Malia Mallory Shares 5 Things You Need to Get Published for the Indie Pendence Week BlogHop

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Five Things You Need to Get Published

1.  A Good Book. You have a couple choices here. If you write nonfiction, you need a book that contains information that people need to know or want to know. If you write fiction, you need a book that is entertaining and appealing. In either case, it could be a niche interest. In fact, independent publishing is the perfect vehicle for those books that traditional publishers may overlook. Traditional publishers rely on volume. With the economies of scale involved in independent publishing, it can still be lucrative to publish a book that appeals to only a small subset of readers.

2.  An Editor. No matter how good a writer you are, you need an editor. Let me repeat that. No matter how good a writer you are, no matter how perfect your prose, you need an editor. I know professional editors and proofreaders who still have others edit their work. When it’s your own work, you are too close to it to identify all the issues. To put out the best possible product, you need to take a professional approach. Please, get an editor.

3.  A Great Cover. Some people have the graphic design skills to create their own covers. Unfortunately, many people do not. Look at the bestseller list. Can you create a cover like that? If you can, go ahead. If you can’t, you might want to consider hiring someone to help you. There are low-cost options available. A poor cover will not entice readers to click on your book. Weird fonts, overly bright colors and simplistic layouts will identify your book as self-published. While there is nothing wrong with being self-published, your books, including the cover, should blend in with the other offerings and not being distinguishable upon first glance.

4.  A Platform. This could consist of a variety of possibilities. You could have a website, a blog or both. You could have a Facebook or Pinterest page. Another possibility is actively participating on Goodreads or Twitter. Basically, you need a place for your readers and fans to find you. Your platform will inform your potential readers about your upcoming releases and give them a chance to get to know you.

5.  A Marketing Plan. Though Twitter is a great tool, your marketing plan needs to consist of more than spamming links for your books. You might consider a blog tour, giving author interviews or soliciting reviews of your books from review sites. Another option is to become active in online reading groups or message boards. It is important to be an honest and active participant and not just an advertiser. Lastly, you might consider the judicious use of free books to introduce readers to your work.

These items are just the tip of the iceberg. It’s up to you, as an independent author, to decide how and where to invest your time. That’s both the beauty and the curse of this path. You have the independence to decide what to write, where it is sold and how to market it. However, you are also responsible for everything. This can be a huge investment of time and may even take away from writing.

I hope I’ve given you something to think about. Please share what you think is important to becoming an independent author.

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So…I Went With the Editing!

 So far, it’s been productive. I did some research.  I contacted authors I like and who write in similar genres to ask for suggestions.  I read some threads on the Kindle Boards. I contacted some editors. I sent off a sample to be reviewed.

 I’d say it was successful.  I got back some good, useful comments and what I thought was a reasonable quote to look at the rest.

 I located three beta readers. How helpful they were! They really gave some detailed feedback including some things I had not thought about. I actually sent them the edited copy and they still found things to be reviewed again.

 Clearly, I have gotten the perspective I was wishing for.

 Now what do I do with all this “perspective?”

 I have four sets of suggestions for changes on a five page document. Carefully reviewing them all, utilizing and rejecting will take some serious time. Now I’m feeling a little discouraged as the piece was originally (I thought) in pretty good shape.  If I do this for all 26 parts, it could take ages and this isn’t even counting the original writing.

 What am I getting myself into?

To Edit or Not to Edit

Of course everything needs to be edited.  The tricky question is does it need to be edited by someone you pay.

 I consider myself an author with good control of my grammar and standard writing conventions.  After all, I used to work as a proofreader and copyeditor and still take the occasional contract job. I can hit spellcheck like the best of them. Does this mean I can skip a trip to another professional and save myself some money?

 My answer so far is I don’t know.  I think it is imperative for indie authors that we present a professional product that for all extents and purposes is indistinguishable from anything released by the “Big 6.”  If we don’t, “indie” is going to develop the same stigma as “vanity press.”

 I’m thinking I need to at least explore the possibility. It seems to me that perhaps it is my own vanity and attachment to my words as well as a desire to save a buck that is holding me back. If I release something that isn’t the very best it could be, I’ll be sabotaging the career I’m trying to build.  It’s all well and good to have my husband read things over and both of us are educated and good writers, but we aren’t perfect.  Perhaps I need a little perspective.  I hope I get some.