Process 3 & 4: Production & Distribution

Self-publishing Author Advice about book production and distribution of audio, ebooks and print books

Why Indie (For Me) Means NOT Having A Publisher

Steena Holmes recently wrote a post for this blog explaining how the great thing about being indie, for her, was having the freedom to have it both ways: to self-publish or trade publish, as it suits her. Here Dan Holloway explains why the step into trade publishing is one he won't be taking — ever. 

We are increasingly hearing about the hybrid model, with authors deciding for which books and in what ways to engage publishers and/or agents, who then become partners, singing to the author’s tune.

Whilst I have to say a part of me wonders if there aren’t some elements of utopianism creeping in, it is certainly true that many agents and publishers are starting to change the way they view their relationships with authors. And I certainly think what writers are doing, taking the reins – or at least setting out to – in these relationships, is fabulous, and definitely in the indie spirit.

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What Does The Agreement Between Google and AAP Mean for Indie Authors?

Google and the Association of American publishers (AAP) have reached an agreement in a move that is likely to have implications for all writers. So where does it leave indies?  

Seven years ago, the U.S. Authors Guild (AG) and several major publishers took an action against Google for its unauthorized scanning of in-copyright books, claiming that such scanning was a violation of copyright, as  Google were not seeking permission from the rights-holders to create a new book format.

Google argues that such scanning isn't a new format but fair use of an existing format.

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Alliance Of Independent Authors Self Publishing Survey

Self-Publishing Survey

Alliance of Independent Authors Self publishing surveyHelp us to help you.

The Alliance of Independent Authors has teamed up with Dr Alison Baverstock of Kingston University to carry out a self-publishing survey this autumn.

To make it work, we need you to go to this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PR7KVFG and answer some questions about your writing and self-publishing.

It won't take you more than ten minutes to complete and answers will be used to

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Self-Publishing and The Midlist.

Guest Post by  By Catherine Czerkawska

There has been a great deal of talk in publishing circles about the ‘midlist slump’. A couple of years ago, I even read reports confidently predicting the ‘death of the midlist’. With the rise in indie publishing, these appear to have been exaggerated.

If I were to define midlist, I suppose it would be that huge, fertile, centre ground of well-written fiction which doesn’t slot neatly into any particular genre. It might be written by authors who like to experiment with crossing the boundaries and don’t see why they should always have to change their names to do so, especially when the ‘voice’ remains much the same.

I write historical and contemporary fiction, but the style is undoubtedly mine. Midlist readers are often, but by no means exclusively, female, often middle aged or older. They seem to be voracious readers.

The midlist used to be the seed bed from which the occasional (almost always unpredictable) blockbuster would spring. Screenwriter William Goldman’s much quoted dictum that ‘nobody knows anything’ applies just as much to fiction as to film. If the publisher got lucky, it might be an author's first or second book that made the breakthrough. More frequently it would be their fifth, sixth or seventh book. And if a book did become a bestseller or spawn a number of sequels, some of those profits would be ploughed back into nurturing other seedlings. Broadly speaking, that’s how it used to be, before the big corporations ate the smaller companies and changed the whole ethos of publishing in the process.

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Five Questions Indie Authors Should Always Ask An Agent

Perkins literary agency contract wouldn't suit indie authors

The great Max Perkins. But traditional publishing contracts won't suit indie authors.

As more and more self-publishing authors make a success of our endeavours, more agents and publishers come calling. But too often they come with a traditional publishing contract in hand. This fails to recognise that an indie author's situation is different to that of a tyro,  unpublished author.

As self-publishers, we have built our readership and already have a following. Our e-rights are very valuable to us and we're not keen to bundle them with other rights. We expect publishers to understand that our situation is different — and to reflect this in their contractual terms and conditions.

Here are four questions that an indie should ask before signing any deal with an agent. (Please note, the first three questions pertain to signing with agents for English language rights; only the fourth to translation rights, which is a different proposition, requiring a different set of questions).

We'll have a blog post on that, and on questions to ask if you're considering signing directly with a publisher, soon.

1. Will my self-publishing income be

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