BLAZING A TRAIL Interviews: Michael A. Stackpole

To celebrate its launch, BLAZING A TRAIL: Your Self Publishing Journey is FREE in Kindle format today!

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Mike Stackpole was one of the first authors to recognize the opportunities digital publishing had to offer. Here is the interview he gave for BLAZING A TRAIL:  Your Self Publishing Journey.

Michael A. Stackpole is a bestselling author of many traditionally published novels and a successful self-publisher. His most recent Indie release is MYSTERIOUS WAYS. His website is  http://www.stormwolf.com

Tell us a little about your background and publishing history.

I’m an eight times New York Times Bestselling author with over 45 books published. I’ve independently published a handful of originals (collections or novels) as well as a number of novels which had been traditionally published, but had no ebook rights attached. I’ve also participated in a number of Indie anthology projects, like FIVE BY, with Kevin J. Anderson, B. V. Larson, Loren Coleman, and Aaron Allston. That project was conceived of and executed as an Indie project.

If you published with a traditional publisher before self-publishing, do you think having a following helped your Indie sales? Why or why not?

There is no denying that having been previously published is very helpful. Any books sale involves a “trust me” factor. By having had work out before, readers already know what I can do. Also, as readers transition from paper books to ebooks, they look for authors they know and trust. Having a name—and a book on a shelf—is a convenient starting place. After all, if they decide to get my latest for their eReader, and do a search, all my titles show up. This way they find the traditionally published ebooks, as well as my Indie work. Search Engines do not discriminate in that way.

What led to your decision to self-publish?

Two main factors: First, money. I like getting a larger share of the pie. Second, I had work which no one else wanted to bring out in any format, simply because they couldn’t see how to make money off it. I could. So I decided to bring the books out.

How long have you been self-publishing?

I was the first author to have fiction available in the iTunes App store, and I had several stories available before that in a format that worked on iPhones and iPods. My self-published work began, however, back in April, 2003 with The Secrets, my how-to-write newsletter. So, at least ten years.  If you want to take my gaming work into account, where I was writing, editing, and publishing through Flying Buffalo, Inc, then we kick it back to 1979, but who’s counting?

What were your goals when you began, and how have they changed since then? How do you measure success?

Great question. My goals were poorly thought out and really require constant revision because of the way the marketplace and Indie publishing changes. The basic goal was to make money, and that continues. Marketing is a secondary goal, and that’s the slippery one. That takes a lot of work where the results are very hard to quantify when it comes to success. You can’t put five hours in one day and see $1,000 show up tomorrow. Or, if you can, tell me how. Twitter is a great example. I send out stories every day and then see things retweeted up to a week later. Clearly it is working, and announcing a new book will generate sales, no doubt, but getting it to build requires a lot of effort and constantly embracing new strategies.

Did you do a lot of the production process yourself, or did you hire people to do it for you? Were you satisfied with the outcome?

I do a lot myself because a) I am cheap and b) I’m coming from the gaming industry where I did all of that stuff in the past anyway. Graphics, which I really can’t do, I hire out or barter for. Ditto editing. I rely on the kindness of friends for proofreading. (They seem to think that getting to see an advanced copy is payment somehow.) I’m very satisfied with the outcome, but, again, I developed those skills a long time ago. If I was just trying to learn it all now, I know the learning curve would be steep in parts. Still, the cost/benefit analysis would push me on to do it.

How have you spread the word about your work?

Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, blogging, conventions. I did a limited run of CDs with one book on it and then did readings at conventions. I had a really good sell-through after the readings. Interviews and developing a list of reviewers to whom work can be sent is also important. I will do more on developing that list this year.

What has been the most effective thing you have done to promote your books? What has been the least effective?

To me, marketing efforts are really tough to quantify when it comes to results. For example, I had really good results last year when I did a giveaway via Amazon. Gave a boatload of books away and had really good follow-up sales. One of my publishers tried the same trick with one of my books, had exactly the opposite result: gave away tons, had no following sales. I think the real key is to build up a captive audience and use them as the foundation of what you’re doing. Also, enlisting bloggers through free review copies is key. Less because they have dedicated readers than anything is a chance for folks to be reminded the work is out there.

How did your Indie sales evolve? What should a new Indie author expect?

Yes, sales do evolve. They ebb and flow. Frankly, we are too new to this whole market to be identifying all the variables in play, much less identifying one (price, for example) which is the “magic bullet.” Price competition is stupid, to my mind, since it’s never really been part of the way folks buy books. Plus, since anyone can get a free sample and decide to read more based on that, how can you price your book below free? Better to learn how to write the front part of a book to hook readers than to worry about what the price of your book will be.

In terms of  new Indie authors, they need to think endurance, not sprint. Stay in the game. Turning out more work is actually marketing and very effective marketing. Sales will build eventually. Figure out two or three marketing methods with which you are comfortable, master them, and use them mercilessly. (Sample chapters are your best friend.) Don’t feel you have to do all the stuff everyone else tells you to do. Job one is write. Better to sell three copies of  ten titles than thirty copies of one title simply because with ten titles, it’s easier for a reader to discover you.

What influenced your decision to price your books as you did?

I price them at what I think is fair and below what traditional publishers charge. In my case, it’s simple, $1 per 10,000 words, capped around $6 (depending on the book and any special/deluxe features). So, if the book is a monster, you get a bargain. I’m also turning out more compact novels, running around 50,000-60,000 words (the pre-1987 length for SF/F—current length for crime fiction and [category] romances). This means I can do more to have more work out there for more readers.

What are your top tips for new Indie authors? What do you wish you had known before you started?

Be market aware and keep writing. The saddest authors are the ones that flog the hell out of a single book. Why? Because by the time they’ve sold a copy to everyone who could conceivably buy it, they don’t have anything new to offer. Careers are made from continuing sales, not one-offs. You always want to have something new for the reader to find, and to include sample chapters in the back of earlier book, complete with links to buy.

Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

Read the blogs, follow twitter feeds (@mikestackpole), and do what you must to keep up with trends, but take everything with a grain of salt. Sure, the predictions I started making about all this five years ago have come true, but that’s less because of truth of my vision, than the persistence of it. While folks waited to see what the future would become, I was out there telling them how it would be. They went along with me and my vision simply because it was easier than thinking for themselves (and risking being wrong compared to me—tongue in cheek here).

Most of all, keep writing. The fact that you must market does not excuse you from writing. More material means more sales. Every new person is a chance to buy your whole backlist. Don’t disappoint them by not having one. Also, think about new ways to tell stories and use them. Make the medium work for you.

BLAZING A TRAIL Interviews: Kris Tualla

Kris Tualla is one of the people who showed me that succeeding at self-publishing was possible. She shared her insights with me for BLAZING A TRAIL:  Your Self Publishing Journey, and in celebration of its release, I’m sharing what she had to say here.

Kris Tualla is the author of the historical romance Hansen series, the Discreet Gentleman series, and two books on self-publishing. Her most recent Indie release is LEAVING NORWAY and FINDING SOVEREIGNTY (Story and sequel released together in December 2012.) Her website is http://www.kristualla.com/

Tell us a little about your background and publishing history.

I started writing in 2006 on a whim and completed my first 100,000-word manuscript in ten weeks. I was hooked! I kept writing and learning, pitching and querying. I signed with an agent in 2009 and had full manuscripts requested by Big 6 publishers.

What led to your decision to self-publish?

After two solid years of either “we can’t sell Norway” or absolute silence from the publishers who had my manuscripts, I decided to take them back and self-publish.

 

How long have you been self-publishing?

Since September 2010.

What were your goals when you began, and how have they changed since then? How do you measure success?

My goal was to sell books and make money. That has not changed. Success, to me, is making more than a traditionally published author.

Did you do a lot of the production process yourself, or did you hire people to do it for you? Were you satisfied with the outcome?

I did it myself, except for editing and proofing, which REQUIRE multiple sets of outside “eyes.”

How have you spread the word about your work?

Appearances anywhere and anytime, Facebook, price manipulation online, and  promo CDs sent across the country to events.

What has been the most effective thing you have done to promote your books? What has been the least effective?

Most = price manipulation. Least = Advertising.

What influenced your decision to price your books as you did?

I started with the 99-cent lead-in and $2.99 follow-up, but now those price points have become warnings that the books aren’t any good. I raised them all to $5.99.

What are your top tips for new Indie authors? What do you wish you had known before you started?

#1 is MAKE SURE you have a good product as judged by publishing professionals!

#2 is to remember our books have no “shelf life,” so any book could hit big at any time.

#3 is to write another book.

Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Far too many self-pubbed authors publish prematurely out of ignorance and put out a crappy product. Game over before it’s begun.

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BLAZING A TRAIL: Your Self Publishing Journey is now available in Kindle format and will be FREE March 19 – 21. If you decide to download a copy, please return after you’ve read it and leave a review. Thanks!

BLAZING A TRAIL Interviews: Thomas Watson

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

To promote the release of BLAZING A TRAIL: Your Self Publishing Journey I’m sharing some of the interviews with Indie authors that are in the book. From my perspective, knowing how self publishing has worked for a variety of people who have written different kinds of books is much more valuable than knowing how it worked for just one or two outliers. Today’s interview is with Tom Watson.

Thomas Watson is the author of THE LUCK OF HAN’ANGA and FOUNDERS’ EFFECT, the first two books in The War of the Second Iteration series. His website is http://underdesertstars.wordpress.com .

Tell us a little about your background and publishing history.

I was a freelance writer from the late 1970s through the early 1990s. I wrote fiction as well as articles and essays, but had no luck selling novels or short stories during that time. While that was going on, I worked a variety of retail jobs to make ends meet, read a lot of science fiction, and was involved in science fiction fandom in the Phoenix area. It was a rewarding, but not always easy, way of life. In the mid ‘90s, burned out by constant financial struggles, and a persistent lack of success with fiction, I went back to school and finished a degree process set aside many years before. By 2000 I’d pretty much stopped writing, and shortly after actually admitted that I’d given up. The possibilities presented by modern forms of self-published revived my interest in writing for publication in late 2010.

What led to your decision to self-publish?

The rejection letters I received from fiction editors in the ’80s weren’t always form letters, simply signed and sent. On the contrary, I received enough encouragement to believe that I would sooner or later be published, yet it never happened. I eventually, after trying for twenty years or so, gave it up and moved on to other things. I was never happy about that. The modern form of self-publishing made possible by the digital age provided options that motivated me to try again. The results so far have kept me motivated.

How long have you been self-publishing?

Not very long, at the time of this writing. My first book, a short memoir about star gazing, MR. OLCOTT’S SKIES, was released in March of 2012.  THE LUCK OF HAN’ANGA followed in June.

What were your goals when you began, and how have they changed since then? How do you measure success?

The only goal I had in the beginning was to master the process of producing and publishing a book. Beyond that, I’ve avoided setting arbitrary goals or specific milestones and don’t worry much with how I might measure success. To my mind, it’s simply too soon for that. Something I learned the hard way in my first attempt at writing for a living is that expectations raised by a writer are seldom realized and rarely unfold quickly if they are realized. The discouragement that sometimes follows unrealized expectations can suck the creative impulses right out of you. So for now, I’m concentrating on the work of getting the next book out there and will then redirect a bit more of my energy toward self-promotion.

Did you do a lot of the production process yourself, or did you hire people to do it for you? Were you satisfied with the outcome?

Because of financial constraints, the only production related work I’ve paid for was some formatting early on. I’ve since learned to do all of that for myself. I haven’t done this on my own, however. Several people have played the role of beta readers for me, providing critical evaluations and much needed reality checks. Believe me when I say I am grateful for both, and that my books would not be anywhere near as readable as they are without that input. I am also fortunate enough to be married to someone who is not only an excellent proof reader, but also is not at all shy about telling me when something I’ve written just doesn’t work. My biggest production challenge has been cover art. I’ve managed to work that out on my own, so far. I have been quite pleased by the results and have seen no complaints so far regarding production values.

How have you spread the word about your work?

I’ve actually made only limited efforts to actively promote my work. I use Twitter as a quick and dirty promotional tool and keep people up to date using Facebook and a weblog. I have promotional “threads” running on the Kindle Boards, Shelfari, and Goodreads. Being focused on getting books out there, I have not really explored the possibilities of self-promotion. When the second book of the series is out, I’ll shift my focus a bit toward such matters.

What has been the most effective thing you have done to promote your books? What has been the least effective?

Two things have worked especially well for me, so far. First was a giveaway I ran on Goodreads. Five signed copies of The Luck of Han’anga were made available. Before the event ran its course, more than 250 people had added the book to their “Want to Read” lists. The second is a short story I wrote, set in the Second Iteration universe, which is available for free. More than three hundred people downloaded it in a month, with only Twitter and Facebook to announce its availability. Several readers of the short story have since purchased the novel. As for least effective, the weblog might fit that characterization, but a bit unfairly, as I neglect the blog in favor of using my writing time to work on books.

How did your Indie sales evolve? What should a new Indie author expect?

Sales have so far not evolved in any meaningful way. The books haven’t been out there long enough, and I’ve spent too little time promoting them. With only a few months of availability, this is hardly a surprise. As for expectations, I’d tell someone just launching right now to have absolutely NO expectations of any kind whatsoever regarding sales. There’s too much luck involved in this business, no matter which tricks you are inclined to try. People out there hustling and “gaming” the system for the most part don’t seem to be doing much better than those who focus on the writing. So, save your strength for the keyboard!

What influenced your decision to price your books as you did?

A great many things, from numerous blog pieces to discussions online. In the end, though, I looked at the prices of a large number of books in my genre, independently published, and took a rough average. That matched the range presented by blogs and discussion groups, and so I picked a price from the middle of that range.

What are your top tips for new Indie authors? What do you wish you had known before you started?

I wish I’d known a little earlier that independent publishing had changed so dramatically, in the digital age. I’d have started writing again sooner! As for tips, don’t sweat formatting. You do need to make the effort to get it right, but it isn’t nearly as difficult or complicated as some people would have you believe!

Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

Patient Indie authors are fond of saying that this is a marathon, not a sprint. They are right.

BLAZING A TRAIL Interviews: Roxy Rogers

Another of the authors that agreed to be interviewed for BLAZING A TRAIL: Your Self Publishing Journey is Roxy Rogers.

Rogers’ most recent publication is GABRIEL’S RELEASE, the prequel to the Angels Descending series, and PAYBACK, the first of 16 novelettes in her HEROES series. Her website is  www.RoxyRogers.com

Tell us a little about your background and publishing history.

I began writing for newspapers while still in high school and then wrote for the IT industry before focusing my efforts on erotic romance and starting my own publishing company. I began releasing short stories as an Indie in 2011 and have a series of novelettes and a novel in progress.

If you published with a traditional publisher before self-publishing, do you think having a following helped your Indie sales? Why or why not?

Not significantly. My erotica with Cleis Press has contributed to some cross-over interest for my romance, but the demographics for each type of story are different enough that I would say the effect on sales is marginal. It also might be too early to tell since I have more romance for sale than erotica.

What led to your decision to self-publish?

I’d already been thinking about publishing independently when I sold a piece of short erotica to a New York publisher for an anthology they released in 2012 (GOING DOWN: ORAL SEX STORIES). This was the final push I needed that convinced me I was ready not only as a writer, but allowed me to really embrace the idea of having full editorial control of my product.

How long have you been self-publishing?

Since 2011.

What were your goals when you began, and how have they changed since then? How do you measure success?

When I started, I had three main goals:

1. Produce the most professional erotic romance stories that I could
2. Focus on the emerging eBook market. (I believe digital is the future of fiction and I am highly committed to reducing the waste and environmental toxins that the traditional publishing models create, particularly in the areas of paper pulping and carbon impact from the 40% returns model currently used.)
3. Retain editorial control of my stories from conception to final sale  and in the process, learn the best way to create a product I’m proud of, and in a way that generates sales but also ensures happy readers. Happy customers are repeat customers.

My goals have remained the same, but I’ve added more detailed goals, mostly around distributing internationally, increasing my output, and time-relevant goals for obtaining financial autonomy.

Measuring success as a new Indie is based on process rather than sales for me, at least for now.  Financial measurements are important as future goals, but regular sales are more important. When I am earning my main living from the sale of eBooks, my measurements will focus on finances and demographics. The way I measure success now is based on continuous forward movement toward my long-term goals, knowing that regular sales, no matter their size in each distribution channel, are proof that I’ve been successful in meeting my early quality goals: providing the most professional stories I can using a process that works for me. Every writer’s work improves the longer they practice their craft, so focusing attention on my writing, and on creating as many products in the market as possible helps me move closer to attaining success in all areas. In all things, including measurement, I’m thinking long-term rather than short-term. In retirement, my body of work will be my passive income stream, allowing me to travel and write on a more flexible schedule. That’s a very important end goal for me. If I can also afford Nanomeds when they become available and live long enough to write the 300+ stories I have clamoring to be written, I’ll be thrilled.

Did you do a lot of the production process yourself, or did you hire people to do it for you? Were you satisfied with the outcome?

I’ve mostly hired vendors, although I did experiment with various parts of the process to understand how it’s done and to help me better manage the talent required to do each task at the quality level I want to achieve. Vendors can be difficult, and the market is filled with unprofessional vendors who have talent but little or no business sense. Having managed vendors in my IT career, I was prepared to go through several in each production area until I found the right mix of talent and professionalism. I can’t stress enough how important it is not to settle on vendors who don’t give you what you asked for at the quality level or schedule agreed upon. If I want my readers to have professional quality products, I have to demand quality and professionalism from my vendors. I work full-time in addition to my publishing career, so it was more economical for me to outsource the editing, formatting, and cover art. I did perform the formatting and partial edits on one of my eBooks, and even though the formatting was the easier of the two tasks, I’m still convinced that my time is better spent writing than performing most production tasks myself.

How have you spread the word about your work?

I have a professionally created web site, a blog, and I’m on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. I have also made appearances at conferences and public events. While I don’t spend much time promoting my work through my blog (in fact I often go several months between entries), I do think it helps with the general buzz about my work.

What has been the most effective thing you have done to promote your books? What has been the least effective?

Having a presence in many virtual places increases the number of search engine hits received when someone searches on my name, and it does move the occurrences of my name higher up in Google search results. While I don’t think that has been responsible for sales, I believe sales result from a certain level of saturation in the market. Search results are just one part of that saturation. I’ve seen my best sales periods when I was receiving new reviews on Amazon while simultaneously advertising my books once weekly on Twitter and Facebook, using a one-line comment and a link. I have not used my blog for promotions yet, but I am planning to do that several times in the coming year. While it’s difficult to measure whether the social net blasts or the reviews on Amazon were primarily responsible for the sales or not, I believe both my reviews and my Twitter/Facebook blasts had an effect. It could have been a combination of factors. I also think that publishing erotica in an anthology was helpful to my romance as it gave me the opportunity to reach a demographic that would not normally be focusing their attention on romance, again adding to the saturation factor.

How did your Indie sales evolve? What should a new Indie author expect?

My sales have been somewhat regular and enough to pay for utility bills. However, considering all of my eBooks are short stories or novelettes, that’s actually very good. I begin at a price point of $.99, so my products are not typical in that most authors begin with full length novels at a higher price point. I find that all my sales have experienced what I would call the bell curve effect. They’ve been seasonally affected, and they drop and plateau after peaking around the holidays. My best sales periods have been from November – April. My assumption is that the high of that sales curve result from readers buying for the holidays  and also buying more books after receiving a new ereader as a gift. I also notice that sales change depending upon what’s taking place in the market. As more Indie publishers enter the market, my sales drop off when I’m not releasing a new book. I’ve found that making sure you have something releasing regularly seems to be the best way to keep overall sales up.

What influenced your decision to price your books as you did?

At first, the length of my work dictated the price, such as charging $.99 for a short story or novelette. However, as the market environment changes and I have more publications out, I’ll be changing my prices to reflect quality and value perception.

What are your top tips for new Indie authors? What do you wish you had known before you started?

Do it now. Don’t wait! Don’t let rejection from traditional publishers convince you that your work isn’t ready. Their business models are antiquated. and they’re not a good yard stick to use in measuring whether you are ready. Once I started publishing, I couldn’t believe how much easier it was than I had imagined and how much happier I was about having control over the entire process. If you are a person who hates the idea of managing details or vendors, then it might not be for you. It was the perfect fit for me, and I wish I had started at least a year before I did. Remember that this whole production business is a balancing act. You are wearing many hats, even if you outsource most of the production work. Another thing to keep in mind is that the industry is in constant flux right now. You’ll need to be constantly adjusting your business model for that, so stay as fluid in your approach as you can and expect change to occur on a regular basis.

Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

Don’t expect to get rich overnight. For a tiny few this will occur, but for the rest of us, publishing is a long-term commitment, but it offers long-term rewards. Be patient with yourself, with the process, and above all, write the best books you can. As the saying goes, “Cream rises.” And you will too if you’re committed to professional quality and to your craft.

BLAZING A TRAIL Interviews: Jennifer Roberson

As the release date for BLAZING A TRAIL: Your Self Publishing Journey grows closer, I’m sharing some of the author interviews that appear in the book. Today’s interview is with Jennifer Roberson.

Jennifer Roberson is the author of several traditionally published historical novels and many fantasy novels, including her SWORD DANCER series. Her most recent Indie release is SMOKETREE, a romantic suspense. Her website is www.jennifer-roberson.com.

Tell us a little about your background and publishing history.

I have been traditionally published since 1984, primarily in the fantasy genre, but have also written historicals and a few titles in other genre.

If you published with a traditional publisher before self-publishing, do you think having a following helped your Indie sales? Why or why not?

To a certain point, yes, but not significantly so.   I think this might be different if the Indie titles were in my primary genre, fantasy, but they are early stand-alone novels in three different genres: a western, historical romance, and romantic suspense.  Unfortunately these were the only three novels not encumbered by e-rights clauses.  My fantasy and historical publishers—DAW Books, and Kensington—have contracts including e-rights clauses, so I have no control over those titles, and few of them are yet available as e-books.  I do think that as readers discover my titles are available in e-book format, they will also discover the early works that are Indie books and sales may improve.

What led to your decision to self-publish?

The three early books would never be reissued by their publishers.  I wanted to make those titles available, too—and make some money, also!

How long have you been self-publishing?

Since spring of 2012.  I’m a baby in the Indie industry.

What were your goals when you began, and how have they changed since then? How do you measure success?

My original goal was to make the three titles available and to make some additional money.  While some tradpubbed authors are still doing quite well, sales are down across the board.  Those of us not in the rarefied air of Rowling, etc. are looking to maximize our income in a decimated industry.

There are components to success, and not all people weigh these components the same way.  Book sales/downloads leading to income is probably #1 for a large percentage of writers, particularly those who would like to write full-time.  But reader enthusiasm, good reviews, and an author’s satisfaction with the work itself—in any order—are also very important elements.

Did you do a lot of the production process yourself, or did you hire people to do it for you? Were you satisfied with the outcome?

I hired Elizabeth Campbell of Anti-Matter E-Press (http://antimatterepress.wordpress.com/ ) and worked very closely with her throughout the cover design process.  It has been a very enjoyable partnership.

How have you spread the word about your work?

I post the covers and blurbs on my Facebook page once a month.

What has been the most effective thing you have done to promote your books? What has been the least effective?

My books lack enough reviews to make the e-book lists, so I’ve relied on FB posts.  Each time I do this, there is a modest uptick in sales.

How did your Indie sales evolve? What should a new Indie author expect?

As readers are discovering my Indie titles when looking for my tradpubbed books online, sales are beginning to increase, but I believe sales of these titles will always be somewhat hampered by being stand-alone novels in three different genre.  I did expect better sales of my historical romance, “The Irishman,” because the romance genre remains strong, but I am not known as a romance author and readers don’t look for this from me.

As with tradpubbed books, new authors must realize that while some break out with very strong sales, the majority do not.  It’s important to keep in mind that this is a cumulative industry, regardless of format.  With each subsequent book, sales should improve somewhat—unless, of course, readers just don’t like the first one!  Indie authors have more control over promoting their books than tradpubbed authors, so that’s an advantage.  But Indie authors should not expect immediate success.  Except in a few cases, that just isn’t going to happen.  And it’s exactly the same in tradpub.

What influenced your decision to price your books as you did?

These were old novels, shorter novels, and not in my primary genre.  Also, two of the genres—western and romantic suspense—are not as popular as, say “regular” romance, and I knew these would reach a more limited market.  I priced the historical romance $1 higher, but $4.99 is still about right, I think.

What are your top tips for new Indie authors? What do you wish you had known before you started?

Top Tip: Publish a series.  Stand-alone novels do not sell as well.  This is true in tradpub, too. Sales build as each subsequent title is published, and you’ll begin to sell more of the first volume, also.

I wish I’d worked harder to promote my novels, but I am so accustomed to having no input on my tradpubbed novels that I didn’t take advantage of the Indie marketing tools.

Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

I have heard that some Indie authors are becoming resentful of tradpubbed authors who go the Indie route, either with a backlist that is out of print or new books written specifically for Indie publishing.  But Indie authors have many advantages.  Tradpubbed authors receive perhaps 8% of the cover price on paperbacks, and 10% on hardcovers.  Indie authors make significantly more money per download.  Tradpubbed authors who don’t sell well are dropped by their publishers.  Indie authors act as their own publishers, and they’ll never drop their titles.  Brick-and-mortar bookstores keep midlist titles on the shelves for 1-2 weeks before stripping paperbacks and returning hardcovers.  Indie titles are available forever.  So while it is true that popular tradpubbed authors enjoy the marketing machine of traditional houses, longevity in book availability is firmly in the corner of Indie authors.

BLAZING A TRAIL Interviews: Dennis L. McKiernan

Dennis L. McKiernan is the next author I’m featuring from the author interviews in BLAZING A TRAIL: Your Self Publishing Journey.

Dennis L. McKiernan is the author of numerous traditionally published fantasy novels.  AT THE EDGE OF THE FOREST, a paranormal romance mystery adventure, is his first Indie release. His website is http://Mithgar.com

Tell us a little about your background and publishing history.

Author of the Mithgar series, the Faery series, and other works, a total of some 22 novels, two short story collections, and some 20 or so individual short stories in various anthologies.

If you published with a traditional publisher before self-publishing, do you think having a following helped your Indie sales? Why or why not?

I have no idea since I just recently released the Indie AT THE EDGE OF THE FOREST.

What led to your decision to self-publish?

No publisher was willing to take a chance on a book they considered outside my usual epic fantasy genre.

How long have you been self-publishing?

Since September 2012.

What were your goals when you began, and how have they changed since then? How do you measure success?

When I began, my goal was to write the kind of book I would like to read. After it was finished, I thought it might be good enough to be published. Turns out I was right. Then the publisher (Doubleday) asked for more. Eventually, I switched to Penguin/Roc, mainly because of the terms they agreed to. That was when I first started, but now, even though there are additional things I would like to do, I measure success by asking myself “Is life good? Am I content?” In other words, if I died today, I think I would leave a legacy in the form of a body of work.

Did you do a lot of the production process yourself, or did you hire people to do it for you? Were you satisfied with the outcome?

I did all the work myself, and I am greatly satisfied with the outcome. I do plan on releasing more “out of my genre” novels, and I will do all the production work myself.

How have you spread the word about your work?

Announced it on Facebook, Twitter, and some message boards originated and dedicated by fans to my work. Will speak up during various conventions (haven’t yet attended any after the publication of my Indie work).

What has been the most effective thing you have done to promote your books? What has been the least effective?

I haven’t the foggiest.

How did your Indie sales evolve? What should a new Indie author expect?

Not enough time has passed to see any evolution.

What influenced your decision to price your books as you did?

A general idea as to what other books were selling for.

What are your top tips for new Indie authors? What do you wish you had known before you started?

Top tip: have fun. I wish I had known how much fun it would be. Another tip: Google any proposed “publisher” name that you might have in mind for your own imprint.

Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

Be thoroughly professional. And by that I mean, put out high quality work, be a gentleman or lady to your fans and anyone you have business with (in spite of the fact that you might want to strangle some of them).

Publishers Behaving Badly, Part… I’ve Lost Count

David Gaughran has collected information about this train wreck and analyzes it far better than I could. This is a must read if you’re waffling about how to approach publishing. (Also note: David’s novel and short story collections are free today.)

Publishers Behaving Badly, Part… I’ve Lost Count.

BLAZING A TRAIL Interviews: Caroline Mickelson

The release of BLAZING A TRAIL: Your Self Publishing Journey is fast approaching. To celebrate I’m sharing some of the interviews included in the appendix. Today’s interview is of Caroline Mickleson.

Caroline Mickelson is the author of multiple titles, including FROM MANGIA TO MURDER the first novel in the Sophia Mancini mystery series. Her website is www.carolinemickelson.com

Tell us a little about your background and publishing history. 

I’ve always loved to write, and reading has always been a source of great joy for me. I’ve been published in magazine length non-fiction, but my fiction has been strictly Indie published.

What led to your decision to self-publish? 

The decision to follow this path wasn’t motivated by a lightning bolt or any other divine inspiration that this was “it.”  In fact, I cannot think of any other decision I’ve made in my adult life that I’ve taken more care and time in making. Prior to being ready to become my own publisher, I believed that self-publishing was an admission that my writing wasn’t good enough. I knew I was ready to go down this road when I realized that my core belief had changed because I believed that self-publishing was my way of saying I was good enough.

How long have you been self-publishing? 

I’m just reaching the one year mark. I have to say that every day I become more excited about the possibilities and options available to Indie authors. After only a year, it’s hard to remember exactly what I was so concerned about prior to jumping in. I’m not completely adverse to the idea of a hybrid career, but I’d be completely satisfied and quite happy with a long Indie career.

What were your goals when you began, and how have they changed since then? How do you measure success?

Initially my first goals were to just “do it,” namely to take the first steps towards bringing my book to a market where readers could find it. After the first few sales, I began to see the possibilities and set more goals – chief among them, become the best writer I can be because – wow! – people were actually going to read my books. Amazing!

Did you do a lot of the production process yourself, or did you hire people to do it for you? Were you satisfied with the outcome? 

Initially I hired everything out, from editing to cover design to formatting. I still plan on having a freelance editor read all of my novel-length books, and I plan on hiring top-notch cover artists for the book covers. I was very resistant to learning to format e-book and print books myself, but I’m now planning to learn how to do it myself so I can make changes more easily (and affordably). The beauty of being my own publisher is that I can make these decisions project-by-project, and I love that flexibility. I wasn’t satisfied with the first two book covers for my debut mystery, despite the fact that the first two cover artists I contacted were very talented. They just weren’t the right ones for this project and “okay” wasn’t good enough. I wanted fabulous—why settle for less?

How have you spread the word about your work?

This has been the most challenging part of being my own publisher. Not difficult per se, not impossible, not even frustrating…but challenging. I’ve tried Kindle Select, a bit of social media, and a few book blog tours. It’s difficult to measure what works or to what degree it works, but there’s no need to know right up front. I’d highly recommend networking in person or online with other Indie authors to learn what has worked for them.

What has been the most effective thing you have done to promote your books? What has been the least effective? 

I don’t know, quite honestly. Kindle Select worked great for a novella I wrote, but not nearly so well for my mystery. There are so many variable factors that I can’t control or even identify, that I can’t say. I remind myself often that promotion isn’t paint-by-the-numbers, and that is okay. There’s no shelf life for my books or threat they’ll be pulled off the shelf and destroyed, so I will keep learning how to get the word out. I did purchase two ads that I didn’t think were effective at all, so, at this point in my journey, I won’t be advertising until I have more books.

How did your Indie sales evolve? What should a new Indie author expect? 

My sales have grown slowly but steadily. While the slowly part isn’t thrilling, the steadily has been encouraging. I would highly recommend that new Indie authors have high hopes and amazing dreams for their sales and success. I’d also caution them to mind their expectations though as these can become quicksand. This journey varies from day to day, book to book, and author to author. Flexibility and a pioneer spirit are highly recommended! Expect to learn, to grow, and to have high and lows along the way.

What influenced your decision to price your books as you did?

I have a bit of a split personality when it comes to pricing because I can make an argument for pricing at either end of the spectrum. I do know there isn’t one right way to price a book; it varies from book to book and project to project. I had great success with a Christmas novella at .99 cents, but I tried that price point with other titles and saw no increase in sales. How does pricing affect discoverability? I don’t know. I do know that it’s easy to change prices and experiment, so I do.

What are your top tips for new Indie authors? What do you wish you had known before you started?

Top tip – keep writing! New books will help increase your visibility and income as well. I’d also recommend networking with other Indie writers as you continue to write. I wouldn’t recommend letting your writing take a back seat to promotion; that’s the only trap I suggest you watch out for.

Any other thoughts you’d like to share? 

I wish you much success with your writing and publishing journey. I know the opportunity to Indie publish has brought me a renewed joy in my writing, and I wish the same for you!

BLAZING A TRAIL Interviews: Kathleen Kirkwood

Today’s featured author is Kathleen Kirkwood. This interview is one of those featured in BLAZING A TRAIL: Your Self Publishing Journey, which will be published later this month.

Kathleen Kirkwood is the author of several traditionally published historical romances. Her most recent Indie release is HIS FAIR LADY. Her website is: www.kathleenkirkwoodhistoricals.com

Tell us a little about your background and publishing history.

My first novel, a tenth-century medieval romance, won RWA’s Golden Heart Contest, sold to the Berkley Publishing Group on eight chapters and a synopsis, was released as a lead title for the Jove imprint, and saw three printings with 100,000 copies in print. After publishing two more novels with Berkley, I penned three novels for Penguin’s NAL/Signet Historical line.

If you published with a traditional publisher before self-publishing, do you think having a following helped your Indie sales? Why or why not?

Due to personal events, I took a break from writing which turned into eleven years. In many ways, I’m starting over again. On the other hand, I’ve been delighted to hear from fans who remember my past books and who are looking forward to new stories to come.

What led to your decision to self-publish?

My son and father entered the world of self-publishing before I did. I decided I’d like to dust off my backlist and make them available to readers once more. It’s such a fabulous opportunity.

How long have you been self-publishing?

Since March of 2012. I’ve re-edited and released three of my backlist. In 2013, I’m looking forward to releasing three more of the back list and adding a new work.

What were your goals when you began, and how have they changed since then? How do you measure success?

My goals are the same: to write the best book I can and to seek a wide readership. My measure of success is that readership which will, hopefully, find something of value in my works.

Did you do a lot of the production process yourself, or did you hire people to do it for you? Were you satisfied with the outcome?

With the help of my husband, we tackled the entire process. Thankfully, our skills complement each others’, artistically and technically. We’re very satisfied with the outcome, though we will continue to hone our skills, especially in the realm of cover art design and layout. Since my backlist titles were previously edited by New York, I didn’t seek an outside editor. I did make some minor revisions myself. For new works in the future, I do intend to hire an editor. As to cover art, I would very much like to keep my hand in that but, if necessary, I’ll seek out a cover artist. That is what I did for my third cover, HIS FAIR LADY. I found a wonderful pre-made cover and worked with the artist to make changes to make the cover more appropriate to my story. The artist was wonderful to work with, the cost very acceptable, and I was thrilled with the results.

How have you spread the word about your work?

Networking with other Indie authors has helped me find my way through the maze of possibilities. It can be mindboggling, and I’ve dipped my toes into social media only in a limited way. Goodreads, with its huge readership, is a good place to have a presence. Giveaways there (hard copies) have helped with visibility as well as reviews. Reviewers often post additionally to Amazon and B&N’s, especially if asked. I do keep a blog, with postings made no more than once a week, lest I spend more time blogging than writing the next book. Wonderfully, the blog appears automatically on Goodreads as well as at least one of the RWA chapters I belong to (which in turn connects to additional venues). I also post to my loops on Facebook when I’m doing interviews, have promos such as on “AwesomeRomance.com,” or participating in a contest. Happily, my Scottish time-travel was selected by iBookBuzz.com for its monthly contest, and I saw a definite bounce in sales.  This coming year, I’m aiming to do more, mostly in the realm of online interviews and book tours. I would also like to reach out to book clubs.

What has been the most effective thing you have done to promote your books? What has been the least effective?

Reviews are important, and I’ve been fortunate there. I gifted a lady a copy of my eBook, thinking she was a fan from the past, wanting to have the book for her Kindle. As fate would have it, she turned out to be a reviewer for Goodreads, and, happily, she loved my book and posted a great review on Goodreads and Amazon. I really like this particular reviewer for her solid reviews and honesty and continue to send her copies of each new release. I’ve since learned that there are reviewers on Goodreads for a variety of different genres, and Indie authors can utilize that channel to seek reviews.

So far my promotions have been modest, and there isn’t anything I can point to that has been a disappointment.

How did your Indie sales evolve? What should a new Indie author expect?

A new Indie author should expect sales to be slow at first with a single release but for their sales to build as they make additional works available. Four to eight books are often mentioned by authors as to when their sales “took off.” My own Indie sales are a bit of an anomaly. Typically, my first release saw minimal sales, but when I added a second, a Scottish time travel, my numbers climbed rapidly. The trajectory continued upward when a third book was added, but it was the second book still driving the sales. I’ve heard it said that an author will often have one or two novels among their works that especially outsell the others. I was fortunate that my Scottish historical seems to be that “one” and came so early in my releases. I do track daily and have noticed that sales leveled off right after Thanksgiving and so far into mid December. Hopefully, this is seasonal and due to the Christmas shopping madness and that numbers will pick up again at the end of the month.

What influenced your decision to price your books as you did?

I wanted the price to be affordable to readers, especially in this economy. The original price on my first release from my backlist (originally published in 1999) was $3.99. That felt “just right,” so I went with it and have kept my subsequent releases at that price as well. POD copies are offered at only $1.00 above the minimum price that could be chosen, again to make the book affordable for readers.

What are your top tips for new Indie authors? What do you wish you had known before you started?

Network, network, network and ask questions, ask questions, ask questions! Writers are a sharing community, and there is plenty of guidance available. Start with the sound advice and numerous resources in this book, then dive in, paddle around, read blogs, make notes, choose a path, and test it out. Epublishing is well worth the effort and such great fun.

BLAZING A TRAIL Interviews: Doranna Durgin

BLAZING A TRAIL: Your Self Publishing Journey includes several interviews with authors who are Indie publishing. I love hearing about how others are getting their books out there. I hope you do, too. In the days leading up to the release of BLAZING A TRAIL I’m sharing some of those interviews with my readers.

Doranna Durgin is the author of numerous books, both traditionally and Indie published. Her most recent Indie release is THE CHANGESPELL Series. You can learn more about Ms. Durgin and her books at her websites: http://www.backlistebooks.com/author/doranna-durgin/ and http://doranna.net

Tell us a little about your background and publishing history.

First novel at age twelve…first sale in ’93, won the Compton Crook Award for the best first SF/F/H of the year. Since then, I’ve written across genres (franchise/mystery/SF/F/action romance/paranormal romance) and publishers (many of the big six, medium and small press, plus Indie), to the tune of forty front list books.  I got into self-epublishing my backlist early, but not quite leading edge.  Very early in that process, I co-founded (with Patricia Ryan) the Backlist eBooks presentation platform for other traditionally published authors.

If you published with a traditional publisher before self-publishing, do you think having a following helped your Indie sales? Why or why not?

I’m not sure how much it directly influenced sales, especially not at first.  Discoverability is the crucial factor behind ebook sales (in traditional terms, is your book on the shelf where people can stumble over it?  And if it is, is it faced out on the shelf, or just spine out?)—and my backlist is in a different genre than my current front list—boy, does that matter.  That being said, my traditional experience helped immensely because I already had a deep understanding of the industry (harking back to all that cross genre/cross publisher work) as well as an understanding of how a professional writer behaves in public.  My traditional experience also affected my big picture approach to the Indie process.

What led to your decision to self-publish?

1. Have rights to backlist titles
2. Have additional books I’m aching to write (including plenty that won’t be of interest to publishers, either because they’re the next in an older series or because I’m not quite coloring between the lines.)

How long have you been self-publishing?
Since early 2010

What were your goals when you began, and how have they changed since then? How do you measure success?

1. Make enough dollars to fill in the publisher gaps that occur even in an active traditional career (like the time I waited a year to be paid for on-delivery, from one of the big 6).
2. Then make enough to provide a modest but supportive income so I can spread publisher obligations just enough to…
3. Write the books I yearn to write for ME.

Measuring success by those standards is pretty easy.  Either it is, or it isn’t.  Some of my friends have succeeded wildly and are into #3; I’m between #1 & #2.

Did you do a lot of the production process yourself, or did you hire people to do it for you? Were you satisfied with the outcome?

For the most part, I’ve relied heavily on what’s currently sixteen years of active work designing and maintaining author and dog breeder web sites to do the work myself (many of the skills are overlapping).  I did have help with covers during a time I was too overloaded to deal with it, for which I was so grateful.

Am I satisfied with the outcome?  Yes, in general.  Because I started early, I experienced a certain amount of evolution along the way—evolution in the industry, I mean.  What was expected in a cover, the exact process of the book conversations…that sort of thing.  As a result, I’d currently like to replace several of my early covers, but not because I wasn’t happy with them at the time they hit distribution.  And some of my earliest releases have been reformatted to keep up with changes.

Also, because I’m involved in writing the books, I am an active ebook reader (Nook), and am managing my own production, I think it’s helped me to develop a thoughtful presentation of the books.  At the same time, I would never urge anyone to go learn all the production stuff from scratch.  If it calls to someone, go for it.  If not, then use that energy to write.

How have you spread the word about your work?

Backlist eBooks, evolving sales strategies, Facebook promo co-ops and presence, newsletters, and freebies.

What has been the most effective thing you have done to promote your books? What has been the least effective?

The most effective thing has definitely been the freebies.  It’s all about discoverability—to the point that every time Amazon messes with algorithms, I pretty much have to start building sales all over again.  Freebies are not about failing to value your work away; they’re about changing store algorithms.  However, exactly how one uses freebies as a tool depends on the books involved (genre, series or not, length, etc.).

The least effective?  Amazon KDP Select, which to me is by no means worth the cost of losing a broad retailer platform in exchange for five days of easy-to-schedule free downloads and the lure of payment for free library downloads (which won’t happen until you’re discoverable).

Twitter is my least effective social platform, barring the occasional broad spectrum campaign.

Everything else falls in the middle ground.  Newsletters can help but not as much as I wish they would, and blogs should be something a writer truly wants to do.  I personally have found blog tours to be a huge investment of energy for little return.

How did your Indie sales evolve? What should a new Indie author expect?

Sales are heavily affected by algorithm changes, and one thing new Indie authors need to understand is that this is a business for Amazon.  If it suits them to do something that cuts Indie sales in half, they will—and DO—make those changes (just as they’ve always done to traditional authors.  This relationship goes back a long way for some of us).  They do not “owe” Indie authors as I’ve heard some complain, and it’s a waste of time to fume and act entitled about it.  Traditional authors have been in this same relationship with publishers for far too long.  What’s in their best interest is not necessarily in an author’s best interest.

Other than that, there’s no telling.  Some folks hit a sweet spot with steadily building sales.  Others don’t.  Content, length, genre, and single title/series status all matter.

What influenced your decision to price your books as you did?

I wanted to be paid for my work, but also wanted the books to feel like an easy-to-absorb purchase within perceived market value.  As a reader, I do not buy publisher ebooks that cost the same or more than paper books.

What are your top tips for new Indie authors? What do you wish you had known before you started?

Well … since I was working with backlist, there wasn’t much I could do to change my self-produced titles.  But if I’d been able to wave a magic wand …  Series matter.  (This is all part of the discoverability factor.)  Readers discover the first in a series and want the rest.  Single-title sales don’t necessarily feed each other.

Regular releases are important; number of releases matter.  If I was just starting out, I’d write several books in a series and release them all at once.

Also, if this is the first foray into publishing, learn the industry.  Don’t look at what the seething masses are doing in terms of publicity and presence.  Find some authors you admire, those who are classy and engaging.  Always put yourself in the reader’s shoes when you put yourself out there. Imagine being told you’ll like something or watching someone compare themselves to this or that bestseller and how it sounds like boasting instead of enticement.  Don’t sound desperate and don’t sound pushy.

Treat it like a business and invest in it.  Get good help with covers, editing, and proofing and expect to pay for it.  Understand that self-publishing and traditional publishing aren’t the same and that Indie authors should expect to prove themselves, just as publisher authors have to.  The difference is that Indie authors are starting from scratch, while traditionally published authors have already jumped through many hoops to get where they are (and then still have to continue to prove themselves to stay there).  Anyone who feels defensive in reading that sentence isn’t in the right place with the whole thing to start with.

Understand that Indie isn’t Small Press, isn’t Big Six (Five, now!).  There are different obstacles in different steps along the way, and different filters to success.  Different marketing strategies and needs, different outcomes.  Understand this before you choose which path is best for you and know why it’s best, relative to the other choices—and that means knowing your ultimate goals.  One path is not a stepping stone to the other, aside for those occasional and aberrant lightning strikes.

Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

I think I hit the good stuff. 🙂