This
October, we are celebrating the achievements of indie authors.
I
starting publishing my stories in 2014 after waiting for the process to become
easier. My first published books were written three decades earlier. At this
point in 2016, I have published 7 novels, 2 novellas and 3 short stories. See the full list at http://auroraspringer.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. No, I
am not a best-seller and I am still learning. My stories often cross genres and
might be less desirable to a traditional publisher.
What do I
like about being an indie author?
1. The
major benefit is I have control of the whole process of writing, publishing and
marketing. There are several steps from inventing a plot, creating characters
and setting, writing the story, editing the story, making a book cover,
publishing, and experimenting with different social media and marketing tools. I
can choose an editor and cover artist, where to publish, what format (ebook
and/or paperback) and the cost of the book. Clearly, many of these choices
should be guided by the marketplace. For example, I cannot expect to sell a
book priced at $10.99 when my competitors’ books cost $3.99. As an indie
author, I must research into the best choices. These are likely to depend on factors,
such as the genre of the story. The market varies over time.
On the
negative side, all these steps and choices take work and time.
2. In one
unexpected benefit of participating in social media, I meet wonderful authors
from all over the world. Many of my virtual friends offer excellent advice,
criticism and help with cross-promotion. Indie authors are inventive and
willing to test different methods to promote their books. I have learned a
tremendous amount in two and a half years of publishing as an indie author.
Social Media
You can explore
my Blog for background and
excerpts of my stories, including snippets every Sunday.
This
month, I am offering books in several cross-promotion efforts with other indie
authors.
Oct 1-15th FREE
in Kindle Unlimited
26 eBooks in Urban
Fantasy / Paranormal / Science Fiction Romance
Running All October
100+ prizes from >30 authors in all genres,
Grand prize $100.
I agree, Aurora, about control. I love knowing what's happening with my books instead of waiting and waiting to see if anything is seling. Having control over the cover is great--although I have gotten good covers from publishers (when I asked for something different). I was lucky.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a traditional publisher.
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