Welcome to the Stormview Mountain Press blog series on the secrets of indie publishing, This is the first article of a series in which our blog writers will discuss some of the biggest problems and solutions in getting your book to market. Notice that I said, getting it to market and not marketing and selling - there's a big distinction between the two.
First, as a creative or nonfiction writer the part you like best and focus on most is...writing. Once your book is finished, the struggle to publish it begins. And boy, does it. If you're an independent author, you aren't handing it off to an editor or literary agent. instead, you're grabbing another hat and tackling the task of formatting your manuscript for print.
Okay. I get i t- you just fell into a ditch.
Yes, there are an abundance of helpful articles, word processing apps and YouTube tutorials available, but let's face it- this isn't your wheelhouse. The Stormview team is a cadre of writers, authors, poets and playwrights who banded together to solve these issues. Some of us were developmental editors, and others were IT professionals in a past life. All of us at some point were stumped by the process, and ready to throw in the towel.
In order to solve a problem, you first have to identify it. Before revealing our solutions, let's discuss the challenges. Here are a series of questions we posed to our Writer's Guild founding members.
What have been the biggest challenges and/or headaches involved in getting your book formatted, uploaded and published at major online retailers?
What annoyed you the most about the process?
What element of "bringing your book to market" was the most frustrating?
How long did it take to solve these problems? What delayed you the most?
What word processing app do you prefer using?
Are you aware of the algorithm Amazon (and others) use to rank your book on their best seller list, and how it works?
Did you know that category and keyword search terms are very competitive for all online book retailers?
Do you know how potential readers choose books to purchase?
Do you know how to obtain reviews which meet online book retailer requirements?
Are you aware of AI search terms in your book description that can be used as a marketing advantage?
How would you describe the overall experience of formatting, uploading and publishing your finished manuscript online?
Now that we've captured your interest, let's allow it to simmer in the sauce for a while. Like a good suspense novel, we want to drum up the tension before revealing our secrets to indie publishing success. Keep your eyes open for "Secrets of Indie Publishing - Part 2."
Meanwhile if you want to take the poll, join in!
What are the barriers to your publishing?
Formatting a manuscript appropriately
I struggle with finding a good cover
A good editor
Choosing the right categories and keywords
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