Authors, Be Realistic About Your Book's Return on Investment

When you're writing a book it's all too easy to fantasize about being the next Stephen King or George R. R. Martin. To imagine your book is so great that it's going to develop a cult following, and that people are going to line up down the hall at conventions and book stores just to get your signature on their copy. Just like every other writer out there I've had my share of daydreams about what it would be like to get big, fat royalty checks in the mail that allow me to just relax, enjoy my coffee, and focus on the next novel without worrying about bills, or car repairs, or any of that boring, real life stuff.

There's a hard truth that a lot of writers out there (particularly the indie and self-publishing folks) need to hear, though. Because unless you already have a huge, receptive, eager audience in place, you're probably not going to make any real money from your books for a while.

Hell, you might not even make pretend money.

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Can You Make Money? Yes...

First, let's talk numbers. Because as I mentioned in Unfortunate Facts: Without Sponsorship, Most Writers Can't Eat, the average number of sales for a self-published book will amount to less than $500 a year. While it's certainly possible you could make above average sales with your book, it's equally possible you will earn below $500 a year, especially as your initial audience peters off as your friends, family, etc. get and read their copies and you need to reach out to a fresh audience.

From what I've seen, these numbers aren't that inaccurate. I know plenty of successful indie authors, like K.M. Herkes and Lauren Jankowski, who earn well above this number. My own novel, Crier's Knife, did slightly better than estimated... but not all that much better. I've also met a lot of writers who put out their first novel, and then just stopped writing when the audience didn't spontaneously manifest.

Trust me, you have to go find your readers, not the other way around.

If you take nothing else away from this post, understand this. The quality of your book, and how many copies it sells, are only in a vague, tangential relationship a lot of the time. If a tree falls in a forest, and no one's around to see it or hear it, then no one knows about it. By the same token, you could have written the most amazing novel ever... but if you don't go out and build your audience (attending cons, being active on social media, getting a large mailing list, etc.) you're never going to sell any copies because nobody knows about it.

And if you don't have a legion of fans ready and eager to hand over greenbacks for your next release, then don't dig yourself into debt putting the book together. Because I promise you that, barring a miracle, you're never going to break even much less make a profit.

Don't Shell Out For Things You Don't Need

Self-publishing a book can, theoretically, be done for free. You can write your novel on a free word processor, design your own cover free of charge using royalty free public domain images, and even publish it through a free service like Amazon. However, most writers out there are going to have to put in at least a little money in order to cover the skills they don't have when it comes to making their book the best it can be.

And you should do that. But you need to keep a realistic eye on what your earnings are going to be, and how much of this starting investment you're going to recoup.

Like this fine piece, for example.

One of the biggest things I've seen authors waste money on is super-expensive cover design. Now, to be clear, artists should be paid for their work... but if your book is going to make maybe $300, and you pay an artist $800 to $1,000 for a unique, one-of-a-kind cover, you're coming out on the short end of this deal however you look at it.

That's why a lot of indie authors and small publishers will actually use stock art for their books, rather than commissioning fresh art every time they have a new release. I talked about this in detail in Looking For Cover Art For Your Book? Try Drive Thru RPG!, but it bears repeating. The art for Crier's Knife up there? I paid $5 for the right to use it. Because that is an investment I knew I'd be able to recoup.

Another place I see writers throwing money into a hole is when it comes to editing. Again, you should have an editor look over your manuscript before it goes up for sale. However, it is important to make sure that is the last step of the process, and that you can actually afford the services in question. Because there are some writers who give the manuscript to an editor as soon as they finish it, rather than after they do all their own editing, give it to beta readers, etc. And if you pay to have the book edited, then your beta readers point out an alternative direction that would be better, and you re-write a big chunk of the book, now you have to pay to have it edited again... and that's just poor use of resources. Lastly, be real with yourself. If you're an independent writer who is making a first foray into the market, you don't require an editor who used to work for Tor, or with 30 years industry experience... nobody cares who your editor was. You just need somebody who can do the job, and make sure your book is presentable. That's it.

This same kind of logic can be extended out to your advertising and promotion. Because while you can probably get a dealer's booth at a big convention like Gen Con, it's less expensive to get a spot in author's alley (something you should always ask about for convention prices). You could pay for a full page spread in a local newspaper, or for a slot on the radio, but those kinds of ads might not be the best way to reach people who are looking for a book... especially if you can get those outlets to review your book, or interview you as the creator, free of charge as a local interest story.

Don't Just Throw Money at Your Challenges

If you're self-publishing your book, you do need to polish up as many aspects of it as you can. You need to go over your document, ensure your headers are smooth, and that your pages aren't crowded. You need to find good cover art, choose the right finish, get a compelling back cover blurb, and do everything you can to get that book in front of as many readers as possible.

But as they say, the best way to make a small fortune as an author is to start with a large fortune, and wait.

There are very few of us who get rich doing this job. So hedge your bets, and any time you have an expense, shop around to see what your options are. Evaluate your budget, and look at what you can realistically expect to make. Ask other authors how they did it, and if they have recommendations. Lastly, and this one might sting a bit, take your ego out of the equation. This book you're writing isn't a baby. It's not a beautiful extension of your mind and heart. Or, at least, it's not only that. Because it's also a product you are trying to sell.

A product that can't make a profit is how businesses go bankrupt, and whatever else you are as an author you need to remember that you're a cottage industry unto yourself.

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That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

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