Considering self-publishing
With its authors starting to regularly hit the bestseller lists, the world of self-publishing no longer carries the negative connotations it used to. These articles tell you what you need to know before you embark on life as a self-published author.
Are You Ready To Use Self-Publishing Services?
In the second article in her self-publishing series for Writers & Artists, writer, editor & blogger Roz Morris gives her advice on editing your manuscript - and how you can tell whether your novel is ready to be published.
You've finished your novel. Doesn't that feel good? It …
Building Author Communities
Catriona Troth of Triskele Books talks to us about building author communities and the launch of Triskele Lit Fest, their inaugural, free one day festival on 17th September.
Writing can be a lonely occupation. Perhaps it has to be when you are in the creative space necessary for writing …
Considering Self-Publishing: A Guide
Author Lisa Hinsley discusses why she made the decision to self-publish, what it's has done for her and her advice for writers thinking self-publishing their own books.
In 2009, many of my unpublished author friends were talking about Amazon and a new way to self-publish as an eBook straight into …
Doing It Better
“As an author looking to self-publish, what’s the number one rule? Do what publishers do, but do it better.”
The trouble with self-publishing is that it's very easy to do badly. I'm talking about those books that have four typos on the first page; the ones with the amateurish cover designs. …
From Conference to Confidence
Self-publishing success story Tracy Bloom recollects her journey from audience member at our Self-Publishing in the Digital Age Conference 2012 to being asked back to sit on this year's panel...
As I left the Writers & Artists Self-Publishing conference last year, I felt slightly woozy …
From Self-Published to Agented Author
I can’t help noticing that when I tell people that I self-published my first novel, Reading Upside Down, a look of vague pity clouds their expression, the overwhelming assumption being that I must have done so either as a last resort, or because I simply didn't think my writing was good enough to …
Have you considered self-publishing?
Most
writers hate this question. They reject the very idea of self-publishing because
they think it is the final sign that they have abandoned their dream of
becoming a published author.
I’d like to suggest that rather than surrendering your literary ambitions, deciding to self-publish is …
How Not To Self-Publish
From left to right: the self-published cover of Who Let The Gods Out? and the final cover from Chicken House
Most of my best decisions have been incredibly stupid. Last year, for instance, I uprooted my family 100 miles from London to Dorset on little more than whimsy and love for fish and chips. It …
Managing without a publisher: when to go it alone
There are various reasons why you may decide to self-publish, rather than seeking the services of a professional firm. For example:
- You want the book published more than you want a commercial success. For example, if you are writing in order to preserve your family history or to set …
My Publishing Journey: Tips for Writing & Self-Publishing
The nature of publishing has radically changed in recent years and is constantly evolving. The advent of self-publishing, print-on-demand and e-publishing have all contributed to offering writers many more choices from the traditional ways of the past.
There are now publishing services …
Print Vs Digital: Why the Battle of the Formats is Obsolete
Despite the Big Five’s digital sales taking a hit in recent months, the downward trend hasn't succeeded in destroying the ebook market, evidently more resilient than it was given credit for. Accounting for around 30% of overall sales to readers, ebooks aren't encroaching much on the sales of …
Publish or Perish? Authors and Self-publishing
New opportunities have opened for authors and writers that were not available just five years ago; the most rapid growth being in self-publishing. When Amazon launched its self-publishing platform, it revolutionized my career as a historian. Much of what I would like to share here is true across …
Self Publishing as a Business
Anyone can self-publish a book. It takes a few hours of research, some formatting, click upload, and away you go. Easy, right? Sure, if that’s all you want. But to succeed at self-publishing (and for the purposes of this article, let’s assume by succeed I mean have your book earn a profit), …
Self Publishing Women's Fiction & the Romance Genre
In this article, self-published author Jan Ruth discusses writing and publishing within the romance genre; what works, what doesn't and what you can do to grow your readership.
When does a contemporary romance become something else? When I first started writing and submitting manuscripts in the …
Self-Publishing Short Stories and Poetry
Much has been written about self-publishing novels but little about bringing out short stories and poetry. I have ventured into both of these territories – from my first photocopied booklet of ‘pomes’ to digital collections of short stories, short erotica and poetry.
While there is not much …
Self-Publishing Tips: A Year of Constant Challenge
Looking back over the past year, I can confirm that a novice writer’s learning curve is steep indeed. Luckily, the brain is capable of coping with much more than it thinks it can, and of learning from the experience. In this post I’d like to share some things I learnt while writing my first …
Self-publishing vs vanity publishing. Confused?
I often get letters or phone calls from confused
and sometimes worried authors, unsure whether or not to sign a contract with a
publisher who's raved about their book idea but is asking for a 'contribution
towards the cost of publishing the book'. The amount varies, but frequently it
runs into …
Self-Publishing: Changing Your Mindset from Author to Publisher
Leila Dewji, of I_AM Self-Publishing, shares her self-publishing advice for authors at all stages of the process.
In 2010, I left the world of trade publishing to provide high-end self-publishing services, using the same processes and high standards of the trade publishing industry. Since then I …
Self-Publishing? Looking at the Big Picture
Yesterday, I talked about self-publishing to people for three hours non-stop. (Don’t worry – they’d all elected to be there. I didn’t just collect a few random strangers and subject them to a discourse on the pros and cons of glossy book covers or setting the price of your e-book to …
Should I Self-Publish?
That's a question many authors ask themselves, particularly now, in this age of Kindle, Nook, Kobo etc. Self-publishing has historically been looked down upon, but if you're not one of the lucky minority who manage to snag a deal with a major publisher, then what do you do? Let your manuscript …
The Benefits of Crowdfunding
More and more creative projects are being discovered and becoming a reality thanks to the power of crowdfunding. Rather than relying on investors or digging into their own pockets, entrepreneurs and business-savvy creatives can now rally the support of their network and audience to raise the …
The Incomplete Self-Publishing Handbook
First-time self-publishing author David Gluckman on his journey to get his book on creating drinks brands into print, and the things he's learned along the way.
I had a very unusual career. I was an inventor of drinks brands. You may know some of them: Baileys Irish Cream, Le Piat D’Or, Smirnoff …
The Making of a Book: The Road to Publication
In this new series for Writers & Artists, successful self-published author Tim Bradley will be explaining the process of writing his first children's novel, Arnie Jenks and the House of Strangers, from initial conception through to getting the book into readers' hands. In the third article of …
The Publishing Process: Comparing Traditional & Self-Publishing
As publishing evolves, so must authors, and with the likes of urban fantasy juggernauts such as Ilona Andrews and Jeaniene Frost choosing to self publish and traditionally publish, becoming a hybrid author is now an option. But how does the editing process compare between self and traditional …
The Rise of the Author Collective
Triskele Books look at the rise of author collectives and how they can work to the advantage of self-published authors.
It seems obvious the main reason for the rise in the author collective is a reaction to today’s depressed traditional publishing climate. With many authors turning to …
Traditional or Self-Publishing: Choosing the Right Route for You
It’s a wonderful time to be an author. With the option to self-publish, we no longer need to rely on securing a publisher to reach readers – we can do it on our own, if we wish. The rise of the hybrid author – one who traditionally publishes as well as self-publishes – shows that authors …
What Has Self-Publishing Done for Authors?
The editor of the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook & the Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook is interviewed by the good people at www.selfpublishingconference.org.uk
You are giving the keynote speech at the 2014 conference; what can self-publishing authors expect to hear from you during …
Why I Self-Published
SJ Sherwood, author of The Denounced series, discusses why he opted to self-publish, and the things he learned along the way...
Somebody once told me that everything you want sits just outside of your comfort zone. It was advice I was ignoring. My writing story was a familiar one: I’d have an …
Writer's Journey: Mel Sherratt
Bestselling author Mel Sherratt discusses her journey as a self-published writer.
When TAUNTING THE DEAD was riding high in the Kindle charts last year, I made the decision to self-publish three books I had written in a series. I felt passionate about these books and wanted to see if, by getting …