Prerequisites For Successful Self-Publishing including defining what success means for you, understanding your niche, target market, comparison authors, and researching your niche. The characteristics of successful self-publishers. How to counteract the charge of bad quality self published books by hiring pro editors and cover designers. Write more books. http://www.TheCreativePenn.com/blueprint/

1. Prerequisites of successful
self-publishing
www.TheCreativePenn.com

2. 2
You have
permission to
write whatever
you like.
!
As an indie, you
can publish
whatever you
like.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billsophoto/5243121852/

3. 3
What is your goal? What is your
definition of success?
!
* I want to be on every Waterstones shelf in the
country
* It’s my life goal to write a book
!
* Make money
!
* Win a literary prize
!
* Change careers to full-time writer
* Reach readers
!
What you decide will shape the book you
write, how you publish and market.

4. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/
SB10001424052702303640604579298604044404682
He churns out 7,000 to 10,000 words a day
and often works from eight in the morning
until midnight. He spends many of those
hours on a treadmill desk, clocking eight to
10 miles.
He says he has sold more than 435,000 copies of his books, at around $5 to
$6 each, and under Amazon's self-publishing program, he keeps 70%.
He signed a deal to co-write thrillers with the blockbuster novelist Clive
Cussler. Their first book, a collaboration that will be published under both authors'
names, is due out this fall. Mr. Cussler's agent, Peter Lampack, said he was
impressed by the "narrative flow" and dense action in Mr. Blake's books.
He is currently ranked No. 6 on Amazon's list of top-selling action and
adventure writers, behind Mr. Cussler, Tom Clancy and Dan Brown.

5. The publishing industry has never been so
sharply divided. In the week when the
erotica writer Sylvia Day signed a staggering
eight-figure two-book deal with St Martin's
Press, a survey reveals that 54% of
traditionally-published authors and almost
80% of go-it-alone writers are making less
than $1,000 (£600) a year.

6. http://indiereader.com/2013/10/understanding-self-publishing-in-
five-books/
Hugh Howey made over $1m from self-pub sales, then
sold print-only rights to Simon & Schuster
Originally self-published novel wins
PEN/Robert W. Bingham prize
26 Dec 2013 - 150 Kindle Direct
Publishing authors each sold more than
100,000 copies of their books in 2013.
Top sellers this year include “Hopeless” by
Colleen Hoover and “Wait for Me” by
Elisabeth Naughton.

7. 7
$95 million
What is your
definition of
success?
!
What do you want
for your book?
!
What do you want
for your writing
career?

8. h#p://www.flickr.com/photos/87765855@N00/3105128025/
What is your definition
of success?
For this book, and for
your writing career. !
Be specific. !
!
!
!

9. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alohateam/4454430285/
Understand your niche

10. h#p://www.flickr.com/photos/ozyman/443545349/
Who is the target
market for your book?

11. 11
Who are your comparison authors?
* Know your book and your
audience.
!
* Read widely & deeply in your
genre
* Do extensive research on ‘comps’.
What other authors do your readers
like? Will help you with genre &
marketing
* Understand the expectations of
the reader & make them happy
!
* Target review bloggers who like
those books

12. h#p://www.flickr.com/photos/nickwheeleroz/2220008689/
The same, but different

13. 13
Research your niche on Amazon
* What do other books look
like that are selling/ ranking
well in your niche? (cover
design & title)
!
* What are the expectations
of the audience for these
types of books?
!
* What categories could I
use?
!
* What are other authors
doing for marketing?

14. h#p://www.flickr.com/photos/87765855@N00/3105128025/
!
!
Who are your target
market?!
Which authors / books are
your 3-5 comparisons?!
What category/genre
does your book fit into?!
!
!
!

15. First
draft
Rewrites
& editing
Production:
print
Production:
ebook
Distribution
& Sales
Marketing
* craft/
writing
classes for
fiction &
non-fiction
* craft/
self-editing
* pro structural edits
* pro line edits
* pro proof-readers
* pro cover design
p&e
* pro interior print
design
* ebook formatting
* how to use self-pub &
DIY services
* ebook
distribution service
* print distribution
service
* Basics of
marketing
* Advanced
marketing
* Marketing
services
Psychology, Mindset & Business
Learn
Buy

16. 16
Characteristics of successful self-publishers
* Positive, pro-active
* Not afraid to experiment, risk and
play. Get knocked down and get up
again, resilient
* Hardworking over the long-term
* Entrepreneurial, financially savvy and
project management approach, making
decisions on research, not emotion
* Collaborative and supportive
* Understand writing is just the start.
You need publishing AND marketing
http://janefriedman.com/2013/05/17/should-you-self-publish/

17. Biggest criticism of indie authors
=> Lack of quality control
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/
36/107035396_fd69301a3c_m.jpg

18. Use professionals (just like trad pub!)
* Use professional
freelance editors
!
* Use professional
freelance cover designers
!
* Use professional services
if you want
(BUT beware of the over-
pricers & scams)

19. “Books
aren’t
wri/en
–
they’re
rewri/en”
!
!
!
Michael
Crichton
h#p://www.flickr.com/photos/klytemestra/101561441/

20. Thomas
Hardy
!
Marked
up
copy
of:
!
‘Tess
of
the
D’Urbevilles’
!
Great
English
literature

21. 21
First draft = a coherent end
to end read.
!
Self-edits & rewrites.Adding
scenes, cutting words. Cut
10% at least.
!
Structural edit
Beta readers
Rewrites
!
Copyedit, Proof-read
Final manuscript.
!
!http://www.thecreativepenn.com/editors/

22. Do your research. Read other
authors experiences.
www.allianceindependentauthors.org
www.jakonrath.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/04/06/paid-promotion/
www.lindsayburoker.com

23. 23
Write more books
* Most authors need 5+
books before they build
enough of an audience to
make a decent living
!
* More digital shelf space,
more chance of discovery,
more reader word-of-mouth
!
* More fans, wanting more
product
!
* Better craft & better niche &
better list

24. “Talent
is
cheaper
than
table
salt.
What
separates
the
talented
individual
from
the
successful
one
is
a
lot
of
hard
work”
Stephen
King,
‘On
WriZng’
h#p://www.flickr.com/photos/jvk/63823393/

25. 25
Free 87 page
ebook on !
self-publishing and
book marketing
www.TheCreativePenn.com/blueprint/