The publisher is responsible for the costs of putting the book out into the world. That means when a book is self-published, the author is taking on those costs theirself. Since self-publishing I Know You Like a Murder, a few people have asked for an idea of what they can expect to spend if they chose to self-publish. So I thought I’d share this info with all of you. Overall, I want to say: Costs will vary! My costs will not equal your costs. We want different things, we make different connections, we have different skills, lead different lives. I’ll explain in detail what that means, but first... Let’s get to the gnitty gritty. How much did Amy choose to spend getting I Know You Like a Murder into the world? My best calculation of what I consider being “expenses specifically for making/selling the book” is $1600. The rest of this post is available to patrons, where I break that dollar amount down into all the little details. Because your expenses will wildly vary from mine and I want you to have a better picture to estimate your own expenses.
Category: for the Writers
In Defense of Ghostwriters
Awhile ago Olivia J. guest-posted on my blog about concerns with the idea of ghostwriters, while I posted my defense of ghostwriters on her blog. Check out Olivia’s reservations about ghostwriting, and then see why I think ghostwriting has an important place in the literary universe: What makes ghostwriters the bomb-diggety: Ghostwriters aren’t quite… Continue reading In Defense of Ghostwriters
A not-so-merry blogmas
Okay, it can be merry for you if you want. But for me, it will be eerie and creepy and sinister. Muahaha. Want to tell a holiday story (of any genre)? Step out into the wild unknown of someone else's blogspace? Reach a whole new audience with your wondrous words? Join the December blogmas event… Continue reading A not-so-merry blogmas
How I made my book look like a book
In a timeline of things to be done in the journey of self-publishing, on one end is the writing and editing. And on the other end is the selling and marketing. But there's a whole lot of in between that doesn't really get talked about. If you type a jumble of words into a Word… Continue reading How I made my book look like a book
My 6 step process to editing a book
I passed the writing phase for "I Know You Like a Murder" and was on to the editing phase. When asking writers further along in the writing journey, I found that most don't have a step-by-step system for their editing, they just read through and edit whatever they see needs fixed. I collected a… Continue reading My 6 step process to editing a book
Stories on why we create
Creativity isn't finite. The more you give, the more you have. That's a philosophy I want to live by, and Ksenia does too. Ksenia Anske sends cards with personalized stories to her readers. So when she sent one for my writers' group, I volunteered to facilitate our writers prompt and had everyone write her a… Continue reading Stories on why we create
10 writing experiments to avoid
My friend was going to do a writing experiment, but was worried I as her writing coach wouldn't approve. So I sent her a comprehensive list of all the experiments I disapprove of. If you're thinking of experimenting with your writing, here's a cautionary look at what experiments to avoid. Oh no, you’re doing an… Continue reading 10 writing experiments to avoid
Why I wanna be like Ksenia Anske when I writerly grow up
Although, let's be real: Ksenia and I don't plan on actually growing up in our writerly lives. It's more like staying daydreaming children forever, but then pretending to be grown-up long enough to do the business stuff. I don’t remember how I discovered Ksenia. But I do remember what stuck in my mind about her:… Continue reading Why I wanna be like Ksenia Anske when I writerly grow up
Guest Post: How Ghostwriting is Hurting the Book World
Olivia J has agreed to share her concerns about ghostwriting here, and you can check out my defense of ghostwriting on her site. What a fun collaboration <3 Read the posts, then join the convo 🙂 "The role of a writer is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable… Continue reading Guest Post: How Ghostwriting is Hurting the Book World
13 tools for editing your book
As I began editing my story, I asked a bunch of writers - either that I personally know or through Facebook writers groups - what tools they use when editing their book. I was shocked that most didn't have a plan or a tool...they just wing it! I'm sure most of us would like a… Continue reading 13 tools for editing your book