In one of the earlier self-publishing threads, someone suggested I post up about how I went about self-publishing, since I think I might do it differently than some of the others who self-publish and I'm somewhat successful at it (as in, I'm almost to the point of supporting myself full time writing). I've been hesitating about doing that, since I'm about to come out with book number fifteen and I'm not sure how to go about walking anyone through how I've gotten to here and how I do things.
Seeing Patty's thread about her Self-Publishing, I liked how she set things up and thought that might be a better way to do this.
So some setup. (this is going to be super long .... and I'm sorry about that)
I started writing in 2015 and published my first book (that series has been moved to a pen name and buried, because it's trash and I hate everything about it. I really didn't know what I was doing then but I kept them available because some people liked them and wanted to read them on KU). I only sold a little here or there in the beginning, but when I started a thriller series, it got picked up by a reading group and I saw a bunch of sales from it, and some really good feedback. I started writing more because I found it rewarding and I was starting to see a little more traction, and by book 3 (publishing about once a year) I found that I loved it and wanted to really make a go at this.
I went back and had real covers made for the books and had some editing done to make them more professional (they were already out, so this was closer to a final edit/proofread than real edit, but it was a start). Over the next two books in that series, I started working out my process for outlining, working with editors and cover designers and basically figuring out how I wanted to do this. I was still only breaking even on my costs by the sixth book in the series, but I was starting to see how this could all work. The one thing I noticed was that the faster I released, the better my sales were, both off my mailing list (since over time people's emails on the list stop responding) and through other marketing.
I talked to a few people, including a guy who was doing this full time and publishes an insane 1 book a month. I can't keep up with that, but he shared his process with me, basically always having a book in one of the steps of the process, writing multiple books at a time and generally always feeding the machine (he does it by juggling a crazy seven active projects at any given time, again, too much for me).
Starting with book 6 of my thriller series in the beginning of year (2021) I put in my new process, which is as follows:
1) Basic outline using cards.
2) Heavily Outline (my average outline is 30k-40k words). I work the outline to the scene level, working out pacing, character development and story arcs.
3) I have 2 editors who go through the outline and look at the plot, pacing, story arcs, and generally everything else and give me notes on what should change or what they think won't work.
4) Draft 1 (which is closer two draft 2 because I outline and edit the outline. I already know the entire progression of everything in the story before I type the first word of the draft).
5) I put it through 2 other editors, both of whom give me notes. It is rare that the story arcs, plot or character arcs change in these edits (that happens once every 3rd or 4th book, when I actually need to rearrange the plot).
6) Draft 2 using the edits. Mostly it's scene level changes or cuts for pacing.
7) Proofread & correct (I have 3 proofreaders who do passes)
8) Publish
It was slow because I had to get the machine started. This meant writing multiple books simultaneously so I could get them into the various stages of editing. It was tough because my daily word counts were huge (I was averaging 7k a day for almost two months), and it required started additional series, because I need to get one book at least to proofreading before I can start the next book in the series. I'm interested in a bunch of genres so I decided to start a coming of age series and a sci-fi/alt-history/time travel series, and started sketching out some stand alones.
Over the summer I've started getting books released, starting the more books and worked on figuring out advertising and joining some writing groups to help keep me on task. Since then I've launched Election Day (the sixth thriller in my John Taylor series) in May, Playing by Ear (the first of my coming of age series Country Roads) in July, Danger Close (Taylor book seven) in August, and The Sword of Jupiter (first in my sci-fi series, Imperium) at the end of October.
I currently have 4 books stages of work and release days plotted out until April. Extraction (Taylor book 8) which just came out of draft edit and is going into the final draft, Fanfare (Country Roads book 2) is almost done with draft 1 so it can go to editing, The Trumpets of Mars (Imperium book two) which is out of outline edit and just starting first draft, and Going Home (a stand alone) which is in heavy outline and almost ready to go through outline edits. My deadlines are Extraction out by the later half of December, Fanfare out at the beginning of Feb, Trumpets of Jupiter out at the beginning of April and going home out by the end of April or beginning of May.
If I hit deadline on Extraction, that will make 5 books in 2021 and I'd like 8 in 2022. I'll update this thread as I move along in my processes. let me know if you want to see about specifics like costs of advertising, mailing lists, other costs like editing and covers, and earnings or if this isn't helpful at all and if I should stop.
Seeing Patty's thread about her Self-Publishing, I liked how she set things up and thought that might be a better way to do this.
So some setup. (this is going to be super long .... and I'm sorry about that)
I started writing in 2015 and published my first book (that series has been moved to a pen name and buried, because it's trash and I hate everything about it. I really didn't know what I was doing then but I kept them available because some people liked them and wanted to read them on KU). I only sold a little here or there in the beginning, but when I started a thriller series, it got picked up by a reading group and I saw a bunch of sales from it, and some really good feedback. I started writing more because I found it rewarding and I was starting to see a little more traction, and by book 3 (publishing about once a year) I found that I loved it and wanted to really make a go at this.
I went back and had real covers made for the books and had some editing done to make them more professional (they were already out, so this was closer to a final edit/proofread than real edit, but it was a start). Over the next two books in that series, I started working out my process for outlining, working with editors and cover designers and basically figuring out how I wanted to do this. I was still only breaking even on my costs by the sixth book in the series, but I was starting to see how this could all work. The one thing I noticed was that the faster I released, the better my sales were, both off my mailing list (since over time people's emails on the list stop responding) and through other marketing.
I talked to a few people, including a guy who was doing this full time and publishes an insane 1 book a month. I can't keep up with that, but he shared his process with me, basically always having a book in one of the steps of the process, writing multiple books at a time and generally always feeding the machine (he does it by juggling a crazy seven active projects at any given time, again, too much for me).
Starting with book 6 of my thriller series in the beginning of year (2021) I put in my new process, which is as follows:
1) Basic outline using cards.
2) Heavily Outline (my average outline is 30k-40k words). I work the outline to the scene level, working out pacing, character development and story arcs.
3) I have 2 editors who go through the outline and look at the plot, pacing, story arcs, and generally everything else and give me notes on what should change or what they think won't work.
4) Draft 1 (which is closer two draft 2 because I outline and edit the outline. I already know the entire progression of everything in the story before I type the first word of the draft).
5) I put it through 2 other editors, both of whom give me notes. It is rare that the story arcs, plot or character arcs change in these edits (that happens once every 3rd or 4th book, when I actually need to rearrange the plot).
6) Draft 2 using the edits. Mostly it's scene level changes or cuts for pacing.
7) Proofread & correct (I have 3 proofreaders who do passes)
8) Publish
It was slow because I had to get the machine started. This meant writing multiple books simultaneously so I could get them into the various stages of editing. It was tough because my daily word counts were huge (I was averaging 7k a day for almost two months), and it required started additional series, because I need to get one book at least to proofreading before I can start the next book in the series. I'm interested in a bunch of genres so I decided to start a coming of age series and a sci-fi/alt-history/time travel series, and started sketching out some stand alones.
Over the summer I've started getting books released, starting the more books and worked on figuring out advertising and joining some writing groups to help keep me on task. Since then I've launched Election Day (the sixth thriller in my John Taylor series) in May, Playing by Ear (the first of my coming of age series Country Roads) in July, Danger Close (Taylor book seven) in August, and The Sword of Jupiter (first in my sci-fi series, Imperium) at the end of October.
I currently have 4 books stages of work and release days plotted out until April. Extraction (Taylor book 8) which just came out of draft edit and is going into the final draft, Fanfare (Country Roads book 2) is almost done with draft 1 so it can go to editing, The Trumpets of Mars (Imperium book two) which is out of outline edit and just starting first draft, and Going Home (a stand alone) which is in heavy outline and almost ready to go through outline edits. My deadlines are Extraction out by the later half of December, Fanfare out at the beginning of Feb, Trumpets of Jupiter out at the beginning of April and going home out by the end of April or beginning of May.
If I hit deadline on Extraction, that will make 5 books in 2021 and I'd like 8 in 2022. I'll update this thread as I move along in my processes. let me know if you want to see about specifics like costs of advertising, mailing lists, other costs like editing and covers, and earnings or if this isn't helpful at all and if I should stop.
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