What No-One tells you about Self-Publishing

What No-one Tells You About Self-publishing

When people hear that I am an author they asked me if I am 'properly published'. In this day and age that question actually makes me laugh. What is it that makes people believe that if you don’t have a huge publisher behind you then you are not a real author? Erm let’s look at the likes of Amanda Hocking and E.L. James. Did they have ‘proper’ publishers behind them when they started out? Erm no. It was word of mouth that sold their work and then the publishers heard of them. Their sales demonstrated they were 'worthy'. So with the question are you properly published in mind: I would like to tell you what no one tells you about self-publishing and actually why self-publishing is so beneficial.

Once upon a time... I started writing with conviction. Actually it was around fifteen years ago and at the time I was naïve in my aspirations. I thought you sent a nice friendly  letter to a publisher about an idea and they would reply really quickly with 'wow that is a good idea' and instantly offered a book deal. Yep I was wrong. Instead I learned the art of being rejected. It is quite a humbling experience to receive endless rejection letters. It is more fun to burn them. Rejection could stop many people  and cause them give up because they think – you know what people think my writing is shit! I thought if my writing was shit then it is actually quite amusing really to want to keep writing. The thing is I was compelled to write. I just couldn’t help it. It was something that kept coming and coming. I liken it to vomiting. You just can’t hold it in… It has to come out! I then came to conclusion that REJECTION IS NOT FAILURE IT IS RE-DIRECTION.

Over the next year I took a different tactic - I learned that you send to agents. So I sent to agents and a couple of times I was in the running for representation only to be dropped for someone who had been recommended by a friend. Nepotism and recommendations was the way forward. So I learned the best way to ‘befriend’ and attended literary events and fairs. While at one literary event, and after sculpting a double-helix structure from cocktail sausages, I was taken on instantly by an agent. However, they had spotted my artistic talent rather than my literary talents, he represented my photography. At the time I wish I had sculpted the equivalent in literature. I guess I could have chewed up my manuscript and made a paper-gobby-mush sculpture of a squirrel or the like to capture attention. Anyway after being rejected more than one hundred times I came to the conclusion that I must have been deluded. Something in my writing must have been causing rejection – so I had my work evaluated by a ‘professional’ service. At the same time I was offered a place on a Master’s degree in creative writing. The Masters people told me I had talent and that I was destined for great things. Great, until a series of events stopped me being able to take the course. After that I came to the conclusion that there had to be a better way. So I met an editor in real life and a series of circumstances resulted in meeting my proof-reader who works for ‘real’ publishers. I came to the conclusion that it was time to go it alone and do things my way… You know that blooming song…MYYYYYYY WAYYYYYYYYYYY! which is often accompanied by another ‘I get knocked down but I get up again…’ Rocky would have real competition if this was boxing and not writing.

After forming my own team, I began to self-publish. The first attempts were okay; however, there was a real learning in formatting and designing book covers. The biggest learning is providing absolute quality. My proof-reader is a professional who advised me there are always details missed in any book. When she works with the big publishers she finds mistakes in books that are already on the shelves… The thing is everyone is human and everyone has a certain attention span. With this in mind, it is really worth focusing on quality and making sure you have grammatical geniuses read your books. There is always that pedantic aunt who was a secretary... Or that uncle that spouts Latin. If you can get them involved great, although, if you are writing erotica... actually who cares. If they can spot a grammatical error amongst eroticism then they are on your journey for the long-term!

Now it is time to publish and discover Kindle or one of the other platforms. Make a great cover, filled with refined content and hit PUBLISH!!! YEY! Once you have self-published your book, I guess you might be sitting rubbing your hands together expecting the New York Times to call. The reality is that thousands of people are releasing self-published books each day. Unfortunately each self-published book sits amongst a crowd of other self-published books. In addition, you are competing against published authors who are listed before you. So how do you compete against million pound/dollar marketing campaigns and a crowd of other authors? This is where you need to find your own unique way and your own unique voice.

What no one tells you is that you are going to have to learn how to market yourself!

This is it – it is time to make yourself into a brand. That brand has to be such that people are impressed by it. The thing with brands is they have an identity and my advice, whether you choose to take it, is to be absolutely authentic. You will never be able to please everyone and you will definitely discover there are some right dickheads out there. Some of those dickheads purposely go and put one star reviews on new author books (that is something that no one ever tells you or prepares you for).

In addition, there are the vultures… These are the people who are sitting up in the tree watching you flail away to literary death. They then want to come and pick off the bones. This analogy comes from all those people who will offer you their services. There are promoters, marketing people and…. so many others who are all ready to take your money. My friend, who is an author, learned the hard way. She invested in paying people to market her and nothing came from it… In the end she used friends to recommend her to a literary agent and that was her way forwards…

That was not my way forwards because I am a little bit headstrong and can write and write… I also work with trending analysis, social media and business. While doing that I was also teaching creative writing classes. I like to be busy and teach creative writing was a joy. What'smore, I had written numerous books including LOVE HUNT 1 & 2 and my most powerful book MONEY FARM. They were selling at a steady pace, so I felt that I had the right to teach what I had already learned. That is quite lucky really. By teaching you certainly have the chance to evaluate and look at new angles.

So, with my business head on, I considered what was it that people needed or wanted? I then wrote books that filled those gaps – one of them was A Short Course in Creative Writing. That was written because my students asked me to write it. I then had that turned into audio so that people could be prompted and write. Guess what? That sold and sold well. Guess how I sold it? I advised students that I had put the whole ten week course onto audio so they could download it. Guess what happened? They told their friends and they told their writing friends. Word of mouth again!

So what else does no one tell you?

If you want to make money from writing then write what people need. That is entrepreneurialism.

The thing is sometimes there is no fun in that. Admittedly I loved writing the creative writing book because I could imagine students sitting and developing their writing with a teacher at their side whenever they needed it. I likened it to an 'on call' audio teacher. That made me feel nice. Although we write because we have other aspects to express too...

After understanding how to initiate word of mouth I thought: I know, I am going to get a little bit cocky… I want to see if I write the books that I want to write then can I create the market? I was applying the theory of post-modernism. What did I want to write? Some short fun kids’ books.  So I wrote The Hairy-Legged Mystery. That was quickly followed by Tingle Dingle and The Little Mischiefs. Now, there is nothing like a bedtime story being read to you. Yet sometimes parents don’t feel like reading. So I thought – actually why not have it made into audio too? That way the story can be read aloud and the parents can be present while it is being read. Also the story can be stored on the phone and played on car journeys. It just made sense to me. So I posted the books on ACX.COM (this is a place where authors can invite audio producers to produce their work) and both were picked up. The books were produced and went on sale on Audible and ITunes.

What no one tells you: how easy it is to get your book produced professionally on audio! Those books began to sell due to a few blogs, a number of tweets and a being lucky enough to have attracted a producer who works with children as a ‘reader’ of books.  I could go on and on but I won’t. So this is what I have learned about self-publishing that no-one tells you:

·        There are loads of people who want to make money from vulnerable authors. There are vanity companies, book promotional companies and agencies all looking for you to pay them to validate you. I say steer clear! None of my author friends have achieved anything that way.

·       Before you do anything test you work on people who are honest. None of the ‘nice’ friends. It is better to find out where you are going wrong or right. Also remember everyone has an opinion and you will have to learn discernment of opinion. That is a huge learning in itself.

·         Find yourself a good editor and proof-reader to make your books the highest quality.

·         The truth is you are going to have to spend some money if you want to create quality.

·        Decide on being in the spotlight or anonymity. I went for the latter because I would rather not be accosted in a supermarket or toilet (I had that happen when I won a big award for photography – it seriously put me off being recognised. Imagine a head poking under the toilet cubicle door to ask you a question... Oh yes!)

·         Build yourself a brand. Look at the people you like and look at what works. Decide what makes you special and build your brand accordingly.

·       Marketing – promote your books. There needs to be time and effort put into this. Ask friends to tell friends. Post that you have published on Facebook. Write a blog. Make a film. Do what your gut tells you to do but do intend to tell as many people as possible. Pod casting and YouTube enable people to engage with you. The strange thing is when people like you they buy your books. Weird eh?

·         Publishers are looking for easy sales. If a book establishes itself on a market then the publishers will come to you. At this point you then get to ask yourself the question – do you stay indie? After doing all that work and going on that journey – why do you actually need a publisher and an agent? My answer is negotiation. However, there is a benefit of doing it your way and that is no pressure. You can write. Release. Repeat. That is liberating and seems to be a remedy to writer’s block! To be in this position is a beautiful thing...

·       Finally write your next book and the next and love the writing. If it sells great. If it doesn’t it is not failure. The fact that you hatched an imagined idea into reality is success in itself. The truth is writing will take you on a blooming journey – much like a narrative. The monster in your narrative are the parts of your self – the self-doubt, the inner critic and the idealist. Everyone wants their book to touch another’s soul… Yet it might not. The biggest thing that no one ever told me is that the purest pleasure is in the creation… You may sell a lot of books; however, the joy really is in being in that creative space and imagining as the words flow onto the page.  I hope this inspires you… Go for it my literary friend because there are seven billion people in this world and a large enough market for everyone…

You can find my books at the following link: Ruby Allure books on Audible:

http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+allure&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0

AUDIBLE BOOK AVAILABLE HERE:

LINK TO BUY ON AUDIBLE:

http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/A-Short-Course-In-Creative-Writing-Audiobook/B012OVUKE8/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1443260320&sr=1-1

LINK TO PAPERBACK ON AMAZON.COM

A Short Course in Creative Writing
by Ms Ruby Allure
Link: http://amzn.com/1517234832

LINK TO THE HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY ON AUDIO:http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/The-Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Audiobook/B01H2HF0XU/ref=a_search_c4_1_9_srTtl?qid=1466104902&sr=1-9

Ruby Allure BOOKS ON AMAZON.COM - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&text=Ruby+Allure&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Ruby+Allure&sort=relevancerank

Ruby Allure BOOKS ON AUDIBLE.COM
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_mt_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+Allure&x=0&y=0 

NEW RELEASE: TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS

 https://www.amazon.com/Tingle-Dingle-Little-Mischiefs-Allure-ebook/dp/B01G9C0XC2?ie=UTF8&keywords=Ruby%20Allure&qid=1465049617&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

NEW RELEASE: THE HAIRY-LEGGED MYSTERY

https://www.amazon.com/Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Ruby-Allure-ebook/dp/B01G2C0Y9Q?ie=UTF8&qid=1465049724&ref_=sr_1_2&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

The Joys of Working on Your Audio Book Creation

The Joys of Working on Your Audio Book Creation

 

Spending the evening listening to an Audio Producer transforming your written words into an audio book is a pleasure that one can be likened to the experience of first tasting chocolate. This Sunday evening I am listening to another five chapters of The Ocean Callings being made into my next audio book. That will be my final audiobook created in a year. That means eight of my books will have been taken on by audio producers and made into audiobook creations.

I have to say that I am so grateful that ACX.com exists because it enables indies and professional authors to have their books turned into audiobooks. What's more, they distribute the finished books through Amazon, Audible and ITunes. Since I am an avid audio book reader the ACX process seemed logical to me. Although, what I had not expected was how professional the audio producers were. Each have all been amazing, hard working, stuck to deadlines and all of this without the promise of an income. Why would they do that? To get good books out there and to take on projects they feel passionate about... I know - I was stunned too.

So this evening I have a nice large glass of sparkling water, a homemade choc-jack and a multitude of accents that fill The Ocean Callings. I have to say that in truth that is bliss. The funny thing about it is that tomorrow I will be back in the world of corporation where ghosts, legends and mystical stories will be replaced by mathematics, metrics and the running of a social media team. That is the reality and the publishing world for me is that beautiful escape. I have to say I love this era where one can write a book, have it published, make their own small films and reach audiences without the arduous processes that existed in the past. We really live in the instant era and for that I am grateful. Also to have drawn the attention of such talented producers is also a real joy.

If you are an indie or a professional check out ACX.com and if you want to find a producer then put your books up for audition. Who knows you may find the perfect producer to give you books audio life!

Link to ACX.Comhttps://www.acx.com/

Link to Ruby Allure books on Audible: http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+allure&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0

Do you have one of these in your office? The Office Feeder

In celebration of The Office Zoo - A Field Guide to Office Animal Observation being released on audio today, I will be posting five of the Office Animal Types that may well inhabit your office. I hope you will find the series highly amusing and look forward to feedback:)

OFFICE ZOO AUDIO Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B013H91D56

TO LISTEN TO A SAMPLE:

SOUND CLOUD SAMPLE: https://soundcloud.com/ruby-allure/officezoortlaudsmp

 

The Office Feeder.

 

Cake boosts moral, cake is comfort and at any opportunity people bring cake into the office. There is a cake for all occasions - cake for birthdays, a wedding, a promotion, a leaving do or just a general celebration of cake with cake. Someone farts and someone suggests a cake to celebrate. That is just how office life works. With this in mind, where is the best place to have a feeder? If cake keeps moral up – what better way to be the source of that moral by providing cake? The Office feeder’s cantankerous cake creations provide her with endless adoration, approval and appreciation. What’s more, she will keep the gym in business as people attempt to cake-offset on the treadmill.

The Office Feeder is usually a buxom sort who likes to bake and see people happy. She has a husband suffering from extreme cholesterol levels. He needs a forklift truck to lift him from the bed in the morning. The unfortunate truth is for her husband to survive, the feeder has to turn her attention elsewhere and feed teams instead. In the back of her mind she knows if her humongous hubby tips the scales any further then widow-dom looms.

With an atmosphere reminiscent to a farmer’s wife who has planted one too many pumpkins, her cake feeding has a precise weight-gain plan. Those skinny waifs in the office will be tempted. She could advertise the anti-thesis of a diet - From firm to fat in ten weeks! A new diet fad – or fat. The thing is the Office Feeder gets away with it because she is jovial, friendly and very persuasive. The Office Feeder wants her fellow office women to grow fat to make her feel better. Her punch lines are ‘life is too short not to.’ ‘Well it is only one.’ ‘I wouldn’t want you to miss out.’ ‘Oh treat yourself...’

 

The Office Feeder is very persuasive and worst of all she is the Office Dieter’s main saboteur. She has a natural  talent for determining who is on a diet and searching them out with the next calorific brownie. The sludgy bottom brigade will try to resist by saying ‘oh I can’t – oh I already ate... They will finally give in to the mesmerising smile and the fear that all the cakes will go. They will find themselves in a trance and muttering ‘oh go on then… just a little bit.’ They will take one bite and that will be it – all resistance has gone. They may as well apply that beautiful cake straight to their posteriors as they jam their ever-expanding behinds into the chair. If you are very aware, you might notice that the Office Hotty and the Office Fitness Fanatic have the willpower of steel. They can resist her charms. While many grow in girth over the years through cake consumption, the Hotty and the Fanatic will survive.

Learning: If you are clever, you can use the office greedy as the first line of attack and send them in to wipe out the cake before it reaches you. It just depends how svelte you wish to remain and whether you love cake or not.

OTHER AUDIO BOOKS BY RUBY:

LABYRINTHINE:Link: http://amzn.com/B012FAYI5U

 

A SHORT COURSE IN CREATIVE WRITING Link: http://amzn.com/B01390THLK

MONEY FARM: Link: http://amzn.com/B010F04W9O

 

 

 

Writing and self-promotion.

Self -promotion in writing is one of the biggest challenges for many authors.
Why?
Well it is a case of having to blow your own literary trumpet to a bunch of strangers - commonly known as the audience. Of course there are fans, but the original issue is how do you get the audience to engage, become fans and then buy?

Well for those Indie writers amongst us, Amazon KDP offers self-promotion tools. You can place your books on offer for a limited period or offer a time-limited free download. When I first started out I completely disagreed with the concept of free - especially when I spent years writing books. Why would I do all that writing and give away my book for free? Isn't that just a bunch of 'cheapos' wanting something for free? Well yes it is - however, that free book might be the trigger to turn that 'Cheapo' into a fan. That new 'fan' may well tell other people about your books. Or they may well go back and buy all your books. Or they do nothing. If they do nothing you have not lost anything. The point is that you are making people aware of your existence.

If you have read any of my other posts, you will know that I teach creative writing to evening classes. In these classes the biggest resistance arrives at the end of the course when we talk about editing and then promotion. Most writers want people to do the promotion for them. Yes that is great; however, why pay people to do what you can do for free. If you are a writer then you can write great pieces of promotion material. Isn't that the challenge? Finding ways to engage the audience and get your book / books out there. What most people don't know is that everyone has to deal with the feelings of 'not good enough'. Everyone also has to feel fear. That fear will always be there even when you do what you fear. Common mental churns turn up - what happens if the work does not sell? What happens if it does sell? What happens if I am catapulted into absolute stardom? This type of thinking does not serve a purpose - it is illusions. Nothing ever turns out the way you think it will anyway. Whatever happens you will deal with it. You CAN deal with it. It will provide lessons. Also fear is a good thing. It will never go away but it reveals that you are in touch with your comfort zone. So find where that zone finishes and leap into the unknown - release your book and then hype it. Why not? What is the worse that can happen? You won't sell any or you will sell loads. Who cares? This is all part of the fun of the experience. So suck it up princesses and self-promote. If you don't then who will know you exist? GO FOR IT!!!! YEY!!! 

In order to demonstrate what I am saying and show you how it works: this one is on promotion until Feb 4th and it is Free - yes Free!!!

Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00928727A