Self-Publishing Pathways

By Louise Merrington @lmmerrington

Once upon a time, there was a well-paved route from manuscript to published book – you finished your magnum opus, got an agent and then a publisher. If you were lucky, it would be a matter of months but, for many aspiring authors, the time between writing and publication was easily measured in years.

Then, in late 2007, Amazon released the Kindle and upended the publishing landscape. A decade later, there are now more publishing options for emerging and aspiring authors than ever before. While a traditional publishing contract is still one of them, an increasing number of authors – including those who have previously had traditional contracts – are electing to self-publish or ‘go indie’, using ebook and print-on-demand technology to reach local and international markets.

I’m one of them. After my first novel, Greythorne, was published by an imprint of a major global publisher, I quickly realised that the reality of the publishing industry failed to live up to my expectations of it. When the publisher closed the imprint unexpectedly – leaving me and other authors high and dry – I decided to venture out on my own rather than trying for another traditional contract. The learning curve in the subsequent two years has been very steep, and I’m still on it, but I have no regrets about my decision.

Although self-publishing still has a degree of stigma attached to it, one of the most interesting things I’ve found has been that the ‘mid-list’, which has all but disappeared from traditional publishing, has migrated over to the independents. Indie authors are now some of the only ones who can make decent incomes without having to produce a blockbuster bestseller. Consequently, more and more established authors are starting to take notice.

As self-publishing slowly becomes more accepted among the literary mainstream, it’s also exciting to see writers’ festivals opening up space for these discussions. At this year’s Emerging Writers Festival in Melbourne (19-29 June) I’m partnering with Debbie Lee, the Manager Content Acquisition at Ingram Content Group – one of the world’s biggest book distributors and print-on-demand publishers – to discuss publishing options for emerging writers. We’re going to look at the differences between traditional, vanity/predatory, and self-publishing, and how to choose a path that’s right for you and your book. We’ll also be discussing practical strategies for getting your book out into the wide world, including distribution into libraries, schools and bookshops. The choices now available to authors mean there’s never been a better time to dip your toe in the publishing waters.


Self-Publishing Pathways, presented by Debbie Lee and Louise Merrington, is on as part of the 2018 Emerging Writers Festival.

When: Sunday 24 June from 12-12.45pm

Where: State Library of Victoria Conference Centre, 179 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Australia

More information and tickets: http://www.emergingwritersfestival.org.au/event/self-publishing-pathways/

Louise Merrington is the author of Victorian Gothic mysteries Greythorne and The Iron Line (under the pen name L.M. Merrington). You can find her online at www.lmmerrington.com or facebook.com/lmmerrington.

Behind the Scenes: Cover Cues

In the past eighteen months, my understanding of the world of publishing has undergone a massive learning curve. So many things I never knew even existed have now become familiar as I’ve been stretched (and stressed!) beyond my snug little writerly world of pre-contract / pre-published days. Today I'd thought I'd share a little about some of the behind-the-scenes development of a book, particularly in regards to marketing and cover design.

For each of my books, my publisher's marketing team have sent a questionnaire about what sorts of things I would like to see incorporated into the design direction of my Regency-era novels. These questions relate to title, tone of book, elevator pitch, back cover, target audience and cover direction. Having said this, my publishers are very aware of the market where they are trying to promote my books (the US Christian market), and have years of experience in design and promotion, which means my ideas may simply remain my ideas. In addition, there are certain constraints because my books are part of a 3-book series, so particular efforts have been made to keep the style familiar for readers to identify each book as one written by ‘Carolyn Miller’ 😀 But for each book I’ve been really pleased with the way my answers to their questions have been interpreted in the final covers.

So what are those cover related questions, I hear you ask? Have a read of the following, and consider how they might relate to your work in progress, or perhaps a recent book you’ve read.

1.     Symbols/Themes - Please list and describe any objects, visuals, Bible verses, or themes that illustrate or clarify the book’s objectives and would be appropriate for cover art.

2.     Competing Titles - Please list any books that have been published within the last two years that might compete with or target the same audience as your book and/or has cover design elements that you like (or don’t like). Paste links to covers you do/don’t like.

                                                                                                                        

3.     Cover Direction - While we can’t promise we can/will incorporate every suggestion, we do want to consider your design direction. Please feel free to share your cover suggestions.

For my first novel, The Elusive Miss Ellison, I had found an image on Pinterest I thought suited - it’s amazing what you can find when googling 

‘Regency gown’! On the right is the original image: 

In my notes in response to the above questions I wrote:

I’d really like to see the protagonist (Miss Ellison) on the front cover, dressed in a Regency-appropriate gown, walking away (face not seen), holding a basket, which alludes to her interests and her ‘elusiveness’. In the book she is depicted as slender, fair, copper-blonde hair, grey eyes, wears shapeless grey gowns (which points to her lack of vanity).

Compare the original image with the one near the top of the article -  I think the tweaks the designers did fit the brief perfectly!

For my second novel, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, I again found an image on Pinterest that I loved. I included the following in my answers to the questionnaire:

I thought I’d send a pic of the image I think best epitomises the novel. It’s proved my most repinned image on Pinterest, and to me sums up both the character description and setting…and implies big house, money, the feeling of being trapped, and pensive choice making…

 I was very fortunate for my publishers to gain the rights to use these images.

For my third novel, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, out in October, the designers had a bit more work to do to pull off my ideas, but still managed to create something that fitted the look of the previous two books, while also hinting something of what the novel might be about.

My comments to the designers:

I would love to see Miss DeLancey standing at a cliff top, facing the sea, while a glorious sunset gilds the sea. This alludes to several significant clifftop moments that occur in the novel, and the sunset references the global phenomena caused by the 1815 Mt Tambora eruption. It is set near Brighton, so the cliffs should look somewhat chalky...This novel is a little darker in some ways, but the depiction of light symbolizes hope…

Again, I think the designers succeeded – but maybe I’m a little biased! ;)

So, over to you. Have you thought about what you do and don’t like about covers? What images would best portray your WIP? Why?

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked part-time as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her debut Regency The Elusive Miss Ellison released in February 2017, and her next, The Captivating Lady Charlotte released June 27, with The Dishonorable Miss Delancey releasing October 24. All are available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong and more.

Connect with her:        www.carolynmillerauthor.com

                                      www.pinterest.com/camillering

  www.facebook.com/CarolynMillerAuthor/

  twitter.com/CarolynMAuthor

Three Things In Publishing That Have Changed in Two Years - Kara Isaac

In January 2015, I signed my first traditional publishing contract. I was recently thinking back on the things that have changed between then and now and thought I'd share a couple of thoughts :)

The rise (and rise) of indie publishing 

Two years ago indie publishing was gaining acceptance as a legitimate business decision by talented authors, as opposed to the "Plan B" of writers that weren't good enough to attain a traditional publishing contract. However, the hybrid author scene (authors publishing both traditionally and independently) was limited.

Two years later, the hybrid author scene is huge. Of all the traditionally published authors that I know almost all of them are publishing independently. Some reissuing backlist titles whose rights have reverted back to them, some writing novellas to complement series they are having traditionally published and some releasing full-length novels themselves between traditionally published novels.

Having lost almost all of the stigma previously associated with indie publishing, there are many things about it that are attractive to authors. These include the ability to control everything from cover design to price, a much shorter lead in time between finishing a book and getting it in the hands of readers and the ability to try new things in their writing.

Some previously traditionally published authors have found indie publishing so attractive that they've made the transition across. Others have been forced to take the jump because of...

The continuing shrinking lists of Christian publishers

In 2015, it was no secret that Christian fiction publishers were facing challenges. Changing reader demographics, closing brick and mortar bookstores, the proliferation of free and 99c indie books conditioning consumers to baulk at what were realistic sustainable prices for a traditional publisher. But there was still a reasonable number of medium-large houses doing Christian fiction.

In the last two years we've seen Abingdon and Harvest House discontinue their fiction lines. A number of other houses have further reduced their fiction titles leaving a number of authors without a publishing home. Two years ago it was hard for a debut author to get their foot in the door, today it is that much harder.

The influence of readers in place of marketing budgets
As bottom lines have continued to be squeezed one of the first things to get continually trimmed are marketing budgets. Where word of mouth has always been important to generate buzz about a book these days it it vital. Without a decent marketing budget and with thousands of books being released onto Amazon alone every week without any reader buzz a book can sink without a trace. Every author that I know is serious about cultivating relationships with their readers. Not just because it's fun (!) but also because, unless you're a bestseller with a huge existing audience, without readers who are committed to spreading the word about your books the chances of it getting found and read are slim.

As with all industries things are changing at a rapid pace. Authors, like other professions, are being forced to adapt or no longer be in the game. The one thing that hasn't, and will never, change is there will always be room for great stories. Now there are also ever expanding ways to get them into the hands of readers :)

What about you? What changes have you noticed in publishing over the last few years?

Kara Isaac lives in Wellington, New Zealand. Her debut romantic comedy, Close To You, was recently named a RITA Award 2017 double finalist. When she's not chasing three adorable but spirited little people, she spends her time writing horribly bad first drafts and wishing you could get Double Stuf Oreos in New Zealand. She loves to connnect on her website, on Facebook at Kara Isaac - Author and Twitter @KaraIsaac