By Leonor Soliz, Author
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Even though I’ve been writing love stories since I was eight years old, I didn’t consider publishing until recently. From the beginning, I hoped to share my art and help pay the bills at the same time. Even though it’s hard to quantify how big of an industry Romance is (1, 2), I hoped to get a share of it, so I can write more and do this thing I love so much full time.

With that in mind, I planned to write my debut while learning the business side. The goal was to prepare a powerful first release and grow from there.

I studied for many months and released my first book, Seeking Stars, in November 2022. Three years since I started on this journey, and two years since I hit publish, and I’m still learning the basics. I have yet to pay myself, when I’m still at the stage where I need to reinvest in the business to grow.

It hasn’t been for lack of trying. I am passionate about writing and publishing, and dedicate every free minute I have to it. The truth is, the book world is wide, deep, and nuanced. In some of the spaces in which I gather with authors to talk shop, the common understanding is that learning this industry to a competent level is like getting a college degree. In other words, it often takes several years to learn the basics of the occupation, and you can always keep learning.

When I look back to these three years, some things stand out in terms of what I have learned. Today, I want to share those high-impact teachings.

If I were to start over, these are the most impactful things I wish I had known.

1. We are the artist and the CEO.

Being an indie author means being an indie publisher. At many points in this journey, you will have to balance art against business. One of the first questions you may need to ask yourself is what is more important to you— are you in this for the art, or to make money? Even when the answer is I’m here for both, like for me, you will need to make decisions about how much of your art you’re willing to sacrifice to fit into what the market wants to read.

2. You will not please everyone.

Art is vulnerable and authentic. It can feel like you’re showing a piece of your soul for others to either love or hate or, more often than not, be indifferent about. Make sure you have mechanisms in place to handle bad reviews or low engagement.

3. Learn about the boundaries between readers and authors.

There are spaces that are for readers, spaces for authors, and common spaces. Learn to find the lines among them, and come to them with a professional and consent-based perspective.

If you have been a reviewer before becoming an author, you may not know that many booksellers (including Amazon (3)) have strict rules about reviewing other authors’ books. In their minds, authors compete for rankings and sales, and reviewing may be perceived as a conflict of interest. Have a transition plan when you start publishing!

4. You’ll grow faster if you find a niche and stick to it for a few books.

In the indie world, we need to find ways to be seen and chosen by readers. With millions of books published every year (4), it’s easy to get lost among the crowd.

Sticking to one niche means learning more of the industry while playing in sandbox mode; it means readers who enjoy that niche may want to read everything you publish within that world. It will teach you to study covers, blurbs, social media campaigns, and how to speak that language when marketing your books.

Choosing a niche, on the other hand, means writing a type of story with clear expectations. For example, in Romance you always need an HEA. Sports Romance, such as my upcoming Seattle Strike Series, is a niche within romance. Readers of this niche are looking for specific moments, like when the heroine wears the hero’s jersey for the first time. The same can be said of every genre and niche. A thriller where they don’t catch the bad guy isn’t fulfilling the promise. Sci-fi without incredible technology won’t satisfy its readers.

Picking the right section of the market to grow in can be a journey in itself. I recommend writing within a niche you enjoy and can see yourself writing in for a while, and one you enjoy reading. This is because, to become familiar with the nuances and reader expectations of this subset of stories, you’ll need to read a lot of it.

5. One of the most important investments you can make is a good cover.

The truth is, most people judge a book by its cover! And many will decide whether they will read the book based solely on it.

Remember that covers have a language of their own. They communicate tone, tropes, and niche. A cover that provides mixed messages is a cover that will not attract the right readers for your story. In some cases, it can completely turn them off what could have been their favourite story! Getting the right cover can also convince readers to give your book a chance.

6. Keep a growth mindset.

There is always more you can learn, more you can try, and more to do. From learning the intricacies of your niche, what the covers should look like, to marketing and social media, the options are endless. Don’t try to start by doing it all, because burnout is easy in this industry. Especially when you’re in charge of everything!

Overnight success is extremely rare, so take your time. Start with passive marketing (cover, blurb, quality of your book; as well as how clearly you fit into a hungry niche), then slowly add active marketing (social media presence or ads). Unfortunately, active marketing can only take you so far if passive marketing isn’t on point.

Luckily, publishing is an industry that allows you to earn some money while you learn the ropes. Don’t spend outside your means, and focus on doing a bit better with each book.

7. Not everything is in your control.

I saved for last one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn. As someone with big dreams as a writer, I started this journey certain that if I did everything right, I would get exactly what I wanted out of publishing. I believed that if I worked hard enough, I would crack the code and be able to pay the home bills with my books.

The past year has taught me that this isn’t necessarily the case. Not only is there so much to be learned, but algorithms and market expectations can change at the drop of a hat. You may write a beautiful, incredible story… and it may never reach momentum.

For this reason, make sure you make publishing sustainable for you. Work on your mental health and your mindset, so that setbacks are nothing more than a time to pivot.

Remember that change is the only constant, and the only things you can control are your own actions.

All of the above points were learned through experience. They come from learning what has worked for me and what hasn’t, and what has the most impact for me in this journey. Still, these seven points only scratch the surface of everything there is to know.

If you would like to be an indie author publishing for love of books, and who is also hoping to make a living from your art, you may take a lesson from some of my mistakes and my successes. I hope you can skip a few steps ahead from where I was when I started.

There is an infinite world of knowledge to consume in the book industry. It could get overwhelming! So take your time. Write the next book and keep going. There are a million readers out there, but only one of you.

Works Cited

1) Shelf Love: The Data Does Not Exist to Support “Romance is a Billion Dollar Industry”

2) BookNet Canada: Romance book sales in the Canadian market: A love story

3) Amazon Community Guidelines Ads, conflicts of interest, promotional content:

“We don’t allow content if its main purpose is to promote a company, website, author, or special offer. We also don’t allow people to create, edit, or post content about their own products or services. The same goes for products and services offered by: Friends; Relatives; Employers; Business associates; Competitors.”

Read more about the Community Guidelines here, and Customer Reviews here.

4) WordsRated: Number Of Books Published Per Year