Why I'm Making the Switch to Indie Publishing

“I am the one thing in life I can control. I am inimitable. I am an original.”

-Lin-Manuel Miranda

Sometimes when I get discouraged that my book hasn’t been published yet, I’ll listen to “Wait for It” from Hamilton. I love the line, “I’m not falling behind or running late.” What I glean from that is my book will make its debut when the time is right.

Do you believe in the right timing of things? I have to in order to keep going. I also believe that when we take intentional steps forward, we’ll know if we’re on the right path.

The path forward for me and this book is independent publishing, as opposed to traditional. There are subcategories within those, and this article explains them, but those are the two general routes for authors.

I always imagined traditional for my book because that’s what I’ve had the most exposure to, but times are changing and I’ve fully embraced the indie way. Here’s why:

1. I want my fate to be in my hands. Yes, even if it means learning a whole new process. I’ve spent years studying the traditional method: how to write the “perfect” query letter and how to pitch to an agent. Also, there’s peace knowing the publisher will handle all the “hard stuff” for you, like editing, cover design, formatting, distribution, marketing—you get the idea.

Indie is its own game, but as an avid student of life, I’m ready to take notes and move forward. I’ve already gone two steps in the right direction. First, I joined the Alliance of Independent Authors. Second, I ordered this book on Amazon. If you have other resources, feel free to chime in in the comments.

All this to say, whatever becomes of this book will be my own doing. “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” This brings me to my second point, closely tied to the first.

2. I want creative control, especially the cover design. The cover is insanely important to me. I obsess over my cover the way some people obsess over their future wedding dress. I have ideas, but I’ll need the right designer to fuse them into a cover that dazzles and delights. Traditional authors do have some input regarding their covers, from what I understand, but it’s limited and ultimately up to the publishing company.

3. Querying is a soul-sucking process I’m no longer willing to participate in. All the props to my author friends still in the trenches and even more to those who’ve been successful with it, but it’s no longer for me.

I’m exhausted—tired of the “pick me” attitude. Now I’m bypassing the gatekeepers, choosing myself, and accepting the outcome of my own efforts.

4. Mine is a “niche book,” which means my intended audience is somewhat specialized. I realize this every time I try to find comparable titles. Most of them hail way back. I’ve queried my book as one that “combines the humor and whimsy of Little Women with the rawness of True Grit.”

Young Adult Historical is a stretch for many agents right now. Add the American West and horses to the mix and I’m all niched out. It’s not a traditional western either.

All this to say, I know my readers are out there, but because my book doesn't fit into the list of many agents, I’m not likely to find them through the traditional route.

Please note: Even though it might be considered a "niche book," I believe it will appeal to a wide audience of teens, adults, and even upper middle graders. That's just a marketing term. I believe people of many ages will enjoy and even love my book.

Hang on readers! My book will find you.

5. Finally, it takes less time to indie publish. With traditional, even after you find an agent, that agent needs to find a publisher. I could continue querying for another year or two, but there is no promise of publication at the end of it. I’m definitely “willing to wait for it,” but I don’t want to grind it out for nothing. I’m ready to see the fruits of my labor sooner rather than later.

P.S. I’m not doing this for the money, but if I were, that would be an advantage as well. Recent surveys say that indie authors earn more money on average than traditionally published ones. The indie authors who do the best, of course, are those willing to work hard, put themselves out there, and find a system that works for them--all things I'm willing to do.

Indie publishing has disrupted the system and given more freedom to authors than ever before. No joke, as I was writing this post, I opened Twitter and saw this tweet:

It's an oracle! So off I go into Indie-land. Wish me luck!