At some point
in time, every writer has to decide whether writing will remain a hobby or become
a business. For the business-minded indie writer, there is always the task of
figuring out what to outsource and what to continue doing. For those with knowhow
and are diehard do-it-yourselfers, some things are must-dos and some, not so
much.
·
If
you're a graphic artist by trade, creating
your own covers will make life a lot easier and negate the expense of
paying someone else to do this for you. If creating graphics is not an area in
which you shine, leave it to the professionals.
·
The
ability to make banners and promotional material
for your books for online use (think Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) is
another handy skill in the indie's arsenal. Promo pics are fun to make and you
can switch these up to prevent them from getting stale.
·
Formatting is a
good skill
to have. I’ve read various books on this subject, including the free Kindle and Smashwords formatting
guides and now do this for my books, which prevents me from having to pay to
make changes. If this is beyond you though, don't waste time trying to figure
it out. Pay for the service and avoid a headache.
·
Converting
files to various formats might not be helpful to every writer, but it's an
advantage when it comes time for a final read through of each book. There are
free downloadable programmes such as Calibre
or online versions, like Zamzar
that convert word files to Mobi, which can be loaded on a Kindle for that last
read before you ship your baby off to the editor.
·
Learning
how to navigate social media is important.
While it is not the place for a hard sell, many writers are successful in
reaching readers on various social media platforms. Don't be afraid, dive in
and learn as you go.
While time is
always in short supply, I like having the option of knowing that I can do some things
in a crunch. If I can't, there's the option of paying for these services. If
you're on a restricted budget, it may suit you to learn as much as you can
about the tasks that are required again and again in the publishing process.
So, have you
added to your skill set lately? If not, do you plan to learn to do any of the
things discussed?
