Why it's hard for writers to be original

8 June 2024

by Jon Richter

I’ve been a published writer since 2017, and above everything else one of my key goals when writing is to be original. My aim is to always come up with original twists on existing ideas, to mash up multiple genres in innovative ways, to experiment with story structure, and so on. But, while these aspects of my writing are often complimented, they might be one of the biggest reasons why I’m far from being a commercially successful household name…

One of the worst reviews I ever received was a two-star review for my weird thriller Never Rest, a story about a detective who travels to a mist-shrouded and rabbit-infested island to search for a missing writer. The reviewer, who awarded me just two stars, said that it was ‘the weirdest book they’d ever read’. I couldn’t reconcile their statement with the review score – in my mind that phrase reads like the highest compliment I could possibly be paid! But the sentiment does help to explain why writers, and certainly their publishers, are often afraid of venturing outside of common tropes and comfort zones.

My debut novel (also set on Salvation Island; that pair of books are the only time I’ve written anything that wasn’t entirely standalone, and we’ll get onto the challenges of genre-hopping later…) was a murder mystery thriller about a dead professional wrestler, originally titled Whatever Happened to Vic Valiant? During the editing process, the publisher insisted the title was changed to Deadly Burial; not a name I’m particularly keen on, but in fairness to the publisher the ‘Burial’ part is actually a clever wrestling pun (to be ‘buried’ as a pro wrestler is to be scripted to be beaten and humiliated), and more importantly they were trying to make sure potential readers understood the book’s genre. It became one of hundreds, thousands, of generic-sounding crime novels, complete with a silhouetted male detective on the cover facing away from the camera as though contemplating a crime. (It didn’t sell very well regardless of the name change, sadly!)

We see these sorts of repetitive titling decisions all the time – how many crime thrillers can you think of that contain the word ‘girl’ after the success of Gone Girl? – and in many cases, this will be a publishing decision, not an authorial one. The desire to pigeonhole novels into clear genre staples goes further than just their names: the blurbs of more avant-garde stories are amended to make them sound more typical story summaries, and indeed story changes are often suggested during editing phases to make books more ‘typical’. In the wake of the wild success of Game Of Thrones you’ve probably rolled your eyes more than once at similarly-titled apparent rip-offs called things like Clash Of Kings or Game Of Crowns or whatever, but behind these copy-pasted names are novels much more original than you might think.

None of the above is intended as a criticism of any publishers I’ve worked with, who have all been fantastic and supportive, and whose edits have often been very helpful; but I do sometimes wonder whether (as an example of something that happened to one of my books) an enforced change to add in a troubled backstory for a detective that I had originally envisaged as very different from the usual haunted, alcoholic divorcee was really an improvement. I once wrote a novel where the big reveal happened in the uppermost floor of a building, intended as a playful inversion of the usual ‘horrors in the basement’ trope, and was swiftly advised to relocate the shocking denouement to below ground.

Indeed, even the process of landing a publishing contract forces a writer to nail their colours to a genre mast; often publishers ask submitting authors to name multiple similar books in their genre to help with (a) marketing (if you love Johnny Chainsaw, you’ll love this new debut…) and (b) to enable the publisher to see evidence that this sort of story can sell. It requires writers to not only master their craft but also have a clear understanding of their target market, and makes complete, cold, hard business sense – but it feels so far removed from the process of creative innovation that can be jarring and somewhat disillusioning for a writer who just wants to tell an entertaining, original story.

This brings me to the perils of writing in more than one genre. The writing world is strongly geared towards specialising, and publishers and readers alike often ask ‘what genre do you write?’ In my case the answer is crime, horror, science fiction, cyberpunk, fantasy and a bit of what can probably only be described as ‘weird’; my efforts to wrap all of this under the blanket term ‘dark fiction’ have probably only hindered rather than helped my sales (crime enthusiasts don’t google ‘dark fiction’, they google ‘crime novels’). It’s surprised me how unusual it seems to be to read in multiple genres – I assumed that, like me, everyone who liked ‘nasty stuff’ would be flitting between murder mysteries, paranormal horror, dark fantasies and so on, but I’ve actually found I’m selling to wildly different audiences each time I venture onto a new shelf in the bookshop. Many publishers, quite understandably, will publish only certain genres, meaning that an established relationship with a publisher is useless is you decide to make a switch. For some of these reasons, many writers take the step of publishing fiction written in a different genre under a completely different name: even Iain Banks, my favourite writer, felt compelled to add a middle ‘M’ initial when writing his masterful science fiction novels. This can be challenging, of course, in a world where brand recognition is so critical, and writing under more than one name would require a writer to build up social media followings, etc., almost from scratch each time.

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably thinking ‘so what?’ or, at worst, you’re thinking ‘sounds like a writer moaning about his lack of success – if you want to shift more copies, Jon, pick a lane and stay in it!’ Well, despite the pitfalls I’ve outlined above, my advice to any writers contemplating tackling something they are worried might be too unusual or difficult to sell, or is perhaps in a completely different genre from their previous work, is actually… go for it!! I don’t think creativity should ever be reined in because of, or cynically geared towards, projected sales. We’re artists after all, and artists innovate, and new zeitgeists are only created when people break through the boundaries of current trends and conventions.

I’d also suggest digging in your heels when told to make homogenising changes to your work – no-one wants to be branded a diva and editors’ suggestions are often very sensible and helpful, but I’ve found as I’ve grown more confident across my writing career that editors are more than prepared to compromise or concede on certain points if you can clearly and politely articulate your concerns or reasons for disagreeing.

I’ve also learned, happily, that although the audiences for different genres broadly comprise very different demographic groups, readers are prepared to make a leap if they like your stuff! It is one of my absolute favourite compliments to receive when a reader says something along the lines of ‘I wouldn’t normally read science fiction but I loved Jon’s crime thrillers so thought I’d give this one a try, and I loved it!’ After all, who says a science fiction setting can’t feature a deliciously gruesome murder mystery…?

So rather than stick slavishly to genre tropes, I’d encourage writers always to experiment, to push the boundaries, to try to write something that rewrites the rules rather than obeying them – maybe there are even entirely new genres still out there to be discovered!

If this article has been of interest and you are intrigued enough to have a look at some of my weird output, I’d be honoured and delighted if you’d visit www.jon-richter.com, or just search for me on Amazon. My genre-mangling books include the following:

Chains, a murder mystery thriller where every one of thirty-plus chapters is told from a completely different character’s perspective.

The Warden, a psychological techno-thriller that was, I think, the world’s first novel set during a COVID pandemic.

Scarred, my latest novel and first in the fantasy genre. Expect an epic quest story that resembles a ‘bizarre, acid-soaked’ Wizard of Oz, complete with dragons, knights, swords, sorcery… and of course, a twist that turns all of those conventions upside down.

Thank you for reading, and I wish you all the best in your own writing careers!

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When working with an editor, it's okay to...

by Abbie Rutherford • 25 May 2025

…ask them to explain their reason behind a suggestion. To reduce the amount of Track Changes you’ll have to deal with, editors don’t always explain why they have marked something up. It is okay to ask if you want to know why that particular change has been recommended. There is no such thing as a stupid question. …disagree with them. Editors have you and your manuscript’s best interests at heart but also need to consider your future readers. That doesn’t mean, though, there aren’t times when we get it wrong or miss a particular nuance. Contrary to popular belief, it is okay to disagree with your editor (unless it’s a major grammatical error). Using Track Changes to edit your document means you retain full control over your words and your manuscript. I only ever make changes with TCs turned off when it has been agreed with the author and is for simple things such as replacing double spaces with singles. …count on your manuscript being stored securely and not shared with anyone outside of your editorial team. I’ve heard terrible stories of authors basically having their story stolen or the premise shared on social media. The author—editor relationship has to be one based on trust and mutual respect. …expect them to treat you with kindness. The editorial process always involves a degree of learning (on both sides, I think). Within every manuscript there are strengths and weaknesses – and I literally mean every manuscript. The comments you receive on your manuscript should never make you feel bad about your writing or knock your self-confidence. And while we’re on the subject, it’s never a good look to call someone out for a typo publicly on social media. Shit happens and no one's perfect, especially when typing at speed on a phone’s tiny keyboard. Add to that, you don't know if the person has dyslexia. Send them a DM instead. It takes courage to send your manuscript to an editor for the first time. Don’t rush into choosing your editorial team. Some things are worth taking your time over.

Five common issues seen in writers' fiction manuscripts

by Abbie Rutherford • 14 April 2025

Head-hopping Head-hopping refers to a switch in point of view within a scene or paragraph and, yes, it’s problematic even when writing in third person. Example: James was really pleased with Thorin. He was so calm around that other dog, he thought. Thorin was sitting patiently at his owner’s feet. Is James going to give me a treat for being good? he wondered as he wagged his tail. As you can see, we jump from James’s thoughts and perspective to Thorin’s. Why is this an issue? It throws the reader off and discombobulates them, bringing them out of the text. We want to keep the reader gripped, not send them away because they’re confused. It can prevent the reader from connecting fully with your characters and cause narrative distance. To resolve this, keep each chapter or scene from one character’s point of view. If you really need to switch perspective within a chapter, make it clear with an ornamental or paragraph break. Inauthentic dialogue Ensuring your character's dialogue sounds authentic is incredibly important. Stilted, formal, and unnatural dialogue can impact on a character's relatability and that, of course, impacts on the reader's experience. Common issues I see are the overuse of names and a lack of contractions. If you listen to a conversation, you'll notice how we rarely refer to each other by name. We don't need to because we know we're addressing each other. Names tend to be used when we are trying to get someone's attention. We also tend to talk in an informal way and will shorten our sentences. We use contractions such as 'won't', 'didn't', etc., rather than 'would not' and 'did not'. Switches in tense Again, this is something I see on a regular basis. When you’re in the throes of writing and concerned with getting the story down, it can be easy to jump from present to past tense and vice versa. If you’ve had a break from writing, take your time to reorient yourself before you start putting words on the screen. This is what tense switches look like: She walks across the room and gets a treat for Thorin. ‘Who’s been a good boy?’ she said. It should be: She walks across the room and gets a treat for Thorin. ‘Who’s been a good boy?’ she says. Write in the tense that feels the most comfortable to you. It’s probably more difficult to write in present tense than past, but this isn’t the case for everyone. Showing every action There can be a tendency to show every single action a character does and I sometimes think this comes from a misunderstanding of the expression 'show don't tell'. It is okay to leave some things 'off-page' and readers will pick up on the fact that certain actions have happened without them being told about them. Of course, I'm referring to the mundane everyday stuff, not the action. An example of this would be a character travelling to get to a destination. Rather than charting the entire journey from A to B, it is acceptable to have your character arriving at the destination without the reader being privy to them getting there (unless something interesting and integral to the plot happened). Cutting out stage directions will help with the pacing of your novel and keep readers interested. I often use the following quote from Elmore Leonard when completing a manuscript critique or developmental edit: 'When you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip.' Point-of-view character overload There is a temptation to ha ve loads of p oint-of-view characters to create interest, I guess. It does the opposite, though, and prevents the reader from getting close to any character. Remember that narrative distance we talked about earlier as a result of head-hopping? This causes the same thing. It also leads to choppier, convoluted, and messy plots. You don’t need a million points of view and readers will thank you for keeping it simple. That doesn’t mean you can’t have more than one, just don’t go crazy.

Five ways to reduce your word count (and your editing costs)

by Abbie Rutherford • 16 March 2025

Remove unnecessary words When you’re self-editing carefully think about the individual words you have used within each sentence and assess if you really need them. I have a shit list pinned up on my corkboard and it includes, among others, the following: ‘that’, ‘just’, ‘now’, ‘back’. Why are these on the list? Because a lot of the time, they aren’t necessary. Let’s take the word ‘now’. Consider this sentence: The dog reacted to her command and she now smiled. Yes, the narrative is in past tense, but we know the character is smiling because the dog has reacted to what she said and both actions (the dog’s response and the character’s smile) are taking place at the same time. So, we don’t need the ‘now’. If we remove it, it reads like this: The dog reacted to her command and she smiled. You have reduced the word count and the sentence is punchier simply by removing one word. Other examples include: She nodded her head. We only nod with our heads so She nodded will suffice. He waved with his hands . Again, the reader will know he is using his hands unless you state he is waving an object. Reduce filter words I have talked about filter words before (find that article here ). They are the words that filter the action through the character and include: ‘realised’, ‘felt’, ‘knew’, ‘hear’, ‘saw’, ‘noticed’, etc. Compare She could hear the dog across the road barking and felt her corgi’s lead tighten as he reacted. Realising she was going to be pulled over, she reined him in. to The dog across the road barked and her corgi’s lead tightened as he reacted. She reined him in to prevent being pulled over. The word count has reduced from thirty to twenty-three and the writing is more dynamic. Consider the order of your words Is there a shorter way of saying the same thing? Could She walked into the waiting room of the surgery be changed to She walked into the waiting room ? If the reader has already been told the character is in the surgery, absolutely. If not, changing the sentence to She walked into the surgery waiting room will also reduce the number of words used. Keep an eye out for repeated and unnecessary action beats We all have crutch words – even editors! These often take the form of action beats (what the characters do while they are talking). Smiling, nodding, looking at the other character, shrugging, and chuckling are all examples. They tend to be used far too often and become repetitive. An easy way to assess if you’re using a particular word too much is to use the Find function in Word: Highlight the word. Click on Home at the top of your document. Click Find. You’ll be presented with a list on the left-hand side that shows you every instance of that word. Ask yourself if that adverb actually adds anything ‘Don’t you dare!’ he shouted angrily. Look at this piece of dialogue. We are effectively being told three times that the speaker is shouting: the use of ‘shouted’, the added ‘angrily’, and the exclamation mark. In this case, he shouted is sufficient and the adverb isn’t necessary. As you self-edit, think to yourself, does this adverb convey information to the reader they won’t have already picked up? Making simple changes such as I’ve suggested not only improves your writing, making it more active and vital, it also helps to reduce your word count. If you’re self-publishing, this will also help to reduce the cost of editing and proofreading as many editors, including me, charge per 1000 words.

Five tips for authors self-publishing for the first time

by Abbie Rutherford • 7 February 2025

It’s never too early to start marketing your book Work on establishing your author brand before you’ve finished your work in progress. Selling a book is more difficult than writing and producing it. The book market is saturated (and full of celeb “authors”), so you need to plan a sales strategy from the get-go. Use social media and also set up a newsletter. Building a community of loyal readers is so important and will pay off in the long run. This advice is also useful for authors going down the traditional route as publishers (yes, even the Big 5) rely more on authors doing their own publicity. Don’t leave searching for an editor until the last minute I make my living as a freelance editor and the money I earn pays the bills, keeps a roof over our heads, and ensures Thorin the corgi always has a full tummy. For that reason, I plan and book up my diary months ahead so we don’t end up on the street! If you’re going to publish a book, you also need to plan in advance. If you want your copyedit to start in March, it’s no good getting in touch with me in March as I’ll probably not be available. Start the search for your editor early to avoid disappointment as the majority of reputable editors will have full diaries. Don’t underestimate the power of a good cover Readers do judge a book by its cover. It’s the first thing they see so your book has to make a great initial impression. It will literally be competing with millions of other books, so this is an area it’s worth investing in. Without meaning to be rude or disrespectful, you can often tell a book has been self-published by its cover and, as wrong as it is, it will put people off. At the end of the day, you need to turn browsers into buyers, it’s as simple as that. If your graphic design skills are crap (like mine), please don’t try to knock up a cover yourself. Save up Publishing a book is an expensive endeavour if you want to do it in such a way that your book stands up against its traditionally published counterparts. Editing, cover design, formatting, the purchase of ISBNS, etc. all adds up, so put money aside while you’re writing. Have realistic expectations Don’t go into self-publishing thinking you are going to make loads of money from your first book. The reality is, you may not make any money initially. Or even from your second book. This also relates back to the first point and you have to go into self-publishing thinking of it as a business. All businesses take time to get off the ground and self-publishing is no different. I may have put you off and that is not my intention at all, however, I pride myself on being realistic and honest with authors setting out on their self-publishing journey. These are all things I would urge you to consider before you take the hard but wonderful leap.

What are filter words in fiction writing?

by Abbie Rutherford • 7 February 2025

What is a filter word? It’s a word in a piece of text that filters the scene through the character. What’s the problem? Filter words can create narrative distance and impact the reader’s ability to become fully immersed in the text. Rather than experiencing the character’s world and emotions, the reader is told about it (you have probably heard the phrase ‘show don’t tell’), which lessens the impact. This creates a problem as the story becomes something that is done to the reader rather than it being something they are involved in. Filter words include: Realised Felt Knew Saw Heard Noticed Watched Thought Looked Seemed Tasted Smelled Believed Removing filter words tightens up the text and makes it more dynamic. Going through your manuscript and getting rid of them will also lower your word count and make your copyedit cheaper! Compare She could hear the dog across the road barking and felt her corgi’s lead tighten as he reacted. Realising she was going to be pulled over, she reined him in. to The dog across the road barked and her corgi’s lead tightened as he reacted. She reined him in to prevent being pulled over. Immediately the narrative voice becomes more active and less passive. You feel (ironic, eh?) more involved in the action simply by removing hear , felt , and realising . And the word count has reduced from thirty to twenty-three. Of course, in fiction writing nothing is ever black and white and there will be times when filter words are useful to draw the reader back from tension and add texture to the narrative. But as a general rule, the majority of these words can be cut from your manuscript.

Wanted! Short Stories for a Charity Anthology

by Abbie Rutherford • 30 October 2024

I celebrate five years of Abbie Editorial in January, and I have loads of plans that I think you’re going to love whether you’re a new or returning author to my services. If you follow me on X, you will know that one of those plans is the publication of a charity anthology. I’ve been thinking about this for ages and 2025 seems like the perfect time to do it. So, I’m asking authors to donate words in the form of short stories for a book I plan to publish in June. All profits will go to Invest in ME. This charity is very close to my heart as I have lived with the condition for over twelve years. It isn't something I talk about because I worry about people's perceptions of me. Research into ME is scarce and there are hardly any services for those suffering with the condition (my clinic has recently closed down), so if I can help raise funds for one of the charities carrying out research, that would be ace. To have authors along with me for the ride will be bloody brilliant. Want to take part? Here are the details: Genre: crime Theme: stories to be set in summer. If you want a challenge, I’d love some locked room mysteries Word count: 2,000 to 7,500 words Stories should be submitted via Word document, 12pt font, and 1.5 line spacing Email to: aecharitybooks@gmail.com Closing date for submissions: 1 February 2025 Please only submit original stories that haven’t been previously published. No AI generated stories, please. Those chosen will be edited and proofread by myself and my mate and ace proofreader, Lorna Hinde. I have asked for some locked room mysteries because many people with ME are effectively imprisoned in their homes due to their illness. I realise, though, that these can be challenging to write, so stories about crime, mystery and murder set in the summer months are also great. I really hope you will consider submitting. Of course, I have the fear that no one will, so I'll be keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed.

How my book formatting service works

by Abbie Rutherford • 9 October 2024

Book formatting is a relatively new service that I’m offering, so I thought I would tell you a little more about how it works and what you can expect at the end of it. Initial discussion The first thing we will do is have a discussion about your book. This can take place via email, Zoom or a good old-fashioned telephone call, I really don’t mind. We will discuss the genre, preferred size, and formats required (print, KDP, Kobo, etc). We will also talk about any special elements (text/messenger service messages, newpaper articles, etc), ornamental breaks, chapter headings and drop caps. This allows me to make up the pages of your book to fit with genre and add those elements you want to make your book yours. If it is the second (third or fourth) book in a series, I will match as closely as I can the previous books so they are all consistent. The checklist I will send you a checklist of what I need from you. These include: E-book cover – I need this to add to your e-book. ISBN Any publishing logo you want included in the front matter (optional) Dedication (optional) Also by information (optional) Acknowledgements (optional) About the author including photo and social media/website links (optional) Author’s note (optional) And, of course, the final version of your manuscript as a Word document Typesetting begins Once all of the required information has been given and papers handed over to me, I begin the process of typesetting your book. Author check through Once it is complete, I will send you the print PDF or e-book file for you to go through (this is the most exciting part, I think). After you have checked it, you tell me of any changes that need to be made. Amendments I make any amendments and return the e-book and print files along with a paperback jacket template for you to send to your cover designer. I can support you through the process of uploading your book to KDP if you need it. Voila! At the end of this straightforward process, you have a beautiful book you can be proud of. I offer a 25% discount on formatting if it is booked with an editorial service. Why? If I work on your book as an editor or proofreader, I am already familiar with it and this helps to speed up the formatting process.

Formatting errors that show your book is self-published

by Abbie Rutherford • 7 October 2024

Self-publishing still gets a lot of stick and, I think, there continues to be the idea that they are of inferior quality to those traditionally published. This is unfair and I know a lot of independent authors take great care over their books and treating the process in much the same way a publishing house would, especially when it comes to the editorial process. Unfortunately, I often see signs in the layout of a book that immediately marks it out as being self-published. The contents of the book may be brilliant, but formatting errors can immediately put readers off and give rise to the assumption that it will be of low quality. One of the ways I help authors is through the creation of their e-book and print books, and I thought I would share five common formatting errors that immediately scream “self-published”. The title, copyright and dedication are listed in the contents Fiction books don’t really need a contents page, however, many e-books have them and as the chapters have hyperlinks, they can be useful. I regularly see the front matter listed in the contents. What is the front matter? It’s the information that comes before the body of the book. Given the contents are part of this, the title page, copyright and dedication don’t need to be included. Chapter one starts on page five It is the main body of the book – the content – where the page numbering begins and page one is always on the right-hand side. The front matter should not be included in the numbering and chapter one should start on page one. First paragraphs are indented The first paragraph of chapters – and the first paragraphs following a chapter break – should be full out. That means they should not be indented. Inappropriate use of drop caps Drop caps are those fancy flourishes when the first letter of a first paragraph is larger than the rest of the text. They can be nice touch to a book’s look (although I know a lot of authors find them old-fashioned and I think whether you use them depends on the genre), but I have seen examples when a chapter’s subheading has been accidentally interpreted as the start of the first chapter and therefore have been assigned a drop cap. Page bottoms are unbalanced Bottom balancing involves ensuring the final lines on each page are level with its opposite counterpart. This makes the book easier to read (a short page can be misleading and look like the end of a chapter), looks more professional, and is aesthetically pleasing. I have talked about readers looking at samples and the importance of creating a good first impression before (albeit briefly) and this is another example of when first impressions count. Taking time over the formatting and creation of your book is worth it.

What is (and isn't) a dialogue tag?

by Abbie Rutherford • 25 August 2024

Writing fiction comes with a unique set of rules that writers of non-fiction don’t have to worry about: dialogue. The punctuation of dialogue is probably the thing that trips writers up the most (I talk about this here ), and the biggest cause of those issues is recognising what a dialogue tag actually is. I thought it might be worth posting some guidance on this. How do you punctuate a dialogue tag? A dialogue tag attributes speech to a character. This enables the reader to follow who is speaking. By far the most common dialogue tag is ‘said’. Seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it? Tags are preceded by a comma, question or exclamation mark. And followed by any of these if they are used before the speech. So: ‘This is an example,’ Thorin said. Thorin said, ‘This is an example.’ ‘This is an example!’ shouted Thorin. ‘Is this an example? asked Thorin. They cannot be preceded or followed (when used before the dialogue) by a full stop: ‘This is an example of how not to do it.’ Said Thorin. Thorin said. ‘This is an example of how not to do it.’ What is a dialogue tag? Confusion often arises when writers try to determine what constitutes a dialogue tag, and this is where I see a lot of mistakes with punctuation. Basically, a dialogue tag has to indicate that words are coming out of the character’s mouth. ‘Said’ is obvious, but you can also use the way words are being articulated. Some of these include: whispered shouted bellowed answered replied called declared muttered mumbled What they have in common is that they indicate the words left the character’s mouth or are a response to another character through the use of speech. ‘This is an example!’ Thorin shouted. Thorin replied, ‘This is an example.’ What isn’t a dialogue tag? Now, nothing is ever straight forward (especially when it comes to grammar and punctuation). Shrugging, for example, is a physical action that doesn’t involve a sound, so that’s easy to work out. It becomes confusing when the action the character does involves making a noise, such as laughing. The following are NOT dialogue tags: laughed/chuckled/giggled nodded sighed grinned/smiled Because the above aren’t dialogue tags, they need to be punctuated differently – with a full stop, question or exclamation mark. We don’t use a comma. Correct: ‘This is an example.’ Thorin nodded. ‘This is an example!’ Thorin laughed. Thorin laughed. ‘This is an example.’ Incorrect: ‘This is an example,’ laughed Thorin. Thorin laughed, ‘This is an example.’ One way of working out if the auditory action your character is using is a dialogue tag is to try doing the action while speaking (probably best not to try this if you’re writing in a busy coffee shop). Try laughing out words. It’s not something we tend to do. If we have a fit of the giggles, we are likely to be unable to speak!

To be or not to be... self-published

19 August 2024

I saw something on Twitter/X recently that posed a question about indie authors. It asked, “Are they self-published authors or are they published by an indie publisher?” An interesting point, I mused, as I am now in both categories. But today I want to natter about self-publishing. I think most people enter the publishing industry without knowing too much about it. They have a rough expectation about how it works and what is supposed to happen. I’m not sure where that comes from or what it’s based on. Now, the more I know about it, the more I realise how clueless I was when I’d finished my first book and was thinking about publishing it. However, I like to think I understood the basics enough to make an informed choice. So how do we choose which publishing route to take and is it even a choice for some? Recently I was in the ‘local authors’ tent at a literature festival in my town, selling my books, and it was fascinating to see how many people wanted to talk about writing. They wanted a genuine discussion about what they were going to do, and what they were writing. One gentleman told me he had the rough outline of a book in his head, and he had written the first chapter. He told me he was going to send that one chapter to an agent and he would get a book deal. He was completely certain of the order of it and that it was going to happen. This conversation left me in a quandary. Did I burst his bubble and tell him that for ninety-nine per cent of writers querying is the worst slog in the world, and even getting an agent (if you want one) doesn’t automatically secure you a publishing deal? Or did I wish him luck and hope that he strikes it lucky first time and with just the one chapter? I ended up wishing him luck, but did recommend some podcasts, reading material and people to follow on social media. I’ve met other writers who have gone with a vanity publisher and are wondering why their books aren’t bestsellers or why there is zero interest or sales. They believe that because they have left it up to someone else to market and promote their book, it is being done. One lady told me the eye watering amount she had spent getting her book published through a vanity press and then the extra money for a launch, and the book had hardly sold any copies. Everyone seems to have a story or journey of some description. But it’s important to remember that there isn’t a right or a wrong way to get your work out there. It is largely about your choice, how much effort you want to put into it and whether you want some longevity from your craft. Or whether you are a one-book writer and just want to ‘get it out there’. I decided to self-publish my debut novel Sea State . Not because I didn’t have any offers. I did. But when I read the contracts and queried various elements, I couldn’t necessarily see what they would do for me that I couldn’t do myself. Now, I don’t work in publishing, but I run my own consultancy (that is so far removed from publishing it’s ridiculous) so I am no stranger to stuff being a hard slog and needing to know your market. I listened to a raft of podcasts and interviews from some of the self-publishing big hitters, researched what I could and concluded with the thought, why am I signing all this away, when I can actually do it myself? There were a few driving factors behind my decision. It was all on my timescale, I had freedom over editing choices and it was my decision where to make cuts (under guidance!). Having overall control was the key thing I liked. I had a clear idea of how I wanted my books to look, which was incredibly important to me. I also knew Sea State was going to be the first in a series. I remembered some wise words from LJ Ross, who said in a podcast that she wished she’d held back from publishing her first book until she had a second lined up. Mindful of this, I delayed publishing Sea State until the second in the series, Sea Change , was in good shape, which helped keep up momentum and readers’ interest. Lots of self-published/indie authors do things differently to me. There isn’t a right or wrong way. Everyone takes the path that suits them. What I would say is that I take offence to those who make the general assumption that self-published books are of poor quality, and badly written and produced. Many self-published authors strive to put out high quality work, and this is always hampered by those that type ‘The End’ and then upload it immediately to KDP without even a hint of a spell check. I am also tired of the perception amongst some people (other writers included!) that self-published authors aren’t worthy of a deal, so aren’t worth being interviewed or included on a panel with traditional authors. This is the same for some reviewers and bloggers; some simply won’t entertain looking at your book because you’re not with a ‘big name’ publisher, irrespective of your storytelling capabilities. However, we may well have been offered a raft of deals, but chosen to turn them down for reasons best known to us. Self-publishing is about making a series of choices. Some authors don’t use editors, proofreaders or cover designers and do it all themselves. I know that personally, I couldn’t do that. I’d miss things, not see plot holes, miss grammatical errors, have no idea where weird commas are needed, or that all-important rogue apostrophe, and the list goes on. I know my limitations: I can put together a good advert, but I can’t do a book cover that looks really professional. I like to think that my books are improved significantly by people who are more objective than me, who are experts in their field and can help me shape and package my work into something better. There is no right or wrong, it’s just what works for you and the choices you want to make. For me, quality is crucial, and I have learnt many lessons from my first book and those that followed, and now I’m writing the sixth book in the series as well as a new Scottish mountain series. I’m better at a whole myriad of things, because along the way I have learnt the rules that work for me. I try to maintain my standards, and I work hard to get a book out there that looks like it would be at home nestling among the others in Waterstones or other bookshops. Covers are a deal breaker for me, and I have turned down deals on the strength of the cover artist alone. Covers are an insight to the soul of the book and, in my opinion, should be treated as such. When people ask me how I know if a cover is right, I always say mock it up and take it into Waterstones or your local bookshop and put it down with the others in your genre. You will know instantly if it’s any good. If it looks like you’ve knocked it up on the back of an envelope, go back and try again. I strictly maintain that the value of a book cover shouldn’t be underestimated as there are readers out there that love books just as much for the art, as well as the storytelling content. Because of the way I choose to do things I hugely value the work of alpha readers, beta readers, editors, proofreaders and cover designers. I respect their jobs and knowledge, and these folk are my engine room in getting a book out there. These folk are my ‘dream team’. It sometimes feels like a solitary undertaking to write it, but a book is the product of teamwork when you stand back and look objectively and hold the finished article in your hand. A few people don’t seem to realise that when you self-publish you are the publisher, and this means you have to do everything a publisher does. For me, one of the hardest things to keep going is promotion. But this isn’t just exclusive to self-publishing. Many publishers now want the author to promote as much, if not more, than them. So there’s no escaping the cycle of promotion. It is a hard slog if you don’t have the benefit of the massive database the publishers have, and you largely have to grow organically as people get to know you and your storytelling. Promotion becomes about ‘getting it out there’. Getting the amazing book bloggers and reviewers (who are absolutely fantastic people) to read your book, hoping they’ll like it (or even better, love it) and shout about it. It also takes time to build up a cohort of lovely readers that have fallen in love with your writing, your characters and your storytelling. You have to engage and nurture these people. Constant promotion is needed across different platforms via blog tours, teaser campaigns and things like Facebook and Amazon ads, which can be a financial minefield. This is where a resilient mindset is needed. It is a constant cycle that has to happen if you want to keep up the momentum, otherwise you are a tiny pebble on a beach full of them. It’s a hard slog and filled with wrong turns and rabbit holes that you end up going down that might not pay off, particularly if you have a tiny budget. But, whether self-published or not, it is fairly normal that it has to happen. These days lots of authors are choosing to do both: self-publish and be traditionally published. That suggests attitudes are changing for the better and it is becoming more widely acceptable. For some, self-publishing is a brave, scary and solitary choice to make. Ultimately it’s got to suit you, your lifestyle, your budget and your commitments. So my advice? If you’re thinking about it, then do your research, talk to other self-published folk, learn from what they do. Soak up any advice they have. Then, pick what will work for you. Work at getting a good team around you that you trust. My last piece of advice: stock up on resilience and get ready for the ride, you genuinely can’t take your foot off the gas pedal for a second.