Three Things to Think About as an Indie Author

Indie authors are superhumans. They wear the hat for every role in their company, and they have to not just do it passably but do it well; true jack-of-all-trades style, mastering it all.

This kind of dedication is inspiring, and beautiful!

Pulling from my experience working with independent authors, here are three things to focus on:

1. Give yourself some credit! You are writing this book for a reason; your voice deserves to be heard. Let your voice shine, the message resonate, and the book itself will align better with your audience.

2. When going over your book with professionals who are editing, proofing, or even beta reading your work, don’t be afraid to hold your ground when it comes to certain stylistic choices regarding words, flow, and most especially message. It’s important to be flexible, but keeping the original message intact is tantamount. An editor who works with you will echo this, giving you input but respecting your choices as you go through the book together (this is how I work as an editor!). Yes, there’s a lot to be said about meeting industry standards as far as editorial corrections go, but should uplift the writing and make it more powerful—not set it back or robotize it.

3. Trust your gut. If for some reason there are difficulties with the project - whether in the flow of writing itself, or working with an editor or publicist - consider the why. Is it because you’re writing about the wrong subject at this moment in time? Maybe the person you are collaborating with is not the right fit, or needs to come into the project later—or even simply be relegated back to their original task when roles shift as the project goes along. Your instincts are there to help, and no one knows your manuscript better than you do. Keep trust in yourself, and respect the boundaries your inner voice guides you with; the project will benefit and so will you.

There’s so many facets to entrepreneurship, it’s impossible to sum up into just three tips, but these are a great start to any independency.

Being an entrepreneur myself, it’s important to note that these are applicable to any field; give yourself some credit, don’t back down, and trust your gut.

As far as giving credit goes, being an editor is about more than just correcting the work. I dive in deep with the author, keeping them involved and part of the process to better respect their initial message, preserving their voice as we polish and buff the errors—especially when working with personal-growth, spiritual, and transformative authors whose work is not just written but often channeled, and as such there are phrases and word uses that are not technically correct but have to be left alone as they are.

This leads into item two; if an author has a hard opinion on an edit, then that’s the end of it. It is their manuscript, their words, their message, and the edits mustn’t harm any of it. Correct is only correct if it is in line with the written work’s artist: the author.

Trusting your gut is always applicable; even just in day-to-day moments. In business, especially as an entrepreneur with little to no business experience, it is vital to find the right people to trust as the support team is built. No entrepreneur I have ever spoken to has made no errors here, but this was the initial lesson from those errors. Sometimes a person you meet is awesome at the beginning, but you might have a niggling feeling something’s off. Maybe a business deal you had a great feeling about suddenly gives you the shivers. Or, drastically, a book you were going to write and were so excited to start suddenly doesn’t align anymore. Following those gut feelings might lead to finding that person is not a good contact, the business deal was just a stepping stone to something greater, and that book is just meant to be written at a later time; maybe even that a different project is now supposed to be your focus.

When I work with an author, it is my absolute focus to preserve their voice and message. Spiritually-focused manuscripts are not about the mass audience, and there are specific individuals and niche audiences that will find the book because they are meant to regardless of how exact the English or grammar is; I polish the writing to industry standards to the extent I can without damaging or removing the content the author has given me. As a boutique editorial experience, I have the luxury of giving my authors the respect and time that this line of editorial work requires. Every edit I make is intentional, focused, and in the interest of the final product the author envisions. No AI, or grammatical tools—just person-to-person, time, and focus.

Your friendly editor,

Zoe P.