Some of the links below may be affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
We all have a story to tell. If we truly wish to tell it, there’s no stopping us. Some share their stories through the music they make. Others share their stories through drawing and painting, some through dance and performance. Others, like me, share their stories through publishing our written words.
Writers, no matter their level of experience, are storytellers, we all share this inclination to communicate, to paint vivid pictures with our words. Some of us want to live out the fantasy of publishing our stories in book form. When we do this away from the traditional publishing path of submissions, agents, publishing houses and royalty contracts, we go indie.
As an independent author, you might be many steps removed from the trappings of the traditional publishing process, but you still need to build a creative structure around you, a team to support you emotionally, professionally and even financially.
- Emotional support: Mentors
- Professional support: Sponsors/Freelance Services/Memberships
- Financial support: Patrons
Who are the key players you need on your indie author publishing team?
Someone to proof. Proofing your manuscript. There’s so much we can miss, there’s so much that a pair of expert eyes can catch. This person needs to be someone you trust, keen to constructive criticism and compassion.
Someone for design. Final touches and details are what will make your book shine on the local bookstore shelves. Even if we have an eye for design, someone else’s perspective and feedback can benefit the look and feel of your book, cover to cover.
Someone for quality. Quality control happens when you get that proof copy in your hands and the hands of someone who will point our all the objective ways in which it can still be improved.
Someone for printing. Producing the physical book. One of the advantages of self-publishing is that this step can simply be on-demand, direct to consumer.
Someone to promote. Marketing your book, marketing yourself. For the indie author this is when family and friends come to play. Their most important role is to be avid supporters and #1 fans. Then come the sponsors who spread the world around and the influencers who have found something of value in your book and story and want to take both into the hands of their own followers.
Look for alternatives to build a strong indie author team! At The Creative Confidential, we are users and fans of Blurb. Something like Blurb’s Large Order Service might be a good alternative to building a virtual publishing team to support your indie career.
Take advantage of their current new customer exclusive and 40% off with code: AMPERSANd4T
(Offer valid through September 10th)
**This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase using these links we’ll make a small commission. We only partner with and promote the products and services we believe in. We do not encourage any purchase that does not feel right to you, your budget or your creative entrepreneurial goals**
1 Comment