1. Use Smashwords to publish and distribute
your books. It’s the best distributor I’ve found, and it’s easy to publish
with Smashwords, even if you don’t know the first thing about publishing,
formatting and/or marketing.
2. If you’re writing a
series, make the first book permanently free. There
are so many new authors out there now and, as great as self-publishing is for
authors, it can be a nightmare for readers with all the badly written, unedited
books out there and no quality control. Making your first book free allows
readers to see if they enjoy your writing without spending a cent and, if they
enjoy the first book, they will likely purchase the rest of the series.
3. Self-publishing is
better than traditional publishing, in my opinion.
You have more control over your work, and, if you’re prepared to put in the
necessary time, you don’t have to wait a year or more after completion to see
your book published. Indie authors (independent/self-published authors) also
earn more royalties per sale, which means you can lower your prices to make it
more affordable to readers and still make more money per book than if you’d
gone the traditional route.
4. You need to edit your
books properly and then have them professionally edited too. There’s nothing worse than spending money on a book only to
discover that it’s badly written and full of typos and other mistakes. It’s bad
form, and shows readers that you have no pride in your work.
5. Don’t be fazed by bad reviews – or, better
still, don’t read them. Remember that a review is
just one person’s opinion and not everyone will enjoy everything you write.
Don’t take it personally and don’t let it affect your writing or make you stop
writing.
