tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post6924016217751260052..comments2024-03-28T10:41:26.999-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Indie Publishing: Is it Right for You?Danihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-73148779314059174282012-03-20T20:37:45.751-06:002012-03-20T20:37:45.751-06:00Brianna - the publishing part is the easy one. It&...Brianna - the publishing part is the easy one. It's writing the good book that's hard!Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-25936158921808634142012-03-20T17:41:24.837-06:002012-03-20T17:41:24.837-06:00Thank you for sharing this. I just self-pubbed my ...Thank you for sharing this. I just self-pubbed my first story to Amazon Kindle this weekend and I'm in love. Amazon made it so simple and painless. I am now more seriously considering going this route for my first novel.Brianna Soloskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08663188011029476486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-70602648785208717222012-03-20T14:59:31.722-06:002012-03-20T14:59:31.722-06:00Hi, off kilter. Yes, the new term for 'self pu...Hi, off kilter. Yes, the new term for 'self publishing' has morphed into "indie publishing"--probably because self publishing harkens up images of vanity presses. Small presses are still "publisher publishing" (although I'm sure there's a real name for it.) Traditional publishing tends to be used for print books that go through the larger houses. But heck, I wrote a book called "What's in a Name?" and that's my attitude about labels.Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-31530691380113209322012-03-20T12:49:45.293-06:002012-03-20T12:49:45.293-06:00So are we now calling self-publishing "indie ...So are we now calling self-publishing "indie publishing?" This is a new one to me, and I wonder if it's meant to counter the stigma attached to self-publishing by the books that were not ready for the light of day. <br />How about a 'micro' publisher? Pearlsong Press published my memoir, and did all the design work for me at no cost to me.Linda C. Wisniewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12136770189581989046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-49144096042330839752012-03-20T10:35:52.364-06:002012-03-20T10:35:52.364-06:00Linda, I agree the marketing thing is the hardest....Linda, I agree the marketing thing is the hardest. It's important to be visible, but just as important not to be a "nag"<br /><br />Maryann - I agree, it's nice to be able to say, "that's out of my hands" when your publisher handles things. However, it's also nice to say, "I'm getting more money" than when my publisher handled things!Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-41515375877335909742012-03-20T10:03:23.551-06:002012-03-20T10:03:23.551-06:00Thanks for your insights into the indie process, T...Thanks for your insights into the indie process, Terry. I also agree with those who have said that we need to pay careful attention to the editing and overall book production. I was spoiled by having a publisher who did that for me, and have spent a lot of time and money and effort to get those elements right for my indie books.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-84950940018517270452012-03-20T08:58:00.609-06:002012-03-20T08:58:00.609-06:00Great post, Terry. I went the indie route after a ...Great post, Terry. I went the indie route after a couple of unscrupulous agents tried to sucker me in with complimentary words and then my footing the bill for their work - which I later learned from the preditors and editors site didn't even exist. They were scam artists. Fortunately for me in my naïveté, I didn't have the big bucks they required to provide me with such wonderful opportunities. <br /><br />Then the age thing played into the picture; even back then I had qualified for Medicare. Now all I need to do is master the marketing thing . . . <br /><br />Thank you for mentioning the editing and cover art elements of this process. They're even more vital for indies than for those who publish traditionally.Linda Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06686488133905538811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-61199921633126162772012-03-20T08:28:59.117-06:002012-03-20T08:28:59.117-06:00Oops - meant to say Chris, not Larry in that last ...Oops - meant to say Chris, not Larry in that last comment. New screen layout isn't friendly!Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-10790853505060244832012-03-20T08:28:12.758-06:002012-03-20T08:28:12.758-06:00Larry, true, and thanks for your input. You can...Larry, true, and thanks for your input. You can't measure yourself against the success of others. And most traditionally published mid-list authors can't quit their day jobs.<br /><br />Morgan - yep. That's why the e-publishers (not indie) were good starting points for so many. They're more willing to take risks.<br /><br />Kathryn - thanks, but I didn't start writing until I was a card-carrying AARP member, and I just got my Medicare card. So, for me, age also plays into the picture. (And it can for publishers as well, although they might not admit it)<br /><br />Larry - I agree, but you still have to crank out quality products. Time management becomes a critical skill.Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-91204215084870671442012-03-20T07:51:28.469-06:002012-03-20T07:51:28.469-06:00For me, marketing indie books isn't another st...For me, marketing indie books isn't another story ... it's the whole story. Root canal, anyone?Christopher Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03667548312923348614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-16600831377113627922012-03-20T07:25:48.952-06:002012-03-20T07:25:48.952-06:00Like Larry, I think your reasons make complete sen...Like Larry, I think your reasons make complete sense, Terry. Another reason, which obviously doesn't apply to you, is author age—those over a certain age may not want to engage in the often lengthy process of being picked up by a major house before holding their book in their hands.<br /><br />As with anything, an informed decision is the best decision.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-7371576182384522232012-03-20T06:50:01.651-06:002012-03-20T06:50:01.651-06:00Blurred genre lines is a lure for many authors who...Blurred genre lines is a lure for many authors who were rejected by traditional publishers who prefer books to fit into certain niches.<br /><br />Morgan Mandel<br />http://facebook.com/morgan.mandelMorgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-1154551028966153282012-03-20T02:32:27.004-06:002012-03-20T02:32:27.004-06:00A clear-eyed analysis of the indie route, Terry, a...A clear-eyed analysis of the indie route, Terry, and of what makes it the way to go in many but not all cases. The cross-genre and timing issues were persuasive in my case. Did I want to spend another three years trying to find an agent and publisher for an unclassifiable novel or have it in the hands of real readers for those years? I might have continued the slog through the old-line jungle, but family, friends, and fellow writers persuaded me my novel deserved the light of an earlier day. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004774OGS/" rel="nofollow">Bashert</a> has done well for an odd novel from an unknown indie writer, ramping up slowly but finally making--and staying in--some of Amazon's Top 100 lists.<br /><br />Three years and three more novels later, I have learned a lot about how this indie business works. Two important things I would add to your analysis. First, for most books, the indie route demands far more from authors, who really must themselves master--or monitor closely--every single aspect of the development, production, and marketing. Another issue is that, for most books out there on the indie frontier, the sales numbers are going to be smaller. Yes, there are the well-publicized monster success stories, but the middle of the pack is where most writers will stay, and the number of units moved will be smaller than in the middle of the pack with one of the Big Six publishers. In compensation, the revenue per book to the author can be higher, so dollar-wise, it may cancel out.<br /><br />--Larry Constantine (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lior-Samson/e/B004KDPO9A/" rel="nofollow">Lior Samson</a>)Larry Constantine (Lior Samson)http://www.amazon.com/Lior-Samson/e/B004KDPO9A/noreply@blogger.com