On Saturday, I gave a talk on self-publishing at my local Romance Writers of America meeting. Our local chapter is the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and I have been a member of the group since 2007. If you are a writer in the Raleigh/Durham area, I highly recommend joining or at least coming for a visit. I had such a great time talking about my experiences so far as an Indie author.
For the talk, I decided to put together a series of handouts and walk-throughs people could refer to if they were interested in learning more about self-publishing. Since I took the time to create those resources for the RWA group, I figured I might as well put them up on my website for everyone to use.
If you are interested in learning more about self-publishing or you have been considering publishing a book of your own, please feel free to check out some of the free resources I put up on my website. You can find them here. So far, there are step-by-step walk-throughs about how to publish your novel on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Also, there's a list of the different pages you need in the front and back of your eBook, answers to frequently asked questions, and an explanation of everything you need to have prepared before you're ready to publish. In the future, I hope to add more resources, such as info on how to create a book cover, and a cheat sheet for how to format your novel according to the Smashwords style guide.
I certainly don't know everything, but I've been working hard to learn as much about self-publishing as I can so far. I am hoping my small success so far can help others to create their own career as an Indie author. Check out the resources there if you're interested and continue to check back for more pages soon.
Self-Publishing Resources
Call Me Indie
On his blog this week, Nathan Bransford brought up the question: Who should have the Indie Label: Self-Publishers or Small Presses?
It's a good question. As a self-proclaimed Indie author, I thought I would throw in my two cents. I think in order to really look at the term, you have to look at how it's used in other venues. Like Indie Rock for example. The funny thing is that when I started googling 'Indie', I realized that there is some level of controversy surrounding that term in both music and films. No one is sure whether it should be given to bands with a certain sound or if it simply refers to anyone who makes music with a certain set of Indie record labels. Apparently people have their own vigorous opinions on the matter.
How could we expect the term to be any different in the publishing business? /shrug. According to wikipedia, Indie is simply a shortform of the word "independent". The Free Dicitonary online defines indie as "1. One, such as a studio or producer, that is unafilliated with a larger or more commercial organization. 2. An artistic work produced by an independent company or group." Dictionary.com says it is "1. an independently owned business. 2. self-employed; privately owned."
I understand that some small presses have been using the term Indie to describe themselves and their authors for years. Self-published authors, for the most part, didn't really register. The problem of no distribution meant most self-pubs weren't selling enough to even make a difference on a grander scale. Then there are the 'vanity publishers' that charge enormous fees to 'publish' an author's books. Some people still hear self-published and automatically think vanity. But times have changed. According to the definitions above, I think those Indie presses are going to have to scoot over and give self-published authors some room.
With the negative stigma placed on the term 'self-published' over the years, authors who are self-publishing will naturally want to come up with some other term to describe ourselves. We want to push away from that stigma that says we can't write for crap or that we are only self-publishing because we couldn't get a publishing contract. Things are different now, so the terms should also evolve. And 'Indie' already has a much more positive connotation. I say that if you have a problem with self-published authors calling themselves independent, you're a little bit crazy. And probably a little behind the times. Or at least in denial about how fast the publishing world is changing.
To say I'm Indie means also saying I'm free from corporate pressure or obligation. I'm brave enough to take my future into my own hands. It means I am willing to let the readers be my gatekeepers. Being Indie means I am taking full responsibility for what happens in my own writing career. It means that I am publishing my own artistic and creative works independent of any corporation or larger commercial organization's investments.
It would be cool if I could come up with some brand-new fresh word to describe what it is authors like me are doing. I mean, I have an easy time coming up with words to describe us. Brave. Free. Awesome. :P Words like that. But since people have already started using the term 'Indie' and since the definition seems to fit, I think that's what we're probably going to be called. And I'm okay with that.
Anyone who isn't is just going to have to get over it.
A Simple Graph To Show The Logic
If you haven't been following Joe Konrath and Barry Eisler's epic dialog on Ebooks and Self-Publishing, you're missing out. Go read it. Now. I seriously feel like they just put into words exactly what I've been talking to my husband and my friends about for months now. You can find the conversation in 2 parts (so far): Here and Here.
In part 2, Barry talks about how he crunched the numbers. He says it much better than I can, so I'm going to post a direct quote from Joe's blog, which is also from an interview Barry did with Daily Beast:
Being so accustomed to, and dependent on, the legacy model, it took a fair amount of work for what I knew intellectually to start to penetrate at a gut level. The timelines, for example. I’m used to thinking in terms of publishing contracts, so let’s take a hypothetical two-book, $100,000 offer... or, okay, let’s make it real: a two-book, $500,000 offer. My tendency has been to focus too much on that big, seductive number. But to understand what the number really represents, you have to break it down. Start by taking out your agent’s commission: your $500,000 is now $425,000. Then divide that $425,000 over the anticipated life of the contract, which is three years (execution, first hardback publication, second hardback publication, second paperback publication). That’s about $142,000 a year. This is a more realistic way of looking at that $500,000.
But there’s more. Some people have mistakenly argued that, for my move to make financial sense, I’ll have to earn $142,000 a year for three years. But this is one time when you don’t want to be comparing apples to apples. Because the question isn’t whether I can make $425,000 in three years in self-publishing; the question is what happens regardless of when I hit that number. What happens whenever I hit that point is that I’ll have “beaten” the contract, and then I’ll go on beating it for the rest of my life. If I don’t earn out the legacy contract, the only money I’ll ever see from it is $142,000 per year for three years. Even if I do earn out, I’ll only see 14.9% of each digital sale thereafter. But once I beat the contract in digital, even if it takes longer than three years, I go on earning 70% of each digital sale forever thereafter. And, as my friend Joe Konrath likes to point out, forever is a long time.
He mentioned that he'd like to see a basic graph showing how these numbers compare. My husband quickly put together this graph so anyone can see just how much more money Barry can make long-term with self-publishing than he ever would have with a legacy contract. It's super simple, but the message is clear. Here's the difference in earnings over the course of the next 10 years. This image assumes Barry wouldn't have earned out his original advance:
Of course, if Barry did earn out his advance at SMP, the blue legacy line would have gone up instead of staying static. Still, as he points out, he would only be making 14.9% of each digital sale after that. I doubt the royalties earned from that small percentage would be anywhere near what Barry will earn self-publishing with a 70% royalty.
The numbers here are definitely interesting. It might be fun to put together a webpage where authors could plug in various number scenarios to figure out possible earnings comparisons. G said he's going to work on putting that together.
For now, I just want to go on record as saying a HUGE thank you to people like Joe Konrath and Barry Eisler who are willing to speak honestly about the choices authors have to make right now. So much of what Joe says on his blog truly resonates with me. It took me a while to decide not to look for an agent. (Okay, I sent out ONE query letter.) But once I made the decision to self-publish, I knew I'd never look back.
More power to Amanda Hocking for making the decision that she felt was right for her. Like Joe says, I hope she succeeds and wish her the best. For me, however, I doubt I will ever take a legacy publishing deal if it were offered to me. Regardless of the money aspect, I just don't think I could ever give up creative control. I love being the one with the final say on my covers and titles. I love being able to break the so-called "rules" and write what I want to write without worrying if an editor or agent will like it. I love being an indie author. Besides, I love getting my books out as soon as they're published. I like the instant feedback I get instead of waiting a year after I finished the book to finally see it in print and have someone finally review it. I could go on and on, but I'll spare you the talk.
For now, check out Joe's blog. It's epic.
Guest Blog: Lucie J. Charles, author of LIFETHREAD
Today is a first on my blog! A guest blog post! Yippeee!!!
I welcome Lucie J. Charles, indie author of the YA paranormal, LIFETHREAD. Lucie J. is a member of my local RWA group, the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and like me, she's braving the new world of self-publishing. Today, she's going to talk a little bit about why she wrote this book and what she has in store for us next.
I like teens. Spending time with them, listening to their discussions, and watching the twists and turns of how they explore life is fun. And anything paranormal and mystical fascinates me. Oh, and romance. Love is what makes us human. And I’m a writer. So, a Young Adult, paranormal romance? What could be better?
Choosing a mythological background for my characters slipped into place when I was loitering in the Young Adult section of the local bookstore. Although the Fates have long been a part of human existence, as I read back cover blurbs and flipped through pages, I found nothing that involved their mythology. In that moment, the background for LIFETHREAD was born.
The Fates provided the perfect setting for my young adult heroines to question and challenge established beliefs. The power and depth of ancient legend created a strong and multi-layered tapestry in which to weave the threads of my story, and the Fates’ responsibilities—creating life, determining destiny, and ending life—represent human transitions perfectly. The weight of their responsibilities also provided my characters with excellent opportunities to break the rules. Teenagers vs. the ancient and established tradition of the Fates. It worked for me. My heroines, McKenna, Shea, and Merritt, continually surprise me with their ingenuity and humor as the pages of their stories unfold.
I’m a complete pantser, so when I started writing I only knew my character’s names, which Fate they were apprenticed to, and that McKenna demanded I write her story first. Understandable since she’s responsible to Atropos and severs the lifethreads of demons. I wasn’t about to argue with her blade. McKenna’s story flowed from my imagination to the keyboard almost effortlessly. We had such fun getting her into, and out of, trouble that I barely realized it was work…until I started on the second draft. That’s when the complexity of her personality started to shine, and make me sweat. One of my more stubborn characters, McKenna.
Not to be outdone, Shea and Merritt have demanded their own stories. Currently, Shea and I are writing Lifethread: CREATION, and are discovering that of the three priestesses, she’s not really “the good one” after all. Merritt has been tapping her foot in the background of my mind, impatiently waiting for Shea to get out of way so that I can begin the more important task of writing about her in Lifethread: DESTINY.
Guess I better get back to it!
Lucie j.
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Thanks so much for joining us today, Lucie J.! I love hearing about how other authors got their ideas. It always amazes me where some ideas come from and how they grow into these stories with a life of their own. Here is a short explanation of what LIFETHREAD is all about:
Stuck in her senior year of high school until she earns her humanity, McKenna Fin is responsible for cutting the lifethread of demons, and protecting teens from being possessed. To celebrate her fiftieth year of apprenticeship to the Fate Atropos, McKenna is given a new responsibility, and possibly a quick way to earn her humanity—severing the lifethread of deserving humans. Her first assignment: Nathan Quinn.
When Nathan becomes a primary demon target and gets sucked into Tartania, McKenna’s duty as a Fated priestess demands she follow. McKenna can rescue him, no problem, but then she’d have to cut his lifethread. And he’s the one and only guy she’s been attracted to since forever.
The demons consider Nathan one of their own and fight to keep him. The time limit on Nathan's life is about to run out, and McKenna has to make the decision: sever his lifethread, or battle demons, defy the Fates, and keep him for her own.
Doesn't that just sound awesome! I just picked up my copy of the book for my Kindle and plan to dig into it by this weekend. I hope to have a review posted next week!
Buy LIFETHREAD now at: Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Also, check out Lucie J. Charles' website for more information about her and her books.
Ebook Pricing
What is the best price for an ebook?
This is a question I've been asking myself a lot lately. Are my books only selling decent because they are just 99 cents? Or would people be willing to pay more? Another interesting question is this: Are some people not even bothering to read my book because of the price? Some people have expressed opinions online that when they see a book priced at only 99 cents, they automatically assume it's a poorly written book. I certainly don't want to get a reputation for writing bad books. On the other hand, at 99 cents, some people will buy it anyway. Hopefully once they've actually read it, their opinion on the quality will change.
Here's the thing, though - at 99 cents, I'm only making about 35 to 40 cents a book, depending on where it's bought. Even if I sell 1,000 books in a month, that's only $400 for me. On the other hand, if I price the books at $2.00, I go up to a 70% royalty rate and bring home $2.09 a book. That means in order to make the same $400, I only have to sell 200 books instead of 1,000. And if, by some miracle, I still sold 1,000 books, I'd be making $2,000, which is almost the equivalent of a full-time entry-level job. It's a huge jump.
But would the readers who have been loyal so far feel cheated if my book went up in price? Would they be willing to pay the $2.99? Or would some people write me off as a greedy person who doesn't care about her readers? It's a tough decision to make.
Writing is not all about the money. Of course not. I write because I love it. I love the adventure my characters take me on. I love exploring the world of my novels - which is one reason I like to write series so much. But if this is what I want to do full time for the rest of my life, the plain truth is that I have to think about the money. If I can't make a living at selling books, I'll have to find another profession - and that would mean less time to write and less books coming out. As much as I hate it, money is a huge part of this thing since I'm basically starting my own business here.
I'll continue to debate this topic with myself and my husband over the next month or so before Book 3 of my Peachville High Demons series comes out. If anyone out there has any advice or opinions, I would love to hear it.
Monthly Sales Numbers of an Indie Author - Month #1
Yay! My first book, BEAUTIFUL DEMONS, has officially been out for one month! Technically, the book came out on Amazon on the 30th of October, but to make book-keeping easier, I'm just going to lump those 2 Oct. days with November. I have decided to write a monthly sales numbers blog, just for any interested parties who are also trying to self-publish online and want to see what's possible. Hopefully as the months go on and more books of mine come out, the numbers will continue to grow and grow!
So here's the scoop for Month #1 of my life as a self-published author. In the hopes of trying to set up a good reporting method now that will still make sense when I have multiple books published, I'm going to list the book title and a super-brief description, each sales outlet where my book is available, the date the book became available for purchase, and finally, how many copies were sold through that outlet for the month.
BEAUTIFUL DEMONS - a young adult fantasy book about cheerleaders who are witches
- Amazon's Kindle Store - Available 10/30/10 - Sold 34 copies
- Smashwords - Available 10/29/10 - Sold 6 copies
- Barnes and Noble - Available 11/02/10 - Sold 99 copies
So far, my books are only available in digital format. I priced the book at only $0.99. I am hoping to add print copies soon, but right now I'm focusing on getting a second book available as soon as possible.
My numbers are definitely modest, no doubt about it. On the other hand, I'm extremely proud of this first month. My only marketing so far has been several mentions on twitter, a few blog posts here on my own blog, some time spent on the Kindle user forums, and basically telling my friends and family to tell everyone they know. I wasn't expecting to sell more than 50 copies to be honest with you, so the fact that I'm closer to 150 is awesome. By the time I'm writing this, I've already sold 147 copies!
Moving ahead, my plan is to produce quality books fast. Some other Indie authors have encouraged me to spend several months marketing a book before it comes out, but I have a different theory right now of what will work best for my career. Content is King. Without a publishing house backing me, I think the fastest way to build reader trust and confidence is to have several books out and available for download. Sure, lots of people self-publish one book. But how many people continue to crank out book after book? Not nearly as many. Readers today want content, so my plan is to concentrate on getting content out there as fast as I can. Obviously, I want them to be good, but I think I can do both!
I want to ramp up my marketing as well. I need to work on getting more Twitter followers, guest blog posts on popular book blogs, reviews of my book up on various sites, and I want to spend time working on some SEO. Each month I plan to ramp up with more and more marketing until I feel I have a firm foundation. My second book, INNER DEMONS, is currently in edits and is scheduled for release around 12/20/10!
The decision to self-publish was a difficult one to make, but now that I am doing it, I couldn't be happier. For me, this is 100% the right path. There's no waiting, no one telling me what I can or can't write, no one changing my story or slapping a cover on it that I don't agree with. I'm in complete control of my product, and I love every minute of what I'm doing. Month #1 was a great start, and I'm looking forward to seeing those numbers go up every month.
