One Writer's Thoughts on Indie Publishing
There is more to indie publishing than the average reader would guess. Indie authors can go many directions, but in the end, most of your publishing choices boil down to:
- Pay someone with the skills to do a task -OR-
- Learn how to do those skills yourself.
My Process
Here's the main process. I didn't include cover design, as I usually do that at some point when I am excited about it (even if that's before I start the book)!
- Outline. I like to have simple beats that hit the points I've chosen for my story structure. I have a box of index cards that pile up with all my ideas, and I sort them out and make sure I don't see anything weird before I start.
- Draft. Mercy, I have started doing this with a pen and notebook***. I like being able to sit outside and write, and laptops really don't appreciate the Florida heat, so I go old-school). I hit those points, and add things in between. I also change anything I want as the story grows and becomes clearer to me. I have recently allowed myself to even write out of order if there is a scene I am dying to write. Then I'm able to go back and really enjoy the build up to it scenes, which makes them better also (I was really scared of this at first, but now I love it). If I can't come up with a name/detail/scene, I just put in ##### and go on. (***I am not recommending you follow my lunacy with the paper thing. You do what works for you). Every chapter I finish is passed to my kids, who read it raw.
- Input. Type the whole thing in, smoothing out stuff that really sticks out as I go. I don't worry too much about editing, here, but it does give me a nice manuscript to work with.
- Structural Edit. I print out the whole thing, and then make a Massive List of Things to Fix. This part can be both discouraging and fun. I search for all my hashtag marks, and also mark everything that was choppy writing or complete mud. Making this list is time consuming, BUT it helps me see the whole picture and know that it is not an endless process. I start editing with the biggest potholes (or completely missing pieces of road), and fix them. Then I work my way down to the smaller stuff.
- Line Edit. I go through the whole thing, line by line, and clean up my sentences. Then I will send it to my kindle and read it aloud to myself, and fix the last of the potholes. You could get stuck doing this for all eternity, but I have found that I have to make myself stick to the amount of "passes" I've said I'd take and stop.
- Proofreaders. And fix the notes I get from them. They are amazing but They. Will. Miss. Things.
- Beta Readers. My beautiful betas read through the story and send me notes. Some of them are error-finding angels. They know the books, and will notice things like if I've messed up the spelling on a minor character's name.
- Formatting. I format my own books, both for print and ebook. This requires me staying on top of what Amazon, Kobo, etc. require, as their standards change, but I preferred learning this skill for myself, as it allows me to fix & update the books. I have Atticus.io and that really helps with making formatting easier for my fiction.
- Publish. I get all my keywords, metadata, categories, interior files, and cover and publish the book. I let me newsletter readers know (that is something I need be better about), and then start something else.
Other Stuff:
*Many links on this page are affiliate. I am only linking to products I have actual experience with.
Writing: I recommend choosing a skill and working on that until you level up, then choosing a new target!
Editing: Speaking of cursing, the title is terrible, but Fix Your D*n Book is really a game changer. It's not going to hit you over the head with cussing either, I think the title is just trying to convey the, er, super frustrating emotions that editing can bring up.
My Thoughts on Editing: I used to hate it. Ironically, that got better when I got serious about story structure and have some kind of plan before I started writing. You can see my process below.
- Dialogue: My favorite book on getting characters talking is How to Write Dazzling Dialogue
- Story Structure: Check out my post, Write Your Novel From the Middle, Writing the Cozy Mystery, Save the Cat Writes a Novel, and Crank It Out!
- Finishing the Blessed Book: You Must Write, 8-Minute Writing Habit, The Mental Game of Writing, The 15 Minute Writer.
- Fun to Add: The One With All The Writing Advice
- Dictation: My advice is to read a little and then just do the thing. On Being a Dictator, The Writer's Guide to Training Your Dragon. Even better advice? Avoid breaking your fingers if you find dictation a pain to edit.
- The Big Process: Write. Publish. Repeat. is a bit older now, but it really helped me wrap my head around the whole start to finish process (there's is some language, though).
Editing: Speaking of cursing, the title is terrible, but Fix Your D*n Book is really a game changer. It's not going to hit you over the head with cussing either, I think the title is just trying to convey the, er, super frustrating emotions that editing can bring up.
My Thoughts on Editing: I used to hate it. Ironically, that got better when I got serious about story structure and have some kind of plan before I started writing. You can see my process below.
Keywords & Categories & Metadata, Oh My!
Okay. When it all comes down to it, this can make or break your book. If people can't find it, they can't read it. Period. There are lots of resources available. I would recommend reading How to Choose Keywords and How to Choose Categories at Kindlepreneur to start. Mark Dawson also has very accurate, up-to-date info (the free stuff is very, very good).
I started by: Hand sorting keywords and categories the slow way described by both of those gurus. It works, but takes HOURS.
Now I: Use Publisher Rocket, from Kindlepreneur. It does the whole process in seconds (no joke). It is a one-time purchase (no stupid subscription), and if I email Kindlepreneur about anything I get an answer. Fast. From real humans. With real solutions. (and yes, that is an affiliate link).
I recommend: Trying it by hand if you have the inclination to save the cash, and moving on to some kind of keyword software eventually.
Other Thoughts: Not sure if a book is worth putting the effort into creating? This is where Rocket really shines. You can find out very quickly if there is a market for the idea you have, whether it is flooded with competition, and what those books are averaging for income.
More:
I started by: Hand sorting keywords and categories the slow way described by both of those gurus. It works, but takes HOURS.
Now I: Use Publisher Rocket, from Kindlepreneur. It does the whole process in seconds (no joke). It is a one-time purchase (no stupid subscription), and if I email Kindlepreneur about anything I get an answer. Fast. From real humans. With real solutions. (and yes, that is an affiliate link).
I recommend: Trying it by hand if you have the inclination to save the cash, and moving on to some kind of keyword software eventually.
Other Thoughts: Not sure if a book is worth putting the effort into creating? This is where Rocket really shines. You can find out very quickly if there is a market for the idea you have, whether it is flooded with competition, and what those books are averaging for income.
More:
- Writing Your Book's Listing Description: Gotta Read It!. This book is great.
