Your Actual Chances of Being a Successful Self-Published Author

And how you can improve them

I am a proud indy author.

Not a highly-paid indy author, not a veteran indy author, but a proud one.

With that said, pride is really all I have when it comes to the books I’ve self-published.

I’ve made a few dollars and gotten some really positive feedback from my work — but by no means am I rolling in royalties.

Here’s my advice for anyone thinking about self-publishing a book: Take a step back and think about if it’s really for you.

If you’re someone who wants to write a book just to say: “Hey, I’m a published author. I did it.” Then by all means I say GO FOR IT. You are my favorite kind of author because there’s no pressure to earn money. Take your time, write your book and give copies to your friends and family to enjoy.

But for those of us looking to earn a lifetime of royalties from our work, that first book will likely be our biggest flop. So will the next few too.

I’m not saying it’s impossible to hit a home run on your first attempt and publish a best-selling book. But your chances are extremely slim, no matter how great of a writer you are.

You have to build your catalog and readership, learn how to market your book (which is the hardest part imo) and do a lot of praying.

On my self-publishing journey, I started to realize how many ways there were to earn money outside of just selling my books.

I usually average around $100 every month from my books, but that money isn’t specifically just from royalties. I have income coming from:

• Book royalties
• Audiobook royalties
• Affiliate link commissions (that are sent to my books)
• Kindle Unlimited page read royalties

I’ve even sold physical copies of my books at bookstores and local markets.

That’s the great part about self-publishing. There are a lot of great ways to earn money. It’s just still hard to do.

Why? Because we’re indy authors.

We don’t have a marketing team from our publishing contract that specializes in books. We’re not celebrities who can use our names as leverage to make sales.

We have to rely on our own abilities. We’re our own marketing specialists, seed investors and so much more.

All I’m saying is before you write your first book, come to terms with the idea that it might be your last. Or at least the idea that the process might not go the way you think it will.

I plan to keep publishing books and see where it takes me. I know I’ll likely fail but not trying is even worse.

Here are some similar stories in case I’ve sparked your interest in self-publishing.

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