From author to award-winning publisher. It can be done!

by Jessica James
(Gettysburg)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Where does one begin? It all seems a bit of a blur, but I'll try to start at the beginning.

I guess I chose the independent publishing route for a number of reasons. The first thing that pointed me in that direction was the fact that my book "Shades of Gray" is hard to categorize. It's historical fiction, but also a love story. (I prefer to categorize it in the historical fiction category because I'm old-fashioned and don't really like what the romance genre has become in the last few years).

Anyway, that is what made me take a look into independent publishing. The other two big factors were Profit and Control. Getting published by a large publishing house is not all it's cracked up to be. You get a small percentage of the sales, still do a lot of the marketing work, and lose all control of every aspect of your book.

The first thing I did when I decided to publish was create a Web site about a year before I had anything else done. I also sent out my manuscript very early to Civil War buffs and historians so that I would have cover blurbs (this was probably about eight months to a year from my pub date).

The most aggravating, but necessary, thing I did was send out pre-pub review copies to the large industry reviewers. I only got one review out of all the ones I sent. It was a huge investment in time and money, but it really could have paid off (if I only knew then what I know now). I would still recommend doing it for anyone who feels they have a quality book and is serious about selling to bookstores and libraries.

I found a great editor and also Web site designer through Elance.com. I highly recommend the site, but don't skimp! I certainly didn't take the lowest bid for any of my projects, and I think I was really lucky in finding two really talented people. Editing and cover design are two areas where you should be willing to bite the bullet and pay a fair amount. It's hard to do, but very worth it in the end.

Finding a printing company is a matter of getting bids from a number of companies. You will be surprised at the range because some specialize in certain things and will actually send your project to another printer if it's not what they do. As a side note, because I am an American who values our way of life and keeping jobs here, I never considered going overseas. All my books are printed and made in the USA.

Once my book was out, I hit the road, stopping at stores, museums, Civil War reenactments, etc. I set up book signings, sent out press releases and worked a little bit on social media on the Internet (not my favorite thing - very time consuming). I've heard a lot of authors say they have more luck in selling their books at festivals than in bookstores. I am lucky in that I have a very specialized niche and so don't have to look far for booksigning opportunities. I would recommend, though, that authors consider this advice, because when you do a bookstore signing, you will be giving away 40% of the price of your book. If you get a table at a flea market, farmers market or heritage festival for a few dollars, you keep all your profit.

One of my greatest marketing coups was teaming up with an equine artist. I decided one day that starving artists are probably a lot like starving writers and need publicity, so I sent a message to the International Guild of Equine Artists.

One of the artists who responded already had a print that depicted my main character's horse exactly as I had envisioned it. Now, I promote her and her Web site through my promotional materials and she promotes my Web site and book through hers. We do the same at the events we attend. There was no money involved - we just promote each other. In fact, she now has a whole "Justus" store on cafepress where you can buy Justus mugs, bags, and tee-shirts. (www.kristenqueenart.com if you want to see an example)

Soon after Shades of Gray came out, another author approached me about taking on his book. I had no intention of taking on another book so soon, but this was an established author and historian who already knew the ins and outs of marketing. Also, his book was Civil War non-fiction, which I thought would meld nicely with mine...so I did it. I have not regretted the extra work because his book lends credibility to my publishing company Patriot Press and we work well together. (By the way, the book is The Southern Cross: A Civil War Devotional by Michael Aubrecht).

One of the other things I would advise a book publisher or author to do is enter contests - but pick them wisely. There are a lot of scams out there! I am proud to say that Shades of Gray won the Gold Medal for Best Regional Fiction in the 2008 Indie Awards and was a finalist in the Historical Fiction category. It also won a Silver Medal in the Best Regional Fiction category in the IPPY awards. These are awards given by the independent publishing industry, so they speak to the publishing aspect as much as the author.

Shades of Gray just came out in January of this year, so I think it's off to a great start. I knew very little about the industry when I started, but with a lot of patience and persistence, all the hard work is paying off. It's not something to get into lightly, but it can be very fulfilling to take your book on its journey through publication.

Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump. Good luck!

Visit Jessica's site.