Sci Fi Agonistes III

So, once more into the breach...literally.  As noted a while back, the fledgling Sci Fi publisher and I parted ways earlier this year, so I've been focusing on becoming an "authorpreneur" and going the route of indie publishing for the novelette they had solicited, And on the Eighth Day.  I've shared a lot of info with Keith Krulik about this approach and you can check out his recent post about indie publishing at the Fiction Forge Indy blog here.

As I dug into the topic myself, I was struck initially by the difference between the new "indie" approach and the older, often predatory, self-publishing or vanity press approach.  Yes, the vanity press has its place: for those who want to publish something they simply wish to share with family members or a small group, and who have no interest in reaching a broader audience or ever publishing anything else.  A vanity press is perfect for them and, without it, their dream would never be shared.  Bottom line, the key is that the vanity publisher's customers are not the readers of books but, rather, the writers of them.  Their revenues come mainly from the provision of services to writers, not the sale of books.


Of course, indie publishing isn't really all that new, as hundreds of small, independent presses are not owned by corporate behemoths, and they've published maybe one or two books a year, and they've gone by that epithet for decades.  But those indies published other folks' books, not usually just their own, and their goal was to actually sell books.  Now, with the explosion in ebooks and print on demand, the ability for anyone to publish their own works has transformed that "indie" naming into something almost magical.

Except, as with the writing of the books themselves, it takes WORK!  And money, as when you go into this approach, it is indeed a business, and requires professional (yes, that means you pay someone) editing and cover design if you have any interest in success.

And step one, not unexpectedly: research!

Toward that end, here is an initial list of resources I've discovered so far, and which have been of immense help:

• Scrivener software:  A fabulous tool not only for writing your masterpiece, but an all inclusive resource for planning, research, editing, and, finally, compiling your work for epub formats.  Check out my earlier post "Leverage and Magic" here:  Leverage and Magic  
• The Creative Penn website by Joanna Penn.  Joanna is one of the most enthusiastic and helpful bloggers on the topic of authropreneurship.  Take a look here:  The Creative Penn
• The Book Designer blog by Joel Friedlander has fabulous tips and links to other sites and blogs.  Also includes a monthly indie cover design award update worth its weight in sales volume.  Check it out:  The Book Designer
• Let's Get Visible, by David Gaughran, subtitled How to Get Noticed and Sell More Books.  Yep, there's strategy in titles and word choice and SEO!
• A Self-Publisher's Companion: Expert Advice for Authors Who Want To Publish, by Joel Friedlander.  This one covers it all, from "The Self-publisher's Questionnaire" to "Does Book Design Really Matter" to "Social Media for Authors."
• How to Market a Book, by Joanna Penn.  OMG, do I have to sell this damned thing?  But, I'm an artiste!  Welcome to indie publishing, baby.
• Building Your Book for Kindle, from Kindle Direct Publishing.  Yep, small business is still big business, and this one is indispensable.  

Welcome to the tip of the iceberg in the world of indie publishing.  Only you can prevent the spread of the "tsunami of crap" that reflects the bulk of one-time books self published with no editing and covers drawn by sixth graders, and step one is to accept the business element that comes with true indie publishing.  Frankly, shouldn't that be a reflection of the seriousness of your intent to make your book the best it can be?  If you can't run with the indie dogs, stay on the porch.  So much to learn!

Okay, let's get to work and publish And on the Eighth Day this year at last.