How to be an Indie Author: 10 Things you need to Know

Are you interested in being an independently published author?

Here’s 10 things you need to know that will help you make some decisions and give you the best chance of success.

Hello and a very warm welcome to Writerly Witterings. I’m back this month with another ‘ten ways’ blog post, and this time it’s '10 Ways to be a successful indie author.'

YouTube Video

Before I get into the golden nuggets of this month’s topic, let me talk more about what’s happening on my YouTube channel.

My LIVE ‘Writing Lunches’ are now underway at 12 noon (BST) each Friday.  Like I’ve said before, writing can be a solitary activity, but it really needn’t be.  I’m there from 12 noon each Friday, working on my own thing, and you can use the space to work alongside me.  You can either work on your own current writing project or you can respond to the prompt I’ll offer at the beginning of the session.  Bring your lunch, of course!

There’s an opportunity to ask me questions at the end of the hour-long writing time about your work in progress or writing and publishing in general. The sessions are going really well with people even watching them on replay to give them some writing company.  The link for the next live stream is below – you can use it to set a reminder.

And now let’s get onto the main topic of the month,

10 ways to be a Successful Indie Author.

Getting published, for many beginner writers, is a much-sought-after ambition.  However, in this competitive day and age, going after traditional publication can be a path paved with disappointment.  Being accepted and offered that wonderful contract often depends on one person’s subjective opinion, be it a literary agent or publisher, whereas when you independently publish, you cut out the ‘middleman’ and it’s your readers who’ll discern the merit of your work.

I mentioned my book, The Man Behind Closed Doors in my last blog, 10 Ways to get your Writing Published and the fact that it received 46 rejections.  At that point I decided to ‘go indie’ as the saying goes and have never looked back.

Yes, I’ve had to work hard and there’s been a lot to learn, but across my catalogue, I’ve sold nearly 60,000 books and had over 7 million page reads as my books are all in Kindle Unlimited.  These page reads equate to 40,000 books so an overall total of 100,000 copies.

I am living proof that the independent publishing route is a viable option. And there are many far, far more successful Independent authors than me.  Check out LJ Ross, Rachel McClean and Adam Croft who all have immense careers.

Whether you’re about to set off on the journey of writing a book or have already embarked on it, my ten tips will ensure success for you and your writing, with independent publishing in mind.

If you know from the outset that this will be your way forward, you can prepare for it and begin gathering your prospective readers as you go.  Some tips are around the business of independent publishing, whilst others are around mindset and self organisation.  Read on!

Prior to Completing your Book:

1. Have a website, at the very least, a basic one. It’s free and dare I say it – easier to build on WordPress.  You’ll need an ‘about me’ page, contact details, other writing related services you might offer such as proofreading and information about what you’re currently working on.  You could also host a blog via your website.  This might be about your writing journey, the craft of writing or a subject your writing deals with.  A blog not only showcases your writing to the world, it can also engage your prospective readers prior to publication. It should also offer the link for your email sign up.
2. Have a presence on social media. You must get used to promoting yourself and your work.  As an independently published author, no one else is going to do it for you.  This is a great time to network with readers of the genre you write in, as well as with other authors.  Authors read each other’s published books in a similar genre and will often happily promote each other.  Your social media channels should be ‘branded’ with a similar photo to your website, offering the same fonts, colours and overall feel.  You should also use them to offer the link for your email sign up.
3. Yes, your email sign up. I began building my email list six months before I released The Last Cuckoo, my first book.  My email list, hosted through Mailchimp, is the lifeblood of my author business and a place where I can reach my most dedicated readers.  I have a freebie (lead magnet) which is a novella to entice readers to sign up, then an automation sequence, introducing me and my work and thereafter I send monthly newsletters and details of new releases.  If you want to see how my newsletter works, you can join my ‘keep in touch’ list for readers here.  I recommend a book called Newsletter Ninja for help in setting yours up.

When your Book is Ready

4. Only sell your VERY best work. Ensure it has been thoroughly edited and proofread.  Get as many eyes on it as possible prior to publication.  I have an Advance Reader Team who join a tailor-made Facebook group by invitation through my reader email list.   We get so close to our own work and can become immune to our own typos – I know I do! I’ve linked to a video here that details some of the other tools that help me through my writing and publishing process.
5. In a similar vein, ensure your book is professionally formatted – this is not as hard as it sounds. You can use the free formatting tool in Kindle Direct Publishing or the free tool on Reedsy.com.  There is paid software available too. You should, if you can, have your book cover professionally designed.  Check our fiverr.com for cheaper options or Reedsy.com for a curated list of cover designers.  If you decide to do it yourself, Bookbrush offers some great DIY cover options.
6. The other thing you should set up properly is your Amazon author profile and the Amazon book page. Things like subtitle, book description, keywords and pricing are really important.  Check out my pages on Amazon to see how I’ve presented mine and, for more learning, check out The Creative Penn and The Self Publishing Show.

After Publication

7. Have a launch event. I hold mine live on YouTube, but you could have one in person too.  As your own publisher, it’s down to you to organise and publicise.
8. Now your book is available for sale on Amazon, you might think the hard part is done, but this is where the fun really starts. It’s totally down to you to drive readers to your page once the initial frenzy of friends and family buyers dies down.  If you’ve followed the advice above, you’ll have a great book and a great platform, so you’re already part of the way there. But organic reach is limited, so you might want to consider paid advertising such as Amazon ads and Facebook ads to reach your readers.  It’s a big learning curve but can really help increase those book sales.
9. Keep a social media presence. I try to post across all platforms once a day, taking Sundays off when I can.  I’m constantly driving new readers to my list and use promotions such as free books and special offers to reach a new readership.

Whilst you wait for your sales dashboards to start ticking up

10. Work on your next book. There’s a saying that nothing sells your first book like your second book and so on.  If readers love your first, they’ll want your second.   Pour all your expertise into a subsequent writing project.  Writers only ever get better at their craft, so practice, hone and polish. And keep me posted!

So there you have it.  You’re ready to storm the world of indie publishing with some good advice.  Just remember that it’s a business requiring a time and money investment like any other.  But you’re at the helm – you make all the decisions and you reap all the rewards.  However, it takes time – there is such a thing as overnight success, but it’s very rare!

Free Novel Guide to Download

I’ve put together a guide on getting started with writing a novel which is apt given this month's topic!  It’s packed full of inspiration and free for you to download via this link.

So, that’s about it for this month – be sure to let me know your own thoughts on independent publishing in the comments, or just drop in there to say hello – I love to hear from other writers.  And don’t forget about the writing lunches which happen every Friday from 12 noon. (BST)

Until then, happy writing and I’ll see you in the next video – bye for now.

Buy Me a Coffee!

In view of the book sales you will soon enjoy after this month’s blog post, you might want to buy me a coffee! As you know, we writers drink gallons of the stuff.

As a thankyou, I’ll send you five of my exclusive help sheets for writers for each coffee.  And for three coffees, I’ll send you all sixteen. Click here to check them out - this is the only way you can get hold of them!