Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Nancy MacMillan on January 29, 2012 at 7:32pm

Hi Alle, Just saw your post.  I'm in the process of sorting through some of the many self-publishers available . . . my book is in its final edit. 

• Has anyone in your audience used "Outskirts Press," and if they have, the pros and cons.
• I'm also looking for a cover designer who is quality, yet affordable.  And someone to do inside formatting, maybe.  Referrals and phone numbers would be great so I could chat with them on the phone.  

Many thanks, Nancy MacMillan @ http://blogofavetswife.blogspot.com/

Permalink Reply by Alle C. Hall on January 29, 2012 at 11:57pm

Hi, Nancy. Thanks for stepping into the discussion. How about if I ask YOU a few questions?

1. What drew you to "Outskirts"?

2. Which other self-publishing outfits have you considered?

3. Are you content to work with a service porvider using e-mail/phone, etc., or would you want to be able to meet with them?

4. What's your book about?

Permalink Reply by Nancy MacMillan on January 30, 2012 at 10:26am

Hi, Alle.  This is a first for me, sharing in a discussion group. So here goes . . .

I would like to say, I queried for a year with no bites before I moved to self-publishing. 

1. I was attracted to "Outskirts" by their offer of "the best of both worlds by combining the advantages of independent self-publishing with the advantages of traditional book publishing."  I inquired (online) for additional information on these services. Their response was quick, and I continue to receive new updates every few days.

2. CreateSpace is next on the list. Most authors on SheWrites who have used this vehicle are pleased with their experience. However, this is my first book and I'm green in many areas, including computer technology.  Publishing a book appears easy compared to marketing on ones own.  This is my quandry.

3. Yes, I am content with email/phone communications. It's time-effective in our busy world. My only requirement is to be assigned "my own" account representative. One person I can go to with questions and concerns, someone who is accountable to me throughout the entire process.  As far as meeting someone in person, I have Skype, which can be just as effective.  Simply arrrange a conference call.

4. My book is a memoir, which I've entitled, Diary of a Vet's Wife, Loving and Living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It covers an eighteen year period in my life lifted from personals journals.  

As a divorced mother of three, I met the love of my life and we were married.  Diary of a Vet's Wife shows the innocence of love unblemished with hope and promise, unaware of the imminent demons vowing destruction.  My impossible dream is shattered by nightmares my husband doesn't recall and hidden pain he refuses to share.  I retreat to a life of secrets with no place to turn.  And like a fly on the wall, I take the reader to places most have never been, while bonding with others who know the terrain that only the strong dare travel.

At this moment, my manuscript is with my freelance editor as we work to complete the epilogue.

If you have any further questions, please let me know.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Nadine Feldman on January 30, 2012 at 11:14am

I self-published my first book, When a Grandchild Dies, back in 1999. I printed 2,000 copies, which are sold out, and I keep it available as an e-book. What worked about this book was that I had a specific audience. My main customer was Centering Corporation, which publishes a catalog of bereavement resources, with Amazon close behind. It was an extraordinary and rewarding experience. My biggest mistake was not pricing the book properly. At $12.95, with Amazon taking a 55% cut, plus mailing fees, I didn't make much -- but I helped a lot of people, and the act of writing that book and putting it out there changed my life. I always planned to self-publish because I had issues with some of the other bereavement books I'd seen -- one example is the font size. People who are crying need bigger print! 

In 2010 I published Patchwork & Ornament, my late mother-in-law's memoir that I edited. The advantage of self-publishing allowed me to put the book in my father-in-law's hands before he died. This one was more a labor of love, and we weren't concerned with sales. I have donated most of the copies to charities. Patchwork won an Indie Excellence award. No regrets!

When I crossed over into fiction, I decided to go the e-book route using BookBaby. Personally, I think Smashwords is more flexible (When a Grandchild Dies is done through Smashwords), but either is fine. The advantage to this method is that it's inexpensive. I also put it up on Create Space because Amazon recommends that you do -- done this way, the pricing is much higher than the e-book, but it's handy to have copies to sell or give to people I meet. Some people do prefer a paperback. 

The hardest part is marketing, but that's going to be true whether an author self-publishes or not. Publishers are expecting their authors to market themselves actively, and a not-so-good book with an audience will get published ahead of a great book with no audience. Not fair, but that's life. 

Personally, I like self-publishing because I just enjoy the whole process. I like doing book layouts and getting my own editor. I like writing my blog and interacting with my readers. Heck, I even have enjoyed putting my books in boxes and mailing them out! Do I make a living? Oh, hell, no. But I love what I do and will keep at it.

Permalink Reply by Alle C. Hall on January 30, 2012 at 11:32am

Nadine,

I am so glad you replied. You have clocked some serious time in the self-pub world. I hope I may continue to call on you as a source - should I get this job, I should say ...

You must have seen HUGE changes in self-pub. Would you care to comment? The issue of pricing is a challenge. Also, how does one make money if profits are so low and you have to pay an editor and a designer, and for promo. 

 

One last (for now, you warehouse of info): have you ever tried the traditional rout (agent/publishing house)?

While I think a lot of SheWriters could benefit from your experiences, if some of this feels to personal to go public,feel free to message me on SW, or at my personal e-mail: allehall@blarg.net.

Thanks so much,

Alle 

Permalink Reply by Nadine Feldman on January 30, 2012 at 3:19pm

SO much has changed. My first two books were more than ten years apart, and I felt like Rip Van Winkle. I had to learn all over again -- and the changes now are coming even faster. In 1999, there were no e-books or even digital publishing. Social media didn't exist, and websites were just coming into vogue. I had to find a printer, and I needed at least 2,000 copies to get a good cost per book. This meant a huge cash outlay at a time in my life when funds were very limited. It was a hardship to come up with the money. I sold some copies in advance to help raise funds.

Pricing is in a big state of flux right now. When I published my novel as an e-book, I chose a lower price ($1.99) assuming I would not make a profit on the book. My purpose was to try to build an audience. There will be a sequel, in part because I love the characters, and in part because I hope to build on the audience -- for self-published books, series seem to work better.

On Create Space, Amazon has the functionality to show you your royalties, so by plugging in a proposed price, you can see your per-book profit. This is a cool idea that will help authors avoid under-pricing books that they hope to make money on. 

Authors can also try to raise funds through Kickstarter, so authors on a tight budget can still raise needed funds for editing and cover expenses. The great thing about social media is that it keeps promotion costs down. It's a big mistake for authors to spend a lot of money on advertising. I got Patchwork & Ornament into the inside cover of Publishers' Weekly and got ZERO sales for that. Authors are better off building a social media presence, which they can do for free. One of the reasons I'm so passionate about this promotion project is that I'm not a good marketer on my own -- but with a group, I think we can be great marketers together.

I have sent queries to agents and publishers, but every time I felt my energy dissipate. I just never got excited about that route. It takes a long time, and I enjoy the more immediate response of self-publishing. 

I'm working on getting better at the business and profitability of my writing. I have focused more on the self-expression aspect, being content to earn a little here and there and to have a personal connection with my readers. I have always struggled to charge money for work that I do -- it's a self-esteem issue that I'm working on. 

I hope this is helpful. I don't consider anything about my writing/publishing journey to be off-limits in this group. I figure that all the good, bad, and the ugly gives the other members ideas when choosing their own path.