And now for the news.
Highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing:
Forbes has proven itself a useful platform in recent years for news regarding self-publishing breakout successes, challenges, and opportunities. This week, contributor Bryan Collins tackled the remarkable success story of Texas-based authors, business owners, and podcasters Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant–as well as their semi-anonymous third partner, who simply goes by the name Dave. Before implementing some big changes, Platt and Truant were “generating over $60,000 a month in royalties from their popular sci-fi seven-book series Invasion, for several months,” writes Collins, but when faced with the kinds of in-person events (such as interviews, convention appearances, book fairs, and so forth) that come with that level of success, they found the process to be “Diluting their focus [… and] they had less time to write genre-fiction books (science-fiction, thrillers, etc.).” Their royalties took a hit, and they took a long look at just what they wanted their legacy–their brand–to be. Together, they landed on crafting a business that resembles a story studio, in that it will employ a number of authors around the world to collaborate on diverse projects. Their vision to pour their personal profits into another way for indie and self-published authors to break out into the public eye is an inspiring one.
This recent article from Emma Shacklock on the Woman and Home website is everything you need to get started in self-publishing, from figuring out which company fits your project to sorting out the benefits of print and digital editions of your book after publication. She also touches on marketing and promotion, with advice on how to make the most of your social media presence and suggestions for maximizing your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) by way of going all in on metadata. She highlights the need for an attractive book cover design as well as a good, professional editor or proofreader depending on your book’s needs. Overall, Shacklock’s approach is the emotional as well as the practical starter kit we needed this week as a reminder of just what the essentials of self-publishing really are.
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 