The Trials Of An Indie Author: Choosing Your Team

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: CHOOSING YOUR TEAM

One of the great things about being indie is that you get to choose who works for you. That's not me throwing shade on trad pub at all. They have great editors and other people working with their authors that indies just don't have access to. But one thing I do love about choosing who I work with is that I get to make sure they're people that I trust, that share the vision for my work, and that also support me as I keep going through the publishing process.

I know that it can be really daunting when you're first starting out, or even when you're having to choose a new team for some reason, because there's all this choice and you have no idea where to start with it all. It took me a while to be able to get the editing team I have. I went through lots of one-off editors, I was let down by others, and one of the reasons I stick with the team I have is because they're so good at what they do, but they also never lead me wrong.

So how do you go about choosing a team? Here are some of my tips for the process!

#1 ASK FOR SAMPLES IF YOU CAN
This is a great way for you to get a feel for what working with that person is going to be like. Especially when it comes to editing, you want someone that you can actually work with. You don't want to be expecting a certain level of editing and come to find out that they don't offer that or they don't do it the way that works for you. It might not always be possible to get a sample edit, but if it's there, take that chance to get some idea of how they work and what they can do for you.

#2 TRY AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM
I don't just mean about the editing, but also about the way they work, and the thoughts they have on your category and genre. My editing team are all people that I know I can talk through problems with. They're people that I know I can also chat with about other things to do with the book. I want to be working with people that I can actually talk to. I don't mean pouring out my life story, but about the project, and about the plot and themes and the like. That, for me, is something I really do appreciate.

#3 CHECK OTHER CLIENTS
This isn't always possible if they're someone who's just starting out, but if not, then you can always reach out to other clients and ask for their experience when it comes to working with them. This applies not just to the editing, but things like cover design and beyond. You want to be sure that you're working with someone who's going to deliver on their end of things and with whom it's not going to be a horrible experience. You don't want that when it comes to any part of the publishing process, because that's already a stressful time as it is, without things being added to it.

#4 CHECK CREDENTIALS
If you're going to be handing out money for a service, you want to know that person providing the service knows what they're doing. Ultimately it's up to you to vet your team to the level that you feel comfortable with. I've worked with the same team now for about six or seven books, and at no point have I worried about them not doing what I'm paying them for. It's for peace of mind if nothing else.

So there we go, those are the tips I have for the process of choosing your own team when it comes to being an indie author. I know how lucky I am to have the editing team I do, and for all of us to get on so well. I wish you all the same in your endeavours!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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