Self Publishing Advisor

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!

• How Self-Publishing Helped An Alzheimer’s Caregiver Cope

Bring tissues for this one! David Holmberg over at Forbes brings us this powerful story of Susan Padilla, daughter of an Alzheimer’s patient whose self-published book “Losing Everything: A Family’s Journey With Alzheimer’s” (published under the pseudonym S.P. Murray) hasn’t yet hit the stratosphere in sales–but has had an enormously positive impact on Padilla’s family. Writes Holmberg, “Padilla, a middle-aged human resources manager who works in New York, said the book has sold under 500 copies (mostly through Amazon) with no royalties yet, but her family is ‘very happy I put my feelings on paper.’ She paid her publisher $2500, plus $350 for advertising. For her, though, the benefit was personal, and therapeutic. ‘I kept myself from going crazy by writing this book,’ she said.” Holmberg, who covers retirement-related issues for Forbes, argues that profit shouldn’t be the only factor in consideration when thinking about whether to self-publish or not. “Padilla’s made a valuable contribution to Alzheimer’s literature,” he writes, and she wouldn’t have been able to do so given the traditional publishing industry’s reliance on blockbuster sales to break even. Going indie and self-publishing makes it possible for important books like Padilla’s to get out there and find their readers, even if they’re not selling as many copies as a, say, James Patterson novel. Books with niche audiences, like Padilla’s, are hungry for good books, too. Holmberg’s response to Padilla’s story is both touching and telling: “She’s the reason I say: if you have an instinct toward self-publishing, if it’s something you feel like trying in your retirement years, go ahead and do it. Study the stats, cast a cold eye on conflicting sales figures, but go ahead and do it.” You heard the man!

• ‘Focus on self-publishing, e-books at Nairobi Book Fair

We never get tired here on Self Publishing Advisor of hearing all of the cool places where self-publishing is making inroads and bringing more exciting stories to light. Self-publishing has been shining a light on important stories all over the world recently, from India and China to Australia and Britain to Nigeria and now, Kenya! At this year’s Nairobi Book Fair, which celebrated its 22nd year in 2019. Mercy Muthoni, the director of CCL-K, which was behind one of the fair’s popular self-publishing programs, says that “[h]er advice to those with the ambition of becoming writers is that self-publishing and e-book world are not short-cuts to quick riches and fame. Excellence must be cultivated, and some of the programmes CLC-Kenya is pursuing can be both instructive and inspirational in the pursuit of excellence and cultivation of a healthy reading and writing culture in Kenya.” Other events at the Kenya Publishers’ Association-sponsored book fair included further discussions of the value and role of self-publishing in providing quality content that can do great work in representing Kenyan stories and culture to the world. We look forward to seeing what else is in store for self-publishing in Kenya!

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.

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!

• SHARE WHAT IS A BOOK COACH? A GUIDE TO SEEKING AND BECOMING ONE

We don’t often see self-publishing referenced on Book Riot, one of the foremost book recommendation services out there on the Internet, but this week Enobong Essien really stepped up in this article on the pros, cons, and functions of a book coach. We’ve written about book coaches here on the blog before, but Essien brings a unique approach and voice to the subject. Writes Essien, “If you’re pursuing the self-publishing route, then a book coach could be the difference between a book that never makes it off the shelves to a breakaway Amazon bestseller.” ‘Book Coach’ is in itself an umbrella term of a title for a number of support positions to both traditional and self-published books, including our favorite, the publishing consultant. Essian goes on to answer the all-important question: Do *I* need a book coach? when she writes:

Self-publishing sounds like a great idea. You have full control over your vision, you don’t have to face piles of rejection letters (or more likely emails) and you can get your book out there in a matter of hours if you so wish but more likely months instead of the minimum year and a half of traditional publishing. But it can also be a very lonely road and at the end of it you’re going to want some sales to back up all your efforts, right?

A book coach is a shepherd that will guide you through the ins and outs of the whole process, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of your writing and keeping you on track. A good book coach will have some industry experience, even if it’s not necessarily in book coaching, and will therefore have the contacts to refer you to for book cover design, Kindle formatting, and marketing strategies. But, most importantly, they will ensure that what you put out there is a well thought out, well-written, quality book.

Concluding her article with some expert advice on how to become a book coach if being the helper rather than the helped seems more your speed, Essian’s article is an absolute must-read.

• Academic, Publish Thyself: Why professors should consider independent publishing.

One group of authors who might make good use of a book coach or two is the academic community—or so we might assume from reading Rose Ernst’s article for The Good Men Project. While money, writes Ernst, “isn’t the reason academics should consider self-publishing, […] it’s a fantastic side benefit.” But there are more important reasons to consider going indie, Ernst notes, including the fact that academic presses really fail to reach the general audiences that a self-published work can. Self-publishing is also timely, with a much more rapid turnover from manuscript submission to distribution of the finished product, an important facet of the publishing experience for those writing in fast-moving fields where getting ahead of the curve is important to guiding the conversation. Ernst gives academics a template for getting started in publishing, with suggestions for those well-established in the academic sphere but looking to extend and widen their audience.

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.

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!

• Fiction Ghostwriting Is Bigger Than Ever

Adam Rowe of Forbes is back with yet more excellent coverage of self-publishing-adjacent news, this time with an article on the evolution of ghostwriting. For those who aren’t already read in on what ghostwriting is, the Lexico definition of a ghost writer is:

That’s it. And loads of recognizable names in the publishing world employ ghostwriters, if only because the demand for books under their name is so high (and ghostwriters are a common occurrence in other industries, including music). Robert Ludlum, James Patterson, and even Alexandre Dumas all used ghostwriters. Many authors don’t actually exist or have never existed, and publishers will hire rotating casts of ghostwriters to assume the one continuous name; examples of this second kind of ghostwriting include Carolyn Keene (of the Nancy Drew series), Franklin Dixon (of the Hardy Boys series), and a number of other famous junior fiction “authors.” There are ethical guidelines to ghostwriting, of course (we don’t want to open the door to identity theft or libel), but ghostwriting has also become a common occurrence in self-publishing. Rowe’s article touches on this relationship. Rowe quotes Dan Gerstein:

Second, the explosion of self-publishing options and the rise of disruptive platforms like Wattpad has largely decimated the barriers to entry for a class of authors who could never get published before. These folks look at the amazing success stories of Fifty Grey Shades of Grey and The Martian — both of them self-published — and they understandably say, ‘why not me?’

Why not, indeed? Check out Rowe’s full article for more on ghostwriting.

• New Titles from Self-Publishers: September 2019

While less flashy in title than Rowe’s article, it’s worth reminding readers near and far that Publishers Weekly is in the habit of posting monthly lists of recommended self-published books that hit shelves in the month prior. Each article also includes instructions on how self-published authors can submit their own publications for inclusion. The list of September publications includes some 97 titles, ranging from children’s books to adult nonfiction and beyond. Well worth a glance if you’re looking for reading material, and well worth a glance if you’re looking to get your own name out there, too!

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.