In part one of this discussion, I wrote about the purpose of publishing and offered a look at both the publishing process and the costs involved. Here in part two, I shift focus away from the business end and onto the personal stuff. It’s easy to look at the process of independent publishing and think, “I can do that.” What’s not as easy to do is see how your motives can tank your endeavor. Like I said in my previous post, it’s possible to do everything right when it comes to the production of your book and still fail as an independent publisher. Down below are my thoughts on four common motives people have for publishing their own books. I don’t think any of these motives are inherently right or wrong, but I do think some can put your project in danger if you fail to see how they are guiding your decision-making process.

Common motive #1: You don’t care about making a profit; you just want to get your message out.

If all you want is for people to hear what you have to say, than independent publishing can be a great option for you. Independent publishing frees you from the need to make money for someone else. This allows you to give your book away for free or price it low enough to encourage quick sales. Your main limitation publishing this way is the amount of money you can sink into producing a book you may never financially profit from. If funding is an issue, there are grants available for some book projects, and some freelancers are willing to do discount or pro bono work for legitimate non-profit organizations. You just have to do your research to find out how to take advantage of these grants and deals. You also might want to look into what it takes to set yourself up as a non-profit publisher. Having non-profit status sends the message that you are not in it for the money, which in turn opens you up for more cheap or volunteer labor.

Common motive #2: You don’t want to give up control.

It’s your intellectual property, and you don’t want to share your rights with anyone. You don’t want someone else making decisions about which characters should be excised from your novel, how your cover should look, and what voice talent should record the audio version of your book. You want complete ownership of your book. (Notice a trend here?) If you decide to publish independently, complete ownership of your book belongs to you. You own your successes, and you also own your failures. This motive propels a lot of independent authors, especially those with either strong business skills or a high sense of artistic integrity. I typically like these kind of independent authors because they tend to be passionate go-getters.

If you are motivated by not wanting to surrender control on the business end, the one piece of advice I would offer is to educate yourself on how bookselling is different from all other forms of retail sales. When I explain some of the particulars of bookselling to businesspeople (especially the right of return), I’m often met with confused looks that underscore the peculiarities of the industry. Bookselling is the commodification of art and knowledge. You can’t approach it the same way as you would selling sweaters.

If you are motivated by not wanting to surrender control of your content, I encourage you to keep in mind that you are publishing because you want to share your writing with readers, and your readers will have expectations. If you do everything exactly the way you want to without giving any thought to what your readers expect from a book they are paying to read, you could end up with a final product that only you enjoy. Keep in mind there is a difference between compromising your work to increase sales and making concessions about non-essentials to make your work more appealing to readers. Never compromise your work’s integrity for the sake of more sales, but hold loose to your vision for things that amount to nothing more than packaging. If you discover that your idea for how your cover should look is less appealing to readers than a cover that you’re just okay with, you’re not a sell-out for going with the other cover. If what’s important to you is connecting to readers, do what you are comfortable with to make that connection stronger. Independent authors who walk into the process with clearly defined standards for what they will not change and what they are willing to change for the sake of their readers lose nothing in the end.

Common motive #3: You’re tired of dealing with agents and publishers.

Rejection sucks. No one likes it. Not even the people doing the rejecting. Publishers and agents aren’t in the industry because they want to crush dreams. They are hoping and praying for good books to come across their desks. Unfortunately, there are far more people wanting to be published traditionally than there are companies to publish them. This makes getting accepted a crapshoot for new authors. It also means publishers and agents have to say no to a lot of good books. If you are one of those authors who keeps being told no, the idea of thumbing your nose at the traditional model might seem like a good way to end the pain. However, this motivation can lead to greater pain if you fail to honestly assess why you keep getting rejected. Before you set out on your own, find out why the rejection letters keep coming. Go back and carefully look for trends in your rejection letters. The two biggest things to look for are comments about audience and comments about your content. Let’s examine both of these responses.

If it’s an audience issue, that’s a strong reason to consider publishing on your own. Rejections along these lines mean publishers don’t feel they have the ability to reach the audience for your book, no matter how much they might like what you wrote. It could be that you’re either approaching the wrong publishers or that your audience is so niche that no publisher caters to it. If a book can’t quickly generate a minimum number of sales for a company, it’s likely not going to get published unless you find one of those rare publishing companies that are willing to take a loss on some books just for the sake of the art (this happens often with poetry). If your rejection letters reveal that publishers don’t think they can find an audience for your writing or that they don’t feel the audience is big enough to justify accepting your work, you might as well take it upon yourself to reach that audience. Just because an audience is deemed too small by a traditional publisher doesn’t mean you can’t make a profit from selling to that audience.

If it’s a content issue, those rejecting your work might actually be doing you a favor. If one agent or publisher says your manuscript isn’t ready for publication, that’s no big deal. Tastes are subjective. If numerous agents or publishers tell you this, it’s probably true.  Authors who ignore such criticism and respond by publishing on their own (because no one appreciates their genius) can be in for a rude awakening when readers echo what the agents and publishers said. Having a publisher say your book needs work hurts, but having your readers say the same will hurt worse. If you find yourself being rejected because your book needs work, I suggest two things. First, join a critique group. Let other writers who’ve been around the block read and respond to your writing. Second, hire an editor to write a comprehensive critique of your entire manuscript. A good editor will tell you exactly where your writing is weak and offer suggestions on how to revise what you’ve done. Such a critique usually costs around $500. Spending a few hundred dollars on advice that will help make your book more appealing to readers can save you the hundreds of wasted dollars you will spend on copies of a book that will sit unsold in your spare room.

Common motive #4: You think publishing your own book will help get it discovered by an agent or publisher.

This one is tricky. We’ve all heard the stories of authors who used independent publishing as a means to open the door to traditional publishing. If you dig into these success stories, you’ll find that most of these authors invested a lot of time and money into creating high-quality books that readers couldn’t ignore. Simply throwing another book into the ocean of independent books won’t get you noticed by agents and publishers. Agents and publishers notice you when readers respond positively to your writing. Readers won’t do so if the quality of your book (both the writing and production quality) is poor. When you set out to independently publish with the intent of getting an agent or publisher’s attention, you can lose sight of the people who really matter: readers. If your motive is to get noticed by a traditional publisher, I suggest allowing your priorities to shift. Hold loosely to your dream of being traditionally published and focus on releasing the best book possible for your readers. If they like it, publishers will notice. Just be aware that you might be surprised by what happens when the offers come. You don’t often hear the stories about successful independent authors who passed on offers from traditional publishers after seeing how successful they could be on their own, but there are plenty. If you don’t believe that independent authors can be successful all on their own, I encourage you to check out IndieReader.com, where they love to celebrate the successes of independent authors.

So what’s your motive?

The motives I discussed above cover the most common reasons why authors reject the traditional model. There are other motives, but chances are yours is either one of the above or a mixture of many. Whatever your motive is, own up to it. Think about how your motive will impact the decisions you make. Once you’ve done that, you should be ready to answer the question of whether or not independent publishing is right for you. If the answer to the question is yes, check back here on September 13 for my post on the various ways to independently publish. If you don’t want to miss it, sign up here to receive my blog post via e-mail.

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Vinnie Kinsella is a publishing professional living in the Pacific Northwest. He offers an array of publishing-related services, including publication consultation and project management for self-published authors, editing, and document design. More information about Vinnie’s services can be found at vinniekinsella.com.

Connect with Vinnie: Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin

© All blog posts on this website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License and can be shared unaltered for non-commercial purposes if attributed to Vinnie Kinsella with a link to this website.

Don’t expect me to give a definitive answer to the question above. Choosing a publication model is a matter of making a personal and educated decision based on your goals as a writer and your assessment of how to best invest your time and resources. I happen to be a big fan of independent publishing, but I don’t think it’s the best option for everyone. Not everyone has what it takes to publish independently. Some have what it takes but find that independent publishing is counterproductive for them. Others think they don’t have what it takes but find out that they do and that independent publishing is truly their best option. There is no quick and easy way to answer the question of whether or not independent publishing is right for you, but it’s a question I think every author should ask. These next two blog posts are my attempt to give you the basic information you need to answer the above question for yourself.

Here in part one of the discussion, I offer a look at the purpose of publishing, the process of publishing, and the cost of publishing. If after reading this post you think independent publishing might be the right choice for you, you’ll want to stay tuned to this blog for part two, a discussion of how your motives can lead you to success or failure as an independent publisher.

You’ll notice that I’m using the term independent publishing and not self-publishing. These terms are interchangeable, but I prefer independent publishing because I feel it better captures the essence of what you are doing when you opt to take on all the duties of a publisher on behalf of your own writing. Also, the term independent publishing offers a departure from the thought that all self-publishing is vanity publishing. An independently published author with a keen business sense and devotion to the craft of writing is usually not publishing for vanity’s sake.

The purpose of publishing

Publishing isn’t an end—it’s a means. That’s worth repeating. Publishing isn’t an end—it’s a means. One common misconception you might hold onto as a new author is that once your book has been published through the traditional model, you have reached the finish line. You are now a successful author, a fact validated by the publishing company’s logo printed on the spine of a hot-off-the press book sporting your name. There is reason to take delight in being traditionally published. Someone liked your writing enough to find it sellable and worthy of funding. However, this ego boost fades quickly if your book fails to connect with an audience. This is because the purpose of publishing is not to create a book (or even an e-book) out of your writing; it’s to connect your writing with an audience.

There is no such thing as a publishing company that reaches all audiences. Some can reach large audiences, but none can reach them all. There a plenty of great manuscripts out there being rejected each day because the publishing companies reviewing these manuscripts know they won’t be able to effectively market them to an audience. As an author, you can spend years searching for a publishing company that reaches your audience only to find no such company exists. To illustrate what I’m talking about, I offer the following hypothetical situation.

Two authors living in the same small town each wrote excellent books about the town. Author A wrote a brief history of the small town in an attempt to preserve the town’s history. Author B wrote a historical fiction story set in the town’s founding days. Author A’s book would be of interest mostly to people who live in or have lived in the town and also to a handful of outsiders interested in small-town histories. Author A has a pretty narrow audience. Author B’s book will appeal to residents of the town, but her book will also appeal to numerous historical fiction readers throughout the country. Which author do you think stands a better chance of finding a publishing company that will reach her audience? Author B, of course. Author A has limited options (if any) for companies that cater to her audience. Since Author A most likely knows just about everyone who will want to read her book, she would likely find more success as an independently published author than as a traditionally published author. Author B, however, may find it more difficult to connect with her audience. She could benefit from working with a traditional publisher who already has an established connection to historical fiction readers. (Don’t get hung up on the size of these two authors’ audiences. Your ability to connect with your audience has little to do with its size. It could be that Author B is a well known reviewer of historical fiction books who has an established following online. She has already earned her audience’s attention. Without a doubt, she could find great success through independent publishing.)

Once you have in mind that the purpose of publishing is to connect your writing to an audience, you have the first piece of information you need to decide if independent publishing is right for you. At this point, you must ask yourself if you feel confident in your ability to directly connect to your audience. If your answer is no, take a step back and ask yourself why. Are you unclear about who makes up your audience? Then go no further until you figure that out. Regardless of what model you choose, you need to have an idea of who your audience is. One of the first things a traditional publishing company will ask all authors is who they think makes up the audience for a book. Authors who can’t give them an answer are almost guaranteed a rejection letter. Before getting too far down the road, figure out who your audience is. Once you have that figured out, ask yourself if you can effectively connect your writing to this group of people.

The process of publishing

Starting in September, I will closely examine each stage of the publishing process, including how you can go about finding help at each stage. For now, I just want to point out that the process of publishing is the same no matter which model you choose. All books must go through the stages of editing, design, and production (printing). In addition, all books must be marketed and distributed. The one part of the process that is optional is selling the book, but that has little to do with the model you choose. If an author or publishing company plans to give a book away for free, it still must be edited, designed, produced, marketed, and distributed. (For those of you considering electronic publishing, know that the only part of the process that changes drastically for e-books is production. Your book will still go through a production process, but that process won’t involve printing.)

Independent publishers must take their books through the entire process, which can be daunting. There are myriad ways to walk through these steps, but it boils down to this: you cannot do it alone. Publishing is always best approached as a team effort. As an independent publisher, you are responsible for assembling your team. It’s up to you to find your editor, designer, printer, and so on. It’s also up to you to decide how big a part each of these people will play in the process. I highly recommend contracting freelance professionals to do as much of the work as your budget allows, but I know budgets are limited. Since you have no choice but to guide your manuscript through every part of the process, it’s important that you have a plan for how much you’re willing to invest in each stage. You can’t skip steps, but you can find ways to make each step affordable. Just know that you get what you pay for. And if there is one thing independent publishers should have ingrained in their minds it’s that editing is the highest priority. Readers will forgive a so-so book design if the content is great. Readers will not forgive a well-designed book that is incomprehensible.

The cost of publishing

Publishing a book costs money. Very few editors, book designers, printers, marketers, and distributors will work for free. And who pays the upfront cost for all of this? You do. However, it’s readers who pay the ultimate bill. Yes, that’s right, it’s ultimately readers who will pay for the production of your book. Every book sale pays for a portion of the cost of producing your book. This is where the risks come into play for independent publishers. If not enough copies of the book are sold to cover the cost of production, you lose that part of your initial investment. This is the reality of book publishing.

Traditional publishing offers a way to reduce the risks, but it still costs you. When your book is acquired by a traditional publisher, you are essentially entering into a business agreement with the company. In exchange for the right to publish and sell your book, a publisher agrees to cover the initial cost of production and guide your book through the process. This reduces your financial risk as the author, but it also limits you. Since you’re not footing the bill, you don’t get to pick your editor or book designer. You also have little say in how the publisher markets your book (if the publisher does much marketing at all). This partnership also cuts into your profit margin. Because you are now splitting your profits with your publisher, your cut won’t be as big. I don’t say that as a bad thing, but it is something to consider. If your publisher is able to sell thousands more copies of your book than you could on your own, that’s good for you. However, if you know you can outsell a traditional publisher, your initial risk as an independent publisher can quickly turn to reward.

Basically, you have to think about which exchange is best for you. Do you want to pay cash upfront in exchange for greater control of the final product and more money in your pocket from profits or do you want to give up both control of the final product and a hefty chunk of the profits to lower your initial investment?

What comes next?

You probably have enough information at this point to at least know if independent publishing is a viable model for your book. But don’t make your move just yet. In part two of this discussion, I ask you to do a motivation check. Why? Because without an honest evaluation of your motives, it’s possible to do everything right when it come to the production of your book and still fail as an independent publisher. Check out that post here.

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Vinnie Kinsella is a publishing professional living in the Pacific Northwest. He offers an array of publishing-related services, including publication consultation and project management for self-published authors, editing, and document design. More information about Vinnie’s services can be found at vinniekinsella.com.

Connect with Vinnie: Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin

© All blog posts on this website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License and can be shared unaltered for non-commercial purposes if attributed to Vinnie Kinsella with a link to this website.