Woman reading a book at a register at a bookstore. Marketing and publicity challenges

Publicity: An Important Element of Being an Authorpreneur

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Marketing and publicity present their own challenges to the indie author.

Woman reading a book at a register at a bookstore. Marketing and publicity challenges
Photo by Pj Accetturo on Unsplash

All my life, I’ve been a storyteller. Sometimes this has been all about the amazing life I’ve been fortunate to have and some of its more interesting adventures. Other times, it’s been all about my ongoing pursuit of self-awareness, mindfulness, positivity, and choosing to live this life on my terms.

Then there is fiction. Sci-fi and fantasy in books, movies, and TV have all captured my imagination. From Star Wars to Game of Thrones, Firefly to The Dragonriders of Pern, and tons of other properties from both well-known and indie authors, streaming services, and beyond, I love huge swaths of sci-fi, fantasy, and various subgenres within them.

I began to write my own sci-fi at age 9. In my 20s, I started my Source Chronicles fantasy series. Then I returned to my first love, sci-fi, as I began a full-time writing process. The Void Incursion series was started in September of 2015. Book 1 – Opening Gambit was published in May 2020. By the end of 2023, all 5 Void Incursion novels have been published, as well as the 4 novels of my Forgotten Fodder sci-fi series.

As of this writing, I have a total of 13 published sci-fi and fantasy novels for sale to the world. I am deeply grateful that I’ve been able to do this, especially when you account for all the would-be authors who haven’t been able to finish even one book.

However, as this is my job, earning a living from my published books is paramount. Writing is only the beginning. There also needs to be editing, publishing, and marketing and publicity. Please allow me to break it down for you.

An indie-author business breakdown

It’s important to recognize and acknowledge that as a self-published indie author, I’m not just a writer. I’m a business. An authorpreneur, if you would. Fortunately, I’m something of a Swiss Army knife and have honed many necessary skills to handle much of the work beyond the writing.

If you’ve ever wondered what this looks like, or are considering self-publishing your own work, allow me to break this down for you here.

Please note: Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV). Elements of this can be outsourced (and some should be). That will be noted below:

Indie-Author Business Elements

Part I – Writing (all of this is on you, even if you have friends/family helping with some elements).

  1. Come up with the idea
  2. Plot or plan it out (optional, especially if you’re a pantser)
  3. Make time to write
  4. Find time to write more
  5. Keep writing
  6. Finish the work

Part II – Editing (this is the one place you absolutely need assistance).

  1. Read through your work and edit
  2. Send your work to beta readers (optional, but others who read your genre might have helpful insights)
  3. Go over what the beta readers send back (if you did step 2)
  4. Send the book to a professional copy editor (also, depending on your experience, consider developmental and/or line editing)
  5. Edit what your editor returns to you
  6. Re-send to editor or beta readers if necessary (also optional)
A block sign that reads "write without fear. edit without mercy." Marketing and publicity challenges
Photo by hannah grace on Unsplash

Part III – Publishing (another place you might need assistance)

  1. Figure out where you are publishing to (Amazon, Draft2Digital, both, others)
  2. Decide on formats (eBook, paperback, audiobook, etc.)
  3. Get cover art made (if you are not a graphic artist, hire someone to do this. People DO just your book by its cover!)
  4. Get all your formatting worked out
  5. Upload to the sites of your choosing and select the date for publishing (you can publish then and there or set a date ahead)
  6. Complete the steps and publish

Part IV – Publicity and Marketing (assistance might be needed here)

  1. Create a website (this might require a pro if you lack the know-how)
  2. Have a social media presence
  3. Make posts to the world to get yourself and your books out there
  4. Figure out advertising, marketing, and take action to increase recognition and book sales
  5. Do things like attend cons, guest on podcasts, and any other press you can manage

Publicity and marketing are, for me, the hardest part of the job. It’s also one of the most necessary, and probably requires assistance,

How do you do publicity?

This is the biggest challenge I face in my business model.

While I’ve done a lot of the above, I know there’s more that I can do. However, I’m not sure how that looks, and the landscape is also changing constantly.

Ergo, it might be time for me to start budgeting for a publicist.

There are a few other avenues I’m exploring. I’m looking into finding a local fantasy/sci-fi writers’ group (or starting my own). There are a couple of indie authors who’ve had more success than I have that I’ve had some contact with along the way. I can reach out to them and see if they will let me pick their brains.

At this stage, especially with my Savagespace trilogy I’m planning to release in the Fall, I need to give more energy to marketing and publicity. This is going to pull me out of my comfort zone. However, I know this is necessary to change and be where I desire to be.

I am grateful to have come this far. Now I need to work more on new angles for marketing and publicity as I continue my authorpreneurship.

Thanks for reading. As I share my creative journey with you, I conclude with this: How are you inspired to be your own creator – whatever form that takes?

Please take a moment to check out the collection of my published works, which can be found here.

Feel free to explore the rest of the website. Also, check out my weekly podcasts.

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