If you’ll allow me, I’d like to take just a second to clarify an important point before we resume our regularly scheduled blogging…

Last week, our post on Self-Publishing Costs was added to Reddit.com by a well intentioned reader who felt we were projecting way too much overhead cost for indie authors (a sentiment that was echoed by many other readers on that website).

Holy misinterpretation Batman, that’s definitely not what we meant.

photo by images_of_money

Judging from the comments we received here on Duolit from our wonderful readers, you guys seemed to have no problem picking up on the point of the guide – it was an overview of the possible costs associated with self-publishing.

But just in case that wasn’t clear, we want everyone to know that it was never our intention to say that self-publishing required the purchase of every service, product, tool, and coaching session we mentioned in the post.

Just like the example we used at the beginning about going to Wal-Mart – it’s possible to spend thousands of dollars in Wal-Mart (especially if you like camo and beef jerky) but it’s also possible to spend $5.

It all depends on your wants, needs and budget.

The same goes for self-publishing.

*Phew! Glad we got that straightened out!*

Moving right along, we thought that this week we could delve a little deeper into the possible costs of self-publishing by giving some advice about where you’ll get the most bang for your buck and where it’s okay to scrape and save a little.

To simplify things, we’re going to use the same breakdown from last week.Continue Reading

For real-life stories from indie authors on how much they spent to self-publish their work, check out our discussion: How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book?

Stepping into Wal-Mart is kind of like falling into a black hole (only without the stretching/exploding).

Seriously, though, think about it. You walk in, ready to purchase your few needed items and walk out. Hours later, you emerge into the garish sunlight, staring at your recipt and thinking, “how did I spend $100 on socks and Pop-Tarts?!”

For first-time indie authors, the process is much the same. You start out intending only to purchase editing and a cover but end up spending WAY more than anticipated.

As any money-saving guru will tell you, the way to avoid this black hole syndrome is by going in with a plan, a specific list of items to purchase and blinders to costs not essential to your task.

While I can’t help you turn a blind eye to those tempting purchases, I can lay out the possible costs associated with self-publishing so you can create that all-important shopping list!Continue Reading

The following is a guest post by Andrew Galasetti.

Despite the ease of independent publishing today and the amazing success stories of indie authors that continue to appear, the choice to self-publish should not be a quick decision.

In 2008, when I seriously set out on writing and publishing my first book, independent e-publishing was still young. I pursued the traditional route of finding a literary agent and then a publisher. But I wasn’t blind to how indie publishing and e-reading devices were developing.

Then a few years later, the stories of indie authors like Amanda Hocking and John Locke emerged. And, like every other writer, I paused and listened closely.

I then evaluated whether self-publishing was the right path for me. I felt in my gut that it wasn’t. So I continued on the traditional route.

The stories about indie authors finding success through e-publishing continued to accumulate.

The iPad debuted. More advanced Kindles were released. And indie e-publishing was growing up fast.

I stopped fully this time and asked myself some serious questions about whether I should now pursue the independent route.

The questions weren’t only about whether or not I would make more money. They required deep thought. Self-reflection is important for the business AND, more importantly, the soul of self-publishing.Continue Reading