Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Indie Doesn't Mean Solo

By Terry Odell, mystery author

http://www.terryodell.com, http://www.terryodell.com/editable_files/DS_buylinks.html

Thanks so much to L.J. for letting me post here at Crime Scene Collective. I met her at Left Coast Crime and became an immediate fan.

Indie publishing is, according to Carina Press editor, "the new black." Although I've never been much for fashion, this is one trend I'm happy to follow.

Of my nine novels, I've "indie-published" seven titles. Only two of them would qualify as "indie" books, since the other five are back list titles, previously released by several different publishers.

I opted to release DEADLY SECRETS myself for a variety of reasons.

First, I did approach a more traditional route. However, feedback from agents and publishers was that although the writing was strong, the book didn't fit into their neat little packages. It's a mystery with a police chief hero, so it should be a police procedural. However, there are also two main secondary POV characters who aren't cops. That makes it fit the cozy sub-genre, where crimes are solved by amateur sleuths.

Given the upsurge in indie publishing, I decided not to rewrite the book to fit inside the publishers' boxes. Readers don't really care about boxes if they like the story and the characters.

Instead I went indie. I'd had success with other titles, and I'd always preferred mystery, even though my other novels are all romantic suspense. But again, that's a definition imposed by the industry. Believe me, if there was a category called, "Mystery with Relationships" I'd be all over it. But if you're a relative unknown without mega sales numbers, publishers don't want to touch you. Add breaking into a new genre, and it's a virtual kiss of death, short of changing your name and starting from scratch.

Indie publishing. Self publishing. No matter which you call it, there's a subtext that you're isolated somewhere. Just you and your manuscript. While it may be true in some cases, I think anyone with a modicum of success publishing their own work doesn't go it alone. Sure, there are those who enter the world of indie publishing because they don't have the patience to learn the craft. Their friends say they've written a "great book" and that's enough for them to slap it up on Amazon. But once their friends have bought their copies, it's not likely they'll sell more.

So, it's me and my manuscript. And my critique partners. And my RWA writing chapter. And workshops. And when I think the manuscript is good, I ask people whose advice I respect to read it. (In this case, L.J. was kind enough to read the draft of DEADLY SECRETS and give me her professional opinion that it was ready for the next step.

But that step ISN'T publishing. No, it's hiring a professional editor. Someone who has an objective eye and isn't afraid to hurt your feelings when things aren't working. Someone who can show you where you might have strayed from the path and set you back. Or, in the case of one of my earlier books, where I'd tried to take the easy way out and gloss over a combat scene, insist that I write those seven minutes I'd merely mentioned in passing. And some authors will hire two editors. One for content, and then one to do line edits. They're different skill sets.

Then there's a cover artist. Cover design for indie books is a rising industry. It's not the same as a print cover, because you've got to catch a reader's eye in a thumbnail sized image. Less becomes more.

If you're not tech-savvy enough to format your book, you need more help, also at a cost.

And then, there's the marketing and promotion. Here, you ARE alone with your manuscript. Getting the word out becomes your sole responsibility.

Traditional publishers do almost everything I've mentioned above for you. In reality, you're more "indie" when you publish traditionally than when you become your own publisher.

23 comments:

  1. Thanks again to LJ for inviting me to Crime Scene Collective. I hope readers will stop by my blog, Terry's Place (where I have things to give away) and my website.

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great post, Terry! I agree with you, it's an "independent" team effort!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Terry, Colorado neighbor, so good to see you here!]

    I'm one who for several years thought I'd go the traditional route, but man . . . I'm not targeting next spring to release my first one indecently. Edited, covered and formatted by pros, marketed by um . . . me.

    Welcome to CFC!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gayle - thanks. It takes a team.

    Peg - Good luck with your project, and I'm glad to be here.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Interesting perspective, but you're right. Few writers have the talent to do everything themselves, and it's not recommended anyway. Also, as indie publishers, we have to do more social networking, so we end up with a great support group. And I'm grateful for that.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great post, Terry! And thanks for reminding writers who decide to go the independent publishing route that hiring a qualified, professional freelance editor is an important (I'd say essential) part of the process. Your family and friends are too close to you, and you're too close to your story. An unbiased, knowledgeable set of eyes will see all kinds of things you may have glossed over or just never thought of.

    ReplyDelete
  7. LJ - ah, the social networking. Yes, that's something that's required these days, especially of indie or small press authors.

    Jodie - most definitely. It doesn't take long to spot a book that lacks the all-seeing editor. (Thank goodness for free sample of e-books!)

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well said Terry. It has only been recently that I have looked into indie publishing. I feared that it was too much of a solo job for me but you remind me that it isn't at all. Another thing I have read up on and heard repeatedly is that most traditional publishers are no longer marketing books as they did before and that it all falls on the shoulders of the author. This has led me into digging further into the idea of indie publishing.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I had the same problem with my first novel, While the Savage Sleeps. Lots of requests, but the comments were always the same: "Compelling, well written, great story, but..."--and there was always the "but"--"it mixes forensic science with paranormal. Too different. They wouldn't know what shelf to put it on, and we'd have a hard time selling it." It was that damned box, and they just couldn't see their way out of it. So I put it up on Kindle myself, and it sold rather well.

    That "thinking inside the box" is what has put traditional publishers and agents in such deep water and what has propelled the Indie Movement forward.

    ReplyDelete
  10. V.E.L. - I'm published with small presses and the lack of marketing support was one major factor in deciding to go indie. It's getting "easier"--in that there are more resources for authors in editors, cover artists, formatters, etc., so you're not really alone in creating your book.

    Drew (may I call you Drew?) I agree. While I'm not raking in royalties hand over fist like some of the authors used as examples, I am definitely making more than I did from my publishers--and I'm also able to publish those 'out of the box' books.

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love your comment about "Mystery with Relationships"--I'd be in that category, too! Thanks for pointing out how much effort (and/or people) it takes to be successful with an indie book, a lot of writers don't know that starting out. I'm doing a mix of traditional & indie; we'll see which one ends up being the "best deal" in the long run. (I suspect indie, but the world is changing so fast...) Both are quite a challenge at the moment. Thanks for the great post!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Pamela - I'm all about the characters. Good luck, and I'll be curious to see how things work for you.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I enjoyed your post here Terry, thank you.& I certainly like the idea of an "independent" team effort. As I learn craft it is obvious that publishing too has to be studied.
    And, your books are great character studies too!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Janet- thanks so much. I love characters, and glad you've enjoyed them, too.

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for the great information, Terry. I just Indie published my recent title, A Killer Slice, and I agree with everything you and the other folks have said. I, too, feel strongly about hiring an editor and a good cover artist for your own books. Good luck to everyone. Indies rule!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Cindy - indie publishing has certainly opened new avenues for authors. Congrats on your release, and best of luck.


    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

    ReplyDelete
  17. I've self-published two nonfiction books, and this month a fiction novel (I have 20 novels in my backlist via traditional publishing). I, too, agree with Terry's approach.

    The one step I didn't follow, however, was hiring an editor for any of these books. One of my readers has been a professional editor/writer, so I relied on her feedback. For the nonfiction books, I relied on my own technical editing background.

    But just as writers need writers, editors need editors (that's my philosophy anyway). Next time around, I want to include an editor in the process.

    Good article, Terry!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Having someone with professional editorial experience in your writing circles would definitely help. I didn't hire a second editor for my backlist titles because they'd been professionally edited already. However, I DID go through them again, and sent them to my crit group as well--my writing has grown since those earlier books, and I wanted to fix things the other editors had missed. (Like 3 characters named Henry/Hank in one book!)

    One thing an outside editor brings is impartiality, which may be harder to get from those closer to you and your work.

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

    ReplyDelete
  19. I haven't self-published as yet because I'm not tech savvy and not sure about who to hire or if it's worth going that route. Big question mark. But publishing with indys tends to be frustrating as well. Good luck with this, Terry!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Jacqueline, I'm finding that there's less frustration when you have control. Sure, things don't always go smoothly, but you're in charge, and not wondering what your publisher is or isn't doing to help move your book.

    I'm not very tech-savvy, but since I've been submitting digital versions of manuscripts to publishers, I've definitely got a feel for creating a Word doc, which is most of what you're doing when you submit. But hiring out is a good idea if you're not comfortable with the nuances.

    I'm definitely making a LOT more money with my indie titles. Not a lot of money, but definitely a lot MORE than I got from my publishers.

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

    ReplyDelete
  21. Terry, as a reader I always enjoy learning about your business. And I love your Mystery with Relationships stories!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Karen - so nice to see you here, and having a reader tell me she likes my books means so much.

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hey, Terry! A lot of us are swimming in this pool and loving it!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.