time.

Are you indie? What advice would you give to writers considering this path? Are you a writer considering self-publishing? What questions do you have? 

Hey, there! (Yeah, I'm still here...)

Holy schmoly, has it really been two months since I've posted here?! What a slacker I am! LOL Yeah, right. I assume most of you follow me on my main author's blog (www.KristieCook.com) so you know what I've been up to - blog tours, Genesis release, holidays, pulling Devotion together for its upcoming release... Yeah, not much slacking going on here.

I really haven't had much to say in regards to writing, but I thought it was time to at least drop in and say "Hi!" and let you know that I'm still here.

I'm in the midst of editing Devotion, so not many new words being written, and I get tired of complaining talking about revising and editing. So I just kind of kept quiet here. I'm slowly making my way through a book on dialogue that I'm determined to finish, though I'm not sure why. I guess I'm hoping there's still something I might learn from it. I'll let you know soon what the book is and my thoughts.

The big talk in the self-publishing circles seems to be about production, production, production. Everyone who's making decent sales is pushing out book after book after book. I can't say that I completely agree. Yes, the more books you have, the more you'll sell overall. Each book plays a role in sales of the others. You can't just put one book out there and expect to become a bestseller. However, my experience proves that you don't have to put out a book every two months, either.

I have three books out, one of which just came out a month ago and had little to do with my sales numbers. And my sales numbers are fantastic. If you didn't see, Promise made it into the Top 100 of all Kindle paid. It's a national bestseller. That was before I even had three books, when my most recent release had been nine months prior. So, no, you don't have to push out a book every 2-3 months to find success in this industry.

Now, if you want to produce that many books that quickly and it doesn't cause you to lose all of your hair, scream at your loved ones until your voice runs out or result in your home being a disaster area that makes the houses on Hoarders look clean...well, then, that's your choice. I'm just saying you don't have to. Just make sure that you're producing the absolute best books you can that have been edited and polished to a shine. The goal should be to be proud of your work, not just throw something out there because you think you're in some big numbers game.

Ruth Ann Nordin wrote about how to write 4+ books a year and she has some great ideas. I know I can't do it like her - I need more than one draft. Like 4 or 5 or 6...or 10 is more like it for me. And that's before the final proofread! But as she says, just as we all plot and plan (or not) differently, we all write on different schedules, too. So it is possible. Not for me, but possible.

What I liked most about the post: her emphasis on the subjectivity of quality. Because she's absolutely right when she says quality is in the eye of your readers. If enough people think you're producing high quality work to keep buying and telling their friends about it, then you're producing quality.

Just keep in mind the "enough people" part. Because you may get a few thousand or even ten or twenty thousand people who think your quality is good, but that's not enough. Not enough to make you a bestseller. Not enough to make you a full-time writer earning a decent living. Even if you do produce 6-8 books a year. Because people's attention wanes. We're easily distracted. What we thought was good for the first 3 or 4 or 5 books might not impress us anymore in book 6 or 7. We might have moved on to something new - another series, another author. And there aren't enough new readers who accept that same quality to make up for the ones who've moved on.

Again, produce something you're proud of. Nothing less than your best. When you're proud of your work, everything else just goes better, from promotions to your response to reviews to, yes, sales. And trust me, readers notice when your quality doesn't reach your potential.

That's my two cents. What's yours? What are your thoughts on producing 6-8 books a year? And I mean actually writing and producing, not pulling out past pieces that are already finished and just need edited. Is that something you can do? Is it something you'd want to strive for?

A Couple Thoughts on Writing and Publishing

I know it's been a while since I've posted here. You might have seen on my main blog that July was a heck of a month. I'm starting to catch up...but I don't think I can ever be fully caught up. I'm sure you know how that is...

I just have a couple thoughts to share today. First, Karen at Coming Down the Mountain posted what I've decided to call The Writer's Ten Commandments. They may not be your ten top commandments, but they certainly are things I need to keep in mind. I've printed and posted a copy to keep in front of me as a reminder.

Secondly, Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick's Tips wrote about John Locke's How I Sold 1 Million Ebooks in 5 Months. She made two great points, one that I wrote about, too, and one that I forgot to include in my own review of the book. And it's a very important point:

The business world is comprised of people who take a huge risk and invest in themselves - in their products  they've invented, in the services they can provide like no other, in their new businesses. This includes everyone from Sam Walton to the indie bookstore owner and everyone - and every business - in between. These people are commended for their passion and belief in themselves, regardless of how big or small their venture grows. As they well should be.

But, as Locke points out, it doesn't work this way in the publishing industry. In fact, it's just the opposite. At least until very recently, writers who believed in themselves and in their work, who were passionate about their books and their abilities were looked down on for taking a risk and investing in themselves. To paraphrase Locke, if the creator doesn't hold enough passion for their own work and doesn't believe in it enough to invest in themselves, why should anyone else?

I like how Diane said it, so go check out her post. But first, here's something else that recently occurred to me. Something for writers to think about:

For commercial/traditional/legendary/whatever-you-want-to-call-them publishers, there is always another author. In fact, there are thousands up on thousands of authors to move onto. Yes, they want to see a return on their investment in an author they take on. But if they don't see that desired return, there are others who can take that author's place in their catalog.

It ain't so when you're indie. *wink*

When You Don't Care - More Indie Thoughts

When I wrote about when not to go indie the other day, I mentioned a key phrase that I really didn't get a chance to explore. And I think it's really important to elaborate on it.

"I don't care if I'm successful."

I talked about why I think it's a bad idea to self-publish a book just because it's there and you have nothing else to do with it. You really want to be traditionally published but you have this one title that you've given up on. That's a case of "I don't care if this book is successful but I do care that my writing career is successful. In fact, I want to be really successful with it." That's when going indie can be tricky, if not done right.

But there are lots of us who just want to write, want to make our stories easily available to friends and family and if someone else picks it up, great. This is a whole different situation. This is, "I really don't care if I get a big publisher or make a bestseller's list. Writing is my hobby, something I love doing and I don't ever want it to become work."

And in that case, YES! Do it! Why not??? If you go in knowing that you'll get out of it whatever you put in and without expectations of making it "big," then self-publishing is a perfect solution for you. Just one little caveat...

Be sure that you really don't care, that you're really doing this for fun. Because if you change your mind later and decide that you really do want to have a successful writing career, you might have some major clean-up to do after yourself. After all, you'll have a book or several out there that never sold well. You'll have to decide what to do with them, which might mean pulling them to never see the light of day again.

Because here's the deal - publishers might want to publish something you've already done indie, especially if it's sold well. They'll likely have you do edits to improve it and then do a re-release. Most likely, however, they won't. They want exclusive first rights and since you've already published it, it's no longer first rights or exclusive. So the benefit your indie title(s) will give you is showing that you know how to market and can build a fan base, which will help with your next books. If you haven't done that, however, your indie titles can play against you. If you have poor sales and/or reviews, they're a black mark.

So, if you change your mind and have a book you really want to try to get published, you may want to pull your indies. OR...if they're good, you can market the heck out of them and focus on building that fan base before you start querying the new title. Then you have some good stuff to put in that letter. Which brings me to another little caveat...

Even if you're only doing this for fun, still put out the absolute, very best that you can possibly offer. If you don't want to invest in an editor, at least have several betas/critique partners help you. Then have someone else do a line-by-line edit and proofread. Don't put out crap. It's bad for all of us. And, if you do change your mind later, you have many more options available as far as what to do with your self-pubbed titles. You'll be in a better position to pump up your marketing and sell them. So it's in your best interest to put out only your very best, polished work.

(Of course, that last bit applies to all of us...)

Any other cases of "I don't care..."? Any questions? I'd be happy to discuss.

When NOT to Go Indie - Thoughts Part II

As I said before, self-publishing will soon become the norm and agents and publishers will find their next authors from the Amazon and Nook bestsellers lists. It'll take a few years, but unless some industry game-changer comes along (which could very well happen!), it will get there. It's already starting. The number of indies getting approached by agents and publishers is growing. And I can't count how many writers I've seen announce the decision to go indie just in the last month or two.

For now, though, it's not for everyone. It is a lot of work. We are still finding our way, learning the ropes, creating and re-creating the best paths to take to success. To go this route, you must have a sense of adventure because the map is still being developed. For each one of us who achieves success, a different road has been taken. Some are close and parallel but no highway yet exists.

But (some may say) maybe I don't care if I'm successful. I just want to get my book out there and see what happens. It's written, it's good and since the publishers (or agents) didn't want it, I don't want it just sitting in the drawer or on my hard drive. I may as well give it a chance.

I can totally understand this perspective. And I'm all behind you if this is you. But the key phrase in this situation is, "I don't care if I'm successful." See, this is where my big "However" comes in.

At one point, not only did I agree with that philosophy, I was completely behind it. Self-pubbing is so easy and relatively cheap. What do you have to lose by putting something out there instead of letting it sit on your hard drive? By watching others with this mentality go for it, though, I've changed my opinion on this. You have a lot to lose.

There are many writers who have queried the hell out of their books, never to get an agent. Or perhaps they did get an agent but the book didn't sell to a publisher. They've given up on that particular book, but not on the thought of traditional publishing. Rather than leave that book to collect dust, they decide to throw it out there as self-published, while they continue to pursue traditional publishing for their next piece.

But here's what happens...

I've seen more than one author fall into a pit of depression, thinking they've failed and only went this way as a last resort. If they feel so negative about their decision and about their book, how on earth are they going to promote with passion? You need passion to market! You have to believe in your book and in yourself to get others to do the same.

I've seen other authors throw their book out there and then basically forget about it as they continue querying and submitting their next book for traditional publishing. There's nothing wrong with still pursuing that dream, however, when do these authors have the time to promote their self-pubbed baby? They don't! But it's not just time.

More importantly, it's focus. It's the mentality of, "Okay, it's out there. Now I really need to focus on getting an agent for this next one." Our minds (and time) are already split in so many ways - writing, revising, blogging and social networking, learning, improving and, oh yeah, those people called family, those dirty things called dishes and clothes, etc. It's inefficient and ineffective to split it even more to try to market your self-pubbed title AND query.

Then there's the whole bit that the more titles you self-publish, the faster and bigger your success. That is a proven point on the map. So if you only have one out and you're not even considering putting the next one out because you're querying it, you're losing your big chance. A single title by an unknown author just doesn't get noticed.

It all comes down to the fact that you can't be successful with self-publishing if you're not 100% into it. And if you're not successful, not only are you losing opportunity for sales, but you're also really messing with your career. Because the whole idea is to attract readers and build a following so you can become a full-time author. You gain attention to your books and your writing...and, very possibly, land a deal with a Big 6 publisher. Or, at least, get offered a deal. Then the decision is in your court whether you still want that deal or not. If you flop at self-publishing, you just might gain that black mark against you and the chances for that deal are virtually eliminated.

So that's my big "however": If you're going to choose this path, choose this path. Make it a real decision, not a throw-it-out-there-and-see-what-happens, half-ass gesture. Approach it as a business or career - this is how you'll publish your books, all of them, at least until a traditional publisher picks you up (after picking you out).

Either go all in or don't take the risk. Not now, anyway.

Thoughts About Going Indie - Part I

More authors have asked me about going indie in the last two months than in all previous months combined. Does it have to do with Amanda Hocking's success? Or perhaps John Locke's?

Actually, I think it's because writers are finally realizing that they have a choice. And regardless of what you're doing, it's always smart to at least check out all your options. Educate yourself on everything available and make an informed decision that best works for you. So I'll share what I can, starting with my "predictions" and one of the reasons I chose this path to publication.

My personal opinion and forecast (which I had over a year ago when I first decided to go this way) is that in today’s industry and economy, there is too much luck involved in going the traditional route. Not just for authors, but for publishers, too. After all, it's really hard to predict what readers will love in 18 months or more down the road, especially when most of the Big 6 publishers don't even do focused studies of their markets.

The Big 6 publishers will soon be looking for their next deals by looking at the self-pubbed best-sellers. In other words, Amanda Hocking has set a precedence that I think will eventually become the norm, rather than the exception. Last year, I was saying within the next 5-7 years. Now I’m saying in the next 3-5 years. It makes too much sense for publishers to let the author build their own fan base before making an investment in them.

Agents won’t go away, though. In fact, really, they’ll be the ones out looking for the best-selling self-pubbed authors who they like and want to take to the publishers. Rather than writers having to do all the work of identifying potential agents, querying, jumping through hoops, etc., it will be the other way around. Agents will seek out authors they want to represent, which is a win-win for everyone. Authors will need them – an author who goes into a deal, especially a huge auction like Amanda did, without an agent or attorney needs a sanity check. We still need someone who knows what they’re doing to protect us.

My own opinion is that writers shouldn’t wait for this to be required of them. They can be proactive about it, which is why I did it. I started building my fan base in 2010 and now it’s grown exponentially. If I’d kept on querying, relying on luck more than anything, for the next few years, only to learn then that publishers prefer to find their next deals through Amazon and Nook best-seller lists, I’d lost all that time. All those fans. All of that opportunity. I’d be starting at zero in 2012 or 2013, instead of already having sold tens of thousands books.

That’s one way to look at going the self-pubbed route. Rather than it being a mark on your career or reputation, as it once was, it’s a jumpstart on where the industry will likely go anyway.

Next time, I'll talk about the "However" to this last statement.


Have a question about going indie? Please, do ask!

Team Writer FOR THE WIN!

The debate between indie and traditional (trad) publishing has heated recently and it's created a lot of animosity that I just don't understand. I feel like a divide has been growing - Team Indie vs. Team Trad. And before I delve into this, I feel the need to say that just because I'm happy to be Indie and I do things like Indie Authors Relief Fund, doesn't mean that I'm all "GO TEAM INDIE!" That I think every writer should be indie and you're stupid for not doing it my way.

I do support my fellow indies. I think it's a brave, progressive and sometimes lonely route to publication. So I cheer on those of us who do it.

But I don't think it's the only way. Just as I obviously don't think trad is the only way. The world has given us many opportunities and paths to take to get our books into readers' hands. And that's the goal for all of us, right?

With success stories of indie authors such as Amanda Hocking, unpublished writers recently seem to feel the need to justify why they don't want to go indie. Very opposite what it was like when I decided over a year ago - when writers who did go indie were the ones feeling the need to justify. People on both paths can become quite defensive in justifying their reasons.

Both roads are full of pot holes and detours that are frustrating, but the writer has good reasons for fighting their way through. Unfortunately, sometimes their points are made by emphasizing how much worse that other road is. Which only sparks angry retorts by some who chose that other road because they feel the need to defend themselves. Both sides feel like they're being personally attacked. Thus, we have this great divide.

Then there are those who decide to publish a book independently because, for whatever reason the universe had at the time, it didn't sell traditionally, and the author feels like they gave up...or gave in. That by going indie, even if just with one book, means they're admitting failure. Or, at least, defeat. I've had these same feelings on occasion. But why should we feel down?

A trad book sale requires so many things to come together perfectly that the odds just aren't in the writer's favor. But that doesn't mean it's a bad book, bad writing or a bad author. And it doesn't mean that readers don't want to read it. So what is wrong with getting that book out there for readers to enjoy? It's better than a good story sitting in the dark corners of a hard drive.

We're at an exciting point in time where writers are empowered to choose. And choosing one way doesn't mean we can't ever go the other way. Several long-time authors who have been trad published for years, even decades, are going indie. And more and more indie authors are getting trad contracts. The breaking news this week is that Amanda Hocking has a reported $2 million deal with St. Martin's Press. Nice job, Amanda!

She discusses here a little about why she would even consider going trad when she's doing so well as an indie. She has excellent reasons. Her story - as well as some of her points in that blog post - support what I said back in July in a guest post here. That writers now have the opportunity to reach readers directly and build a fan-base...and that trad publishers will eventually take notice.

In fact, Amanda may be the case-in-point (or at least the poster girl that she didn't set out to be but nevertheless is) that this route just may be the best for everyone in the industry: writers indie-publish and start a following and then publishers can grow that fan-base exponentially. Readers get to be the gatekeepers - the ones who decide which books and authors they want to read. Which is really a great thing for everyone.

But what I like most about Amanda's post is her point that we shouldn't be taking sides. That we should all be TEAM WRITER. Because we're all reaching for the same goal - to see our books being read. The journey to achieve that goal is different for everyone and we shouldn't be criticizing others for the routes they take. We should be supporting them, cheering them on, helping each other along the way. Because each new path forged is one more way for others to follow. Another choice. Another way to empower the writer.

It's time to stop criticizing each other and ourselves for whichever path we take. It's time to embrace the amazing possibilities before us. It's time to stop throwing rocks and insults at the person on that parallel road to publication and start throwing chocolate and woo-hoo's at them. We're all on the same team!

TEAM WRITER FOR THE WIN!!!

Smart Ways to Use Twitter & Facebook

I read a lot of articles about using social media as a writer - to network with other writers and industry professionals, to grow your "tribe," to promote your books, even to research for your stories. Tips for blogging, tweeting and Facebook posting.

Not too often do I come across new, helpful information that those of us who already actively blog, tweet and Facebook (like most of us here) don't already know. It's usually, "Follow others and comment," "Share tips and links in your tweets" and "Establish a Facebook fan page." Yeah. Duh. Know it. Do it. Love what it's done, but I want more!

The past few days, I've hit some really good stuff. Good as in Ghiradelli-brownies good...or Starbucks-caramel-java-chip-frappaccino-with-whip-cream good...good as in Dimitri-Jace-Tristan-Peeta-Gale-Brothers-of-the-Dagger-all-rolled-into-one good. Okay, maybe not that good. That's like fangirl heaven!

Anyway, here are some great articles and blog posts for those of us already in the know looking for more:

• http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/9-ways-to-enhance-your-facebook-fan-page/
• http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/book_marketing_maven/2010/08/top-10-ways-authors-can-use-twitter.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BookMarketingMaven+%28The+Savvy+Book+Marketer%29
• http://askaaronlee.com/6-clever-ways-to-use-twitter-to-get-your-blog-noticed/
• http://twittown.com/social-networks/twitter/twitter-blog/five-simple-ways-keep-your-twitter-followers-happy

Also, a few other good articles for writers, especially those who e/self-pub or are thinking about it:

• About e-pubbing: http://wickedthornandroses.blogspot.com/2011/01/e-publishing-cream-will-rise-by-kris.html
• Using Amazon to its fullest: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/author-interviews/ten-ways-to-sell-books-on-amazon/
• Your media kit: http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-on-earth-do-i-put-in-my-media-kit.html

Please let me know of any other articles you've found particularly helpful!

Epublishing and Smashwords

More and more authors are going the way of epublishing. Why? Many reasons, not least of them being that traditional publishers are pushing us that way. Take a look at this: http://blog.smashwords.com/2010/10/seven-secrets-to-ebook-publishing.html

and this:

Introduction to Smashwords - Ebook Publishing and Distribution Made Easy

View more presentations from Smashwords, Inc..

Right now, it's not for everyone. In a few years...it might be the ONLY way to get started, get noticed and get published by a big 5.

What are your thoughts?

The Ongoing Question: Why Do We Do It?

This business of writing and publishing can sometimes - often - be frustrating. From plotting the story to getting it into readers' hands, the path is lined with every possible obstacle you can think of...and many you never did imagine. Sometimes it seems like everyone and everything is working against you.

The voices in your head - your characters - go off and do something that screws up all your plans. A great plot twist dwindles into a sorry excuse for tension because it just won't work. And once you've got the story as awesome as it can be, the industry itself seems to erect a thousand locked doors and each time you finally find the key to one, there stand another thousand behind it.

Why do we do it? Are we into self-abuse? Do we not feel alive unless we're constantly being pummeled from all sides? Do we enjoy frustration and misery so much that we feel the need to seek them out?

I highly doubt it. After all, we're all intelligent, hopeful, hard-working, dedicated and (mostly) functional beings. We do it because we can't help it. We have to! There's some inner fire that just can't be extinguished, regardless of how many people - including ourselves - pour buckets of water over it, trying to douse the flames. In fact, this only fuels the fire for many of us.

With all the great events going on in my life right now, there are still many obstacles in my path. I can't say that it gets easier or harder once you have a book or two under your belt. You just have to deal with new frustrations...while many of the old ones never do go away. It's definitely exciting, but they are still challenges that need to be dealt with. And sometimes it all gets overwhelming.

And I still wonder, Why am I doing this? Taking the route of self-publishing takes you out of the rat-race of competing for agents and publishers and plunges you right into the big marathon of winning over readers. In some ways, it's a lot easier than dealing with all those industry peeps. But in other ways, it's a lot harder. So you can't help but ask yourself, Is it worth it?

Then my bloggy friend Heather posts this, which eventually led me to this. Brenda has researched and compiled some telling numbers about advances and royalties from many publishers. And I realized that I'm not doing so badly after all. In fact, my earn-out so far is more than many of those on there...with less than three months on the market. If authors with publisher backing do that and keep on truckin', then I definitely need to. So check it out. It's eye-opening, that's for sure.

And it makes us go back to that question: Why do we do it? Again...because we have to. We can't not do it. The money, the rewards, the enthusiasm from readers...those are just icing on the cake.

Agree? Disagree? What do you think about those numbers?

What Goes Into a Book (More Than Just Words!)

Sorry for my lame-o posting last week. I was completely ecstatic about being able to share the cover for PROMISE and receiving all the great feedback. What I didn’t share was that I received a proof copy of the book last week, too.

I. Went. Crazy.

If there were hidden cameras in my house, the video would be a huge hit on YouTube. I haven’t acted like that since…um, I don’t even know. I’d say when my kids were born, because it was nearly the same feeling, but I didn’t jump and dance around the room with them clutched to my chest, screaming like a madwoman. Yep, that’s what I did with my proof. And I cried. And laughed. And squee’d. Lots.

Then I started reading it, checking the proof as I’m supposed to, and found typos. Do you know how many times this baby has been combed through?!? Of course you don’t, but those close to me (and helped with that combing) do and none of us can believe we missed these things. So, next time I see a typo or two in a book, I’ll be less likely to criticize the author or editor or publisher. In our case, it’s not because we weren’t trying.

There’s a lot that goes into putting a book together and being that we’re all human, there are bound to be mistakes. If there’s 1 missing word among 95,000 of them or 2 juxtaposed characters when there are over half-a-million characters in the entire book, that’s pretty good quality control.

Writing, editing and proofreading are just part of the process – though I will be the first to tell you (when most publishers won’t admit it) that writing is the hugest part. What else goes into making a book? Here are a few things:

• Selecting the size, type of paper and format(s) that will best serve the book, while being cost effective.
• Determining the suggested list price for each format.
• Obtaining ISBNs – one for each format, including hardcover, paperback, ebook, etc.
• Designing the cover, ensuring the ISBN barcode is included, along with all other specs of the printer.
• Creating the front matter – cover page, copyright page, acknowledgements, etc.
• Creating the back matter – any excerpts from other books by the author, marketing for other books, etc.
• Inserting front and back matter into the text file.
• Formatting the interior for the printer, including page numbers, chapter headings, page headers/footers, alignment, any photos, etc.
• Obtaining and reviewing a proof.
• Ordering Advance Review Copies (ARCs).
• Printing the final products.

This has nothing to do with marketing or sales. This is just putting the book together and it’s by no means comprehensive. When you self-publish, you may make all of these decisions. And guess who keeps all the revenues? Not you. Here’s who else gets a piece of your pie:

• The printer – most printers create a web page where people can buy the book from them, as well, and take a percentage after they take their cut for printing the book.
• Distributors and wholesalers – advertise your book to the buyers at retailers, libraries, etc.
• Retailers – whether online or brick-and-mortar, they take a big percentage.

Who gets a piece of your pie when you publish mainstream? Everybody above, plus:

• Publisher – they need to pay your editor, proofreader, cover designer, publicist, etc., and they’re in the business to make a profit, as well.
• Agent

Why do we writers get so little when we did the majority of the work? Good question!!! If you’re in it for the money, you must be in it for the long haul and hope your books eventually make the best sellers’ lists and stay on there a long time. But most of us aren’t in it for the money. We write because we just can’t not write. If the money follows…B O N U S!!

Does any of this surprise you, readers and writers? What are your thoughts?

Procrastination...or Funk?

I’m procrastinating. In fact, the only reason I’m actually writing this right now is because my Internet connection has gas (I’m writing this in Word, which, unfortunately for me at the moment, doesn’t require me to be connected).  So I can’t be distracted by all the other blogs I’m behind on reading, Twitter or Facebook…or tons of other ways to get lost in the Netterworld. Which I’ve been doing all evening up until now.

Instead of pretending to be doing something productive, I’m left sitting here wondering why I’m not really being productive. There are a zillion-and-one things to do and most of them I’m excited about because they have to do with the release of my book. But I just can’t get enthused right now. I think I’m in a funk. But I’m not sure because if I am, it’s a little, teeny-tiny funk. Just a microscopic feeling that something’s not right. So what is it?

Well, I finished writing an end to the new first book, which for now is titled PATIENCE. It’s in the hands of a couple critters (critiques) and I’m not touching it until I get their feedback. Which means I’m not writing, nor have a plan to write, for the first time in over a year. Is this the reason for my little funk? I don’t know. If so, it could be easily resolved, because I need to write some new scenes for PURPOSE to flesh it out as its own book. But I’m not feeling it. And that’s saying something because I LOOOOVE PURPOSE. I can’t wait to work on it again.

The problem is PATIENCE just doesn’t feel right without PURPOSE and vice-versa. Perhaps this is the cause of my funk. For those of you who don’t know, PURPOSE was my first and only completed novel. It was long and actually had two stories within it, though, so I broke it into two books. PATIENCE is the first part of the old PURPOSE. The new PURPOSE is the story I originally started with, but it needed PATIENCE to lead up to it. Are you confused yet? I think I am. Probably because I’m struggling with it being split.

I think this is something I just have to get over, because I have very good reasons for making it two books. They’ll each have more focus, which is evidenced because it’s easier for me to describe what they’re about than it was to describe what PURPOSE was about. My hope is that PATIENCE draws the readers in and PURPOSE captures their hearts, because the third book is already half-written and there are more to come.

There are also logistics. Publishing a 500-600 page book is expensive and a little scary, even when doing it on my own. As an Indie, I can make the book however long I want, but how many people would buy a 600-page trade paperback (6x9, the larger ones) for $16-$18? Especially if they’ve never heard of the author? Perhaps some family and a few friends…but would they get their friends to buy it? Would you buy a paperback for that much if your friend recommended it? What if you just saw it on the bookshelf or Amazon while browsing? Yeah, it’s kind of hard to swallow. But that’s what it’d have to be just for me to do a little better than break even.

Of course, if you like PATIENCE, you’ll end up spending more total, but at least you could check it out for several bucks less…just in case you don’t like it. Which I know you will. But just because I know that and even some of you know that, doesn’t mean Jane Smith in Wisconsin does. Know what I mean? So yes, splitting the book also has to do with marketing.

But, in my heart, it’s one story. It’s meant to be read as one story. And when you get to the end of PATIENCE, you’ll want to keep reading the rest of that one story. It has a cliffhanger ending and there are too many loose ends. So, I’ll just have to spread the word that they’re meant to be read together. Of course, in my heart, I know they’re both part of one bigger story with even more parts that have yet been told. And eventually, they’ll all be meant to be read together.

Maybe I just need to change my perspective and get over this. And get excited to release PATIENCE…and to finish and release PURPOSE. So why am I still more excited for that second part – the release of PURPOSE – than I am for the first part? Is something/someone trying to tell me something? Grrrrr!!! I feel no better than when I started writing this. I think I need to procrastinate more. My Internet connection must have taken some Pepto because it’s working now…maybe tomorrow I’ll figure out the reason for the funk. Yes, even procrastinating on that. See ya in the Netterworld.

Earth-Shattering Decisions

Well, earth-shattering in my world anyway. I’ve made two decisions this past week that completely change my writing life. And I feel really good about both of them. I’ve been contemplating both for some time and I came to their realizations within a few hours of each other. Coincidence? I think not. I believe that they work together to finally launch my stories into the world. I’m excited and scared at the same time…excited because my stories will go beyond a tight circle of friends and into the world and scared because of the risks and the potential changes to my and others’ lives.

Get on with it already, right? Stop blabbering and tell us! Okay, here goes, my public announcement (and don’t forget…these are BIG to me, but probably not to many others, so be prepared for disappointment LOL)…

My First Major Decision

As I’ve been writing here, on Facebook and Twitter, I’ve been working on rewrites of PURPOSE, primarily the first 75 pages. Many times I thought the novel was done. I even queried agents, only to receive rejections or no responses. My queries were pretty sucky because I had a hard time pitching the story. I couldn’t decide the real main plot line to focus on, what makes the story stand out from all the others. That was my first clue.

I still have a partial out with an agent (sent in November!), but I don’t expect to receive good news. Because I know now it wasn’t the best it could be when I sent that out. The beginning still just wasn’t right. I’ve also known all along that PURPOSE was entirely too long as a debut novel and this became clearer after learning more and more about story structure and publishing. So, back to rewrites and edits.

But every time I tightened everything up, I felt like I lost something in my characters and the story. I often wondered if I should just break the novel into two, but I couldn’t completely grasp that idea. First, I felt like this was the story given to me and I needed to stay true to it. Second, I didn’t know where to break it up. Where could I build in a climax earlier in the book? There were a couple obvious places, but I had good reasons for rejecting those ideas without further thought. Third, I also LOVE the ending to PURPOSE. It’s epic. It’s beautiful. And it leaves the reader wanting for more. If I broke the novel into two, the first one wouldn’t have nearly as great of an ending as PURPOSE.

But I finally realized this week that I’ve actually already written two novels. There are two great story lines in the current PURPOSE, which is why I couldn’t focus on one for querying purposes or for rewrites. So, PURPOSE is now my second book. The first one remains unnamed, although I have a pretty good idea. When I feel positive about it, I’ll announce it. The best thing is, once I made this decision, the responses to my above objections came loud and clear: 1) I can still stay true to the story. It will just be better. 2) The best breaking point is painfully obvious, and I really mean painfully. For the few who’ve already read PURPOSE, you have a good idea of where the first book will end. And yes, my readers may hate me for it, but they’ll be begging for the next book. And 3) Ideas for the climactic scene to the first book came rushing through me and I could barely get them scribbled on paper fast enough to keep up. And it’s going to be just as epic as PURPOSE’s ending. I can’t wait to actually write it!

My Second Major Decision

This one can be chalked up to what I’ve always considered as character flaws: impatience and my need for control. These flaws were exactly why I hadn’t decided this earlier, like nearly a year ago when I first thought about it. I told myself I needed to be more patient and more willing to give up control because it would be best for the books and my writing career. A lot has changed since then, though, including even more impatience and a stronger need for control. So, I’ve decided to go Indie…as in independently publishing my books.

It’s not that I don’t think a traditional publisher will eventually pick me up. I’m just not willing to wait for that to happen. It could be months or years. And even if someone bought the rights tomorrow, the first book likely wouldn’t hit the shelves until 2012! Yes, two years from now! And I’d still be responsible for the majority of the marketing and publicity…for making the sales. Publishers just don’t have the money to put into debut novelists these days. I completely understand their situation, but I’m not going to fall victim to it.

Besides, self-publishing means I control everything, from the cover to the interior formatting to the release date. Well, not me alone. They will be team decisions. Because I’m not doing this on my own.

I am blessed to have a great supportive network that believes in me and my books. We’ve already started discussing the plan for publishing the first book, which we’re targeting for a June 2010 release. Yes…just a few short months from now, not years. That’s why I’m scared! LOL But this will be good, not just for me, but for others, too. I believe in our abilities as a team and I’m really looking forward to this.

I’ll be writing a lot here about this incredible journey. For now, though, I must go write that new ending. Can’t wait for you to read it!