As a budding author, it is inevitable that you would make mistakes. Mistakes are not all bad because they provide you with the opportunity to learn and become better. The ease of self-publishing is so exciting that some indie authors would hastily ink down a new idea and hastily get it published. Notwithstanding, there are mistakes that many indie authors make which are totally avoidable. This post has highlighted the more obvious and serious ones with insights on how you can avoid them.

Going through the entire process alone

New indie authors are particularly guilty of trying to do all the work involved in publishing on their own either because of a slim budget or because they think they are talented enough to do so. Ryan Hanley, an author, speaker, and marketing geek has a different view, “I don’t care how talented you believe yourself to be. To publish the best possible version of your work, you’re going to need help.”

Choosing quantity over quality

To make a living from writing in the indie genre, some self-published experts recommend putting up a good number of titles—but that shouldn’t mean compromising on quality. No doubt, there are lots of prolific writers on the indies scene and some of them can churn out a quality book every month. Helen Scheuerer said, “Don’t be tempted to pump out book after book and lose track of the quality. Remember that every book you intend to publish needs to be edited, proofread, formatted and designed”.

Publishing only on Amazon

Amazon’s CreateSpace is probably the most popular self-publishing platform but it is far from the best. Common mistake indie authors normally make is to rely on a single publishing or distribution platform—and the result is not always impressive. Amrita Chowdhury advised that it is important to “Get your book on other distributor and self-publishing platforms like IngramSpark, Smashwords, Kobo, iBooks, Blurb, and the list goes on."Smashwords is an aggregator in the sense that it will submit your e-book to other platforms.

Printing without a distribution deal

Consider carefully if you want to publish your book in print or as an e-book alone. Having your book in paperback is not a bad idea but will it be a wise idea to print thousands of copies and have them delivered to your door? Joanna Penn suggests that, “For the best result, hire a book designer and go with print-on-demand as the first option.” Before you print your book in large quantities, ensure that you have secured a distribution deal.

Not promoting your book

Even when some indie authors promote their books, they do it wrong by bombarding their audience with hundreds of messages. Make your book promotion engaging and mix it with other contents to maintain the interest of your contacts.
If you are thinking of outsourcing your editing, cover design, and interior design, you will need the self-publishing service of industry experts like Agora Publishing, a non-profit firm that has been in the industry since 1997. Remember, quality always win quantity.