I have just spent two days in London at the Self Publishing Show Live, surrounded by like-minded, inspirational, enthusiastic, independent authors, all of whom are eager to succeed in the world of self publishing. Just being in that environment is motivational in itself, let alone the thought-provoking sessions various speakers presented over the two days.
I am still digesting all the information I heard and there was a lot. It could be overwhelming but I think you have to digest everything for a while and then decide where you want to focus. What is it that I want achieve and what do I need to do to achieve it. From there you can choose which path to take and which options to follow.
Some of the main messages I took away for this conference:
- There is no better time to be an independently published author.
- Independently published authors are growing their revenues – according to research performed by the Alliance of Independent Authors, available to ALLi members on their website (affiliate link) – whereas traditionally published authors are not. (See Society of Author’s (SoA) recent ALCS Report. You can find a comparison report on the SPS Facebook group)
- To be successful you have to accept this is a long term project, and you need multiple books.
- The more the better! So focus on writing books.
- It is hard work.
- You need to treat writing as a business and wear your business hat. Being agreeable all the time won’t cut it.
- Believe in yourself. Belief and positive thinking is a self fulfilling prophecy. It’s not down to luck.
- Having a positive attitude and believing you can hit your goals means you are more likely to achieve them
- Marketing is a necessary evil. Focus on the platform you are most comfortable with. You don’t have to do everything. You choose what you want to do.
The opportunity to network, meet other authors and compare notes was invaluable. No matter how shy you are, the writing community is very welcoming and everyone wants everyone else to succeed.
Hearing what other authors did to be successful is inspiring, and every author’s path is different, so be inspired by other’s successes, see what they did and emulate it. Understanding the market, trends and opportunites is key for any business, and selling books is no different. Use the tools available and carve your own path to success. If you haven’t finished your book yet, then stop procrastinating and get writing. If you have finished, congratulations on an amazing achievement. You should be exceedingly proud of yourself. I hope you celebrated.
This is the time to be an independenty published author. It’s down to you to grab that opportunity with both hands. I know I will.
And don’t forget…
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. If you love Romance, then try my Fantasy Romance SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Helen Garraway 