Best-selling author reveals budget, 6 self-publishing steps

Writing stars, I love the DIY approach to self-publishing, but as you know, I'm a stickler for quality. To compete with traditionally published books, indie books must meet or exceed the standards the big houses have set, and that's a good thing. From writing, editing, cover art, layout and design, indie books must raise the bar so that the differences between traditionally published and self-published books are barely perceptible.

Today's guest post by Libby Fischer Hellmann, best-selling crime author and self-publishing expert, thoroughly and thoughtfully lays out the process of publishing a high quality book.

"How much does self-publishing cost?" Writers ask this question with not a little fear and trembling. It's true, publishing companies have much deeper pockets than we do, but as Libby's article suggests, you must approach self-publishing like any other business. To put out a good product, you'll have to spend a little, but Libby shows us you don't have to break the bank to do it.

Donna Marie

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Six Steps of Self-Publishing (Mostly for Traditional Authors)

by Libby Fischer Hellmann
June 12, 2013

I was at Printers Row this past weekend, the annual Book Festival sponsored by the Chicago Tribune, and I was struck by how many people wanted me to tell them about self-publishing. They were mostly traditionally published authors, some of whom have large followings, but they’re dissatisfied with either the pace of traditional publishing, dislike the lack of control, or want to try something that their current publishers don’t.

Those of you who already self-publish probably know these steps, but you may be interested in my process; it’s a little different, and, yes, it costs more money. In fact, I disagree with those who tout that self-publishing is basically free. I believe that if you want to be taken seriously, you need to invest. No short cuts.

Let me put it this way: I was hoping to go to Vienna, Prague and Budapest later this year. Um. That’s not going to happen now. I’m investing in my book instead.

I’m going to describe what I’m doing so far with Havana Lost. As some of you know, it’s coming out in September. And here’s the thing. Except for the actual production of the book, the process isn’t that different from the way traditional publishers approach the task. Btw, it’s now June, and all of the steps below I’ve done, except for the last one. If you’re self-publishing, and you want to pursue print as well as ebook opportunities, give yourself 3-4 months to accomplish all these tasks.

 

Step One – Editing

There are two types of editing, and you’ll need both.

• Developmental Editing: Whether you pay a good developmental editor to read your book for continuity, character development, authenticity, and plotting, or whether you’re lucky enough to have discriminating readers or author friends who’ll do the job, you absolutely need another pair of eyes on your manuscript. In traditional publishing, you get it automatically (or at least you used to). But when you self-publish you need to factor it into your plans. And it might cost a bunch of money. I used to work with a developmental editor who charged about $1500. I now rely on authors and friends, but they have to be honest, and they have to be thorough. Believe me, it’s not always pleasant, but it’s critical.

• Copy editing: This covers all the other stuff; grammar, punctuation, style, consistency and accuracy. If you are like most authors, by the time you approach the end of a book you won’t be able to see the forest for the trees. You will need fresh, expert eyes to add those essential finishing touches, smoothing any rough edges and turning something that is good into something awesome. Don’t sabotage your work by a shoddy presentation. As an editor once said to me, “a good writer deserves a good editor.”

Step Two – The Cover

Expect to pay at least $200 for a cover… and as much as $700. I’m not a fan of pre-designed covers or templates. I prefer a cover that says something worth knowing about my books. Marketers recommend that, too; your cover has a vital role to play in catching readers’ imaginations and compelling them to find out what’s inside. Not to mention creating or sustaining your brand.

So be choosy. If you’re paying, don’t settle for a design you don’t like. Tell the designer to try again. Pay attention to fonts, the arrangement of words versus images, the clarity of the images, and the overall design. Good design is pleasing on the eye, poor design isn’t. It jerks your eyes around, making it difficult to read, or includes illogically placed text that makes the reader work harder than they should.

If you’re doing a print version, which I recommend, the designer will need to do the back cover and spine as well. Here’s what my designers came up with for Havana Lost.

 

 Step Three – Preparing Materials

• Your publishing imprint – I recommend coming up a Publishing Imprint, the trade name under which your book will be published, especially if you create a print version (which I’ll talk about in more depth next week). You’ll need it if you want to establish an account with Lightning Source for print copies, and if you are planning to use Ingram Spark (which seems like an efficient, quick way to print books). My imprint is The Red Herrings Press.

This is NOT to hide the fact that you’re self-published. In fact in my query letters to reviewers, I make sure to tell them I self-publish; an imprint is simply something that makes you look more professional.

• ISBNs - You’ll need at least 3 different ISBNs per book. One for your ebook, one for print, and one for audio, if you plan to produce one (I am producing an audiobook through ACX.)  Yes, ISBNs are outrageously expensive. But they’re worth it, particularly if you plan to use more than one platform to sell your book. You can split 10 with a friend or even buy ISBNs  in bulk for a lower cost. Head over to Bowker.com, the official US and UK ISBN provider.

• Jacket copy/Book Description – You need to to craft a couple of paragraphs that describe the novel. Keep it short and punchy. Get some help from other authors or writers whom you know and respect. Research other authors’ books in your genre and see how they do it. The same as your book cover, the aim is to seduce readers to such an extent that they can’t resist finding out more.

Here’s mine:

On the eve of the Cuban Revolution, headstrong 18-year-old Francesca Pacelli flees from her ruthless Mafia-boss father in Havana to the arms of her lover, a rebel fighting with Fidel Castro. Her father, desperate to send her to safety in the US, resorts to torture and blackmail as he searches the island for her.

So begins the first part of a spellbinding saga that spans three generations of the same family. Decades later, the family is lured back to Cuba by the promise of untold riches. But pursuing those riches brings danger as well as opportunity, and ultimately, Francesca’s family must confront the lethal consequences of their choices. From the troubled streets of Havana to the mean streets of Chicago, HAVANA LOST reveals the true cost of chasing power instead of love. 

HAVANA LOST is award-winning author Libby Fischer Hellmann’s tenth novel and third thriller that explores how strife and revolution affect the human spirit. HAVANA LOST is a testament to Hellmann’s gift for authentic historical detail as well as her talent for writing compulsively readable thrillers. 

How will you use it? Your jacket copy will inform the query letter, the sell sheet and all the platforms through which you distribute your work. It will become ubiquitous, so make sure it’s powerful.

• The sell sheet - This is a single sheet of paper with full details about your book. It should go out to all your reviewers and possible distributors, and it’s handy to have as an at-a-glance reminder. Here’s my Sell Sheet for Havanna Lost

• The query letter - This is a simple query letter for bloggers and reviewers, politely asking them if they’d like an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) to review. The better you make your book sound, the more people are likely to be interested. It is another small but critical marketing job that can make a difference in how influential people perceive your book and how many of them get around to reading and reviewing it.

• Interior design for print books - If you are creating a print version, as I recommend, someone needs to design the inside of the book. You can do it yourself, but I choose not to. It’s above my pay grade.

 

Step Four – Print and Distribute ARCs

• Bound galleys – Just like traditional publishing, you need some bound galleys to send to reviewers and bloggers. I used CreateSpace, which is fast, efficient, and doesn’t cost a lot. I ordered 35 copies— the rest of my ARCS are pdfs.

• Assembling a list – Assembling a list means capturing the contact details of professional reviewers, bloggers, and other potential influencers. If people/organizations have reviewed you favorably in the past, approach them first. There are lists all over the Internet, and at KindleBoards to help you find reviewers. It helps if you have an email list because you can canvas your contacts, asking if they’ll review your book in exchange for an ARC.

• Paying for reviews – If getting the book into bookstores and libraries is important to you, consider paying for a review from PW, Kirkus and/or Foreword Magazine. They still have enormous influence and they are important enough to receive a bound galley.

• Simplified covers – If your permanent cover isn’t ready yet, you can use a simplified one for the ARC. Here is the cover of my ARC:

 

Step Five – Formatting and Uploading

• Self-formatting – Plenty of writers format their ebooks themselves. I don’t. I’ve found people who will do it for me very reasonably. However you do it, You’ll need an epub, mobi and .pdf file, each with a cover embedded.

• Forward and end materials – You will need acknowledgements, a dedication, a list of your other books, snippets of reviews, etc, and a call to action at the back; something like “If you liked this book, would you consider leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads?  Thank you so much.”

• Multi-platform upload – Upload your book to every available platform, unless you intend to go exclusively with one vendor. This is probably the simplest step of all. Essentially it’s just pushing buttons and filling out forms.

 

Step Six – Promotion and Marketing

Marketing is the black hole of time and money. You can spend as much or little as you like, but one thing is certain; you need to do some promotion Here are a couple of essential basics.

Solicit blurbs from other authors in advance – You’ll use them on the front and back cover, in descriptions on Amazon and Kobo, within your website pages. 

Promotion Budget - I suggest you prepare to spend at least $1000 on various promotional activities, mostly advertisements on blogs with a broad reach, eg. Book Bub, ENT, and Pixel of Ink. Ads on Facebook can also work well when you get them right. 

Invest time – Time is just as important as money. Figure out how much social media you can get done without going crazy; Twitter, your Facebook fan page, Google Plus, Linked In, etc. This is, of course, above and beyond what you do on your website. But that’s another story. And blog post.

I’ll probably do another marketing post later, because it’s a huge subject all by itself. And, of course, marketing is much more of a journey than a destination.

 

The green stuff

Before I leave you, I want to give you an idea of my costs. Clearly, not everyone wants or needs to go this route, but here’s my ballpark:

• $500    Cover
• $200    Print ARCs
• $600    Reviews (PW, Kirkus)
• $450    Interior Design/Ebook Formatting/Print production
• $500    Copy edit
• $150     ISBNs
• $100     Mailings

Total investment $2,500. Give or take.

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Check out Libby's site for her next post on the importance of producing a print version of your book.

Libby Fischer Hellmann writes the Ellie Foreman mysteries, the Georgia Davis thrillers, and several stand-alone thrillers. Her Ellie books are a cross between “Desperate Housewives” and “24”, but the Georgia Davis PI thrillers are more hard-boiled. Her stand-alones include a “trilogy” of thrillers set during the revolutions of Iran, Cuba, and the turbulent late Sixties in Chicago.

Libby's forthcoming book, Havana Lost, will be released August 16. Let's support a fellow indie author and pre-order today on Amazon!

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So you want to write a novel: a reality check

I love this line: "Do you want to be a ghostwriter for me? I will cut you in for 10%."

Someone's been peeking into my life.

Donna Marie

How self-publishers can become sought after media experts

Goal: to become the media's go-to person in your area of expertise. 

Problem: in some circles, self-published books are not viewed as credible. 

Challenge: how can self-published authors position themselves in the media as experts? 

Let's face it, publishing with established houses or university presses is still the widely accepted gold standard. This elitism means that self-published authors will have to work harder to establish themselves as experts in the media's eyes.

Positioning yourself as a media expert means that you must continuously build exposure plus credibility, and you must directly let the media know you're available to speak with authority on certain topics. It's an ongoing process and a challenge, but it's not impossible to grab the attention of interviewers, journalists, and producers.  

The mystique of the college degree

It certainly can help to have a college degree in your field. Even self-help dating books are written by authors with doctorates. But what if you're just good at meeting and flirting with guys, and you've got the stories to prove it? What if you don't have a degree? What if you're just passionate about your subject and really good at what you do?

To illustrate how self-publishers can begin to establish themselves as legitimate experts regardless of educational background, I present to you the true tale of 2 clients. Both work in education – one on the "soft" prevention and motivation side and the other on the "hard" academics side. These award winning consultants are both widely recognized for their work with young people from diverse, underserved schools and communities.

The 2 consultants couldn't be more different. One was an excellent student and went on to get his PhD. He has automatic credibility with the media and is a frequent guest on radio and tv talk shows.

The other is dyslexic and was the class clown throughout his grammar school and high school years. He does not have a higher degree – yet he is a college professor and a visiting lecturer on college campuses. His self-published books have been required reading in psychology, sociology, education, and child development courses. He's a high level, self-taught, independent scholar. He too is a frequent guest on mostly radio talk shows. 

Roger Isaacs, the author of Talking With God, has a degree in language and literature, but that didn't stop him from independently studying ancient languages, going on archeological digs around the world, and lecturing at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies. He too is a high level, self-taught, independent scholar, and his book, with its 500+ pages of thoroughly researched content, footnotes, and extensive bibliography, proves his credibility. 

Lay the groundwork for credibility

Writing a book is a good first step in establishing credibility, but a book alone is not enough. You must develop your author brand in ways that are recognized and accepted by the media. Here are some ideas.

Book quality. Make sure your self-published book is the best it can be. Is the content well written? Has it been edited and proofed? Are layout and design (internal pages, back and front covers) pleasing to the eye? Does the back cover copy make a reader want to buy the book? Your book must be good enough to stand alongside books published by the big guys. Quality is a must!

Get credentialed. Degrees are wonderful, but what if you don't have the time or inclination to go back to school? My consultant who lacked a higher degree is a certified violence and drug prevention specialist, and he's leveraged the heck out of that certification. There are ways around the lack of a degree. You'll just have to work a little harder.

Teach a class. Giving workshops and teaching at The Learning Annex and continuing education programs at colleges will help you establish credibility with the media. If people are paying money to sit at your feet, you're credible.

Lecture on college campuses. This is a great way to establish expertise (and sell books). Both of my consulting clients speak at colleges. They do general talks as well as guest lectures, which of course is more prestigious (and students have to purchase books). By the way, have you included university media in your media list?

Documentaries. If any of my writing stars know how to pitch to producers of documentaries, please let us know! Whenever I watch a documentary, I'm sold on the credibility of the expert being interviewed.  

Educate the media 

Self-published books often venture beyond mainstream thought, and that's the opportunity and challenge of promoting yourself to the media. If your book presents a truly unique idea you may have cornered the market on a topic few know about. On the other hand, few know about it so you must educate and enlighten as well as promote. Think more infomercial than ad or press release to enhance believability.

Your website. Make sure your author website is rich in information about your book and beyond. Create an archive of articles and a links list to other relevant sites. Post pictures and video so that people can see you in action doing your thing. Blog about ongoing developments in your field that were not covered in your book.

Your press kit. In addition to the typical press release and bio, make sure to include information that will help an interviewer, journalist, or producer easily understand what your topic is all about. Include an article and a list of questions that they can ask you during an interview.  

Email/fax blast to media. Send a brief statement about your book, a brief bio that focuses on why you're an expert in the field, and a direct statement to the press: "Here are the topics I am qualified to discuss." Include brief quotes from the book and most importantly, testimonials from reviewers and recognized experts in your field. As the old saying goes, you're known – and respected – by the company you keep.

The 24/7 media cycle is a blessing in disguise for self-published authors. It's a beast that must constantly be fed with news, information, and features. Lay the groundwork that establishes your credibility, and then pitch yourself with confidence.

Self-publishers, we'd like to know about your successes and challenges in establishing yourselves as media experts. Please drop a line and let us know how you're doing. Let's learn from one another!

Donna Marie

To self-publish or not? That's the question!

Recently a writer asked, "Should I self-publish or should I seek a deal with an established publisher?"

That depends. You might want to go with a traditional publisher if your topic is too hot for you to handle alone. For example, if I were Valerie Plame Wilson and had just been outed by the White House as a CIA agent, I would go for lucrative book and movie deals. 

Do you have a strong marketing platform? Publishers would love you, but as John Shore wrote in The Huffington Post,

anyone who is so famous that they can sell 40,000 copies of their own book directly to their own audience needs a publisher like Willy Wonka needs a Whitman's sampler. If I could sell my own book to my own audience, why would I give any publisher full rights, forever, to that book, ninety percent of whatever I made selling that book -- and then give an agent fifteen percent of whatever was left over for me? Why? Why would I do that? Why would anyone?

There's a lot of wisdom in that line of reasoning. At the very least, if you have a strong platform and don't want to self-publish right now, then make sure you've got an agent who can negotiate the hell out of a contract. Learn from the capitalist rappers of hip hop: keep your rights, own your intellectual property, don't be a slave to the big guys, know your value. 

When I was just starting out, I didn't know what to ask for. For example, I didn't know that it was possible to receive a bonus if your book achieved New York Times best-seller status. I didn't know that royalties could be negotiated. I didn't know that foreign, movie, and digital rights could stay with me. 

Bottom line, do your homework.

Now if you're looking to build your business, ministry, nonprofit organization, or grassroots movement, self-publishing makes a lot of sense.

1. Self-publishing gives you the power to communicate your message in your own way.

2. Self-publishing can be profitable.

3. Self-publishers are passionate about their life mission. Through their books, they change lives for the better. Being rejected by a traditional publisher doesn't stop them. They turn to self-publishing to get out their message.

4. Self-publishing is like an incubator for speculative and revolutionary ideas. It allows writers to explore topics that have not been vetted by the marketplace and that traditional publishers are wary of touching. 

5. Self-publishers can take their time on a project. They're not beholden to a publisher's deadline. It took Roger Isaacs and Janice Miller, his editor/publisher, 10 years to complete Talking With God.

6. On the other hand, self-publishing allows writers to spit out projects quickly – unlike a traditional publisher's 9 to 12 month production timeframe. 

7. Further, self-publishers can turn out multiple books in quick succession. If you're a fast writer, you could literally turn out an e-book a month. Sometimes POD (print-on-demand) publishers experience bottlenecks in their production schedules. Even so, you can crank out multiple books via POD much faster than the big houses.

8. Just as bloggers monetize their blogs, self-publishers can monetize their books. You can insert ads and provide a presence for sponsors. You can use your book to market other products and services.

I just recently learned about a hybrid approach to publishing that combines self-publishing and traditional and is similar to what a book packager does. The author pays for everything – ghostwriting (if necessary), editing, proofing, cover art, layout/design. She then negotiates with a publisher to print, distribute, warehouse, and take orders. For authors with strong marketing platforms, this might be the way to go. They maintain creative control, and they retain a much higher share of the profits. 

I read somewhere that a famous mega pastor uses this approach. He produces his books in-house (transcribing sermons, rewriting, editing, etc.), and then he contracts with publishers for printing and distribution. Your dedicated editor will be hunting down such exciting case studies for future posts. 

One criticism against self-published books that I think is entirely justified is that editorial and design quality are sometimes lacking. Self-publishers, don't cut corners. You're competing against books that have been buffed and polished by full editorial and design staffs. Yours must be able to stand proudly along side them on book shelves, library stacks, and in online stores. 

We need both self-publishing and traditional publishing to keep ideas flowing in society. However you decide to approach your book project is entirely up to you. Isn't it nice to know that you now have options? If one door closes, thanks to digital publishing technologies, another opens up. 

Question to my writing stars: are you trying to decide whether to self-publish or not? Please drop a line. We'd love to hear how you're thinking through this important decision! 

Donna Marie