Tag: Self-publishing

Finish Writing Your Novel Now!

The most overlooked step in the novel writing process (and why you shouldn’t skip it)

Mandy Webster

You’ve done the hard part—you wrote and published your novel—but unless you know how to sell it, your story might never reach the readers it deserves. This post kicks off a new blog series on the sixth and final step of the novel writing process: selling your book. Whether you’ve chosen the independent route or you’re still weighing your publishing options, understanding how books reach readers is a crucial part of your author journey.

Handselling your books at book festivals and vendor fairs is one of the most effective ways to find your readers.

In previous posts, I’ve covered everything from brainstorming and drafting to revision and publishing. I’ve also discussed the pros and cons of both traditional and independent publishing. But when it comes to book sales, the reality is this: traditional publishing handles much of the marketing behind the scenes (and how much promotion your book receives can vary widely). Since I don’t have firsthand experience with traditional publishing—and because those strategies are often dictated by the publisher—this series will focus on what I do know from experience: selling an independently published novel.

Continue reading “The most overlooked step in the novel writing process (and why you shouldn’t skip it)” →
Finish Writing Your Novel Now!

How to set prices and earn royalties on your independently published novel

Mandy Webster

Setting the right price for your independently published novel is crucial to maximizing your earnings while ensuring your book remains competitive in the market. The price you choose not only affects your royalties but also influences readers’ perceptions of your book’s value. Here’s how to make strategic pricing decisions and understand how royalties work.

An effective book pricing strategy will keep your novel affordable without devaluing your work.

Royalties are the payments you receive for each copy of your book sold. Unlike traditional publishing, where authors typically receive a small percentage of sales (usually 5-15%), independent authors keep a much larger share of their earnings—often 35-70% for ebooks and 40-60% for print books, depending on the publishing platform and pricing model. However, royalties are calculated after subtracting production costs, platform fees, and any distributor cuts.

Continue reading “How to set prices and earn royalties on your independently published novel” →
Finish Writing Your Novel Now!

What are the benefits of independent publishing?

Mandy Webster

Independent publishing has revolutionized the way stories reach readers. Once seen as a last resort for authors, it’s now a legitimate and empowering option that offers distinct advantages over traditional publishing. For writers seeking creative control, faster timelines, and a direct connection to their audience, independent publishing can be a game-changer.

In this series, we’ve reviewed the planning, writing, evaluating, and revising steps of the novel writing process. Now it’s time to publish your novel!

One of the greatest benefits of independent publishing is creative control. As an independent author, you retain full authority over every aspect of your book—from the story and title to the cover design and marketing strategy. This freedom allows you to create a product that reflects your unique vision, without the need to compromise to meet the demands of a publishing house.

Continue reading “What are the benefits of independent publishing?” →
eBooks, Publishing

How to expand your audience with Smashwords

Mandy Webster

Like many indie publishers, I began my publishing journey with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Since learning to publish an eBook was more than enough knowledge to digest on its own without learning to publish on multiple platforms at once, I decided to stick with KDP for a while until I had a better idea of what I was doing. However, with the launch of my latest book project, I decided it was time to finally expand beyond Kindle and Nook and learn how to use Smashwords.

Capture

The leap from Kindle to Nook eBook publishing was a no-brainer. I wanted my print books to be available in brick and mortar bookstores like Barnes and Noble, and I wanted my B&N customers to also be able to access my books on their eReaders. But I knew there was still a vast audience that had no access to my books. Continue reading “How to expand your audience with Smashwords” →

Publishing

KDP publishing lesson: Convert your Word document to a webpage prior to publishing

Mandy Webster

Word document to web page conversion
Here’s a screen shot of me converting my Word document to a “web page.” Click the image to “enlargen.” (Yes, this is me making up new words again. I’m a writer. It’s what I do.)

They say you learn something new every day, and I tend to agree. Today, I learned something new that is worth sharing with anyone who is considering publishing their own work via Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

If you have ever published an eBook via KDP, you are probably familiar with that moment of frustration you experience when you realize that the Word document you so carefully edited and formatted has not rendered properly in Kindle format.

When I published my poetry collection last year, I spent hours flipping back and forth between my original Word document and the converted Kindle file, fixing one formatting error after another. I then had to re-publish the book with the new, updated version of my Word document. I am still not happy with the results, but I eventually just got sick of messing with it! Continue reading “KDP publishing lesson: Convert your Word document to a webpage prior to publishing” →

eBooks, Mount Mary College, Publishing

The self-publishing bug is back

Mandy Webster

English: A Picture of a eBook Español: Foto de...
English: A Picture of a eBook Español: Foto de eBook Беларуская: Фотаздымак электроннай кнігі Русский: Фотография электронной книги (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since I published my very first ebook last year, I kind of have the self-publishing bug. I can’t wait to finish my first novel and get it out there where people can read it! The only problem is, each of my novel projects are months (at minimum) from being publishable. I suppose that’s what happens when you allow yourself to start multiple projects rather than finishing one before starting the next.

One of my writing goals for 2014 was to begin to publish at least one ebook every year. My goal for 2015 is to focus on one writing project and finish it so I can publish it in 2016. But that doesn’t help me meet my 2014 goal, does it? I can’t really say I’ve met that goal if I only did it one year in a row, now can I? Continue reading “The self-publishing bug is back” →

Novel Writing

You need to write a cheap, crappy novel. No, seriously. I mean it.

Mandy Webster

English: penulis = writer
Writers write. It’s that simple. | English: penulis = writer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lately, I have been feeling hopelessly stuck on the *Great American Novel* I have been writing for the past year. I wasn’t getting anywhere, and I wasn’t writing much of anything. I was feeling like I should stop referring to myself as a writer since I wasn’t writing anything. Then I decided to take a break from my *real* novel and knock out a cheap piece of crud just for the fun of it. I needed to write SOMETHING.

And so, I spit out a 16 chapter teen/dystopian story in 16 days and called it a finished first draft. As I mentioned in a previous post, it’s only 22,935 words, so it’s full of holes and pretty crappy. But I think I can pound it into something worth reading at the beach. It may not be the Great American Novel, but it feels like a win to me. Continue reading “You need to write a cheap, crappy novel. No, seriously. I mean it.” →