My Decision to Become an Indie Author [Guest Post]

The following is a guest post by author Jeff Emmerson. For more on Jeff, visit his website or follow him on Twitter @Jeff__Emmerson. If you’d like to be a guest poster, we’d love to have you! Just shoot us an e-mail or give a shout to @duolit. Now, on to Jeff’s post:

As far as I’m concerned, the decision to go the indie route with my up-coming memoir was an easy one to make. It took me a while to realize that there was such an option, since I was under the impression that I’d have to go through a “self-publishing” company such as AuthorHouse or Dog’s Ear Publishing to bring my book to the world.

While there’s a lot of debate over the difference between self-publishing and independent publishing, I’ve chosen to see it this way: With the self-publishing route, you pay a company up to several thousand dollars (or more) to create your book for you, market it (however they see fit), and distribute it in one of several ways. As part of the “package” you purchase, they may also other cosmetic aspects, such as size, page color, and whether to make your book a hardcover or soft cover. They may also offer an editing service, but I’ve found many of them to be way too costly for my liking. After all, I’m a person on a budget, so the indie route appeals to me even more for the investment needed. If money is no issue, then perhaps you will want to go the self-publishing route (vanity publisher). I’ve recruited my own editor, a graphic designer to create my book cover the way I want it, and even a marketing team to help me figure out a plan of action for

When it comes to the true independent (indie) route, I don’t see a ton of difference, but you can save thousands if you do your homework. The main thing is that you do everything yourself. I’ve chosen to go with Lightning Source as my printer/distributor, so in a sense, that isn’t done independently, I know. But everything else is, so if you still think of my way as self-publishing, then I’m cool with that. Hey – I’m not trying to create a divide! I simply stand for writers going their own way, which means that a) They keep total creative control, b) Keep way more of the profits, and c) Never go out of print! To my knowledge, none of those can be said for the traditional publishing route.

Whichever route you choose, just be sure to keep an open mind. Self-published works have been “picked up” by traditional publishers, so if you have a fabulous book, the word will get out there, but only if you do one thing very well: MARKET the heck out of it. There are thousands of resources and articles online and off that explain some best practices when it comes to marketing your book. In fact, my editor recently told me about how dissatisfied she was with her traditional publisher, since they were brutal at marketing. Guess what: She’s decided to buy back her rights and self/indie publish all over again on her terms!

We’re all learning, and there are truly no “experts” except for you. Only you know what will ultimately be the best plan for your story. Get started, or even if you are already, keep moving forward!

‘See you out there!

With gratitude,
Jeff Emmerson – Author of “The Road to Myself” – A Gritty, Reflective and Inspiring Memoir to be Published in 2011!