TALK 1: Tuesday( 26 July, 2016)

Amy DuBoff(Amy_DuBoff) on Wattpad to Bookstores(The Self-publishing path)

Self-publishing is changing the way authors reach readers. We now live in a connected, digital era where content can be distributed quickly; no longer is there the strict barrier of needing to gain the favor of gatekeepers at traditional publishing houses in order for a book to be available to the general public. You want to publish a book? Great, you can! But how do you make it successful?

THE HARD TRUTHS ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING

Self-publishing is hard work. Really hard, sometimes. For most authors, it means nights and weekends dedicated to writing and marketing because there’s still a full-time job paying the bills. In that sense, a person might have to be a little crazy to jump onboard the self-publishing train. But, the destination can make the difficult journey worthwhile.

Here are some things to keep in mind before committing to self-publishing:

You have to be writer, marketer and businessperson all in one. To generate sales, you need to treat self-publishing like a business. This means investing time into marketing, networking, and promotional activities.

It takes money. Between covers, editing, formatting, and marketing, self-publishing can be expensive. Depending on your network of contacts, you might be able to get some of the packaging services for free or reduced cost. However, keep in mind that a professional cover, error-free prose, and consistent marketing are the most critical pieces toward a self-published title’s success. If you can, set aside at least $400-600 USD for a top-notch, custom cover. Good promotional services will be at least $25 per listing, so budget $60 to $100 for a proper marketing campaign.

Standalone titles rarely do well. If you want to generate enduring sales, you need to be prepared to write a series and get the books out quickly. Ideally, release a new title every three to four months. Capitalize on momentum. Given this timeline, it’s prudent to have a backlog of content before publishing the first book.

Some books will sell, others won’t. A story may be beautifully written and could have a gorgeous cover, but if the content isn’t appealing to the masses, that book will likely never achieve meaningful sales. As an indie author, you need to find a balance between your writing passion and what is marketable. Let’s be honest: not every novel should be published—some were written only as a pet project and hold highly personal meaning to the author. The same goes for short stories. To successfully self-publish, an author needs to be willing to mold their book baby to meet reader expectations. Never compromise your artistic integrity, but be willing to be flexible and listen to feedback. Take a hard look at what readers are buying and see if your book contains similar elements. Given the resource investment needed to produce a high-quality self-published book, take an objective look to make sure your book has market potential before making a serious financial investment in publishing.

Some people will inevitably not like your book, and they’ll be mean about it. By putting your work “out there,” it’s available for public consumption. Inevitably, the book will not be to some individual’s tastes. Negative reviews hurt. It’s absolutely imperative to develop a thick skin as you embark on the self-publishing journey.

TAKING THE LEAP

Still ready to hop on the crazy train? Well, the good news is that Wattpad is the perfect community to give you a head start!

There are several important preparation steps before finalizing a book for publication:

Have lots of people read your writing. Beyond casual Wattpad readers, solicit serious, targeted feedback from dedicated beta readers. Also look at your overall conversion rates on Wattpad between Parts to make sure there aren’t harsh drop-offs in readership after a certain point. Use those analytics to determine potential problem areas, and solicit feedback on how to improve those components. When gathering reader feedback, it’s not only a question of “Did you like it?” but “Would you buy this and how would you rate it?” Pinpoint any issues and revise until readers are begging for a sequel. There’s a difference between a freebie on Wattpad and offering a product to paying customers; you’re looking to produce something that has mass appeal and will get high star ratings. Look for all opportunities to elevate your writing and the final product.

Study the market. Examine the subgenres available on Amazon to see how best to classify your book; some genres are easier to rank in than others, so it’s important to find a best-fit for where you can get visibility while still finding the right audience. Sign up for the mailing lists of big promotional services like BookBub, Ereader News Today, and Freebooksy/Bargain Booksy to see what other authors are offering. Pick a few titles you see on the lists that are similar to yours and follow the sales ranks over the course of the promotion—which ones climb the charts, which ones have enduring follow-on sales (a “tail” after the promotion), and which never seem to get much traction? Try to emulate the most successful books. Look at their covers and blurbs to see what best practices you can incorporate into your own book’s presentation. Start by implementing those changes on Wattpad to see if your reads increase. Use the massive network on Wattpad as a testing group to fine-tune your presentation before going live in the paid market.

Get an awesome cover. We’ve all heard “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but people almost always do. You book cover is the first impression about the story. It should clearly depict the genre and tone of the book. It needs to stand out (in a good way) and beg readers to learn more. What makes a good cover is very sub-genre specific, which is where that market research comes in. Study the bestsellers in your subgrene(s) and try to emulate what they are doing. If possible, hire the same cover artist as one of the indie best sellers—chances are the artist is a freelancer.

Have multiple editors. It is SO easy to miss typos. You absolutely must have correctly formatted dialogue and proper grammar to compete in the paid markets. Have more than one person proof your final manuscript and hire a professional editor if you can. Take time away, yourself, and then read it again with fresh eyes. And again. Leave plenty of time at this finalization stage so the process isn’t rushed.

Make sure your online presence is in order. There are many components to promoting a good online presence on Wattpad and beyond. If someone googles you or your book, it should be at the top of results—search optimization is important! Some key considerations include:

-Have a good headshot and stick with it on all sites.

-Get a Goodreads profile and make sure your Author Central page is set up on Amazon.

-Get a Facebook author page if you don't have one.

-Consider getting involved on other social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

-Get a website with a custom URL, if you can, or at least a blog.

-Set up a mailing list (I recommend Mail Chimp) and start getting signups as soon as possible.

Distribute Advance Reader Copies (ARCs). In preparation for book launch, get a group of reviewers who can post reviews on Goodreads and sales sites for the launch. Though review count doesn’t have any impact on Amazon’s ranking algorithm, there is a psychological component for potential readers; the more reviews you can gather early on, the more it will give a sense of “social proof’ that the book is worth checking out. Further, most marketing services have a minimum review threshold (ranging from five to 25+), so provide free copies of your book to anyone and everyone willing to read it. NOTE: Even beyond the initial launch, the quest for reviews is never-ending, so always be on the lookout for readers on Wattpad, Goodreads, or even sites like Craigslist who would be willing to receive a free book in exchange for an honest review. When it comes time to post these reviews on Amazon, just instruct reviewers to note something like “I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review” so Amazon recognizes why it wasn’t a “verified purchase.”

PUBLISHING “WIDE” VERSUS “EXCLUSIVE”

Your book is ready. You have a marketing plan. Now, where do you sell it?

I highly recommend starting with Amazon exclusivity. I know the prospect of going “wide” with distribution is tempting, but unless you already have a huge following, it will likely make it difficult for a new author to gain traction. Initial success is all about visibility. A higher sales rank helps bring a book to the forefront. So, why dilute sales across multiple platforms where those sales could be concentrated in one place?

By going Amazon-exclusive, you can enroll in KDP Select, which puts your book in Kindle Unlimited (KU) and allows borrows for Amazon Prime members and anyone with the KU subscription. Since readers can read your book for free (while you get paid on a per-page basis), you will get a boost in sales rank from the borrows. The higher your sales rank, the easier it will be for other readers to find your book, which will result in more sales/borrows. When you combine this self-sustaining cycle with new releases in a series and the occasional promo to reignite reader interest, it’s possible to quickly build momentum.

“Wait!” I hear you shouting. “But some people will never buy from Amazon. Don’t I want to capture as many readers as possible?”

Yes, but keep in mind that Amazon represents approximately 70 percent of the ebook market. Unless you’re selling millions of copies, that’s a pretty huge pool to exhaust. Further, Amazon’s free Kindle reading app means that friends and family can still check out your book on their computer, tablet, or smartphone.

KDP Select terms are three months long. I suggest you launch in the program and give it three months to see how your sales and borrows go. If borrows are consistent, stay enrolled for another term; if not, you can drop out. Either way, the boost from the KU borrows to your sales rank will be helpful upfront.

Tips for publishing with KDP:

-You will likely want to make some tweaks to your book at some point, so being able to quickly and easily update the file is a must. I have had great success just using *.docx files directly uploaded in KDP, though I know that won’t fit the needs for everyone. Formatting is limited, but unless you have Vellum, it may be easier to just product a decent document in MS Word to facilitate easy updates. If you do go straight from MS Word, be sure you have emdashes, smart quotes, and proper ellipses in the document.

-Center the info on the Copyright page. The Kindle file will automatically add an indent on the first line, and it looks awkward on the Copyright page. Centering the text eliminates that issue.

-If you are pricing in the 70% royalty bracket, make sure your cover file isn’t too large so it doesn’t cut into your royalty by having a high delivery cost.
Don't put your name as the publishing house since it screams "self-published." Make up a name to put as the publisher (something distinct and original, don’t copy). The idea is to blend in and give such a polished presentation that a reader won’t approach your work with any negative bias for it being self-published.

-If you need to make updates after publishing, all you have to do is upload the new file in KDP. It will be seamless from a customer perspective and the book will always be for sale even while updates are in process.

-Format your book description under the Books tab in Author Central. Adding a little text formatting with italics and bolding will help your description pop on the product page. NOTE: If you re-upload the Kindle file in KDP, it can overwrite this version, so as soon as you hit “Submit” in KDP, also open up Author Central and go through the edit-save process in the book description so that it will remain the newest version on file and retain your special formatting.

-Once you have a paperback version of your book and it’s linked to the Kindle version on Amazon, re-upload the digital file for the Kindle version in KDP. This will refresh the page count to match the print version.

-Don’t feel like you have to take advantage of the KU promotion options (Free or Countdown Deal) every enrollment period. I recommend waiting to run any promo until you have at least two books released, because otherwise readers will get your book and then have no follow-up action to take if they like it.

With all that said, if you decide to go “wide” later on, I recommend using Draft2Digital as your aggregator. They have a good interface and are fast. The final presentation is more polished than the “meat grinder” output from other sites like BookBaby or Smashwords.

NON-DIGITAL PUBLICATION

There’s nothing quite like holding your book in your own hands! Fortunately, getting print versions is almost as easy as producing an ebook version.

Amazon’s print publishing arm is called CreateSpace. There are other services (such as Lulu) that also offer print book production, but CreateSpace’s easy integration with Amazon and high-quality production makes it my top choice. The site offers templates for interior files, but I do recommend doing some customization to add a bit more style to the look and feel of your book. If you’re crafty and are comfortable in Word, you can do this yourself; otherwise, there are plenty of design services for hire.

The interface is straight-forward and will walk you through all the steps. You can simply upload PDFs of the cover and interior files and use the digital proofer to review (or order a physical proof copy, if you desire). Pricing can be set for different channels and territories just like with the Kindle version.

Tips for publishing with CreateSpace:

-Wait until after the Kindle version is available and you’ve had a chance to catch any typos that may have slipped through in the first release copy. CreateSpace has a 24-hour quality check process whenever changes are made, which temporarily takes your print book off the market. The fewer times you need to make updates, the better.

-Backdate the publication date to match the release date of your Kindle version so it’s consistent from a buyer perspective. Otherwise, it will default to whichever day you hit “Approve” after the quality check is complete.

-For $10, you can set your own custom imprint (what will show as the publishing house). You can make this match whatever publisher name you used on the Kindle version, which will help make the book look more professional. NOTE: The form factor of the book can’t be changed after the imprint is set.

-Formatting the cover to get the correct spine width is one of the trickiest parts of the process. Createspace offers a handy formula to assist with this calculation, which is 0.0025” for every page. Make your formatted interior file first and then multiply the number of pages in the file by that number to get your spine width. Be sure to account for the full-bleed edge when calculating the overall cover dimensions. All details are here: https://www.createspace.com/Products/Book/CoverPDF.jsp

-Use a matte cover with cream paper. The cream paper is high-quality and matches with other fiction books. The matte cover doesn’t show scratches and fingerprints nearly as much as the glossy version, and it has a nice velvety finish that feels really pro. Just trust me on this one.

-For dimensions, I recommend 5.25” x 8”. If you have a super long book, you can use a larger form factor to reduce page count and thereby lower production cost, since the printing cost is driven by number of pages.

I will note that CreateSpace presently only offers paperback versions. If you would like a hardcover edition, Lulu (and other providers) are an option. Read user reviews and compare pricing to make a service provider selection that’s best for you.

TO SUMMARIZE MY (CANDID) ADVICE

Publishing your first book is only the beginning. To be successful with self-publishing, you need to consistently produce new content to keep readers engaged. Here are a few closing thoughts:

Write a series, and don’t release the first until the second one is almost ready to go. If you gain any momentum, you’ll want to hold onto readers by giving them some follow-up action. Very few standalone titles become overnight successes (though it can happen). To hedge your bets, structure a series so you can have a free or $0.99 intro book with the plan to start making money on subsequent volumes. This loss-leader model can effectively generate exposure and sales, and it also allows features in marketing promos without needing to slash the price on your real money-making titles.

Don’t leave an unpolished draft of your story on Wattpad and publish the “final” version. Basically, you’re telling your readers they aren’t worthy of your best work unless they pay for it. That is not how you build a trust relationship with your audience because it gives a false impression of your product. Would you go buy a new phone if you tested a buggy sample in the store that didn’t work right, even if the vendor promised “the finished one is better”? I think not. So rather than propagate a poor impression of your book’s quality, just post the first two or three chapters on Wattpad (depending on the length) and link to the full version on Amazon.

Be realistic with your pricing. The notion of putting in years or work and then practically giving away the resulting product for free feels counter-intuitive and wrong on several levels. But, as an unknown, you need to get your new book in front of as many people as possible. One of the best ways to do that is remove barriers to entry for readers—namely, the cost of acquisition. If they can get your book for a bargain price of $0.99—or better yet, for free—the chances of them giving you a chance as an unknown author increases exponentially. Now, this pricing doesn’t need to be permanent, but can instead be a special launch pricing tactic or for short-term promotions. One of the benefits of being in KU is that you can run these promotions through a controlled, recognized mechanism. The special pricing also makes makes marketing a lot easier since most promotional services require the listing to be a “deal.” If you have your book priced at $2.99 or $3.99 and run a Free or $0.99 promo, that’s going to help entice readers. Once readers know your work and that it’s high-quality, then you can charge a higher price because your fans will know it’s worth every penny. NOTE: When it comes to short stories, reserve those for an anthology or as a freebie incentive to sign up for your mailing list.

Advertise! But only after you have more than one title released. No one is going to know your books are available if you don’t tell them. Ereader News Today, Robin Reads, and Book Barbarian (sci-fi/fantasy/horror only) all offer great bang for buck. Free services worth checking out are ReadFree.ly, Reading Deals, AwesomeGang, and the various Facebook book promo groups. Once you have a ton of good reviews, try for a BookBub promo. However, wait to run paid promos until after you have multiple titles for sale, because otherwise it’s kind of a waste; you need to have a follow-up action for readers who want to read more of your work (and it’s those sales that will ultimately pay for the cost of the promo—the more books you have for sale, the better the potential return on investment). Promoting a standalone doesn’t lead anywhere aside from a temporary increase in sales.

Link to your other titles, website, and mailing list in the front and back matter of your book. Don’t rely on readers flocking to you. Put in place mechanisms to refer readers to your other books and drive mailing list signups so you have a way to get directly in touch with your fans to tell them about new releases and promotions. This process is ongoing, but it’s the platform that will help you achieve long-term success.

I hope this overview was helpful! If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out to me at Amy_DuBoff or check out my website at www.amyduboff.com. Happy Writing!