Let's Talk Publishing

This is one of the most common questions I’ve received since publishing Cloaking Fate, and the answer likely leaves its recipients with more information than they initially sought. Short answer? I tell people it took me a year to write my first draft, and another year for edits, revisions, rereading, cover design, formatting, and all the back-end paperwork that no one enjoys.

The answer they probably want? 2 years.

The answer they get? 😬 (Lots of geeky rambling about a lengthy and overly-involved publication process).

All sarcasm aside, many have expressed genuine curiosity about my publishing journey. For those intrigued by the long answer, here are some things I’ve learned throughout this venture.

The method I chose:

I self-published Cloaking Fate. What does that mean? It means I did not sign a book deal with a publishing company like most major titles you’d find in your average bookstore. I am what they call an “indie author.” Each step of the process that requires a book to be ready for launch, I have facilitated myself.

What’s the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing?

Here are the basics of what I’ve learned.

The traditional publishing process goes something like this:

1. You write your manuscript (book).

2. You compose a query letter (basically a professional proposal for your story) and send batches of these queries out to multiple literary agents that represent authors within your genre. You’ll do this repeatedly for as long as it takes to receive a reply. Think fishing in an over-crowded pond with many other fishermen and a very limited number of fish trying to decide which lure to bite. 🐟

3. You (hopefully) get an agent to offer you a contract!

4. Your agent then approaches various publishers on your behalf to pitch your book. (Back in the pond—albeit a much bigger one—but with a shiny new lure!) 🎣

5. One of these publishing companies accepts your book and offers you a book deal! (Cue celebration, you’ve officially “made it.”) 🥳

6. NOW you work with editors, cover design artists, marketing professionals, etc, to polish that baby up and ready it for launch.

MY self-publishing process went like this: (And I say MY because it is extremely subjective based on the individual). 

1. I wrote my book.

2. I revised and self-edited my book (several times).

3. I had a couple of volunteers read my embarrassingly rough draft and provide feedback.

4. More edits.

5. I interviewed editors. I sent samples of my manuscript to multiple editors that I’d found working within my genre, and then reviewed their feedback. I chose the one that I thought would best fit my needs.

6. I found an artist and commissioned my cover design. (Side note worth mentioning: I actually had TWO covers designed for Cloaking Fate by two different artists, which is a long story in and of itself. If you’re interested, I can share that experience, also).

7. I worked directly with my editor and design artist until I was satisfied with both the manuscript and the cover.

8. I formatted my book. (THIS is another saga I’d happily share if anyone cares 🥴).

9. I chose my publishing platform, uploaded my content, set my date, and voila!

10. MARKETING MARKETING MARKETING MARKETING MARKETING MARKETING 🫠

Why did you choose the method you did?

It comes down to a few factors. Traditional publishing is what many people consider “making it” in the book industry. And in many cases, that’s true. Big publishers have all the resources at their disposal. The artists, editors, marketing teams, fancy printers, industry network, etc. If you land a big book deal and your book sells well, you’re in!

However, this process can take YEARS, and there are no guarantees you’ll be successful enough to make a career out of writing. I’ve talked to authors who spent over a decade querying agents and faced countless rejections before landing an offer of representation. I’ve also heard of authors who were dropped by their publishing company because they couldn’t cultivate a robust enough social media presence.

Aside from the time it can take, you have much less control as the author. I wanted to maintain my rights to all my work, and have complete say-so over my process.

That said, because I chose to self-publish, I had to do all the legwork on my own. I had to find my editor and artist (and heavily invest in their services 💰). I had to purchase my own ISBNs. I formatted my book myself (again, SAGA). I organized my beta readers, ARC readers, and launch. I started a publishing company (The Pegasus Publishing LLC and Star Mount Press) to publish my book under a business name instead of my own. I’ve done all my own marketing.

Ultimately, I chose to self-publish because it best aligned with my objectives. I already have a well-established career. 🩺 I wasn’t looking to replace that (Although, if it happens, I won’t fight it 😜). I wrote a book because I love to write, and it’s been a goal of mine since high school. Self-publishing allowed me to have control over my process and accomplish my goal within a reasonable timeframe.

Is there a difference in cost?

Definitely. Or rather, there can be?

One could technically self-publish for free. However, for the average aspiring author, it would be VERY difficult to produce a quality product without spending something. You could forego editing, create your own cover, utilize a free ISBN, and upload your book to a free publishing site. But unless you’re an accomplished digital artist and have a background in professional editing, your book is probably going to look like a sloppy DIY project vs a polished piece of literature that fits genre expectations.

They say never to judge a book by its cover, but let’s be honest, most people do.

The two largest investments associated with self-publishing are editing and cover design. And, in my opinion, they’re non-negotiable. My editor and artist were worth every hard-earned penny, and I will use them for the rest of my series.

If an indie author skips either of those investments, it’s immediately apparent. We’ve established that I’m a bit of a perfectionist. If Cloaking Fate is sitting on a shelf with a dozen other fantasy romance novels, I don’t want a potential reader to be able to point out my book and say, “That one’s an indie.”

The benefit? Once those initial investments are made and the book is published, indies reap a much higher royalty rate than traditionally published authors. Say, from 50-75% of each sale.

Traditionally published authors benefit from their publishing company’s resources and network. They typically receive a sizable monetary advance upon signing their contract, which can then be allocated to editing, cover design, marketing, etc. However, it’s my understanding that royalties for sales are much lower. 20-30%? (Don’t quote me on the exact numbers.)

You’re paying for all the services, your publisher, and your agent. But if you do well? Those publishers have the outreach and means to get your book into all the major brick-and-mortar stores, help organize book tours and events, and so on, making it easier to cultivate a substantial following.

Would you ever consider pursuing the traditional route?

Yes.

My plans are for my Curse of Fate series (which is tentatively slated to be a trilogy) to remain a self-published enterprise. If it does well enough, and a major publisher decided to offer a deal to pick it up? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Who knows.

I do have ideas for a fantasy duology that I may decide to query with in the future. But that is a distant endeavor.

Worry not, dear reader, I am well-entrenched in Ilistaar for the time being.

And speaking of Ilistaar…

I’ve received a request! Many would like a pronunciation guide for the characters in Cloaking Fate. I made a post about this on my TikTok and Instagram pages, but I figured I’d work on a written version as well.

Keep an eye out for August’s newsletter. I’ll have it finished by then!

P.S. If you have any specific questions related to the publishing process that I did not cover, please shoot me a reply, and I’ll do my best to answer!

xo

N.