Creative Commons
Flickr Photo by Oliver Clarke

I am willing to accept that I get zero creativity points for this blog. Not the first self-pub author to document their journey toward the release of their first book. It is my hope that I can bring a somewhat different point of view, as I look at my research and experiences so far in the self-publishing industry from a business perspective. Maybe there will be something here that will help or inspire my fellow newbie self-pub authors on their own paths. It is also my goal to provide those readers, who enjoy taking chances and reading the works of newly self-pub authors, an inside view of the challenges and obstacles that many of us endure.

For those that happened to look at my Goodreads Author Page, you will know that I confess to being a business geek. The approach I am using toward my new writing career is no different than the approach I would take to starting any new business. Due diligence requires spending hours and hours of industry related research, analysis of the competitive landscape, marketing tactics, and avenues of promotion, all piled on top of taking a year to write a 150,000 word novel. What I have found is that there are waves and waves of web sites, social media predators, and other enticing online promise makers out there preying on the dreams of self pub authors looking to lure them into spending money in return for "great exposure". Navigating yourself through these, and discerning what is the course that is most beneficial for you can be daunting.

Good News/Bad News
The good news for aspiring authors is that anyone, with a little guidance, can write, publish, and sell (or giveaway) a book with very little cost involved. For those authors interested in getting their books into the hands of as many readers as possible, this can be the bad news as well. The role of “content gatekeeper” is now taken on by readers of self-pub authors in addition to the editors of traditional publishing firms. Inspired by stories of authors who were rejected time and time again by traditional publishers that went on to be wildly successful (i.e. J.K. Rowling), we hope to be the next one discovered. Self-publishing has grown quickly in the past few years pumping so many new titles across all genres into the market. How can we get our work to stand out and be recognized amidst the glut of titles out there? There seems to be a consensus among successful indie publishers of what it takes to get noticed by readers.

Essentials
My research has found many experts agree that the keys to a successful book launch and getting noticed should include: 1) Professional editing, 2) professionally designed book cover, 3) an enticing summary or "blurb", 4)well developed author web site and platform, and 5) generating email lists. Some may argue over one or more of these points, but overall it’s probably a great place to start.

I don’t think there’s much dispute that content is king and making your content new, different, creative, and distinguishable from the rest of the pack in your genre will give you a much better chance to succeed. Great content eventually finds its own level of interest with readers, and the more you can produce, the more successful you’ll be. Not an earth-shattering new philosophy, but certainly one we can abide by. The title of one of the first books that I read on the industry (by Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant) has become the mantra of many successful indie authors and one that I have adopted: Write, Publish, Repeat. Don’t get too hung up on what happens with your first book, it will always be there as an asset. Writers should be in it for the long haul. Keep writing, storytelling, marketing, promoting, publishing, and improving the skills of your craft in all of these areas.

Marketing
Many times on Goodreads and other places, I read about new authors lamenting that they published their first work with little time spent, and knowledge of, how to market a book. It makes sense that there are probably many new authors out there that have had little or no background or training in sales and marketing. I think in many cases there is often a rush to publish, and who can blame a new author's anxiety for wanting to get their work out there. I am chomping at the bit myself. A member in one of my Goodreads groups, Support for Indie Authors, put it nicely starting a thread called "premature publication". Some authors, I have heard mention, do not have the money/resources to invest in promotion/marketing.
As I build my own author platform and marketing plan there are many things to consider.
Which retailer(s) do I use for my first book’s launch? Paper vs. eBook considerations?
What will be the pricing strategy?
Should I hold back on investing too much into marketing until the sequel to my novel is finished 6-8 months down the road?
How do I manage all the social media platforms? Which will be the most effective? Are there really Facebook and Twitter "click farms" in India that make it appear our paid ads are working?
How will I allocate my time between marketing/promoting the first novel and writing the sequel?

Coming Soon
Part 2 of this blog series, and hopefully the answers to some of the questions posted above. Before that, my next blog will be on my experiences and takeaways from the Pub Sense Summit held in Charleston, SC 3/23-25. This is a conference that is in its second year and has three days of sessions with topics designed to help emerging authors. Keynote speakers include Joanna Penn, author/publisher/entrepreneur, of “The Creative Penn”, David Symonds, General Manager of Createspace, and Cevin Bryerman, VP of Publisher’s Weekly.

Please leave any comments you may have, we'd love to hear and discuss them, and as always thanks for checking out the blog. Come back soon !!