Self Publishing

So, after yet another rejection letter from an agent / publisher, I've decided to self publish.

Admittedly, the genre in which I write, Traditional Old School Fantasy, is a difficult genre to break into. There are a lot of established well known writers such as George R. R. Martin, R. A. Salvatore, and many others. Right now, Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy is what's hot, and it offers the best chance for new writers. While I could see myself writing an Urban Fantasy series in the future, I want to get a series under my belt before I go that direction.

I already have a marketing plan in place, one that hasn't really been tried, but I believe has a lot of potential. I am not going to release the details of it until after I launch Blood Of The Righteous. I'm also going to give up one of my vices and use the money towards online marketing. I have several sites picked out already, and once my cover artist gets my cover together, I am going to create an ad banner.

I know a number of people who have self published, and now their books are sitting on Amazon for $0.99, or free with an Amazon Plus account. I've studied their errors, along with what successful self publishers have done, and learned from them.

1) If you believe in your books, put your money where your mouth is. Be prepared to spend $300 - $400 on a professional cover if you aren't a digital artist yourself. Being a Neural Network Scientist by trade, this is not one of my strong points.

2) Given that the Ki Kalendeen Chronicles is a seven book series, once I'm ready to release my second book, I'm going to make the first one free. My wife is a very big e-book reader, and that is how Amanda Hocking snagged her interest.

3) Go out of your comfort zone on Social Media. You may be a brilliant writer, but the quality of your writing alone won't get you noticed.

4) Join independent author sites. They are a great way to get noticed. Be prepared to pay to join. Several I am looking at are free for readers, but they charge the authors.

5) The "Two Days Free" promotion is a great way to increase sales from what I've seen.

Anyway, these are just some thoughts on self publishing. I'm hoping I'll be a success at it. We'll see.