12 Dec All You Need To Know About Indie Publishing
If you are a new Author, you might be confused about how to get your book out there and to your required audience: go down the Traditional Path or become an Indie Author? Well, to be able to choose, you have to understand what these entail. This article explains all you need to know about Indie Publishing.
What Is Indie Publishing?
Indie is a short term for Independent. So Indie Publishing simply means Independent Publishing! At this point, the expression should be a lot easier to understand. With independent publishing, you publish a book without going through a traditional publisher.
In the past, you had to go through a publishing house or an agent to publish. It was a long process where you had to pitch to publishers hoping to be selected. The disadvantage was you might get rejected several times, not because your book is badly written or uninteresting, but because the publishing houses only looked out for books that looked ‘sellable.’ They looked out for books that they felt would interest the general public. This also meant generic and lame books sometimes are chosen instead of intelligent and well-written ones.
The hassle doesn’t end there! Even after a book was accepted, it was normal for the publishing process to take several months, sometimes eight months, before the book is finally published and before the writer began to earn.
Who Can Become An Indie Publisher?
Good news to new authors: you don’t have to be experienced to be a successful Indie Author! Anyone can be an independent publisher as long as they have an authentic book to sell.
What is the difference Between Indie Publishing And Self-Publishing?
Even though it is termed “independent publishing,” it is a bit different from self-publishing. With self-publishing, writers go to printing presses themselves, print out large copies of their books, and distribute these copies themselves. These tasks are usually stressful, and they highlight the usefulness of traditional publishing houses.
Indie publishing, however, came with online bookseller sites where writers could earn from their books without having to go through the printing and marketing processes. Some indie authors prefer to work with a self-publishing distribution service that helps put their books on these online bookseller sites, while some prefer to go through the hassle themselves. Others choose where they want to distribute their books and do the uploading themselves.
Why is Indie Publishing Becoming Popular?
Indie Publishing Is Easier Than Traditional Publishing:
With more and more bookseller sites springing up on the internet, publishing a book can be done in a matter of hours or even minutes. With Traditional Publishing, it takes months and even a year to publish a book. This is why many authors, especially the new ones, are now porting to Indie Publishing.
Indie Publishing Is A Lot Cheaper Than Traditional Publishing:
When I say cheaper, I don’t only refer to financial cost. I also refer to other resources like time, energy, and even ego. Most publishing houses now require you to pay a certain amount before your book is accepted. However, money is not the only thing you will lose during this process. You will spend a large amount of time pitching to Publishing Houses and Agents. You will expend energy attending several meetings to convince them to accept your book. Finally, you will lose a piece of your ego and confidence with each rejection you get.
Indie Publishing comes out looking like the Messiah, saving authors from these hassles.
Traditional Publishers Reject Good Books:
Have you faced a lot of rejections from publishing houses? Do you think your book is not good enough? Well, Stephen King, the Author of IT, faced several rejections before he finally won an agent that was willing to work with him. So, you might actually have a book worth reading, but if the agents and publishing houses you meet do not accept it, you wouldn’t get published. That is a great disadvantage, you will agree.
Publishing Royalty
With traditional methods, an author is likely to gain only 11 to 20% in Royalties. But with Indie Publishing, authors can take up to 80-100% of their royalties.
How Much Profit Do Indie Authors Make?
Indie Publishers rake in at least 70% of royalties which is a lot! Mark Dawson, for example, earns about $450,000 from Amazon.
How Do You Get Rich With Indie Publishing?
You put in the work!
Indie Publishing is just like every other industry. Some hit it big, and some find it difficult to hit anything at all. So beware! You will see many ‘grass to grace’ stories in this journey, but you must recognize that the journey to grace is cramped. You will have to put in the work; this involves promoting and marketing your book.
As an Indie Publisher myself, I always advise people to start promoting even before the book is finished. Talk about your book and its characters with people. Share snippets of interesting scenes. Create character boards, and even share pictures that resemble your characters. Talk about it on your social media pages and to your friends. Use ads and giveaways. You can even begin a Newsletter. That way, you gather a community of people who will fall in love with your writing and be willing to read your book once it is published.
Build curiosity even before it is finished and published, and when you publish, do not stop talking about it!
How Do You Publish A Book As An Indie Publisher
First, you have to write the book. If your book is already complete, get a professional proofreader to edit it for any typographical errors or lapses in your plots or points.
When editing is done, decide on a publishing platform. We have written a list of the popular ones in this article. If you choose Amazon KDP, for example, create an account. You will see an option to Add a new Kindle Book, choose it, and proceed as directed. (You can get a complete guide on how to publish on Amazon KDP here). Fill out the required space for the title, description of the book, and your info as the Author. After that, verify that you own the right to publish. Upload the book and the cover you have designed. Choose the location you want to publish your book. Choose your preferred pricing and royalties, then hit publish!
What Are The Best Publishing Platforms for Indie Publishers?
- Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
- iBooks
- Barnes & Noble Press
- IngramSpark
- Smashwords
- Draft2Digital
- Kobo
- Kitaboo Bytes
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Indie Publishing A Good Option?
It is if you are willing to put in the work. Do not expect it to be a lazy way of making money because it isn’t. Many young authors are earning big from indie publishing, and you can be one of them too.
Is The Indie Publishing Market Saturated?
My answer is No. This might surprise you because every day, a new writer uploads a book on a publishing platform. But the market isn’t saturated. Realize that a lot of authors are not good marketers. They want the gratification of publishing a book but are unwilling to expend more energy in selling it. The authors who do, are quite a few. This is where you will have a great advantage.
Is There A Future In Indie Publishing?
Indie Publishing is the future. Not only has it made publishing easier, but it has made reading and sourcing books much easier too. Books are no longer expensive commodities you couldn’t access with a slim pocket. Everyone with a smartphone can be an ardent reader if they wish.
Conclusion
The digital world has simplified a lot of things, including book publishing. With Indie Publishing, you don’t have to depend on Publishing Houses. Write that book and publish it on a platform of your choice, and enjoy all the profit and Royalties available. Don’t forget to talk about your book a lot; constantly market and promote it.
Good luck being a successful Author!
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