Guest Post: How to Successfully Indie Publish Your Book

Publishing

18 Jul

Publishing is never easy no matter which route you take. While indie publishing certainly has a lot of perks, there is also a lot to consider to ensure you do the best job possible.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah L Richhelm, who recently self-published her debut novel Control My Night. She shared her experience of the publishing process and offered all her best tips to anyone else considering taking the same route.

Take a look!

Hi Sarah, thank you so much for joining me on my blog! For those who haven’t yet discovered you online, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your debut novel?

Thank you! I am an Aussie author who lives in Brisbane. During the day I work in financial services empowering hard working members to reach their goals for retirement, and all other times I write gritty fantasy with slow-burn romance that makes you giggle-kick.

My debut novel, Control My Night, was released in June and is a new adult urban/paranormal fantasy romance that mixes mafia with the supernatural in a reimagined modern-day Prague. It follows Keanna, a book-smart and street-naïve banshee with a unique secret and ability—she has a scream that can kill.

The story starts when she is abducted by a mob boss who leverages supernatural beings to stay in power. He uses her deadly abilities as a weapon, while also forcing her to join his team of henchmen searching for his missing daughter. One of the members of this team is a boy she has met before—and is hopelessly infatuated with. Silas, a mage, is also a prisoner, and is just as charismatic as he is secretive. As their forbidden relationship develops and Keanna sinks further into the world she is desperately trying to escape, she soon discovers earning her freedom may cost not just her heart—but everything she’s ever known to be true.

Control My Night features a slow burn forbidden romance, found family, morally grey characters (you’ll love against better judgement), ex-military men (who are grumpy but also hot), ballgowns, car chases, forehead kisses and the occasional explosion. It is perfect for fans of Laura Thalasssa or Karen Marie Moning, or for those who grew up watching CW TV shows, XMen, or loved the YA novels of the 00s/10s and want to revisit that nostalgia with more mature themes.

So, firstly, congratulations for publishing your debut! What drew you to self-publishing for Control My Night?

I’ve always written and enjoyed storytelling for most of my life, but about seven years ago I started pursuing publishing. At that time, I was working on an island fantasy that I later started pitching and querying. I got a revise and resubmit request for that project from an Australian publisher, along with a list of suggestions they had to make the story more commercial. They were great suggestions, and I’m still so grateful to the editor for taking the time to share her feedback because I learned a lot from this process. But after about eight solid months of revising, cutting the word count, changing the characters ages, removing some of the darker themes to make it more appropriate for a younger audience… I dramatically burned out on it. Years later, I’d realise it was because I’d been taking it further and further away from my original vision—a square peg into a round hole, I guess.

At the time, I put it aside, and pulled out my draft for Control My Night—then called Project Prague—that I’d completed during my break in revisions for the Island project. I remembered how much I’d enjoyed the world and the story and decided to work on it while I let the other project rest.

As the themes of Control My Night developed, what I wanted to say with it became clearer and clearer, as well as who the target audience for this story might be. While the indie space is very popular for new adult stories, at the time of my decision the traditional market still only produced either young adult or adult, with not much in between. Neither genre felt like a suitable fit as much as new adult did, so I moved forth with the plan to self-publish. Even though I didn’t query Control My Night, I don’t have regrets. The story that I created matches my original vision and I’m so proud of how hard I worked on it, and for validating that effort with publishing it myself. I may consider querying in the traditional publishing space in the future, but this series—a trilogy of interconnected standalones—will be self-published.

The self-publishing process is quite a lengthy one. How did you plan and prepare for that and what was it like overall? Was there anything about the process that surprised you?

Even though I’d prepared myself, self-publishing definitely took longer than I thought it would! Because I have worked in the project management space and I’m so used to things going wrong, I built in buffer time… and I’m so glad I did. I also have a full-time job and health commitments, so I was mindful of this as well. I decided a year prior to my release date the intention to publish, and then counted backwards the milestones I wanted to hit and when, like Advance Reader Copy (ARC) releases, cover release, title release. I booked all the vendors to finalise the product once I had a release date in mind: an editor, proofreader, formatter, and cover artist. I didn’t publicly commit to a date until all of these product deliverables were completed.

The thing that surprised me the most was the interrelated requirements of cover artists and formatters. Even though it seems obvious now, I didn’t realise that a cover artist can’t finish the paperback or hardcover wrap until they know the page count and spine width… which is something the formatter (or you, if you’re formatting yourself) can provide once you’ve completed all edits on the manuscript. As a result, I messed up the schedule for completion with my cover artist, and then I had to wait for her to become available again. This ate up the time I had left just in case, which is never a good feeling!

You’ve managed to get your book stocked in a few retailers, which is amazing. How did you go about organising that?

I’m so grateful to the retailers who have taken a chance on my book, it honestly means the world. Getting to know booksellers and small business owners and bond with them over stories is one of the best parts of this whole journey.

A lot of retailers and small bookselling businesses have social media, and so this is where I started. I followed them for a time to understand what kinds of books they stock and to see how they engage with customers. Some companies/businesses have an EOI form or an Author enquiry section on their website or in their social media links, so check there first before because this is your best bet to make sure your enquiry goes through the right process. If this wasn’t defined, I’d cold contact them either via email or through a DM on social media, introduce myself and my book, and offer to send through more information.

Tip for authors: Create a ‘sell sheet’ that includes your blurb, author/book comps, any noteworthy reviews or awards, product specs (like ISBN, distribution, trim size), trigger warnings, social media links, your contact details, and a bio. This is an easy and professional way to communicate all the information a prospective seller may need. My sell sheet is on my website in the footer links if you’re curious!

And what about the in-person events? What was the process like to arrange those?

This was a similar process, in which I followed local bookstores on social media or asked other author friends who had hosted events for recommendations. Some bookstores have information on their website about events and how to apply for them, otherwise most are usually very gracious about receiving email enquiries. In my emails I would introduce myself and my book and enquire about signing or event opportunities in their store. While it can be very daunting to put yourself out there, I’ve found most places are delighted to hear from authors and are more than happy to answer their questions.

For my debut, I hosted a pre-release signing at local bookstore and café Chapters in West Brisbane. I used this to test-drive all my brand signage, book table set-up, and my purchasing hardware for future signing events. Then I had an official signing event post-release at Shelf Lovers in Brisbane, where a friend and fellow author (of a similar genre) agreed to interview me in a Q&A. She asked insightful questions about my process and my story so attendees unfamiliar with my book could get an understanding of the story before they purchased it. Both events were wonderful experiences. It is a great opportunity for friends and family to celebrate your achievements, while also giving you the ability to meet readers (and prospective readers!).

Tip for authors: While going into a store cold to introduce yourself can sometimes be a good idea, it can also stress out the workers, particularly if they’re busy. I found emailing or calling to be the best way to open lines of communication. I would then organise an agreed time to visit and discuss. This applies for asking for your book to be stocked in a store, too.

Is there anything about self-publishing that has felt particularly challenging so far?

While there is so much to learn about self-publishing, the thing I found the most challenging was finalising my story and deciding it was ready. I had become so used to the feedback loop I’d established with my critique partners and beta readers, and I hadn’t realised how much of a safety blanket that was whenever I shared my story; the idea that it’s not perfect and not finished, and so if they find fault with it that might be why.

As a perfectionist and a people pleaser, it was really confronting to finalise Control My Night and say that the story is done, that I stand behind it, that I’m proud of it, and release it into the world to be received and perceived (for better or worse). This realisation and the emotions it brought up took some time to work through, but it’s an important part of the process.

What would you say your favourite thing about publishing your novel has been?

There’s been two things that stand out, one that I had hoped for, and one I hadn’t expected. The one I hoped for was holding my book in my hands for the first time, and seeing it on a shelf in a bookstore. That is a hard feeling to beat and can be one of The Biggest Moments you look forward to as a writer. I nearly had to go lie down when I first visited a bookstore that had my books on a shelf (and then to top it off, the manager asking me to sign them!).

The other thing, the unexpected thing, was how empowering self-publishing has been. Though there is help everywhere—the community is amazing, and so many authors are more than happy to offer their time and expertise to assist someone starting out—you do make a lot of decisions on your own. At first it was daunting, because there was so much to decide upon and so much to learn. But the process soon became empowering, because I could call the shots on everything. I had to learn to trust my instincts and bet on myself. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. On the other side, it’s been valuable confirmation that when you put your mind to something, there’s nothing you can’t do.

Lastly, what advice would you give to anyone else pursing self-publishing for their debut?

Be a sponge. Tackle everything in chunks and try not to get overwhelmed by everything there is to learn. You WILL learn what you need to know in time, so just concentrate on the next needed thing.
Invest in your community and join organisations (I am a member of the Romance Writers of Australia and Australian Romance Readers Association) and social media groups to find your people. Offer your time and support to others and build relationships.
Lean on other authors who have self-published and ask plenty of questions. Many authors are more than happy to share their advice and experiences so you can one day pass it on for someone else.
Your community is also immensely helpful for the lead-up to release. My family, partner, and friends from all areas of my life provided so much support and guidance through what was a very emotionally-charged time, and I’m so grateful to all of them.
And finally, you will find what works for you in time. The same thing doesn’t work for everyone, and you don’t have to do everything all at once. Publishing is only the beginning of your journey as an author. Trust your instincts, and don’t do anything that doesn’t feel right to you, your books, or your brand. Good luck!

Control My Night follows a cossetted young woman called Keanna—with a secret killer ability—who is abducted and used as a supernatural weapon in a criminal underworld. It mixes X-Men First Class, The Mortal Instruments, and The Godfather, and includes modern-day Prague in all its glory, multiple (delicious) villains, bonkers side-characters, and a slow-burn forbidden romance.