Freedom of an Indie Fiction Writer
The term “Indie Fiction Writer” will mean something different to everyone. For me, it means that I do not have an agent and I do not work with a publisher. Although I do work with an editor, I ultimately have complete and total creative control over everything I write and publish.
I have been a writer for almost five years, and in that time, I have published a total of four paperback books of fiction; two for young readers and two for adults. I have not yet published anything on Amazon Kindle, although that is something I may do eventually.
I write at my own pace, without any deadlines, commitments, or contracts. Any profits from book sales go directly into my pocket. If I spend an entire year writing adult fiction then decide that I want to write a novella for young readers, I can do that, and there is no one around to ask any questions or to try to convince me to move in another direction.
If I want to spend my time writing two books simultaneously, there are no barriers standing in my way. If I wish to publish some of my short stories online, then subsequently publish them in paperback format, I do not have to worry about infringing upon anyone’s proprietary rights because I personally own all of my content.
In other words, I do what I want, when I want, how I want. My creations are mine alone, and the books I publish will succeed or fail on their own merits. I know exactly what I want my books to look like; everything from the book’s size to the cover, and I design them accordingly.
Primarily, I write and publish as an indie author because I am only writing novellas and short stories at the moment. I have not started working on a novel, nor do I plan to do so in the near future. What I have learned during my stint as a writer is that novels and nonfiction books are what sell. It is incredibly difficult to make money writing short fiction and novellas. But I write short stories and novellas because that is what comes naturally, without much struggle or difficulty. As a writer, I have learned the importance of doing what comes naturally, and allowing the creative process take its course. So, for now, I continue forward as an author of novellas and short stories, which suits me just fine.
Fortunately, for my last two books I have had a family member working as my editor free of charge. She has prior experience as a book editor, which is obviously helpful. Despite my multiple rewriting and editing, she always manages to find at least a handful of errors after I hand over my completed manuscript. For indie authors who do not have a friend or family member to work as an editor and who cannot afford to hire someone, I recommend carefully and repeatedly reviewing and editing a final manuscript on paper before publishing.
It is unfortunate that the sales of physical fiction books have continued with their downward slide. However, in this modern era of print on demand technology for physical books, indie authors now have the freedom of writing, designing, and publishing their own cherished creations on a $0 budget. Although many indie fiction writers are not exactly making the big bucks (and sometimes no bucks at all), the level of creative freedom is priceless.
J.S. Lender’s novellas and short story collections are on sale now at REEF POINT PRESS!
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