Is indie publishing the same as self-publishing?

They often mean the same thing. Sometimes indie publishing refers to smaller, independent publishers who work with authors, and self-publishing refers to authors who take on the responsibilities of publishing themselves. To be very clear, someone could say they are a self-published indie author.

Do indie authors make more money than traditionally published authors?

Yes, the profit percentage is much higher for indie authors. The catch is that traditional publishing houses often have marketing departments to help sell books. But the majority of traditionally published authors never out-earn their advance and do not receive royalties.

Can a self-published book become a bestseller?

Yes. Books like Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl, E.L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey, Andy Weir's The Martian, and Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad were all self-published before becoming bestsellers.

Do I need a literary agent if I want to self-publish?

No. Literary agents help authors get traditionally published. If you are self-publishing, you are not looking for a publisher, so an agent is not necessary.

What is the biggest disadvantage of self-publishing?

The biggest disadvantage of self-publishing is that all of the responsibility falls on you to put out a flawless book that also hits all the hallmarks of its genre — cover design, formatting, editing, and more.

Meet Stephanie Yuan, author of “Iniquity River”

Fantasy

Aug 8

Written By Natalie Saar

Tell us what your book, “Iniquity River,” is about!

Sure! Here’s the summary:

Meditrina Thatcher, born from the lineage of Chinese healers and spiritual mythology in a chaotic, reconstructed world called Pangaea, lives on the edge of life with her dark demonic powers. She had watched her kind medic father and long-forgotten cultural family surname drown in the Iniquity River. With no time to grieve, she was swept away to the Silver Heights Institution, the “home” to many abnormal-powered people, by the cruel Netherive soldiers for four gruesome years.

In the world where Pangaea erased the histories and cultures and carved division between the poor and rich and the “unhumans”, Meditrina navigates her days in misery by clinging to her father’s fragmented medic legacy. She suffers from multiple holes in her memory, a dying culture, and a lost true name.

One day, a crazed unhuman patient suddenly accuses her of being the downfall of the powerful, corrupted Kingdoms. Afterward, a poisoned letter arrived at her fingertips, threatening her freedom and missing loving family’s lives. Should she obey or fight back? The fate, lives, and truth lie in her hands.

What did you love most about writing this book?

I enjoyed creating a fantasy world with its own magical system, potions, and weapons. I also aimed to mirror real-world issues, such as hierarchies and suppression of history/text.

How did you start writing?

Through my aspirations to talented authors such as R.F. Kuang or Virginia Woolf, I devoted my free time to spill my ideas on the page in a dystopian-fantasy context. I created a firm goal in which I aimed for people to read my work.

Tell us a little bit about your self-publishing experience.

As a youth author, my self-publishing experience was easier than I expected it to be. Using Amazon KDP, I was able to upload my formatted manuscript and illustration cover online. However, the most challenging part of my journey was having the motivation to write. I encouraged myself by writing at least a page a day.

What was your biggest challenge in bringing the book to market, and how did you solve it?

My biggest challenge in bringing the book to the market was my age, since multiple publishing agencies had strict age requirements. However, I resorted to Amazon KDP, which enabled me to write and share my work online - regardless of age, ethnicity, and gender.

What's one piece of advice you have for other writers?

One piece of advice I would emphasise to other writers is the importance of having clarity in your novel's journey and meaning. This sense of clarity and knowledge allows the writing process to flow better; the words will seemingly unveil themselves on the page without you even noticing. I strongly recommend that you have clarity of your novel's overall plot, conflict, or internal thoughts in order to have a smooth writing journey.

Anything else you want folks to know?

I'm a youth author!

Where can people find your book?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GFXLTFCZ?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_44J5X421X6K802H2ED0F

Natalie Saar

Meet Stephanie Yuan, author of “Iniquity River”

Meet Michael J. Scharen, author of “Saya de Mahla”

Happy writing!