I attended a book launch in July 2023, for a debut novel set in Tasmania. When Q&A came around, I asked the author: “what’s next?” She said she was already working on a new novel, but it wasn’t related, although she may put one of the characters from the last book into the next book.
“Like an Easter egg,” the moderator said. “Where you bring other characters from another book into a completely new story”.
The lightbulb in my head went on. It’s like someone finally explained to me how my brain works.
First, let me explain first what an ‘Easter Egg’ is, in case you’re not aware of the term. In literary terms, ‘Easter eggs’ are a little extra something that authors hide in their books for their fans to find. It can be a character, a place, an object, or a bit of dialogue.
But I’ve never thought of ‘Easter Eggs’ in a literary sense. Some of my themes, motifs, whatever you want to call them, would be classed as ‘Easter eggs’. For example, when I use the nickname “sweetness” in every book, it’s technically an ‘Easter egg’.
THE DECISIONS WE MAKE is not set on the Camino de Santiago, but in Tasmania. The Camino wisdom is woven into the story, but not in an obvious way. There are characters from CAMINO WANDERING in the book, but they aren’t the primary characters. The book is a standalone novel.
But I kept being told that I had to write a series. “It’s the only way to be successful as a writer,” I was told – repeatedly.My intuition was telling me otherwise – and you know something? I should have listened to my instincts.
When I did some research of my own, I discovered that writing series is popular with fantasy, science fiction, thrillers… but not so much with women’s fiction. When I look at some of the authors I love, whose books I devour, I realised that most of them are standalone books.
Plus, I’m beginning to realise that I’m not a series writer. I love standalone. When I think of my novel FINDING THE WAY (2024), I don’t want it to follow the same path (no pun intended) as CAMINO WANDERING. I need Merritt (the main character) to find another way for herself. There may be other characters from other novels (hello ‘Easter Eggs’) but it will be a standalone novel. Not connected to CAMINO WANDERING. Not connected to THE DECISIONS WE MAKE. And now I know that, I’m finding strength in the story now.
But this is what I love about self-publishing. I can make changes when it makes sense to do so. Sure, I have books already published that will need updating. New covers, disassociating them from each other etc… And those are time-consuming changes, but it feels right doing this.
My footing feels solid with this plan.
Besides, maybe a reader will read one of my books and wonder, “I wonder what else she has written?”
CAMINO WANDERING did not start out to be a fiction novel. It was originally intended to be a memoir of my own Camino wanders. I walked 800km from St Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela, solo in 2018. Then I walked the same path again the following year, this time with my husband. (Hence why my husband calls me, lovingly, a Camino Tragic.)
After writing my memoir, some ninety thousand words, I realised quickly that it was a boredom fest. Even I was bored by it. I mulled it over a while, thinking about how I write about this life-changing experience and have it not only be interesting but something people would enjoy.
Then it came to me. Almost everyone who has walked the Camino has seen the Martin Sheen/Emilio Estevez movie, THE WAY. The movie is even a hot topic on many Camino focused Facebook pages. And, after watching it again myself for the hundredth time, I realised if people watch and admire that movie, which is a fictional tale, then maybe a fiction novel set on the Camino Francés was not a crackpot idea after all.
So, I sat back down, took some of my own experiences – the stories and places that stuck with me – and created robust characters and wove together a fictional tale.
Publishing it was a whole other endeavour.
Most books about the Camino are published either by a religion-based publishing company, since it’s traditionally a religious pilgrimage, or the books are self-published.
With CAMINO WANDERING, one of my characters questions the doctrines of the Catholic Church because of her own experiences. Plus, there is swearing throughout the book (realistic for anyone who walks it, in my opinion). Because of those two reasons, I knew a religious publisher would not go near the book. Add in, I’m a bit of a control freak, so self-publishing seemed to fit well for me. So, there you have it. That’s how my self-publishing journey began and how I saved the world from another boring memoir!
Have you heard of the Camino de Santiago? Have you walked a route to Santiago, or plan to?
Over the last three years, I’ve been deeply involved with the Tasmanian Indie Author Group. It’s a diverse group of talented writers with a wide range of skills and experience as independent authors. I can say this: We love what we do, and we do it with passion.
As self-published authors, we receive a lot of questions from writers either new to self-publishing, or undecided which publishing path to take. The questions we receive tend to be consistent. So, with the assistance of the Tasmanian Indie Author group, the Self-Publishing FAQ was created. This blog post covers all aspects of self-publishing.
I’ve finished drafting my novel. Now what?
Editing
Do I need an editor?
Yes. Yes. And… yes.
Every author, no matter how good they think they are with spelling and grammar needs an editor. You overlook a lot.
Before you send any draft to an editor, listen to your book (MS Word even gives you the option to do this). You’ll catch a lot by doing this.
Only once you are proud of what you have put into words, when you think it’s the best it can be, should you then send to an editor.
Where can I find an editor?
Check out the Acknowledgments section of books in your genre. Most authors will thank their editors. Google them. See if they are taking new clients.
Reedsy have a comprehensive list of over 2000 editors. The Institute of Professional Editors offer a searchable list of freelance editors (members of the IPEd).
Facebook groups are also a great source. Find one you are comfortable in and ask the authors within those groups who they recommend.
What type of editor do I need?
There are four main types of editors. Some editors encompass all of the roles, although most don’t.
Jane Friedman has a great blog post that explains the difference:
Developmental Editor“Just get it down on paper, and then we’ll see what to do with it.” —Max Perkins A developmental editor will help you answer the big questions: What is this book about? Who is it for? Why am I the right person to write it? What’s the best way to structure my argument? What do I need to make sure is included? What needs to be left out? If you don’t know the answers to those questions, or think you don’t need to, you need a developmental editor.
Substantive Editor A substantive editor will be editing your complete draft from a 30,000-foot, global perspective. Like a developmental editor, they’re going to be focused on the big-picture stuff like genre, theme, character/point of view, structure, pacing, and depth of research. If you want feedback, course correction, and encouragement as you write, you want a developmental editor; if you want to chart your own course and then be shown where and how to improve later, you want a substantive editor.
Copy Editor
Copy editors are laser-focused on the finer points of your manuscript, such as word choice, syntax, factual accuracy, repetition, inconsistencies, grammar, style, spelling, and repetition. (You’re welcome.)
Proofreader
Proofreaders are the final gatekeepers between your book and the rest of the world. They’re the fresh pair of eyes you need when neither you nor your other editors can see the typos anymore
For self-publishing on a budget, you are best to have one editor perform the developmental/substantive work, and a second do the copy editing/proofreading.
Book Covers
Should I hire a cover designer?
What you want to accomplish is a professionally published book. Can you create a cover yourself to look as polished as a traditionally published one? If the answer is no, then hire a cover designer. This is recommended for 99% of self-published authors, unless you have graphic design experience.
To find a good cover designer, look at books in your genre. The author will usually list the cover designer on their copyright page or in their acknowledgements.
Publishing
What is the difference between self-publishing, small press, hybrid, and traditionally publishing?
Self-publishing – publishing the book yourself, from start to finish (including formatting and uploading the book).
Small press/hybrid publishing – paying someone to publish your book for you.
Traditional publishing – working under a contract, where they handle most of the publishing role.
What are the benefits to self-publishing over publishing through a small press or traditional publisher?
Writers must consider the timeline when publishing, and how comfortable they are to release control of their draft (aka their baby) to someone else.
We’ve heard all kinds of stories from authors who have gone the traditional or small press/hybrid route:
– submitting their book to a traditional publisher and never hearing back. – submitting to a traditional publisher and being told they need to change major elements of their storyline for the publisher to even consider publishing the book. – taking years to publish the book after submitting it to a traditional publisher. – paying thousands – yes, thousands – of dollars for a small press to publish their book and then being ghosted. – being locked into a contract for three to five years, with no rights to the book for that duration (small press and traditional). – taking a year (or more) to get their first royalty check after publication. – not hearing much from the publisher once the book is published.
Benefits to self-publishing include:
There are no gate keepers, such as literary agents or publishers. You are in complete control of every step of the publishing journey with self-publishing.
Complete control of the publishing process. Authors can choose to work with cover designers, copywriters etc… to bring their vision to ‘print’. Or they can do these tasks themselves (although an editor is still recommended).
Higher returns. When a book is traditionally published, authors need to sell enough books to ‘pay off’ the advance the publisher has provided. When a book is published through a small publisher, the author may not see the royalties for a year.Add in, literary Agents take a commission from traditionally published author’s royalties, in addition to the traditional publishers’ and small publishers’ commissions. eBooks are more profitable than paperbacks, which are more profitable than hardbacks. With self-publishing, an eBook delivers about 70% in royalties. With a paperback, it’s anywhere from 40-60%. In traditional and small press publishing, royalties can be as low as 5% on paperback and 20% on eBooks sales. Unfortunately, printing costs in Australia are outrageous compared to the rest of the world. (A paperback will cost anywhere from $4- $7 in the US to print a trade paperback, whereas it’s closer to $8-$13 in Australia). Example: An Australian author will receive a $2.50 royalty on a $3.99 eBook, and approx. $7 on a $24.99 paperback – if they do Print-on-Demand through a printer and distributor such as IngramSpark. If an author sells to a bookshop, providing books directly to the bookshop, they must also factor in shipping. Example: Take that $24.99 paperback. With direct distribution to a bookshop, that royalty goes down to $1-$2. That’s where the Tasmanian Indie Author group comes in. We work with Fullers in Hobart, by providing a list of new releases from our self-published community. If the book is something Fullers are interested in, they will order directly through IngramSpark. It’s a win-win for all concerned.
Readers. With a professional-looking book, including a professionally designed cover and well-written blurb on the back cover, readers cannot tell the difference between self-published and traditionally published books. The quality of printing available to self-published authors is now equal to the traditionally published books.
Am I better off paying someone else to do the design, formatting and uploading to the different online platforms? (aka using a small press hybrid publisher.)
This can be answered by asking yourself the following questions:
> Is this a hobby for you?
> Are you publishing this book for your friends and family?
> How many books are you planning to publish?
> How comfortable are you with technology?
If you only plan on publishing one book for your friends and family, self-publishing can be done inexpensively for your needs. However, if you don’t wish to invest too much time or money, you could find a reputable hybrid publisher to assist.*
If you are wanting to publish multiple books, investing the time to learn about self-publishing, as well as the right tools and resources, is worth your time.
If you aren’t afraid to learn new things, there is a plethora of information out there that can help you on your self-publishing journey, as can the Tasmanian Indie Author Group.
*We encourage you NOT to publish through a small press, as we hear more horror stories than success stories. But, like everything, there are gems out there. If you ask the Tasmanian Indie Author group on Facebook, you should be to find a reputable company, as well as advice of which small press publishers to stay clear of. But this post is not about small press publishers. 😉
What is IngramSpark? Should I publish there? Should I publish my eBook through Ingram/Lightning Source?
IngramSpark is a print-on-demand (POD) distribution service. Books (paperback and hardback) are only printed as they are ordered by a customer. Which means the author does not need to stock a large number of books themselves. IngramSpark also handle eBooks, but we recommend that you go directly to the seller platforms (Amazon, Kobo, Apple etc) to upload your eBook files, rather than using IngramSpark. Going direct to these platforms means you have access to all of their promotional opportunities, which you will not do if going through an aggregate.
IngramSpark handle the distribution of your paperbacks and hardbacks, making them available worldwide to book buyers. Amazon does offer its own paperback POD service, but those books will only be available to Amazon’s customers. If you use IngramSpark to distribute your paperbacks they will still appear for sale on Amazon, but they will also be accessible to bookshops and libraries for ordering. With your own ISBN, any book shop or library can find your book on IngramSpark and buy copies.
Is it better to self-publish paperbacks or just eBooks?
With the arrival of eBooks talk of the demise of paperbacks began. But although there is much debate over the sales figures (traditional publishers are often not forthcoming with accurate figures) there is really nothing to suggest a decline in reader appetite for paperbacks. They are still in high demand and show no sign of not continuing to be so. EBooks are an easy way to get your book out there, and a good way to dip your toes into the self-publishing world, but it is highly recommended to offer paperback versions of all your books. Each purchase option for a reader is another stream of income for the author.
Should I publish my paperback through Amazon?
Yes. Paperbacks sell well on Amazon. As mentioned in the information on IngramSpark, you can either go through Amazon directly for your paperbacks or use a printer/distributor such as IngramSpark. At the time of writing this, there seem to be no differences in print quality between the two.
Should I accept Amazon exclusivity? (Publishing via Kindle Unlimited)?
This is a question that will become easier to answer once you understand your genre. Some genres are far more successful in Kindle Unlimited than others.
Kindle Unlimited (KU) is an eBook subscription service for readers, which pays authors by the page-read. But Amazon have strict rules about exclusivity.
Kindle Unlimited means you cannot offer your book elsewhere but Amazon, which may cut off a large portion of your readership. It also means you are relying on a sole marketplace for your author income. Keeping all your eggs in one basket, so to speak. This is a strategy that comes with its own risks.
You commit to a 90-day period of exclusivity when you put your book in Kindle Unlimited, which means your eBook cannot be sold anywhere else, which includes your own website. The book can be removed after 90 days or you can continue on in Kindle Unlimited.
Should I publish my eBook direct through the digital platforms or should I use an aggregate, like Draft2Digital?
Using an aggregate can make the whole self-publishing process for eBooks simpler at the outset. It means you only have to upload your eBooks to one site.
Draft2Digital is a recognised and respected aggregate who can distribute your books to all major retailers, Amazon included. But as mentioned in the section for IngramSpark (who offer similar services to D2D) using an aggregate will hinder your promotional opportunities. All the major retailers such as Kobo, Google, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon want authors to use them directly. So, many of their marketing/promotion opportunities are only offered to those authors who hold direct accounts.
You may wish to start out by using a service such as D2D to distribute to all retailers, but it is recommended that you eventually go direct to platforms such as Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Google, and Amazon.
However, please note that does not mean abandoning D2D altogether! Apple has a strong eBook market, but their author dashboard is difficult to navigate. Many authors use D2D to manage their Apple sales.
Also, D2D offer access to a huge range of other retailers that are not accessible directly for most authors, such as large European retailers such as Tolino and Vivlio. D2D also offer access to the worldwide library platform, Overdrive, and Draft2Digital has recently merged with Smashwords.
Costs
How much does it cost to self-publish a book (not including advertising)?
Editing
Anywhere from $500 – $5000, depending on type of editing and experience of the editor. The average is around 2 cents (AUD) per word.
Copy Writing – Back cover and blurbs
You can hire someone to write the copy for you or do it yourself. Bryan Cohen (U.S.) at Best Page Forward, or Jessie Cunniffe (Australian) at Book Blurb Magic are great places to start.
Professional photographs, BISAC codes, keywords. If the resulting photograph is of high quality and looks professional, a friend can take it with their phone. Otherwise, spend the money to have a professional photograph done for marketing purposes. BISAC codes are what retailers and booksellers use to determine in which category to place your book on their website, or where to shelve it in their bookstore. This takes time to research and determine, but you need this for when submitting to IngramSparks. Keywords are used to find your book. They’re used when uploading to the distribution outlets as well as marketing.
$0 – $200
Interior formatting
$0 – $400 for professional help or software (Vellum is $AUD 380, Atticus is $AUD 220)
ISBNs and barcodes. ISBNs and barcodes can be purchased through Thorpe-Bowker at https://www.myidentifiers.com.au. ISBN: ISBNs are the global standard for identifying books. They simplify book distribution, inventory tracking, and purchase, and improve the chances that a book will be found and sold. An ISBN identifies one specific version of a book; each version of a book, print or digital, requires its own ISBN. Each edition also requires it’s own ISBN. Barcode: Barcodes are used on physical books, allowing them to be machine read, and facilitating automated sales and inventory tracking – a requirement for most large retailers. When you get your barcodes from Thorpe-Bowker, the only official Australian ISBN Agency, you can be sure they meet the latest book publishing industry requirements.
It costs $AUD88 for 10 ISBNs and $45 per barcode. You can buy ISBNs individually.
Cover art
$0-$500 per cover.
Distribution
How do I get a retail bookstore to buy my indie published book? Do they have any in-house criteria?
The criteria is dependent on the book shop. We recommend creating a media kit showcasing you (author) and your new release. Examples for media kits can be found with a quick Google search or on a platform like CANVA. Once you have a media kit, approach the book shop directly.
The only exception to this is with Fullers Bookshop in Hobart, Tasmania. The Tasmanian Indie Author group have a direct relationship with Fullers Bookshop. If you’d like to know more, please join the TIA mailing list. We send an email once a month to the mailing list, asking for information on new releases. This goes directly to the book buyer at Fullers, who then reviews and orders directly, either through IngramSpark or through the author.
In order to see your book appear on library shelves, you can approach your local library directly and ask them to stock your paperback, where they may provide you with the applicable department to contact. You may need to order copies of your books through your preferred POD service (such as IngramSpark) and provide the books directly to the library. Alternatively, the library may wish to order copies through a local bookshop.
For eBooks, Draft2Digital offers access to Overdrive which is a worldwide database for libraries. Your eBook can be available to libraries through this service, although the libraries still have to request the addition of your title. It will not automatically appear on their list.
Please note, in Australia, at time of writing, there are no royalties offered on library eBooks. For print copies, there is a one-time payment, with the price decided by the author and accepted by the library. However the Australian government has set up the ‘Australian Lending Rights Scheme’ which enables authors/artists to seek compensation on works held by public and educational lending libraries. As a self-published author, you can seek compensation as both an author and a publisher, as long as you have a registered business (ABN).
Marketing
Marketing Reality
Traditional publishers will offer publicity assistance to their authors at launch. But once the book is launched, traditionally published authors manage their own marketing. These include writing newsletters and blog posts, managing their social media platforms etc… everything indie authors do.
There is a saying that indie authors spend 20% of the time writing, and 80% of the time marketing. While true, it can be made easier once you are established. But this post isn’t about marketing books. 😉
How do I overcome my aversion to self-promotion to be able to handle marketing and distribution?
Selling your book comes down to a couple of important things:
> For your Book: a good cover, a solid back cover/blurb and a solid number of reviews
> For you: Thinking of it as sharing your story rather than promoting your book.
Most authors tend to be introverts. Fortunately, there are good resources that can help with this.
For example: – Marketing can be done without showing your face. – The Tasmanian Indie Author group helps with the distribution by working with Fullers, providing them with a list of Tasmanian Indie Authors new releases each month. – You can advertise through Facebook and Amazon. There are plenty of online resources to help you learn how to do this – And for those willing to try their hand at meeting their readers face to face, the Tassie Indie Authors Book Fair is the perfect opportunity.
What is the most effective marketing strategies for self-published books?
> Know your ideal reader and where they hang out.
> Be engaged with your community.
> Be Consistent. Form a marketing strategy and stick to it. Give it time to be successful.
Just to note, marketing is a WHOLE other blog post, so we decided to keep the answer short and sweet.
Resources and Support
Tasmanian Indie Author Group – a diverse group of talented writers with a wide range of skills and experience as independent authors.
Mixtus Media – Book Marketing Simplified. Podcast, YouTube, Website, Author Circle membership.
ALLi – The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is the premier membership association for self–publishing authors.
Reedsy – Crafting beautiful books is at the heart of everything that Reedsy does. We’re changing the way books are published by giving authors and publishers access to talented professionals, powerful tools, and free educational content.
As an author, I use a lot of tools and resources. I’d love to say that writing a book is as simple as banging out the words, doing a quick edit and then sending it off to a publisher. As an Independent Publisher, it’s a lot more complicated than that. As a control freak, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
2021 will see me publishing two books within a year. I published ‘Camino Wandering’ on December 24, 2020. ‘Beneath the Surface’ will be published on September 28, 2021. Yes, there have been a lot of balls in the air over the last few months. Not only have I been writing and editing the next book, getting that marketing and advertising organised for its release, but I’ve been continually working on advertising and marketing ‘Camino Wandering’ at the same time.
I think I now have two heads.
The good news is, it’s made me streamline my writing and publishing processes. (I was a process improvement analyst in a previous work life, so the skill is ingrained.)
I’ve tried a lot of tools already, so I’ve ruled out the time wasters. These tools and resources keep me on track, writing books and selling them. And, of course, this is a living, breathing list, so it may change as I go.
I have talked about some of these already on my blog, but it made little sense to omit them from this list as they are imperative to the larger picture.
Today I’m sharing the tools and resources that I find MOST helpful.
WRITING
I’ve written about this part before throughout a few posts on my blog, so I’ll just summarise here:
Plottr I have just discovered Plottr, and while it’s a great tool, there are learning curves since it’s still fairly new. I’m planning a four-book series, the first two books to be published in 2022, and with this app I can see the finish line. This tool has already helped me ‘plot’ out the outlines of the first two books and I’m keen to continue using it. This process is imperative while writing a series, particularly this one, as timelines interchange and the stories weave throughout the books.
There is a free trial for Plottr but join the FB group (listed below) and you’ll see how much this tool is still being developed to incorporate the needs of authors. Until then, I’m plodding ahead with it, to see how it goes.
UPDATE: Feb 2023 – Plottr was not for me.
Scrivener The app to get the scenes written and to ‘bang out’ the initial storyline. I put all kinds of stuff into Scrivener: character outlines and questions, ideas for lines to include, setting, scenery, images, etc.
ProWritingAid This is an amazing tool, but as a writer, you have to be careful not to lose your voice. ProWritingAid will keep you honest with grammar and spelling and offer you help with sections that could be better written. But if you have a certain style, it can see your style as ‘incorrect’. That’s where knowing who you are as a writer and being clear on your style helps steer you away from ‘accepting all’ the changes ProWritingAid offers. Still, I LOVE this app and use it for many things. My writing has improved as a result.
Microsoft Word Once I have my final draft file, I copy it into Word and use this file to send to my beta readers. Most have this app and it’s the most universal app to track and review changes.
WRITING PROCESS
Related Words.org For when your brain freezes. Kind of a thesaurus on steroids.
One Look Another fantastic tool for when the brain freezes.
Jane Friedman There are a lot of authors out there who write about the writing process, or their writing process (me included), but I often revert to Jane’s incredible expertise. She offers brilliant suggestions that we all need to hear sometimes.
Morphthing.com I mentioned this tool in my post Creating Complex and Believable Characters. It’s a quirky tool I use to create the visuals for characters. It’s fun and sometimes a distraction, but it helps to get the idea out of your head and on to a page.
Pinterest Another app I can lose myself in, but it’s great for character development. I talk about it in this post.
PUBLISHING PROCESS
Character Count Online A great tool when advertising portals (like Amazon) have character limits and you need to maximise every letter.
Bklnk.com For working out the best categories for your book, if you publish via KDP on Amazon.
Kindlepreneur Also handy if you publish on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). Offers some great tips.
Reedsy A great resource for finding editors/book designers/PR folks. The newsletter is very helpful as well.
Vellum I LOVE this tool. This is the magic wand of interior book design. I talk about it more here.
MARKETING – Creating
DavidGaughran The man is a marketing god. His books, his newsletters are FULL of helpful information. (His beard is on another level.)
Bryan Cohen Brian hosts a ‘5-Day Amazon Ad Profit Challenge’ which took me from freaked-out to knowledgeable with advertising on Amazon. A free course that teaches you HOW to create Amazon ads that will save you a TON of money.
StoryOrigin An incredible tool to expand your mailing list/subscribers, send reader magnets, review copies for ARCs/Beta Readers, create Universal links for your books. This is a great resource for authors.
MailerLite I’ve tried several mailing list management sites and after ten years, find Mailerlite the best one. In my opinion, you need to have a mailing list. Consider this: I lost everything over a three month period on my Facebook Author page because of one simple mistake which I made. GONE. I have not been able to recover it. And before you scoff, all author’s need a mailing list because you never know what your social media moguls will do to your ‘followers/likes’.
MockupShots This is the website I use all the time to create my marketing images. I’ve tried some others, like BookBrush, and found this one the easiest and most robust.
Canva Pro The app that creates my book covers, my promo images, my headers… the list is extensive. I love THIS app so much that I wrote a dedicated post for it.
MARKETING – Implementing
AmazonAdvertising When you publish directly on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), this is THE tool that will help increase sales. You can create hooks (see Bryan Cohen), link them to your book and select the specific places on Amazon to market your book. I’ve seen an increase in sales when I do this, and now I have ongoing ads on Amazon.
BookBub BookBub is one of those deals that either works – or it doesn’t – and when it doesn’t, it’s a very expensive lesson. I’ve determined (through research) that it is better to have a backlist before plunging into the BookBub world. After doing extensive research, I’ve decided not to do a Featured Deal on BookBub but will invest in some strategic ad planning. BookBub is not cheap.
Facebook Ads Facebook is another resource that can be money waster. But with some smart planning and wonderful resources (Help! My Facebook Ads Suck! eBook is great), they can pay off.
Goodreads I’m active on Goodreads for a couple of reasons.
First, it helps me keep track of my ‘to be read’ pile. Before Goodreads existed, that list was kept on my Amazon Wish List.
Second, as an author, I love to post updates for my followers.
And finally, it’s great to watch people add my books to their own lists. And then leave reviews. 😉
YouTube Yes, I have a YouTube Channel. I have found videos are a great way to convey what my books are about and what inspires me to write them. So, I funneled the videos I have been putting together – including Facebook Live events – and upload them to my YouTube channel. As an indie author, you have to be creative, so please check it out and let me know your thoughts! There’s even a snapshot of what’s coming for my next book, Beneath the Surface!
TikTok Okay, I’ll admit, I’m not a huge TikTok user. But BookTok is a real thing for authors. I’m TRYING to get on the bandwagon. And while I’m not a whiz, my intern is, so I’ve asked her to manage this tool for me. And good thing too, because I spent WAY too much time going down that spiral! It was better to hand it over to a professional.
Alessandra Torres Inkers A helpful group for asking questions and the admins run great webinars as well.
Wide for the Win Going “Wide” means selling online on other platforms, not just Amazon. If that’s you, this is the group you want to be in.
David Gaughran As I said, this man is a marketing god. He shares a lot of free information, but his books are also a wealth of knowledge.
StoryOrigin Authors If you sign up for StoryOrigin, you definitely want to be in this group. The app developer is very active and helpful.
Plotting for Authors with Plottr A very interactive group, sharing their own tips. The developer is also part of the group and very responsive to questions and requests.
Indie Writers Unite If you go Indie, this is an amazing group for sharing information. I’ve learned a great deal here.
Writers Unite Another ‘support’ group for authors. Lots of tips and tricks shared here.
Fiction Writing Another support group, with all stages of the fiction writing process.
NaNoWriMo I highly recommend connecting with your local chapter of NaNoWriMo or join your local Writers Centre group. Often these groups have Facebook groups that meet throughout the year. I LOVE my Tassie NaNo group.
Is there a resource you’ve used that you find imperative to your process?
PLEASE NOTE: Affiliate links were used in this post. I do not promote anything I have not used or experienced myself or had recommended highly to me. All opinions are my own. Please follow our advice at your own risk. By clicking these links allows this website to continue running. For that, I thank you.
Canva Pro is a tool I talk about in number of posts. I love this app. I couldn’t do what I do without it. But I also know it’s one of those tools I can get lost in, letting my creative juices. As an Indie Author, it saves me hours of time in creating all the pesky images we self-publishers need to manage for ourselves. If I ever had to choose an app to give up, Canva Pro would be one of the last on the list.
Here’s what I use Canva for, as an Indie Author:
Book Cover Images
Marketing posts for Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
For Camino Wandering, I used an image I took while on my personal Camino and then added the fonts and background page to match it.
For the Beneath the Surface cover, I used an image I found in Canva then played around with the look and feel. I didn’t intend to go with a pool of blood for the cover. I had a cover in mind but could not find the right image for it. (Who knew trying to find the right red suitcase sitting by a colonial front door would be so difficult to find!) Still, I’m quite happy with how it came out in the end.
COMING SEPTEMBER 2021
Why I love Canva… let me count the ways.
Why do I believe all Indie Authors will love Canva? Because the apps makes graphic creation easy.
I can create social media graphics for marketing, sell sheets for my novels (which I then send to booksellers) and images for my book covers. And all of those can be created in ONE day if I needed to.
To do most of these things, Canva provides templates. For example, say I need a graphic to post on Instagram for av book promotion. I can use a template Canva provides, replacing the images in the template that I need to use, updated the text and if I don’t like the fonts, I can change them with a pull-down menu.
But here is my favourite feature: Canva allows you to ‘resize’ your image to whatever specifications you need.
When I have my image created, I can ‘resize’ that graphic to create a duplicate post for other social media formats. For example, I can take an image I’ve created for Instagram and ‘resize’ it for Facebook, and another for Pinterest, creating both new images to each application’s format sizing. I can tweak the graphic, if I need to, but otherwise they are ready to download and post.
The same goes for book cover images. I can use graphics found in Canva, or upload ones I own. I can use a template the app provides or create an image from scratch (it’s easier and faster with templates). Once I have the image the way I want, I then resize the image to the whatever size the distribution template requires.
If you want to try it, you can for free.
The free version is a great place to start, to play around, but if you tend to create marketing images a lot, then I recommend you go with Canva Pro. The Pro version offers more advanced tools that allow better control I need to perfect my designs and it includes a lot of higher end images (one of which is the blood image on Beneath the Surface). Canva Pro offers a free 30-day Pro trial, so check it out.
Here are three other posts where I talk about Canva:
PLEASE NOTE: Affiliate links were used in this post. I do not promote anything I have not used or experienced myself or had recommended highly to me. All opinions are my own. Please follow our advice at your own risk. By clicking these links allows this website to continue running. For that, I thank you.
One of the most important things when self-publishing is to create a compelling book cover. (Well, that would be the case for any route you publish, I suppose.) After putting in so much effort in creating the story, you need to make sure the cover flies off the shelves. You could have a bestseller inside but unless the cover screams ‘Pick Me! Pick Me!’, it’s most likely going to get lost in the island of misfit books.
Now I’m not a graphic artist, but I do have an artistic vision and I am creatively driven. I love doing these types of projects almost as much as writing. That gives me a huge advantage. However, I know that channelling your inner artist isn’t in the cards for many. For the artistically challenged, or for those that would rather spend their time writing, check out Fivvr and Reedsy. They are great resources for finding graphic artists. It may be a more expensive route, but it will save you a lot of time. For a cheaper option, do a quick Facebook or Google search for pre-made book covers that fit your genre. (I’ll be honest though, I’m not a fan of those. But that’s not the point of this post…)
If you’re publishing an eBook, you only need a front cover.
Canva Pro is the best tool for creating that image. I’ve tried a lot of applications and I keep coming back to Canva Pro every time and kick myself for leaving. As mentioned in 7 Steps to Self-Publish a Book, once you have the final image created for your front cover, simply adjust the size for formatting and you’re good to go. (Click here for KDP’s Kindle eBook cover specifications.)
What about paperback and hardback covers?
Frankly, it’s NOT easy.
If you have not worked with desktop publishing applications before, I highly recommend hiring someone. Save yourself the heartache, the headaches, and the hangovers driven by frustration. Hire someone else to create your vision.
But, if you are game to do it yourself, these 10 tips on creating a book cover will help:
Tip #1: You need to create multiple images before you begin…
You need to create the front cover design, AND a spine image AND the back cover format, which includes the blurb and maybe even your author image. All of which can be created in Canva Pro. With this app, you have access to a large assortment of quality images, and with the Pro version, you have the permissions needed to use them for book covers. That’s SUPER important. You will be declined by distributors if you do not own or have permission to use the cover image.
Tip #2: For additional images for your cover design, check out Unsplash.com
Unsplash.com is now owned by Getty Images. I was disappointed to discover this acquisition to be honest, but it was bound to happen. A free resource for amazing images? I guess I was surprised it took this long. I use Unsplash a lot but it does looks like as if Getty have claimed the higher quality images for iStock, and left the lower quality to Unsplash. Still, there’s a large array of decent stock available, and gems still to discover on Unsplash. If you find an image you love, make sure you have permission to use it for a book cover (remember that permissions comment in Tip #1?). And don’t forget to credit the photographer/artist somewhere in your book, usually at the bottom of the back cover.
Tip #3: Before you begin putting your template together you need to gather information specific to your book.
To create these templates for your paperback (and/or hardback), you need:
Your 13-digit ISBN. I write about why it’s important to have your own ISBN number in this post.
Decide on your book’s trim size. What size do you want your book? Both Camino Wandering and Beneath the Surface are 9×6 inch trim size. When deciding on my book’s trim size, I researched what was popular in bookshops and what was likely to be picked up off the shelves. I also polled people I knew who are avid book purchasers, asking what they found most appealing. Your genre may also steer your decision on the trim size.
Do you want white or cream pages? This is a personal preference. I tend to go white, but check out your favourite books and see what they are. It’s something you probably never notice… until you do.
Will the cover be gloss or matte? This is a harder decision than you may realise! Do your research here. I love the matte format and I smile when I watch the booksellers assessing my books. They always – always – run their hand over the cover to feel the front matte cover.
What’s your Page Count? You need to know the page count to determine the width of the spine. Vellum works great to calculate this (and I write about this great app in this post.)
Know your book’s pricing. You need to know the price of your paperback and hardback. Look at comps for this. My recommendation is NOT to include the price on the template, especially on your first book. Adding a set price locks that price in and you may need to be more flexible depending on market conditions.
Tip #4: To self-publish a paperback, using IngramSparks or KDP, you must use their individual template.
Each distributor have their own templates. They weren’t easy for me to find so I’ll provide the links to save you some time.
IngramSparks’ Cover Template Generator is buried in their help option. Click here for that link. Once you submit the information in Tip #3, email the template to yourself (see Tip #6) then check out Tip #5 to continue. (Yeah, the tip order doesn’t make sense to me either. The process itself is so intertwined.)
Tip #5:If you plan on creating multiple book-covers, invest in something like Affinity Publisher (AP).
Affinity Publisher is the equivalent of Adobe InDesign – just a lot cheaper. It’s a one-time purchase and they often offer a 50% discount. If not AP, then find another desktop publishing program you are comfortable with.
Tip #6:If you use IngramSparks and decide on Affinity Publisher…
Save your template as an IDML file when emailing the template to yourself to then open in Affinity Publisher.
Tip #7: All Templates have a blank area for the barcode for reason.
The templates, provided by the distributors, will automatically create a bar code using your ISBN number. You do not need to purchase a bar code. Do not cover this area. Your template WILL be rejected if it’s covered *unless you do buy your own bar code (see italicised note).
Tip #8: When using the templates, read the template directions very carefully.
If there was a tip that was THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP, this is it. Read the template instructions. Then read them again. Understand the border limits. Make sure your images do not go over the lines.
Instructions on the IngramSparks template
Tip #9: If you need to do a background image for your spine and back cover, use the same image.
Layer it over both sections. Check out the spine and back cover on the full cover image of Camino Wandering, below. I used one image for these sections. Doing this prevents overlapping issues at the printer.
Tip #10. When you are ready to throw something through the window in frustration…
Check out these resources before you do that. Save the wine, coffee and computer. These resources can help:
PLEASE NOTE: Affiliate links were used in this post. I do not promote anything I have not used or experienced myself or had recommended highly to me. All opinions are my own. Please follow our advice at your own risk. By clicking these links allows this website to continue running. For that, I thank you.
Deciding to self-publish is a tremendous leap of faith in an author’s career. While traditional publishing can give you the backing of in-house editors, cover designers, and marketers, self-publishing is increasing in popularity with authors. Why? It seems the lure of control we all like to have with our babies draws us to this decision. Ask most Indie authors why they went the indie route, and most will tell you it’s primarily about control.
I’m no different.
Deciding to self-publish was a challenging decision for me. Yes, it was about control but also love making art—writing is certainly a huge part of the artistic process – but so is designing the book cover and developing colourful and attractive social media images. I get to wear all of the creative hats and retain control throughout the publishing process.
Part of the decision was also due to the fact that my debut novel, Camino Wandering, fell into a unique category genre-wise. Many Camino-based books are published by religion-based publishers or they are independently published. Considering my fictional novel touches on the questioning of religious doctrines, I was pretty sure I would not be picked up by a religion-based publisher.
I am proud the story in Camino Wandering and feel strongly about the issues it addresses. The thought of losing that vision to the publishing process made my stomach churn. Plus, I’ll be honest, the time and energy I was looking at, in partnering with a traditional publisher, wasn’t ideal for me either. I’m like every other debut novelist there. I wanted my book out in the world faster than a couple of years down the track, which is what I’d have been looking at, if I went the traditional route.
That’s my story of taking the independent publishing leap.
Let’s talk about the business side of being an author and how to self-publish.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned as an independently published author is that the job is 20% writing and 80% marketing. When I first started out, I did a lot of research and learned some valuable lessons. I have scoured many websites and have read so many helpful books, Now, I feel my experience is important to share.
With every decision I make, I keep the big picture in mind: Writing is my business. Every dollar I spend is an investment in my career.
Before you self-publish, here are some tools and resources that have proved invaluable to me as a writer and entrepreneur.
As you read through this, understand there are some expensive tools I have invested in, but are worthwhile and highly recommended. They will save you time, headaches and yes, even money, in the long term.
This is a miracle tool for me. It catches the grammar and spelling mistakes your word processor missed. It highlights my bad writing and offers suggestions on how to improve it. My writing has improved TEN-FOLD since investing in this tool.
As the tagline says, it’s “A grammar checker, style editor, and writing mentor in one package.” It picks up everything from cliches to overused words, sticky paragraphs (my worst habit) to repeating words. I use every element of this program. I totally recommend investing in this tool – see how I mentioned investing? It’s the tool you will use in every part of your writing life: your novel, blurb, the back of your book, acknowledgements, and even newsletters sent out to your readers.
Your novel is ready to go to a professional editor. This is where due diligence is imperative. It’s so important to find someone you click with, who understands your style and as well as your quirks. Someone who offers constructive feedback rather that someone who points out everything they see as wrong. You need to receive the good and the bad.
Professional editors are essential for indie authors. Depending on experience, they may be a bargain or the most expensive part of your publishing journey. The key is to find the right editor for you. Of course, it depends on what kind of editing you need. It may be a line editor or a development editor. But that’s for a future post I’ll refer you to this post for reference for now).
Step 2.1 is to edit your draft again, taking note of your editor’s suggestions and feedback. Once you’ve completed this, send your book to Beta Readers. Edit again. Then, move onwards to the next step.
3: Choose your BISAC codes
Your BISAC codes are an important part of the metadata for your book. The codes help sellers categorise your novel, based on the genre, the theme, the topic, etc. They help libraries and retailers determine where to place your book on their shelves or on their website. No one else assigns these but you and you must have it ready when you buy your ISBNs (see step 4).
Be clear on your BISAC codes and be honest. I can’t tell you how many erotica books I’ve seen in ‘clean romance’ categories. I understand that everyone wants their book in front of as many people as possible, but it’s important to get it into the right places.
4. Buy ISBNs
Firstly, what is an ISBN? The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier. It is a unique number for your book. Flip over a paperback and you’ll see a barcode. Included in that barcode is the ISBN. You must have a unique ISBN for every format of your book: Your eBook, Paperback and hardback, as well as audio.
There’s a lot of question on the web whether you should buy your ISBNs, since Amazon and Ingram provide them for free. I’m here to tell you that you should invest in your own.
Why? Owning your ISBNs is about control. Owning your ISBNS means you can publish wide. You aren’t locked into just Ingram Sparks or Amazon. You can publish wherever you want with your own ISBNs. If you use the Amazon or IngramSparks ISBN, you can only use them with those distributors.
How you buy your ISBN is different for every region. You purchase it as a publisher from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency. In Australia, I bought ten ISBNs from Thorpe-Bowker. It cost me $AUD 88 (as of December 2020). I only needed three ISBNs initially, but I bought ten because it was cheaper in the long run. Plus, it allowed me to be ready for the next book, and the one after that.
Creating the front cover is one of my favourite parts of being an Indie Author. I could experiment on this part for hours. (Oh, who am I kidding? I can spend days!)
I use Canva to create my book covers. For Camino Wandering, I used one of my photos from my 2018 Camino. I uploaded the photo to Canva and then worked with fonts to create the look and feel I wanted. For my second novel, Beneath the Surface, I used an image I found in Canva Pro for the blood image, then tweaked the cover for the look I wanted to go with.
Once you have the final image created for your front cover, you need to adjust the size for formatting. The dimensions for your cover can be found on the website of whichever distribution path you’re using (Ingram Sparks or KDP, for example).
Printing paperbacks is a LOT more complicated. You either need to hire a cover designer to create it for you OR invest in something like Affinity Publisher. If you go with the latter, put on your patience hat to work it out.
Since I was on a strict budget and we already had Affinity Publisher (purchased @ 50% off), I spent a significant amount of time learning how to create the full cover (which includes the spine, ISBN imprint and back cover format – which I also created in Canva). I used the distributor’s template and, to be honest, I almost caved and hired a cover designer. I was THAT frustrated with it. But I persevered, and I learned a LOT.
I’ll write a post in the future about creating a paperback cover, but for now, here’s my recommendation: Use the distributor’s template and join the Facebook forums for KDP support or Ingram Sparks support to find answers to your questions. Using distributor templates will save you a significant amount of time, as will the support groups. But you can’t use one template for all distributors. They provide unique templates for their own service. Be warned, I found the instructions often murky.
6: Vellum = The Magic Tool for Interior Book Design
A fellow author steered me to Vellum, and I am still thanking her. Why? Because Vellum takes your Word document* which, by now is all polished and ready to go, and puts it in a final publishing format.
What does that mean?
Once you have your book cover complete, you upload the file, add in the Publishing company’s information (that is your company as an Indie Publisher, which you’ve registered beforehand). Add your publishing company’s logo (which you can also create in Canva) then move on to the interior formatting. Select the font, the outline, the headings, add in your Copyright information, any dedication, and finally, your acknowledgements. A menu will walk you through the available choices.
Once you have it all sorted and you love the look of your book, tell Vellum to ‘print’. Vellum is FREE to use UNTIL this point. Once you hit print, Vellum works its magic and spits out all the applicable file formats for Ingram Sparks, Barnes and Noble Press, Kobo, Kindle Direct Publishing, or whichever distributor you decide to use.
The thing I love about Vellum is that I could play with these settings BEFORE I committed to buying the application. Vellum is an investment, but once you hit ‘print’, you’ve bought the application for life, and it’s yours to use for every book thereafter.
Per their FAQ: Vellum can import any file with a .docx extension. These kinds of files are often created by Microsoft Word, but other word processing applications can create them as well, including Scrivener and Pages.
7: Wide or KDP Select?
Let me explain these terms first.
KDP Select refers to the Amazon Unlimited service. Publishing on KDP Select means you cannot publish your eBook anywhere else. You’re paid on the pages read, not the book sale. You can still sell your paperback and hardbacks anywhere you like, but by going through KDP Select, you are limiting your eBook sales to Amazon’s select service.
What if you want to sell your books, rather than be paid by the pages read?
You can do this through KDP, which is different than KDP Select. KDP refers to Kindle Direct Publishing which is the forum to sell your book on Amazon. You can upload both eBook and paperback formats to KDP.
Wide means publishing wherever you like, outside of KDP Select. You can publish on IngramSparks for example, and it will publish on Amazon through IngramSpark’s distribution (but I’ll warn you, Amazon doesn’t always play nice doing it that way).
My recommendation? If you want to sell your book (vs. be paid on pages read), publish on BOTH IngramSparksandKDP, then upload to Barnes and Noble Press, Apple, Kobo etc… This is called going wide, while also publishing directly on Amazon.
Good luck! Leave a comment if you have any questions at all.
PLEASE NOTE: Affiliate links were used in this post. I do not promote anything I have not used or experienced myself or had recommended highly to me. All opinions are my own. Please follow our advice at your own risk. By clicking these links allows this website to continue running. For that, I thank you.
How do you take that random thought in your head and get it into book form? It takes several tools. Some apps are free. Most are not. For me, investing in these apps from the start is part of the long game of being an author, especially if you’re planning on writing a number of books.
Let’s start with Scrivener, because this is where my writing process begins.
My brain constantly whizzes with story ideas, and if it’s not coming up with new ideas, it’s dissecting those ideas into more robust stories. Scrivener lets me unpack those ideas. I use Scrivener as the filing cabinet for ideas, scenes and dialogue.
Later, once I have my characters created, my outline written, I come back to Scrivener, to write the book. The layout allows me to write in both scene and chapters, so if I need to move stuff around, it’s easy to do so.
I love Pinterest, but it can also be evil. I can lose myself for days in Pinterest, if I let myself go. But it’s such an amazing took for character development. For example, I may have a visual in my head of what a character looks like and using Pinterest helps me define them. I can find everything from hairstyle, to colour of eyes, to clothing style. All of this helps me bring my characters – and their quirks – to life.
I mentioned this tool in my post Creating Complex and Believable Characters. It’s a quirky tool I use, to create the visuals for characters. It’s fun and sometimes a distraction, but it helps to get the idea out of your head and on to a page.
ProWritingAid is a godsend to me. As their tagline says, it IS A grammar checker, style editor and writing mentor in one package. BUT, it doesn’t just find grammar and spelling issues, but also clichés, overused words, run-on sentences, etc. I spend WEEKS in this app once I have my book drafted. ProWritingAid helps to clean the mess up. I won’t share anything I write until it’s been through this process.
I’ll be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with Word. But I hate Pages and I hate Google docs more, and since I have been using Word professionally for so long, it’s easier to use what I know and battle the demons.
Why do I still use it then? Because there is one tool that, as a writer, I cannot deny is one of the most powerful in my toolbox of wonderful tools. Word allows me to LISTEN to my book. Do you know how many mistakes, how many ramblings I’ve cut down, just by listening to my writing? This part of the process is undeniably necessary.
Canva is another tool I love, but also one I could lose myself in.
I use the Pro version of Canva for a lot of things. As a writer and publisher, I create book covers for eBooks, post images for Pinterest and blog posts. I also use it extensively for marketing materials. I also use Canva for creating interim book covers.
When creating book covers for paperbacks and hardcovers, it’s a lot more complicated. That’s when it’s helpful to hire a book cover designer. You can do it yourself. I did for Camino Wandering and will continue creating covers myself, because I’m creative like that. I use Affinity Publisher, but I’ll leave that for another post. Like I said, it’s more complicated.
7. Vellum
With my book written, edited, polished, and the cover created (in Canva), I’m ready to publish. I am ready to move this work from manuscript to book.
I use Vellum to do this. I quick note here, it only works on Macs. (Sorry PC users, I can’t offer any help with what to use). With Vellum, you add your cover, internal manuscript (a Word document works best I have found), your Copyright material, any Dedication and Acknowledgement pages, Author page, and finally a Table of Contents (for Kindle/eBooks). Vellum provides font and format options too, so you can create the look and feel you are wanting for your book.
Then the magic happens. Vellum takes all that then spits out an ePub, Kindle, and print format, all into a handy folder. From here, you can upload these files to wherever you intend to sell your book. That may be Ingram Sparks, Kindle Direct Publishing or wherever you choose.
Of course, it’s not QUITE that magical. When uploading print books to your print distributor (Ingram, KDP etc), you need to have your cover within their individual specifications. As mentioned, I’ll leave that for another post for those wanting to create book covers themselves.
PLEASE NOTE: Affiliate links were used in this post. I do not promote anything I have not used or experienced myself or had recommended highly to me. All opinions are my own. Please follow our advice at your own risk. By clicking these links allows this website to continue running. For that, I thank you.
As a new Indie Author, it’s hard to know where to go to find great information. There’s a lot of good – and bad – advice out there. Believe me. I know! Since first publishing CAMINO WANDERING, I’ve scoured so many online sites, trying to find answers. So today, I’m sharing what works for me. These are the most useful marketing and writing resources, plus Facebook Groups I find the most helpful, that are great for Indie Authors!
Keep in mind, this is a living, breathing document, so check back for updates as I add (and possibly subtract) sites.
MARKETING RESOURCES
https://davidgaughran.com – the man is a God. His books, his newsletters are FULL of helpful information. He tends to ramble a bit, but stay with him. He’s content is gold.
Mixtus Media/ Book Marketing Simplified – Jenn Hanson-dePaula focuses all her marketing knowledge on helping authors. I have gotten so much out of her free advice, via YouTube, Podcast and Instagram, that I joined her Author Circle. It’s like the inner sanctum and a direct line to a marketing pro.
MailerLite – I’ve tried a number of mailing list management sites and after 10 years, find Mailerlite the best one. And before you scoff, all author’s need a mailing list because you never know what your social media moguls will do to your ‘followers/likes’.
StoryOrigin – expand your mailing list/subscribers, send reader magnets, review copies for ARCs/Beta Readers, create Universal links for your books. This is a great resource for authors.
BookFunnel – Another tool to expand your mailing list etc. I love doing promos through BookFunnel and newsletter swaps through StoryOrigin.
MockupShots – for creating mockup marketing images. It’s a bit clunky, but it gives you good images to use for marketing.
CANVA – I will recommend this graphics application until my dying breath. I LOVE CANVA and it’s amazing for so many things.
Fussy Librarian – A cheap marketing option for your releases.
Bryan Cohen – The 5-Day Amazon Ad Profit Challenge. A free course that teaches you HOW to create Amazon ads that will save you a TON of money. As a newbie author, it’s great in teaching basics.
Bookbub – I’ve determined (through research) that it is better to have a backlist before signing up for this because it’s not cheap. Worthwhile, but not cheap. You can do ads, which is cheaper, OR you can apply for a deal. The deal is the expensive one.
Bklnk.com – For working out the best categories for your book, if you publish on Amazon.
Kindlepreneur – also handy if you publish on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). Offers some great tips.
BookReport – If you want a realistic update on your KDP sales, BookReport is a great resource!
I’ve written two novels: Camino Wandering, which is now published and another called Beneath the Surface. The latter has been written, edited and now I face the decision whether to scrap it completely or keep on the editing train. It needs a lot of work.
But there’s something about Beneath the Surface that compels me to keep going. It is a coming-of-age mystery, and it’s been in my head now since 2016. I love these characters. I love Grace’s journey of self-discovery, especially with her background. And, I had to admit, I am really proud of this story and it is one I want people to read.
That’s when I begin to wonder what my beta readers will think of this story. But let me answer that niggling question first, a question many ask me.
What are beta readers?
Beta readers are gold to my writing process. They are my test audience.
Writers use them at various stages in the writing process. I like to leverage their insights after I’ve written an entire draft of the novel and have personally sent it through two rounds of edits, but before I get too far deep into it.
Beta readers provide feedback on the overall story, as well as on the characters, setting, and plot, via questions I pose to them (which I’ll get to shortly). Essentially, pointing out any glaring issues.
What the individual beta reader responds with varies. For my beta readers for Camino Wandering, some provided detailed feedback, providing much more than I asked (looking at you, my amazing grammar police). Others returned stating they weren’t offering much but posed questions that had me pondering a subtext for weeks. And others did exactly as I asked, but offered insights I never even considered.
If it’s not clear yet, I LOVE beta readers. I could not have published my novel, Camino Wandering, without them.
How I Find Beta Readers
Once I’ve written the novel, I put a call out for anyone interested in being a beta reader on my social media groups. I know it’ll take some time to get a good mix of readers, so I edit the novel while I gather my people.
The kind of beta reader I look for depends on the novel itself. When I looked for beta readers for Camino Wandering, I looked for a mix of people who had walked the Camino de Santiago and those who had not. Since my book was fiction, it wasn’t necessary that all of my beta readers had the experience of walking the Camino. In fact, I purposefully wanted people who hadn’t.
There are certain things I look for in a beta reader, no matter what the storyline:
They have to be readers. It may surprise you just how many raise their hand who aren’t readers. Sadly, many are only looking for freebies.
Are they reliable and trustworthy? I source from people I know or have a working relationship with. I’ve been burned before and because of that, I have a handful of people I won’t use, despite their (stated) best intentions.
Do they like my style of writing? I don’t hold back on my writing. I swear like a sailor. Sometimes I go into deep, dark areas. I need to make sure they okay with that.
I look for people who are honest in their feedback. Hearing ‘great story’ or ‘I liked it’ is not what I need to hear from a beta reader. I need details and I need people who are honest in their feedback. But, I also ask them to be kind when providing that feedback. I’m trusting them to help me be a better writer and for the book to be one worth reading. If I get harsh, negative, pointless feedback, it’s not going to be well received, not like it would if were well delivered, constructive feedback. I don’t need to see “I hate this” or “this doesn’t work” comments please. That’s not to say I want them to sugar coat everything. No, not at all. I simply ask the beta readers to they tell me why they don’t like it or why it doesn’t work.
How I work with beta readers
I have a list of the questions defined and ready for beta readers, no matter what the story is. There are twenty questions and they are specific for a reason. To start, the questions are about plot, pace and scenes. I ask them then about the characters. I get their take on the setting and the mood and, at the end, I ask for their overall impressions.
Once the questions are complete, I add instructions on how to be a beta reader and add specifically what I’m looking for, because all authors are different. And, not everyone I select may have been a beta reader before. This way, the instructions are clear and consistent.
Before I deliver the questions for the novel, I ask one very important question first. This question is KEY: Can you realistically meet the deadline?
I give my beta readers a month to read the novel and answer the questions. But I make sure at the very start that they are committed, because I know life gets in the way. I ask them to review the questions, then assess the timeframe and let me know BEFORE we begin if they have any doubts of finishing the task. I usually have one or two drop out at that point and that’s completely normal in the process.
Once I know who my beta readers are, I send them one email. The email includes the story in MS Word, the questions, guidelines and instructions, then I try not to disturb them for the rest of the month. Most beta readers get back to me in the first two weeks.
I ask the beta readers to keep the manuscript in Microsoft Word. Using other applications screws up formatting as I go, which is something I learned the hard way. I ask them to do a ‘save as’ with their initials so I can keep track of everyone’s feedback. Then, most importantly, I ask them to ensure ‘track changes’ is turned on before they dig in. Some betas may pick up grammar, typos, spelling, all of which I would have tried to capture beforehand, but there’s always stuff that gets through. (Camino Wandering, went through eleven rounds of editing.)
Finally, I ask beta readers to not share the novel with anyone else. This is a trust-based relationship and without that, this process would not work. For an author, we’re pushing our baby out into the world, asking people to judge it. If they shared that baby with some flippant comment or, god-forbid put it on the internet, it would break that sacred tie between author and beta reader.
Questions I ask my Beta Readers
These questions would work for any fictional novel.
PLOT, PACING, SCENES:
#1 Did the story hold your interest from the very beginning? If not, why not? Where did you stop reading the first time?
#2 At what point did you think, here’s where the story starts?
#3 Was there a point at which you felt the story lagged or you became less than excited about finding out what was going to happen next? Where, exactly?
#4 Was there anything that confused, frustrated, or annoyed you? Which parts, and why?
#5 Conversely, what parts did you like (and why)? Which scene do you remember most vividly?
#6 Did you notice any discrepancies or inconsistencies in time sequences, places, character details, or other details? Please be as specific as you can (if you have this in your tracked comments, that’s best.)
#7 Did you understand every phrase / term I used? If not, which ones?
#8 Which parts did you find yourself skimming over? If you could change anything to make the story better, what would you change?
#9 Was the ending satisfying? Was it believable?
CHARACTERS
#10 Were you interested in the main character? Did you feel her pain, joy, fears, worry, excitement? Did you find the characters relatable?
#11 Which character did you enjoy the most? Why?
#12 Is there a character you wish to see more of? Less of? Why?
#13 Did the dialogue sound natural? Did it keep your interest? If not, whose dialogue did you think sounded artificial or not as a person would speak?
#14 Could you see what the characters looked like clearly? If not, who/why?
SETTING
#15 Did the setting interest you and did the descriptions seem vivid and real to you?
#16 Were you able to visualize where and when the story is taking place? If not, where do you feel they were lacking? (Specifics please)
MOOD
#17 Did you get emotional at some point?
#18 Do any scenes feel emotionally detached?
GENERAL
#19 Has this book reminded you of other books you read? If so, which ones?
#20 In your opinion, what are the main strengths of the story? The main weaknesses of the story?
Anything additional you want to add?
What happens post review
…because it’s not over yet!
I set up a Facebook group for my lovely beta readers. (Because these are now my people. These people shared their honest opinions, told me what I needed to hear and that is GOLD.) Since I source my beta readers through social media, this gives me an easy way to communicate with the general group after everyone’s feedback is in. Since this is a group of readers who have actually read the manuscript, I can ask general questions, or ask about changes their feedback may have prompted, as I continue finishing the novel. I can give them updates on progress too.
In the end, every beta reader receives a published copy of the novel. It’s only fair. They worked hard too. 😉
