For the past few months, I’ve been
working steadily to get my next suspense novel, “Sweet
Little Lies,” ready for release; revising the manuscript based on feedback
from my beta readers and critique partner, planning the cover art, writing “back
of the book” blurbs and releasing sneak peeks.
Not to mention ongoing promotion for “Live
and Let Die,” blogging regularly, updating my website, diving into the
revisions for my next two releases, and toying with the outline for another manuscript
idea.
As an indie author, I can decide what edits/revisions I want to make to my manuscripts, what I want to title my books (Joy Fielding, a New York Times bestselling author and my author crush, cause we all have one, doesn’t get a say over her book titles and in fact, doesn’t like a few of them) and what I want to price my books. If I don’t like the direction my cover art is going in, I can change it. I can make the call on when my books are published. It’s an incredible sense of freedom to be able to have the final say-so over my product. The buck stops with me, but anyone who’s the CEO of their own company understands that.
And yet, I still find time to watch
copious amounts of Bravo. Never let it
be said I don’t have my priorities in order.
As busy as I am and as hard as it is to
be a one-woman band, I have to admit, I like having the control over my products,
their price and promotion (remember that from “Jerry McGuire?”).
As an indie author, I can decide what edits/revisions I want to make to my manuscripts, what I want to title my books (Joy Fielding, a New York Times bestselling author and my author crush, cause we all have one, doesn’t get a say over her book titles and in fact, doesn’t like a few of them) and what I want to price my books. If I don’t like the direction my cover art is going in, I can change it. I can make the call on when my books are published. It’s an incredible sense of freedom to be able to have the final say-so over my product. The buck stops with me, but anyone who’s the CEO of their own company understands that.
And indeed, I do think of myself as my
own CEO. I think a lot of authors get
into the indie game with the idea that if they could just get a traditional publishing
contract, it will solve everything.
Anyone who regularly reads J.A. Konrath’s blog or has read his ebook “A
Newbie’s Guide to Publishing,” knows the work doesn’t stop just because you
signed on the dotted line with a publisher.
In fact, it’s hardly a guarantee of mainstream success. As Konrath has pointed out numerous times, he
didn’t have the support of his publisher, so he did everything he could think
of to bring eyeballs to his books, running himself ragged and going broke in
the process. Now that he’s the CEO of
his brand and running it the way he wants to, he’s much happier and by his own accounts,
has greater visibility and is more financially successful than ever.
All authors,
even those with the traditional publishing contracts, have to think of their publishing
career like a business. Joy Fielding
pays for the design and maintenance of her website
out of her own pocket (which, if you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend checking
it out. It’s gorgeous.) James Patterson works seven days a week and constantly
produces new product. Nora Roberts made
the inn she renovated in her hometown the backdrop of some of her books
(driving book sales and inn reservations.
Smart and creative).
No matter what route you take along the
path to publication, don’t fall into the trap of thinking it will be easy or
that you can abdicate all responsibility for your career. It will be a lot of missed Happy Hours, time
away from family and long, bleary-eyed stretches in front of the computer. But, in the end, when you get the success you
want, however you define it, it will all be worth it because YOU stepped up to
assume the CEO mantle.
Write the best book you can, spend the money to hire professional cover artists, proofreaders and
formatters. And always, ALWAYS… keep
writing.
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