Let It Go

After you hit the "publish" button, effectively sending your story out into the world, let it go. Don't stress about reviews. Don't worry about how it will be received. . . . 

The reviews will only drive you crazy, and rankings and sales data--the daily ups and downs and highs and lows--will quickly become a distraction from what matters most (e.g. writing your next book).

The truth is once you release a project it's not yours anymore, and how the world responds to it is beyond the scope of your control. There is no universally loved (or loathed) author.

So . . . write your story, make it the best it can possibly be, publish it, then leave it alone.

Let go and look forward.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

No Need to Rush

In my last post I mentioned that Freedom has always been (and continues to be) a huge motivator in the battle between Indie vs. TradPub. When it comes to having absolute control over both your writing and the final product (design, marketing, release, etc.), the Indie Path wins. Hands down. Every time.

But there’s a caveat.

Just because we CAN publish everything we write doesn’t mean we SHOULD. Yes. That backlist is important. The more titles our readers can choose from, the greater the potential profit. At the same time, not every book we write will resonate. Not every book is immediately ready for public consumption.

So much about having Freedom as an Indie Author has been about rushing to get the next book out. Rushing the process. Rushing the product. But I’ve seen A LOT of writer burnout in the Indie community lately. More authors seem to be admitting to taking a step back (from social media, publishing, and the world in general). Many have outright stated that they just “need a break.”

What we learned after the Indie Gold Rush, I think, and what we’ve learned in trying to keep pace with those sales years since then (which, let’s be honest, were pretty great) is the importance of slowing down. Despite all outward appearances, there was never any “race” and “first one out” didn’t necessarily win.

This still applies. (Marathon, not a sprint.)

So take your time. Write for writing’s sake, not to make a quick dollar. Make sure your story is ready before hitting publish.

Remember why you write.

Because when it comes down to it, the words should be enough. They have to be. There are no other guarantees. 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

On Freedom

Remember the “Gold Rush” of 2011-2012, when no-name Indie writers were selling hundreds of ebooks a day?

*sigh*

Those were some really great years, weren’t they? Like all good things, though, this eventually came to an end. Once Amazon tweaked its algorithms it was less “fizzle out” and more like “crash and burn.”

The secret was out by then, of course. The market became saturated. “Authors” were gaming the system. Pricing became a race to the bottom. Kindle Unlimited happened.  It became harder to reach fans and potential readers on social media. What worked in marketing one day wouldn’t necessarily work the next, and there was always the “next big thing” on the horizon (a symphony of fizzles AND crash-n-burns). . . .

But even after all of this, and even though many of us have decided to straddle the line between self- and traditional publishing (acting more as hybrid authors), I do think there’s still a place in the market for the Indie writer, and one of the biggest reasons to choose this path continues to be FREEDOM.

This means the freedom to write the story we want to write, when we want to write it. Telling stories the best way we know how. Taking risks and stretching our creative wings. No limits. No boundaries. No constraints.

It means we don’t have to rewrite a book every time a new agent rejection comes in, or change the ending (again) because it doesn’t speak to this editor or that editor. It means we don’t have to bury our sorrows in a pint of ice cream because a “board” couldn’t determine the best way to market our story or where it would fit into their lineup. 

We will never (ever, ever) be able to please everybody, so it’s important that we’re happy with our work first and foremost, and sometimes that means retaining control of it. 

Freedom can mean failure, too, though, so don’t forget the freedom in getting up and trying again. :D

Indie = Freedom

and

Freedom = Power

After all of these years--and despite the ups and downs--it’s still nice to have options.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~ 

Editing Strategies

I've discussed editing strategies on the blog before, but I'm about to move into the editing stage of my current WIP, and, since my "process" is still largely the same now as it was back then, I thought these tips/tricks were worth repeating:

1. Read through the entire manuscript (ms) once, searching for plot or character inconsistencies.

If you can read through your entire ms in one sitting, you're more likely to find those holes or irregularities in your writing. 

2. Go line by line, sentence by sentence, making sure each one is phrased the best way possible.

When I do this, I bounce around the ms. (It helps me focus on that particular sentence.) I just use the highlight tool to keep track of the places that I've covered.

3. Read your work backwards (start with the last sentence and work your way to the beginning).

This will help you find sentences that may run on, or comma splices (two independent clauses that are connected with a comma). This also forces you to slow down and read what's really on the screen as opposed to what your mind thinks you've written.

4. Read your ms out loud. 

This helps with voice issues; you can also determine if your dialogue sounds natural. It's easier to focus on the pacing and flow when you read your own work aloud.

5. Use the MS Word "Find" feature to check for inconsistencies.*

I search for characters' names to verify spelling; I search for descriptions (blue eyes) to make sure the character descriptions are consistent; and I search for linking and "being" verbs, to see if any can be eliminated (among other things). 

6. Print your ms out. 

Proofread. Rinse. Repeat.

7. Have someone (or something) else reading the ms back to you.*

You don't know how many "a's," "the's," or "to's" I've missed in proofreading (even after several rounds), but caught when the computer didn't "read" what I thought was there back to me.

These are the highlights, but you can read the old post in its entirety here. 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

*Since the original post, I've started using Scrivener for my writing. This software includes search and find options, and will read selected text out loud. My love for Scrivener knows no bounds.

For the Indie Author

I know I don't talk about Indie publishing as much as I used to. The truth is I fell out of the game when I got pregnant with kid number two back in 2013. I just couldn't keep up, and the landscape changed SO MUCH after this.

Things were hectic, so I've really just focused on writing. 

However, it's not lost on me that:

1) self-published authors can still build an audience and make good money, and

2) more traditionally published authors are going "hybrid" and self publishing some of their works.

I've said it before and I still believe this: it's a great time to be a writer.

Because of this, some encouragement I've posted here before deserves repeating:

First, ebooks are forever.

Second, you never know which ebook you publish will take off.
 Keep writing them. Lots of them.

Third, you never know when an ebook will 

come back around and surprise you.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

It Ain't About the Money

Last Monday I posted a blog:

Everything's Changing, or Should I Self-Publish?

In it, I talked a little about the changing landscape of the self-publishing industry and a few of the things that have affected sales negatively over the last year or so.

From this, I hope the message was clear: self-publishing is not the fast track to endless wealth.

In fact, we're having this same discussion right now in one of my Freelance Writing classes. A student was kind enough to remind a fellow classmate that writing isn't something that you do to find wealth and fame. A debate ensued. . . .

But he's right.

Can you become rich and famous as an author?

Absolutely.

But money can't be the motivation behind the production. The writers who show up to the computer every day are the ones who feel they have something to share with the world. It's soul work. It's because writing is the missing piece. It's what completes us.

The joy isn't in the final product (which has the potential bring in extra money), but in the creating of it--the process.

The joy isn't in the creation, but in the creating. (tweet that)

Yes, most authors I know are thrilled when they reach The End. They happen to be two of my very favorite words. But "the end" doesn't mean it's over--there are still other stories to tell. More books to write.

A true writer who reaches The End is already thinking about the next Beginning. (tweet that, too)  

It's not about the money or fame or infinite wealth.

There has to be something else.

And that something else is that we're not the same when we're not writing. It's why we're willing to sit down for weeks and months and years pounding out words, revising and deleting and starting over--thinking we just may have lost our minds--until one day it all comes together.

And the story makes sense.

And why we do what we do makes sense.

I know there are some frustrated writers out there. Publication (self or otherwise) isn't what you expected. There were some highs and then some lows and things happened that were just not part of your plan. . . .

I know. I get it. Sometimes things happen (lagging sales, books being remaindered, houses merging, imprints folding) that are beyond our control.

But we do it anyway, because stories need to be told.

From the beginning of time, we have always needed stories. To hear them, and tell them.

It's important work, what we do.

And the ones who are most passionate will stay in the marathon. They will keep doing it, they will keep showing up, even if those paychecks never come.

 Be Brilliant (and Keep Writing)! ;)

~Katie~

Everything's Changing, or Should I Self-Publish?

Things have changed.

About three to four years ago, I wanted every writer I knew to go Indie. The odds of finding a readership and building an audience were infinitely better through Amazon than through a traditional publishing house.

I'd heard too many stories about books taking two years or more to hit the shelves, some not hitting shelves at all, and then, when it really mattered, the house "forgetting" to promote.

But that was 2011 and 2012.

The indie publishing landscape is NOT the same today as it was then, and while I fully believe that retaining rights to your work is one of the best things you can do as an author, I think the pros and cons should be weighed before that ultimate decision is made, and that approaching the industry as a "hybrid (choosing traditional OR self-publishing depending on the project) is in the best interest of every author.

Because no matter how you look at it, one way isn't necessarily "better" than the other--just different--and neither side guarantees sales.

It's all about 1) your goals and what's in YOUR best interest, and 2) what's in the best interest of the story at the time.

I used indie publishing as a back-up plan, then found that I really, really enjoyed the control. So far, it's worked for me. This might not always be the case, but I digress. 

So my writer's group and I were chatting about the things that have changed in the last few years to make it more difficult for Indies to get a strong foothold, and a few key ideas were thrown out:

Saturation of Market

Everyone is writing a book, and we all have equal access to an audience. Some of those books are awesome . . . some not so much. The ones that aren't tend to give Indies a bad name. The ones that are fight to get noticed. 

We all have eternal, equal shelf space, but that doesn't necessarily mean we have the undivided attention of the consumer. (tweet that)

There's a lot of "white noise" out there, and it's overwhelming.

Pricing

Indies have always taken advantage of things like permafree books and competitive prices--this was our key playing card--but now traditional publishers are following suit. The e-version of the "bestseller" you might have missed 2-3 years ago just might be available in the Top 100 for under five bucks today. Of course, no house can sustain this indefinitely, but if readers had to choose between two $1.99 books--one from an unfamiliar author and one from an "established" author--which one are they most likely to choose?

Promotion

It's harder to reach the people who matter, since blog audiences are dwindling, Facebook posts don't reach every fan, it's near-impossible to get a Bookbub ad these days, and other promotional opportunities have very little staying power. It's largely hit and miss, and even if you do manage an artificial climb in the rankings, you fall just as quickly.

The one thing we could all agree on, though, was that sales were down across the board. 

For everyone.

If you look at it this way, it's kind of depressing, to be honest. It feels a lot like "traditional" publishing in that there are no guarantees. . . .

But then, maybe there were never any guarantees.

It was a gold rush in that a lot of the first responders made a really good living for a while. Every now and then someone new will strike gold, but there are just as many walking away empty-handed.

We can sit back and try to figure out what happened then try to fix it, or we can face reality, adjust our expectations, and get back to what matters.

Because it's not really about the money. At least, it shouldn't be.

That's just a bonus.

But more on that later. ;)

So . . . based on what we know now about algorithms and the market, should you still self-publish? 

Not if you're looking for an easy paycheck. 

Do it because it's right for you, and it's right for your project, and because you have a clear plan in place and an end goal in mind.   

Is it worth it? 

Absolutely. 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~ 

P.S. Thank you to everyone who filled out last week's survey! You gave me quite a bit to think about. :D