New writers:
One major issue that comes up with indie authors is the cost of producing a quality reading experience for their audience. This makes a lot of sense. As the price of services and the cost of goods (paper, ink, gas, and so on) increases, so does the bill for a lot of the essential book development and distribution steps like developmental editing, printing, cover design, shipping, or proofreading.
Poor Writers Don’t Deserve to Publish
I’ve heard some version of this all throughout my career. Some people honestly believe that if someone doesn’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on book development that they don’t deserve to share the beautiful stories in their brain.
I can’t wrap my head around that.
I’m a little concerned about the people who believe this. It seems elitist and goes against the very spirit of what (in my mind) creative endeavors are all about.
If someone can’t afford an expensive canvas and easel with a plethora of paints, brushes, and other tools to create art with, they may opt for something more accessible for their budget, like a set of colored pencils and a sketchbook from the dollar store. This doesn’t make their art any less meaningful to them. It may even add more beauty for the consumers of this art because its message and vision shine through so strongly, even with cheap supplies.
I don’t think anyone deserves to be priced out of writing and publishing their work.
What’s a Broke Artist to Do?
To this end, I have started a Kindle Vella series entitled Publishing for Free. The first episode was announced to Apprentices and newsletter subscribers last week. Now, I’m announcing it to the public at large. Episode 1 is about how you can start the planning of your authorship without spending a dime. This includes preparing spaces for your fans to gather and presenting yourself as a professional author even before you’ve written the first word of your manuscript.
If you know someone who has a dream of becoming a published author, but has zero budget for professional development, let them know that they can follow me on Amazon and follow the story on Kindle Vella to start reading about how to proceed. Remember that publishing without any professional help comes with a lot of risks. But there are steps you can take to ensure that highest quality reading experience possible with no money being spent.
