How do I know that what I'm writing, or what I'm thinking about writing, is any good? How do I market my books? What price should I set - or should I give my work away for free? Where on earth am I going to get a decent cover from? How do I go about getting into print, or even into ebook format?
These and many similar questions are being faced every day by aspiring Indie writers - published, unpublished, and still thinking about it. This page is where I and others discuss the different answers to these questions. Make no mistake, there are usually several possible answers to every question, and the courageous independent author is the one who has to decide which solution is the best for her, or him.
One: Editing
If you're an Indie writer, especially a relatively new Indie writer, this is for you.
If it's possible to point to a single problem in Indie writing, it's how ridiculously easy it is to publish your work. I'm serious: there are Bad Consequences to easy publishing! Here are a few of them:
- Any fool can publish instantly, and a lot of them do.
- Earnest wannabe authors can publish instantly, and they do. Some of them have talent, many don't. Maybe their families and friends lack the guts to tell them they can't write, maybe they just don't know the difference. I mean, how many people still read these days?
- Con artists and get-rich-quick merchants can publish instantly, and guess what - that's what they're doing, just as fast as they can.
- Potentially good writers can publish the moment they've finished typing 'The End', and a lot of them do. More's the pity, because this is, again potentially, the gold in Indie ore which is buried in the mountain of rubbish.
I'm an Indie writer. Like most of us, I can't afford a professional editing service, or even a professional graphic artist to do a cover for me. Anyone, like me, who has published something self-edited and received honest, constructive feedback on it knows about the invisible errors that creep in and bury themselves in your manuscript. You have to have someone, not family and not a friend, who will read your stuff objectively and pick up the faults that you are just not seeing anymore.
Then there are the bigger and more subtle issues like plot, pace, characterization, logic and syntax. Whoever is doing your editing should, ideally, be able to address all of these. Who on earth are you going to find who can do all this, and do it well, and for nothing?
Nobody. Obviously. At least - no one person, unless you are ridiculously lucky and have an aunt-in-law who happens to be a good professional editor.
What you do have, even if you haven't discovered it yet, is a very, very wide-ranging Indie community of writers and sympathizers of all stripes, most of whom are pretty nice people. They have different gifts and different strengths, and they are interested in every genre out there.
So, I have some suggestions.
First, grab that I-just-can't-wait-to-see-my-wonderful-words-in-(electronic)-print-feeling by the scruff of the neck and stuff it into a box or something, and close the lid. You have to realise that patience is important, and not just in terms of getting your work properly edited and presented: success, even if you're brilliant, is not going to come overnight. Remember how much garbage those eager miners have to sift through to find you in the first place? Then, realise that when they do find you, you do not want them tossing your work aside because it looks like low grade ore. Am I right? So, first make up your mind that you're going to do it right. And be patient.
Second, learn something about editing. The more you can do to help yourself first, the less work you're going to have to ask other people to do, and the more willing they're going to be to help you. Here's a general outline of the editing process which you can follow:
a) Macro / developmental edit: look at plot, structure, flow, characterization and logic.
b) A line by line edit: look at clarity, point of view, consistent tenses, good style.
c) A copy edit or proofing edit: checking for typos, spelling, punctuation, correct word usage. Use a dictionary!
Third, do as much editing as you can yourself. You won't catch everything, but you can certainly improve on where you started from.
Fourth, start joining groups, on the internet and, if there are any where you live, real life groups as well. Groups of readers, writers and critics. Put out some writing for other people to comment on. Use resources like GoodReads groups, Wattpad, blog sites and social media to find others. Look for people who like the same kind of books you do, and who like the genre you are writing in. I mean, duh, don't ask a romance readers group to crit your dystopian SF novel. Take the time to get to know people, make friends. Remember step one, above? Be patient. Put some effort in yourself - help other people, and they will help you.
When you have found some people who you think wouldn't mind being asked, request an edit, a proof-read, a beta-read, whatever. There are, like I said, a lot of nice people in the Indie community who don't mind helping. They just don't like being used.
Fifth, pay serious attention to their constructive criticism. If you get two or three readers saying they're battling with your clarity or syntax, you know what you need to work on, right? Ditto if they tell you your characters are plastic cutouts.
Sixth: In the same way, find graphic artists and illustrators by first establishing a relationship. Unless you have more money than I do, in which case you can just buy or hire what you need. But take the warnings seriously about having a professional standard of cover. You might think it looks good, but get a second, and a third and fourth opinion. And then get a professional anyway, because a potential reader will take one glance at a bad cover and click over to the next book.
Seventh and lastly: Be realistic; you're never going to make any money out of writing as an Indie. Do it for the love of writing, or don't bother. There are easier ways to make money.
Is it worth going to all this trouble? Really? Come back and tell me your answer, just as soon as you publish a properly edited book, and you get your first unsolicited, out-of-the-blue appreciative review!
P.S. Here are some highly recommended books which you might find as useful as I do:
If you're American, I'm sure there are US equivalents for the latter two!
Two: Reviewing
There are some truly terrible reviews out there. And I don't mean just the nasty ones. Yes, there's "Not well written. A light read however" (that was the entire review!), but one is also constantly coming across reviews like this: "Squeeee!!!!!!!!!!! This was the most fantastic, wonderful, amazing book! It was awesome! You have to read it!!!!!" - which tell the reader absolutely nothing except that the reviewer is either a) a friend or relative of the author, or b) incapable of describing what they've just read.
Now I'm far from the best or most exhaustive reviewer out there. You might want to look at Jo Michaels for an example of an expert, consistent and careful reviewer. Still, I think I've learned a little about the art of writing decent reviews.
Why should you, as an Indie writer, worry about how to write reviews?
Well, has it occurred to you that every time you write a review about someone else's book you place another link to yourself on the world wide web? In a nice, non-pushy-selling kind of way? Hmmm?
Good reviews are always appreciated, both by readers and authors. It's worth your while to take the trouble. So, here's the general approach I use:
I make notes right after finishing a book, and even while I'm still reading it: What the focus of my review will be, and any particular issues with the book.
Then I let the book gel for a day or three, allowing myself to view it from a little greater perspective. After that, I start writing the review.
I try to say what the book is about early on: genre, theme, promise, target, length, maybe how much I liked it (although I usually conclude with that).
I ask myself what I need to say about the setting, if anything.
I talk about the main characters: Who they are, how are they developed and described, and how well I related to them. Did they engage me, or otherwise move me - as in, did I really, really, really hate the villain! I ask myself whether the author has taken trouble to sketch in the minor or background characters.
I describe the plot - no spoilers, but I think a situation sketch is useful to help readers decide whether this is a book they would like to read.
I usually say something about the writing style. I'll sum up with how I felt about the book, and how strongly I would recommend it, and why.
If a book is bad, I'll usually send editing suggestions directly to the author rather than putting them in the review. I hate writing a stinking review, and will sometimes rather just not review a book. Not everyone will agree with this, but that's me.
We're all unique individuals, so my reviewing style won't necessarily be your reviewing style. I just want to suggest that it's worth taking some trouble to learn to do a decent review, in your own personal style. Have a look around the reviewers' blogs, follow up when you notice a really well-written review, and pick up whatever good reviewing practices suit you!
Three: Ouch! Reviews
You know the ones I mean. Clearly, the reader hates everyone - or, they just didn't 'get' my book. How could they not love my wonderful story??
So, if you're like me, you curl up in a little ball around the hurt, and maybe have a little cry first. Then you go complain to all your friends about how there are some stupid, mean people out there, for example...
Hold up a bit. Isn't it possible your book could be that little bit more perfect than it already is?
So, okay, do all the coping stuff first, and then when you're feeling better, go back to that nasty review. Look at it objectively. Is it just nasty, or did the reviewer perhaps mention some specifics that they didn't like? Imperfect, or even - gasp! - substandard editing or proofing? You know you're an indie author, you can't afford a professional editor, and maybe your sister or your BFF helped you with the proof-reading. Might this criticism possibly be true?
How you respond in this kind of situation will affect your book in either a good way or a bad one. Are you going to choose to hear, and do something about it, when a reader gives you constructive criticism - even in a nasty, negative review? Or are you going to get all huffy and refuse to change?
Let's say you do nothing. What's the next reader's experience with your book going to be? What's the chance of another negative review?
Let's say you rework the editing and/or proofing. What's the next reader's experience with your book going to be now? What's the chance of a positive review instead?
Maybe it's your characterization that needs work, or your pacing, or your logical consistency. Maybe you've tried writing in a setting you don't know enough about. I've seen all of these mistakes in indie writing (and even some commercially published books!), and many more. But whatever your critics are saying, there may be something worth hearing.
I'm sure you get my point. Take those 'Ouch!' reviews and use them to make your writing better. We're indie authors. We don't have commercial resources. We need all the help we can get, and we have to work that much harder than traditionally published authors to even be seen.
The more perfectly presented, the more perfectly polished your book is, the more readers you're going to impress. And the more readers of indie writing you're going to win, for all of us.
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