writing

Indie Publishing Reality versus Expectations – Part 6: Marketing

How I Learned to Stop Dreaming and Start Hustling

The book is written, cover design is done and that bad boy is published. Great sense of accomplishment. Check. Now, what’s next? Short answer…selling. In order to sell you have to market your book. Honestly, marketing and selling Taming Armand and Bloody Endings along with building a solid following has been harder than actually writing the books. Sweating it out over the keys is the easy part. Once you hit publish the real work starts.

An animated alien character working at a desk, typing on a computer keyboard amidst papers and a calculator, with shelves of books in the background.

I will go into this blog with a note to the reader. These are all actions that I have recently begun to undertake. As a green as spinach author (with the first book, I hope by now that I at least have a little seasoning, although still a bit bland, LOL) I thought if I publish the book they will come. My writing alone will bring the reader to the yard so to speak.

Arrogantly I thought I blast it out once at the onset and the buyers will come. I would gain a mass following, quit the rat race and write full time in a surf shack in Hawaii. Hmmm…not with the previous strategy which was no strategy.

Hopefully, this blog will help you and continue to aid me in this publishing journey.

I was two books in when I thought ‘hey, maybe I should market my books to increase sells.’ If you laughed, I assure you we have no qualms. At this stage of the indie publishing game, it’s very intuitive to think how do I market? How do I get my book or story out there? How do I build an email list? These were not questions that came naturally to me.

The Marketing Reality: It’s a Marathon, not a sprint.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you: marketing your indie book isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s an ongoing relationship you build with your readers, one awkward social media post at a time. But don’t worry – we’re all figuring it out together. Your lack of sells doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer, it’s only means no one knows your product exists, and you as the producer of that product have to make people aware or else they don’t buy.

A cartoonish, alien-like character with large expressive eyes and a pinkish-purple skin tone, running energetically on a racetrack surrounded by palm trees and cheering banners.

Start With Your Author Platform

Before you even think about paid ads get your foundation solid. Spend a little time and build an author website. Even a simple one-page site with your bio, books, and contact info beats having nothing. It gives people someone to go to find you.

You can do this for free. Now if you want to get fancy and have the website as your name or domain of your choosing you will have to pay, but if the budget is tight I would suggest you go with the free option. Trust me no one (aside from you) will care that your website name has something attached for instance .wordpress or the platform of your choosing.

2. Choose 2-3 social media platforms max.

Two to three social media platforms are recommended but I would say choose the number of platforms that you will realistically frequently update. If you hate a particular platform don’t use it. Although we are conducting business we still want to have a little fun and at the very least enjoy the content we make and share. Pick platforms where your readers actually hang out.

Social Media That Doesn’t Suck Your Soul

BookTok/TikTok: Great for romance, fantasy, YA

Instagram: Visual storytelling, behind-the-scenes content

Facebook: Still huge for connecting with readers, especially in genre groups

Twitter/X: Good for connecting with other authors and industry folks

TIP: Share your writing process, not just “buy my book” posts. People love behind-the-scenes content – show your messy desk, your coffee addiction, your cat interrupting your writing sessions.

Highlight: Don’t spread yourself thin trying to be everywhere at once. This was a mistake I made and it only lead to burn out and inconsistencies all around.

3. Start collecting emails from day one.

An abstract illustration of a person sitting at a desk with a laptop, surrounded by floating email envelopes, conveying a sense of digital communication and marketing.

My email list is in-progress. It can be difficult asking people to provide their emails. It seems naughty. Or we ignore the opportunity to collect that valuable and key piece of information. But it doesn’t have to be awkward nor hard. Use a free service like Mailchimp or ConvertKit to capture reader interest.

The Power of the Email List (Yes, Really)

I know, I know – email lists sound about as exciting as watching paint dry. But here’s the truth: social media platforms can disappear or change their algorithms overnight. Your email list? That’s yours forever.

Quick email list building tips:

Offer a free short story or chapter as a “reader magnet”

Include signup links in the back of your books

Mention your newsletter in every social media bio

4. Reviews: The Holy Grail (And How to Get Them)

Reviews are social proof that your book doesn’t completely suck. I am in need of more reviews I’m sure you are too; here’s some ways to get some or to get more.

Ask family and friends to leave honest reviews (but follow platform guidelines)

Join review exchange groups with other indie authors

Send advance reader copies (ARCs) to book bloggers and BookTubers

Follow up with readers: Include a gentle request for reviews in your book’s back matter

5. Network Like Your Career Depends on It (Because It Does)

The indie author community is incredibly supportive once you find your tribe. It is a bit ironic that what we do for the most part is a solo endeavor, but all the other parts of writing does require some interaction with community. Nobody understands nor will listen to you moan and groan about editing and cover designs like a fellow author. Trust me on this one. I would suggest:

Join Facebook groups for your genre

Attend virtual book events and author conferences

Collaborate with other authors: Cross-promotion, anthology submissions, guest blog posts

Support other indie authors: Like, share, and review their work – it often comes back around

6.Take it Easy on the Pockets

You don’t need a Hollywood budget to market effectively. Keep it simple in the early stages.

An illustrated array of items labeled 'Budget Friendly,' featuring various containers, bags, and household objects, set against a bright background.

Free or Cheap Options:

BookFunnel and StoryOrigin promotions: Group giveaways and newsletter swaps

Genre-specific Facebook groups: Share when allowed, but engage genuinely first

Local opportunities: Library events, book clubs, writing groups

Podcast guesting: Many book podcasts are always looking for author interviews

Now only you can decide when and if you need to spend money on marketing. When you’re ready to spend a little here are some helpful hints:

BookBub Featured Deals: The gold standard, but competitive

Amazon ads: Start small ($5-10/day) and learn as you go

Newsletter swaps: Pay to be featured in other authors’ newsletters

Book promotion sites: Bargain Booksy, Robin Reads, Fussy Librarian

### Track What Works (And Ditch What Doesn’t)

Keep it simple but keep track:

Which social media posts get the most engagement?

Where are your sales coming from?

What promotional activities actually move the needle?

Use free tools like Google Analytics for your website and the built-in insights on social platforms to see what’s working.

The Long Game Mindset

Marketing your indie books isn’t about finding that one magic trick that makes you an overnight sensation. It’s about consistently showing up, building genuine relationships with readers, and slowly but surely growing your audience.

Some months you’ll sell three books. Some months you might sell thirty. Both are wins when you’re building something from scratch.

Remember: every bestselling author started exactly where you are now – with one book and a whole lot of hope. The difference between those who make it and those who don’t? They kept going, kept learning, and kept connecting with readers.

Be kind to yourself. If something doesn’t work adjust and try again.

Now stop reading about marketing and go do some actual marketing. Your books aren’t going to promote themselves (unfortunately).

What marketing strategies have worked best for you? What’s been your biggest challenge? Drop a comment below – the Weirdo wants to know!

Indie Publishing Expectations versus Reality-Part 4: Money Matters, the Hidden Cost of Self-Publishing

This is how my “go big or go home’ mentality drained an already strained budget. Let’s talk money.

A laptop on a desk displaying financial graphs and charts, alongside stacks of coins and a pen holder, suggesting a focus on budgeting and expenses.

Self-publishing isn’t easy, and it certainly isn’t cheap. I learned this lesson the hard way while publishing my debut novel, Taming Armand. What started as an exciting creative journey quickly became a financial wake-up call when my “go big or go home” mentality burned through my budget, one seemingly innocent expense at a time.

If you’re curious about the self-publishing journey and considering embarking on this wild ride, let me first walk you through some of my most costly mistakes—and how you can avoid making the same ones I did.

The Price of Indecision

My most expensive mistake wasn’t the result of a single purchase—it was due to lack of preparation. I made the cardinal sin of completing my entire manuscript without doing any research about the publishing process, whether traditional or self-publishing. I went in as ignorant as a newborn babe.

When I was finally ready to release my book into the world, my “research” consisted of watching several YouTube videos, and even those came embarrassingly late in the game.

This lack of preparation revealed itself in my publishing platform dilemma. From my limited research, I discovered Amazon KDP, Draft2Digital, and IngramSpark—three platforms consistently recommended by the content creators I followed. Instead of understanding the differences between them, I found myself paralyzed by choice, unsure which path would serve my book best.

The root of the problem was simple: I went into publishing with absolutely no plan. I had “pantsed” my novel (written without an outline), and I naively thought I could “pantser” my way through the publishing process too. But here’s what I learned the hard way—without direction, you have no aim. Without aim, you waste money on unnecessary expenses and miss opportunities to spend wisely on what actually matters.

Hidden Costs Add Up Fast

Let me break down where my money actually went. These costs cover both of my novels, Taming Armand and Bloody Endings, because the devil truly is in the details:

Professional Services

I went through Fiverr for book covers for both books, plus purchased a yearly subscription for a service that allows you to design your own book covers and create social media ads.

Fiverr covers: $150 (ebook and paperback versions)
Bookbrush yearly subscription: $246
Editing: $150 for developmental editing, $150 more for proofreading after making changes
Formatting: $120, then $80 more when I decided to add print versions

The “Just One More” Expenses

ISBN purchases: Started with one for $125 (Taming Armand), ended up buying a pack of 10 for $295 (during the publishing process for Bloody Endings)
Marketing materials: Business cards, bookmarks, banners—$200 total
Website and domain: $18/year that I forgot I was paying

What I Should Have Done Instead

Looking back, here’s the research-first approach I wish I’d taken:

Before Writing

Understand your genre’s market expectations
Research cover design trends in your category
Set a realistic total budget (including marketing)
Choose your publishing platform based on your goals, not popularity

During Writing

Build your author platform early (it’s never too early to start generating hype and an audience)
Connect with other authors in your genre
Start building an email list (this is something I’m currently working on—it’s a lot harder than people online make it seem)
Research editors and designers while you’re still writing

Before Publishing

Get quotes from multiple service providers
Understand the difference between developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, and beta reading (I hired a beta reader through Fiverr for Bloody Endings and it made a world of difference)
Plan for both ebook and print formats from the start
Create a marketing timeline and budget

The Emotional Cost of Financial Stress

What the YouTube videos don’t tell you is how financial stress affects your creative confidence. Every unexpected expense made me second-guess my decisions. Should I have gone with the cheaper cover designer? Was that developmental edit really necessary? These doubts crept into how I felt about the books themselves.

The financial pressure also rushed my timeline. Instead of taking time to make thoughtful decisions, I found myself throwing money at problems to meet unrealistic self-imposed deadlines because I was trying to have something ready for Noir at the Bar. This led to expensive rush fees and less-than-optimal choices.

Note: Don’t rush and risk putting out subpar work by publishing before you’re ready. Looking back, I wish I had listened to my gut on this one and waited.

Building a Sustainable Self-Publishing Budget

For your first book, I recommend this approach (please adjust as needed—if you have a large budget, go for it, but if you’re working with limited funds, stay in your lane):

Essential Expenses (Budget 60% here)

Professional editing
Cover design
Basic formatting
One set of ISBNs (this is where I suggest you splurge, especially if you plan to self-publish more than one book)

Marketing and Promotion (Budget 25% here)

Simple website
Basic promotional materials (some websites offer this fairly cheap—WordPress does)
Initial advertising budget

Contingency Fund (Budget 15% here)

Unexpected revisions
Additional promotional opportunities (I’d also factor in author events where you can set up a table and sell books etc.)
Learn from mistakes early and don’t be afraid to pivot

The Long-Term Perspective

Here’s what I wish someone had told me: your first book is an investment in learning the process, not making money. The real return on investment comes from applying what you learn to subsequent books. With each book you publish, you’ll get better.

My expensive mistakes with Taming Armand taught me valuable lessons that saved me a couple hundred dollars on Bloody Endings. With book two, I had direction and aim. I planned before I spent.

The Bottom Line

Self-publishing is challenging and fun, but it doesn’t have to break the bank—though it will cost more than you initially think. The key is channeling that “go big or go home” energy into strategic planning rather than reactive spending.

My advice? Start with research, not with writing. Understand the full journey before you begin, and your wallet (and sanity) will thank you later.

Have you had similar experiences with self-publishing costs? The Weirdo wants to know—I’d love to hear your stories and your money-saving tips in the comments.

Indie Publishing Expectations versus Reality- Part 3: The Editing Gauntlet

This is Part 3 of the “Indie Publishing Expectations vs. Reality” series. Be sure to check out Part 1: Book Covers and Part 2: Knowing the Difference Between Writing Alone and Going It Alone of the series.

I continue with this series on indie publishing, and tackle what I would consider one of the harder if not hardest aspects of writing—one that we’ve all either 1) struggled with, 2) thoroughly enjoyed, 3) hired someone else to tackle that messy piece, or 4) pointed two fingers (I think you know which ones) at the editing process and hit the publish button.

However you handle the arduous process of editing, I would highly encourage you to avoid number four at all costs. Even if you’re averse to the editing process or just anxious to get something published, I would advise—and beg—please give it at the bare minimum a once-over.

I cannot tell you have many fan fiction pieces and even some books that I’ve read where it was evident no one edited a darn thing.

I digress.

I remember the moment I typed “THE END” on the first manuscript I ever completed. The euphoria was intoxicating. I’d done it—I’d written a book! Finally. That one word summed up the initial four years of my path to publication.

In my mind, the hardest part was over, and in about one week (gross underestimation by the way) I would have it published. Only thing left to do was get a banging cover a quick pass through and BAM! I’d be holding my first book.

Now, I’ll jump into my battle with editing.

The Rush to Publish

The book was written and I was anxious to get it out and have copies ready for the 2024 Birmingham Noir at the Bar. All of the other authors had a book either out or coming out, and I needed one out too. (I will interject here, it is a bad, horrible idea to compare yourself to other authors-period! That is the quickest way to end up at depression’d door. Just trust me on this one).

Book cover for 'Taming Armand' by Hayley M. Moon, featuring a wolf under a full moon with a dark forest background.

That was over a year ago, and I have learned a tremendous amount since then. I will admit that with my first novel (Taming Armand Book 1 of the Coven Origins Series), it only went through one—yes, I will repeat that—one round of major edits, and those were done by… me.

Yep. If you’re a writer, teacher, blogger, etc., then I’m sure you chuckled and probably had to do a quick re-read. But no, your eyes are not deceiving you. I didn’t realize how much of a horror that book was until it was published.

If you’re new to indie publishing, let me save you some heartache: your first draft isn’t your book. Not even close. It’s the raw material your book will eventually be carved from. Understanding this distinction—and the editing gauntlet that transforms one into the other—might be the most important reality check you’ll face as an indie author. That was the case for me.

With Taming Armand, it was and still is my baby. It was the first testament that I could do it—that I had started carving away at my dream of becoming a bestselling author. It wasn’t until Taming Armand had been on the market and I had that first copy in my hands and started to read it that I began to understand where I went wrong—and I had gone wrong way before I even completed the manuscript.

I Was a Victim of the First Draft Fantasy

Even before I began to take my writing seriously, I had a romanticized view of the writing process with little to no thought given to the editing process. But what little thought I did give to editing was something like this:

Start the book, finish the book. Celebrate.
Take a brief breather. Read through what you have written. Fix the obvious typos and sentence structure.
Adjust a few sentences for flow. Maybe even add a few here and there to spice things up a bit.
Take another breather. Proofread it yourself. Send to a proofreader for final polish (ended up not doing this because I was in a rush to GET IT OUT!).
Add the finishing touches and voilà! Sit back and watch the five-star reviews (and the royalties) roll in!

A book cover for 'Bloody Endings', Book 2 of the Coven Origins Series by Hayley M. Moon, featuring a dark forest backdrop and a howling wolf.

I thought editing was like washing a car—a quick rinse to make something good look shiny and new. I had no idea with Bloody Endings: Book 2 of the Coven Origins Series that I was about to enter what I would call “the editing gauntlet”—a grueling but essential process that would completely transform my work into a final form that I was very proud of.

Learning from Mistakes

Several months after Taming Armand was on the market, it had to undergo some serious rework. The first release was what it looks like when you rush to publish—when you release your baby into the world before she or he is ready. I was sure not to repeat that with the second one.

Going into manuscript two, the first draft fantasy was over and I went in knowing there was some seriousness that needed to be taken with not just the writing but the editing portion as well.

Book two underwent multiple rounds of edits but I still felt like more could have been done and at some point I had to call it or else the plot would have been lost.

Another difference between book one and book two was I actually took joy in the entire process. I was able to give the attention to book 2 that frankly I should have given to book one. I outsourced what I didn’t know how to do. I hired someone for the cover. I hired an editor and a beta reader.

What I will say in a nutshell about the editing process is that it’s tough. It’s necessary, and it is one process that no writer should go through alone. After the first pass-through by you, get someone else (I would recommend a professional—yes, indie publishing can be a bit pricey, but I learned to cut corners where possible and budget accordingly).

Your Turn

What are some mistakes you have made during the editing portion of your manuscript? Did you rush it? Put both middle fingers up to the process altogether? Or were you blessed to have a team to help guide you through the editing trenches?

Sound off in the comments—the Weirdo wants to know.

Until next time!