Opening Doors E-Book

Alliance of Independent Authors

• Herausgeber: Font Publications
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: Campaign Guides
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 138

Beschreibung

Opening Doors is ALLi's best practice guide to the publishing industry for indie authors. From entering awards and joining literary associations, to approaching festivals, bookshops and making the most of your publication rights, this proactive book is full of tips, insights and inspiring case studies.

This guidebook is part of ALLi's ongoing Open Up to Indie Authors campaign to encourage and aid literary events, festivals, prizes, reviewers, booksellers, government bodies, and other interested parties to find ways to include self-publishing authors in their programs, events, listings and reviews.

Leseprobe

GLOSSARY

Author: A published writer of books.

Self-Published Author Any author who has published a book at their own expense. Self-publishers range from those publishing a one-off book for family, friends or business reasons to highly entrepreneurial indie authors.

Indie Author: an author with an independent mindset, who acts as the creative director of their book projects and writing business. Most self-publish books in up to three formats (e-book, audiobook and print-on-demand), while selectively licensing publishing rights.

Authorpreneur: An author who makes a living from writing and publishing their own books and related products and projects, through a variety of possible business models. (ALLi has a special membership category for such writers).

Author–Publisher: An author who self-publishes for profit. May also publish other authors.

Self-Publishing Services (Also called Author Services): Service used by authors to publish their books, across the seven stages of the publishing process: editorial, design, production, distribution, marketing, promotion and rights licensing. Some full-package services handle all publishing processes. Services are vetted by ALLi and invited to become partner members if they align with our Partner Code of Standards. Payment to services can take the form of upfront fees or a commission percentage split between author and service (often wrongly called a “royalty”).

Trade Publisher: A third-party publisher that licenses publishing rights from authors and funds and manages the publishing process, in return for a large percentage of revenue (also sometimes called legacy or traditional publishing).

Independent (Indie) Press or Publisher: A small trade publisher that, like the big conglomerates, commissions manuscripts from authors and publishes at the company’s expense, not the author’s. It may or may not be run by authors, who also use the firm to self-publish.

Hybrid Publisher: A hybrid publisher provides a mix of trade-publishing and self-publishing services in the same contract. Hybrid publishers have very varied business models, methods of working with writers, and approaches to marketing and distribution, but all curate the books they help to publish. Many also offer physical bookstore distribution. Although there are ethical and reputable hybrid publishers, there are many more substandard services that have turned to a hybrid publishing model, sometimes as a means of camouflaging exploitative vanity press operations.

ABOUT ALLI

ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors, is the global association for self-publishing indie authors.

Join us for reliable advice and advocacy,

discounts, free guidebooks and resources, member forums, contract review, motivation, education and support from a wonderful indie author community.

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Copyright © 2022 Alliance of Independent Authors

The authors’ moral rights have been asserted.

All rights reserved.

Font Publications is the publishing imprint for Orna Ross’s fiction and poetry, the Go Creative! books and planners, and the Alliance of Independent Authors publishing guides.

All Enquiries: [email protected]

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OPENING DOORS

ALLi’s Guide to the Publishing Industry for Indie Authors

E-Book: 978-1-909888-65-4

Paperback: 978-1-913349-17-2

Large Print: 978-1-913349-18-9

Hardback: 978-1-913349-19-6

Audio: 978-1-913349-20-2

Created with Vellum

OPENING DOORS

ALLI’S GUIDE TO THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY FOR INDIE AUTHORS

CAMPAIGN GUIDES

BOOK 1

ALLIANCE OF INDEPENDENT AUTHORS

ORNA A. ROSS

CONTENTS

Introduction

I. Twenty-First Century Publishing

1. Your Publishing Goals

2. Professional Presentation

II. Opening Doors for Indie Authors

3. Bookshops and Other Retailers

4. Libraries

5. Commissions, Residencies, Fellowships and Grants

6. Festivals and Events

7. Reviews, Reviewers and Book Blogs

8. Awards and Prizes

9. Associations and Societies

10. Trade Publishers and Agents

Afterword

Your Next Step

Other Guides

INTRODUCTION

SELF-PUBLISHING TODAY

No matter how a book is published, every author seeks readers, and there are many ways of reaching them:

retailersreviewerslibrariesfestivalsawardsprofessional associationsword of mouth recommendation

It seems reasonable that books of equal quality should be treated on equal terms in all these spheres, no matter how they have been published. It is, therefore, frustrating and disappointing when self-published authors who have produced top-quality books encounter glass ceilings, closed doors or dead ends simply because they have the skill to manage their own book production and promotion.

The fault is not all on the side of the establishment. Among certain self-published authors there exists an assumption that simply publishing a book gives them de facto equal rights in the marketplace with trade published bestsellers, an assumption that is not realistic for those who have produced a poor quality book.

Savvy indie authors understand that they are operating within an industry which has its own needs, and behave accordingly.

When approaching the publishing trade or literary influencers like librarians, festivals or reviewers, indie authors can do much to help their own cause. First, we should be open-minded about their prospects and not assume prejudice before we meet it. It may not happen.

We also need to be realistic. Publishing is a skill developed over time and, as publishers, we need to learn how the book trade and its associated operations work.

We are unlikely to have the length and breadth of experience enjoyed by traditional publishing companies, some of which are hundreds of years old and have dealt with hundreds of authors. For example, if we are familiar with retailers’ standard expectations for trade discounts but are unwilling to meet them, we should not feel hard done by if our local bookshop refuses to stock our books. With realistic expectations, we’ll meet less disappointment.

Equally, the publishing trade and literary establishment needs to recognize and respect the high quality of books now being self-published and the undeniable achievements of independent authors.

It’s one thing for a book to be rejected by a literary organization because it is not good enough, with a shoddy cover or content. To have it rejected because it lacks a publishing imprint’s name on its spine, even though it’s a match for a trade published books in every other respect, feels uncomfortably like snobbery or literary prejudice—especially when it’s a blanket ban.

Indie Author Achievements

Here are just a few of the many achievements by self-publishers, showing just how successful indie authors have been within the publishing industry, as well as the wonderful opportunities open to writers who want to emulate their successes.

Reach

Indie authors today can self-publish in almost two hundred countries around the globe, in formats including hardback, paperback, eBooks and audiobooks. Thanks to Print on Demand (POD) technology, physical books can be printed and distributed one at a time, allowing books to be kept permanently ‘in print’ with little storage space required.

Sales

Books by indie authors account for 30-34% of all e-book sales in the largest English-language markets, as reported in Publishers Weekly. In 2020 8% of Alliance of Independent Authors members had sold more than 50,000 books in the past two years.

Indie authors have comfortably exceeded six-figure turnovers, including Joanna Penn, Ines Johnson, Joseph Alexander, Helen Scheuerer, Hugh Howey, Elana Johnson, DC Kalbach and Octavia Randolph. Author LJ Ross sold 5.5million copies of her books in 5 years and in 2022 Amazon reported that her DCI Ryan Mysteries were the second bestselling series of all time, ahead of Harry Potter. Mark Dawson has a seven-figure turnover from his books and has sold film and TV rights. Because indie authors make up to 70% commissions from sales rather than traditional 5-15% royalties (minus the 15% which goes to their agent), for those authors prepared to merge artistic and business skills there is far greater scope for making a real income from their writing than has previously been the case.

In 2019 Amazon’s review of Kindle sales said that ‘thousands’ of indie authors had earned more than $50,000 and that ‘more than a thousand’ had already passed $100,000 in royalties.

Recognition

Indie authors have made the USA Today bestseller list, won literary awards, achieved MAs and PhDs in Creative Writing, as well as taking up paid positions as Writers in Residence in prestigious organisations such as the British Library. The Martian, a sci-fi thriller first self-published by Andy Weir, was turned into a movie directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon, which grossed over $630m. Amazon created the Kindle Storyteller Award, whose £20,000 prize fund is larger than the Pulitzer and similar to the Costa.

In 2022 data from K-Lytics has shown that indie authors not only rank equally to traditionally published authors for quality of reviews, but also take home 39% of Kindle royalties in 30 top-100 Bestseller lists (Big 5 Publishers take 32%, Amazon imprints 15% and other traditional publishers take 8%). And in terms of author income, traditionally published authors are then receiving only 5-10% of those royalties compared to the up to 70% received by indie authors.

None of this data accounts for the fastest growing sector of publishing: the creator economy. This is where consumers (in our case readers) buy products and services (for us books but also premium products, reader memberships, merchandise, NFTs and more) directly from the creative, usually online through their own website or app.

The Bookseller Magazine has repeatedly named Orna Ross, founder and co-director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, as one of the 100 top people in publishing, acknowledging the growing importance of self-publishing within the industry.

Representation

A study by FicShelf found that women wrote just 39% of traditionally published titles, but 67% of self-published titles. Multiple indie authors from under-represented groups or even genres have referred to self-publishing having been a positive path for them, including Latinx author Maria E Cantu Alegre and Indian-Canadian Rupi Kaur, who sold 8 million copies of her first two poetry books. Fatal Shadows by Josh Lanyon became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Choose Your Story. The rise of, and accessibility to, self-publishing, has allowed many people who might not otherwise have been published to self-publish their work, opening up to a far greater diversity of voices.

Open Up: The Campaign

We hope ALLi’s Open Up to Indie Authors campaign will help other members of the book trade make informed rather than prejudiced judgments. We want to encourage and aid literary events, festivals, prizes, reviewers, booksellers, government bodies, and other organisations to find ways to include self-publishing authors in their programs, events, listings and reviews.

We also work with those organisations who already welcome indie authors to offer simple guidelines and suggestions on how to meet such writers' needs, for their benefit and yours.

And in this guide, we explain best practice in approaching different literary and publishing organizations, institutions and influencers, within today’s publishing ecosystem and creator economy.

The creator economy is the term given to that section of the economy where consumers directly fund the work of artists, musicians, film-makers and, yes, authors. Sam Yam, the co-founder of Patreon, a pioneer of the creator economy, describes it as: “value directly exchanged for creativity.”

It’s about personal, meaningful connections between creator and consumers (in our case, readers) and centers on direct transactions between them.

As other sectors struggle and fail post-pandemic, this sector is booming. At the time of writing, creator-run enterprises are now the fastest-growing type of small business in many countries, across the world. Like music, art and film, publishing is being turned on its head by this trend as more and more readers come to appreciate opportunities to directly engage with, and buy from, the authors they love.

New publishing platforms, new literary forms, and new genres are emerging, springing up from the needs of readers and response of authors, rather than top-down from a curating literary establishment. As authors, we can bring these together in an enterprise based on the understanding that we are creating, producing, promoting, and licensing valuable IP.

This new model is about questioning how things are currently done and doing what works for you—using other influencers, platforms, people and organization to help you meet your goals.

The recent astounding success of Brandon Sanderson’s Kickstarter offers a large-scale image of the future of the creative economy for authors. This crowdfunding campaign was made possible by Sanderson’s close connection with his fans, built over time, as well as a previous Kickstarter campaign where he learnt how to best use the platform.

With that learning he place, he took a campaign directly to his keenest readers on his platform of choice and raised a record-breaking $41m. In time, he can also put them out on other platforms (including his own website if he chooses), to continue sales for many decades to come.

This example is given to inspire (not scare) you. Do not feel that you are “late to the party”. It is never too late to join in, to learn from early adopters and explore new ways of publishing. Our creative and commercial opportunities are many and it’s time for us to explore them more fully.

Go beyond Amazon bestseller charts and understand the many formats, territories, languages, and other subsidiary rights you can leverage to create multiple streams of income in a successful self-publishing business. Consider scalability and longevity, not just your bottom line this month or this year (your IP can keep making money 70 years after your death, see our ALLi member handbook on estate planning. It’s available to purchase or free for ALLi members.).

Do what suits you, not the publishers or the big tech platforms. Use them as discovery vehicles but never forget that the core relationship in a book is between reader and writer.

Opening Up to Indie Authors Campaign

As an author, you can help us with this campaign. The campaign (found on social media with the hashtag #PublishingOpenUp) has a very simple aim: to remove discrimination against self-published books. If you support the aims of this campaign, you can at AllianceIndependentAuthors.org/Outia.

Use this guide to better understand industry standards and expectations so you can approach organizations in a way most likely to meet success.

By using the guidance within you will reach new readers – and in so doing, further the cause of the self-publishing sector as a whole. Every marketing and promotional activity you undertake with literary and publishing influencers not only helps sell your books, but also helps persuade the reading public—and the publishing establishment—of the quality and value of self-published work. At this point in the development of the self-publishing sector, every indie author is an ambassador.

So go for it! Engage with your local media, reach out to book groups, connect with your neighborhood libraries, bookstores and festivals. Seek new and creative methods of writing, publishing, and promotion. And share your achievements wherever you can, online and off.

At ALLi, we look forward to the day when this campaign, and this guide, will no longer be necessary.

Orna Ross

London 2022

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PARTI

TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY PUBLISHING

1

YOUR PUBLISHING GOALS

A good place to start when approaching self-publishing influencers and curators is to ask: what are your goals in publishing this book?

Responses fall into three categories, all equally valid, but each of which require a different approach. Each has its own focus, its own creative reason for being and, as a result, a different audience and expectations.

Self-Publishing as a Means of Self-Expression

Into this category would be books such as your memoir, so that you can better share your life history with your family and those who know you, or a family cookbook so that precious memories and recipes are not lost. A picture book for your children to immortalise a story you used to tell them at bedtime. An item on your ‘bucket list’, such as a woman who wanted to write a novel as part of her celebration of turning fifty. An exciting anthology for a group or school or FE college, where those who wish to share their ideas and stories can find a concrete outlet and take pride in their accomplishment.

Self-publishing is fantastic for self-expression. It enables us to create a precious record of something we wanted to express in a durable form and to easily share it within our own circle. These books are a joy to the writers and those around them, but they are not intended as the start of a writing career or publishing business.

There are also those writers who have not interest in forging a career or a business. What they want is the freedom to explore, challenge and reshape artistic boundaries. Self-publishing gives them the creative control they need to do this and reach those niche readers who value what they do.

“Self-publishing gives me the freedom to do what I love and to push at any boundary I want with no considerations other than the writing,” says Dan Holloway, ALLi’s news editor.