What are the five reasons for being an indie author?
When you are a self-publishing author, you have the opportunity to make your own schedule and be your own boss. I love the flexibility of writing and publishing something on my terms. As a self-published, or Indie author, you have creative control over the publishing and marketing of your book too. So, what are my…
As a self-published, or Indie author, you have creative control over the publishing and marketing of your book. I would like to share with you why I prefer being a self-published author…
Five Reasons for Being An Indie Author?
1. Price your own book
How do you decide on book pricing? Publishers price books to get the money back that they put into them. As an Indie author, you can price your book competitively. You can offer special limited time discounts as well. When you have control over the pricing you can better market your book to the right readers. Flexibility and control are key.
2. Market your book
Surprisingly, most publishers offer minimal to no marketing with a book contract. The marketing budget is used for only a few authors. When you are in charge of marketing your own book, you put in the effort to become an expert in marketing your book because you are motivated to sell it.
This means that you will have to put the energy in on your part. But, because you are your own boss, you can make decisions as to what you want to happen with your published book. This is especially helpful on Amazon where you can have control over the categories and keywords used for your book.
3. Update your book easily
Change is a good thing. And if you want to make changes to your published book, you can update an e-book and print book easily. Most publishers require that you sell a certain number of books before you can offer a revised version. But Indie authors can make minor changes or even more substantial changes if needed. This is especially helpful if you write non-fiction so that you can make changes to stay current on your topic.
4. Reach New Readers
Technology allows us to do so much more today. And getting a book to people globally is now possible. Just as you can work from anywhere and write down your ideas easily, you can self-publish your book and make it available to those who would love to read it.
5. Offers New Opportunities
For me being an indie or self-published author has changed my life. I have met incredible people both authors and clients. I learned a skill I never had. My life went from being unfocused to one of direction!
I believe this has been my biggest love of being a self-published author….gaining new opportunities that I never dreamed of.
It’s important to have a good product to sell. And when you have a good product, meaning a book you created, and have control over that product, you can really put together your business at a pace that’s right for you. And you are not alone in your journey. Many other self-published authors can offer advice and guidance through books, forums, and blogs! These Five Reasons for Being an Indie Author will help you get there.
Are you ready to begin your journey to get your dream book into print? How about scheduling a clarity call with me and I will help you get started no matter what stage you are in with your creation!
Wendy Van de Poll is a twelve-time best-selling author on Amazon. She works with authors on all aspects of self-publishing. The genre’s she writes in are pet loss, children’s picture books, human-animal bond, and cozy mysteries. You can reach her to talk about your new project. You can also visit me at Center for Pet Loss Grief
