(or How I Did It, a “.doc”-umentary)
Part 5/?
We’re finally settled into our new home, which means additional tasks that suck time away from my writing and publishing, but I don’t mind. I’ve always loved weeding a garden, as long as the temps aren’t soaring in the upper 80s or 90s. I have my straw hat (to protect my fair skin), my kneeling pad, my shears, and gardening gloves that I rarely wear. So far I’ve planted a few gift flowers, but the rest will have to wait.
In a way, my efforts toward indie publishing also feel like I’m gardening. I’ve planted some seeds, and I’m working to keep them tended and ready to 
bloom.
I’d planned to start taking the Udemy classes I already purchased but never took (due to our move and all the related time-hogging tasks). While I did start one, I haven’t gone back to it. (Rant mode on.) Note to anyone doing video presentations online: there are many of us out here who are hearing impaired. Computer-generated captions often lack any similarity to what you are actually saying, as do computer-generated transcripts. Check them yourself for accuracy before posting, if you can. That said, I may be moving on to another online course, since I can’t make out what this guy is saying 75% of the time. (Rant mode off.)
Since early May, I’ve:
• Read through archives on the ALLi Facebook list for information on registering copyright (reading these and other indie publisher archives will be an ongoing task);
• Registered my account on the U.S. Copyright site; note—this was convoluted, and even after several attempts, my login still fails the first time I click “log in,” every time. The second time, it works fine. I did learn that a copyright registration for a specific work requires that you upload the work (or mail in a copy), so I can’t actually register the copyright until I have a final REALLY final (and this time I mean it) draft. Tip: the Copyright pages work best with Firefox.
• Purchased a block of ISBNs through Bowkers.
• Finished two or three full read-throughs (I lost count) on Entheóphage to ensure it is ready to go.
• Overhauled my website completely.
• Set up a Facebook Author Page.
• Set up a Mailchimp account with a landing page and a welcome message, then put the link on my website and posted it on FB and on Twitter. (Check the top menus here on my site to find where you can sign up and read the first three chapters free!)
• Started lining up people to review Entheóphage.
• Tweaked my GoodReads profile.
• Tweaked my first Phagey-related blog post; will upload it in the next few days.
• Acquired a domain host for niveymarts.com and transferred the domain. Still waiting for it to be ready to develop.
• Saw my comments from my first two reviewer’s – though until I have an author page on Goodreads or Amazon (can’t do that until I have a book to list), there aren’t many places they can post the reviews just yet. Keep reading to find out why I don’t have those author pages set up.
As an addendum to Part 4 (posted 5/8/22), it’s worth noting that writers cannot register and apply for a Library of Congress number until the work is completed, and they have an assigned ISBN number. You can sign up for an account, but that’s as far as you can go until the book is finalized. I was told the LoC doesn’t usually list/catalog books from self-published authors. I do intend to look into that further. I also can’t yet register my copyright or assign ISBNs to my paperback and ebook formats until I have a completed, formatted book with cover.
Unfortunately, Duncan, my cover/book designer, is dealing with a major crisis that has left his wife hospitalized in another city, so his energies are currently directed elsewhere, as they should be. So registering for my copyright and assigning my ISBNs won’t happen for a while. I am hoping I won’t have to delay my publication date, but the health and wellness of Duncan’s family is certainly more important than an arbitrary projected release date. I’ll keep everyone updated on that.
Meanwhile, I will use this time to best advantage in whatever way I can, whether that be taking additional Udemy classes (those with useful captions or transcripts), reviewing Kindlepreneur and ALLi documents, reading other works in my genre, or moving on to my other works in progress, I’ll not be idle during this lull.
Stay tuned and know I’m wishing all the best to you in your self-publishing journey!
**Please note that I am not a professional. Outside the writing part—for which I have taken numerous classes and workshops, and for which I’ve seen enormous improvement over the years, but which I am still learning—I mostly have no idea what I’m doing. I’m reading everything I can get my hands on, looking at how others who have been successful have done it, and learning this process as I go. I don’t want any reader of these posts to think I’m teaching THE way to self-publish; there are as many ways to do this as there are writers on the path. I am only sharing how I have done it. Your mileage may vary.
Photo credits:
Watering Can – by Markus Spiske
E-Reader – by Pexels from Pixabay
Excellent work, Drema! Now you need to build up that mailing list by reaching out to every person you’ve ever known and ask them to subscribe to your newsletter 🙂 While you’re doing this, you’ll want to tag each subscriber as a sci-fi book buyer and non-scifi book buyer. That way you can keep them separate–that’s important to stave off “also bought pollution”