The unvarnished truth about self-publishing
“It’s a contact sport.”
That’s how one author summed up his experience in a refreshingly frank and illuminating first-person account of what it’s really like to publish your own novel.
A minefield with roads forked in every direction
David Carnoy started out with a literary agent and high hopes for placing his novel Knife Music with a traditional publisher. But after failing to land a deal, the executive editor of CNET Reviews began to investigate the options available in self-publishing, and found “a veritable minefield with roads that forked in every direction and very few clear answers.”
In the end, Carnoy published Knife Music with Book-Surge, the Print On Demand (POD) arm of Amazon, where the novel is now #26 in the category “Medical Thrillers,” with an overall sales rank hovering around #33,000.
Carnoy learned a great deal along the way, which he’s distilled into “Self-publishing a book: 25 things you need to know” and posted in his regular column at CNET.
Hire your own book doctor
I agree with many of his opinions and observations. For example #14: Buy as little as possible from your publishing company, where Carnoy writes, “Self-publishing outfits are in the game to make money. And since they’re probably not going to sell a lot of your books, they make money by selling you services with nice margins.”
Examples include Book-Surge, iUniverse, Xlibris and others, which all offer menus of pricy frills like book doctoring, copy-editing, and higher quality jacket designs. Other companies offer big packages of publishing services that including publicity, marketing and sales for which they charge $25,000 or more.
Instead, Carnoy recommends hiring your own book doctor, and designing your own book cover with professionals you can retain and work with directly. Good advice. In the interest of full disclosure, in Carnoy’s post, he links to this blog as well as to others, and I concur that writers have many good independent developmental editors from which to choose.
Sober advice
Carnoy gives sober advice about many details, decisions and challenges that self-publishing authors face, from setting the retail price of the book to getting it reviewed (Carnoy mentions Kirkus Discoveries, a reviewing service that charges up to $550 for a critique.) Other issues include optimizing Amazon product pages and purchasing an ISBN number so it doesn’t remain with the self-publishing company.
The self-publishing author, Carnoy advises, must understand the difference between books that are meant for friends and family and other more ambitious work that has a larger potential audience (you hope.) And have no illusions about quick or easy success.
A major commitment to self-promotion is necessary for success
In #18: Self-publishing is a contact sport, Carnoy acknowledges that the biggest mistake authors make is not realizing that to sell books, they have to be “relentless” self-promoters.
As I’ve said elsewhere in various of my own blog posts, self-promotion for any author requires a major commitment of time and energy to building a platform before the book is even completed. You might be interested specifically in taking a look at “Build your author platform: 10 tips from a pro” with excellent concrete advice for writers.
I expect the authors I publish to create a website, learn to blog, build a community and social network, reach out to comment on other websites and blogs, and perhaps even seek feedback to work-in-progress by posting chapters online.
Self-published authors must do all this and more, since they don’t have the advantage of a traditional publisher’s marketing staff support.
They also need to cultivate relationships with local bookstores that will be interested in having readings if they can draw a crowd, and help them sell a significant number of books.
And don’t forget the all-important media. Self-publishing authors can contact regional radio talk and cable TV shows that are interested in a local angle. This kind of aggressive publicity, perhaps guided by a hired publicist, is responsible for the few extraordinary successes we hear about in self-publishing.
What do traditional publishers think?
I’m a great fan of self-publishing but always encourage writers to have realistic expectations, particularly when there’s no chance whatsoever that the book should be any more than a keepsake memoir for your grandchildren.
On the other hand, Lulu insiders say that around 5 percent of self-published books convert to commercial publication. That means that after a book has reached a noticeable level of success — like 5,000-10,000 copies in retail sales, with more sales likely in the future — through the strenuous efforts of the self-promoting author, then a traditional publisher may pick up the book and republish it.
In my own experience, I recently lost an auction to McGraw-Hill for a self-published book on women’s anger that I really wanted to acquire. I’m now in the middle of signing another self-published book on the therapeutic value of memoir writing.
So this traditional publisher thinks self-publishing can be a way to do an end-run around lengthy and frustrating rejection, and create a business career-building calling card, or even, if you’re passionate and devoted and believe in your work, a successful publishing launch that reaches a level where you can get serious attention.
December 26th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I was at a publishing conference recently where publishers were discussing the benefits and drawbacks of authors acting as self-promoters. Some believed that having certain authors self-promote in certain contexts (for example, writing on blogs when they have no real concept of the forum) doesn’t actually help anything. Do you tailor how you ask authors to promote to the author? Or do you expect every one to do everything?
December 26th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Dear Nancy,
I’m a big believer in authors reaching out into communities of bloggers who are related to their topics. As an editor at Jossey-Bass/Wiley, I do try to help with specific ideas for joining in on forum discussions. For example, we advise authors not to try to sell their own book but instead only to comment on the topic under discussion with a specific new idea or useful contribution of some kind. This can be anything from how to help your child to sleep at night (for the many mommy/parenting blogs) to how to show someone how you love them (for the many relationship blogs).
What I’ve also found to be true among some of my publishing colleagues at conferences is that 1) they don’t believe anything that can’t be quantified, whereas the kind of sales generated by commenting on a blog is usually indirect and can’t be traced; and 2) they aren’t comfortable with the online universe and have a lot of residual skepticism and disbelief that the world is really changing and they’d better get on board.
Thanks for the comment.
Alan
January 9th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Mr. Rinzler,
Just read your blog on self-publishing and looked over the 25 things for self-publishers. Can’t say I saw anything there I haven’t already done for my own books in the last four years since I started my publishing company. There is one thing I didn’t see mentioned though.
My best book has better Amazon sales numbers that the one mentioned, my sales are approaching 10k, I’m in the system for Borders and B&N, I’ve done numerous booksignings (with a live parrot, no less), and I’m in the hunt on Amazon with Florida fiction writers that are all bestsellers, award winning, etc.
The thing missing in the list of 25? In spite of the popularity and sales of my books I still can’t get a literary agent to even look at my work. So, Number 26: Frustration at the stigma of self-publishing.
Thanks for your blog and insights into a business that as yet remains a mystery to me…
Robert Tacoma
January 29th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Has anyone heard or read of a literary agent writing a book on the trials and tribulations of their hour by hour, day by day work? Even a fabricated work load, bet’cha a book like this would sell like hotcakes.
February 13th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
I just discovered your blog and am delighted. I’m planning on reading my way through your posts and becoming a regular reader. I created a small press to publish my works. Following a plan similar to what you outline above, I hired a consultant to help me produce my first books. What an exciting surprise when I won eight national awards my first year!
Yes, the publicity aspects of being an author (however published) take time and work. I never thought I’d have the facility with Dreamweaver I do or run a stable of 52 URLS. I’ve discovered that I enjoy being on radio and connecting with people who really like my work. They give something to me, and I give something back. And––being a small press owner is a perfect outlet for my obsessive compulsive tendencies.
I loved your post on keeping one’s confidence up. I have an MA in Marriage, Family, & Child Counseling, in addition to a larger bag of tricks. Those counseling skills are so valuable, for self management if nothing else. I changed the goals of my writing recently. I discovered that what I really want is longevity: shelf life. I want my words to be valuable to people. I want them to come up to me ten or twenty years after I’ve written a piece and say, “Boy, what you said really helped me.” That happened recently. I created a new blog because of it: Your Shelf Life: How Long Will You Last? yourshelflife.com Promotes sanity for authors.
I’m glad I found your blog. Many thanks.
April 9th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Mr. Rinzler,
I finished writing a book centered around excerpt from journals about two years ago. I have been approached by Dorrance to submit for a review, I am nervous about sending in my manuscript because I have read many negative comments and remarks. I write poetry, not like anything I have read in recent poetry, but very in depth thought provoking, inspirational poetry that is applicable to living. This is the first time I have heard the ‘book doctor’ reference, could you please tell me what exactly does a book doctor do for a would-be author/first time publising writer such as myself?
I am torn between following through with publishing or letting the whole thing go and just leave it as is for my children to do with what they will. I have been told by many people that my writing style is extraordinary, some were biased friends, others had no stake in my emotional state of mind. How does one find out if they have what it is others search for to be inspired, for example? Your feedback will be most appreciated Sir. Sincerely, Robin Thomas
April 9th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Dear Robin,
If your journal entries are intended primarily for your children there’s no need to let anyone else read them. But if you’re interested in putting them into a book for general distribution, either through independent or commercial publication, you’d better get used to critical feed back, which might even be useful.
Be careful, though, and don’t feel coerced to pay for services you don’t want or need. Dorrance, for example, says on their web site that they’ll review your book for free.
Also remember that the job of a good book doctor or developmental editor is to help you express you feelings more effectively, so your book can inspire others if that’s your intention.
Alan
August 5th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Mr. Rinzler,
I’ve self-published and sold 55,000 copies (seven printings) of my family’s cookbook, Granny’s Drawers (http://www.amazon.com/Grannys-Drawers-Karen-Harris/dp/1886690502/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249485579&sr=1-1). I did everything from book signings (15 in NC, SC, and KY), radio interviews (15), television interviews (5) and nationwide publicity (which generated three magazine articles). As a result of these efforts, I sold 15,000 copies of my book to Sam’s Club (less than 100 copies returned) and 5,000 copies to Cracker Barrel (a restaurant/gift store chain). I also worked with my gift distributors at the Atlanta and Dallas Gift Marts, where I hand sold my book to gift store owners (great annuity accounts w/no returns). I spent at least 95% of my time marketing my book and perhaps 5% of my time writing it. It was a joyful journey.
As I contemplate publishing a sequel cookbook oriented toward healthier eating, I seriously question what form of delivery I should use. An ebook format perhaps? The new Kindle appears to have been the tipping point for acceptance of the ebook. More recently, Barnes & Noble made their ebook announcement and Sony announced their new readers with lower prices. These readers along with portable devices–iPhones, Blackberries, etc.–seem to be the new wave, don’t they? Any thoughts on the ebook revolution and where/how to position in the tsunami?
I enjoy reading your blog!
August 7th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Hi Karen,
Congratulations on the terrific success of your self-published family cookbook. Sounds like Granny’s Drawers is a successful role-model for everyone who wants to publish their book independently. You’ve done everything right.
So why would you want to do the sequel any differently? I don’t think an ebook format is something you need to worry about at this point. Ebook sales are still only 00.0005% of all book sales and whereas you’re right, they’re going to grow a lot, cook books will not necessarily be the best format for digital publishing until it doesn’t matter if you spill a cup of tomato sauce or drop a raw egg on your e-reader or cell phone. And when we do tip the balance on digital versus print publishing what’s going to happen is that readers will have a choice of formats and platform. We’ll be able to buy a digital version for our hand-held e-reader or a good old book you can have on the table next to the mixing bowl.
More joyful journeys to you,
Alan