OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
To be an independent author means taking your book project seriously. But most of us haven't been in publishing for our whole careers, so it's inevitable that we make mistakes along the way.
Mistakes aren't bad either. They are the human way to improve and learn. But it helps if we can help each other!
I'm not perfect and I continue to learn along the writer's journey but here are the worst mistakes I have made and seen others doing too. I'd love to hear from you in the comments about your mistakes as by sharing, we can all improve together.
(1) Not spending enough time learning about you, your book and your audience
You need to get to know yourself, as well as understand the goals for your book and the needs and expectations of your audience. If you don't understand your goals, how will you know what path to follow and whether you are successful or not?
For example,
- Know yourself. If your dream is to have your book in every physical bookstore and airport, then you should be looking at traditional publishing. If you just want to reach readers, go ebook only with a low price or free. If you want to make income, make sure you have other products behind the book.
- Know your book and your genre. If you are writing historical romance, you should be reading that type of book and understanding what the audience look for and then making sure your book fits the niche – or look for another niche
- Know yourself. Are you in this for the long haul or is this one book everything to you?
There are lots more questions to ask yourself. The key is to spend time reflecting and writing around these topics which will really help shape your publishing decisions.
(2) Not getting a professional editor
The #1 criticism of self-published books is that they are not professional enough and I believe quality is in direct proportion to the amount of editing you have. Seriously.
I really think that every writer needs an editor.
If you get a professional editor, and take their advice, your book will improve beyond anything you could imagine. I'll go further and say you need two editors when you're starting out – a developmental one for the structure of the book, and a copy-editor for the line detail and cleanup.
(3) Not getting professional book cover design
As above, we want our books to stand alongside traditionally published books and have the same level of quality. Unless you are already a designer specializing in books, then I recommend you hire someone. Here's a list of book cover designers.
If you want to DIY, then there's a tutorial here on how to make your own cover on MS Word. But remember to compare your book to the Top 100 books in your chosen category and make sure yours is just as good.
(4) Doing a print run without having a distribution deal
This was one of my big mistakes and I still hear of people doing it. Consider carefully whether you really want to publish a print book. If you do, brilliant. For the best result, hire a book designer and go with print on demand as the first option. You can order a few copies at cost to give to people.
But do you need to do a print run locally and have thousands of books delivered to your door?
This is important as you will have to pay in advance for printing. You'll also have to store them and ship them if you sell from your website.
Yes, it works out cheaper per book if you sell them all but are you going to sell them all? Do you have a distribution channel in place? e.g. a speaking platform or a guaranteed bookstore?
See the picture on the right? That's me in 2008 with way too many books that I didn't sell, before I discovered print on demand. They mostly ended up the landfill. Don't make this mistake.
If you need help with self-publishing, then invest in Choosing a Self-Publishing Service by the Alliance of Independent Authors which will save you time, money and heartache on your journey.
(5) Paying way too much for services you can do yourself with a little education
I still get emails from people who have paid $10,000 for an author services package and received 100 books as well as losing the rights. Or people who have paid $5000 for their author website without knowing how to update it themselves. [Here's my tutorial for how you can build your own author website in 30 mins.]
I know most authors aren't that interested in technology, but it is worth a little short term pain to empower yourself with some knowledge and save yourself a lot of money in the process. For example, if you just have a plain text novel, pay $49 for Scrivener and do it yourself. Then you can change the files whenever you like.
It's fine to pay professionals for a service but make sure you know:
a) why you need it
b) how things will work in the future e.g. changing things, which is 100% likely to happen
c) what your alternatives are
(Obviously I don't mean you should scrimp on editing or cover design but shop around and get the best deal for you and the right person for the job!)
(6) Doing no marketing at all, or getting shiny object syndrome
When I launched my first book, I only knew about offline marketing and mainstream media. I made it onto Australian national TV and radio and still sold no books. That's when I decided to learn about online marketing. Life has been a lot better since!
Many authors think marketing involves bookmarks or book signings but these are probably the least effective forms of marketing.
Other people get into blogging, then Twitter, then Pinterest, Facebook, podcasting, video etc all in the same week and then burn out with exhaustion and decide that marketing doesn't work.
This is shiny object syndrome – jumping onto the newest, latest thing without giving the last thing a chance to work.
My advice here is to give something a try for a few months of concerted effort before you expand. I started with a year of blogging, then moved into Twitter and podcasting, later I went with Facebook and video. These are my core marketing and platform building activities but they all took time to build.
Find what you enjoy and give it some time to work.
(7) Focusing everything into one book
When my first novel, Stone of Fire, came out, I was entirely focused on marketing it and making my new fiction career work. I heard the pros say you need more than one book but I was sure I could make it successful.
I put everything into the launch and utilized the large network I had build up over years online, but my initial sales weren’t enough to really launch any kind of career. Fast forward a few years and I have a lot of books and the income is substantial. I'm now one of those (annoying) people who preach that the best marketing is writing another book!
I definitely believe that you need to do some marketing to get the sales rolling, to gain initial reviews and build your platform for the long-term, but you also need to get writing.
The long haul career of a pro-writer involves always working on the next book.
Celebrating the last, but getting on with the next. This is our passion, but also our job. Obsessing over marketing one book isn’t as important as getting on with the next.
I hope my mistakes stop you from making the same ones!
I'd love to hear your comments. Do you agree with these mistakes and what else can you add?
Dean from Australia says
This is another of those great articles of yours Joanna, which I’ve filed away in my little folder of ‘must read’ articles.
As I approach completion of the first draft of my second novel, I am already giving thought to how to approach the editing, market and design of the finished product.
I’ve learned much since my first book but there is always so much more to learn.
Joanna Penn says
Indeed Dean and I am into the third and wondering how the hell I managed to get a finished book done last time … I think we must go through these phases every time… all the best with the next novel.
Charmaine Clancy says
I agree about the editors, if you want a great product you need to be willing to invest in it. Plus Scrivener saved me hundreds by allowing me to format the Kindle edition of my novel, but I’d be happy to spend that money on editing.
Sandra Cody says
Great advice. I just discovered this site and am delighted that I did. I have 4 books published the traditional way and have dipped my toes into epub with a collection of short stories. I like what I see and am ready to epub a novel. Like many (most?) writers, I find marketing much less interesting than writing, but do enjoy connecting with other writers via social media.
Joanna Penn says
Thanks for joining us Sandra. I have actually found that marketing has become more and more fun over the years and now I really enjoy it. I think it’s because I subscribe to the content marketing theory of marketing, which is more about providing useful/interesting/ entertaining information to people and then presenting them with something they might be interested in buying. This no-pressure approach seems to be a really good way to go about it. I don’t like the hardcore pushy marketing though.
Eve says
Hiring an editor is key – and doing a LOT of research on that editor is key, too. And also knowing the difference between a developmental editor and a copy editor. Some editors can do both, but some can’t but claim they can. Best way to find a good editor — word of mouth and testimonials.
I once hired a developmental editor to help me fix my first draft of my first novel – a terrible, terrible mistake I made. She was a romance genre novelist and let’s just say my manuscript was not a romance novel. So it was a bad match.
But when you find a good editor, hold on to him/her — they’re priceless!
D says
When doing the advertising, target it as carefully as possible. Ads cost money and there are a million different books out there. Figure out who’s most likely to buy your product and aim it in their direction.
Joanna Penn says
Indeed, and this starts with the writing process. We’re all writing to a target category on Amazon at the end of the day. What can you offer those readers that will make them incredibly happy to have read your book?
Patricia Fry says
So glad to see that other professionals are getting on the bandwagon and urging new authors to study the publishing industry. I suggest to authors–you wouldn’t enter into any other type of business without knowing something about the industry, your customers, your suppliers, your competitors, etc. Publishing is a business and must be approached as such.
I’ve been writing for publication for nearly 40 years and now devote my time to writing for and working with new and struggling authors. I’m still surprised at how many of them make most of the mistakes you listed, many of which could be avoided if they took time out to study the publishing industry before getting involved.
D. Miles Martin says
Joanna,
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, and it’s about time I said thank you for the hard work and great advice. I’ve subscribed to numerous blogs by/for indie authors, and many of them eventually devolve into rants about the stresses of being an indie author. I find myself either ignoring many entries in my inbox or unsubscribing altogether. Your posts, however, are always positive and helpful, and I never fail to click Open and find something useful.
Thanks so much! Have a great week!
D. Miles Martin
P.S. Yes, I do see the irony in my ranting about ranters. 🙂
Joanna Penn says
Hi Miles – thanks so much for your kind words and I am very careful to avoid ranting. I think we have tremendous opportunities right now, and also the privilege of being able to connect with readers. So I am thankful every day to be an author right now 🙂 I also love the blog and love connecting with writers like yourself. I’m glad you enjoy the site and I shall continue to post useful content.
Tim Fairchild says
Outstanding article, Joanna.
As a new writer, I found it quite a daunting experience after I type the words; The End. Now in retrospect, I find that was the easy part, and just the beginning of going down a road of uncertainty as to what form of publishing to utilize. I used a self-publishing site to test the waters, so to speak and made use of your advice and others with experience. I follow you on Twitter and have gained a lot of great ideas from your experience. You’re absolutely correct about getting quality editing and proof reading. Self publishers continually get a bad rap for not doing so. even after I thought I had a clean copy, people still found typos here and there.
Thanks for showing us new authors an easier road to travel.
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Tim, and I think we have to accept that even traditionally published books often have typos and issues in. A few are acceptable but a badly structured book really needs a developmental editor before publication.
All the best with your books.
Zelda Benjamin says
As writers we sometimes think we know everything about publishing. There is a lot for us to learn and you make some great points. Self publishing is hard work. I’m sure it gets easier with the next book.
Nymfa Aranas says
I agree with those 7 mistakes…. In fact, I say , “Ouch!” with a few of them. One more mistake I can add is “Not establishing a platform or not being able to make your face known prior to publishing.”
Joanna Penn says
That is certainly true for some people but we have seen some huge successes from people with no platform. Darcie Chan, #1 seller on Amazon last year, self-published and sold 400,000 copies with not even a website. I don’t recommend this approach but having a book that resonates is most important. So basically, it takes all sorts!
Jennifer Jensen says
You really hit the nail on the head, Joanna, if you don’t mind the cliche (too tired to think of something original right now). A great list and explanations, especially about needing outside editors. Even the “good” e-books I’ve read could still use some help. And some that were mainstream-published first don’t impress me, either!
Thanks for the great post – I’m bookmarking it, and going to check out the links now.
Michael K. Eidson says
One mistake I made was trusting that when I’d seen a proof copy of a POD book, all the other printed copies I would receive after that would be of the same quality as the proof. The proof copy of the hardback looked great, and I ordered another 25 copies of the hardback. I wasn’t selling them very quickly, and by the time I found problems with those residing deeper in the box, it was too late to send them back. The copies packed on top were fine, but after removing the first few layers, I found the ink had faded or run on many pages of some of the books. Some pages were unreadable and some beautiful illustrations I’d had done professionally were botched beyond recognition. About three fourths of the books in the box were a complete disaster. If I had just taken the time when I got them to look through every book, I could have sent back the faulty ones to Lulu and had them replace them. As it was, I was out a few hundred bucks (the hardbacks were not cheap, even as POD at cost). I closed the Lulu account and haven’t ordered a single book again from them since, because I felt they should have done quality control before they shipped my order. I didn’t want to deal with them if they couldn’t be trusted to reproduce the book with the same quality every time. I don’t know what Lulu is like these days, but that was enough to cause me to shun them forever, and I don’t believe I will ever attempt to publish hardbacks as POD again.
Joanna Penn says
Great story Michael. It’s buyer beware with everything these days… another reason I really like ebooks!
Becca Chopra says
Another great blog, Joanna! The only thing I would add as necessary to success in indie publishing is professional proofreading. Yes, with my book, The Chakra Diaries, I had two editors who helped me immensely. But I’m proud that I found every single typo in the book before it was printed or released on Kindle. I’ve reviewed four fabulous books in the last week, but cringed at the amount of typos in them. Having worked as a professional writer, copy editor and proofreader before plying the indie author craft myself, I’ve decided to set up a service, IndieAuthorCounsel.com, with two colleagues to offer reasonably priced editing and proofreading to authors planning to self publish. I don’t want to read/review another book that offers sage advice or entertainment but loses readers because they can’t stumble over the mistakes.
Aloha!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries
http://www.thechakras.org
Becca@IndieAuthorCounsel.com
Michelle says
A great post Joanna. However you should take more pride in what you’ve accomplished! 30,000 copies is something to be VERY proud of. Considering that 10K is the average sold, (heard that from a few sources), then you should consider yourself quite successful. All the best with your new novels!
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Michelle. I am proud of it but I aim ever higher 🙂
Aleshia Robinson says
I actually agree with Michelle. You have a very powerful testimony Joanna. My ex-roommate was a traditionally published author represented by the prestigious Sterling Lord Literistic Agency in New York City. Her 5 books have been published by Plume, Broadman & Holman Publishers, and WaterBrook Press and yet her non-fiction books have sold about 16,000 A PIECE. So I think you should be proud of your accomplishments as an indie. It’s easy to compare ourselves amongst the Hockings, Lockes and Chan’s but I believe that’s one reason the Apostle Paul said “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise..” You are doing an outstanding job as an indie author and blogger!
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Aleshia!
gregg farah says
Whew! Thank you! I was encouraged by a few of these and horrified by others. (print on demand may be my best friend)
Elizabeth Marx says
I enjoyed this article. Professional covers are a must, but it has to be the right professional cover. For one of my titles, I liked my first cover and thought it captured the essence of the book, but now I’ve gone to a second cover that seems more appealing for the genre and I’ve more than tripled my sales. Of course the good reviews haven’t hurt sales either.
Joanna Penn says
I think that changing covers over time is actually quite natural and can often bring a sales boost later on. Everything is worth playing with 🙂
BubbleCow says
One mistake I see a lot is writers not taking full control of every possible aspect. For example, there is no excuse for a digitally formatted book not to look as good, if not better, than a traditionally published book. It might take time or money to do this, but it is essential if a self-publisher wants to build trust with their readers.
Gary
Joanna Penn says
Definitely Gary, I’m always surprised when I hear of authors who are publishing ebooks without checking the formatting themselves on their own devices. If you want to publish on Kindle, you should own one so you can make sure you have a quality product for those users.
Charles Specht says
Sadly, I think I’ve made (and am still currently making!) a few of these mistakes. Thanks for the reminder.
Jana says
In my small day job experience with digital publishing, getting an editor is a must. When I open a book from a small-market or indie publisher and the first page DOESN’T say “Forward”, I call it a good day.
(for the record, I actually have seen this mistake from larger publishing houses, too :-))
Joanna Penn says
That’s a classic 🙂