Why Do Some Writers Choose to Go ‘Indie’?
By Erika Liodice | December 10, 2016 |
After October’s inaugural, myth-busting post “What Does it Mean to Be an ‘Indie’?”, the comments section exploded with proud indie authors stepping forward and sharing their experiences. At first, I was surprised by the number of comments that rolled in—I knew I wasn’t the only indie hanging around these parts, but I had no idea there were so many kindred spirits out there. As I read their comments and stories, I spent some time visiting their links, where I discovered beautiful author websites, exquisite book covers, and an incredible range of work—from nonfiction to thriller to gay romance and everything in between. It was the ultimate demonstration of what it means to be an indie author. And it made me curious about what inspires some writers to choose this path.
For me, independent publishing felt like a natural next step in my career. I’d spent a decade working in marketing, advertising, and sales and was looking for something more entrepreneurial. When my first novel, Empty Arms, was complete, the indie movement was just beginning to pick up steam, and the idea of starting my own publishing company seemed like an exciting opportunity to merge my passion for writing with my professional experience. While the favorable royalty splits and payment terms were appealing and the disadvantages seemed like a fun challenge to tackle, what I wanted most as a writer and business owner was autonomy. I decided not to seek representation or pursue a traditional book deal, in favor of independence.
But what about other indie authors? How did they end up on this path? I decided to find out. I reached out to a handful of indie authors and asked them how their publishing journeys came to be. Not surprisingly, they were happy to share their stories. Here’s what I learned:
Entrepreneurial Spirit & Love of Learning
For New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joanna Penn, the decision to publish her own work was a natural extension of her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for learning. “I’ve been running my own businesses for years,” said Penn, “so when I wrote my first book back in 2008 in Australia, I looked at how long the publishing industry would take to get it out there and decided I’d give it a go myself. I love to learn new things, and even though I made mistakes along the way, 2009 turned out to be a big year for ebooks and the beginnings of the indie movement.”
Today, Penn has written more than 20 books and sold over 450,000 copies of her books in 74 countries and five languages. “I love the creative freedom, the control and speed of professionally publishing my own books, and my business has gone from making less than $10 in that first month to a multi-six-figure, international publishing company.”
Book Deal Gone Bad
For nonfiction author Mary Shafer, the decision to go indie was born out of necessity. “I didn’t have a choice,” Shafer explained. “I had a book contract with a small publisher for my book, Devastation on the Delaware, a narrative nonfiction account of the record-setting Delaware flood of August 1955. We were going to release it in August 2005, just in time for the flood’s 50th anniversary. But two months before we were supposed to go to press, the publishing company went under.
“Keep in mind, this was back before Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), CreateSpace, Lightning Source, and many of the other tools that make it relatively easy to self-publish. I knew I wouldn’t have a prayer of selling my finished manuscript to another publisher in time to get it out for the flood’s 50th anniversary, which was an important publicity hook for the launch, and I wasn’t about to let the three years I’d spent researching and writing it go down the drain. I realized that, other than sales and distribution, I knew everything about how to produce and market a book from my years working at NorthWord Press and Lost River Press in northern Wisconsin. I figured I could learn the rest, and I had a good track record with my first two books. So, I bought back my rights, started Word Forge Books, and took the plunge.”
Reaching Niche Audiences
Many niche writers, like Prue Batten, author of The Gisborne Saga, have a difficult time finding a traditional publisher who’s willing to take a chance on a project that might only appeal to a subset of readers. “I had spent an inordinate amount of my life submitting to agents and publishers and waiting. When the rejections came, they were not just single lines, they were whole pages of complimentary comment. But I wrote niche fiction, and there was no way a publisher would take the financial risk.”
A serendipitous email eventually inspired Batten to give independent publishing a try. In 2010, she started Darlington Press and took charge of her writing life, which involved assembling a team of freelance professionals to help her produce her books. “I have an excellent and very intuitive cover designer and print formatter, a fabulous editor, a professional e-formatter, and my husband is the ‘CEO’ of Darlington and helps with the business side of things. Ten novels later, some wonderful awards, a collaborative business partnership in America, and sales that keep me writing, I am so glad I took the step sideways in those very early days of indie publishing. Independent publishing is made for niche writers like myself and there is a readership out there. This has allowed them to find my books and to find me.”
Flexible Timing
For sci-fi/fantasy author C.J. Carella, who writes the Warp Marine Corps series and The New Olympus Saga, time to market and production schedules were a driving force behind his decision to go indie. “After researching the state of the publishing industry, it soon became obvious that even if my books were ever accepted by a mainstream publisher, the process would take years. I submitted my novel to a couple of quick-response, no-agent-needed markets and got a couple of form rejection notes. A decade ago, my only option would have been to spend years looking for an agent, with no guarantees of ever finding one. Now, of course, there are alternatives.”
With nothing to lose, Carella decided to give independent publishing a shot. “I soon discovered other reasons why this choice was the right one for me: my release schedule only depends on my writing output, not on a publisher’s needs. I get paid monthly via Amazon, rather than a few times a year. I have complete creative control. All of these factors cemented my decision to stay the course. Success didn’t hurt, either. Most of my novels have generated enough income to match or surpass the typical advances traditional publishers offer new authors in the same genres. Three years and nine novels later, I’m doing far better than I could have going the traditional route, where, at best, I’d have gotten one or two novels published during the same time frame—or, more likely, I’d still be trying to find representation.”
Testing the Market
Professional artist and gay romance writer Isobel Starling initially chose independent publishing to test the market for her debut novel Fall Together. “I was keen to get the book out quickly and not sit around waiting for agents and publishers to pick through my work and then, possibly, reject it,” Starling explained. “I wanted feedback from readers, not publishers. Building a relationship with readers is all-important in building an author platform. Publishing my books independently has enabled me to develop my online author presence in the gay romance genre, gain readers and reviews, and prove to publishers that I am worth investing in.”
Starling, who recently released her eighth book, now realizes an additional benefit: the value of retaining the rights to her work. “Having the rights to my books gives me more choices. My M/M romance thriller series, Shatterproof Bond, has been picked up for translation by French and German publishers, and I’m also moving into audio.”
Complete Control
For R.E. Donald, author of the Hunter Rayne Highway Mysteries series, the decision came down to control. “The buck stops here,” said Donald. “I like having complete control over my novels. I set my own deadlines, approve my own covers, and am responsible for all editorial and marketing decisions. And although I have to pay for my own advertising, I don’t have to share the royalties. I recently spoke to an agent about representing me for subsidiary rights, and she was shocked at how much I receive annually in royalties compared to many of her traditionally published clients. I’m not getting rich, but my royalties do pay a lot of household bills. As my own publisher, I have the luxury of writing my books as fast or slow as I want and publishing as many books in the series as I like. For those reasons alone, independence works for me.”
Betting on Yourself
Gwen Hernandez, author of the Men of Steele series, decided to invest in herself after success in traditional publishing. Hernandez got a traditional book contract for Scrivener For Dummies and spent much of 2012 working on writing and marketing that book. Afterwards, she turned her attention back to the romance novel she’d been working on, which had been a finalist or winner in several contests, including RWA’s Golden Heart, and had gotten a couple of revise-and-resubmit requests from literary agents.
“I figured maybe I needed a developmental editor to help me figure out what my manuscript was missing that would make it ‘New York-ready,’” Hernandez explained. “I decided to use my advance from SFD to hire an editor. But then I figured if I was going to pay for an editor—which is the bulk of my costs—why not spend a little more for proofreading and a professional cover, and publish it myself? I’d get to choose the release date, pick the editors I worked with, select a cover artist, write the back cover copy, set my price, control my marketing, and earn a much larger percent of the royalties.
“I loved the idea of keeping my rights and having full creative control over the finished product that would have my name on it. But that also meant treating publishing like a business and doing a lot of research. I wanted my book to be as good as—or better than—it would be if traditionally published, and I budgeted my time and money accordingly. It paid off when I published Blind Fury in early 2014 and again with Blind Ambition in 2015. And I have two more books planned for next year. For me, the tradeoffs of self-publishing my fiction have been worth it.”
Infectious Inspiration
Hybrid author Jeff Widmer, whose body of work includes four novels and two traditionally published nonfiction books, was bit by the indie bug a few years ago. “I decided to go indie after listening to an author talk about the rewards of self-publishing a novel. While I’d always thought of those books as vanity projects of inferior quality, the work he held had a professional look. The content didn’t scream dilettante, either. I warmed to the idea as he launched into an excited spiel about the advantages of independence. The money didn’t seem the biggest reward. In many cases, indie authors receive a greater percentage of fewer sales than traditional authors. Neither did the freedom to manage (or mismanage) the project. No, what convinced me to try the indie life was the look on the writer’s face. It was one of beatitude, as if he’d been elevated to sainthood but not before winning the Pulitzer and a pot of cash.”
Widmer took the plunge in 2014, and four crime novels later he’s still publishing. “For me, the indie life has offered an opportunity to grow as an author and entrepreneur. It’s helped me to become more insightful and organized, so that the next book is hopefully better than the last. It’s also brought me into contact with readers who, bless their souls, keep asking for more. And that may be the greatest reward of all.”
While there are a variety of reasons that might motivate a writer to choose independent publishing, one thing is for sure: it’s a valid path that can have powerful outcomes and meaningful rewards.
If you’re an indie author, tell us: what motivated you to pursue independent publishing?
The first time Erika Liodice saw the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower, and Holland’s tulip fields was on the postcards her father sent from his business trips. Those postcards inspired a deep desire to see the world long before she stepped foot out of her small hometown in Pennsylvania. Today, Erika is an accomplished world traveler and freelance travel writer for National Geographic. Through her new Places That Inspire column here at Writer Unboxed, she sends postcards to fellow writers about the places she’s discovered and the creativity they’ve inspired along the way. To learn more about Erika and her work, visit erikaliodice.com.
So interesting to see other authors’ thought processes, Erika. I chose to self-publish my first book, a poetry collection, because I wanted to learn about all those areas where I knew nothing: publishing, design, marketing, promotion, sales, etc. I wanted to understand the process from the publisher’s POV. And I figured poetry wasn’t going to sell all that well anyway, so my mistakes would not be catastrophic.
In fact, that book did sell pretty well, but the real benefit for me was everything I learned, which helped me a few years later when I was working with the publisher of my memoir.
I’m continuing this hybrid approach, weighing the publishing pros and cons for each book. I like the control of self-publishing, especially being able to track sales day by day in order to measure the impact of marketing efforts. At the same time, I appreciate the work my publisher put into creating and selling my book. Working with them helped me recognise that there are some areas where my time is not best spent.
We’re lucky to have so many choices and tools today, as Mary Shafer pointed out in your post.
Great to hear from you, Barb. I’m impressed by your ambition to learn everything from scratch and pleased to hear that the results surprised you. I agree that there’s a lot of value in understanding how to publish a book regardless of the path you choose. Sounds like that knowledge is paying off for you. Thanks for sharing!
Erika–Thanks for your post. It makes good sense for someone who “spent a decade working in marketing, advertising and sales” to become an indie author. Since marketing/advertising is arguably more important than the quality of the product being sold–in this case, books–you did the right thing.
But for older writers like me who didn’t grow up with social media/internet marketing, the idea of “choosing” the indie road comes off as a little disingenuous. True, having had agents who didn’t get me deals, I could “choose” to not publish at all, but that doesn’t work, either. This is not something you can do anything about, but since I’m pretty sure I speak for others, I wanted to have my say.
Thanks again for your post.
Would love to see a discussion of the points you raise here, Barry.
Hi David.
I haven’t so much raised points as given voice to a sense of frustration that I’m convinced is not unique to me. Long ago, I had a book published successfully by a commercial house, but after a long absence from the publishing scene, I found myself out in the cold. I now saw that the rules of the indie game called for writers to use social media to groom potential buyers of their books, to create a posse of followers. These “virtual” relationships were aimed at instilling a sense of connection and loyalty, etc. that would lead to sales.
It’s no one’s fault that I was born decades before all this, or that I find the process off-putting, but I do. Even so, having no serious choice, I am self-publishing my work, and doing my best to make it as worthy of being read as I can. It no longer has anything to do with “career,” and everything to do with pride.
Barry,
For what it’s worth, the demands of social media frustrate me as well. Just when I thought I’d found the right balance of blogging, Facebook, and Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram burst onto the scene. While I was trying to figure out how they fit into my mix, people moved onto Snapchat, Vine, and Facebook Live. It’s gotten to the point where I’m not quite sure what all of the sharing buttons mean anymore! Rest assured, it’s not just an age thing. Many authors (of all ages) are frustrated by the amount of time all of this virtual relationship building requires, time that could be spent WRITING.
You’re doing the right thing by focusing first and foremost on making your work enjoyable to read. While marketing efforts may motivate people to open your book, it’s your words that will ultimately keep them turning pages.
While social media can certainly be a valuable part of your marketing plan, it’s not the be-all and end-all. I think there’s a lot to be said for some of the good old fashioned forms of publicity: book reviews by local media outlets, book fairs, book signings, speaking engagements, book club meetings, radio interviews, and so on. There’s no shortage of ways to get your name out there. The great thing about being an indie author is that you can pick and choose where you want to spend your energy (and where you don’t).
Erika–Thank you for your thoughtful response.
What a heartening compilation of success stories! Thanks for this Erika, nice at the holiday season to warm oneself on such thoughts.
After reading these examples, I shrink from calling myself an indie author. I’m just a fortunate combination of unimaginative and easily deflected! With my first manuscript in hand I compiled a quick 200% rejection rate from about four dozen agents (half sent the form “not for me”, half didn’t respond at all). I concluded, probably too hastily, that I couldn’t succeed that way, but I knew that after three decades of missing all the pleasures I could have had by writing, I couldn’t bear to stop.
I’ve self-published several titles, flogged the blog, and tried to be an amusing presence in social media. But in the end I’m a day-job dilettante, just squidging in a few words between all the rest of life. Being indie is more of an ideal for me, I use the notion of all the independence and control mentioned here to inspire me to keep writing, and to publish when I can (now through a very gifted micro-publisher who has essentially taken me under her wing). I fell over the good luck to stumble into a place I had no clue how to get at first.
If I could just hop in here and say something, Will, and that is that there are very few indies who can live off their earnings. Essentially most would have primary incomes.
I admit I do. My husband and I are farmers and what a dream it would be to have my books fund our farm!
I also admit that I hate pimping my booklist. I love social media for the true friends it has given me but I doubt social media sells books for me. Things that sell books are a good story, a professional package and maybe a few awards along the way. At least that is how it works for me. Keep writing and get your stories out there to entertain readers. Have no expectations. Just write and enjoy the journey!
Well said, Prue!
“Write the book you want to read but can’t find.” That’s the starting point.
After that, knowing that you couldn’t find it leads to the idea that if you submit it to traditional publishers, you are probably going to spend a lot of time, and at most garner rejections such as (we hope), “Well-written – but unfortunately not for us.”
The people who love it so far have given Pride’s Children glowing reviews.
The ones who do love it are the ones who get the story as written, and don’t want it shortened or gutted to fit someone else’s ideas of ‘publishable.’
So my main problem is specialized marketing to find readers. Except that they’re all over the demographic map. I designed it to appeal to men and women, so I can’t really complain that it does, can I? I had thought older readers (>35) might identify more – but my amazing beta reader was 20 when she got pulled in by the story as I was serializing it, and volunteered.
My latest wonderful review came from a man who self-identifies as ‘a simple man, a Southern redneck: I like guns, and motorcycles and exploding spaceships.’ He’s a grandfather.
I sense a huge potential – which may have to wait until the whole story (est. 1/2 million words in the completed ‘big book’ trilogy) is finished – and can’t seem to figure out how to tap into it.
I will.
Meanwhile, I write every day, at the speed of glaciers pre-global warming. and keep my eyes open, and love the learning that has occurred in the process of doing every single step in getting the first book published. It is heady to know you can do that.
Alicia – What a great problem to have: a book that appeals to too many people :) To focus your marketing efforts while maximizing your reach, you might consider identifying the group that is most influential (that is, the people who are most likely to help you spread the word via social media, reviews, etc.) and target them as your primary audience.
Good luck!
I had an agent decades ago for my screenplays but when I turned my attention to novel writing, I found it harder to get one. I have to say thought that my debut novel was seriously considered by one of the top NYC agents.
When she passed, I decided I couldn’t keep pitching. I’m not young. And that could also be a factor in securing an agent. It’s hard to know.
So when I met two authors at the Surrey International Writers Conference in 2013 who were planning on self-publishing, even though one had won the SIWC idol contest, I thought that going indie might work for me as well.
It’s been a huge learning curve. Fortunately, I’ve had the support of my writers’ critique group who read my work. I hired two editors (substantive and copy), a cover designer, and a formatter. As well, there were beta readers and I proof read my story ad nauseum.
I feel very fortunate that the option of going indie is now available. I have some marketing experience but of course, would rather be writing.
All in all, it’s a wonderful time we are living in. There is so much support out there. I’ve since published another novel and a novelette, all to very good reviews. And I have another novel which I am once again pitching but if I can’t find that good publishing match, then I’ll gladly go the indie route with this one as well.
There are many paths to a dream.
There ARE many paths to a dream, Diana. And how often does that path look different than we expected? I always find it empowering when writers (or artists of any kind, really) stop waiting around to be “chosen” and finally choose themselves. With your attitude and perseverance, I have no doubt your writing will take you far. (It sounds like it already has).
Erika, I am writing four books and I have not self published as of yet, except a few books to look for errors.
Mountain Potato Junior High in English and Japanese and a trilogy of Ride The East Wind, The Wild Wild East and Revenge of the Fire dragon. The scene for my books is East Asia. When I am ready to publish I most certainly will self publish. I have read as to how difficult it is to get picked up by literary agencies with a one page query letter. At the age of eighty eight and in good health, I am not going to waste my time with agents. I enjoyed your article and have learned from it. privatepayne@glbb.jp http://www.ridetheeastwind.com http://www.privatepayne.com
That’s awesome to hear, Ray! You’re certainly in good company here on Writer Unboxed if you need any writing/publishing advice along the way.
Best of luck to you!
I decided to publish my first novel on my own when, like others here, I discovered that even if I got an agent and a traditional publisher, it would take far too long. (I’m over 50 and not known for my patience.) Also, when agents told me they “couldn’t sell medieval or King Arthur stuff,” yet “Game of Thrones” and everything related was selling everywhere, I figured I’d give it a try myself. Lucky me, I get to keep the proceeds.
I did hire an editor and a book designer. I designed my website myself. You farm out the stuff you’re not good at, and you do the stuff you do well.
Three years later, the novel still sells pretty well. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to let it grow had I published it traditionally. Six weeks and blam, you’re done. (I’ve also published a non-fiction that sells less well.)
I changed careers from acting to writing in my early 50s. I’ve really taken to the web, and I don’t feel like an “older author.” Since I don’t have an advertising budget, social networking has been a boon to my sales, and I enjoy communicating with readers via Facebook, Twitter and my blog.
Thanks for the great post. I can’t wait to read what others have to say.
What a great story, Petrea. Thanks for sharing! Given your background in acting, have you ever considered public speaking? It’s generally a low-cost way to promote your work outside of social media and there are plenty of opportunities out there for great speakers.
I’m indy for a lot of the reasons you mention here. The decision was cemented, oddly enough, when I got an offer of contract on my first novel; while I was perfectly fine with the editing process, and making some alterations, they wanted a few changes I wasn’t comfortable with. In the end, what I’d written was too important to me to sign.
For my second book I’ve decided to not even try. Hoping that through hard work and clever marketing I can get some traction.
If you have the money (publishing, artwork, etc), time, skill and willingness to learn, indy publishing is a great option.
Wow, Chris, that must have been such a difficult decision. But good for you for staying true to your work. Glad to hear it’s working out for you!
Lovely post, Erika. I started my authorly life as a ghostwriter, penning thrillers that soared up the bestseller lists. When I went to agents and editors with My Memories of a Future Life, they said they liked my writing and my ideas, but asked if I would please make it more like a thriller because the market wouldn’t take a chance on someone who didn’t fit the mould.
With my writing books (the Nail Your Novel series), I was told that I needed to make them twice as long to be economically viable. But I abhor padding. And if I could communicate in 40,000 words what many books spread over 80,000, this surely would serve the reader better.
Still, why self-publish? After all, I have agents. Bless them for believing in me; in a ruthless market that means a lot. But they’ve never found an editor brave enough to stake their job on my peculiar fiction or my considerately condensed writing books. So self-publishing it is.
Fortunately, I’m qualified to do so. While I was learning my fictioneering skills, I was running an editorial department in a small publisher. I’ve spent my life making books – editing, proofing, handling layout and liaising with designers.
But there’s another fantastic reason to self-publish. No, it’s not just that I get higher royalties. The chief reason is creative control. I can decide what to write about, follow my instincts, read my readers’ tastes or go out on a limb. If I make mistakes they will be honest and mine, not an attempt to chase a market or emulate a fashion. Of course, I might write self-indulgent drivel – but so far readers seem to think not.
When I write for someone else I’ll do whatever they want. And I don’t disagree with those who compromise to secure publication. We all are aiming for different things.
But publishing my own novel has reminded me how our stories become a reader’s most private moments. My prose becomes the voice whispering beside their own thoughts in their alone-time on the train, or the drowsy pre-dream period before sleep. With that in mind, how could I not be true to my material? Obviously I’ll take advice on what isn’t working, but I won’t change anything for markets and fashions. Our books outlast those anyway.
This is how my favourite writers developed their art. Invention and innovation never came from publishers; it came from writers. And we can do this when we self-publish.
Sometimes it’s not about anyone’s courage but our own. Independent publishing is full of creative warriors who are inventing and innovating on their own terms. And the passion is infectious.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Roz!