An Indie Author’s Journal: The Roadmap

 

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Eight years ago I crossed the line from amateur writer to professional author with the publication of my first story. At the time, I thought the only viable route to publication was the traditional one. I spent the next eight years in search of traditional agents, editors, and publishers. Many lessons were learned and somewhere along the way my feelings about the indie world changed.

I’m a perfectionist at heart (what serious writer isn’t?) and I began to wonder if I could produce as good a product…if not better…than some of the books I’ve seen published over the years.

So I began to do some research.

And I took the time to really think about what I wanted from this experience.

Did I want to simply throw my name on some slapped together ebook so I could tell the world I added another published book to my writing resume?

No.

So, I decided I needed a roadmap to take me on my journey into the world of indie publishing. A checklist or step by step guide to take my young adult fantasy novel LUNADAR: HOMEWARD BOUND from completed manuscript to published ebook and paperback version via print on demand (POD).

STEP ONE:

Create a strong website to support my blog, any future book releases, and  my overall author platform. 

I’ve been a Blogger fan for many years under www.donnalmartin.com, but it didn’t offer me all the plugins and technology support I felt I needed going forward as an indie author. I’ve since switched to a WordPress format. I paid the $100 per year to have access to the upgraded site and really like how my new website looks. Check it out at www.storycatcherpublishing.com

Next week I’ll share the next step I took on the road to indie publishing, including giving you a sneak peak of the book trailer I will use for LUNADAR. My target release date is the Spring of next year and my goal is to prove to myself, more than anyone else, that my new company, Story Catcher Publishing, can produce a great quality book on a poor gal’s budget. I’ll list my costs along the way and you’ll be the judge of how well I did once you see the finished book.

With a little luck and a lot of hard work, my hope is to continue “catching” and sharing great stories…together!

 

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International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Donna L

Hybrid award winning author; aspiring sketch artist; and 4th Degree Senior Certified Taekwondo Instructor. Host of BOOK NOOK REVIEWS. Member of SCBWI. Mom to fabulous son and adventurer delving into the tricky world of indie-publishing.

2 thoughts on “An Indie Author’s Journal: The Roadmap

  • April 2, 2018 at 4:52 pm
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    It’s good to see you, my Facebook friend! I’ll be watching your posts to see if the ninja teacher can teach this retired teacher/prepublished writer a new trick or two. Love the cover of your home page!

    Reply
    • April 2, 2018 at 5:25 pm
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      Thanks Rinda, and welcome to my new website! I am learning tons of new things when it coms to indie publishing and I’m taking my time so I can do things to the best of my ability. And I want to share all the great finds I’ve come across to keep my costs low while keeping the quality high! Hopefully, I will meet you in person later this month when I visit the critique group…

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Reply

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