How to have it all | Debbie Young Takeover

Here’s something to think about – what would you say a ‘successful’ author looks like? What does it take for you to call yourself successful?

In today’s newsletter, indie publishing extraordinaire Debbie Young is exploring the world of being a hybrid or self-published author; what that means set against the world of traditional publishing; and how you, too, can have it all.¬†

How to have it all | Debbie Young Takeover

“Ah, a published author at last!”  

Why was I irritated by my friend’s well-meaning remark when I announced my new 13-book contract with the multiple-award-winning publishing house Boldwood Books? Well, I’ve been a published author for a decade, selling more than 60,000 books all over the world, and receiving countless enthusiastic reviews and messages from satisfied readers.  

But in my friend’s eyes, this achievement didn’t count, because until now, I’ve self-published my books – that is, I’d taken on responsibility for all the tasks of a trade publisher to put my books in front of readers. This doesn’t mean I did everything myself. It’s a rare author who has the expertise and experience to design professional-looking book covers. Every author needs an editor, even those who are trained editors themselves. Although self-editing is a vital part of the writing process, we are too close to our own work to make objective revisions and to add the final polish that a professional manuscript needs.    

Instead, as is best practice for indie authors, I’ve hired freelances to fill the gaps in my own skillset. I’ve employed a cover designer, editor, and proof-reader whose work has been so satisfactory that I retained them for all for multiple projects. (If you’re seeking freelance experts for your own books, Jericho’s list of recommended services is a great place to start.)  

Even with the support of fabulous freelancers, self-publishing, and later marketing self-published books, requires a tremendous amount of hard work and specialist knowledge. The indie author must learn all about the self-publishing process, so that they can make smart business and creative decisions, and avoid pitfalls, charlatans, and rookie errors.  

Self-publishing is therefore no soft option, but done the right way, it can be hugely rewarding, and not only in terms of creative satisfaction and control. Although not all books are sufficiently commercial to become bestsellers, no matter how well they are published and marketed, self-publishing enables you to share your work with the wider world, and what writer doesn’t want that?  

Many indies at least break even on their books and go on to make a significant profit over time. Although the indie route doesn’t guarantee riches any more than traditional publishing does, the more entrepreneurial indies writing in popular genres can do extremely well financially. But you don’t have to make a fortune to count yourself a self-publishing success. 

So if I’m proud and happy to be self-published, why have I accepted a trade deal? Simple: it’s not a binary choice. These days, plenty of authors take what’s known in the trade as the hybrid route, writing some books for their trade publisher and self-publishing others.  

It’s also a two-way route. Some writers, like me, arrive at trade publishing after a long self-publishing career, while others progress from trade to indie. Perhaps their publisher delists their titles, or they decide to diversify into new genres that don’t fit their publisher’s list, or they simply want to call the shots about their covers, titles, and content.   

There are of course plenty who stick with just one or the other: indies who fall in love with the autonomy of running their own publishing business, or trade-published authors who simply aren’t interested in going it alone. Both are valid options, and, what’s more, neither course is irreversible. Flexibility and choice characterise publishing, 2020s-style. 

In truth, for me, a trade publishing deal wasn’t a course I had planned. Boldwood approached me out of the blue after noticing my footprint on Amazon and realising my books were a great match for their new mystery list. Examining their credentials and taking advice from my agent (yes, indie authors can have agents too), I decided (a) Boldwood could sell more of my books than I could myself, and (b) signing with them would give me more time to write new material, something I’d been craving for years.  

But I’ll still be an indie author. While licensing my backlist of nine novels to Boldwood Books, and writing two new books a year for them, I’ll maintain my other self-published books (short fiction and non-fiction), and I’ll continue to self-publish books that don’t fit Boldwood’s list. I’ll also therefore be keeping up to date with the ever-changing, fast-moving world of independent publishing, and building on my ten years of self-publishing experience, including eight as editor of the Alliance of Independent Authors’ Self-Publishing Advice Blog.  

I’m also now delighted to share my knowledge and experience of the indie route via an intensive, fast-track course for Jericho called ‘Simply Self-Publish’. This will take you through the whole process from making sure your manuscript is fit for publication, through self-publishing eBooks and paperbacks, to marketing your newly self-published books and licensing your rights. I first taught this course in Spring 2022, with a high degree of student satisfaction, and applications are now open for the Autumn 2022 course, running October-December. To find out more and to decide whether it’s right for you, visit the Jericho website.   

Debbie Young 

Debbie Young is the indie author of nine novels, two of which have been shortlisted for the prestigious BookBrunch Selfies Award for best independently-published adult fiction in the UK. In 2022, she signed a 13-book contract with the multiple-award-winning publishing house Boldwood Books. She is a frequent speaker at literature festivals and writing events, and she judges many writing competitions. A champion of indies everywhere, Debbie is the UK Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors’ and in 2015 founded the ground-breaking free Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival which showcases dozens of self-published authors every year.