Welcome to the official launch day for the blog! Over the last several days we’ve (hopefully) made the blog an easily navigable place with some interesting content that we backlogged from our old blog. While we’re still not finished posting everything or getting everything or having everything added to the sidebars yet, we hope to be caught up very soon!
Today though,we have a guest blogger, Katerina Martinez, author of Midnight Magick. You can learn about the two owners of the blog here! For now, we’ll let you read Kat’s post and we welcome you here!
Self-Publishing 101
By Katerina Martinez
Hi everyone, my name’s Katerina and I’m an Indie Author.
I’ve only been in the game for a few months, but in those few months my knowledge of this business has increased in leaps and bounds. Business? I thought you were a writer? I am, but I’m also a businesswoman. These past few months have shown me that if you want to be serious about self-publishing you have to treat it like a business, because the books aren’t going to sell themselves.
A few years ago I was under the mistaken impression that the only way to get books in front of people’s eyes was by going through the gatekeepers in traditional publishing. When I heard the term self-publishing I thought “wait, you mean I have to spend money to have my books printed and sell them by hand?” Clearly I didn’t know what I was doing. I kind of thought self-publishing was the last resort, but now I realize that there’s just as much—in fact, more—to gain from being an Indie Author nowadays than going with a traditional publisher!
Let me explain.
Going with a traditional publisher is a perfectly viable choice, and if you’re one of the people who gets represented then power to you. There are benefits and drawbacks to going traditional, but the same can be said for being an Indie author. I’ve chosen to be an Indie. It’s not that I’ve queried a million times, been rejected, and gone with the last resort. No. I did my homework and realized that while being an Indie is way more hard work than going Traditional, I much prefer the fate I’ve chosen compared to the alternative. Why?
Control.
It’s as simple as that. As an Indie, I have total control of my work. My cover art, my editor, my deadlines, my marketing plan, my creative vision—heck, even my pricing model! Traditional publishers take all of that out of your hands, and while that’s great (editors and cover designers are expensive) I’d rather do it myself. Some people would call me crazy, but control is just too important to me.
So, how would you get started as an Indie?
Well, all you need is the drive to want to make a real living out of writing books. It’s just as, if not more possible, as an Indie than as a Traditional; trust me. The first thing you need is a following, and you achieve that with a platform (a website) Mailing List—a group of dedicated followers who you’ll interact with on a much more personal level than the people following you on social media. To grow your mailing list you’ll need to write blogs and make sure that your books and blogs lead people to a place where they can sign up. The second thing you’ll need is to write lots of books, and write them fast. It seems simple, right? Write more, get more exposure, and get more fans that in turn will make your next book launches gather more exposure, and get you more fans… see the pattern?
Those are the two most important lessons I’ve learned in the last three months, and I wish I would’ve learned them before writing Midnight Magick. I used to write about two thousand words a day (on a good day) and allow myself to not write if I didn’t feel like it (“I’ll write when I’m inspired, dammit! I’m an artist!”). I didn’t have a mailing list. Didn’t even think I’d need one! But I know now that wasn’t the best way to start. I’m serious about writing now. I’ve quadrupled my output, my writing is sharper and cleaner because I’m writing as my truest self, without my inner censor, and I just thought I’d share this story with anyone who may be in the same boat as I am.
The road is tough, but you’ll get there if you’re willing to work hard. If you’re serious about being an Indie author like me, read “Write. Publish. Repeat.” It changed my life and set me on the right track.
Anyway, that’s enough from me! I’ve got a few paranormal thriller/mystery/romance projects in the pipeline which I’ll be releasing very soon, so if you haven’t signed up to my exclusive Inner Circle yet, click here and get the details and deals no one else gets!
Thanks for reading my post and thanks to my lovely hostesses for having me! I hope to write for you guys again soon!
Kat
www.katerinamartinez.com
booksandashes.wordpress.com 