I self-published my first ebook (and poorest seller), The Goblin Brothers Adventures, in December of 2010, with The Emperor’s Edge (the start of my most popular series) following soon after. Encrypted (my personal favorite story to date) came along in January. Those two novels and the MG short-story collection were everything I’d written at the time (that I deemed suitable for human consumption), and I chose to self-publish them all instead of playing the agent-hunt game. It didn’t hurt that I’d learned how well some “indie” authors (it wasn’t cool to refer to yourself as self-published anymore) were doing in the Kindle Store. Until that fall, I hadn’t known how easy it was to submit one’s ebooks to the various stores and how one could compete on a level playing field with the traditionally published ebooks.
As you might guess, I didn’t become an overnight bestseller, but I did have some moderate success, largely as a result of playing with advertising and by making a short story free at Barnes & Noble and Smashwords (I didn’t know how to get a free ebook into Amazon at the time). Here are some of my progress-report posts from the last two years, in case you’re curious about my journey thus far:
- Can a “Normal” Author Make a Living E-publishing? (in which I share my sales stats after about five months of self-publishing)
- Self-publishing Adventures: 9 Months and 10,000 Ebooks Later…
- My Self-Publishing Thoughts After 50,000+ Ebook Sales (published in Fall 2012)
For those who don’t want to dig through the old posts, it’s been a fairly steady increase in sales and earnings over the last 24 months, though there’s definitely a cyclical aspect too (new release months, especially for full-length novels, are the highest earning months with the month before a new release typically being lowest). The overall trend, though, has been upward. This is not, I should point out, because I’m selling so many more copies of each book each month (I’m not), but because I’m continuously writing and publishing more titles. Now, two years into this, I have six full-length novels out along with several novellas and short stories. I’m editing Novel #7 now (Decrypted) and plan to publish it next month.
Here are a few notable milestones I’ve reached thus far:
- Quitting the day job — This came about a year ago, though I’d “checked out” of the old job months before. Writing books is just more fun. 😉
- Being approached by traditional publishers — Amazon’s 47North asked about the Emperor’s Edge series last spring (you can see the post where I debated things here, asking for opinions from readers), and a lady at Macmillan suggested an independent project to me a couple of months ago. These offers weren’t quite right for me, but I can see a day when I sign on with a traditional publisher, at least for one series. Like many authors today, I’d be interested in pursuing a hybrid approach, so I can get (one hopes) the best of both worlds. AKA, the increased visibility from a traditionally published book series might help me sell more of my independent titles, muhaha! I’m not looking to rush into things there, though, as the industry is in a state of flux, and I’m enjoying things as they are right now, so I’ve yet to approach an agent or publisher of my own accord.
- 50,000+ ebooks sold (does not include free downloads) — It’s probably more like 60 or 70,000 now, but I’m too
lazybusy in an important, authorial way to tally things up. You can read the 50K-sold post I linked to above for more details, but this has been a nice milestone to reach. There are lots of independent authors who have sold many, many more ebooks, but I think it’s cool to realize we can reach these numbers without being #1 bestsellers on Amazon or writing in one of the super popular genres or having a huge “break out” book. I just keep plugging away and trying to write stories people will enjoy. - Having readers start a fan forum, complete with fan art and fan fiction — Seriously, it’s nice to see earnings increase (after all, that’s what makes it so you can pursue your writing passion for a living, not to mention fund the construction of your evil overlord lair) and get emails from publishers, but this is what it’s all about, people enjoying your work enough to share it with others and even form communities around it. I can’t imagine that getting email from a reader who’s loving your series ever gets old.
As far as e-publishing in general goes, here are a few things I’ve seen over the last two years (that doesn’t sound like a long time, but this industry is changing quickly):
- Other self-published authors coming and going — Some people work harder when their dreams of bestseller-dom aren’t met right away, but others get discouraged and fade away. When I looked at some of the comments on those old posts I was digging up, I saw a lot of names that have since disappeared from my radar, and when I checked their blogs, I found them lacking in recent updates — their amazon author pages were the same way. It’s true that not everybody can “make it” as an author, and poor sales and getting shredded by strangers are certainly ego-withering experiences, but I think you’d be surprised how many success stories are from people who just kept going after others quit.
- Much more competition in the marketplaces — When I got started in December of 2010, I was lamenting that I’d already missed the low-hanging fruit (days when there weren’t many traditionally published ebooks in the Kindle Store, thus leading readers to try indie authors, even those with mediocre blurbs, samples, and cover art). As you can guess, there are many more titles two years later, and a lot of the “tricks” people have exploited to gain visibility at Amazon no longer work. Does that mean you can’t make it if you start today? Of course not, but you have to be prepared for a long, slow climb, not a meteoric burst onto the scene (don’t feel bad — I never got the meteoric burst either).
- The end of the one-hit wonder — Oh, I imagine there’ll still be a few exceptions, but most people aren’t getting anywhere with one book anymore. There’s nothing wrong with publishing a single title, but if you want to make an income from this, you need to think in terms of a writing career. You publish a book, market it, collect the emails of those who liked it, publish another book, market it, collect more readers, etc. etc. etc. It might take ten or twenty books before you have enough fans to turn your latest release into a bestseller (if that point even comes), but if you get there like this, you’ve got staying power. Many of the one-hit wonders who were topping the charts when I got started aren’t getting any traction with their new releases today. Why? Because they didn’t follow a path that allowed them to gradually accumulate more and more fans (i.e. didn’t collect email addresses, Facebook likes, Twitter followers, etc.; bounced around in different genres; waited too long to publish new titles, etc. etc. etc.). Today, for those who want to make a career as an indie, it’s about writing lots of entertaining stories, thinking like a publisher instead of an artist, and being patient.
Now, I have editing to get back to, but those are my random thoughts on this Monday afternoon. If you have any comments or questions on my journey or where I think things are going (or, you know, what my favorite color is), feel free to leave them below. As always, thanks for reading!
As I told before your thoughts about self publishing are some kinda a lighthouse for wannabe writers like me.
Your italian fan.
Thanks for reading, Alessandro!
Lindsay, I first stumbled across your blog probably half a year ago now. I’ve lost track of exactly when it was, or exactly what I even searched for that led me here for the first time, but your insights, advice, and generosity have been inspirational in my very young journey as an indie author. I don’t mean to wax overly sentimental here, but I want to say a heartfelt thank you to you for illuminating this exciting new path that exists for people who have stories to tell. I truly couldn’t have done it without you–and indeed, I wouldn’t have even known that I could do it!
You, Dean Wesley Smith, and Joe Konrath are my big three sources of indie publishing wisdom, and now that Joe seems to have lightened his blogging load, it’s really just down to you and DWS. The trick for me now is that I have so much fun reading your blog and DWS’s that I have to make sure I actually make progress on my writing, too 🙂
I bet it’s an interesting perspective to look back on who was around two years ago that isn’t around anymore. I know that I’ve started and stopped my own (unpublished) writing many times through the years, and I’m really hoping that I’ll have the discipline, wherewithal, and fortitude to keep going this time. I guess that’s one more goal that I can add to my list: still be writing five years from now (or twenty)!
I think you’re precisely right to identify perseverance, steady production, and the gradual building of a fan base as the ultimate path towards success. I know that’s the trail that I’m planning to travel. And I’m planning to have a lot of fun along the way.
Just had to mirror your comments. I also check Dean and Joe’s sites as well. I find all three have wonderful information.
Mark & Darrell,
I wanted to echo your comments – Dean Wesley Smith, Joe Konrath, and of course Lindsay do a wonderful job of explaining what’s going on in the self-publishing world…and how to stay one step ahead of the game.
Two other blogs which I’ve found as equally helpful are:
David Gaughran (although he hasn’t blogged in while) – http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/
Joanna Penn – http://www.thecreativepenn.com/
Lindsay – it’s really hard to explain things in a way that’s easy to follow and yet delves into complex nuances, and you do it so well and with humor too!
Thanks for taking time from your fiction-writing to regularly post.
PS I LOVE the cover for Beneath the Surface. Gorgeous!
Hey Mark,
Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad you’re finding the blog helpful. I read Konrath (where’d he go, anyway?) and DWS too. Gotta keep learning from those who have been in the biz for a long time and are successfully making the transition to the e-world.
Good luck with your own writing. I’m sure you’ll get it out there when you’re ready! 🙂
Lindsay
Lindsay,
Have to say I love your site. Been reading your posts for a while and it’s a pleasure to track your progress. I congratulate you on your hard work and perseverance.
I’ve had similar success to yourself. I often say to people that this modern era of self publishing is like stumbling across a field where you know gold is to be found. The gold is there – but it takes hard work and long hours to dig it up.
Reaping the rewards means the writer has to sit down and do the long hours and take the criticism and ignore the haters and keeps on producing work.
Having one book out there is the hardest place for the modern writer to be. It’s hard to gauge anything and there’s no room to move in terms of pricing. I recently made the first book in my Teen Superheroes series free (following your excellent advice) and it was the best thing I could have done.
Thanks for your wonderful posts and I wish you all the best for the future.
Darrell Pitt.
Congratulations!
I’ve had a similar experience with my sword & sorcery novels, and unless the world economy collapses or the Internet dies, I should hit 60k sold in January.
There’s a certain…oh, bloody-mindedness or stubbornness necessary to be an indie writer.
Like the Borg from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I tell writers to be like the Borg from TNG. Because when the Borg first show up in season 2, the Enterprise crew is all like “Ha ha! Pasty dorks in space cubes!” and Worf blows up half their ship.
Then two years later in Season 4, the Borg show up again and almost destroy the Federation. They analyze, adapted, and developed new techniques. So indie writers could do worse than to learn from the Borg. Except for the whole destroying civilizations bit.
Thanks, Jonathan! Congratulations on your own success too!
Hm, Borg analogies? Does that mean we get to assimilate Picard and put him to work for us for a while? He was a pretty smart guy. Could be good to have on the team. 😀
Only if I get Data to do my proofreading for me. 🙂
These aer great notes. I’ll definitely putv them to use as I move forward with my own writing career(first book not yet published, but it will be, along with several others).
Very interesting post, Lindsay! I started self-publishing about six months after you did (had a short, disastrous bout with a small-press publisher before then), and it’s fascinating how we’ve had some parallels in our journey. I too have been building slowly rather than experiencing any kind of meteoric burst. I also can second your observations. I’ve seen a lot of authors I thought were promising who just quit when they didn’t hit Hocking-like numbers. And whoa, there really is a lot more competition out there. I have noticed it takes a lot more sales to hit the bestseller lists than it used to.
Best of luck in the next two years! =)
“I have noticed it takes a lot more sales to hit the bestseller lists than it used to.”
It certainly does! I’ve heard stories from the old-timers (you know, authors who were on Amazon in 2008 :P), that you used to be able to get into the Top 20 of fairly popular categories just by getting 50 or 100 people to buy the book on the same day. *boggle*
Congratulations Lindsay. It’s fun to keep up with your success!
Thank you, Patty!
Congrats on the anniversary! Though not meteoric, you’ve had a fantastic first two years IMO. You’re the envy of many, I’m sure.
Your strategy of “first book free” led me to try out the strategy I’m working with right now, which is to write free short stories, put them on my site, and let people know about them. It feels a lot more natural to say “Hey, I wrote this, check it out if you like and tell me what you think” instead of “I wrote a novel, go buy it!” or “I have a freebie, so go to an e-retailer and make a transaction.”
Any thoughts about that? At the bottom of each short story, I link to the page listing my other free stuff as well as the page listing my paid stuff. I do have an email signup and RSS signup on the side. The idea is to get people landing on my site and returning, hopefully sinking some hooks into them to try the paid stuff. I can also sell the stories as collections later.
Sounds good, Jim! I’d try to get a couple of those free stories into Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, etc. too (or maybe you’ve already done this?), just because there’s so much more of a chance for people to stumble across them there than on your personal website.
I also prefer to promote my freebies and then let folks go on to buy others only if they enjoy the writing. Seems easier! 🙂
The main reason I didn’t want to publish to e-retailers was covers. I plan to put out a couple of stories a month. Shopping for cover art, laying out the cover, etc. would add a lot more time than I had planned. I know you’re right about exposure, though, so I’ll definitely reconsider.
You could combine some of your stories into an anthology. That way you don’t need covers for all of them.
Congratulations, Lindsay! You are a success story to me. 🙂 I wish you all the best in the third year of your self-publishing journey and beyond.
Lindsay, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us. I read your blog regularly and always enjoy your posts. Congratulations on your success. It will be interesting to see where you are in another 12 months.
I’m currently working on a sci-fi novel that I should have ready for publication this summer. This is a first for me. My other works have been mysteries and suspense novels. Wish me luck!
Thanks, Merrill! In another year, I hope to be able to afford a cool gargoyle mailbox for my future evil-overlord base. 😀
Good luck with your first publication!
Lindsay,
“you’d be surprised how many success stories are from people who just kept going after others quit.”
This insight applies to any endeavor in life. If I were into tattoos, I’d definitely consider something that encapsulates this sentiment. With dragons.
Still, your perseverance is not the only thing contributing to your success. You write good stories that resonate with your readers. Never sell your talent short.
Thanks, Elissa!
Yes, you definitely have to be able to write stories that keep people entertained, though I think it takes a few books for most readers to really get into an author, regardless, so I definitely encourage writers to think of penning a series or at least numerous stand-alone titles!
Congratulations on two years, Lindsay! Your journey and the way in which you have openly and honestly shared so much with readers and other authors has been a gift and an inspiration. THANK YOU!
Thank you, Mark!
Thank you for sharing this. It’s very encouraging to hear that hard work and focus really does pay off, over the long term. Good luck for the future too.
Apologies for the double post. Somehow I managed to mess up my web link. I’ll double promote your post to make up for it!
I’ve definitely taken your blog, and advice, to heart.
Series, series, series. 🙂
I’m so, so proud of your accomplishments, Lindsay! You have so much to be proud of and your books are AMAZING. I am SO pumped up about your new books! I still have several to finish, too! Keep up all your hard work and inspiring the rest of us. We appreciate you more than you know. 🙂
Thanks for the update Lindsay – your blog’s transparency is really what’s motivating me to continue with my writing. I’m still at the starting line, but I’m able to chart out a route thanks to all your self-pub tips.
You’re the grain of salt on the margaritas of the self-publishing world. It’s refreshing.
Thank you for consistently giving realistic expectations to novice writers. I doubt I’ll ever be a full-time author but I hope that I’ll one day have a 1000 army of fans.
I agree with you, it’s not easy self-publishing, and it does take tenacity. I almost quit a few times but I had nothing to go back to. I mean writing has always been something I wanted to do. So I got my butt back in the chair and wrote short stories, articles, blog posts, etc. It worked, since I forced myself back into the game, things have been slowly falling into place.
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Great stuff, and congrats on all you have achieved so far, Lindsay!
The market is not kind to not having new material come out. Because of circumstances outside my control, I went 16 months without a new novel. And the two out weren’t directly related (YA and adult fantasy). My sales suffered for it, drastically, even despite a successful KDP Select run back when those worked. Couldn’t sustain it without more books.
But two new novels in the last few months and a couple of promos have done wonders for sales. New material and sequels. You have to keep churning in this business.
Hey Lindsay, congrats on all your milestones. I just found your blog and I’ve been reading your past posts to give me a lift. My first book, a standalone YA/realistic novel, has only been out for six days (and has sold some despite me doing nothing), but I’ve been hyperventilating over the possibility that it will flop. I have two more stand alone novels, different genres, in the pipeline – gah, I really need to come up with a series, or at least stay in the same genre! Anyway you help put things in perspective: writing/self-pubbing is the long haul, not a get rich quick scheme.
Thank you, Lindsay, for being so open and honest about your progress! It’s such an inspiration to all of us aspiring writers. I truly appreciate all your insights, especially about the importance of persistence. Congratulations on your anniversary!
Thanks for linking back to the older posts. I recently started following you via RSS, so it was nice to be able to jump backwards in time. 🙂 You are an inspiration for those of us who are, as you said, getting started after the big bubble. I’ve wondered many times over the last year if I’m doing the right thing by wanting to self-publish first rather than go agent-hunting. By the way, I sent you a message on Google+ asking if you’d be interested in an author interview. If not, no worries. I know it takes a lot of time to do what you do!
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Hey Lindsay,
Just going through some of your posts, as I’ve been a little off the grid in reading my favourite blogs in 2013. Great to see you hit two – successful – years, I hope that tend continues and your sales soar.
::waving from the list of names that fell off the grid::
Ryan