If you’ve ever thought about self-publishing a book, you’ve come to the right place. Please welcome author Zoe Winters who will share her thoughts on what she wishes she would have known when she first jumped into the self-published author pool. Don’t forget to leave a comment because one lucky winner will receive a digital copy of Zoe’s books Blood Lust and Becoming an Indie Author.
Welcome Zoe!
The good news is… a whole bunch of people have already done it. And a lot of them have been really loud and proud about it. This has lowered the stigma just a little bit. However, the temptation can still be strong to lash out at anyone who doesn’t understand what it is you’re trying to do. If I could go back in a time machine, there are a lot of things I might have done differently.
I might not have argued so much or so stridently with people on the Internet on the topic of self-publishing. While it did gain me fans/readers/followers/whatevers, it at times also alienated people. Of course no matter what you do or how you comport yourself, someone won’t like you. You can be the nicest person on the planet and never get combative with anyone, and there will be someone who dislikes you for *that* reason. So you really can’t win. But I think the best reason for not spending so much time arguing on the Internet would have been the next thing I might have done differently…
Writing more consistently. Writers are lazy. There, I said it. Get mad at me if you want to, but it’s true. There is pretty much no other profession in the world where you can work for an hour a day and whine about how hard it was. On some level, this isn’t our fault. In traditional publishing, publication schedules make it such that most authors can’t publish more than one book a year (for one author name at least), so in readers’ minds there is this idea that if you write faster than that, it must be drek. So writers with work ethic are automatically punished for it.
This year I’ve got a goal to write 365,000 new words. Yes, that’s a lot, but it breaks down to 1k a day. It takes me 1 hour or less to compose that. And that’s at my natural writing speed. Of course we can’t speed out into the world with unedited rough drafts, but we also all know that the more we write, the better we get. Old pros in this business don’t tend to have to have as many edits to do as newbies. (Yes, there are always those writers who get famous and then crazy who go off on bizarre tangents and get worse rather than better. But generally speaking, you get better at what you practice at daily.)
Had I written more consistently and shown a stronger work ethic over the years, not only would I have a lot more writing experience and stronger craft under my belt when I started self-publishing, but I would have had more books to publish, faster. Watching Amanda Hocking’s star rise so high so fast, inspired me to work on backlist. There are obviously many factors that contribute to an indie author doing well, but having a lot of *good* titles, is one of the biggest, in my opinion.
Had I been writing more, I automatically wouldn’t have been wasting so much time arguing on the Internet. But, live and learn.
If I could hop into a time machine, I would not have posted a free ebook anywhere without making it conditional on signing up for my newsletter. Something I learned quickly was that if you want something specific, you sometimes have to do more than just give something away. I didn’t give Kept away out of the altruism of my heart. I wanted to make a living. I wanted to build a platform and fan base, and most importantly a newsletter list. I told people where they could sign up for my newsletter at the back, but my newsletter sign ups didn’t really take off until I made it a condition of getting Kept free.
I think the newsletter list is one of THE most important marketing tools you have at your disposal. It allows you to rally a lot of your fans together all in one place and get them to take action at the right time. There can be a huge difference in sales if you can get a thousand people to go buy the book *now*. Or even 200 or 300 to do it. Because buying the book right now, means your rankings shoot up faster, and not only do they shoot up faster, but the recommendations algorithm kicks into high gear at places like Amazon and B&N. The higher your sales rankings and the longer you can sustain it, the greater your visibility and the longer your sales peak before things drop back down and get quiet again for awhile.
Another thing I would have done differently in hindsight is that I wouldn’t have sold at 99 cents for so long. The intention was to build trust and build an audience, but 99 cents isn’t a great long-term strategy for a few different reasons. For one thing, a lot of people like to hoard 99 cent ebooks. I’m sure many of the people who bought my ebooks when they were 99 cents, still haven’t read them. And probably never will. It looked good to them at the time, and it was only 99 cents. But they didn’t read it.
Why is this a bad thing?
Besides Amazon’s recommendations algorithms and sales rank visibility, what helps you the most is just like any other author, word-of-mouth advertising. If a good portion of your readers aren’t reading the book, that cuts way down on the kind of word of mouth you’re going to get out of the deal.
Another issue with 99 cent ebooks is a lot of people have a “you get what you pay for” attitude. So even if you’re trying to be generous and build trust, many people will go into your work “expecting” it to suck. If you’ve studied psychology very deeply, you know that often one’s expectations of a thing inform their experience of it. So many people will think something is worse if it’s cheaper and better if it’s more expensive, even if it’s the same exact thing. (For some interesting studies on this and other quirks of human behavior, check out the book: “Predictably Irrational”.)
I finally flipped out like a ninja when one reader decided that Kept, which was 99 cents on Amazon at the time should have been free because it was “short”. That was when it really hit home that people weren’t seeing this as a trust-building activity. They were seeing it as either low self-worth on my part, or crappy product. Because I can’t imagine that anyone would have expected a novella by a big name author to be free just because it was a novella. I paid $3.99, I think, for a J.R. Ward novella around the length of Kept.
This experience directly inspired two events, A Zoe Who? video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxWBPmLoyEU
And… raising all my prices. Novellas all went to $2.99 and Blood Lust (the compilation), I moved up to $3.99
Though sales themselves dipped a little bit, they didn’t fall off the map and I started making more money than I’d made with more sales at 99 cents. Plus, once you start selling at the $2.99 price point, you start attracting a different demographic of reader… i.e. people who won’t complain about paying a few bucks for a reading experience. Because really, we’re talking about less than the price of a coffee at Starbucks. And no matter how fast you read, plenty of people go through the Starbucks drive-thru every morning.
If I’d raised my prices when my sales rankings were the highest, due to the sales velocity I had going on at the time, I believe I would have kept selling well at the higher price points for around the same length of time I sold great at 99 cents. So basically I lost thousands of dollars by keeping my prices so low for so long. An argument could be made that I wouldn’t be able to sell at $2.99 if I hadn’t built a platform first at 99 cents. This isn’t a bad argument, but I write under an additional pen name that doesn’t have the Zoe-platform and raised prices to $2.99 very early on. The book still sold, and in fact on Amazon right now is selling better than any one Zoe book.
So those are some of the things I wish I’d known when I started self-publishing. I’m making a living self-publishing fiction right now, something for which I’m incredibly grateful since I seemed to have no ability to make a living doing anything else (or keep a job long enough to find out). But, I might be better off if I’d done a few things differently.
Nothing really prepares you upfront for the decisions you’ll have to make as an indie author. We all make our mistakes and hopefully learn from them. The one piece of advice I’d like to leave you with though is… don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It can hold you back in indecision and keep you from moving forward. If you do something wrong, figure out what it is, fix it, and keep going. Don’t be afraid to start just because you might make an error. That’s a given in almost everything.
***
RU Crew, is there anything you wish you would have known before starting on your writing journey? Don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing. Zoe will be checking in later today to answer questions.
Thank you to Zoe for being here today.
Join us on Monday when Sourcebooks Editor Deb Werksman gives us a behind the scenes look at the acquisition process.
Bio: Zoe Winters writes quirky and sometimes dark paranormal romance. She’s an outspoken advocate of the indie author movement and believes indie authors deserve the same consideration as indie musicians and filmmakers. Her favorite colors are rainbow and clear. You can find her on the web at zoewinters.org
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Hi Zoe,
Thanks for joining us today! There’s so much to think about whether one decides on traditional publishing or self-publishing.
Best wishes on your continued success!
Tracey
Posted by TraceyDevlyn | January 7, 2011, 5:43 amThanks Tracey!
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 8, 2011, 3:23 amWelcome to RU, Zoe! Do you worry at all that e-book publishers will begin to lower their prices to compete with self-published authors’ pricing?
Thanks for being here. Great tips!
Posted by Adrienne Giordano | January 7, 2011, 6:48 amHey Adrienne,
They might, but publishing isn’t a zero-sum game. Unlike some, I DO believe we are in competition with each other (doesn’t mean it has to be nasty or unhealthy… just that publishing is one of the most competitive industries out there so to act like brands aren’t competing is way too much cognitive dissonance for me!)
If that happens on the one hand it gets more competitive. BUT on the other hand, it makes it harder for readers to know who is self-published and who is traditionally published. So it could ultimately be a net gain for indies. While it may be initially harder to get seen and compete on price, if other pubs start pricing the same as indies, we blend more. So if you’ve got a good cover, good description, good book, decent platform, you’re not going to be discernible to the average reader as a self-published author. Which pretty much kills the stigma we’ve been fighting for so long because of being labeled the same as the drek.
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 8, 2011, 3:26 amI have been waiting all week for your post Zoe! You are an inspiration to all up and coming “indie authors”. After stumbling across your name when I Googled self-publishing, I read your blog and am seriously considering going the indie route. I think going indie is a wonderful idea for those of us who want to be in control of our platform , our work and are prepared to go the distance to make it happen. Thanks for being a trail blazer and showing us that success can really happen this way!
Posted by Tamika Spruill | January 7, 2011, 7:01 amHi Tamika, thanks for reading! I’m glad something I said inspired you.
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 8, 2011, 3:28 amAs an unpubbed author thinking of self-publishing, I find your tips and insight interesting. Isn’t hindsight a great thing?
Posted by Lorraine Nelson | January 7, 2011, 8:03 amHi Lorraine! Nice to see you here! =)
carrie
Posted by Carrie Spencer | January 7, 2011, 8:21 amThanks, Lorraine! And yup.
But on the flip-side, people who are right about absolutely everything are obnoxious. And I’ve already got way too much obnoxious in me! 
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 8, 2011, 3:28 amMorning Zoe!
The world of self-publishing is definitely one most writers are going to want to check out, and your list will surely be a big help! Something to keep in my files for sure. =)
Can I ask when do you know your work is “ready to go”? As a writer, I piddle with my stories incessantly……I’d still never get anything self-published!
=)
carrie
Posted by Carrie Spencer | January 7, 2011, 8:24 amHey Carrie,
I’m not sure you ever “know” when it’s ready. Like, I’m not totally sure “kept” was ready in some ways. i.e. I don’t think it will be considered “my best work”. But that’s the thing… as writers we are hopefully always growing. And a lot of traditionally published authors dislike their first books. A lot of traditionally published authors did a lot of learning WHILE being published. Early books were still very much a big learning curve.
I think a book is ready to at least compete when it’s got a strong voice and the author has a clear understanding of narrative structure. And of course good grammar and punctuation. Beyond that I think it’s one of those things where you have to just put it out there and see how other people respond to it.
I think we forget that writing is a type of art. And we really can’t predict how the world is going to react to it. In some ways this attitude of writing having to be “good enough” to get through these gatekeepers and “marketable enough” has really cut down on the organic nature of what art is supposed to be and feel like. So I think we lose our intuition on these things. We need to start listening to our more creative side more, and respecting that side more without a constant internal editor shouting us down.
There is a time for editing and polishing, obviously, but I think many times we forget to trust the creator side of us. That’s where “art” be it “commercial” or “literary” happens. And no matter how prepared we think something is, every book is an ego risk when we release it. I’m getting very close to the release date for Save My Soul. I’m scared of how people will react to it… whether this will be a book that helps move me farther up the author food chain, or a book that just sort of shrivels and dies on the vine.
I was scared when I released Kept, Claimed, Mated, the anthology (though for different reasons on that last one), and when I released the indie guide. I don’t think that fear ever goes away totally. It’s like stage fright. And I also think sometimes we confuse stage fright with something not being ready. If you look at releasing an ebook as “test marketing”, I think it will keep you from being as uncertain about it, because test marketing is about experimenting and seeing if something works well.
But of course find critique partners and editors that are better than you are. You have to have discernment to know what advice to take and what not to take. The tough thing about being indie is… there is no one to blame. Any screw ups are your fault. And I think that’s *very* scary for a lot of people. But the payoff can be worth it. Fortune favors the brave, after all.
Hope that helps!
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 8, 2011, 3:37 amGreat blog, Zoe! Your comments about the importance of building a newsletter base are very interesting. I’ve heard this from other marketing professionals, and I admit it’s an area where I need to improve. Thanks for the reminder!
Posted by Becke Martin/Davis | January 7, 2011, 10:18 amNo problem, Becke!
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 8, 2011, 3:38 amHi Zoe,
Your book Kept is on my Amazon page. Someone bought it and my book, All Hours Trading. Small world. Your thoughts on pricing are excellent. Many books are sold at a discount in major bookstores. Picking a time for a sale or a two for one would be difficult from the author’s point of view. You not only have to write, but be an accountant too.
Mary Jo Burke
Posted by Mary Jo Burke | January 7, 2011, 11:49 amHey Mary Jo,
It’s definitely tough. I think some are overstating the awesomeness of this indie thing. I’ve always been supportive of the idea that indies should be “equally respected” and that respect is bestowed upon those who do good stuff worth admiration, not in one’s method of publication. Winning the publishing lottery doesn’t “necessarily” mean someone is a better author than someone who went indie.
By the same token, though… not everybody is cut out to be happy in this indie climate. It’s one thing for authors who are wired for self-employment and have a small business mindset… but authors who really just want to write… people laugh at that, but there is nothing wrong with that dream. And I wish it was more feasible for authors to be able to live it. Because some people are brilliant writers but suck at marketing. And just like many indies succeeding now would have gotten lost in the shuffle of the traditional system, many brilliant writers who aren’t cut out for being indie, may get lost in the shuffle of this “brave new world”.
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 8, 2011, 3:42 amHi, Zoe –
I love all our RU posts, but this was some great new info for me. Can you give us any ballpark (very ballpark
) figures on what it means to “make a living” as a self-pubbed author? If you don’t feel comfortable doing so, I completely understand!
Also – do you recommend writers try to get a newsletter group together before publishing?
Thanks so much!
Kelsey
Posted by Kelsey Browning | January 7, 2011, 12:07 pmHey Kelsey,
Re: newsletter stuff… I think it’s hard to get people to subscribe to your newsletter if you don’t have something out there for them to read, enjoy, and then think: “YES, I want to know when this author has another book out.” With the newsletter, IMO at least, you sort of have to build your wings on the way down. I’m sure some people can build awesome newsletter lists of people excited about their work before they ever release anything, even a short story. But I think those people are probably fairly rare. I’m not saying you can’t do it, because that would be hypocritical. A bunch of people told me I couldn’t make money self-publishing. Everybody else doesn’t know everything about what you can do. But it’s easier to start building the list when you have content out there. And it’s one of those things that starts out slow and then starts to build at a faster rate as you gain more exposure.
Re: making a living… That’s going to be different for every person. It’s just like every other profession. It depends on your standard of living, what area of the country you live in, if you live in a big city or a tiny town, if you have children, if you are the only breadwinner or if you have a spouse or partner helping to pay bills.
I don’t feel comfortable getting super specific, but I will say that I could fully support both myself and my husband, without any other kind of job. That’s “right now”. I hope that continues a long time. But we don’t yet know if “Zoe Winters” has staying power. Only time will tell if I’m still making a living in five or ten years. I hope so. For now, I’m incredibly grateful that I’m able to do this, because God knows I couldn’t make a living doing anything else! (My earning potential was laughable with everything else I tried.)
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 8, 2011, 3:52 amPlenty specific. Thanks, Zoe!
Kels
Posted by Kelsey Browning | January 8, 2011, 5:35 pmNo problem!
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 9, 2011, 5:05 amVery interesting post, Zoe. You covered so many aspects of self publishing succinctly and professionally. This is what I like about RU– information and feedback I don’t find elsewhere, good job, Adrienne, Kelsey and Tracey! I’ve already sent links to writer friends.
Posted by Sherry | January 7, 2011, 2:45 pmThanks Sherry!
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 8, 2011, 3:52 amThank you, Sherry! We’re so glad you’re finding RU’s content useful.
Posted by Tracey Devlyn | January 8, 2011, 7:45 amThank you, Sherry!
Posted by Adrienne Giordano | January 8, 2011, 2:30 pmSherry -
That’s so wonderful to hear. Makes all the work to keep RU up and running worth it!
Thanks so much,
Kelsey
Posted by Kelsey Browning | January 8, 2011, 5:55 pmVery good information about self-publishing. I self-pubbed my first novel and thoroughly enjoyed the production end of it. Since publication, circumstances in my personal life had prevented all but the most minor promotional efforts for the novel. I hope I can do more promoting this year. Information like yours will be very helpful in that endeavor. Thank you!
Posted by Connie Chastain | January 8, 2011, 12:42 amThanks, Connie, good luck! And if you only have time for promotion or writing the next book, write the next book. backlist is king, and if you’re writing stuff people want to read, eventually you’re going to hit critical mass and start connecting with readers, and they’ll start looking for what else you have available!
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 8, 2011, 3:53 amGood point, Zoe. My second novel — not self-published — will launch in April. I’m hoping the two will help each other, but I am at work on a third. Thanks for the insights.
Posted by Connie Chastain | January 8, 2011, 7:30 amNo problem! Good luck! (Or best wishes since luck is for big sillies!
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 9, 2011, 5:06 amI started following you because of Kait Nolan and am itching to get an ereader so I can go to town with all the indies out there. A very interesting post Zoe, heck, even the comments and replies, and I love that you’re so helpful to the next wave of indies.
I think the thing the resonated with me the most was this:
‘By the same token, though… not everybody is cut out to be happy in this indie climate. It’s one thing for authors who are wired for self-employment and have a small business mindset… but authors who really just want to write… people laugh at that, but there is nothing wrong with that dream. And I wish it was more feasible for authors to be able to live it. Because some people are brilliant writers but suck at marketing. And just like many indies succeeding now would have gotten lost in the shuffle of the traditional system, many brilliant writers who aren’t cut out for being indie, may get lost in the shuffle of this “brave new world”.’
Posted by Sherri | January 8, 2011, 8:46 amThanks, Sherri! I’m glad you found it helpful. I’m very grateful I’m able to publish this way and run my own show. It is absolutely the “right fit” for me, but I cringe a little when suddenly trad authors are being peer-pressured. That might not be the right choice for them. I think it’s smart for as many as possible to get their rights reverted backlist up on Kindle at least, but… change doesn’t benefit everyone. People like me weren’t benefited by the old system (I can’t even conceptualize myself as traditionally published. LOL) But there will be people now not benefited by the big indie thing. New opportunities are exciting, just like when the automobile started overtaking the horse and buggy. But they can also be scary for those who were doing just fine and were happy with the old system of doing things.
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 9, 2011, 5:10 amSassy and self-published! I’m so glad we have outspoken indie authors like her to pave the way!
Posted by AlexOngNYC | January 8, 2011, 9:22 amLOL thanks, Alex!
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 9, 2011, 5:11 amI think, Zoe, not only are you popular because of your writing, but you’re very generous with advice and encouragement. That means the world to us newbies that need all the help they can get. Thank you!
Great post. I think I may need to check out your ‘Becoming an Indie Author’.
Posted by dayner | January 8, 2011, 3:13 pmThanks, Dayner, I try to be! One thing I’ve noticed though… A lot of people who claim to want to know how to do something, won’t listen when you try to tell them how you did it. And of those that do, many won’t act on the advice. It’ll just be mental masturbation. Like, “Yay I know how to do this now.” But then they won’t act.
Out of all the how-to guides out there a surprising percentage of people seem to read the book, and even maybe make plans, but few actually move to the taking decisive action place. (It’s like all those people who buy all the weight loss books and workout tapes and exercise machines but never use any of it. I have NO idea why people are like this.)
I tried to make the indie guide as non-intimidating as possible to remove as many barriers as possible between being a reader and a doer.
But people have to have passion and determination. That same tenacity that is considered one of the best qualities in order to get trad pubbed? It’s the same exact thing you need to succeed as an indie.
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 9, 2011, 5:16 amYeah, well, LOL, it is pretty intimidating. I bite my nails just thinking about it.
Posted by dayner | January 19, 2011, 11:07 amThat’s normal. I get nervous every time I release a book!
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 23, 2011, 2:53 pmExcellent information as always. I think your next project should be the “The Collected Blog Postings of Zoe Winters”, LOL. And I’m not even entirely kidding. You always give great practical advice that people can actually use. I’m happy to say I own all your books and I’m slowly but surely making my way through reading them.
Posted by Cari Quinn | January 23, 2011, 2:48 pmThanks, Cari! But I’m starting to back off the indie rah rah train to just focus on fiction!
Posted by Zoe Winters | January 23, 2011, 2:53 pmThis is an interesting article. I’ve not done any self-publishing, but the information is useful for those of us published by smaller, indie presses.
Thanks so much!
Posted by Marcy G. Dyer | May 3, 2013, 10:25 pmthis was a very informative and candid article. I appreciate everything you had to say. it gives hope to those of us that still dream about making a living at the craft…
Posted by Tracy Krauss | May 5, 2013, 4:11 pm