Piper Nuelle

Being a self published author is hard! But trying to break into the world of Traditional Publishing and getting an agent seems to be just as difficult. I have tried to get an agent and to get my book traditionally published, but my book was rejected… Now, it wasn’t because my book was bad, oh no… I actually got praise and told my story was good and interesting but not something they felt confident with because it wasn’t their usual genre, or because my stand out thing is to write lyrics and have my main character sing and murder at the same time with a kind of deathly lullaby. I was told my book had good bones, a strangely cool vibe, but not something they were looking for… Unfortunately now a days companies and publishers don’t want to take risks on books that might not make them easy money. After all, they need to make a living too and in this economic climate, one wrong book may change all that.

So, I decided to go the self-publishing route. I have so many idea’s rattling around my brain that I didn’t want to spend the next few years trying to sell my one book to a publisher, when I could be writing more and selling them myself.

Self Publishing is hard work, you must do all the writing, finding someone to edit and paying them, all the marketing is down to you, designing the cover and so on… But it does mean you have more creative control, but it does mean getting your book out there, noticed and making sales is very, very difficult, unless you are already lucky enough to have a large following, or friends and family that can help. But not everyone has people around them to help, I sure don’t! I have my husband who has read my book and helped me with changes and editing etc, and he has told some people he knows and tried to help me push it via word of mouth, but other than him I have no friends and no family, or at least none that will help me spread the word.

A few years ago I self-published a book under a different name and my whole family found out and became jealous. Only a couple of them bothered to read it and only one reviewed it. The rest of them were uninterested and even telling me I wasn’t a proper author because I chose to self publish. Now at the time I chose that route because it worked for me and my homelife, I was a mum, I worked and I was a full time carer to my husband. I just had enough time to write, let alone find traditional publishers to take me on, and printing out samples of my manuscript to post was so expensive I didn’t have the funds… Yet self publishing made it so I could!

The funny thing was at one point I was doing quite well for myself, my books were selling and I was happy, I was attending events, making a small amount of royalties and I did it all on my own. But then one of my aunts approached me and asked me to promote her friends book on my socials as she was her ‘manager’. I agreed at first but asked what I would get in return, would she do a promotion for me too? If not would she at least pay me for my time? Would she do a review swap on the book? My aunt told me no, I must do it for free because I was her niece… So I told her no and said because I was her niece she should be supporting me to. We haven’t spoken since! Then there was my other aunt, whose daughter sings and she films herself and posts it on her Facebook. Again I was asked to promote and share her videos. When I asked why the family had never done the same for me, they went quiet and didn’t say anything. Then the final blow, my sister announced she wanted to write a book and because the family said she was the ‘Bookish’ one, she would be good at it and they couldn’t wait to read it. I felt so heart broken. I had been a book worm since a kid, everyone knew Piper the bookworm, she always had a book in her hands and a spare in her bag for just in case. And if you couldn’t find me at home, then I would be at the local library. My sister on the other hand was a gamer girl!!! If she had gone into a job gaming then yeah, I could understand their enthusiasm.

Hence to say she has yet to write that book, although if she ever does good on her, and I don’t speak to my family now. I have boundaries and they will not budge, not anymore.

This time around and with my own name and a different book I have told no one in my family I have self-published again, and so I am once again working hard and doing it all on my own. And even though it is my name, I doubt they will ever notice lol, so I can keep it under the radar and just be me and write to my hearts content.

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But… The one thing a self published author needs to take their book of the ground is reviews!!! But what is the one thing readers forget to do when they read a self published book? Leave a review!!!

And this got me thinking, as a self published author I wish readers would leave reviews on my books, but what other things would I wish that readers would do for a self published author to help?

• Obviously, Leave a review once you have read and finished the book whether you liked it or not. In the early days a lot of self published authors will give out their books for free in the hopes of reviews and to spread the word of the book, but all too often the reader takes the book and never reviews it. That cost time and money for the author… Just remember that!
• Spread the word by word of mouth or on socials. Have you read a great indie or self published book? Then why not tell others. We need to start normalising that self published books are good books too. There is a lot of stigma and horrible bias about self published books. There are of course some that are bad and are not written or edited properly, but there are also bad traditionally published books out there too. The world has changed, so why can’t the restraints on traditional and self published books change too. I mean once upon a time the word ‘Influencer’ didn’t exist, but now, loads of people are influencers and make their money from it. It became an accepted type of a job, so why can’t writing and self publishing books become accepted as well?
• If you don’t like the book, explain why! I had one of my first bad ratings on Amazon, someone gave me 2 stars for my book. Why? Well who knows!!! They never put a reason. But this means I cannot see what was wrong and if and how I could rectify it. Unfortunately there are a lot of authors and or readers that are loyal to certain authors out there that will scour the Amazon book lists and pick on newly self published authors by making their books ratings bad so their book goes down the list and making it so people will not buy their books. All in the hopes that it will make their books go up the ranks and lists. Which isn’t fair! And a form of cheating and fraud. But at the same time, if there is a mistake or you don’t like it, give feedback, explain why!
• Follow a self published author on social media. Every author has to start somewhere and sometimes people will read your book and enjoy it but not leave a review or follow or comment on social media. Social media now a days is the heart and soul that pumps blood around the world, it is how people are seen and discovered. But even self published authors need likes, follows and comments to help promote their books. And if you are trying to grow your own brand or social followings, most self published authors will follow back, a bit like a follow for follow.

These are just a few things that I wish readers would do especially as I am a self published author. What do you think? Do you agree? Would you add anything else?

xo Piper xo