This week, the RWA/NYC Blog is all about self-publishing.
Here is the second of three articles on the subject.
Let us know what you think.
SELF-PUBLISHING
IS NOT FOR THE LAZY
By Maria C. Ferrer
Writers Write.
Publishers do
everything else, or at least they used to.
Today’s populace is
seduced by the millions authors such as Sylvia Day have made on their
self-published novels. But we must remember that those books were not mega
sellers until they were bought by traditional publishing houses and distributed
worldwide instead of just word of mouth.
Savvy authors doing their research know that the mad rush by editors to buy up self-published books is now grinding down to a halt. Unless a self-published author comes with at least 5000 followers, editors are wary. Don’t get me wrong, editors are buying self-published but they are looking hard at the author’s social numbers.
The big question
for any author considering self-publishing is do you have the time, the cash,
and the support system in place to get the job done well?
A self-published
author has to be her own editor, designer, typesetter, proofreader, and
printer. I am not going to mention marketer because all authors, whether
published by traditional publishers or self published, have to do their own
marketing.
So how many hats
can you wear well?! Well being the operative word.
Of course, you can
pay for others to do the editing, cover design, typesetting, et al. And, yes,
there are small outfits that will help you self-published your book, even some
agents are getting into the action, but the fees are hefty. Do you have enough
money to pay someone else and will your investment be worth it?
Self published
authors have to be prepared to do it all. You can’t be lazy.
If you publish with
a traditional house, you have their expertise and all their connections
immediately at your fingers tips. Self published authors may have to wait
months, if not years, before making those kinds of contacts. But there are a
few indie published author networks that are good sources of support and
information.
However, none of
that is going to help you if you are not writing. And, if you are not writing,
there is nothing to sell to either a traditional publisher or to self publish.
My advice is for
authors to be flexible. Research the market. Know your strengths. Manage your
time. And, write, write, write.
Most
experts will tell you that the best authors today are the hybrid authors – ones
that are selling to traditional houses and doing their own self publishing on
the side. It’s all part of being a smart business person, and writing is a business.
At the end of the day, you are the boss, whatever hat you want, but remember
that your most important hat is that of writer.♥
Maria C. Ferrer has not self published anything, but she is
considering it for a distant future. Right now she is concentrating on writing
stories. Maria writes contemporary romance under her own name and you can visit
her at www.marializaferrer.blogspot.com. She also writes erotica under the name
of Del Carmen, who just sold a story – “Guilty Indulgence Book Club”—to Ravenous
Romance for their MY KINKY VALENTINE anthology. Read an excerpt at www.mydelcarmen.com.
Excellent post, Maria. All so true!
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