tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post4624099976740193041..comments2024-03-18T01:49:03.153-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: So You Want to Self-PublishDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-78014197513069219762018-08-04T14:58:23.303-06:002018-08-04T14:58:23.303-06:00Thanks for your insights, Polly. I'm very new ...Thanks for your insights, Polly. I'm very new to this game after years working in the newspaper industry. Which means I'm a late bloomer as a crime novelist. Which means I appreciate Nancy's philosophy. Time's a wasting. I want to write and I want to get my books out there.<br /><br />I'll be self-publishing my first book in a few weeks, and I am trying to keep my expectations at bay.<br /><br />All the indies I know say the key is to build a strong list of books so that when the time comes that one book really strikes a cord - or gets a jolt of publicity - you can earn off your backlist.<br /><br />I feel like all I can do is provide the best book I can writer (yes, editors and proofers), a strong cover (I hired a pro) and then get on with the next one.<br /><br />I look forward to trying a variety of marketing strategies.David Ryanhttp://davidaryan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-82345690451467903032018-08-03T13:54:34.270-06:002018-08-03T13:54:34.270-06:00It has been quite a ride, Maryann. One thing Amazo...It has been quite a ride, Maryann. One thing Amazon offers is the "Look Inside" feature. They publish enough for a reader to see whether the writing is good or the story hooks them. I also have the first chapters of all my books on my website. Not sure if it helps.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-5340082895819608992018-07-29T19:02:22.108-06:002018-07-29T19:02:22.108-06:00Thanks for sharing your journey, Polly. The self-p...Thanks for sharing your journey, Polly. The self-publishing arena certainly has changed in the years since I put my first suspense book out for Kindle. Like you, with some targeting advertising I had downloads of the book when it was free in the thousands, and sales following those downloads were also topping 1,000 a month. That lasted three months, then it all started to slide. Like you said, part of the problem is the glut of books available, but also the quality of some of those books. Readers are getting wary of the self-pubbed books because they don't know if the quality of the writing is always going to be top-notch.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-39117451890973308802018-07-28T10:29:25.304-06:002018-07-28T10:29:25.304-06:00Thanks for your input, Rolynn. It has been a wild ...Thanks for your input, Rolynn. It has been a wild ride down the hill lately. I can understand why we seek to write something different. I'm doing the same ... just because. Rather than reading to escape politics, I hope people become engaged in working toward changing the "sad state of affairs." Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-27727977085435060942018-07-28T09:45:27.501-06:002018-07-28T09:45:27.501-06:00I entered the scene with a small press in 2011, an...I entered the scene with a small press in 2011, and it's been a wild ride ever since. The last two months have been the worst ever. Now, I've transitioned from romantic suspense to mystery, but not because of the market...just what feels good to write. Who can know what readers will want next. My friends who write a version of light, humorous suspense seem to be doing pretty well. Thanks for the insight, Polly. (P.S. the sad political scene will prompt a new wave of escape reading...you watch)Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-36244924493181267942018-07-27T17:27:34.860-06:002018-07-27T17:27:34.860-06:00You make a great point with the pricing, Nancy. A ...You make a great point with the pricing, Nancy. A lower price makes it more affordable to lots more people.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-64470705292224524522018-07-27T17:25:50.491-06:002018-07-27T17:25:50.491-06:00I certainly hope I've entertained people, Dian...I certainly hope I've entertained people, Diana. It's clear that there are pluses and minuses in self-publishing. As Nancy said, pricing your own books makes them more affordable to a multitude of readers.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-92030966218641649352018-07-27T17:22:18.025-06:002018-07-27T17:22:18.025-06:00Control is the name of the game. I think any write...Control is the name of the game. I think any writer can learn how to format. I do my own covers, but that's because my first career was as an illustrator/commercial designer. There was a learning curve, but I was determined. I have a great critique partner and I do pay for an editor, but doing as much as you can for yourself is a win/win.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-29165608083025147172018-07-27T15:25:25.812-06:002018-07-27T15:25:25.812-06:00Think of all of the readers you've entertained...Think of all of the readers you've entertained over the years instead of having your work lying in an unpublished file? If you do get the golden ticket, you already have people who love your work.Diana Hurwitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18216220574149672733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-6643953161481208312018-07-27T08:22:25.967-06:002018-07-27T08:22:25.967-06:00I still like indie publishing as a way to control ...I still like indie publishing as a way to control your release schedule, ebook prices, and cover design. However, it gets costly to hire editors, formatters, cover artists, etc. not to mention incredibly time consuming. Do you want to wait a year and a half between books and for a price of over $9.99 for your ebook with a trad publisher? If this doesn't matter, than this route might be the path for you. As I get older, I'm not willing to wait so long.Nancy J. Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14228901230896110347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-83993076533400108122018-07-26T18:08:10.304-06:002018-07-26T18:08:10.304-06:00Yes, Elle, it was a wave. There was day in one mon...Yes, Elle, it was a wave. There was day in one month when I sold 500 copies. That's pretty heady stuff. The wave that was so profitable for some of us lucky to be in that time is exactly what is making it difficult for today's writers. Some writers have been able to continue the success. I wish I were one of them. Just keep writing good books. It only takes one to click big, though I believe my time has come and gone.<br />Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-19349709695210757152018-07-26T17:56:40.118-06:002018-07-26T17:56:40.118-06:00There seems to have been a wave that crested aroun...There seems to have been a <b><i>wave</i></b> that crested around 2011 that today's most successful indie authors managed to catch and ride at the time. I think that wave broke in 2014, when the ride became more difficult, though not impossible. Unfortunately for me, 2011's great opportunity co-incided with the birth of my second child, and by the time I was able to pay attention to what was happening in the publishing world it was too late to catch the wave.<br /><br />That particular wave, anyway. I'm really hoping either that another good wave will be along and I'll be ready to catch that one OR (more likely) that the water settles now and, though we may not see such stratospheric careers again, once the debris sinks to the bottom, well-written books will hopefully be able to find their readers and their authors a steady income stream. As you say, what works this year won't necessarily be quite as effective next year when it becomes diluted by wannabes and costs overinflated by business payouts.<br /><br />Sometimes I wonder if that <b><i>wave</i></b> was caused by the breaking apart of the iceberg of traditional publishers, and the subsequent big crash into the ocean of the book industry...Elle Carter Nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02266309723919011181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-11877948580407839042018-07-26T17:09:41.683-06:002018-07-26T17:09:41.683-06:00Maggie, I guess all we can do is write the best bo...Maggie, I guess all we can do is write the best books we can, which you are doing. There are still a couple of ad sites that produce that you don't have to take out a loan for, but it sure isn't BookBub, sadly. They've actually expanded by offering ads on their sites. Not sure it would be any less expensive, but it's worth checking out. Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-7854980404801297972018-07-26T14:51:23.588-06:002018-07-26T14:51:23.588-06:00Great information. I’ve shared a similar journey t...Great information. I’ve shared a similar journey through the highs and lows of Bookbub and also had the bottom drop out if the cozy mystery market. Early indie success, in my opinion, got derailed when the bigs adopted the same marketing techniques. I surely don’t know the magic answer, only that all of us are looking for it. Maggie Toussainthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12011893139722870283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-70315113681082794062018-07-26T09:13:22.665-06:002018-07-26T09:13:22.665-06:00Friends who went with small presses eventually lef...Friends who went with small presses eventually left them or the presses went belly-up. Being in control is a strong incentive, especially after being with a small press. For that reason, I don't regret having taken the path I did. It was fun while it lasted. Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-72175413036635760702018-07-26T09:05:59.938-06:002018-07-26T09:05:59.938-06:00Thanks for sharing this information. I've hear...Thanks for sharing this information. I've heard similar stories from many authors following the same path as you. I'm with a small press and sales are similar to self-pubbed.Susan Gourley/Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669793865290876168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-11383202045298785872018-07-26T08:59:11.349-06:002018-07-26T08:59:11.349-06:00I'd love to know how that works out for you, L...I'd love to know how that works out for you, Linda. I would not be adverse to trying that, but the return would have to be really, really good.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-29391129464493945502018-07-26T08:56:24.013-06:002018-07-26T08:56:24.013-06:00I've had good luck with ads too, Vicki, but no...I've had good luck with ads too, Vicki, but not like in years past. There are only a few sites that work. There comes a point where you have to choose which are cost effective.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-29604821987974716842018-07-26T08:51:02.203-06:002018-07-26T08:51:02.203-06:00This is a very enlightening post, Polly. Will it c...This is a very enlightening post, Polly. Will it change my practice of indie publishing? Not likely. However, it may change my expectations (aka hopes) that have never been very high. I am now very fortunate to have someone handling my marketing. This is new for me, something I haven't done before. Back to those hopes and expectations. We'll see what happens.Linda Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06686488133905538811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-59276608041842988322018-07-26T08:48:55.721-06:002018-07-26T08:48:55.721-06:00Great insight into your journey, Polly. I bought a...Great insight into your journey, Polly. I bought ads for my recent release and experienced good sales; however, rankings sorely affected by KU books.Vicki Batman, sassy writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13846704675542248648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-69559422827501676562018-07-26T07:14:52.541-06:002018-07-26T07:14:52.541-06:00There have been lots of cases where agents "c...There have been lots of cases where agents "cooked the books," especially in Hollywood. I remember James Garner's suit against a production company. I'm not saying to forego indie publishing. I'm saying know what the pluses and minuses are. What worked years ago doesn't work now, but it's still a viable alternative for writers to consider.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-92045977056819389982018-07-26T01:05:30.426-06:002018-07-26T01:05:30.426-06:00Interesting, in light of the recent literary agenc...Interesting, in light of the recent literary agency embezzlement case that highlighted the risks authors take when they put their trust in literary agencies. More authors than ever before are walking away from traditional publishing. <br /><br />NY Post article: <a href="https://nypost.com/2018/05/26/accountant-embezzled-3-4m-from-famed-literary-agency/" rel="nofollow">$3.4M Embezzled from Famed Literary Agency</a>Lauren Dyer Pelletiernoreply@blogger.com