Life Lessons as a Self-Publisher
Have you seen the plethora of How-Tos on YouTube, KDP, and Ingramspark? That’s all necessary when figuring out logistics for self-publishing. I read them all carefully when I published Look! A Life of Poetry, but some things only lived experience can teach. The following sections look at the in-depth empirical wisdom I discovered through the process of writing, designing, and selling my first self-published book:
Self-Publishing is Entrepreneurship
Write with love
Re-working is 90% of the work
Know your audience
Don’t give up,
Self-Publishing is Entrepreneurship
You have a product; you need to sell it. You can choose to do it all yourself or outsource some of the work to a third party, either way you will be doing a lot of heavy lifting. Outsourcing can be expensive, upwards of $2000 for design, edits, etc. but they can also help you market and get your books on shelves. OR… You can start a business and do it all yourself. This way you retain the rights and receive a higher percentage of royalties. You will have to learn the software, typesetting through Adobe InDesign, and cover design through Photoshop. These new skills and avenues can create new opportunities in the field of design, which is never a bad idea if it interests you. Entrepreneurship will also require you to learn about marketing, which you can take into other endeavors. You also get to know your local bookstores by asking them to sell your book under a consignment deal.
Outsourcing may be easier, but you miss out on a lot of the fun, learning, and personal relationships that come with the journey of being a full-fledged entrepreneur. If none of these extra-curricular tasks interest you, and you prefer to stick to writing, you may want to consider the traditional publishing route.
2. Write with love
I admit, I got the idea to publish a collection of poetry from the short love poem trend by the likes of today’s poets like Rupi Kaur. Don’t get me wrong, she’s great, and I shamelessly took some inspiration from her, as she did from writers before her, but finding my niche was about finding my passion. A popular anecdote describes how an individual who does what they love will be the best at what they do. They don’t care about the outcome; they simply do it because they love it. Their creations will garner the best results because the person doesn’t care about the results, they just love it. If I tried to compete with Rupi, I would lose at her game, so I had to play my own game. As a result, I wrote from a personal place, as she did, but my life experience differs greatly from hers. I wrote from a place of love, at a pace and in a style that made me happy. I didn’t care about the outcome, and I was having fun. This reflected in my work, and I was enthusiastic about the final product, and so were my readers.
Loving my work made it easier to sell because I truly believed in the product. This could be the key life lesson as a self-publisher and it applies to entrepreneurs and salespeople alike. People desire the best, so write your best, which comes from a place of love and joy.
3. Re-working is 90% of working
Cliché, editing is 90% of writing. Maybe not exactly, but it is a huge undertaking. If you strive to deliver your best work, you will have to rework the first draft until it looks almost unidentifiable. Again, you can outsource and find great freelance editors for a decent price. They may have valuable feedback that can go overlooked were you to do it yourself.
Alternatively, if you are strapped for cash and want to include your network, ask everyone you know to read your work and ask them for their thoughts. Take it all into consideration with joy and put in the work communicating and asking questions. If you care deeply about your work, the trouble will be worth it, and you will strive to get every piece of feedback possible. It’s fun too! A true joy of self-publishing is community. This process helps build meaningful connections, which enhances your writing and your life in general.
The takeaway? Life is full of mistakes, and you will NEVER get it right the first time. Learning from your mistakes, asking for help, and building upon a strong foundation will yield the best results.
4. Know your audience.
Be realistic, another key life lesson in self-publishing and entrepreneurship. Unless you are already an established writer, there’s a good chance the people who will be buying your books are friends, family, and their immediate network—one or two steps out from yourself. With that in mind, write for them. I chose to show them a side of myself they may not know that I wanted to share out of love, and hopefully provide some insight into the process. I wrote a book that my mom would want to show off to her friends, and that is what she did. As a result, I got lots of sales through my network and hers, not to mention my friend’s networks, relatives, etc. Don’t underestimate the power of networking to create sales.
Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, editing is a lengthy process, and you will need help. If you have asked your network to read your work and give their honest feedback that you took wholeheartedly, this will likely encourage them to see where you took it and share your work with their network. It makes them, and you, feel like a part of something bigger than yourselves, and that is what publishing, creativity, and life are all about.
Another key life lesson of self-publishing, become something greater than yourself through sharing and caring.
5. Conclusion: Keep Learning
As I’ve now discovered, self-publishing is entrepreneurship, which means you need to keep your papers in order. Make a balance sheet of who buys your book, when and where, and how much you spent on inventory, advertising, etc. This is a fun process because you get to see your progress and it encourages you to go out and make more sales.
However, If you truly believe in your work it shouldn’t just be the financial aspect that motivates you. The drive should come from the need to share your work with the world, for everyone’s benefit.
THE Key life lesson of Self-publishing: Write with love, for the benefit of yourself and others, which will make your work timeless and a best seller (fingers crossed).
I’m rooting for you! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions in the form below.
Author: Conner Yukon de Leeuw
Conner de Leeuw is the author of "Look! A Life of Poetry" and the editor and owner of the Big River Publishing brand. With a passion for the written word and a talent for crafting engaging stories, de Leeuw has established themselves as a rising star in the world of literature. In addition to their writing, de Leeuw also offers editorial services through their publishing company and continues to inspire and support other aspiring writers.