R. L. Stedman

Writer

Publishing

Want to Self-Publish? Here’s 11 Things You’ll Need

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11 Things You’ll Need to Self-Publish —

Thinking of self-publishing your book? You may as well learn from my mistakes! Before you begin, I suggest you consider your strengths and weaknesses. Here’s 11 attributes I’ve found essential for survival as an independent author.

 

writer's notebook

Do You Have These 11 Things?

1. Can you write?

If this is your first manuscript the chances are that, no, you probably can’t. Sorry. Most writers have a few failed scripts in boxes somewhere. If this is your first manuscript, and its your first draft and you are planning on self-publishing I really suggest that you DO NOT ask people to pay for it – i.e. don’t put it onto Amazon or ibooks. If you really think the idea is good (in between the normal ‘it’s crap’ feeling that every writer has) I would try to find a critique partner — you can often find a CP through a writer’s association — or put it onto WattPad or Fan Fiction . Anything to get feedback. Even better, do a course. Believe me, study really helps.

 

11 traits of successful self-published authors
2. Do you understand the publishing process?

Commercial publishers are very unlikely to publish even your final draft. Before it is set to print your book will have at least three edits – usually by three different people:

  1. a structural edit – where the structure of the plot, the characters and so forth are analysed and recommendations made on how to strengthen them
  2. a copy edit – where the spelling, grammar and so on is checked
  3. a proofing edit – check for final errors

If self-publishing, you would be wise to follow this process. Otherwise your book won’t be as good as it could be. Which is bad for reviews, bad for your reputation, and just bad for the reader. But be warned, professional editorial input is not free. It’s worth it, in terms of product, but you may not get your money back in sales.

 

3. Are you comfortable with the internet?

If you’re reading this, chances are you are quite comfortable on a browser. Just be warned: self-publishing is a global industry and unless you want to pay someone a lot of money to do everything for you, you’ll probably need to do it yourself. This means that invariably, you’ll be on the internet a lot.

 

4. Are you comfortable with e-books?

Self-publishing is really about e. The future is p and audio, too, I think. So if you’re planning on self-publishing, make sure you enjoy and are familiar with reading on an e-platform. This means you’ll have a greater understanding for the importance of layout, and you’ll be more careful when it comes to formatting. Also, you’ll be making purchasing decisions similar to your readers.

 

5. Do you have a kindle account?

Currently, Amazon is the dominator of the self-pub industry. iTunes is coming on strong, too, but more people still read on Amazon apps or kindles. Amazingly, I heard today that Amazon has 42% of the world’s print market as well!

So if you’re really wanting to self-publish, I do suggest you become familiar with the Amazon store. Understand how books are presented to purchasers and download a few yourself. Get a feeling for what you like, and what features you don’t. It is different to navigating your way through a bricks and mortars store.

 

6. Do you have a basic understanding of finances?

Here’s a lesson for you. I have an MBA so I thought, well, no problem. I’ll be fine here. And yet – I forgot about the exchange rate! I can’t believe it, but I did! The problem is, Amazon presents all its prices in USD. So when I calculated the costs of CreateSpace, I forgot to convert. This meant a price inflation of around 20%.

 

7. Do you have time?

Self-publishing your first book will take you ages. Well, it’s taken me ages. Everything is new. I don’t know how to use the technology. This is what I have had to learn so far:

    • how to download a mobi file
    • how to read a mobi file
    • how to format to a print-ready proof
    • how to format a word document to smashwords requirements (don’t believe them when they say their Style Guide is easy to use. It isn’t)
    • how to organise a press release
    • how to create, and edit, an .html document.
    • What is bleed?
    • How long are delivery times?
    • What does a book distributor do? What does a book marketer do? How much do they cost?
    • What is an ASIN and what is an ISBN?
    • What paper thickness do I need? Do I need matt or gloss cover? What is a laminate?
    • How to organise a blog tour
    • What is a marketing plan and what should it look like?
    • How much should I price my book?
    • How many copies should I order?

8. Do you have a healthy dose of skepticism?

In this industry – in most industries, really – there is no ‘get rich quick’ scheme. Yet, when you read the websites of Smashwords or Amazon, they say just upload your manuscript and click the ‘publish’ button and voila, your words in your way, ready to be read by the world. Don’t believe them. Don’t believe anyone when they tell you that it’s simple. For the first few books, you’ll be on a steep, slow, climb up the learning curve.

 

9. Do you have a background that includes any or all of the following?

The following skill sets are really, really helpful. If you have some or all of these, you’ll find the route to self-publishing so much easier.

  • Scientific/Analytical
  • Commerce/finance/marketing
  • Legal
  • Project Management
  • IT

10. Do you have enough money?

Self-publishing is not free. Well, I don’t think it’s free. Costs include time, of course, but there’s also editorial, book covers, marketing and anything else you care to spend. You can do it on a really tight, tight budget of perhaps $500 USD, but some people pay a lot more. The good thing is, these costs are all tax-deductible.

One bonus of writing – you might not make much money, but pretty much everything you do can be claimed as a deduction.

WTF

11. Are you willing to learn?

The independent publishing market is global, highly software-enabled and is in its early years. Things are changing rapidly. What might work today may not work tomorrow.  You need to be willing to embrace these changes! Doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work, you can always try again.

And on a Positive Note!

The eleven qualities above are mostly personal. They do not involve spending enormous amounts of money, or hiring employees, or building plant or buying expensive equipment. They do, however, involve spending large amounts of time.

Useful Apps and Tools for Writers

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writer's notebook

Useful Apps and Tools To Save You Time

This post was inspired by a Facebook question: how do you do it all? And I said: I don’t. I’ve got a list of tools that help me out. This is that list.

I’ve added in a google docs spreadsheet containing most of these tools – scroll down to the bottom of this post to download.

*NOTE* updated 1 Oct 2017

Why Self-Publish?

I publish my own books through my own imprint, WaverleyProductions.

For me the biggest advantage of self-publishing is time. Because I am busy, I have to have control of the process; I can’t handle the stress of working to a third-party’s deadline.

I find that now I’m self-publishing, I can create a better book. And ironically, I can do it faster than a traditional house.

But Isn’t Self-Publishing a Lot of Work?

Yes. And No. Not really.

Here’s the truth: writing is always a lot of work. Whether you’re published or self-published you’ll still have to put the words on the page. You still need to interact with readers, whether it’s through social media or author talks; you need to put those hours in.

I’ve heard: ‘I couldn’t self-publish. I don’t have time for all that marketing’. And that same writer will drive for three hours to talk to a book group of ten people. News for you honey: talking to people is marketing. But you’ve just spent a whole day doing it! I can send a tweet or an instagram post and reach 50 people. If they like it they might share it! And it takes me thirty seconds.

The trick with writing, whether self-published or traditional, is to be as hands-off as possible. Find a tool that creates a good product, that you don’t have to spend a lot of time learning and is (ideally) free. The key is AUTOMATION.

Here’s a list of resources that I’ve found really useful. I use most of these tools every day; and together they’ve saved me a fortune in time and money.

WTF

Time-Saving Tools

1  Canva  – Canva is graphic design software lite. Sure, you can’t do as much with it as you can with Adobe or Gimp but it’s SOO much easier! It will take you about 5 minutes to figure out. Plus, it’s free, unless you use a licensed photo. I’ve used it to create bookmarks, book covers and more. The graphic at the top of this blog was created in Canva. The only downside? You can spend ages touching up the filters!

2  Smartmockups  – Smartmockups was created by two graphic designers, who were sick of creating boring mockups! Wouldn’t be easier, they thought, if we make a package that’s are so easy to use that no-one will bother us ever again?

Most of the images on this blog of my books inside an iPhone or as a 3D cover were made on Smartmockups.

There is a free application, but I ended up paying the one-off  license charge, because it contained a lot more options.

Smart Mockups have recently created a whole new range of book mockups. They’re not that flash TBH 🙁

3  Vellum – this magic software allows you to format your own e-book within a couple of hours! It is the best investment I ever made. Created by two pixar engineers, it only work on a mac, but it’s super simple to use and produces a very high-quality e-pub or mobi file. Update: a print-ready file option is now available! I’ve not yet tried this, but some authors have and rave about it. It’s quite an expensive upgrade at $149.00 USD so I’m sticking to my print-ready template for now.

The price is $29.99 for a single license. I ended up paying for the unlimited license, as it just freed me up so much.

4  Facebook – enough said.

5  Pixabay – this is a catalogue of stock art. Licensed under the creative commons, images can be downloaded for free. I download them and manipulate them in canva. Many of the images on this website were from Pixabay. Some are really really great quality, so it’s worth taking time to discover your favourite photographers.

6  RecurPost – a scheduling tool for social media. You can load it up with content, and create libraries of say, blog posts. If you’re reading this later than March 2017, chances are you’ve found it from a recur-generated tweet! This little baby allows me to recycle useful content over and over again. It takes a couple of hours to set it up, and then you’re good to go. I check it every two weeks or so to make sure I’m not repeating myself too often. The basic plan (which I use) is free.

7  Draft2Digital – a publishing and distribution agent. This is super easy to use, and distributes your books to most online platforms. It normally takes me around 30 mins to publish a book with this honey. It’s not free, but you pay as a percentage of your earnings, so there’s no upfront fee, and the royalties are reasonably modest. Plus, they pay out monthly.

OCT 17 NOTE: D2D have added some additional functions to their platform. These include: free access to Books2Read Universal Links. These are fab and save SO much time. Click HERE to see an example. They’ve also enabled beautiful ebook formatting – nice for non-Vellum users. And of course, an audio publishing option through Findaway Voices. I’ve not used this as my sales don’t justify this. But for big sellers, it’s an interesting alternative to other audio platforms

8  BookFunnel – this platform allows easy sharing of share digital files with readers. If you’ve downloaded my any of my extra giveaways, chances are you’ve done it through Bookfunnel. There’s an alternative called instafreebie, which is also good, but I prefer the word ‘bookfunnel’! This wee wonder is a whole lot easier than putting files on your website (believe me, I’ve tried it!) and a lot more secure. It costs around $20 per year for the basic plan.

Oct 17 NOTE: Bookfunnel have just added bundling promos and a paid platform. The book promos are fab, I’ve done a few, with amazing results. They can format a book page so it looks beautiful! Here’s a link to Welcome to Faery, my freebie page so you can check it out.

9  Mailchimp – this is a newsletter and list management platform. It’s free for the first 2000 subscribers then ramps up quickly. It’s not that intuitive to use, but they have helpful videos. It took me ages to send my first email, but now it takes about 20 minutes. It works really nicely with book funnel, too, so I can add a link to my newsletter and a ‘download here’ button , and my subscribers can grab their giveaway. (Did I mention that I’m nice like that :)) *NOTE* I’m now over the 2K and MC is too expensive for me at $USD55 per month. I’m currently trialling Mailjet (approx $10USD per month). This tool is definitely not as good as Mailchimp. I know a lots of writers use Mailerlite, but Mailjet is about half the cost of Mailerlite.

10 WordPress.org – this is a website platform. Others are Wix and SquareSpace. Personally, I prefer wordpress, as it’s got a whole heap of additional plug ins that are very inexpensive. This website is a wordpress.org on a Genesis theme.

Websites aren’t free; you need to pay for the hosting and the domain name. But they’re very useful, and they are a lot of fun. Cost is dependant on the theme and whether or not you pay a developer. If you want a free solution, you can try Tumblr, wordpress.com or blogspot. (I’ve tried two of these, so have inserted links so you can see what you can do with them). However, after trying a few alternatives, I prefer a proper website.

11 Youtube – Nuff said.

12  Google analytics – this is super powerful reporting software. It’s not that easy to use — like most google products — but it’s very useful. Through analytics you can track whether or not people are looking at your site. You can see how they came to you (social, search, whatever) and you can see where they’re based. I know, for example, that most people find me through search or Facebook. Google analytics is free.

13  Yoast – this is a plugin, not an app. It’s free, and although it takes a while to figure out, is a super powerful way to ensure your site shows up on search engines. Did I mention that most people find me through search? Since I set up Yoast, I’ve had a doubling of traffic. If you need help setting it up, check on Youtube. There’s a whole heap of helpful videos.

14 SumoMe – the contact me field below and the pop-ups inviting you to download a fairytale for free are by SumoMe. This plug in is free for the basic plan. It takes a while to figure out (I watched a youtube video) but once learned, it’s easy to maintain. I’ve had this going for about 10 months, and have about 2 – 3 sign-ups per week on it.

15  My Book Progress – this is for fun, but I love it. It’s a free plugin, and helps you keep track of where you’re up to with your writing. If you click to my home page and scroll down, you’ll see what it looks like. – *1 Oct NOTE* – I’ve removed this now, as it seemed to slow down my site, but I kind of miss it :).

NEW – OCT 17

16  K-Lytics – this site offers lists of keywords and high-ranking Amazon categories. It’s not cheap, although there are free teaser trailers that you can review. If you’re a prolific writer, or have a whole lot of back-list books that you’re wondering what to do with, my feeling is this is a worthwhile investment. Alex Newton, who runs the site, is super helpful and very approachable if you have questions.

17 ABlurb – another writer kindly told me about this. This is the coolest, most basic tool I’ve yet discovered. Want to format your Amazon book description so it actually looks nice? As in, as nice as this website looks – with paragraph breaks, italics and larger headers? This tool does it for you! Just type in your words and use the html shortcodes below the tool to see how your description will look.

18 PublishDrive – an online book distribution company with a focus on European and non-English-speaking markets. The front facing platform took a little while to learn and the English of the support crew is a bit weird (they’re Hungarian). But I’ve actually made some sales on this platform, so hey! give it a try! You can access Google Books this way.

19 Adazing – Book marketing. This site has a free 3D ebook cover creator. You pop your email in, upload a pic of your book cover and hey presto, they email you a 3D book cover. Very nice. Only downside: the image is a low-res so you can’t use it as a big image, and of course you go onto their email list – you can unsubscribe tho. Here’s a sample of the image they produce:

Download The List

Tools That will save you time
Click on the image to download

But wait! There’s more!

Here’s some suggestions from other authors. I’ve not used these so I can’t make any comment their functionality or cost:

  • Smashwords publishing platform offers more online bookstores than D2D, apparently. I’ve not used S/W – I took one look at the website and my brain shouted: ‘Run away! Run far away!’
  • Scrivener. Again, I faded on this. But I know heaps of people use this writing software and love it.
  • Pro Writing Aid. I’ve not tried this yet, but it looks intriguing
  • Visme. Someone from this graphics tool got in touch, I’ve not tried it, but it looks interesting.
  • Pronoun. A book distribution supplier. I’ve not used this, but a lot of writers use it to access Google Play.

And that’s it — for the  meantime, anyway. This is a growing field so I imagine I’ll be updating this post in the future.

 

Any thoughts? Any other tools you’d recommend?

Disclosure: a couple of these links are affiliate links. My comments are made regardless of this linkages and I’ve only taken affiliates from products I’d recommend.

Writers! How to Avoid Poverty And Juggle a Day Job

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Avoid Poverty

How to Avoid Poverty And Still Write —

Some writers earn a lot of money from their books. The sad reality is that most do not. In my last post, I promised to share some of the mistakes I made in my quest to achieve an income from writing.

Fortunately, there is one mistake I failed to make – I never left my day job. I still work part-time, and probably will for as long as my workplace will have me!

Why do you need a day job?

Well, for a start, I need to eat! But I also enjoy my job – I have lovely colleagues, the work is always different, plus its a relief to step out of my head.

Perhaps one day I will earn enough so the day job isn’t so important. I certainly know other writers who earn a good salary from writing. However they’ll tell you that their success didn’t come overnight, and it didn’t come easy, and sometimes they miss their workplaces!

I just got a huge advance. So I don’t need to work!

Good for you! But before you get too excited, just remember: an advance is precisely that – an advance on earnings. It’s like an interest free loan. An advance does not equal cashflow and like all loans, it has to be repaid. And before you go squandering it – some publishing houses have taken authors to court to recoup their advances.

An acquiring editor of a large NYC house once told me: ‘we advise our authors to never give up their day job until they’ve sold at least three titles.’

I would suggest otherwise.

I would suggest don’t give up any day job until you’ve got sustainable income for at least three years, over multiple platforms.

Why so cautious?

Because writing is a tournament marketplace. And tournament marketplaces are tricky places to generate sustainable incomes in.

Tournament Marketplaces

Tournament marketplaces are characterised by:

  1. High numbers of players
  2. Low average earnings per player
  3. Very small number generating profits
  4. However, profits for a tiny number of players are extremely high
  5. These extremely high profits act as an incentive for new players to join the marketplace

Other examples of tournament markets include professional tennis players or (get this!) merchant bankers. Seriously. (I once read a whole economics paper on this. Personally, I would have thought merchant bankers did okay, but apparently not. Poor things… )

If you want to get rich, DON’T join a tournament market. Instead, be an engineer or a doctor, where both the average earnings and the profits per player are high.

Be Realistic

However, you may still have a dream of being a paid writer. Like me, you may even know in your head that the chances of making any money are incredibly low. So, if you decide to enter a tournament marketplace, do it with your eyes open.

That’s why I always say to start-out writers: keep the day job.Unfortunately, managing work and writing (especially when you’ve got kids) is challenging. I’ve tried it all: full-time, part-time and contract based. Here’s my thoughts on each option.

Day Job and Avoiding Poverty
From Will Write for Chocolate by Debbi Redpath Oh

Options for Day Jobs

1  Project-based work

Advantages:

  • If you’re self-employed, you can offset costs against your taxable income
  • You may have flexible hours
  • You can use times of paid work to save for times when you’re not working.

Disadvantages:

  • You don’t get paid holidays or sick leave
  • You can quickly get behind on income-related savings, such as superannuation payments.
  • You may need to take out income insurance
  • If you’re based at home, you may feel isolated
  • You’re vulnerable to marketplace changes

2  Part-time work

Advantages:

  • You get paid holiday, sick pay and colleagues
  • Superannuation schemes are maintained
  • You may be able to increase the hours worked if your boss has a shortage.
  • Your work may have skills/tools you can leverage to help your writing – like printers and reliable internet!

Disadvantages:

  • Salary levels of workers who traditionally look for part-time work (i.e. mothers with children) can be low
  • Not every workplace allows part-time work
  • You may be perceived as ‘less valuable’ to an organisation than your full-time colleagues.
  • Part-time hours can easily creep to full-time
  • Personally, I find it better to have a couple of writing days, and a couple of work days – this saves me having to juggle projects

3  Outsourced/Freelance

Advantages:

  • Very flexible.
  • You can, to a certain extent, set your own rates.
  • You can acquire work online. Platforms include: fiverr; upwork; yourVA.
  • Your costs are tax-deductible.
  • You may be able to leverage writing-related skill sets. For example: editing, marketing, copyediting.

Disadvantages:

  • You need to have a marketable skill set
  • You’ll be running a small business, so you’ll have to be comfortable with working as a business-person
  • You may be competing against low-wage economies. A designer based in Bangladesh has a lower cost of living than a designer in London.
  • Not all professions allow freelance work
  • It can be isolating
  • You may be vulnerable to platform changes or marketplace shocks
  • Payments may be lumpy, so cashflow can be a problem
  • Can take a while to gain traction

Learning to Juggle

Trying to write while working  a day job can be really, really tough. A writer with a day job has to learn to cope with a messy house and saying No. Here’s a tip: If you’re a working writer, do NOT join a PTA.

Do you have any tips for fitting in writing with a day job? How have you managed the juggle?

 

How to Make Money With Your Writing

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My Failure to Make Money…And What I Learned!

 

writer's notebook

The World of Books is Changing

Established publishers are going into receivership, being acquired by other publishers, or just … disappearing. Indie publishers are starting up. Writers are publishing their own work. On-line digital platforms, like Amazon, Smashwords, iBooks, stock more titles than any bricks and mortar bookshop could ever do. Readers, too, are changing. Book social media, like Goodreads and Wattpad are emerging powerhouses. Word of mouth has always sold books, but now there’s a new way to recommend. In this new landscape of freely available publishing, you’d think it would be easier than ever for a writer to make money. All a writer has to do is to bang a few thousand words onto a page, format it correctly, push the ‘publish’ button and bang, thousands of eager readers leap forward and voila – a bestseller is born!

Alas, the reality is quite, quite different.

My first novel, A Necklace of Souls, was received very well critically, even winning Best First Novel at the New Zealand Post Awards. But it earned me only a teeny, tiny amount. Barely enough to pay for ten weeks of groceries. Unfortunately, I need to eat for more than ten weeks a year! Critical success and good craft were just not enough. If I want to write full-time I need to earn more than ten weeks of groceries. I needed to earn fifty-two weeks! So:

In 2014, I set myself a challenge…

Within twelve months, I was going to try to turn a  hobby into a full-time business – that earned enough to allow me to eat all year round. I was going to give myself a stretch goal of one year, and just see what happens.

…And in 2017?

Dear reader — I was spectacularly unsuccessful!

However, I learned a lot. AND within twelve months of self-publishing my earnings were as much as my earlier year of being traditionally published. By 2016, I was able to eat for another ten weeks. Nah, don’t worry.  I didn’t starve. I have a day-job and a supportive husband.

 

A Second Tilt at the Windmill?

Over the next few months I’m embarking on a new series of posts: The Business of Writing. I’ll be talking about the publishing industry, market changes, trends and how to use these trends to set yourself up to turn a profit.  Some of the things I’ll talk about will be adaptations from an earlier material, which you can find here. I’ll be discussing some of the things I learned from my failure, and how I’m going to do things differently next time. Who knows, perhaps I might even get fifteen weeks of groceries this year!

Feel free to read along.

11 Tips To Help You Be a Better Writer

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How to Succeed as a Writer

This post sets out 11 tips for success that I wish I’d discovered earlier in my writing journey – and gives you practical hints on how to follow them.

writer's notebook
Image from Pixabay

This is a transcript of a talk I gave to the Waikato Children’s Literature Association back in 2013. The talk was so well received I thought I’d set it out as a blog post.

Plus, because it’s Friday, and I’m feeling generous :), I’ve remodeled the powerpoint and inserted it into the bottom of this post as a slide share (along with a pdf).

Shortcut links:

11 Tips to Help You Be a Better Writer.
11 Tips Unboxed – what they really mean
Slideshare and pdf

11 Tips to Help You Be a Better Writer

1. Read: Join a library/have a kindle account
2. Write what you want to read.
3. Believe in your stories
4. Discipline is another word for habit
5. Formal training helps
6. Know the rules before you break them
7. Join a writer’s group
8. Record your submissions
9. Don’t give up your day job
10. Be social
11. Retain the joy

The Tips Unboxed – what they really mean?

1. In the Beginning was the Word.

If you’re planning to write, you must read. Reading is like a work-out for writers. If you’re doing weight-training, you need to lift weights. And if you’re writing, you need to read. It really is that simple.

So it follows that first-time writers should have easy access to cheap books. Join a library, get a kindle account, find a good second-hand bookshop, steal from a friend. Read new-releases, not-so-new and frankly ancient. They’re all useful.

2. Know the market.

Some stores need to be told, while others are frankly…boring. Or they’ve been told already. You’ll only know this by reading – a LOT.

If you can’t find a book you want to read, chances are there could be a gap that only you can fill. But you’re only going to know the gaps if you know what is out there.

3. Believe in Yourself

I started to write because I had a story to tell, and I continued because I wanted to finish it. But writing the middle of a story is hard. that’s when the little voice inside you tells you that ‘you’re wrong’, ‘no-one wants to read your sh*t’, ‘why do you even bother?’ You need to keep believing, because books do not write themselves.

4. Continue the Journey

‘A novel is a very long piece of work,’ says Salman Rushdie in a massive understatement. But it’s true; it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and you need to keep going and going and going. The easiest way to do this, I find, is to not think about the deadline, but on the process.

I am very rut-focused. Once writing each day is a habit, it’s no longer something you have to tell yourself to do. It’s just part of your day.

5. Learning

Writing, like cabinet-making or knitting, is a craft. While you can teach yourself to knit or make furniture, having a teacher or mentor to call on makes the process much easier. A good teacher is a sounding-board, a librarian, an editor, a reviewer all rolled into one neat little package. While an MFA isn’t necessary, having formal training does help you avoid the worst pitfalls.

6. Editing and Reviewing

While there’s not such thing as perfect, it does help to understand the craft so well that you can break it with impunity. But the thing about breaking the rules is: you have to do it well. And you’ll only do that if you know what ‘right’ looks like, and if you have the necessary critical eye.

7. Learn from Others

Keeping a reading journal or a diary is all very well, but there’s nothing like bouncing ideas and angst off other writers. You can do this face to face or via social media, but believe me, it really helps. Some writer’s groups advertise in local libraries, others have twitter feeds or closed Facebook groups. Ask around, and see what works for you. One suggestion is: don’t join them all, or you won’t have time to write. Try a couple of groups first – if they’re a good group they’ll understand that you’re trying before buying – and see what is the best fit.

8. Grow a Confidence Suit? Or just Harden Up?

Rejections are inevitable, and boy they hurt. But sometimes, just sometimes, you get an acceptance. One tactic I’ve used is to note all my submissions in a spreadsheet. That way you can put in large red letters ‘ACCEPTED’. These red letters are a great confidence boost.

If it makes you feel better, the best writers have been rejected many, many times. Check out this great article about Marie Force, now a best-selling novelist, and the story of her rejections.
Personally, I think the difference between an okay writer and a really great one is the number of rejections – because in this industry persistence really is the key.

9. Story as Market: the Grim Statistics

The publishing industry is in a state of constant change. Actually, change is the only constant in publishing! Revenue for the Big 5 Publishers is declining, bookstores are closing, and the rise of new media – gaming, you-tube – reduces time for reading.

It’s also important to understand one thing about writing: the cashflow is terrible. Payments trickle in slowly, and generally it takes a fair number of books before one begins to make any kind of living. So unless you’re offered a substantial advance, you have to have a way of making money, and to make the same amount consistently and regularly. I strongly recommend: Do NOT give up your day job prematurely!

10. Be Social

If I had my time again, I would have started social media earlier. Why? Because social media allows you to interact directly with your readers. You’re not filtered through a bookstore or a publisher. Some writers are shy; most of us aren’t the most talkative folk (a gathering of writers is an interesting experience, with everyone watching each other for material!), many of us were born pre-internet, and most have day jobs. Keeping up with the web is time-consuming, and for some it’s frankly terrifying.

I’ve written more on social media in an earlier blog post, but mostly I’d say: don’t be shy. The majority of people are friendly. For every negative comment there are a hundred nice ones. And there’s nothing as cool as a note on your Facebook page saying “I loved your book!”

11. Enjoy the Ride

Having goals helps. Even if they’re not the most exciting (‘I will write 500 words tonight’), goals provide a sense of control over a craft that can, at times, feel uncontrollable. They provide direction and a feeling of achievement. On the days where writing feels hard, when the muse has turned her back and you’re tired of being alone (and poor), reviewing how far you have come can be a lot more helpful than worrying about how far you have to go. So set goals. Make them achievable and realistic and celebrate that you’ve met them before you move on to the next.

However, and this is the most important piece of advice for any writer:
Retain the joy.

In the end, we write because we have to; because we must. And because, of course, we cannot imagine doing anything else.

 

Want more information?

Check out the slideshare:

And here is the link to the pdf of this post, in case you want to read off-line.

How to Market Your Book (without feeling like a salesman)

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How to Market Your Book —

Marketing seems to freak out many writers, me included!

writer's notebook
Notebook – Image from Pixabay

I guess it’s because we’re generally introverts who are happiest alone or in small groups – the thought of engaging with strangers to talk about a deeply personal work just doesn’t come naturally.

(Before I write a bit more, a big shout-out to all the salesmen and women who work ethically and professionally. You’re not who I’m talking about. I’m talking about the dodgy folk who prey on the elderly and vulnerable. No-one wants to feel like that.)

This is the third post in a series of three on selling your rights and publishing, sparked by a recent radio interview with Vanda Symon on Otago Access Radio. You can check out the first of these posts here (or you can listen to the podcast!)

 

5 Steps to Marketing Your Book

1. Know your audience.

If you don’t have an audience, think about the audience you want. It helps if you can get really specific here: not just male/female and age, but where they live and what are their interests; where they hang out, and who their influencers are.

Marketers call this ‘building an avatar’ – not a big blue alien, but an ideal customer. This has never worked for me, because being a writer, I have an extremely fertile imagination – and an avatar has to be reasonably accurate (i.e. not imaginary) to be useful.

Instead, I think of my two most passionate fans (that aren’t related to me:)) I don’t stalk them, obviously, but I know roughly how old these two fans are, where they hang out (facebook, goodreads, instagram, blogs etc) and I know what they like to read.

I develop content for ONLY these two fans. I call them K and N.

Quick side-note: if you’re new to writing, or you’re not really sure who your biggest fans are, then have a look at this podcast on the Author Hangout. Here you’ll find a quick step-by-step guide to developing a reader profile.

 

2. Develop content for your audience.

Every blog post is written for either K or N. (Except this one, although K might find it interesting). Every post on social media is designed for them. My only criteria about each post is: would K or N like this? (This approach also MAKES me sit down and write my current WIP, because I know that the thing they most want from me is my next book.)

Share your content. When I’ve developed content, like this blog post, I go onto twitter or facebook or whatever, and I say, hey, I’ve made this! I don’t say ‘Hey N, here’s another post just for you,’ – that’s kind of weird. But often one or the other will pick it up and share it or retweet or whatever, and I love that, because it means I’ve done something that makes them happy.

 

3. Marketing Through Sharing Love

It took me a long time to learn this approach, and I’ve only just started working like this since the beginning of March. But since then interest in my blog is going up and downloads of my books are increasing. Why? Because it’s not just N and K buying my books – hell, I’ve given them my books – it’s because there’s enough people out there like N and K, and they also like the same material.

I am really, really grateful to N and K for their support and I want to deliver more content that makes them happy. It’s just a side benefit that other people like it too.

I’ve summarised this approach in a pdf, which you’re welcome to download.

Before I wrap up this extra-long post here’s a couple of things to consider.

 

4. Social Media is Not Essential

Don’t be spammy. Don’t stalk. Be compassionate, respectful and behave like a normal human.

Marketing doesn’t mean you have to slather yourself in social media. Old-fashioned print or radio works too.

If your fans don’t live online you may not even need a website (although I would, but that’s another post for another day); the point is, once you know who your fans are, you can design your marketing to serve their needs. Robert Free meets his fans through sending a ballad to Radio New Zealand every day. It seemed to take Robert AGES to get his website up and running, but I’m not sure this really mattered; he was already meeting his audience through radio.

Play to your strengths. If your fans are out and about on a variety of different channels – like blogs, youtube, instagram – chose the channels that suit you best. I like taking photos and I’m totally in love with my iphone, so instagram works well for me.

Kyle Mewburn, who writes books for kids, is a natural entertainer and has a youtube channel. This suits her fans, too, because teachers and parents can play it for their kids.

Finally, although I say you don’t need to be involved in social media, it sure helps you to meet more readers than traditional media. And unless you’re running adverts, social media is free. (As a side note, if you are thinking of running ads on social media, check out Mark Dawson’s Facebook training videos. They’re free, and are almost guaranteed to save you a ton of money.) It always saddens me when I hear (usually older) writers say “oh no, I don’t get facebook.” They’re missing out on an opportunity to hear and connect with readers, and surely, that is why we write, isn’t it?

 

5. Writing is Connection

Which takes me back to the beginning of this three-part series of blog posts: Why do we write? For me, it’s to connect; to share; to provide enjoyment. Writing, actually, is not about me. It’s about my reader.

Thanks for sticking with me through this incredibly long post. If you have any questions, please get in touch.Here’s a summary as a slide-deck:

 

And thanks again, Vanda and Otago Access Radio, who sparked this series of posts. Now you’ve navigated your way to the end of them, here’s the link again to the podcast interview. I hope you enjoy!