So… There is so much to being an indie author/publisher that you really don’t end up finding out until you have made mistakes in doing it. To start with as the author you are responsible for every part of the process. That means the writing, the editing, the layout, the cover design, the title, picking the places the book will be available, setting everything for sale, and marketing. Now some of this you can and probably should hire someone else to do.

Personally I always hire an editor. While I am capable of editing, I find that it is better to get a second set of eyes on my work. It makes the chance of unnoticed errors less. I have two that I personally use. One is Kelly at Xterraweb and I also use Deedra Nichole Editing. Both are excellent. Both will not try to change your voice. In your story your voice is what makes your story unique.

After the editor finishes you have to give your story to beta readers. This is a group of people who you trust to read, and give you feedback. This feedback can be anything from suggestions for grammar mistakes that got missed in the editing process (if any) to title ideas or plot holes.

Many people hire someone else to do their covers. I do all of my own covers, and I am always willing to discuss doing covers for other authors. My price would be reasonable.

Now, as for places to publish your book… Everyone has heard about Amazon. That is the basic place for indie publishing. They have a program for Windows and Mac called Kindle Create. This helps with layout. Amazon is the best place for doing paperbacks. The other place I use to distribute my Ebooks is Draft2Digital. They also have audiobook distribution. (Which I am working on.)

Marketing is an area that I am still working with. It is something that I personally not great at.

I am always willing to help new authors, or even discuss the process with those who are already in the know. This is something that I am truly interested in. So, feel free to ask any questions or to just strike up a conversation!