Have you ever thought of writing your own story?
Do you have a draft that you would like to publish as a book?
Are you frustrated at the sole idea of contacting agents to strike a deal with a traditional publishing house?
If you would like to put your story out there and you are not seeking glory or riches, then read on. I will reveal everything I've learned as a self-published author.
My writing journey started as a blogger. I wrote weekly articles about Social Media Marketing for 3 years, I had online connections who appreciated my efforts, as they shared my articles and I was even invited to guest post for a well established online marketing consultant.
It was all great from the point of view of Vanity metrics and my intellectual needs were satisfied. I won't repeat the whole story here, as I ended up writing a book from my introspection. You can read more about how I became a writer or watch a 30 s captioned video about it.
Beware of self publishing agencies
When I searched online about how to publish my own book, I came across a handful of agencies offering to read my manuscript or part of it for free. I submitted what was required for each one of them and started to get phone calls and emails.
There are agencies that offer services of editing, proofreading, graphic design and marketing for aspiring authors or people who would like to see their book printed with a beautiful cover and properly edited.
It is all very useful if you want to spend 500 to 5000 USD or Euros in order to get a head start. It is not the case for everyone. In reading comments on one of the many blog articles these agencies publish (so they can be found by search engines for 'publishing your own book'), one very kind author wrote that he just published on Amazon for FREE! Now, that's a phrase that caught my attention.
How does publishing for free on Amazon really works
I then refined my search to publishing on Amazon for free and came across Kindle Direct Publishing, an online site where you can choose a cover, upload your word document and see your book published for kindle without spending a cent!
I did subscribe to their emails and eventually tried to have my book published as a paperback too. There is another Amazon company called CreateSpace that offers covers, templates and also allows to see your book printed by only paying for the cost of the proof you will order. They offer a Digital Proofer, for free, on which you can preview your book before you order any prints.
Royalties and Distribution
Amazon offers to pay you 70% of the profits of your book sales. KDP and CreateSpace offer you the possibility to sell your book on Amazon and get paid directly into your bank account. You need to have an income Tax number and a bank account in order to register and publish your book on the above sites.
Marketing
You will have to promote your own book or pay for it. Amazon offers promotion offers for free, provided you enroll on a program that gives them exclusive rights over the distribution of your digital book. It is a great way to get your book seen by many people who are not necessarily connected with you online. I've found great support on Twitter provided I use relevant hashtags like #indieauthor #FreeBook and so on.
Setbacks
Not having a professional editor, proofreader, graphic designer puts you in a vulnerable position. Since the quality of your work is not assessed when you use free software, you can publish a book that will not make you proud. It happened to me. I was so excited after I completed the manuscript, found a way to publish it and held it in my hands, that I spread the word and sold a few copies, distributed many e-books for free hoping to get reviews but.... crickets.
Get ready for criticism
I got the message. Not getting feedback from my friends meant that my book was rubbish. And it was! Some generous friends bought it with the best of the intentions, some even sent me encouraging words about how they enjoyed reading it. But there were no reviews, no follow up, no "I want one for a gift".
The support of family who didn't question it but rather shared it, led to me, finally, getting some honest feedback: the book could not be read by English speakers. Those who had managed to read from beginning to end were not native English speakers. They could read between the lines and forgive the flaws. But that's not what an author wants.
I am grateful for those who spoke the thruth. After working with an English teacher I understood how poor my written English was/is. It is all relative, of course, I could blog about a specific subject, I studied in the UK and wrote a thesis in English (that my supervisor corrected) and I've been communicating in English for more than 20 years. But still that doesn't mean I could write a good book.
The pro is that, would I have known, I would have never written it. I was fortunate in my ignorance of my own limitation. I eventually paid someone to tell me what was wrong (friends will not be impartial, don't trust their positive feedback unless it's accompanied by actions). Then I worked with my son, who has been schooled in English since he was 7, and I published my revised English version of my autobiographical novel Clara Thinks to Us.
Feel proud
I know it is not perfect, but I am proud of the improvements I made with the help of the many who took part, including those who cheered me up to just complete the manuscript. I realised I am not qualified to write in English, yet here I am, communicating with you as best as I can.
I am currently writing my second book in Spanish. It will be part of a series.
"Writing is a hobby I take seriously."It satisfies my intellectual needs and I have decided to share my books with my close friends. And I will take it from there.
Your Turn
There is a lot more information I can share with you, just ask and I will reply accordingly. I wish you the best in seeing your book done and out there for the world to read.
