Nicola Vincent-Abnett

Nicola Vincent-Abnett
"Savant" for Solaris, Wild's End, Further Associates of Sherlock Holms, more Wild's End

Thursday 10 October 2013

Self-Publishing: The Experiment


So... It’s on!

My brother, the man responsible for
this experiment!
I’m going to publish Addled Kat myself with a little help from my friends, and, of course, my brother.

The first thing I’m going to do, though, is give all of you a look at the first chapter of the novel. It’s by way of market research, and, I suppose a teaser. Here’s the link, or you can find it in the list on the right. Have a read, and tell me what you think. Is it Chick Lit, and do you like it enough to want to read any further?

I’m also going to blog about my experiences doing this. I’ve always said I would never self-publish and I’ve given lots of reasons why I wouldn’t, so now that I’ve changed my mind, and I’m actually doing it, I thought it might be worth sharing the ups and downs of the process.

Anyone who has any experience at this should also chip in with stories and advice.

I’ve decided to use one of Amazon’s platforms, although I haven’t yet decided whether I’ll go for print, digital or both, so views on formats are also very welcome.

Now all that remains is to actually make that book!

I’m inclined to have mixed feelings about all this, but I’ve decided that I’m going to shelve any negative thoughts and stick with the positive. Whatever I’ve thought in the past, it’s always exciting to have a project to work on, and it’s always exciting to have a new book coming out.

I enjoyed writing Addled Kat and it had a very good reception from my beta readers. It’s unlike anything else that I’ve written before, and it’s unlike other things in the market place, apparently, so, who knows?

I do believe it’s good. I wouldn’t be putting myself out there if I didn’t.

So, here we go... The countdown begins. 

This is T minus X days until Addled Kat by Adelie High is available through Amazon.

You heard it here first!



9 comments:

  1. I like it so far, and am curious how it proceeds.

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    1. Doesn't the thought of rather a lot of quite explicit sex put you off?

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  2. Looks good so far.

    The toughest part is hitting that Publish Now button on KDP. In my experience set the price point where the other self pubbed works are at. Even if it seems lower than you would like. $2.99 is a good starting place, especially if you are fresh in the genre.

    Going Select is also a big question. If you can leverage a readership for the initial launch I'd avoid Select, but the first 30 days of a story on Amazon are absolutely critical. It's this window that Amazon gives your story preference. Select isn't the silver bullet it once was, but it is definitely a help.

    Prerelease bulletins and having a few reviews lined up are priceless as well. The Romance genre moves lightning fast, if your story takes off it'll move very very fast. On the flip side there is so much getting out that you can get overwhelmed by other stories.

    Check out the KDP keyword guide too, bad keywords can kill your rating. The same goes with the title, parentheticals, and blurb. It's unfortunate but setting everything up with SEO in mind is essential. Same with the cover, it's, again unfortunately, one of the biggest attractors.

    I think you'll enjoy Self-Pubbing, it can be very rewarding, but equally as frustrating.

    Oh, once your Select window is over (if you go that route) check out Draft2Digital, it blows Smashwords out of the water for Apple and B&N publishing.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you,

      That's all very useful! I'll certainly be following lots of your advice when the time comes.

      Excellent!

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  3. I cannot comment as per usual! I would like an actual book, with pages and stuff, and a real cover so you can sign the inside. I have a few bits on devices, but not by choice and I do not enjoy using them to read. I've never been a fan of the 'Adelie High' moniker. You are multi-talented, evidenced by your ability to move seamlessly between different genres so why not shout about that? Nik Vincent sounds good and Nicola Vincent-Abnett sounds even better. Especially for this type of story. As for what I've read so far? I dig. SM

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    Replies
    1. It's tough to use the same name for so many different things, and Terry Pratchett told me that this particular pseudonym made me sound like a romance novelist, so it seemed rather apt for this project... He should know. Smiles.

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  4. more, more! I'd buy it on my kindle unless I can get it signed.

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  5. Did Nik record my significant other for the opening paragraph of Addled Kat? It sounds suspiciously familiar?? :-p

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