The Self-Published Writer's Juggle...

I, along with many others, have chosen to be a self-published author. You will hear varied opinions about Indie authors versus traditionally published authors. Some writers have been traditionally published and changed to being an Indie author, or even Indie authors have been "discovered" by a great publishing company and decided to work with them. It really is a matter of what you are comfortable with.

Me, I am kind of a control freak, so I prefer full control over what I write, where it is published and what kind of cover goes on it. Sometimes, it can even be a financial decision that makes someone choose self-publishing. Most Indie authors are extremely talented writers, but they just don't have the money to pay editors, proofreaders, PR people and graphic artists. They need to make money from their writing now, not months or years in the future.

So, the only way to write and get published is to do it their self, and by that, I mean  Indie authors do nearly everything. It is not just a matter of writing the story and then waiting on royalties while writing another great story.

Before the first story is ever published, it must be perfectly formatted, proofread, edited and a brilliant cover added. Some Indie authors are able to pay for help with some of these things. Many rely on friends and other writers to help them. Some even barter to get services....I'll read yours if you read mine, or I'll edit for you, you design a cover for me. It works!

Self-published authors do not have a huge PR firm backing them either, so we must advertise and promote our own books. Deciding how and when to promote your latest work of art, can be a juggle in itself. Too much promotion and people will think you are just spamming them and won't bother to read the book, no matter how great it might be.

Too little promotion and the book will just sit there. Hmmm, where is the happy middle ground? It is a juggle for every author to figure out of they are doing enough, not enough, or way too much. It can be especially confusing for a new Indie author like me, just learning the ropes.

But, it can be a fun and rewarding experience. You will be so thrilled when that very first story goes live on Amazon, Smashwords or Barnes and Noble. Yes, it is a lot of hard work, but as the saying goes, "No pain, no gain."

Unitl next time...Happy writing and happy reading!