Before we jump into how to self-publish, it's important to define some terms at the outset.
Self-publishing used to be a dirty word, with implications of ‘vanity’ publishing by authors so desperate that they would pay to have their book released into the world.
But these days, self-publishing is a valid choice and publishers regularly seek out successful authors who do well through the indie route. Some traditionally published authors also choose to self-publish some of their books in order to make the most of their options.
I consciously chose to self-publish back in 2008. I wanted to spend my time writing, creating books and running my own business, reaching readers directly in a growing global market and making a decent living. This is now what I do every day and it continues to fire my passion for the indie life.
Self-publishing is still the term used by most people, but I prefer being described as an independent or indie author, or even as an author-entrepreneur.
Here are the differences between the terms in my opinion, and to be clear, there is no value judgment implied in the split definition. It's more about what you want to achieve as an author, and, of course, this may change over time.
A self-published author:
- Does everything themselves e.g. cover design and editing.
- Defines success as a finished book that is out there in the world and doesn’t necessarily aim to sell a lot of books to readers.
This term is appropriate for creative projects with a lot of heart and potentially little commercial value e.g. I helped my 9-year-old niece self-publish her first book, as well as helping my 65-year-old father self-publish his thriller, Nada.
[Here's a video that Amazon made about us for Father's Day:
Neither of these projects were commercial, as both saw the completion of the book as the end goal, not the sales associated with it.
An indie (independent) author:
- Budgets for and works with creative professionals to make their book into a fantastic finished product. This may include working with editors and cover designers, as well as formatters and other freelancers.
- Understands that a book is an intellectual property asset that can earn money for the life of the author and 50-70 years after they die.
- Defines success as long-term income as well as creative fulfilment.
- Takes control of their writing career, from first book to (potentially) CEO of a global creative empire.
Here are the main reasons that authors choose to go indie.
Empowerment and creative control
You don't need to ask anyone's permission to write or publish. You can write whatever you want and publish whenever you want. You have control over your book title, your cover, and your pricing. You also have control over the territories that you publish in, for example, I have now sold books in 86 countries.
Speed
You can publish a book and have it available for sale in less than 24 hours (for ebooks), then receive payment just a few months later. Print books can be available for sale in a few days and audiobooks in a few weeks.
For authors used to the year-long traditional publishing cycle, this speed is incredibly rewarding.
Scalable income
If you self-publish, you receive 35-70% royalty on the sale of ebooks, which is better than pretty much every traditional publishing deal out there. If you sell direct from your own site, then you can get up to 90%. You can set your own profit margin on print books and you can get 25-40+% audiobook royalties.
Every book you write adds to your financial bottom line and you don't have to sell your time working to build someone else's business or brand. You can publish in every global market and license subsidiary rights, so your income is scalable on every book.
Transparency of sales and income
It's difficult for traditionally published authors to determine what kind of marketing works because they don't get real-time sales figures, whereas indies can check reports that are updated every few hours. This helps determine which marketing avenues to focus on for ongoing sales.
We can also track our income every day and reconcile it with our payments each month, whereas royalty statements from traditional publishers are notoriously hard to understand and reconcile.
But, of course, it's not all sunshine and roses!
Being an indie author means taking on the jobs that traditional agents and publishers do for their authors until you can build your own team of creative professionals.
Some authors don't actually want freedom, they would prefer that someone else did the publishing and marketing side and are happy to give up the lion’s share of their royalty for that privilege.
Plus, just because your book is available everywhere, it doesn’t mean that it will sell.
So, if you want to successfully self-publish, you will have to learn new skills around publishing and marketing. Yes, you will make mistakes along the way. We all do. But you can learn from them and do things differently with your next book.
I'm still learning, as we all are, but I enjoy all aspects of being an indie, not just the writing. This is a brilliant life, if it suits your personality.
If you're ready for the adventure, read on!