A Writer's guide to self-publishing

Black Issues Book Review, July-August, 2002 by Tracy Grant

The challenge facing most self-published authors is in balancing the business demands of a publisher with the creative drive that's in each author. Often, self-published authors must wear many hats--designer, accountant, sales rep, publicist and travel agent. Of course, once your book is published you have to market it yourself, taking on the job of literary personality and public speaker, all the while hoping to become someone interesting enough to attract people at book signings and public events.

Some of the most successful African-American authors started out that way, E. Lynn Harris and Iyanla Vanzant among others. As a self-published author myself, I've met countless aspiring writers who come to signings and literary events with endless questions. Based on my own experience and that of other self-published authors, in order to succeed and sell books, perhaps the best advice is to have a well-thought-out plan and be prepared for just about anything.

Over the next few pages, we'll take a look at the process from beginning to end, and hopefully provide some ideas and helpful suggestions to self-published authors.

It begins with editing

Amazingly, this is one area that many new writers overlook. Yet it is critical to the success of any book. Bernadette Connor, author of Damaged! and The Parcel Express Murders, believes the biggest mistake most self-published authors make is "the lack of editing." It's inexplicable. Simply put, the project won't go anywhere until the manuscript is edited. I emphasize to newer writers that your editor must be a professional and not your second cousin, or your girlfriend who loves to read, or even a book retailer.

"Editing should be done by an editor who has absolutely no emotional ties to the work or the author," says Connor. "It's imperative that they be honest in highlighting the weak points of the work."

Nancy Flowers, author of A Fool's Paradise and publisher of the upcoming Twilight Moods, agrees. "Just because your friend is an English teacher or was an English major does not make them a book editor!"

There are two different kinds of editing for purposes of getting your manuscript in shape. The first is style editing--sometimes called content editing--to address problems with plot, character, dialogue, pacing, consistency and anything related to the content of the book. When the manuscript is closer to publication, it should be line edited--sometimes called copyediting--to correct grammar and syntax. Finding quality editors--content editors or copy editors--isn't always easy, but there's no getting around it. "Talk to other authors about editors," suggests Yasmin Shiraz, author of The Blueprint for My Girls. "When you connect with the editor, let them know what your goals are so that they will want to be a part of your life's work."

Learning the market

Having a thorough understanding of the marketplace is also important for any author, particularly first-time authors. The success of a book will largely depend on the author's ability to interact with book retailers, the press, the publishing industry and most importantly, the book-buying public. Becoming knowledgeable about the book market requires legwork and research. For research, the Internet is a useful tool, but it's no substitute for getting out and learning firsthand. It's an area where many new writers look for quick fixes or ways to avoid the inevitable.

"A lot of self-published authors don't do enough research about the market," says Brenda Thomas, author of Threesome. "A lot of them come to me and ask for my media list. That says they don't do their research." Thomas says she doesn't mind sharing information, but she is somewhat put off when authors have done no homework on their own and want information handed to them. "My friends tease me because I research the research to make sure nothing's changed," Thomas says. "You have to learn the market before you do anything."

Terrance Dean, author of Be Empowered: 30 Days of Meditation for Men of Color, dearly saw a niche for his work, even though he didn't have publishing expertise. "When I got into this, I didn't know anything about the literary world. But I knew my book was unique." Dean's book was acquired by a major publisher less than four months after he self-published. "My book hadn't sold a lot of copies, but I had something that [the publishers] were looking for at the time."

Reading books on writing and publishing is always a good start. But that's not enough. Attend book signings and book events to become more familiar with established authors, book retailers and readers. Editors and literary agents also frequent such events, as well as other authors and retailers that usually support established writers and aspiring authors. Attending events like local book fairs or signings at neighborhood bookstores gives new authors an opportunity to interact with people who can impact their careers. Keep an eye out for what people are reading. It will help you make smart decisions. "You need to know what your competition is doing. But you don't want to do so much research that you end up mimicking other people's work," adds Shiraz. Again, the balance between creativity and business sense is the trick.