An Indie Author’s Pathway to Publishing

A Book is Born

Good News! You may soon hold a copy of my new book in your hands! My story is going from my imagination to words sent out into the world! Ever wonder how that happens? There are many ways to publish. As a proud indie (independently published) author, I’m in charge of all aspects of publishing my book. It’s exciting, but can be daunting at the same time. 

 In this post, I share my experience as an indie author who is about to publish her second book. Here is my Pathway to Publishing:

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Editing

After the last sentence of a rough manuscript has been typed (Anne Lamott calls this the “shitty first draft”), the real work begins. Editing.

Stephen King says “2 drafts and a polish.” Draft one is a closed door; the author goes over the manuscript by her- or himself. Draft 2 is an open door; the manuscript goes out to others to see for the first time. This is where being a part of a writing community pays off. I am fortunate to have a group of close friends who are talented writers. We spend time together, going over each other’s work. Considering the feedback, I edit my manuscript. This process (developmental editing) takes time, but is crucial to creating a well thought out and cohesive manuscript. (By the way Stephen, I’d be happy with 2 drafts…my manuscript has had many, many more…)

The “polish” then is the line editing. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, spacing. No stone is left unturned. Again, my writing friends come to my rescue. One of my critique group friends is an excellent line editor.  Her work is invaluable to me. Back to the manuscript I go. 

The Book Takes Shape

So, at the time of this writing, my manuscript is ready. Now on to formatting: This is the nuts and bolts of the book…sort of like building a house. Here is where I consider the size of the book, font style and size, line spacing, chapter headings, margins, buff or white paper, placement of page numbers. eBooks have their own format. There are tutorials and templates out there, but for me (she who has limited tech skills), I trust this to a professional. I contract it out. My formatter takes my manuscript and cover ideas and gets them ready to submit to KDP/ Amazon.

A Book by its Cover

And speaking of cover…this step is crucial. The cover is the face of the book–it’s first impression. It holds the power to make a reader stop and pick up the book, or walk on by. Colors, images, text all play a part. I’m a visual person and love designing my own covers. I start with a stock photo (purchased on Shutterstock). Then, with the help of my formatter, or programs like Coverjig, I play with the text to create the look I’m going for.

And don’t forget about the back. Back cover blurbs are the book’s second chance to grab a reader.  Notice the next time you are browsing in a bookstore.  Don’t you look at the cover first, then flip it over to see what the book is about? Yep, that’s intentional. There is an exact art to writing a back cover blurb…part word smithing, part psychology. The goal is to draw the reader in without revealing too much.

Upload

Almost there. Now, the book needs an ISBN (international standard book number). That little number on the back cover uniquely identifies the book. Amazon and other publishers will assign one for free, but then they technically own this number which may limit who you can sell to. This time around I am purchasing my own ISBN through Bowker.

Once the formatting is in order, I upload the book to Amazon. If everything meets their standards, I will order an author’s proof copy. It’s an exciting day when this arrives on my doorstep. This is when the book becomes real for me and I can see it as the reader will experience it. If everything looks good, I go back to my Amazon author’s account, press PUBLISH and…(drumroll please) the book is released into the world!

 It seems like this should be the end of the story…but there’s one more thing. Amazon has an estimated 32 million published titles. Publishing a book is like dropping a tiny pebble onto a beach covered in 32 million tiny pebbles. No one will ever notice my book…unless I tell people about it and show them where to find it. Now I need to…

Market the Book

There I said it. For any author, but especially indie authors marketing is critical. There are many ways to do this: word of mouth, friends and family, social media, blogs and newsletters, book signings. I like to think of this as another outlet for creativity. Each book has its own personality, and it’s up to me to find a way to connect to its audience. 

So there you have it. A long process, yes. Why do I do it? Well, why does a painter paint or an actor act or a quilter quilt? It’s a way of expressing myself, of creating something that didn’t exist before, and maybe, just maybe I will connect with someone who will relate to my story. 

“When you make it real, it can gloriously travel to all sorts of places. Even a seemingly tiny story can deeply affect other people” -SARK

So, Watch this space…Book #2 is coming soon!  I can’t wait to share it with you!