Self-Publishing Data

Yeah, yeah, it's like totally verboten to talk about the hard facts of self-publishing, but you'd be surprised how many people want to know.  And it's not like the gatekeepers of traditional publishing can do a damn thing to stop me. so here they are - the facts as they pertain to me.

Fact 1:  I can put out a quality, edited, professional looking book in about three months.  Lucky for me, I have books already in the hopper, so I can still be pretty lazy and still make my timeline.  If I had to write a brand-new book and get it published, I could still do it in 3 months, but I'd have to bust my ass.  I'm not entirely fond of busting my ass, but I'd do it if I had to.  Lucky for me, I don't have to yet.

Fact 2:  It is a shitload of work self-publishing.  Beyond the writing all of us writer do, there's marketing and sales and cover art and bookkeeping and... Well, you get the drift.  Most of that work would be shouldered by the publisher if I went traditional. Then again, they'd get most of the money.

Fact 3:  The money.  With Amazon, I get 70% royalties.  It's no secret.  In fact, if you go over to the KDP information page, you can see the facts there.  (I know because I read all that stuff before I signed up with KDP.)  Plus, I'm not saying anything you can't read in David Gaughran's book Let's Get Digital.

Fact 4:  I have sold 60 books since February 13th.  That's ebooks, 'borrows', and paperbacks.  I'm hoping when the funds hit my account, I have enough to buy Scrivener, so I can use it to format my books across platforms, which will make it easier to make them available at other vendors - like B&N, etc.  

Fact 5:  For a strictly indie, debut novelist, sixty books out of the gate is GOOD.  Sure, it's sad when I go to my sales data and the graph is a straight line for the past however many days, but I have to remind myself this is how it is for a first book. If I'm still flatlining at the end of the year, you may find me weeping, but for now, I'm hanging in there.

Fact 6:  Having a good support crew is priceless.  The other day Hubs asked how sales were going, and I had to tell him they weren't.  He didn't bat an eye.  Then I told him I didn't want to disappoint him.  He gave me a hug and told me I wasn't disappointing him.  I'd be totally crushed if he wasn't so supportive.  Plus, I have all my friends and my fans.  You guys are awesome.

I hope that shed some light on the self-publishing world.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  I'll answer here, or in email, or tell you outright if it's too personal to answer.  =o)