Tentative Outline: Indie Publishing

Right, this weekend (after talking about flaws in front of PPW) I have to meet up with Becky Clark and talk about indie publishing, soup to nuts. She’s funnier than I am, so I want to make sure she doesn’t distract me too much with her jokes, and so therefore I’m writing a possible outline for our talk at PPWC before she can, because I won’t get two words in once I see her…

I mean, that is not the case and I’m just getting my thoughts organized. I expect to learn a TON from her, and from putting this all together. Plus, if it goes well, maybe we’ll turn our notes into a book and voila! Brilliant.

IF YOU HAVE FEEDBACK: Marvin K. Mooney, I don’t care where and I don’t care how, but share your feedback with me now! Items to add, books you want to recommend, people who disagree with me, techniques and websites to check out: cough them up.

Indie Publishing: Who, What, Where, Why, and WTF?

1. Intro

Is indie publishing for me? What if I want to do it differently?
Note on Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced tracks.
Should I DIY? What should I DIY? And what should I pay if I don’t?
Gaming the system (tactics) vs. long-term strategies.
In general, how not to get screwed.

2. Before you write.

But I hate all this stuff! I just want to write!
Establishing a promise to readers (and picking readers who give a crap).
How to start thinking in terms of selling books instead of being a precious snowflake (I probably won’t call it this, but…oh man is it true for most of us).
Time management.

3. Writing.

Should I start with backlist or new work?
Should I change what I write?
Increasing writing speed.
Taking advantage of indie publishing opportunities (series, serials, tie-ins, collections vs. short story singles, pseudonyms)
Writing with other people
What can I legally get away with? (Product references, fan fiction, using other authors’ worlds, non-compete clauses, when do I get rights back on previously published material)
Should I indie publish or go with an outside publisher on this particular project (hybrid authorship).
What writing software should I use?
Should I publish on my website first or not?

4. Ongoing tasks to do while experiencing writers’ block.

Setting up as a business.
Networking (web presence, social media, newsletters, writers’ groups/sites)
Deciding where to publish and how (paypal, publishers, pseudonyms, porn, and more)
How knowing copyright can save your butt.
Freelancing (quitting your job, supplementing your income, increasing web presence and networking) vs. working for free.
Continuing education (writers’ groups, classes, books, advanced study)
Crowdfunding (kickstarter, patreon, donations)

5. Editing.

When is it done?/Is it good enough?
How to find beta readers/writers’ groups.
Hiring an editor.
How to work with an editor.
A note on series: start a series file!

6. Design and layout.

Ebook, print, or both?
Picking comps for fun and profit
Hiring artists/designers
How to work with artists and designers
The importance of staying legal
Marketing materials: cover taglines (book tags, author tags, series tags), back cover blurbs, keywords

7. Planning for release day.

Cross-marketing.
Getting reviews.
Blog tours.
Paid advertising
DRM or not?
Prereleases and soft release days (is that the term? I can’t remember now)
Should I copyright/register with the Library of Congress/get an ISBN?
Doing a prerelease check

8. Release day.

Gaming the system.
Minimizing the work you need to do on release day (preventing as many ulcers as possible)

9. Post-release day.

Customer Reviews: Good, Bad, and Ugly (Author responses).
What to do about flagging sales (free, giveaways, price dropping)
Why am I not getting the sales I want? A checklist.
How to handle corrections.
What if someone contacts me? (Agents, publishers, foreign rights, movie deals, merchandise)
What if someone’s stealing my ebook?
How to deal with growth (looking back at old work that sucks)
Should I do an audiobook?

10. Appendices (& handouts?).