A TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHED AUTHOR
WADES INTO THE WATERS OF SELF PUBLISHING
PROLOGUE
(I know…writers beware of opening with a “prologue,” but I
think you’ll find back story is relevant to my decision to self publish).
In 1993, I signed a four-book contract with Bantam Books. A
year later, my first medieval romance, Warrior
Bride, was released and another three “bride” books followed. As I
continued to write for the general market, publishing three more medieval romances
with HarperCollins and Dorchester and earning
awards and spots on national bestseller lists, I infused my growing faith into
my writing (much of which fell prey to red pen-wielding editors).
In 2004, I committed to writing books that not only reveal
Christianity to non-believers but serve as inspiration to believers. In 2006,
my first inspirational romance, Stealing
Adda, was released. In 2008, my second inspirational romance, Perfecting Kate, was optioned for a
movie and Splitting Harriet won an
ACFW "Book of the Year" award. In 2009, Faking Grace was nominated for a RITA and ACFW "Book of the
Year" award. In 2011, I concluded my "Southern Discomfort"
series that launched with Leaving
Carolina, continued with Nowhere
Carolina, and ended with Restless in
Carolina.
That makes seven general market medieval romances and seven inspirational
market contemporary romances for a total of fourteen traditionally published books.
Hence, the purpose of this “prologue” is to show that I come at self publishing
from the angle of an author with a reader base as compared to an unpublished author
lacking a reader base outside of supportive friends and family. That isn’t to
say unpublished authors shouldn’t consider self-publishing—absolutely not!—but
neither should they blindly jump into it. More on that later.
CHAPTER ONE: WHY?
I was blessed to have my books published by traditional
publishers for seventeen years, but another path to publication has become
increasingly viable due to those fearless authors who struck out on their own
years ago and the rise in popularity of e-readers. This past March, I officially
joined the ranks of other traditionally published authors who are exploring the
electronic format by releasing out-of-print books in hopes of finding new
readers, revamping old titles to give them new life, and offering new titles
(hello!).
When I transitioned from the general market to the inspirational
market, it was with the intention of continuing to write medieval romances.
However, despite interest in my three-book “Age of Faith” proposal (two full
manuscripts and then some), inspirational publishers were wary of novels set
during the medieval time period due to the stigma of corruption within the
Church, the Crusades, and the Inquisition. Thus, my agent encouraged me to get
my foot in the door by writing “something different.” And did I ever—contemporary
romance with a splash of humor.
Unfortunately, the climate for medieval romance hasn’t
changed in the intervening years. As much as I’ve enjoyed writing contemporary
romance, my longing to return to the medieval setting finally made me turn to
self publishing. However, rather than start with my “Age of Faith” series, I
decided to “test the waters” with Dreamspell,
a manuscript written in the space between leaving the general market and
committing to the inspirational market. This “clean read” time travel romance
that moves between the twenty-first century and the Middle Ages now stands as
my fifteenth published book and my first book to debut via virtual bookshelves.
So there’s my first reason for self publishing: finding a home for a story that
didn’t fit the inspirational market due to its setting or the general market due
to its inspirational/clean read status.
The second book I self published was my first inspirational
romance, Stealing Adda, the rights to
which reverted to me after the book went out of print several years ago. My
reason: finding new readers. Then this past July, I decided it was time to go
from testing the waters of self publishing to wading in them with another book
that didn’t fit either market—The
Unveiling, the first book in my “Age of Faith” series.
Another reason for self publishing is the ability to exercise
control over my “intellectual property.” Yes, the middle man still exists (in
my case, Amazon’s digital publishing arm), but outside of providing a
“storefront,” the guy mostly sits back and collects his cut. Yet another reason
for self publishing is the opportunity to make a better living by earning a significantly
larger percentage of the sales price. Mind you, I haven’t yet realized this
opportunity, but you’ve got to love the possibility.
CHAPTER TWO: HOW?
Up to this point, I’ve limited my self-publishing venture to
digital books available on Amazon since I haven’t had the time to explore other
sales outlets and print-on-demand. What does “going it on my own” entail? First
and foremost, writing the best story possible just as I would for a traditional
publisher. Second, enlisting the services of an editor to evaluate content and
polish the story. Third, hiring a graphic artist to design a professional cover
that doesn’t shout “self published.” Fourth, educating myself on the mechanics
of self publishing (formatting, etc). Fifth, marketing (and setting aside
advertising dollars).
A little history on that last one: When I was first
published in 1994, publishers weren’t keen on authors contributing to marketing
efforts. In fact, they could get downright upset about it (do I have a tale to
tell). By the time I was published in the inspirational market, much of that responsibility
had shifted to the author. No longer was I simply
(yeah, right) expected to write books and show up for signings. I was expected
to contribute to marketing efforts which meant carving time out of my writing
schedule and money out of my advance. Now if you’re undertaking publication on
your own…well, it’s going to cost even more of your writing time and, most
likely, a bigger chunk of a non-existent advance. The good news is that social
media (Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, etc.) makes it easier than ever for
authors to reach the reading public. The not-so-good news—at least for me—is
that I saw very little change in sales when I went beyond basic social media by
advertising on Facebook and Goodreads. Sigh.
CHAPTER THREE: WHO?
Now the question of who should
self publish. I’m too new at this venture to pose as any kind of authority, but
I don’t believe self publishing is for every writer. Even with my established reader
base, sales have been relatively slow. Fortunately, with the release of each
successive ebook, sales have gradually increased and, hopefully, will continue
to do so. As for those lovely little checks from Amazon, they won’t pay the
mortgage, but they certainly pay more bills than my previously unpublished manuscripts.
Hence, for me, it’s a win-win situation. In my opinion—and it’s only that—the
writers who will most benefit from self publishing are:
1)
Traditionally
published authors with an established reader base
a.
whose manuscript(s)
aren’t a fit for traditional publishers or
b.
who have had rights to
previous works returned and are looking for new readers or
c. who would like to
exercise more control over their writing and are in the enviable position of
foregoing an advance and
d.
who are willing and financially
able to secure the services of a professional editor and graphic artist and
e.
who have the time to
tackle marketing (or the funds to hire a professional marketer)
2)
Unpublished authors
a.
who have disciplined
themselves to learn the craft of writing by writing and rewriting and writing
again, joining critique groups, entering contests, attending writing
conferences and workshops, garnering agent and/or editor interest, implementing
feedback, and for whom “timing” may be the only thing that’s off (this depth of
discipline is almost always a long-term commitment, as in: years and years) and
b.
who are willing and financially
able to secure the services of a professional editor and graphic artist and
c.
who have the time to
tackle marketing (or the funds to hire a professional marketer)
In conclusion, viable self
publishing is here to stay, so even if you’re not ready to “test the waters,”
do explore this new and exciting (yes, at times frustrating) road to
publication.
EPILOGUE
A wife, mother, and cookbook fiend, Tamara Leigh lives near Nashville, Tennessee
with her husband and sons, a Doberman Pinscher that bares its teeth not only to
threaten the UPS man but to smile, and a Shih Tzu with a Napoleon complex and
something of an eating disorder. To learn more about Tamara and read excerpts
of her books, visit: www.tamaraleigh.com.
For recipes and musings, visit her Kitchen Novelist blog: www.tamaraleighauthor.wordpress.com
Very interesting information! Thank you for such an extensive breakdown. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for these thougths on such an important subject these days, Tamara. Even if authors aren't currently considering e-publishing/self-publishing, I truly thing authors should be well-informed about what's happening in the industry, including the ins adn outs of e-publishing and who's testing the waters and why.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, writers considering jumping into the deep end of self-pubbing, whould know what they're getting themselves into.
Wow, this is really interesting, especially after me commenting on someone else's post not too long ago about how self-publishing probably isn't for me. I really like the breakdown and a realistic look at how much work it takes to self-publish. For those who already put so much into marketing or social media, AND have a following of some sort, it actually seems reasonable. Thanks for this post!
ReplyDeleteWhat I meant to say was it actually seems do-able. As far as reasonable, of course! I know an author who self-published because she wanted her stories to be heard (she'd never been published before) and she's doing amazing marketing on her own. It's a TON of work, but she enjoys it and it's really working for her.
ReplyDeleteFascinating, Tamara. 1) I just have to say that I'm glad your agent suggested you write contemporary romance because yours are some of my favorites. 2) I didn't even realize your new books were self-published because they look so professional. 3) I admire your courage and passion. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post. Tamera, it's interesting to read the journey of a multi-published author. So good to see your breakdown of all that needs to be considered before making the jump into the self-pub pool. Thanks for sharing your insights!
ReplyDeleteI haven't gotten a chance to read Unveiling yet... but Dreamspell was AMAZING, Tamera!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, you know my obsessive love of your contemporary romances.
Yours in Christ...
(For those of you who don't get that... read Faking Grace. *wiping tears in remembrance of that hilarious book!*)
but seriously, I've been SUPER curious as to what prompted your change and what all went into the decision, so this was a fascinating read for me! THANKS so much for sharing!!!
Great article, Tamara. Thank you so much for mentioning that authors who self publish should hire a professional editor! I've read a couple of self pubbed books by first time authors that could have been eons better with editing.
ReplyDeleteI'm very much enjoying your foray into self publishing-can't wait for the next book in the Age of Faith series. :D
I've read Stealing Adda and Dreamspell. I really enjoyed both of them. I also have a hard to publish Christian medieval novel. Since it was my first book, I published it with a small Christian press, WhiteFire Publishing.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more, Tamara. I love the freedom these new publishing avenues provide, but I also feel for the readers, who have to wade through the glut of self-published books you describe as not always published professionally. I am glad you mentioned that, because although there are authors like you (and I) who make sure their books are edited, designed and printed professionally, there are hundreds more who have gotten lazy, and depend on the readers to be their editors. This is very prevalent with eBooks.
ReplyDeleteSo, I'm with you! I give myself over to the creative writing process, then allow my pragmatic self to take over for the publishing/marketing end of it. If I win the lottery, I'm so farming out the business end! I have a wooden Japanese writer's cottage in the Northwest with my name on it...just waiting for me :)