The Truth About Self-Publishing Success | My 9 Year Story
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- Опубликовано: 2 ноя 2019
- I can hardly believe it’s really been 9 years since I self-published my first book, Beautiful Demons! My indie-versary was October 29th, and I’m just getting around to editing this video for you.
I honestly just gave myself free reign to say what was on my mind, so I hope this motivates and pumps you up.
I hope throughout this video it’s clear that my main message is to follow your heart while learning the strategies that will help you get where you want to go. Sometimes that does mean taking out ads and learning more about marketing. It’s all about how you want to spend your time and build up your career.
There are MANY paths to success. Just don’t let anyone hold you back from your dreams by telling you their path is the ONLY path.
Hope you enjoyed the video, and I hope you’ll like, comment, and subscribe!
If you’re curious about my first book, Beautiful Demons, and want to get started on the series, I’d love for you to check it out! You can download a box set of the first three books I published for free : sarracannon.com/book/beautiful...
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🖤Visit me on Etsy to see my custom 90-Day planner, the HB90 Method. The Q4 Planners are available now!! www.etsy.com/shop/heartbreath...
🖤Social Media Planner coming soon!!
🖤The HB90 Bootcamp is coming up in December!! Stay tuned for registration info.
🖤Want to get on the waiting list for news when Publish & Thrive reopens? Sign up here: bit.ly/hbselfpub
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Want to send me some Happy Mail?! I now have a PO Box!
Sarra Cannon
3642 Savannah Hwy., Suite 116 # 234
Johns Island, SC 29455
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Heart Breathings - Episode 128
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About Me: My name is Sarra Cannon, and I've been indie publishing since 2010. In that time, I have published 25 books and sold well over half a million copies.
I've made some mistakes along the way, but I've also learned some valuable lessons that I think will help you reach your goals. I can't wait to help you learn to make money writing what you love.
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MY BOOKS -- www.sarracannon.com
THREE FREE BOOKS -- sarracannon.com/book/beautiful...
My Author Channel - / sarracannon
#authortube 
Хобби
Last week on the 29th, I celebrated 9 years of Indie Publishing! It's hard to believe, but it's been an amazing journey so far. I hope this video means something to you and that you find it helpful. Let me know in the comments if you do want an updated video on the numbers, how I sold this amount of books, which series are most popular of mine and why, etc.
I would definitely be interested in that, Sarra!
@@hummingbard4513 great, thank you!
I would be interested too!
Thank you! This video came at the right time; I needed the peptalk. I would love to see more videos on the numbers side of things. Also, if you have one suggestion on marketing what would it be? Meaning your Author, must have.
Would love an update!
"Stop feeling so rushed... you're not gonna miss out on your dreams..." This right here. Congratulations, Sarra!
Me: "ah another video on self publishing advice. I'm thinking about it so I'll listen even though it's probably similar to all the others."
Video: Helpful life lessons and deep writing advice.
Me: surprised Pikachu.
I've got a mountain of unpublished stuff because I got discouraged by criteria people threw at me. I didn't have the support to proceed because my husband bought into all of that. I am so glad to hear you say it's not necessary to follow trends and to do it my way. I am going to in 2020.
Bless you.
People need to stop following the trend n start their own trend.
Yes!
Sarra you’re an inspiration to me when I feel down about how low my sales are. It has been a struggle with me to find my “tribe”. I’ve been writing since I was in 3rd grade and I can’t find another thing that makes me happy. I know my time will come but that thing called patience is a thorn in my side. 😂. Thanks for this video.
I’m so grateful that you’re part of this community and share such wonderful wisdom with us 🥰 happy nine years!
Thank you Natalia!! So happy to have the chance to know you.
Yes. I so agree.
Hi! Self-published author here, and I LOVE hearing success stories! I totally agree that we should all be writing what we love and stories we want to tell rather than trying to follow a trend. If you're writing just to make money, you're writing for the wrong reasons. Money is just a bonus to doing what you love.
This video addressed every reason I stopped writing. It went from something magical to overwhelming. Thank you so so much!
Thanks for this. I Self-published x3 months ago. Just hit a wall, spent $1,600 on marketing in a x2 week period, sold x4 books. Have sold almost x100 books in total, have under 10 reviews. Today has been hard, self doubt, doubt over the book, so much pressure trying to juggle full time study, COVID, unemployment as well as working hard on the book etc. This was refreshing, thank you for your honesty and reflection. I won't give up, will simply learn from this, go back to the drawing board. much love.
Writing gives us the potential of touching another person very deeply, and the ability to express your innermost feelings. It's a privilege to have that chance.
Holy schrap did I need this video today. I’ve self published two books and I love the stories. Something really weird happened after I published the second one though, people actually liked it. It was my baby and I wrote it with no intention of publishing it just because I wanted to read it. But then after I published it and people started liking it honestly I started freaking out because I didn’t know what to do from there. I love writing but the idea of having it be my only source of income is a little bit terrifying so I love that you are addressing that there are different ways to do this because the pressure to pump out books like a machine is real and it’s scary. So thank you so much for this video!
I am so glad you touched on not having to be active on social media. Because I just can't do Twitter. It is so toxic and it makes my anxiety go through the roof. I love most other platforms, but I was told that I had to be on Twitter or I wasn't going to get anywhere, self-publishing or trad publishing.
Thank you, as a late starter in writing (over 50 yrs) I needed to hear this. I've been writing for years, but never really finished anything. You have given me the encouragement to pick it up and continue with writing my book, and going from there. Thank you!!
You really are my favorite authortuber for so many reasons. But the number one reason is because, unlike the others, you insist that everyone has their own path to follow and as long as they don't give up, they will get there. Most of the others I occasionally watch all preach the "there can be only one" way. Congratulations on 9 awesome years of self publishing. Truly an inspiration. Here's to at LEAST 9 more years of success for you and your beautiful family.
I needed these words so much today. Thank you, Sarra! This is a video I will likely come back to time and time again when the going gets tough and I need a boost from someone who's been there. Please know how incredibly meaningful, inspiring, encouraging, and supportive you and Heart Breathings are to all of us. I'm beyond grateful that you share your experience and guidance while you continue your own journey through the highs and lows of this writing life. Oh, and CONGRATS for 9 years as a published novelist!! YAY!!
Hi, Sarra. My name is Drew. Thank you so much for this video. I've just finished my first manuscript and I've had no fear until I've hit the editing part. This is my 'flight or fight' time. I don't have the $$$ to hire an editor, so I'm doing it all myself. The only help I have is Grammarly. Your words have meant a lot to me today. Thank you also for caring enough about other people to do this for us. You are a rare gem that I stumbled upon.
Congratulations! Thanks I really needed to hear this at the beginning of my writing career! I just want to quit my job so much but I need to learn the craft and take my time.
I listened to your 8-year video last year, and a lot of the comments about quality and passion echo with me. I would like to be full-time, but, at the end of the day, I write because it's what I do. I don't chase trends, and I'm not a hack. I re-read my books about once a year and upload updates to remove any typos I might find. Hopefully, at some point, I'll have too many books to do them all annually. :)
This video and your whole story are SO inspiring to me. No one else has managed to convince me that self-publishing might be a possibility. Thank you.
Thank you so much! This video is just what I needed. I don't want to advertise, send newsletters and so forth. I just want to focus on writing good books. And I also get tired of all those writer communities telling people they must do certain things in order to have success. My bestselling book is the first book I wrote, before I started listening to certain writing-goeroes. I am going to follow my own instinct again.
This also applies to any kind of freelance work or self-employed business. I’ve listened to people who have been telling me to do this and that to my business, I wasn’t very happy. It was very profitable at first, but then it fell off even though I kept on hustling so hard until the end. My biggest lesson is: it’s okay to be small, to do it solo. I don’t have to chase having my own brick and mortar store, I don’t have to choose wholesale, etc. I only have to choose what makes me happy.
Congratulations, even though this was two years ago, and this year you’re turning 11 years as an Indie Author!
Timeless advice from a wise writer, like happiness is the journey not the destination. Congratulations on NINE YEARS Sara
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this! Since NaNoWriMo started and I jumped back into writing, I've started to doubt whether or not I can actually pull off writing and revising an entire book that I am confident enough in to self-publish. I just needed someone to encourage me again, and here you are! I am so grateful I found your channel earlier this year.
Congratulations on 9 years of successful self-publishing. Thank you for your encouraging words.
Good morning, Sarra. Happy Anniversary! Thank you for posting this. I have a friend who started in self-pub. Then she started quacking that the pool was too crowded and no one was selling the numbers anymore. What I figured out was she stopped writing new stuff and was counting on the books she already had out. She is now with Sourcebooks and doing very well. Now the same person who kept telling us self-pub was the way to go is now saying the only way to make money is traditional. You hit the nail on the head in your presentation. Do what makes you happy and be true to who you are as a writer. When I think what a traditional pub will do to my book, like put out a cover that either I can't stand OR 3 other books on the shelf all have the same stock photo hero, I shudder. This is my book and deserves the best I can give it... not just a piece on a conveyor belt. You inspire us, Sarra. Thank you. Enjoy the Journey
A video about how to overcome the "I have ideas and I know they are good, but when it comes to actually sitting down and doing the work I need to do to come closer to fulfilling my dream, I hit a massive road block"-phase would be immensely helpful, I'm not gonna lie. It all seems like it comes so easily to you, so it's mind-boggling time and time again to read your struggles and the experiences that you share so generously with us!
It is SO encouraging to hear you say that one does NOT have to spend a lot of time on social media and a lot of money on marketing (Man, there are videos out there that say that the costs of self-publishing your first book are between 3,000 and 8,000 $....). I'm not a big social butterfly and have a hard time "pitching" me and my work. I like my stories and feel some other people might like them but I still feel like they aren't special and worth nothing, so if I tried "pitching" them, I'd feel like a huge scammer (imposter even?).
I wonder, is it necessary to connect with other authors? It always sounds so perfectly nice to hear you talking about the wonderful support and friendships within the writing community, but to be honest, most authors I've met or spoken to were extremely snooty and would put others down constantly.
Thanks a million times for sharing your experiences, your wonderful personality, your wisdom, your struggles and your life with us. You have truly worked so hard and deserve it all!
And always let your conscience be your guide.
I think this is something that a lot of new writers need to hear. That their story is worth it. I had so many stories that I started back in high school that I just dropped simply because I was told that I would never make it as an author. It actually got so bad that I stopped writing altogether at one point because I was beginning to think 'what's the point?' But to know that not only is there another way but that there'll always be an audience for what you're writing, that has helped to bring me back to writing my own original stories. And hey, maybe next year you can do a live stream with all of your fans :)
I think I’m going to watch this once a week to keep me motivated. You speak directly to my life and address so many of my fears and hopes. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. It’s truly an encouragement and a motivation. I SO needed this message tonight. Will be rewatching!!💗
I want to be like you when I grow up. Seriously, your attitude of gratitude, your positivity, and honesty both with us and yourself, are all the things ime working toward. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
Happy 9 Year Author Anniversary!! I would love a number video, how much you made starting VS now :)
Really needed this video Sarra. Thank you so much for doing it. When you said, "You're gonna be okay," I just burst into tears. I wrote my first book, which my family bought and had started another one and haven't typed another word for months. You have given me the encouragement that I needed. I wholeheartedly thank you for this. Love and hugs from Upstate SC.
Love the shirt! It's nice to hear you say social media isn't the be all and end all, I feel like not just other writers/authors promote a lot of self-advertising and vigilance, but in our everyday life it's being pushed to grind out numbers :/
thank you for reiterating it. There are many haters out there trying to dis indies because they didn't have guts to try. Good on you!
I needed this today! I literally felt like you read my messages with a friend this morning. Congratulations on the nine years and for giving back to the indie community.
Hi ive just started reading your books , and wow they are amazing your writing style is so beautiful , the story is perfect. ive been following you for a couple of years with journaling. now im a big big fan of your books , thank you.
Hey Sarra! Really enjoyed the video! In a future video would you consider talking about your decision to go Indie vs the traditional rout? What drew you to this path instead of trying for a book deal? Really love your videos and would be very interested in hearing your thought process on this!
Yes! I have a lot to say about it haha. Thank you for the suggestion!
I just found your channel and I feel so surprised and so happy, you have no idea how much relief you brought me today. I have been so troubled and anxious about my future, about my dreams because of people talking to me this past week. I thought I had to give up because my goals and dreams were too big. But Your goals are just like my goals!
I am so happy I found this, truly. I have been feeling so disheartened and sad lately as I feel like my writing is so beautiful but so many people have been telling me the market is over saturated and that I shouldn't be writing my dream stories but should be writing money tree books that are churned out to make money not make my dreams come true. It's so soul crushing. I felt crushed that I was told my books are good, but that they are too niche, and I need to drop it to just churn out a book fast that matches trend. I feel so disheartened, and crushed. You can't make money cause its over saturated, but you can make money if you trick people into buying some half churned book that matches trend. Is it really true, do I have no chance as a niche author. I write Fantasy Romance, that has some mythology and comedy in it.
I know a lot of people who would read that!
@@Growndweller really that's amazing
I would love to see a video on your numbers! Congrats on 9 years! Your videos are so inspiring!
Thanks so much!! Definitely a struggle sometimes to stay true to what you want to write instead of chasing, but it’s worth it! Thanks again!
I needed to hear this! I am so happy this video popped up in my suggestions. I have been struggling with finishing my novel because I didn't think it would sell. After watching this video, I know I need to take a break from social media and focus on my craft. There are too many people giving advice, and their advice has made me doubt myself and my work. It's time for me to take the time to remember why I fell in love with writing in the first place. Thank you and congratulations on your success!
I am glad I found this video. I am getting ready to publish my first book. There is always that anxiety of, "Am I doing this right, or was my choice to write what I like versus to market a good idea?" It is nice to see that as long as you stay true to your writing, things can workout.
You are the first author channel I followed and the person that really kicked my butt into gear with the inspiration, now I’m writing my first book and working on my first RUclips channel. Proud of you and your accomplishments!
I love when you post honest looks at your experience with publishing. I recently read your first book & immediately went to download the next. Your accomplishments are an inspiration
I needed this so much this morning! I just launched my first book and I’m nervous and questioning myself. My family is struggling financially and I just want and need this book to be successful. It’s hard to be patient and still. This video gave me inspiration to just enjoy the fact that I’ve launched my first book instead of worrying about the numbers! Thank you!
Hey Ashley. Are you on Twitter or IG? I don't do a lot on facebook but would be happy to share your name on those 2 channels. Enjoy the Journey!
KellysCreativeDreams Yes, I’m on IG @aechewning_author! Thanks! How about you?
@@ashleychewning AngelaDrakeA
I'll add you so when things come through I can hit the heart ;-)
Though I do have to say, Twitter is best for the 'sharing' aspect. that whole retweet thing :-)
KellysCreativeDreams thank you so much! I’ll do the same for you 😊
Thank you for this. Fear is holding me back. I've let 10 weeks go by without touching my work because my main supporter told me it was ok to not stress about it. So I completely stopped. Now hes asking what happened. I take ownership for the drop off in production but the fear...its getting me. My goal to finish it is set. And I'll come back to you if I falter again.
I love watching your videos, somehow you always say what I need to hear. 💖
Out of all the AuthorTubers I follow, you provide the best practical advice. You're honest and down to earth and that makes you a valuable resource in my arsenal of writing/publishing information. I wish I could afford your classes - I might have to make that a goal once I start working again Lol 😉 Thank you for your refreshing advice. I'll take it to heart 💗 And congratulations on your 9 year anniversary - good for you!
Congratulations on hitting such an amazing milestone in your career! And I have to say this video is exactly what I was needing. I feel like there's so much pressure to "grow your author platform" if you want to be a successful Indie author. I've honestly spent more time watching videos and learning from other people how to do that than writing my actual book. So to hear that people are successful without social media makes me so happy! I've kind of decided to stop the author platform journey and solely focus on my writing....I also hear a lot that you have to offer people something for them to want to follow you (book reviewer, editing, or some kind of service). All I want to do is be myself and have fun on socials. There's just so much pressure.
I've been writing novels for the past handful of years, but before that I was a screenwriter. Not a wannabe, but a working one. When I began getting assignments, I'd take pretty much anything that came along. Ugh, that was a big mistake. It took a while, but I eventually would only write -- whether it was an assignment or a spec -- scripts I actually connected with (i.e., scripts I enjoyed writing). People said to me, "If you're a professional, you should be able to write anything!" I told them, "Look, writing is difficult enough. If you're gonna spend all the time and effort, you might as well write what you enjoy writing." (I should point out that none of these people were professional writers.) Anyway...now that I'm writing novels (which I LOVE), I write only the stories that speak to me, that have true meaning for me. I'm not writing sci-fi or romance or horror or anything that can be neatly packed into a genre--my stories don't have an easily identifiable genre. But I don't care--I'm having fun. And yes, I've actually made a bit of money with it. So, yes, write what you love. Your future self will thank you for it!
Where is the love button? 😍
This video is so uplifting. I often (and always have) struggle with self-esteem/self-worth. This will be a video I come back to in the future. 💕
Yay for 9 Years!!! that's so exciting :)
yes please for numbers videos, that would be very helpful!
Thank you. I was starting to feel anxious, letting fear guide me and being impatient for that next step and level, when this video appeared in my feed. Thank you for the words of encouragement.
Congratulations!!! 9 years! That’s incredible
I just want to thank you for being so honest and transparent about your journey! I have learned a lot from you, honestly no one else is sharing as much as you do on how to successfully self publish. Thanks to you I'll be publishing at some point next year hopefully with a strategy that suits me. Please keep posting videos, they are greatly underrated. but i'm sure when people find out about your channel they'll come flooding in. Thanks again x
Thank you! It means a lot.
Congrats on your indie-versary. I'm glad I found your channel. I have about 16 stories in the works. I want to get self to publish soon.
It took me two years to get help for my PPA. Kuddos to you for recognizing it and talking openly about it on your channel.
Happy Indie-versary!!
Thanks Sarra for sharing your experience and wisdom! It is so refreshing to hear someone be truthful instead of trying to sell something to new writers like myself. Congratulations!
Congratulations on 9 years!! 💙
Would love some videos regarding the numbers and business side!
Hi, thanks for sharing! I am feeling discouraged a bit on my writing so it feels so nice to see someone else's success as a self-published author :) I published 4 coloring books so far on Amazon KDP, and hope to publish my first fiction novel this year. Hope I get at least a few sales :) Thanks for the inspiration to keep going!
In first few books of my indie journey and this advice you have is such a great advice/encouragement :) It's rarer to see these philosophical and life choice advice from indie authors. The temptation of rushing things is so big it's really hard to write to your heart (and your to-be fans' hearts) rather than taking a side-step and going with things that are hot right now. Thank you for the video! Love your channel.
I'm saving this video in a brand new playlist called 'encouragement" and I plan to rewatch whenever I need a reminder about why I do what I do! My main job is owning a planner shop and SO MUCH of what you said is applicable for that career as well...and I bet almost any creative career! AND I plan to publish a novel...on of these days lol. Thanks for taking the time to make this video!
Once again, I am reminded of Kurt Vonnegut. In his autobiography he related how he was writing pornographic novels during the 1940's. He was making excellent money doing it. He realized he would have to take a pay cut if he ever wanted to write the kinds of novels he wanted to write. He took the pay cut. His first major novel was "Player Piano" published in 1952. He has an autobiographical, recurring character, in all his novels, named Kilgore Trout who continued writing trashy porno novels!
Thank you, thank you so much for this!!! If RUclips only existed for your channel it would be worth it.
Love your advice! Thanks for being real Sarra!!
You the businesssss!!! Thank you for the great video! ♥️
Happy nine years Sara :) thank you so much for this video, it's been a great confidence boost
I SO loved this message that you shared! Thank you Sarra, you’re such an inspiration 💗
So glad RUclips finally recommended your channel to me
This ..all this spoke to me! Girl I thought I was in church again for a moment! Thank you for your insights and caring enough to make videos like this.
Thank you so much for posting this, Sarra! It’s such an encouragement to me at this point in my career! ♥️
This was such an inspirational video. Thank you for all the tips and tricks you've taught me and so many others. Congrats on nine years, Sarra!
This is so inspirational and some of the best advice I've heard about writing. Thank you for recording and posting this video.
I needed this exact pep talk. Thanks so much, Sarra! You’re a godsend!! 💗
Thanks so much for this video I think you might have just saved my life and given me so much insight stay blessed now I'm excited to start my writing career!
This video was EXACTLY what I needed to hear! I can't subscribe fast enough! Thank you so much!!
Congratulations! Happy 9 years 🎉📚 I love your desk! And I love your message of quality over quantity.
Happy indie-versary! Thank you for sharing Sarra, you're an inspiration to me.
You're an incredible inspiration, Sarra! Ever since I can remember I've had a dream of writing a novel. I just turned 50 and am learning as much as I can about the process and am on my way!!! Thank you for taking the time to help people like me :-)
You are amazing and so incredibly inspiring. Thank you for sharing your "hard earned wisdom" 🌻😊❤
Thank you so much for sharing your story. This is the most inspirational video I've seen for aspiring writers. This is definitely encouraging me to pursue my writing dreams.
This is your best video video yet. Everything you said went straight to my heart. Thank you so much and congratulations on nine years!!
Happy Indie-versary!! You’re such an amazing inspiration...thank you SO much for all you do.
I love your videos like this so much! The advice is just wonderful and so helpful.
Thank you so much for this video. It encouraged me to keep writing what I love. You also made some points about social media that made me feel better. I'll be sharpening my focus thanks to your kindness in sharing what you've learned in your writing journey.
This is such an absolutely amazing message! I love this message, and I feel this on a deep level. You are a total inspiration!
So many congrats to you! I love to your stories of both success and failure. You are a trailblazer!
This was awesome!! I've been indie publishing for 13 years but didn't take it seriously until 4 years ago.
I also don't do social media but my email list is 19,000. My next goal is to make 6 figures. I'm almost half way there.
Congratulations!! And thank you!
Happy Authorversary! Congrats on all the success and happiness. You deserve it. And thank you for doing this video. It was just what I needed tonight. As always, you inspire me and it's so appreciated.
This video confirmed everything I’ve felt about indie writing. Thanks again Sarra.
Congrats and thank you for encouraging people not to settle and write crap they hate just to make sales. Your channel has been with me since the beginning, so I've never been tempted. Thank you and best wishes for many more years of success!
Congratulations Sarra! Nine years is amazing. I'm always inspired by you and loved your wisdom in this, especially 'follow the joy'!
I love your videos, they always come from the heart and are real, which are so helpful to us Indie authors, thank you 🙏
I love this... I am working on my first book and I’m feeling like I’m doing nothing right... I always learn something from your videos... the main thing I need to focus on right now is just writing... everything can come later... after I’ve written, so I’m getting off RUclips now and writing until I need to feed my family later tonight 😁😁👍
I love your honesty and sharing your goals!! Another great one ❤️
Sarra, you are a true inspiration. Thank you for all you do to help guide new authors and aspiring authors.
Continued blessings on a successful career. Your passion is so inspiring! You came. You saw. You conquered! Congratulations!
Happy birthday and many more years to come!!!!
Happy Nine Years! Thank you so much for this video. I totally needed your pep talk today. I was feeling super down about my slow to start career and you've given me the motivation I needed. Thank you so much. Wishing you much continued success