See that Indie Go!

“The good news about self-publishing

is you get to do everything yourself.

The bad thing about self-publishing

is you get to do everything yourself.”

Lori Lesko

I suppose it’s the price of freedom, this doing everything yourself. I’m still happy to be independent, but the weight of responsibility is heavy on my shoulders and I wake up at night worrying about it. But it also results in frequent and fervent prayers for help from the God who knows all, even technology.

Enough about theory. What happened this past month that furthered my indie career?

The first step in my personal plan was to acquire a logo and a tagline. Something to use on my book spines and inside page. I worked on this in November and December of 2015. After trying about fifteen million ideas for a press name, all of which were already in use, I began to believe techy spyders had invaded my brain.

I finally settled on one that was truly original, and hired a designer from a far country to create the logo through an online company called Fiverr. It was relatively painless, and turned out okay. What was supposed to cost $5 (hence, Fiverr, Seven-oh-fiverr if you’re Canadian), actually came to $80 USD, but it was done. I then managed to design a simple business card with the various formats I’d paid for. It’s not perfect, but it serves the purpose and I can print as needed.

Real Time Addition: I had scheduled this post several weeks ago, but decided to have another look at it before it goes live. So much has happened in the past few weeks, and I want to keep you up to date…

I found out from talking with various author friends, and from researching, that I needed to register my logo and tagline. It is essentially my business name. I spent more time than I had anticipated, but have now requested a search of this name, then reserved the name for a maximum of three months, in which time it needs to be registered.

I did that too, for a reasonable fee of just over $50 CDN. This  registers my business name for three years, and I will be notified when renewal comes due. Please note that I live in Saskatchewan, Canada. Provinces differ in their systems, as do countries.

Next step: the cover(s). I am not a visual artist by any stretch of the imagination, but I bravely tried a free design-it-yourself site and created a so-so cover in about five minutes. Then I remembered that covers sell books, and decided to explore another option.

I tried Fiverr next, but the designers were so diverse and many lacked proficiency in the English language. How would I effectively describe my expectations? I followed through with one, with unacceptable results. I think I prefer my own feeble attempt to what I received from him. That unfortunate venture cost me another $50 or so CDN. Lesson learned? I’m not sure.

Meanwhile, the God who uses ink (if I may borrow a phrase from the original Word Guild), intervened. I had queried about my covers to a designer I know who lives nearby and has both skill and experience. We emailed and I knew I did not have the funds to hire his design services. I have about eight covers queued up, and my book funds are insufficient for the lot. That’s when I jumped ahead on my own and tackled Fiverr, with previously stated results.

The following week the local designer contacted me and offered a deal I couldn’t resist. In short, it is a miracle. We met in person on Friday and shared ideas and expectations. I’m very excited. My word to you is this: if you are a Christian author, pray. God hears, He knows when we are pitifully inadequate for the task, He sends ideas and options, and sometimes He works miracles for us. Thank you, Lord.

Now there’s nothing to keep me awake at nights…except formatting. Sigh. My next report will be up March 8. Until then, keep pressing on, and praying.

P.S. I forgot to mention that I called a camera-proficient neighbor to update my author photo. It’s about time, after more than a dozen years. She offered her services pro-bono, but there are always ways of thanking people and thus acknowledging their skills.

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My Indie Adventure

“The time has come,” the Writer said,

“To learn of many things:

Of logos—and covers—and marketing plans—

For Indie Publishing.”

(with apologies to Lewis Carroll fans everywhere)

I’ve been thinking about independent publishing for months, perhaps years, but have so far been unable to move beyond the thought stage. How can I stop “getting ready to get ready” and forge ahead? What’s stopping me?

Fear.

Fear of missing something.

Where do I begin this journey? What must be in place before I start? What if I miss an important step? I’m an organized thinker, so I need all my ducks in a row before I begin. What if I cut the ties to traditional publishing and am left hanging?

Reminder: So what if I am left hanging? I can pick myself up and start again. I have many writer friends who have been generously helpful in the past and would no doubt provide encouragement.

Fear of not understanding the process.

There is a lot to learn when it comes to indie: thorough editing, cover design, ISBN procurement, formatting for every device in existence, uploading, permissions. The list is endless.

Reminder: I was blessed to attend the Fall Conference of InScribe Christian Writers Fellowship in Edmonton last September, and took a workshop by Bryan Norford on Independent Publishing. Bryan and his wife are both almost twenty years older than I am, and they are putting out books on CreateSpace all the time. I came away with the encouragement that if they can learn it, so can I, even if I’m not quite as sharp as they are.

Fear of disappointing my readers.

What if I don’t get my books out as soon as people expect them? What if they don’t sell as well as I hoped? What if my digital copy has blips?

Reminder: I’m in this writing business because I believe God has led me here. There will be times I learn from my mistakes—just like many others do—but nothing can keep me from doing a better job next time.

Fear of disappointing God.

This is the only issue that should really concern me. I can learn the ropes. I can ask for help. I can research. I can start again. The only way I will disappoint God is by not trying at all, letting fear paralyze me.

So on with the show. I’ve downloaded plenty of how-to books, I have my notes from Bryan’s workshop, I have indie friends, and the world is open before me. Let the games begin!

As I heard on a radio talk show recently, some of us suffer from “the paralysis of analysis,” and I plan to break the pattern. So I’ll see you back here next second-Tuesday—February 9—to let you know what’s happening.

 

 

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