Читать книгу How to Self-Publish for Under $100 - Cinquanta Cox-Smith - Страница 6
ОглавлениеEver had a goal that you thought was out of reach, but you somehow ended up living that dream? Well, that’s pretty much how I became an Amazon Best Selling Author. I’m Cinquanta, and I have self-published twelve books and created a residual income by following my dreams. I’m not here to tell you how easy it is or that you can magically have a book written in thirty days and become a millionaire. Nope, I want to save you the agony of getting your hopes up only to be let down by the harsh reality of self-publishing. I do want to be able to show you how to self-publish on a very tight budget. You can still create something beautiful without a lot of money. Most authors who have never written anything in their lives start with a small income. You will have to be committed and sacrifice a few things to get your project off the ground, but the valuable information I will share with you could save you from spending hundreds of dollars that you won’t make back.
My friend Diane can tell you a thing are two about self-publishing:
It’s been six months since I published my first book on Amazon. I thought I’d be well on the way to notoriety, infamy and gazillionaire status (also known as being able to quit my day job) by now. I thought I would write my books, publish them, and the dollars would start rolling in. I would bask in the glory of being an author, with actual published books (well, electronic ones anyway,) and I’d be invited to conferences and summits and to guest present at seminars and workshops and on radio shows, and everyone in the entire world would be keen to hear what I had to say about my books and this self-publishing lark.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I am but an insignificant and powerless grain of sand waiting to be washed away into oblivion by the relentless Amazon tide.
It’s quite depressing, because I know I can write, and I know I write well, and I know that readers love what I write, but standing out in an extremely crowded marketplace without spending a gazillion dollars on promotion is quite tricky. No one tells you about that. Well, they probably do, but as humans we often won’t do it, this information has been blocked out and buried, not least by me.
So this post is, in part, about addressing the dearth of information about what it’s really like to self-publish, because according to practically everyone, Amazon is a goldmine. Except it isn’t, not in my experience anyway. And it’s because I’ve approached it the wrong way and by the wrong way, I mean being clueless about it all.
1. Make sure you do your research
2. Don’t skip the launch of your book
3. Don’t rely on the first book of a series to sell the rest
4. Misunderstanding the review process
5. Get your calls to action right
6. Don’t skimp on promotion
I thought self-publishing would be easier than it is. And by easier, I mean not as hard to get traction and a foothold in the market. Six months in, I thought I’d be much further advanced than I am. Granted, I’ve learned a lot, and I can use this knowledge with any subsequent books I release, BUT I can’t help feeling that I’ve lost momentum in the six months I’ve spent wandering dazed and confused around the Amazon wasteland.
If I had my time again, I would have done a lot more research about what is required to be a successful author on Kindle; but hopefully, after reading this post, you’ll go in the direction I should have gone.
Instead, I got caught up with the exciting idea that I was an author, even if I was a self-published one…
- Diane
You see, we all get in over our heads, and there are probably tons of books that will tell you how to be a best-seller, or how to write a book in seven days. You know what they leave out: trusting others with your ideas and budget. I’m all for getting help, but what happens when business deals go wrong? These are the stories I want you to hear before you take this journey. I want you to know that the steps I provide for you are tried and true. I’ve made mistakes myself, and my fellow self-published authors are sharing their stories to let you know they have also made mistakes and failed attempts.
My best piece of advice comes from my own failed experience. When working to promote one of my books, I hired a social media/public relations firm to help with promotions. We did have a signed contract, and things were going smoothly for the first several months, after which things started to degrade. Posts and emails would be sent with my signature without approval or with misspellings or information I wasn’t looking to share. The biggest fail came when I got a bill for several hundred dollars more than I had budgeted for graphics, because the individual kept outsourcing the graphic and promotional work without approval. We tried to reach out and settle the difference, but each time I was referred to the bill, and the graphic company had several overdue statements that I was not aware off. Everything has been settled now, and that relationship has unfortunately been terminated. It was a tough and expensive lesson to learn, but now I know more about business, contracts, and staying on top of vendors who have spending control.
-TS Krupa
When we have this vision of being an Author, we do some research, but reading information without actually trying something leaves a large gray area for the what ifs.
Here’s another fail story from one of my fellow authors:
I knew nothing about self-publishing when I decided to book this blog and publish it as the Love & Other Stuff series. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Actually, that’s not true. I knew nothing about self-publishing (other than I’m quite IT savvy so how hard could it be?) and a bit about publishing (as in I’ve been rejected by both major and minor publishers alike, and I read published books). What I did know was that I wanted to publish, and more importantly, with the tools that are currently available, could publish. And publish I did: two books down and four more to go, plus an infinite number of possibilities for Love & Other Stuff. And a whole lot of other writing and publishing projects demanding my attention.
The good thing about publishing one book, though, is that when you start the second, you know more than you did when you began this crazy adventure and the whole process gets easier. From designing the cover, to collating my content, to editing, to understanding e-book file types, to uploading my book, to marketing, I’m much more efficient and confident. And much less scared.
(Actually, if anyone tells you that self-publishing isn’t a scary kind of caper to be involved in, they’re either lying or stupid or both. It’s all kinds of scary. You have your work—you!— right out there with no protection, no safe cover, no camouflage, waiting to be judged by readers. And judged you will be. From people disliking your cover and your structure and your pacing and your font and your editorial choices to schadenfreude over a missed typo and derision and/or disappointment over not doing a print run—you will be judged! Lucky for me, I’ve been blogging for a while, so my hide is reasonably tough. For those of you hitting the publish button for the first time, well, I feel your pain. And anguish. And vulnerability.)
Part of my journey included incorporating the learnings of other self-publishers who had gone before me, and who generously shared their own experiences via their books and blogs. These included the dreaded tax requirements of the IRS when sorting out Amazon and Smashwords payments for non-U.S. residents, to Kindle’s blurred cover issues, to Amazon’s missing reviews, to setting up my MailChimp opt-in on my blog.
- Lilly Shore
Does it make it easier for you when someone outlines all her fails for you? I want you to really read these stories and understand that self-publishing is worth it when things start to roll. I want you to understand that this is a decision that will change the way you think. I don’t want you to just take my word for it, and that’s why I have included these self-publishing fail stories; the information I will provide for you to create your book within your budget will save you the hundreds of dollars that these authors have lost.
“Self-publishing is so easy.”
“My friend is making so much money as a self-published writer.”
“Self-publishing means you make all the money.”
Does this sound familiar? These are comments I heard many times when I was debating whether to self-publish.
I’m an Australian romance writer and had been writing and learning my craft for nine years before I made the momentous decision to self-publish. Had I known how hard it would be, I may not have ventured into this demanding and difficult world.
Yes, it turns out self-publishing is hard. Hard, as in really, really hard. All those authors who “seem” to be making money so easily are actually working hard. And because I listened to this so called great advice, I made mistakes, a lot of mistakes.
Let’s zip back to July 2015 when I put my debut novel, Falling for Mr. Wrong, on Amazon, Barnes, and Noble, iTunes, and Kobo. Okay, let’s celebrate, woo hoo, as I’m now a published author. But did I make any sales? Not much. A few friends kindly bought my book, but really, it just languished there.
On Amazon, it started with a good placing and then it dropped and dropped some more, till it became buried in the hundreds of thousands of Kindle paid books where it was unlikely to be seen again.
Think about it. Most readers will look at the top one hundred to two hundred books to buy before they do something else. They’re not going to find you at 798,123!!!!
The few sales I had from friends and family helped, but there was no way I was even close to recovering the cost of editing, formatting, and the cover (approximately $1000).
My self-publishing fails:
Fail #1 – listening to the wrong people and believing that self-publishing would make me a well-known author. Fail!
Fail #2 - try before outlaying a wad of cash. I was recommended an editor, so I gave her four books to edit. Turned out, she wasn’t the editor for me. Nice person, but not the editor I needed. This mistake cost $2000!!! (I had to re-edit those four books with a different editor.)
Fail #3 – work with people who respect you and your deadlines. I worked with a cover artist recommended to me. Not only did she turn out to be super expensive, but she stopped answering emails, didn’t do the job, and I almost missed a deadline. A mistake that cost $150 and an almost missed deadline.
Fail #4 – expecting your writing friends and colleagues in the industry will support you like you supported them. There is no cost to this except for hurt feelings and a wonder why your friends are not there for you.
Fail #5 – paying way too much for promotions. Companies are there to make money and not sell your book. Don’t be sucked in by their spiel. They don’t care how many books you sell once you’ve paid to be a part of their promo. This mistake cost me $300.
Sure, anyone can put a book on Amazon. You can even save costs by doing the editing, formatting, and cover yourself. What now? Who’s going to buy your book? Most likely no one.
Some writers try some unethical practices to get their Amazon ranking higher. However, I’m not focusing on that, because my advice is for writers who are genuinely interested in selling a quality book/s.
To be a successful self-published writer, you have to do more than write. Even a well-written book will get buried in all the other books on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and B&N, unless you treat it as a business.
Look at my fun romance, Falling for Mr. Wrong. It had been professionally edited, formatted, and had a beautiful cover. Why weren’t readers snapping it up? It’s a good read, a quality romance. The great reviews I’ve received confirm that.
It’s not being snapped up because there are way too many great books on Amazon. It’s a massive site, and like the other online retailers, it’s not easy for readers to find and buy your book unless they are specifically searching for you.
There is no one place to find information on how to self-publish. You may get snippets of information, but it’s not easy, as each country has different procedures.
My advice for writers interested in self-publishing is:
1. Accept you need to outlay money if you want a quality book.
2. Your friends and family may not buy your book, nor leave a review for you.
3. There’s no quick rich scheme to self-publishing.
4. Successful self-published authors treat it as a business.
5. Self-publishing is hard.
6. Self-publishing is hard (yes, I did repeat it, because it is).
It’s not all doom and gloom—you can do well, but it takes time, money, and a lot of work. You need to be realistic about the effort required.
The keys to being a successfully self-published writer are:
1. You have a quality book.
2. Your book is professionally edited, formatted, and with a decent cover.
3. You have a good-sized subscriber list and email them one to two times a month.
4. You’re writing the next book.
5. You promote your books through paid and unpaid promotions.
6. You work collaboratively with other writers.
7. You are active on social media.
By December 2016, I will have seven books available in both print and e-book format. My sales rankings are good, I have excellent reviews on all my books, and I have a subscriber list in the thousands. All of this was achieved in less than eighteen months.
How did I do this? There is no simple answer, but the big thing I did was to seek advice and learn from experts.
Yes, there are very successful authors out there who generously share their advice… for a cost. As they should. They give hours of assistance in understanding the online retailers, advising how to promote your book, appreciating the complexities of the self-publishing landscape, and tips on promotions.
If you’re interested, check out Joanna Penn, Marie Force, Nick Stephenson, and Mark Dawson. There are plenty of others, but these are the writers who have not only helped, but also inspired my “overnight success” (which took ten years).
-Joanne Dannon
Now, that you’ve heard all of the terrible things that could happen when you don’t have the proper guidance, I want to guide you through the self-publishing process for under $100. I have some great suggestions, tips, and tricks that will have you feeling like you’ve left the library. I want to give you information you can use right away. I get overwhelmed when I read how-to books; when you’re just an average person trying to become an author, complicated tools and resources aren’t helpful to beginners.
I want you to have this book be your bookmark, Google, Bible, your ultimate workbook. So, now that you know a little bit more about my mission and why I wrote this book, let’s begin on your path to becoming a pretty darn good self-published author.
/ Legal Notes
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior consent of the author, and only brief quotes used in reviews. Please contact info@cinquantacoxsmith.com
Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at present time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.
It should be noted that there is no magic trick that will make you a New York Times best-seller.
Following the advice in this book could help you through the writing process. On the other hand, it may not, and you could find yourself back at square one. So, regardless of the claim I just made—and the claims I made on the cover, back cover, and throughout this book—I make no claims. Use my advice and methods at your own risk. Don’t blame me or the publisher for anything that does not get fixed trying to implement the advice in this book. If things work out well for you, please write a long 5-star review on Amazon about how much my advice and methods helped you. Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get on with How to Self-Publish for Under $100.
