In Business part 6

 

my first book

my second book

my third book

I didn't set out to become a book publisher and yet...

So, what kind of business sense did it make for me to write and publish books?

Not a lot, in fact.  But when you are writing a niche topic for an already tiny market, producing a book becomes a challenge insofar as getting a traditional publisher to even look at your manuscript, never mind get anything resembling an 'income' from it.

When I decided to produce Magic, I had a background in office work including producing small print runs of things.  I also knew enough about book making to know that any book with tipped in samples was going to be horrendously expensive to produce and that I pretty much had all the skills needed to do it myself - with the help of a local print shop.  And friends/family members.

I even knew an editor who did the final pass through on the manuscript.  Because I am enough of a book 'nerd' to know that an editor does an essential job.

I also knew what most authors were getting paid, and I wanted more than just a few cents a copy, given the weaving and wet finishing, the assemblage, etc., that needed to be done.  I also did all of the marketing and advertising for it.  

When it came time to publish The Intentional Weaver, I didn't even approach a publisher to see if they were interested.  Instead I kept plugging away at writing, then refining the ms, and one day an email dropped into my inbox asking if I would send them info on the book they had heard through the grapevine that I was writing.

I did a bit of dithering, not really wanting to lose control of 'my' project, but also knowing the road ahead if I continued on my own.  And I was tired.  Really tired.  Mom had just died and I was pretty sure the cancer had come back and I didn't know what lay ahead for me on that road.  So I sent them a presse' with mixed feelings.

And was, to be honest, relieved when they said (I paraphrase) 'it sounds like you have a really good book but unfortunately it doesn't fit our model'.

Whew.

Because I knew that any traditional publisher would want to change 'my' book to meet their business model because they have to make money, too.

So when I felt the urge to write the essays for Matrix, I didn't even consider contacting a publisher.  Because once again, I would be writing for a tiny niche of a very tiny market.

Publishing myself (and yes, hiring an editor for each of the titles - AND the work in progress) is essential, especially if I am publishing myself.

I have seen a lot of books that could have benefited from a good editing job and I'm not that egotistical to think I can do it all, all by myself.  Even *I* know that when writing a book there comes a time when the author loses all perspective and can no longer tell when something is right.  Or, if they know it isn't 'right', doesn't have the energy or mental wherewithal to make it 'better'. Sometimes, you just need an outside perspective.

All of this is because this morning I saw an author urging all aspiring writers to go the traditional publishing route, explaining what publishers do and how publishing traditionally is so much 'better' than going it alone.

And I agree with them, honestly, I do!  But if I ever wanted to see any of the above titles materialize into the world, I had to do it myself.

What it means, however, is that you have to take on the role of publisher, which means advertising/marketing, shipping (if you ship physical copies), and financing.  Because again, all those things have to be paid for upfront - printer ink, paper, editor.  

In the end I have made some money on my first two books.  Matrix is still too new and of course publishing in the summer meant people were busy, on vacation, guild newsletters on hiatus, etc.  

I have sent promo copies to a number of publications and now I wait.

I wait to see if any of the reviewers think what I've done is 'worthy'.  I wait for word of mouth to happen - if it ever will.  I wait to see if people actually want to purchase any of my books or if the market becomes saturated.

But it was a gamble I was willing to take.  Because I don't mind addressing a tiny slice of a niche market with information I feel is important to get 'out there'.  

Will #4 get published?  Jury is still out.  I'm waiting for feedback from my editor and my alpha reader.  Initial response was positive, but.  

But.

And then I read a really compelling list of reasons why I should be publishing via the traditional publishing method, and I start wondering why I'm doing this all by myself.  Again.

Here's the thing.  While I agree with everything in the article I read, it still would not have brought any of 'my' books into the world.  

Self-publishing was the only way for me to go, if I ever wanted to see what I had to say in print.  Rather than chase a traditional publisher and meet with rejection over and over again, I gathered up my toolkit of various skills, including my office skills, and just...did it.

Did I do the right thing?  Who knows.  But they exist.  And I'm not still waiting around for an acceptance or rejection letter.  Instead I'm working on another.  

Sometimes business decisions are made from the heart, not the purse.

All three of my books are available at blurb in both print and pdf formats.

Weave a V is available at my ko-fi shop.  Written by Kerstin Fröberg, I arranged for it to be published in Canada, in English.