Indie Authors Are Here to Stay

There were 391,000 self published titles introduced into the marketplace in 2012 according to Bowker's Self Publishing Report: 2012 by Laura Dawson (reported in November 2013). That's an impressive increase of fifty-nine percent compared to new titles in 2011.

For a newbie writer/author this news may be staggering. How do you get noticed in a pool of literally thousands?  It's not done through karma, crystals, or a friend of a friend who knows this guy . . . The most successful authors I know have a business plan and author's platform in place.

Business Plan
It's important to set goals and budgets for everyday living. The same is true for publishing a book. The following suggestions may help you organize and focus your thoughts and needs:

• Set a realistic budget: 1) everyday expenses; 2) publishing and; 3) publicity. 
• Choose a support team of professionals to assist you in presenting the best product possible. 
• Continue to educate yourself to keep fresh on new trends and equipment. 
• Network with like-minded, goal oriented, positive individuals. 

Author's Platform
Publishers, agents, and readers want to know who you are and what your book is all about. Practice a 30-second encapsulation of the story that can be voiced in any given situation. Difficult to do if you don't first know who you are and more importantly who your audience is. My suggestions are to:

• Select the top two niches in which your book will draw the most attention.
• Identify those audiences according to age and interests. 
• Build you publicity and marketing around those findings  
• Study the competition: What do you have in common? What sets you apart? 

The good news is, indie authors are here to stay. The market place supports their work. Readers vote for favorite authors and titles with their kindles and androids. Recommendations spread in nano-seconds through social media. With forethought and planning, a new author may gain confidence in presentations and develop a loyal following.

Jo Ann V. Glim is a 40-year veteran of freelance writing and author of "Begotten: With Love"  available in print and soon to be available in eBook format. To learn more . . .
visit: www.BEGOTTENtheBook.com
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