The phrase ‘indie author’ gets bandied around a lot, so let’s start out with a clear definition of what it means. The Alliance of Independent Authors, of which I’m a member, describes it as “a writer of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry books who self-publishes their own work and retains and controls their own publishing rights”.
Most people, when they want to publish a book, go down the route of getting an agent and then a publisher. After all, that’s the obvious way to do things. An agent will support you along the way, helping improve your work and do all negotiations with a publisher on your behalf. But is it always the best for everyone? I know many people who were with publishers but things didn’t work out and now they’re going it alone, which is great!
Why did you go indie, Lynne?
I’m glad you asked me that, because it wasn’t my first choice. Like many people, I went down the route of agent-publisher. But I kept getting the same response: ‘We love the story, the characters and the writing is great but…’ followed by: it’s not for us, we don’t know how to sell it, etc etc. Well, clearly I’m writing good books and I want to get them out there. It also helped that my dad asked, “So when is this book coming out then?” and, as I was about to trot out the usual excuses about agents and publishers, I suddenly wondered why I was waiting. So I started reading up on self-publishing and I’ve never looked back.
What’s the best thing about being an indie author?
There’s no denying that being an indie author is tough, but I like the fact that I keep complete control over everything that happens at Readthrough Press (my publishing imprint). From creating the manuscript, working with an editor and proofreader, getting a cover designed and formatting the final product, it all comes down to me. There’s a lot of power there, but with that comes great responsibility. If something goes wrong, that’s on me!
But I can write anything I want and publish to my own schedule, although that last one can be a blessing and a curse. If I hit a snag, I can be flexible on deadlines, which isn’t always the way to get things done.
What don’t you like about self-publishing?
If I’m totally honest, marketing the books is the bit that I find tough. No matter how much I love my books – and I really do – it’s so difficult to get out there and convince people to part with their hard-earned cash to buy your book. It seems to get harder and harder to get your book in front of readers as more books hit the market and you have to exploit every angle. Another thing that’s tough is coping with the guilt: whenever I’m writing, the little voice in my head says I should be marketing; likewise, whenever I’m doing marketing, the voice asks why I’m not writing. And if I take a break, the voice shouts about both at once, which is very distracting!
In conclusion…
I would never say never about going along the agent-publisher avenue; after all, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. But for now, I’m very happy where I am. There are days when I’m pulling my hair out over various parts of the process, but I’m always glad that I have control and they’re my problems to solve.
Are you an indie author? What’s your best and worst parts of the process? If you’re a reader, what are your burning questions about the process? Share your thoughts below.
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