Parker Sinclair
"I've indie published 3 full length novels and one novella so far. Each of them has a professional cover, professional editing, professional formatting, my own ISBN, and I pay for advertising, marketing& promotion above what I do on my own. During the year I also pay fees for for tables at events, marketing/swag materials, and travel expenses. After all of these it's hard to justify giving many of my books away for free. I actually tried Goodreads giveaways 3 times ( they require paperback copies and a minimum of 10 per giveaway) after all of that (30 books!), I received one review from 1 of the winners. I know it's about spreading the word and getting my name out there, but more often than not it feels like that isn't happening. So I've decreased my giveaways on online events and I limit my payment for ads each month, but I won't cut back on the quality preparation in the books. Professional editing in itself can cost over $1000 per full size book! I never want to give up on this dream and I plan to keep writing and creating!!"
Jesse Frankel
"I'm not self-published, but I put in hours and hours of writing until I go cross-eyed. Editing makes it worse, but when the finished product comes out, it's worthwhile. For me, I put my heart and soul into every project, and to quote a line from my upcoming novel, The Titans of Ardana: "Hold nothing back. Give everything."
Michelle Dunbar
"I'm not a published author but I am an editor (developmental/content). I spend (on average) between twenty-five and forty hours on each manuscript I receive. My focus with each is to ensure a story is without flaws (plot holes), has a good depth of characteristion, realistic dialogue, imagery, symbolism, a good voice and strong narration. Ultimately, I want a reader to pick up a client's book and lose themselves in the twists and turns of the story."
Tom Fallwell
"I learned very quickly that self-publishing does not mean it's all free. There are plenty of costs involved in producing a finished book. My own costs, not counting the months I spend writing, are editing, cover design, and, of course, promotion. I'll spend anywhere from $300-$500 to put my book out there, and then even more advertising and marketing."