Piper Nuelle

Every Self Published Author needs to have a survival kit. A survival kit to be able to function and work to their hearts content. But what should be included in a kit for self published authors or for those that are planning on self publishing and becoming part of the indie author scene;

• Coffee and Caffeine – It is a well known fact that authors need author fuel and author fuel usually consists of coffee, tea or some form of caffeinated drink to keep the brain powered up and the creative writing juices flowing.
• Notebooks – An author of any stature can never have enough notebooks and as a rule they need to be littered around the house at certain points and intervals in case an idea crops up, which it can… At any moment in time. Usually right before sleep or in the shower.
• Pens – Pens, Pens, Pens… An author can never have enough pens!!! One will be your favourite for a while, but then it’s ink will run out and diminish. But the annoying thing is its usually when you are in the zone, when the creative mind has taken over… So you need to make sure you have a back up horde of pens hidden somewhere in case of emergency situations.
• A desk, a table or anywhere comfortable to write – To write you need a base, somewhere comfortable to sit and write for hours. Some people write on the sofa, their laptops balanced on old books, trays or coffee tables. Others like me need a desk, a desk where you can stash and store all you need, such as paper, notebooks, pens etc. Others like to sit at dining tables in the kitchen in the heart of the home so they still feel they are with the family and not missing out.
• A Laptop or computer – The rule of thumb usually is that once you have an idea outlined in a notebook you can then transfer it to a word type document on your computer, laptop or PC. This is essential to be able to see it in a document format, to be able to edit it and send it off to Amazon or other indie publishing sites.
• Money – To self publish you need money. Maybe not tonnes, but enough to get you started. Self publishing is no easy feat, writing the book tends to be the easy part believe it or not. You need money to; edit especially if you need to pay for an editor to look your manuscript over, for an artist or someone to design and create you a front cover, to promote it and market it, to buy copies to giveaway, send to the British libraries and to sell at book events etc.
• Social Media – This might seem odd, clearly you don’t want any distractions… But… You need social media. To sell your art in this modern day and age you need social media, you need; Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and so on. People will not find your book just by chance or luck alone, you need to help the world find it and see it, and social media is one way to try and promote it and get it seen.
• Candle – Some people struggle with actually sitting down to write, so what I do is I light a candle. Maybe I like the ambiance a candle creates, or the soothing scent that infiltrates my nose and my brain… Or maybe I sometimes use a candle to time myself and how long I write. Take for instance tea light, sometimes I light one of those and write until it burns out, depending on the brand that could be anything from an hour to a few hours of writing.
• Snacks – When you in the zone the last thing you want is to feel lethargic because hunger has set in. So near your desk or writing area, keep a little basket with some snacks to keep up your writing sugar levels.
• A reminder to take breaks – Sometimes you need to stretch your body, you need to take breaks to get your body moving, your blood flowing and to see some sun if you can venture outside.
• Proof Copies – Before you click yes to publishing your book, always make sure you get a proof copy and check it over for any mistakes. It is also nice to have a copy that you can scribble in if need be and not feel guilty for ruining a real copy.
• An Amazon Author page – When you self publish it is good practice to set up an author page on Amazon. This is so when people come across your book they can discover who you are to. It makes you look more professional and can help readers to connect with you.
• ISBN’s – Amazon do their own ISBN if you cannot afford one or don’t want to buy one. But if you wish to try and expand out of Amazon and into book stores, then you are going to need your own, paid for ISBN as most book stores and libraries won’t take a book without a real ISBN. You can get them either singularly or in bulk depending on your book and its needs. You can get them from Nielsen UK ISBN store.
• Amazon Ad’s – Some authors use and swear by Amazon ad’s to help promote and sell their books. It takes a little getting used to and can cost money, but if done right it can help.
• Patience – It is a virtue, but you will need a tonne of patience when self publishing. Your book will most likely not become a best seller or turned into a film over night, that can take years and years of hard work. Be patient and keep promoting and selling it and work on others during the meantime.
• Write more books – To be seen you will need more out there with your name on. You do need to remember quality over quantity too, but the more books are other their in the world with your name on, the more chance you have of people discovering them and you.
• A Thick Skin – People can be nasty and horrible and try to put you and your book down. You need to grow a thick skin and not care about the trolls or the nasty comments you may get. Especially seen as many people still don’t see indie / self published authors as ‘real’ authors. But you need to keep your head high, forget the haters and live for the moment and just enjoy the moment you publish your own book and can hold it in your own hands.

This is just a list of things I think you need to have to be able to survive as a self published indie author. There may be more and if I come across more I will do an updated version.

xo Piper xo

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