And now for the news!
Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!
We really do.
Maybe that’s all we need to say about this article?
But in all seriousness, Matthew Field of Go! And Express is onto something here when he writes that “It could be argued that we are living in a golden age for self-published writers. While it is true that traditional publishers are declining somewhat, it is also true that there are now a plethora of tools out there that allow writers to completely by-pass them if desired.” Self-publishing companies as diverse and varied as Outskirts Press and Amazon’s own platform offer readers and writers of indie books myriad opportunities to publish and discover new works, and the smaller companies are often on the cutting edge of developing ever-better ones. “Self-publishing is still viable today, probably more so than ever before, and the scene is ripe for upcoming writers to make their mark,” writes Fields, referencing various options available throughout the self-publishing process. Overall, Fields’ piece serves as both a bit of a manifesto for indie authors as well as a brief overview of the process for newcomers looking to, as he puts it, ‘make their mark’ in the self-publishing field.
And there are plenty one might choose from, especially as authors seek to take on more elements of the publishing process—from designing covers to formatting pages to editing manuscripts to selecting printing options—and are held to as high of a standard as traditionally published authors with the full force of their marketing and PR teams behind them. Writes Ashley Stahl of Forbes, “So, what do you do if you have a book living inside of you, and you don’t have such assets to sell yourself to publishers? How, in short, is the person with the story to tell but a lack of tools to tell it, supposed to take advantage of the fact that publishing a book pushes careers into the stratosphere?” In conversation with the CEO of one small(ish) self-publishing company, Stahl hammered out some of the biggest pitfalls to be avoided, including the oft-mentioned ugly cover and manuscripts riddled with errors, the less-often-mentioned limitations of an ebook-only release and refined category keyword selection process, and one new one we hadn’t stumbled across before—a warning not to have family and friends review your books on Amazon. Wait, what? Stahl warns that Amazon has developed an algorithm that scans reviews for bias and will actually remove those reviews that it identifies as being such. We’ll be looking more into this in the days to come. In the meanwhile, Stahl’s advice seems sound!
As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog each month to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.
Self Publishing Advisor 