3 Ways Indie Authors Can Improve Self-Publishing

With self-publishing being so easy nowadays, anyone can publish a book. However, the fact that there is no quality control over self-published books creates a problem for readers, with so many authors who think it’s okay to write the last word, slap together any old cover and then publish. While this may be perfectly legal and there is no one to stop anyone from doing this, no self-respecting reader will purchase a second book from these authors, and, with the free preview option most distributors now offer, may not even purchase the first book if the writing is too bad. This defeats the entire purpose of publishing, doesn’t it?

Here are three ways that indie authors can improve self-publishing, with the aim of keeping readers happy and thus creating sales.

1. Write an interesting book

It doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction, your book should be interesting to those who enjoy the topic/genre. Don’t waffle with too much back story in one go, or with details that aren’t important to your plot or characters. Don’t write your life story if it’s going to be all about the sports you did in school and every girl/boy you ever dated – it’s boring and no one will find this interesting, except perhaps your friends and family. A ‘life story’ is only interesting to readers in general if you were on board a sinking ship, were kidnapped by terrorists, battled a killer disease and won, grew up in a cult environment or experienced something else that most people don’t. Also don’t copy from existing books or movies – it’s a cop out that most readers will spot immediately, and, in my opinion, is borderline plagiarism. For example, I’ve lost count of how many books there are out there with a sword in a stone. Even though these books might be totally different to the original Sword in the Stone, they still copy a key element – rather, invent your own ‘sword in the stone’ to keep readers interested.

2. Write and publish better books

Let’s assume you have an interesting book. Once you’ve written the last word, you need to read it countless times until you’re certain you’ve picked up every little inconsistency – was your character holding something important that he/she didn’t put down, yet, a few paragraphs later, he/she picks it up again? Make sure, too, that you edit for grammar and spelling mistakes, and typos. If you aren’t sure about something, never assume it’s right – do some research to find out what the language rule is for whatever you’re unsure of. Make sure that all your facts are right, even if you’re writing fiction – for example, you can’t have a character juggling old, unstable dynamite without it exploding; it’s unrealistic and will put off any intelligent readers (and most of them are quite intelligent, I assure you). Once you’re 100% certain that you can’t better the book anymore, hire a professional editor. No writer can edit his or her work completely efficiently, and an editor is vital for picking up those mistakes that you didn’t during your self-edit, and thereby preventing your readers from thinking you’re an illiterate fool (in many cases).

3. Make your books cheaper

Research has shown that readers have a tendency to purchase cheaper books, especially if the book is by an author they haven’t read before. Sure, the free sample might be enough to hook them and convince them to spend money on the book, but the reader still risks the fact that your overall story might be boring or have a terrible ending. Also keep in mind that most people only have a certain budget for books, and an extra dollar could, therefore, mean the difference between a reader purchasing your book or that of another author.

Kunoichi – Female Ninja Assassins

Female assassins may be portrayed as sexy in the movies, but victims of the Kunoichi – female ninja assassins in medieval Japan – probably didn’t think so… at least, not once they realised who they had let into their beds.

Like their male counterparts, the Kunoichi were trained in disguise, stealth and combat, but, unlike most male ninjas, they were also spies and their method of attack was quite different. In a way, the Kunoichi had it easier than male ninjas, because women were usually trusted and seen as harmless, while unknown men were seen as a potential threat. This made it easier for Kunoichi to infiltrate an enemy household or temple, posing as servants, courtesans, performers or even prostitutes.

Ninja training focussed on using the trainee’s strengths to his or her advantage, so, if a female trainee was exceptionally beautiful, she would be taught to use her looks as a weapon. Unlike many people thought in medieval times, beauty did not mean that Kunoichi were otherwise useless – these women were just as deadly in combat as any male ninja.

Ninjas were trained in the use of a variety of weapons and most could use a sword, but Kunoichi were particularly good with daggers, bladed fans, hair needles, poisons, garrottes and sharpened claw-like finger extensions called neko-te. In fact, the neko-te was usually the Kunoichi’s weapon of choice, and they often poisoned the claws. Kunoichi were also taught to dance, sing and play instruments, skills that came in handy when pretending to be someone they were not.

Kunoichi instilled greater fear than male ninjas, who were easier to discover in time to prevent the assassination. Women, however, were almost impossible to discover in time, because they entered boldly as servants or mistresses, and waited until they were trusted before making a move. Crying in order to draw in a victim was one method unavailable to male ninjas – the Kunoichi would sometimes cry, manipulating the victim-to-be into feeling as if he should help her or ask what’s wrong, and that would be the death of him.

Some of the ninjas’ assignments were suicide missions, and others were lifelong, such as in cases where the ninja was instructed to spy on someone until one of them died or the ninja’s true identity was discovered. Other female ninjas, called Mikko, guarded sanctuaries and temples, and these were mostly respected rather than feared.

What to read after The Queen’s Blade

If you’ve read The Queen’s Blade and you want something else to sink your teeth into, I recommend my sci-fi fantasy series, The Cyber Chronicles.

The protagonist, Sabre, is as broken as Blade, yet in a rather unique way… for he is a cyber – part human, part machine – who has finally tasted a hint of freedom.

As with all my series, Book 1 is free!

When Queen Tassin is forced to flee her kingdom on the backwater planet of Omega V, she has no idea that the strange warrior who helps her is a cyborg; the deadliest hi-tech killing machine ever created. Her world has forgotten the technology that almost destroyed it, but then a freak accident damages the micro-supercomputer that controls Sabre, and he is free to take charge of his destiny…

Ludicrous Assassinations

Assassination is nothing to laugh about, but some are just so ludicrous that you can’t help yourself.

No one was surprised when Jorg Jenatsch, a Swiss preacher involved in politics, was assassinated – to sum it up, he was a ruthless, horrible person. During a carnival for which everyone wore masks, and many were drunk, strangers approached Jenatsch and his cohorts. Many of the strangers had weapons, and one man wore a full bear suit and carried an axe. The strangers asked to join Jenatsch’s group and, despite the weapons, the much-hated preacher decided they weren’t a threat and invited them into the private room. The ‘bear’ went to shake Jenatsch’s hand, and shot him in the gut as they grasped hands. The other strangers attacked too, and Jenatsch grabbed a big candlestick with which to defend himself. It wasn’t long before Jenatsch fell at the hands of the axe-swinging assassin.

Then there’s the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, one of the main instigators of the Holocaust – another man whom myriad people wished dead. In 1942, the Czech resistance and British Intelligence ordered Jozef Gabcik and Jan Kubis to assassinate Heydrich. The two soldiers readied their machinegun and waited at a bend in a road that Heydrich travelled regularly. What happened next is like something from a slapstick comedy skit. When the car came into view, Gabcik fired the weapon… but nothing happened – because, on the way, he had collected plants for his pet rabbits, and the machinegun had become clogged with them while disassembled in his pocket. How it slipped his notice when he assembled the gun is beyond me.

Heydrich looked right at them and, instead of being clever and getting the heck out of there, he ordered his driver to stop, then drew his pistol and shot at the would-be assassins. Again, nothing happened – because there were no bullets in his gun. Kubis then threw a bomb at the car, but mistimed the throw, causing only injury to Heydrich and his driver – and himself. Badly injured, Heydrich jumped from the car and chased Kubis, who got onto a bicycle and rode away. Heydrich then ordered his driver to chase Gabcik, who was attempting to clear his weapon of plants.

Gabcik remembered that he, too, had a pistol, and pulled it out and shot the driver in the leg, then ran from the scene. It’s not clear why he didn’t shoot Heydrich too at that point. I suspect too many things had gone wrong and he just wasn’t thinking straight. Heydrich might have survived this attempt if not for the fact that policemen battled to find a passing motorist who would take him to the hospital – in his bloodied Secret Service uniform in Nazi Germany. He eventually got there, but not in time to be saved.

If you’ve heard of any equally ludicrous assassinations, please share them with us.