Indie Publishing 101- Is it free, Covers, Editors, Copyrights, and Art Commissions

I have had so much help in my journey to self or independently publishing. So, I'm compiling everything I've learned into some lessons, taking you through the steps I've taken, and giving you some resources. It's completely free and will remain on my website for all to use!

Here's my first lesson's table of contents:

Is Indie Publishing Free?

Do I need an Editor?

What to do when you're done editing

Art Commission?

Book Cover Hunting

Is Indie Publishing Free?

So you’ve probably heard indie publishing is free. TECHNICALLY this is true. If you don’t copyright your work, buy physical copies to sell in person, hire an editor, etc. You definitely CAN indie publish for free (by selecting public domain when your going through your book setup). But it isn’t really worth it in my mind. I would at the very least budget for a copyright, which is around $65. That isn’t bad when you consider it lasts your lifetime + 70 years and protects it from nasty thieving hobbitses… 

Do I Need an Editor?

Another thing that tends to cost $$$ in indie publishing is hiring an editor. This can be hundreds of dollars and is typically a step bypassed in the indie world from what I have seen. Getting Alpha and/or Beta readers to go through your manuscript and point out typos, misspells, and everything else is almost as effective. If you’re willing to do some serious work and have trustworthy friends and family willing to read, this is a place to save money rather than spend it. It’s also how I’ve spent under a hundred dollars so far on this whole adventure.  

What to do When You're Done Editing

The very first thing you need to do (besides finishing the edits on your novel) is to apply for a copyright. A copyright protects your work from being stolen. You technically already own it because you created the content, but applying for a copyright gives you actual legal protection. You just have to make sure you're completely done with major changes. I've heard it's OK to fix typos after you apply for copyright, just don't be trying to change entire chapters. I learned most of this from this video by Abbie Emmons on YouTube. She also shows you how to apply for a copyright, walking through the entire process with you. 

The only thing in it that is outdated is that it will actually take between 2 and 3 months to get your email confirmation nowadays, which means you can’t really do much else until that’s over with. I made the mistake of not checking the official timetable before applying. I will now be a bit behind schedule. 

Art Commission?

Another thing you’ll probably want to do the moment you know your manuscript is FINISHED and you’re going to Indie Publish is to go ahead and do your art commission if you’re going to do one. Personally, I think it is well worth the cost to get one because it will give you a quality picture of one or more of your characters. People love seeing artwork, and sometimes it draws in new readers. This is actually how I found one of my recent reads, Moonscript. 

Why do it now? Because (and here again I speak from having done it wrong) it takes time for your creation to become reality. If you want to have it in time for your book release, you need to do this early on. If you’re curious about who to hire for this, there are actually tons of people who do these sorts of things. Personally, I’m using Inkwing Studio by Vanessa Scott. It’s extremely cheap for the quality of the work. She has options of varying prices, but nothing more than $40 (to compare, most people charge upwards of a $100 for something as beautiful as Vanessa’s work). 

Book Cover Hunting

This is also the time to seek a cover designer. Yet again, here you will see $$$. At least, in most cases. Hiring a cover designer is probably the second most expensive thing if you aren’t buying an ISBN (I’ll cover that in the next lesson). The same rules as in the case of the art apply here. Do it early. Especially if you’re hiring a person. 

Some places that offer this that aren’t too pricey: 

The Dancing Bardess- I looked at her originally before I decided on my current plan, and it isn’t as expensive as most places. As I’m sure you can tell by her portfolio, she’s a great option for fantasy novels. 

Fiver- My family got a great quality logo very quickly from here when we had a shirt business a few years back. Never personally purchased a book cover from here, but when I looked it was very cheap. 

Warrior Designs- They were recommended to me as well and are affordable and high quality.  

Hannah Linder Designs- Her premades are AMAZING and not too expensive. 

However, this wasn’t something I was willing to spend money on, because I know I can make a quality cover using a free cover design on Canva. This option was personally best for me and will not be everyone’s cup of tea (or coffee in my case). If you’re not very artsy or would simply like to bypass the stressful experience that is uploading a cover to KDP I’d say leave this alone and hire someone. Even though it’s always said to not judge a book by the cover, let’s be real. If your book looks like it could be confused with a textbook or the cover image is kinda wonky, not many people are going to want to display it on their shelf. 

One last thing to keep in mind is that you need to make sure you buy what you need. If it looks dirt cheap, it probably is an e-book cover and has no spine or back to use on a paperback version. 

Ok! That’s my first spiel on indie publishing! Tune in next month to hear about ISBNs, marketing, and more. Until next time, Ad Lucem! Got questions? Feel free to reach out.