Before we jump straight in I wanted to say a few things. First when read up on Katie and this book release I had to be on the tour. I am often asked how I do what I do and why I do it and how did you self publish? How can I? I am pleased to have an insiders viewpoint and I hope that it help my readers with those questions. So please sit back as far as you can (and still read!) and enjoy!
Welcome Katie.
How you do what you do and why you do it.
Well, I wish I had some profound thing to say in response to
that topic. The short of it is, I have to do it, writing that is. I’ve always
loved to write. A little secret many people don’t know about me… I’m an introvert. Deep down to my bones I am a shy,
people-watching, wallflower. It may not seem so if you met me online. It’s easy
to seem outgoing and extroverted when you have the anonymity of the internet to
protect you, but stick me in a room full of strange people and you’ll see me
slowly blend into the wall until I disappear completely. LoL.
That’s why I write. I watch people. I see their
interactions, but I don’t have that desire to jump right in with them. And when
I try to, I always manage to stick my foot in my mouth. I joke with many of my
friends about that. I tell them I prefer writing to talking because I have
plenty of time to edit my words and then I’m less likely to say something
stupid. So, I may not interact socially much myself, but my characters do. And
I love that, writing scenes, making my characters do things I cannot, and
seeing them blossom into novels.
Now please don’t think of this as depressing. It’s just the
introvert’s way. We’re a different breed, students of human interaction rather
than participants. But don’t think you have to be an introvert to be a writer;
that’s just why I became one.
Now, on to how that translated into a self-help book for
those interested in self-publishing. When I had books I wanted to bring to the
public I discovered self-publishing. At that point it was beginning to shed its
previously dirty name. Self-Publishing was once the haven for the unpublishable;
now it’s much more mainstream. But back then it was harder to do, and not only
that, to do it right was a bit more expensive. For me, learning the ropes on my
first novel,
Immortalis
Carpe Noctem, was an expensive process. As I published more and more books
I learned many valuable tricks to not only doing it right, but also to keep
cost low without sacrificing quality. Quality is key in producing a product
that can compete with traditionally published books.
The more I learned, the more I wanted to share the
knowledge. I worked for 6 months or more, posting on my blog, offering tips and
tricks to people looking to self-publish. After a while, my editor (who is
listed in the book, and she’s awesome!) suggested that I put it all together
into a handy dandy guide. That’s where
Go
Publish Yourself! was born. Its years of self-publishing knowledge distilled
into no-nonsense tips and tricks to help you see your novel as a published
work.
So, back on point, my love and need to write bred books (the
Immortalis
series) which then led to a desire to share the behind the scenes work too (
Go
Publish Yourself!). And that’s why I said in the beginning, I have to do
it. It’s part of me and who I am. I love to write, no matter what I’m writing
about. And I hope you’ll enjoy what I write too.
Thank
you so much for reading, and if you want to check out my other novels, you can
find me at
Katie
Go Publish Yourself!
Self-Publishing made simple. Get your polished novel ready
for Kindle, Nook, or Print in thirty days or less.
Avoid the common stumbling blocks and get on the road to
successful self-publishing. This handy dandy guide, filled with insider’s tips
and tricks, will unscramble the world of self-publishing into simple,
easy-to-follow steps.
What’s in the book?
Common Misconceptions
The Business of Self-Publishing
Basic Costs & Budgeting
Publishing Formats: Epub, Kindle, Smashwords, & Print
Cover Art
Interior Layout
Pricing
Printing and Distribution
Marketing Basics: Platform Building, Book Signings, Blog
Tours, etc.
And much more!
Don’t make rookie mistakes. Learn from an insider!
Katie Salidas is an author with several successful
self-published titles. Each of her titles was created in the DIY (Do It
Yourself) style, without the aid of author service companies. Through trial and
error she has gained the knowhow to successfully publish print and ebooks. Go
Publish Yourself! has that knowledge assembled into an easy-to-use format,
packed with no-nonsense tips and quick and dirty tricks, so you can take your
novel to the next level.
So, what are you waiting for? Go Publish Yourself!
Author Katie Salidas
You thought we were done!!! Never! Here's an excerpt. (I chose the one tailored to you guys with all the questions!) You are welcome. XO -Andrea
Common Misconceptions of Self-publishing
Because
self-publishing is still in the early stages of being recognized as a viable
platform, there are still old misconceptions being thrown around. These are
used to scare potential indie authors away from taking that leap into the
market.
“You’ll be lucky to sell 200 copies.”
This was the first
thing I was told when I decided to self-publish my first novel Immortalis Carpe Noctem. It scared me,
as it was meant to. But after talking with other indie authors and looking at
the sales rankings on Kindle and other online platforms, I realized that this
was completely untrue. A well-plotted book that has been edited and has good
cover art sells just as well as its traditionally published counterpart. In
fact, Immortalis Carpe Noctem sold
more than 200 copies (print and ebooks combined) within the first couple of
months of publication. It sold more than ten-thousand copies in its first year,
and the number rises every day.
As you can see, the quote above is wrong;
however, there is a seed of information there that you should take from it. No
book will sell without help. I didn’t just place my book online and hope for
sales. To start, I made sure the book was edited, two times, and then gave it a
beautiful cover. Those two items are essential to the potential success of your
book. Beyond that, to get Immortalis
Carpe Noctem to move, I had to market it. Getting the book online to
vendors is just part of the process. Do not think that hitting “submit” will be
the final step in your publishing journey. That is only the starting point. We’ll
discuss marketing in later chapters.
“Self-publishing will ruin your chances of
ever being traditionally published.”
Another thing I was
told when I decided to self-publish was that it would ruin my chances to ever
be traditionally published. That idea is the old style of thinking. Many
authors today whose books show great promise are being targeted by literary
agents. Instead of the author querying an agent and then waiting months for a
response, the agents—after seeing excellent sales—are contacting authors
directly to offer representation for things such as print rights, foreign
rights, and movie options. In essence, the indie market is becoming a sort of
slush pile for these agents.
Now, as with all
things, there still is some truth to take from this quote. Only the books that
are selling well will attract literary agents. If you are dabbling with both
self-publishing and still considering the traditional route, I’d recommend not
bragging about your “publishing achievements” if your book has not shown
continuous positive sales. Remember that it takes time to build an audience,
and you cannot expect overnight success. If you are straddling the fence
between these two methods of publishing, keep them separate until you have something
that is really worth bragging about.
“Only friends and family will buy your
books.”
This quote makes me
laugh every time I hear it. In actuality, your friends and family will expect
you to give them the book you publish for free. As they see it, they helped and
supported you, so the least you can do is give them a free book.
And that’s just fine. Give them a free copy. You’re not marketing to
them. As an indie author, you want strangers to buy your book. Focus all of
your marketing efforts on building a platform and getting to know new readers.
Those are the people you want to connect with and turn into fans.
final note from Andrea:
So friends, family, followers and stalkers alike thank you for stopping by! Katie, thank you for allowing me to be a host on your book tour. I wish you the best and plan to get a copy of your book myself.
XO
Labels: bk walker, go publish yourself, Katie salidas, self publishing, vbt cafe book tour