Book hoarders – chances are we know someone who hoards books, or we “are” someone who hoards books. Some people just want to read ALL the things whether they realistically have the time or not. When it comes to physical paper books, book hoarders are often limited in their mania by space or money, but there’s a new type of book hoarder – the digital-book hoarder.
A couple of years ago, when I was still considering getting Torn Apart traditionally published, I submitted my manuscript to every agent and publishing house I could find that I thought would even remotely be interested in my book. To my surprise and delight, I was actually offered a publishing contract from a small publishing house. But after reviewing their contract, asking many questions, and some careful consideration on my part, I declined their offer. Why? Who would turn down an offer to be published?
Well, the thing is, Small/Indie Publishing isn’t quite the same as Traditional Publishing. Don’t get me wrong, many are great, and most can do a lot to help an author start their career, but they can’t do everything that traditional publishing houses can, and they’re not right for every author. So what are the differences, and is Indy publishing right for you?
It’s no secret that most writers are starving artists. There are few who have won the best-seller Lottery and can afford to live on their royalties alone. Most of us struggle just to afford the up-front expenses involved in being a writer. Arguably in today’s modern world of self-publishing, you can do a great many things for free, but not everything. If you want a leg-up in the publishing world, you’re going to have to drop some coin, even if you’re a small-time self-published Indy author – there will be expenses. What expenses? How much?
Well, here’s the truth of how much it really costs to be a writer.
All right, you just published your first novel. Now to sit back and rake in all those sweet, sweet royalties.
Oh, wait, yeah, there’s not a whole lot of that, is there? Not if you’re a first-time or indie author unless you win the Lottery, as I’ve discussed in one of my previous posts. The truth is most writers (even the traditionally published) cannot make a living from their writing. Most writers can barely recoup their marketing, editing, and other writing-related costs. So what are you going to do with your first book? Well, the best thing you can do is give it away for free.