What Nobody Tells You About Self-Publishing a Book
- By Gina Agderian
- •
- 30 Dec, 2018
- It's a lot of hard work. Ok, did you really think it is going to be easy? Of course you didn't! You're smart, and you know that anything worth accomplishing is going to take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Get ready to be your own publicist, agent, manager, director of marketing, etc. It makes me nuts when I see these glossy pictures of people on Instagram with their perfect lattes, super-neat desks, and perfect lighting (and yes, I know the picture in this post is exactly that, but isn't the typewriter cute?). Say it with me: Instagram is not real life. I tend to keep my desk and home office pretty organized, but life happens and things occasionally get messy. You're going to sit at your computer and want to cry because you feel stuck. You're going to have days when you would rather do anything except write. Writing is not glamorous. It won't be easy, but your hard work will pay off in the end.
- Self-publishing a book does not have to cost money. You might spend some money on an editor or designer, but the actual self-publishing process does not cost a cent. Instead, Amazon pays its authors a royalty off of each book sale. I was on a super-shoestring budget and literally did everything myself for The Letters in the Old House, with the exceptions of a close friend acting as my beta reader and my husband helping me design the cover. People have asked me how much it cost to self-publish my book, and I'm always happy to tell them that I did not spend any money to get my book out into the universe.
- Self-publishing a book is not going to make you a millionaire. Well, at least not at first. But let me be clear: You're writing a book for the wrong reasons if you're only doing it to make money. Yes, it is absolutely possible to make a career out of writing! Being positive and putting good energy into your book is very important, but please do not be discouraged if you do not make hundreds of thousands of dollars off of your first self-published book. Keep the positivity and belief that your book will do well, but understand that building an audience takes time. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
- You can't be afraid to self-promote. One post on Instagram, Facebook, etc. is not going to cut it. The algorithms can be tricky, so your entire audience is not going to see your post on the first try. Think of creative ways to post about your book. I released The Letters in the Old House only a few weeks before beach season in New Jersey, and I knew my book was the perfect beach read, so I was able to create posts surrounding that. As the holidays approached, I posted about how my book would make a great gift. There's a difference between being pushy/annoying and telling others why they should buy your book or what value it will add to their lives. Cute pictures or flatlays of your book are also useful, and you can always ask friends or family to take pictures of your book wherever they're reading it to share with potential readers.
- You can't get discouraged by those who do not care about or understand your book. There might be people in your life who are not excited about your book as you might expect them to be. That's totally fine. Most people do not understand what it takes to write a book, and believe it or not, there are people in this world who do not like to read (I'll never understand that). Some people may have a lot to say about your book, but remember, you're the one who put the time and effort into writing the book, not them. It is very easy for someone who has never self-published a book to be critical of someone's work, so if someone has something negative to say, simply smile and nod. Whatever the case is, bless them and move on. There are so many other readers who are going to love your book!
As a self-published author, I never dreamed that I would actually have the opportunity to do a book signing. It's quite humbling, actually. This opportunity came to me when one of my husband's friends attended an event at the Bergenfield Library and ended up speaking with someone about my book. They put me in contact with the person in charge of events, and before I knew it, my signing was scheduled! I'm hoping one day I will have a self-published best seller, but for now, I'm still in awe of what my dream of becoming a writer and a lot of hard work have brought me. It's still strange for me to see my name on the cover of a book!
If you're local, I would love for you to attend the book signing so I can meet you and personally thank you for sharing this journey with me. I hope to see some of you there!
CanvasRebel had reached out to me several weeks ago asking me if I'd be willing to share my journey as a self-published author. This publication features the stories of micro-creators and gives us an opportunity to shine. I was thrilled to share my experience and knowledge of self-publishing a book and how my upbringing shaped my creative journey and who I am today. I love sharing my story because it gives me a chance to inspire others. I would often look to other independent creatives as proof that someone could self-publish their way to success. I hope that this article inspires readers to follow their dreams and to not wait for a traditional publisher to give them the "ok" to share their work with the world. I am thrilled that the article is now live for the world to read!
Summer is coming, and my novel The Letters in the Old House is a great summer read! The story takes place down the Jersey Shore and is perfect for a day at the beach or lake. You can also check out my YouTube channel for book reviews and other fun videos.
Like most creatives, I am constantly dreaming up new ways to leverage my creativity, expand my GSellsSeashells brand, and connect with my readers. I’ve been working on some fun projects that I am excited to share with you!
First, I have published two journals on KDP that are now available on Amazon! These journals are 100% designed by me and have two very different vibes. THIS JOURNALis hardcover and has a tropical vibe featuring palm tree designs on the pages. There’s something about it that reminds me of the Beverly Hills Hotel, even though I haven’t yet visited…or maybe I’ve been watching too many of Josh Flagg’s scenes on Million Dollar Listing LA . Either way, this journal has a cool, swanky feel that will make you feel like you’re staying at a world-class resort hotel.
My second recently-published journal has a nautical vibe. THIS JOURNALis softcover and perfect for jotting down your summer plans and adventures. I am in love with the colors used in the cover design.
I’ve also started a YouTube channel, which is something I always swore I’d never do. There is something so cringey about filming myself. I feel awkward sitting in front of my phone and filming myself, but I’m slowly becoming more comfortable in front of the camera. My YouTube channelfeatures quick book reviews and a few YouTube Shorts for now, but my plan is to keep the full-length videos focused on book reviews and writing tips and have some fun Shorts of travel, life, etc. However, this could change, so we’ll see where it goes!
I’m keeping my 2023 mantra of “Endless Possibilities” at the forefront of everything that I’ve been working on. My goal is to connect with my readers in different ways, even if it means creating journals when I have absolutely zero design experience and filming myself awkwardly talking about books that I’ve read. Straying outside of your comfort zone is the only way you can grow. You never know what will resonate with someone or who is watching!
As always, I am eternally grateful for your support! You can p urchase my novel The Letters in the Old House on Amazon in paperback or Kindle, and you can visit my YouTube channelto learn more about what I’ve been reading.
As a self-published author, I never dreamed that I would actually have the opportunity to do a book signing. It's quite humbling, actually. This opportunity came to me when one of my husband's friends attended an event at the Bergenfield Library and ended up speaking with someone about my book. They put me in contact with the person in charge of events, and before I knew it, my signing was scheduled! I'm hoping one day I will have a self-published best seller, but for now, I'm still in awe of what my dream of becoming a writer and a lot of hard work have brought me. It's still strange for me to see my name on the cover of a book!
If you're local, I would love for you to attend the book signing so I can meet you and personally thank you for sharing this journey with me. I hope to see some of you there!
CanvasRebel had reached out to me several weeks ago asking me if I'd be willing to share my journey as a self-published author. This publication features the stories of micro-creators and gives us an opportunity to shine. I was thrilled to share my experience and knowledge of self-publishing a book and how my upbringing shaped my creative journey and who I am today. I love sharing my story because it gives me a chance to inspire others. I would often look to other independent creatives as proof that someone could self-publish their way to success. I hope that this article inspires readers to follow their dreams and to not wait for a traditional publisher to give them the "ok" to share their work with the world. I am thrilled that the article is now live for the world to read!
Summer is coming, and my novel The Letters in the Old House is a great summer read! The story takes place down the Jersey Shore and is perfect for a day at the beach or lake. You can also check out my YouTube channel for book reviews and other fun videos.
Like most creatives, I am constantly dreaming up new ways to leverage my creativity, expand my GSellsSeashells brand, and connect with my readers. I’ve been working on some fun projects that I am excited to share with you!
First, I have published two journals on KDP that are now available on Amazon! These journals are 100% designed by me and have two very different vibes. THIS JOURNALis hardcover and has a tropical vibe featuring palm tree designs on the pages. There’s something about it that reminds me of the Beverly Hills Hotel, even though I haven’t yet visited…or maybe I’ve been watching too many of Josh Flagg’s scenes on Million Dollar Listing LA . Either way, this journal has a cool, swanky feel that will make you feel like you’re staying at a world-class resort hotel.
My second recently-published journal has a nautical vibe. THIS JOURNALis softcover and perfect for jotting down your summer plans and adventures. I am in love with the colors used in the cover design.
I’ve also started a YouTube channel, which is something I always swore I’d never do. There is something so cringey about filming myself. I feel awkward sitting in front of my phone and filming myself, but I’m slowly becoming more comfortable in front of the camera. My YouTube channelfeatures quick book reviews and a few YouTube Shorts for now, but my plan is to keep the full-length videos focused on book reviews and writing tips and have some fun Shorts of travel, life, etc. However, this could change, so we’ll see where it goes!
I’m keeping my 2023 mantra of “Endless Possibilities” at the forefront of everything that I’ve been working on. My goal is to connect with my readers in different ways, even if it means creating journals when I have absolutely zero design experience and filming myself awkwardly talking about books that I’ve read. Straying outside of your comfort zone is the only way you can grow. You never know what will resonate with someone or who is watching!
As always, I am eternally grateful for your support! You can p urchase my novel The Letters in the Old House on Amazon in paperback or Kindle, and you can visit my YouTube channelto learn more about what I’ve been reading.
EXCITING NEWS: I have released the title of my second novel! I had already sent an email blast to my subscribers, so please sign up for my email list if you want to be the first to know of any updates or fun announcements. Simply visit my homepage and scroll to the bottom where you’ll be able to enter your email address. And now for the fun announcement!
Drumroll, please…
The title of my second novel is…
The Faceless Woman ! I had this title picked out almost from the beginning of the outlining process, unlike The Letters in the Old House , which received its title after going through revisions. It has been interesting to see how different the entire process has been from my first to my second novel. I’m now able to take what I learned when writing The Letters in the Old House and apply it to The Faceless Woman . I don’t think writing a novel will ever become any easier, but I feel more equipped to handle everything this time around.
I’m also happy to share that I have COMPLETED my first draft of The Faceless Woman ! I had the luxury of recently spending a month in the Poconos with my husband and I was able to get some writing done during our trip. I sat myself down on our last night there and didn’t move for three hours while I finished the first draft of the novel. It is far from perfect and a complete mess, but at least I now have something to work with when revising and editing. The story is slowly but surely taking shape!
As always, thank you so much for your interest, support, and love. I write because I want to, not because I have to. Writing and creating is a labor of love for me, and it makes me so happy when someone tells me that they enjoyed my work.
You can purchase The Letters in the Old House on Amazon by clicking HERE . As always, happy reading!
