I absolutely love being an indie author. When I first made the decision to self-published it was carefully thought out. It wasn't a desperate last resort to get a novel into print - because I'm already traditionally published in non-fiction and to be honest I hadn't tried very hard with the agent/publisher route. But what I had done was to keep a careful watch on other authors for the past couple of years. I noted who was signing publishing contracts, in what genres etc, and I decided that in my genre, in UK plus a number of other factors, it wasn't going to happen. I'd come very close to being accepted by what I considered was my best bet in terms of reputable established publishers, and I'm sure, had I approached some very new or small presses, I would have found one to publish me. But, on balance, and with readers waiting for the printed book, and, of course, with the offer to publish as a member of Year Zero, I decided I was better off being indie.
But every so often I get this wave of anxiety that I've made the wrong decision. Every time a new author scheme is announced, or one of my friends signs a contract or is offered an advance, I worry that I should have waited. Much of this worry is financial, because it wouldn't just be a dream come true to reach more readers, it would enable me to earn a living - something which, because of circumstances beyond my control, I can't adequately do in other ways.
I think much of indie author anxiety (I'll call it IAA) arises because the publishing business, media and marketing are in a state of flux. No-one can really predict where the business will go more than a few weeks in advance. Indeed, I think epublishing took off much more quickly than its market leaders could have predicted.
Maybe, in a couple of years, it will settle down into a more predictable pattern. For now, though, many of us will have to learn to live with IAA!
But every so often I get this wave of anxiety that I've made the wrong decision. Every time a new author scheme is announced, or one of my friends signs a contract or is offered an advance, I worry that I should have waited. Much of this worry is financial, because it wouldn't just be a dream come true to reach more readers, it would enable me to earn a living - something which, because of circumstances beyond my control, I can't adequately do in other ways.
I think much of indie author anxiety (I'll call it IAA) arises because the publishing business, media and marketing are in a state of flux. No-one can really predict where the business will go more than a few weeks in advance. Indeed, I think epublishing took off much more quickly than its market leaders could have predicted.
Maybe, in a couple of years, it will settle down into a more predictable pattern. For now, though, many of us will have to learn to live with IAA!
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