Tag: publishing

The Five Stages of Indie Author Development

growthIndie writers go through a growth arc as they learn and apply new skills in their writing and in the many other aspects of book production. We don’t have the luxury of passing a manuscript off to Emily, the bright-faced publishing house intern, who will take it from there. Being independent means being responsible and engaged with every aspect of  book production.

Nobody comes out of the birth canal with all the requisite skills and knowledge. We each have to learn the intricacies of the business for ourselves, and this can be challenging. Fortunately, the indie author community is remarkably good about sharing information. It is a rare thing indeed to run into an indie author who is not willing to talk (sometimes at great length) about tips, tricks, scams, strategies, or shortcuts they have learned along the way.

I like to think Indies Unlimited is also a great help to indie authors. This site has a tremendous repository of information available at no cost whatsoever. We also have a few handy reference books available at pretty reasonable prices (ahem). Continue reading “The Five Stages of Indie Author Development”

New Publishing Should Not Emulate Old Publishing

The independent publishing movement is maturing at an astonishing rate. Everything is still evolving and changing daily, but anyone who is paying attention can see we look a whole lot different than when we started.

Indie books are getting better. The product is more finished and professional than a few years ago. Covers are better. Writing is better. There are more success stories each year. The communities are stronger, and we are fighting our way through the learning curve.

Part of what holds us back is the impulse to emulate the old model of publishing to achieve the old standard of success. On some level, we know that big ink was never what it pretended to be. Too much has come out about how the dead tree empires twisted and manipulated sales figures to include pre-orders of books that were ultimately returned after “bestseller” status was achieved. We know about the hollow victories claimed by pay-to-play award winners, and the phony review buzz.  In spite of all their moaning about worthless, unreadable drek, we know big ink cares little about literary virtue where profit is concerned.

On some level, we yearn for what never really was. We want what we thought big publishing was. Some of us want it so badly, we try to create indie versions of it. The problem is, it doesn’t work and it never can. Continue reading “New Publishing Should Not Emulate Old Publishing”

Indie Publishing Platforms: Xin Xii

Somewhere around December of 2011, I discovered the eBook site Xin Xii. Not sure where, maybe it was Facebook. I decided what the heck; I’ll post a few of my short stories up there and see what happens. I’d never heard of the site, and frankly, I’m not even sure how to pronounce the name. Maybe like “Zin Zii” or “Hin Hii”- who knows! Anyone want to take a stab at that?

I believe they’re based in Germany. Because of that, if you want to publish with them I highly recommend reading the Xin Xii FAQ page. It will answer questions you might have about a foreign business and their practices. Continue reading “Indie Publishing Platforms: Xin Xii”

First Impressions

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” – Someone.

Evidently, this is another of those bits of wisdom that has no clear origin. The quote is often attributed or misattributed to the usual suspects for witty one-liners: Mark Twain, Will Rogers, Oscar Wilde, etc. Another claim is made that a Madison Avenue ad agency came up with it as part of a campaign for Brooks Brothers suits.

Authorship aside, this quip has worked its way into axiomatic status. People accept the wisdom of the words without question. On superficial examination (which is the most scrutiny the majority of people are willing to give) it just makes sense. It’s sort of like There is no “I” in TEAM.

As authors, we are admonished to make certain we have done all we can do to make our work shine before hitting the big red PUBLISH button. After all, if your book is deficient, you’ll be making a bad first impression. Your reputation will forever bear the stain of this disgrace and people will forever associate your name with an inferior product. Continue reading “First Impressions”