It’s a Great Day for a Publishing Update
In one month + five days, Under the Pawpaw Trees will be officially published. With the excitement comes a whole lot of second-guessing. Did I do too much of an info-dump in the first paragraph? Was the ending rushed? Did I develop the characters enough? Should I have done one more editing pass? But the biggest question is this: Will anyone take it seriously, being a self-published book?
My family and friends know that my dream was to get a literary agent and to be published, legitimately, by one of the big five publishing houses. I won’t rehash the disaster that was my first traditional publishing experience, but that event sent me on this self-publishing path. And I have mixed feelings about it.
I like the control I have over my product, which is to say complete control. Over the creative decisions, the editorial decisions, dates and timelines — everything. I like that it’s my business, and I don’t have to fork over a percentage to an agent or a publisher. It’s hard work being my own publisher, and it’s something I can be proud of.
However, when more than two million books are self-published each year, the odds are pretty low that mine will stand out. So here come the down-sides to self-publishing. The biggest one: marketing/advertising. Because if you’re just a normal person with just a normal day job and just a normal life, can you really afford the expense of promoting your book and your brand? The answer to that is no NO WAY.
And here’s where the scammers come out in droves, telling you they want to “help” you promote your book, for a reasonable fee, of course, but they’ll blast it all over TikTok and Instagram to their thousands of followers from their home in the Philippines. It’s a challenge separating the wheat from the chaff in the overpopulated land of indie author services.
So I’m wading through, trying this, that, and the other, to hopefully make a difference in my sales. I mean, after all, this is a business, and most people don’t want their business to be in the red three years in a row. Maybe this year will be different? Maybe with the launch of Under the Pawpaw Trees, my little two-book series will be loved by more and more readers. I can hope and pray.
Anyway, I promised an update, so here is where we are: Under the Pawpaw Trees, the sequel to Sitting on Top of the World, is available for pre-order now. Click here to see all the places where you can find it. Those who pre-order will get it first when it comes out on July 25th.
Additionally, both Sitting on Top of the World and Under the Pawpaw Trees ebooks will be on sale for 75% off for the entire month of July on Smashwords!
Meanwhile, I’m signing up for other promo events, submitting my new book for review by bloggers, and submitting it to contests. Soon I’ll be taking a copy to the Mansfield library, as well as to my favorite independent book store, O’Briens Bookshop, in Waxahachie.
Finally, I need to figure out what to do for a launch. Perhaps the library will allow a book launch event there? Should I check with the coffee shop where I had my first book launch party? Maybe do something virtual? Or do I need to do anything at all? If you have ideas, let me know!