6 Ways Micro-Publishing Strengthens Your Author Career

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Today’s guest post is by author Christina Katz (@thewritermama), who recently released Permission Granted, 45 Reasons to Micro-Publish.


For writers—especially nonfiction writers—a well-lit publishing-path through the murky wood of pundits, doomsdayers, and bestseller advice is micro-publishing.

Micro-publishing is not new, but when I use the term, I am referring to both the size of my publishing “house” and the length of my publications. In other words, micro-published books are short, tight, and swift. Experienced authors can deliver them in a steady flow, which can be less demanding and taxing than what it takes to create full-length books.

Micro-pubs vary widely in genre, format, and price point. (And fiction writers might consider serialization to be a better description of their micro-publishing landscape.) Micro-pubs with enough demand can become physical books eventually, usually when there is existing readership or demand for physical copies.

A meaningful discussion of micro-publishing has been pushed aside during the ongoing tug-of-war between traditional publishing and independent publishing (self-publishing). But we are well beyond “everyone is a writer” at this point. We have progressed into “everyone is a publisher,” if they wish to be—and we have been living in this realm for some time already.

Fortunately, micro-publishing benefits the industry as a whole by bringing some much-needed simplicity and directness into a publishing equation that is often weighted down by its own complexity and contracts. And it also benefits you, the writer. Here’s how.

1. Writers need to write. The changes in publishing have made contracts increasingly harder to come by, and advance rates lower, even when contracts do come. Micro-publishing allows you to keep writing and publishing no matter what the economy or the industry decide to do next.

2. Writers need to earn. Micro-publishing provides you with opportunities to earn passive income—and with less money flowing from publishers to writers, you’ll want to develop multiple alternative sources of income.

3. Writers need more ways to channel their ideas. Not every idea you have will be suitable for a traditionally published book. (Most aren’t.) But micro-publishing allows you to string together your better ideas and publish them in ways that benefit your readers. So micro-publishing gives you access to a series of smaller successes, rather than always investing the most energy in fewer, larger projects.

4. Writers often want to diversify. There is a lot of pressure on writers not to diversify—to keep delivering the same type of work to a ready audience. But some writers can handle diversification and would like to attempt it more often. Micro-publishing allows you to diversify on a smaller scale with less risk involved.

5. Writers who dive deeper into their niches can achieve increased readership loyalty. Readers don’t always like to wait a one or two years for the next book. And writers sometimes need relief from the pressure of too many publishing deadlines in a row. Micro-publishing can serve readers’ needs sooner and more swiftly than traditional publishing.

6. Writers grow skills from increased ownership. I got published in the first place because I produced my own career success. But once I started self-publishing some of my shorter works, that’s when I understood on a whole new level how much work publishers actually do. Can I do everything for myself that a traditional publisher can do for me? No. But I can learn valuable skills from increasing my career ownership and then take those increased skills back to the negotiating table with publishers down the road.

With all the editorial talent now available for hire, experienced authors can micro-publish more easily and more professionally than ever before. But it also offers a worthwhile option for writers who have never published because it’s a closer target and easier to hit.

But even writers who micro-publish won’t likely stop working with traditional publishers all together. Each form of publishing has a time, place, and benefit associated with it. More and more writers will take their careers into their own hands, rather than waiting to see what publishing decides to do next.

After all, when we talk about “publishing” today, we are no longer talking about a specific industry with gatekeepers. We are talking about a process that is accessible to all.

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[…] Today’s guest post is by author Christina Katz (@thewritermama), who recently released Permission Granted, 45 Reasons to Micro-Publish.  […]

Steven M. Long

Really interesting article. I write short stories and novels, but micro-publishing is something I haven’t really thought of – like a lot of my friends. I think for a lot of writers, the task of figuring out the right balance of publishing and self-publishing is an opaque, sometimes daunting process, and it’s hard to let yourself think about one… more… thing. That said, I think the current market for writers in general (especially those not firmly established) is all about being thoughtful and adaptable, and keeping your eyes open.

christinakatz

Thanks, Steven. I totally agree. I think that traditional book publishing will always be around. I think when writers allow ourselves to consider all of the possibilities that are available, and weigh the pros and cons, we will see a path unfold in front of us and go from overwhelmed to excited to get started. Micro-publishing is a process, after all. Not an overnight success machine. In fact, there is a lot less pressure to achieve overnight success, and that’s a big benefit for most writers.

Steven M. Long

In terms of the overnight success, the biggest single mindset change I see my self-published friends struggle with is the idea that the first year is “the year” where to me, today’s market is a long-term one, where you manage a career through developing relationships. You’ve got time – sometimes decades – especially if your work isn’t going to be pulled if it doesn’t take off in the first weeks.

christinakatz

I couldn’t agree more, Steven. Self-publishing and traditional publishing are totally different games. They can be played similarly, but they do not have to imitate each other. They can be distinct and separate, if that’s what the writer wants.

Tyrean Martinson

Way back in the age of dinosaurs (before ebooks and major self-publishing), I had a commercial fiction teacher who advised all of her students to wait until we had at least five books on the shelves before we expected to “make it” – whether making it meant quitting our day jobs or making it meant getting enough name recognition to be actually making a small sum of money from our writing business as fiction authors. I think the market has always been long term, and potentially, it is even more long term even with fast publishing options.

christinakatz

I agree wholeheartedly with the long-term mindset. It’s one that I recommend in my third Writer’s Digest book, The Writer’s Workout, whereas in Get Known Before The Book Deal, I talk about how to ramp up to that all-important first book. I think both mindsets make sense. However today, unlike before, you can actually start your platform with a really strong book, instead of waiting for someone else to open the gates for you.

Terri

Great points and this confirms our core message for novelists and memoirists to develop their persona, define their niche audience, and diversify with their writing. That’s why we started our Author Marketing 101 site/book. Genre novelists have been misinformed and limited that they would lose their readers if they didn’t produce cookie-cutter stories. Not so anymore. These are exciting times to be a writer.

christinakatz

Best of luck, Terri.

Adam Henig

I adopted micropublishing for my new (and first) book, a 15,000 word eBook biography of Roots author Alex Haley. This easily could have been 150,000 word, full-length book. But, given my time constraints, limited research budget, and desire to write about other subjects, for me, micro publishing was the route to go. Thanks for sharing. I wish more bloggers wrote about this topic. Given Amazon Single’s single success, it clearly is the direction of where publishing is heading.

christinakatz

There is always Amazon, right? I am more inclined to encourage authors to go for a wider distribution that includes Amazon but is not only limited to them, although, their reach and impact is impossible to dispute.

Nina Amir

Great post, Christina.

I think writers and authors have so many options today, and they should take advantage of them all. As long as they produce professional quality work and have a market for that work, they stand a high chance of success.

The more success they achieve in any one area–indie or traditional–the more success they will continue to have in other areas as well.

christinakatz

Thanks for commenting, Nina.

Paula Millhouse

I enjoyed your post, Christina

As busy as everyone is these days, Micro-Publishing feels like a good fit.
Congrats on your book!

christinakatz

Thanks, Paula. The book is a tool for those who are resistant to the idea of micro-publishing to allow themselves to both micro-publish and traditionally publish. I do both and I find it to be a comfortable balance.

Sue LeBreton

As a new writer this is an exciting area. Your “Permission Granted” opened my eyes to how this can be used by writers at all levels.

christinakatz

Thanks, Sue! Your growth has been a joy to witness. 🙂

Robyn LaRue

I really like number four as a writer who has produced a fantasy, two YAs, and a romantic suspense in the last five years. I also write a lot about writing and creativity, and the info on micro-publishing fits a lot of things I’d like to do. Will definitely do my research. Thanks. 🙂

christinakatz

Thanks, Robyn. Jane points out that serialization is an option for fiction writers, and I know she is going to have more to say on that in an upcoming issue of Scratch. I think fiction writers also have a lot of nonfiction ideas, as you say, and micro-publishing is definitely a great option in these cases. 🙂

Greg Strandberg

Some good ideas here. Over at The Book Deal (http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/) prequels were discussed this month and micro-books seem like a good way for authors to give something to faithful readers.

It’ll also be a great way to replace perma-frees with shorter $0.99 titles, perhaps bundled into a 3-box set to get the higher royalty while still enticing new readers.

christinakatz

It’s funny, I guess, but I buck the whole lower-price for shorter e-books model. To my mind, a shorter, tighter, quicker read is worth as much as a complete meandering book that is less effective. That’s why my micro-pubs are the same as their full-length book Kindle counterparts. But I do see the value in having some low-priced options in a spectrum of choices for every author, assuming those low-priced choices are just as good, if not better than the other lengths.

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