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Advice for Indie Authors

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As promised last month, I’m back this month with some strategies and advice for anyone considering the indie publishing route.  And a quick update before I begin–I’ve actually had a great month, sales wise.  (Thank you to any WU readers who bought copies of my books!)  Two of my titles, Susanna and the Spy and Georgiana Darcy’s Diary, climbed all the way into the top 1000 titles on Amazon!  And again–as I said last month–I’m just sharing these numbers with everyone to prove that it CAN be done.  And that you don’t need to be writing about vampires to have great success. :-)

At any rate, without furthur ado, I’d like to introduce three indie authors who have graciously agree to share some of their tips and strategies with us here at WU today.  These women are not only talented writers–and some of the nicest people I know!–they are all never-traditionally-published authors who have found tremendous success by independently publishing their books.

First, N. Gemini Sasson.  Passed over by dozens of publishers, Sasson has sold over 36,000 e-books in the past year. Her next book, The King Must Die, a sequel to her award-winning novel Isabeau, is slated for release in April of 2012.

Sarah Woodbury. With two historian parents, Sarah couldn’t help but develop an interest in the past. She went on to get more than enough education herself (in anthropology) and began writing fiction when the stories in her head overflowed and demanded she let them out.  Her interest in Wales stems from her own ancestry and the year she lived in England when she fell in love with the country, language, and people. She even convinced her husband to give all four of their children Welsh names.

 Jennifer Becton.  Jennifer has worked in the publishing industry for twelve years as a proofreader, copy editor, and freelance writer. In 2010, she accepted the challenge to self-publish her first novel. Upon discovering the possibilities of the expanding ebook market, she created Whiteley Press, an independent publishing house, and has since sold more than 50,000 books.

1.  What marketing strategies have you used?  Which do you feel were most effective (or ineffective)?  [Read more…]

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Making and Learning From My Mistakes with PR

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One of the most complicated discussions I have with authors – including myself – is about whether or not to hire an outside PR firm. The reason it’s confusing is because nothing is guaranteed with PR. You’re buying effort and contacts. It’s not like advertising where you buy an ad, it shows up. PR is a gamble. No publicist worth her salt will guarantee you placement. She can’t.  A publicist’s job is to craft a pitch and get it to the right media outlets. But close the deal? That’s just not … [Read more...]

Make the Most of School Visits

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When you're an author for children and teens, school visits are an inescapable part of your year. Sometimes they come singly, most often in clumps at various key times: here in Australia, Children's Book Week in August sees a little army of writers banging the drum for books and writing in classrooms and libraries all around the nation. But there are plenty of other times too when school visits dominate your time, and last week was one of those for me, when I had to visit eight schools in three … [Read more...]

Sunshiny Day

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I truly believe that this is a great time to be a writer.  There's so much concern, it seems to me, about the state of publishing--bookstores closing or stocking fewer and fewer books, publishing houses not accepting new submissions, or not supporting the authors they've already signed, or offering far lower advances than they once were.  And not that those are not absolutely valid concerns.  But I still say--this is a great time to be a writer. The e-book revolution has opened up so many … [Read more...]

Making a Comeback in the Digital Age

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Kath here. It's such a thrill to be able to introduce one of the most courageous writers that I know, and a dear friend, historical romance novelist Elena Greene. Like most professional writers, Elena suffered ups and downs with a bit of sideways thrown in for good measure throughout her decade-long career writing Regency-set romances. Things didn't look so great when en masse and seemingly overnight romance publishers left the genre of category historical romances behind for good. Elena was one … [Read more...]

Invest in Yourself

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Not so long ago, “being a writer” might have cost us our sanity, consumed countless hours each day and caused us to opt out of paying jobs, but it didn’t actually require spending money. Those days are over. A veritable writing industry has emerged in the wake of the  digital revolution, complete with webinars, seminars, conferences and manuscript consultations available to all -- for a fee.  Amid today’s fierce competition, writers with professional aspirations know how important it is to … [Read more...]

Publicity Beyond Your Book Launch

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Therese here to introduce Crystal Patriarche’s first post with Writer Unboxed as a regular contributor. Crystal–a public relations expert and founder of BookSparksPR–will bring us publicity tips every other month. Enjoy! It's no secret that getting your book publicity is not an easy task these days. In a market where book reviewers and media receive about 150 books and pitches a day; where the pages dedicated to book reviews are shrinking and book review journalists are losing jobs; where … [Read more...]

Buzz, Balls & Hype. The Rules: Part 1

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Therese here to introduce M.J. Rose's first post with Writer Unboxed as a monthly contributor. M.J.--founder of AuthorBuzz.com--will be bringing us Buzz, Balls & Hype originals about the world of marketing. Enjoy! I think what I get asked the most is does book publicity and marketing really work, how much money should be devoted to a campaign, and whether, at the end of the day, the book won't just really sell itself. In my columns here I'll address answers to those questions and more. … [Read more...]

Paying it Forward

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Ten years ago, a movie called PAY IT FORWARD hit the theaters. The plot was based on the notion of repaying a favor not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people, and so forth and so on until the world was revolutionized by peace, love, and happiness. I got to say, I like the concept. It appeals to my idealistic side, as well as that part of me that says, “Hey!  I could really pull something like that off.” And then it occurs to me.  I see this happening every day in the … [Read more...]

Building a Facebook Ad

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I promised you a post on building Facebook ads, and this is it. I know, I know, you can barely contain your excitement! So why Facebook ads? Facebook ads are something the marketing team at Shaye Areheart Books recommended I try, since I wanted to contribute to my book's campaign. They were easy to set up, they said, not to mention customizable in order to target the right demographics. They could also be an uber inexpensive marketing option. While I contributed to my marketing campaign in … [Read more...]

The romance of cyberspace

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Our guest post today is by YA author Isabelle Merlin. For her line of romantic thrillers for teen girls, Merlin has used a variety of online interactive media such as websites, YouTubes, music downloads to engage her readers and make them a part of the story. Merlin agreed to guest post with WU to share her innovative ways to create buzz while inhancing the creative structure of her novels. THREE WISHES has just released in the U.S. but has been available worldwide.  Enjoy! The Internet is … [Read more...]

A No-Regrets-Pre-Pub Push

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Scenario: Your book is about to come out (as mine is, in exactly seven days--that's one week--squee!). You have a great publisher (check). You're thrilled with the book (check). Your publicity team is working hard on your behalf (check). What do you do in the weeks and months leading up to your novel's release? A. Nothing. My publicity team is rockin'. They'll handle everything. B. Something. My publicity team is rockin', but I'll post some information about myself on Twitter, Facebook and … [Read more...]