Three Bits of Indie Publishing Advice
I had planned on writing about the best Amazon book page I’ve ever seen, but it wasn’t finished in time. So here’s some indie publishing advice inspired by a post from Jane Friedman’s site.
While “Three Critical Things You Won’t Learn in an MFA Program,” by Susan DeFreitas addressed traditional publishing, her gems of wisdom also works, with some tweaking, for indie authors.
If you’re interested in MFA programs, DeFreitas’ post is worth reading. For indie writers with no intention of going near one, here’s how I rewrote her bullet points for indie authors:
1. Peers and mentors don’t read the same way readers do.
One big difference between indie and trad-published authors is in the use of beta readers. Indie authors love to rely on them, while trad authors probably treat them the way movie makers look at preview audiences and studio notes.
Having someone else look over your manuscript – whether they’re friends, members of your writers group, an editor-for-hire, or another writer – is a great way to get feedback on your work.
The thing to keep in mind, however, is that you’re in charge of the book. This doesn’t mean rejecting every suggestion or observation that doesn’t align with your vision of the book, but it doesn’t mean accepting every suggestion, either.
In the writers group I attend every month, we have a good range of readers, which means a wide range of responses. We have readers (like myself) who look for grammar and spelling errors. We have people who have expertise in particular subjects. And everyone reads and can lend their perspective as a pretty unbiased audience. The critique can be hard to take at times – I still shake when one person said my romantic hero looked and acted like Danny DeVito – but it’s never personal. And I made sure to DeVitolize my lead.
Having a number of people read your manuscript can also give you an idea of what observations and suggestions to follow up on. There may be one person who dislikes something; that you can ignore if you think you’re right. If everyone thinks that the fight scene was badly done, or dislike your hero, you might want to think hard about tweaking the character.
But no matter how much feedback you get, in the end, it’s your story. Learn from your critics, but don’t let them steer you wrong.
2. It’s a numbers game.
DeFreitas was talking about submitting manuscripts, with the idea that the more you do it, the greater the chance of succeeding.
This also applies to self-publishing. If you want to succeed in turning your passion for telling stories into a full-time job, you have to keep producing stories.
This seems obvious, but I’ve seen a number of first-time authors ask online what they can do to increase the sales on their sole publication. Yes, it’s possible to advertise. It’s possible to hop on social media and tell everyone about your book. You can even arrange for booksignings.
But the best way to sell books is to keep writing more, especially if you’re writing commercial fiction. In fact, next week’s post will show you someone who’s doing just that.
3. “Comps” aren’t just for the marketing department.
DeFreitas makes this point when dealing with agents and editors, so I’m just repeating what she advised authors to do.
“Comps” are a list of books that are in the same genre as yours, that are closer to your title than the majority of books in that genre.
For example, fantasy is not just fantasy. There’s high fantasy (“Lord of the Rings”), heroic fantasy (“Conan”), comic fantasy (Discworld), dragon fantasy (Anne McCaffrey), and dynastic power-struggle fantasy (“Dune” and “Game of Thrones”).
Where does your book fit in?
This can be a touchy subject. We’d like to think that our book is original, that it can’t be compared to anything that’s come before.
Hogwash.
All artists build on the work of previous artists. We can’t help it, and it’s useful to recognize and acknowledge it.
Comps are also useful when deciding what you want to write next. This is business-type thinking, and many authors are resistant to it. But it’s also realistic thinking. If you want your books to sell, if you are seriously about making money as a writer, then you have to understand what the market wants.
Put it another way: Every successful author knew the genre they were writing in. Stephen King knew horror. John Gresham knew legal thrillers. Nora Roberts knew romance. They knew the types of stories they wanted to tell. They knew what emotion effect they wanted to inspire in their readers.
How is knowing your book’s comp titles any different?
As you learn about the business of writing, you’ll find that this knowledge applies to the craft of writing. If your goal is to reach out to readers, you’ll need to make decisions about your plot and characters. Sometimes you may choose to adjust to the demands of the market; other times, you won’t. Getting a clearer picture in your mind of the risks and rewards will help you make decisions you can live with, and profit from.