I have said it once and will say again, "There has never been a better time than now to publish a book." You can easily do it in 30 days even. While traditional publishing remains supreme in most writers' minds, there is another way.
With the rise in self-publishing platforms, more and more people can write, edit, design, format, and publish their books without gatekeepers. This can be a good and bad thing for books.
It is good because people who want to be publishing books can do it. It's bad because some people crank out books that might have good ideas but do poorly.
If you go onto Amazon and look through the endless amount of books, you will find some great books by authors who did it themselves. And you will discover terrible designs, poor edits, and unfortunate descriptions.
It has made me think more and more about two terms that have been used interchangeably over the last few years. When we look at authors who are publishing their books, we typically call them two things:
Self-published authors or independent authors
Is there a difference?
For a long time, I would have told you there isn't a difference between a self-published author and an independent or indie author. Yet, as I review books for people, I have started to see a clear gap between the two names.
One is a professional, and the other does it as a hobby.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I will make my case for you today. It might even spur you on to transition from one type of author to another. Most of all, I think it will help you write better books.
Self-Published Author
Publishing books is a hobby for this type of author. They do all the work themselves. They write it, they edit it, and they design their book cover in Canva. During this time, the author doesn't research the categories and keywords, so their books don't sell very well.
Yes, they have published a book. And yes, they might even hit a home run from time to time. But, writing books is a hobby. They slap books together, upload them, and publish them. They are all done at the pace of whenever it happens.
Often, these types of authors also do things on the cheap. If they hire out, they pay the $5 special price for a cover, an editor, and a typesetter. And when you buy their book, you can tell right away.
Publishing books is a hobby, and most often, you, as the reader, can tell.
Indie Author
Publishing books is a business for this type of author. They hire out most parts of the production of their book. They write it, hire a good editor, and bring a fantastic designer to do the cover. They research their categories and keywords so their books will sell on autopilot.
When this kind of author publishes a book, they know they may not hit home runs immediately, but they position themselves to sell books over time. They work on a timeline with deadlines so they can consistently publish books for their audience.
This author will pay good money for the services that help make a book great. They will dish out the money for a great editor, often finding someone to work on multiple books with them. And they nail down a cover designer who does excellent work.
Publishing books is an entrepreneurial business, and most readers can't tell the difference between their books and traditional books.
The Evolution of an Author
Now, for most authors in this era of book publishing, there is an evolution in the kind of author they become. You start with the hobby-style self-publishing efforts.
Then you make a choice. You decide whether you want to be a self-published author or if you want to move into becoming an indie author. Some choose to stay on the self-published, hobby route, which is fine.
However, others move onto the entrepreneurial indie author path. They create a business around their work, teach others their craft, and find publishing and writing success.
This evolution can happen at any time. Sometimes it is after the first book; other times, it is after the tenth book. There is no shame for the author who chooses either path and when they decide to make a change.
It is all part of the process. And either way, the author will become better. However, when changing from self-published author to indie author, the chances of the author writing more books improve.
Final Thoughts
If you publish books independently, you are either a self-published author or an indie author. Both can bring great gifts to the world and yourself. Anytime someone writes a book and shares it with the world, it is a good thing.
However, if you want to see your books reach more people and you want them to become a significant part of your life, you need to make a choice.
Don't worry about the distinction if you haven't written a book yet. First, you need to write a book. Get that first draft done, and start walking through the publication process. If you want help with that process, reach out to me, and I would love to chat with you about it!
If you have published a book, where are you in the process? Is book publishing a hobby? Or are you on the way to turning it into a business? Share in the comments below.
J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon who loves helping people grow in their faith and help writers become authors. You can connect with him on Medium, his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Substack!
If you like this newsletter, check out my free and paid offerings on Gumroad!