One Year In—Was It Worth It?
October 11th, 2011
It was one year ago, October 2010, when I started “indie publishing,†determined to get my backlist out into the world again, and hopefully make a little income on the side to support my writing habit.
That first month began with a stint of designing book covers for The Nanotech Succession novels. I started with the covers because I figured that would be the hardest part of the ebook creation process. I spent a lot of time, had a lot of fun, and then later tossed them all out and replaced them with the vastly superior Bruce Jensen covers that the books now enjoy.
In the year since, I’ve published ebook versions of my six backlist novels, one novella, two short stories, and two original novels. I’ve also done print-on-demand versions of the four Nanotech Succession novels, The Dread Hammer, and my young-adult novel Skye Object 3270a.
Was it worth all the time and effort?
Looking only at return on investment thus far, the answer has to be “No.†Whatever pixie dust it takes to get sales rolling has not been sprinkled on me yet. I could have made far more money putting in the same hours at a minimum wage job.
But looking at it emotionally? Then the answer is “Hell, yes, it was worth it!†I feel like a writer again. I’m proud of the work I’ve done, I’m happy to have it available, and I have a lot more confidence in my future as a writer than I had last year. Confidence is a good thing. I don’t write well when I’m stressed, worried, and unhappy.
If you’re a midlist writer putting up your backlist and you too are feeling underwhelmed by sales, remember this: all this prep work is an investment, and investments don’t necessarily pay off in the first year. Being set up, poised, and ready for the day the buzz starts murmuring your name (or your pen name) is a good position to be in.
My goal now is to write more and try to generate that buzz. Part of that strategy is to knock on the doors of traditional markets and try to get back inside—but with eyes wide open this time. My newly adopted buzzword for the upcoming year: “Hybrid writerâ€â€”a combination of indie and traditional publishing with the united goal of making a living wage.
Posted on: Tuesday, October 11th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Categories: Publishing, Writing.
Tags: hybrid writer, indie publishing, publishing backlist
October 11th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Just the right attitude, I’d say. And you damn well are a writer, and a terrific one.
October 11th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Thanks Gary–much appreciated!
October 11th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Great post. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. That’s what I’m finding. Those of us to persist will reach our ultimate goal. I think too many people look at this as a get-rich-quick scheme. It isn’t.
Breathe, pace, and continue to run, because with writing there isn’t a finish.
October 11th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
What Gary Said. And B.C. too. I look forward to your writing career continuation. 🙂
October 14th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
I remember the first story of your’s I read. Something about a geneticaly engineered space gal? It was in Analog. After that I eagerly sought out your works….
……..found a few….the bohr maker and such…and then…
nothing.
hard to keep a buzz on nothing.
October 14th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
Very true! Thanks for looking though. There were six traditionally published novels altogether, so it went on for a while–and a couple others after that, that didn’t find a market. At any rate, I’m back, trying to rebuild from the old base. It’s a different world now–so much more encouraging for a writer to have the option to self-publish if all else fails. Makes it seem worthwhile to stick around.
October 25th, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Linda, your backlist is your “portfolio”, an exhibition of your credentials that you most definitely ARE a writer, with an existing body of work, and not just a wannabe who hasn’t broken into the field yet. You’ve got the battle scars to prove it, and aren’t just starting off fresh as a writer. You’ve got a bunch of novels and short fiction that puts your talent on display for all to see, and promotes your current work, which can only be a good thing. You’ve got a good attitude there, which will also help a lot in the long run.