Author Chris Eboch on Turning to Self-Publishing

Recent technology changes have provided new opportunities for authors. You can publish your work in e-book form or print on demand. The process can be inexpensive, depending on how much of the work you can do yourself (layout and formatting, for example).

For  The Eyes of Pharaoh, I traded a manuscript critique for professional proofreading, did the POD layout myself with the help of my graphic designer husband, and got a great price on cover art and design from a local illustrator friend, Lois Bradley. I made the book available for $6.99 in paperback or $2.99 for the Kindle or Nook. I get over $1 per book for the paperback and $2 per book for the e-book, so it doesn’t take too many sales to make back my low initial investment. And finally the book is available to interested readers!

I know many traditionally published authors who are looking into self-publishing for their out-of-print books, for new books in a series that has been dropped by the publisher, and sometimes even for new works that could get a traditional publishing deal.

You have recently self-published with the blessing of your agent: Can you tell us how you decided to do this? 
I explored self-publishing as an option for some of my children’s books that didn’t interest big publishers. But the more I read, the more I recognized the opportunities for adult genre fiction. I’d written my first book for grown-ups, under the name Kris Bock (to separate it from my children’s books). Rattled is a romantic suspense involving treasure hunting in New Mexico. Romance and mystery novels do very well as e-books. It still helps to have a publisher behind you, but by self-publishing, I could price the e-book lower ($2.99) to lure in new readers, while keeping more of the money per book. It’s also available as a print on demand for $7.99, but I expect most sales to be as e-books.

Timing was a big factor in my decision. I have an agent who had read and liked the book, but he didn’t know a lot of romantic suspense editors, so I figured it could take six months to a year to find a publisher and negotiate a contract (assuming it sold). Then figure another year or two to get the book out. The publisher might not want to buy a second book until they saw how well the first book did. It’s hard to run a business on this kind of schedule. Working on my own, I had the book published in six weeks—in time for a mystery convention I just attended. I don’t get an advance, but I start earning money on the book right away.

I was worried about telling my agent I wanted to self publish, since he had already put the time into reading the book and giving me feedback. But he said he absolutely supported me in that decision—he knew mid-list romance novelists who get decent advances but are turning to self-publishing because they could do better that way. If the book does well enough, I may still need an agent for foreign rights, movie rights, etc., or if a traditional publisher wants to pick up the paperback rights. I don’t see agents going away in this publishing climate, but I expect their roles will change. Fortunately, my agent sees this too.

How do you plan on promoting your self published books?
I started by making sure I had good descriptions of the titles on Amazon, with sample chapters. I added tag words, and I’m asking friends to “agree with these tag words” so that the books show up earlier in searches. I’m also asking people to post reviews once they’ve read the book. At the mystery convention, I gave out several review copies and asked people to review the book on Amazon, their blogs, etc. in return. I spoke at the convention so I had a chance to mention the books a few times, and I gave out bookmarks and postcards. I also built a separate website for my Kris Bock alter ego. I posted the first three chapters on that site so people can read a sample before they commit.

From my many years in  children’s book publishing, I have connections around the country and the world. I’ve helped people publicize their work in the past, so I’m hoping they’ll return the favor. I’ve also gotten involved in a listserv for mystery writers and fans, and I’ve already been invited to guest post on a couple of blogs. I’ll get more active in the Kindle forums, where a lot of Kindle users find out about new books.

The first step to publicity is making sure you have a great book. Next is letting people know about it. Online social networking is a way to do that. Many traditionally published authors are doing this kind of promoting as well, so I don’t consider this a disadvantage to self-publishing. It’s just the way our world is today.

What are some advantages to self-publishing? Disadvantages?
There is a learning curve to self-publishing, though no worse than learning to write  query letters and research publishers for traditional publishing. You have to do all your own publicity, or hire someone. Many traditionally published authors do this, but some manage to avoid it. The main disadvantage is probably for children’s books—the e-book market isn’t strong yet, especially for younger readers, though I expect it will improve over the next 2 to 5 years.

I think the primary challenge to self-publishing is making sure you have a worthy book. Many beginning and intermediate writers think their work is better than it is. Publishing bad work can hurt your career worse than not publishing at all. Anyone considering self-publishing should get a couple of professional reviews first. Even previously published authors should get feedback on their manuscripts.

You also need to make sure that your cover art and design, copyediting, and layout are professional. Some authors are banding together to form conglomerates that review and approve each other’s work, which will also let potential readers know that the work is up to a professional standard.

The big advantage is control. You decide what gets published and when. You approve the cover art. You determine the pricing. You can play with your book’s description, price, and even cover over time, for real-time market research. It’s exhilarating to feel like I’m in control of my career! It’s also an opportunity to release books that might not have a large enough audience to tempt a traditional publisher, but may still do well enough to pay a few bills and help promote the author’s reputation. It’s a venue for novellas or  short story collections as well.

Do you think you’d try this again?
Absolutely. I’m planning to continue self-publishing my romantic suspense books under the name Kris Bock. Other authors have shown that having more books available exponentially increases sales as people who are tempted by one title then get interested in others. I’m not saying I would absolutely turn down a traditional publishing deal, but it’s no longer my first priority for my adult books. My agent is shopping around a middle grade boy suspense book. If that doesn’t sell, I may self-publish it. I’ll see how well The Eyes of Pharaoh does first. It’s all an experiment and a gamble, but isn’t that true of traditional publishing—and the rest of life?

The Eyes of Pharaoh, set in Egypt in 1177 BC, brings an ancient world to life. When Reya hints that Egypt is in danger from foreign nomads, Seshta and Horus don’t take him seriously. How could anyone challenge Egypt? Then Reya disappears. To save their friend, Seshta and Horus spy on merchants, soldiers, and royalty, and start to suspect even The Eyes of Pharaoh, the powerful head of the secret police. Will Seshta and Horus escape the traps set for them, rescue Reya, and stop the plot against Egypt in time? For ages nine and up.

Rattled, by Kris Bock, brings romantic suspense to the dramatic and deadly southwestern desert. Erin isn’t used to adventures—except those in books. But when she uncovers a clue to one of the greatest lost treasures ever, she and her best friend Camie head for the New Mexico desert to search for a secret cave. They’re not the only ones interested in the treasure, however, and they’ll face more dangers than Erin ever imagined, from wild animals, wilder humans, and the wilderness itself. Fortunately Erin and Camie have help, in the form of one sexy helicopter pilot and a surprising orange cat.

Learn more or buy the books at  http://tinyurl.com/4sdn3h4.