This post written by founder and managing editor Callie Stoker.
We are experiencing an exciting time in the book world where nearly anyone who wants to be an author can publish something. Sure, there’s still a lingering stigma when it comes to publishing your book yourself, but in the last decade, we’ve also seen self-published indie authors make a career out of writing, producing, and selling their books themselves.
Hearing about these successes has stirred up excitement about the indie side of publishing, but is success in the self-publishing world just the same lightning-in-a-bottle experience as, say, being the next Harry Potter in traditional publishing?
For the last decade, I can confidently say that every writing conference I’ve been to has at least one panel discussing the decision between traditional publishing and self-publishing. Self-publishing has been the new “let’s see what happens” experiment in publishing, but in the last ten years patterns of success (and less success) have emerged that are beginning to point to how new writers joining the scene can take part in self-publishing and do well, and which writers’ goals and writing processes may not fit as well into a successful self-publishing career.
Quality is Key
the self-published books that do well aren’t turned into a sellable book by just one person doing all the work. The successful self-publisher has formed a publishing team of trusted editors, formatters, and graphic designers. These people are good at what they do and are paid to provide the quality book covers and clean writing that is starting to peel away the stigma of self-publishing.
It’s a numbers game. It is very rare to make much money with one self-published book. Sales patterns are telling us that the more books you have, the more you can begin to rely on your writing as a source of income. This usually means long-running series which are quick reads and lead the reader to buy the next book, which in e-book can be done with the click of a button. Author Jim C. Hines collected information on income novelists earned in 2016. The self-pub authors who made six figures or more wrote an average of 10-25 books in a year. (http://www.jimchines.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2016-Novelist-Income-Results.pdf)
Produce quickly and consistently: successful self-publishers have a schedule and they stick to it. They usually know what books they’ll have coming out this year, next year, and in five years. They make due dates for themselves and their publishing team and take them seriously. I’ve been part of these teams and seen how quickly they work. They are always thinking of the next book that comes out so that they don’t lose the reader who’s ready to click “download next book”.
Genre Counts
Most of the money being found in self-publishing is focused around mysteries, thrillers, and romance–genres that lend themselves to quick reads and long series. These genres tend to be highly consumable for voracious readers who are always ready for the next book. This being said, there’s a new genre starting to emerge in the YA Fantasy. It started with fairy tale retellings that could also be written quickly in shorter word counts with a connected series, so this is a field that is forever changing and expanding. Don’t count yourself out if you don’t write in these genres, but ask yourself if your genre can fit into the quick read, long series form.
One-off books rarely have success on their own.
Such publications are usually accompanied by the author having a speaking gig, like a TED talk, are a known celebrity or influencer, or have a ready-made business with several followers like the very talented hand-letterer Dina Marie Rodriguez who has created a solid platform in the lettering world not only for her work but for her passion for teaching.
So now that you look at the patterns of those who’ve found success in self-publishing, where do you fit?
- Can you see yourself writing a series?
- Can this series be around 60,000 words and written quickly?
- Do you like the idea of finding editors and artists you can work with? Do you see yourself as a small business owner?
For some, this level of responsibility and control is exciting, for others it is daunting. I believe anyone can learn the skills to becoming a successful self-pub author, just make sure it is right for you.
Ask yourself:
- Do I have a platform already in place as a speaker, business owner, or social media influencer? If not, a single self-publishing book has a lower chance of doing well.
- What genre do I love and want to write? Does it fit into the form of a series of shorter books that can be read quickly?
- Does the idea of being a business owner, hiring artists and editors, creating and sticking to a schedule, and keeping tabs on things excite me, even if I’m not sure how to do it all yet?
- Can I write quickly enough to fill my book list? Do I have the writing skills to get the story on the page as cleanly as possible with fewer passes needed by my editor?
Of course, if you have one book that is close to your heart and you just want to get out there, go for it! This article is for those who want a sustainable career in writing that allows them to leave their day job.
As the writing community begins to view self-publishing as a career that takes just as much work, skills, and self-discipline as traditional publishing, I believe this side of publishing will continue to grow into a viable way for writers to gain their dream of being full-time authors.
What is best for you?