Welcome to July’s Books+Publishing Independent Publishing newsletter.

Apologies for our previous email! We had a technical SNAFU: here’s the newsletter in full. This month we have an insightful Q&A with Tansy Rayner Roberts, an author who’s received a lot of recognition for her self-published work: most recently, she was awarded an Aurealis Award for best science fiction novel for Time of the Cat. Tansy has had a lot of success funding—and publicising—her work through crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter. She spoke about this, as well as the value of awards, choosing partners to collaborate with, and valuable tips for other self-published authors, among other topics. It’s well worth a read to hear some insights from someone who has more experience than most when it comes to self-publishing and finding an audience.

Also this month, I chatted with Kate Toon, the new owner of the Umina Beach Book Nook. As an indie author herself, Kate is making an effort to stock and promote works by other self-published authors. She shares some behind-the-scenes wisdom on bookshops and self-publishing—with plenty of advice for other authors interested in getting their books on shelves.

For more from Independent Publishing, visit the website to read previously published feature articles, interviews and tips. If you have any thoughts or questions in the meantime, you can reach out to me at brad@booksandpublishing.com.au.

Happy reading (and writing)!

Brad Jefferies

Booktopia enters administration

Online retailer Booktopia has entered administration, following the earlier suspension of trading of its shares on the ASX.

Administrators McGrathNicol are undertaking an ‘urgent assessment of Booktopia’s business while options for its sale and/or recapitalisation are explored’. Trading of Booktopia shares on the ASX will remain suspended during the administration process, while the Booktopia website is not taking orders, and customers with outstanding orders will need to make a claim of debt against the company.

The administrators have identified debts of $60 million held by the online bookseller, following the first meeting of creditors on 15 July, stating that the ‘vast majority’ is trade creditor debt, particularly the suppliers of books. McGrathNicol said it is hopeful of finding a buyer for Booktopia that could continue its operations in some form, with at least 80 parties expressing interest. The other option is a sell-off of Booktopia’s assets.

UK market flat; US print sales up on the back of surging romantasy

Overseas, the UK book market was reportedly down about 1% compared to the first half of 2023, according to Nielsen BookScan. However, the drop can be attributed to the absence of Prince Harry’s bestselling memoir, Spare, with the Bookseller writing that ‘without Spare, it’s possible to speculate that this half-year would have actually outperformed the last’. 

In the US, a huge increase in print book sales in the adult fantasy category has contributed to overall unit sales of print books increasing 1.1% in the second quarter of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, according to Circana BookScan figures. Adult fantasy sales grew 85.2% compared to the first six months of 2023, led by sales of Sarah J Maas and Rebecca Yarros titles, while science fiction and suspense/thriller categories each increased by about 20%. Adult fiction as a whole rose 6.3% in the first half, and young adult fiction increased 6.2%, while sales of graphic novels fell 16.1%, marking a continued receding trend ‘from record highs in 2022’, according to Publishers Weekly.

Awards round-up

The latest Australian literary award news includes the reveal of the shortlist for the 2024 Miles Franklin Literary Award, Alexis Wright being named the winner of the 2024 ALS Gold Medal for Praiseworthy (Giramondo), and the announcement of the winners of the ACT Literary Awards 2024.

Kaya Ortiz has won the 2024 Dorothy Hewett Award for their unpublished manuscript Past and Parallel Lives, for which Ortiz receives a publishing contract and manuscript development with UWA Publishing, and $10,000 in prize money courtesy of the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund. Meanwhile, not-for-profit organisation Shalom Australia has announced the inaugural Australian Jewish Book Awards will include a new $4000 prize for an unpublished manuscript that engages with Jewish experience. The award is open to writers of all levels, and the winner will receive a mentorship with judge Lee Kofman and have their manuscript reviewed by Morry Schwartz, owner of Schwartz Publishing. More information about the awards is on the Shalom Australia website.

To stay up to date with all the latest local and international book industry news, subscribe to Books+Publishing here.

At the 2023 Aurealis Awards, celebrating science fiction, fantasy and horror writing published last year in Australia, Tansy Rayner Roberts won the best science fiction novel award for her self-published title Time of the Cat. Tansy spoke to Independent Publishing about Time of the Cat, the benefits of self-publishing, and using Patreon and Kickstarter to help support her projects, among other aspects of her work.

Congratulations on winning the 2023 Aurealis Award for best science fiction novel for Time of the Cat. Can you tell us a bit about your book?

Cosy time travel adventure with talking cats! It’s a book for nerds, academics and obsessives who would probably use time travel to rescue lost TV shows rather than do anything heroic with it.

As a self-published author, what does it mean to you for your book to be recognised alongside major publishers’ titles for an Aurealis Award?

It’s a marvellous honour. I’ve judged for the Aurealis Awards in the past, so I know how much work goes into the process of reading and deliberating. I think most self-published authors have a little inner voice (sometimes not so little) asking whether the book is ready, or whether it’s good enough to send out into the world. Awards like this can be incredibly reassuring.

As an author who has published traditionally as well as independently, what has been the most gratifying aspect of publishing the book yourself?

My favourite part was getting to choose who I collaborate with—from cover art and design to editing, merch creation, audiobook production, etc. All the pressure is on me, and I have to pay a lot more people than when I was trad, but I love steering my books to the finish line. I also really enjoy being part of a wider indie author community—we learn a lot from each other, and lift each other up. With such a rapidly changing publishing landscape, it’s marvellous to have friends who are paddling in similar boats nearby. I feel closer to my readers, too, thanks to their support through my Patreon and Kickstarter projects.

Can you walk us through your process of self-publishing? Which services did you use to get your book printed (and published digitally), and why?

These days I publish most of my ebooks widely, directly through all the platforms, using Smashwords (now merged with Draft2Digital) to aggregate a few that I can’t reach directly. I publish my paperbacks through IngramSpark and Amazon. I also publish many of my books to a more exclusive audience first, through Patreon or Kickstarter, or on my podcast Sheep Might Fly.

With Time of the Cat, I knew it had potential to do really well as a Kickstarter because it was such a unique concept and the visuals were really fun, but as it is a standalone novel, I couldn’t just quietly pop it up like I often do with a series release. So I went for a splashy event, lots of cool merch like tea boxes, enamel pins, stickers, etc., to make it feel like an unmissable moment. I write too many books to do something like that every time, but it fitted well with this title.

How did you approach the marketing and publicity process for Time of the Cat?  

In some ways the Kickstarter is the marketing and publicity process; it’s like having a book launch before the book! I chose my partners carefully, including artists like Pepper Raccoon (whom I’d spotted in the Steffanie Holmes Kickstarter) and Tallulah Cunningham, who I knew would give me some wonderful visuals to work with. My cover was by Psycat Studio. And I teamed up with local businesses like the Art of Tea and the Huon Candle Co. to make great merch. I blitzed all my usual readers—newsletter, social media, etc., while the campaign was going on. A lot of people know my Kickstarters, so I was fairly confident my old crowd would support me, but the world of author-Kickstarter has changed a lot in the last few years (the Brandon Sanderson Effect). I found some excellent Facebook groups that helped a lot with cross promotion and advice on how to reach new backers.

I didn’t plan anything special for the general release of the book, but there was already buzz around it because of the Kickstarter, and I timed it to come out for my local Tassie indie book fair so I could do a lot of hand-selling—a really good cover is your best marketing investment, and this one has paid off.

What are the biggest lessons or tips you would give to others looking to self-publish?

Don’t reinvent the wheel—find others who are doing it and listen to their advice! Team up with other authors. Don’t be afraid to start small—sales can be slow until you have a solid backlist, or a series to promote, rather than a single book. But you learn so much from the first few releases you make, and it’s better to not make all your newbie mistakes on a massive project or the book of your heart—try a short story or a novella. Or a collaborative project with a few friends, to share the workload and the learning curve.

Be cautious of throwing too much money into self-publishing until you’ve built some experience—you will ultimately need to invest in yourself because it is a small business. But it can be hard to know at first how to avoid wasting money. Make sure your book looks good and sounds great (yes, you do have to tell people what it’s about!), and that you can clearly visualise your ideal audience before you even think about paying for advertising.

Finally, what are you working on at the moment?

So many things! I have a new Kickstarter coming in July–August for a special edition of my popular Teacup Magic series, with all the bells and whistles—exclusive merch, glamorous hardbacks, tea, the works.

Tansy can be found on most social media @tansyrr, and more information about Tansy, her books, and her podcast are on her website.

Kate Toon is the owner of Umina Beach Book Nook on NSW’s Central Coast and a self-published author herself. She spoke to Independent Publishing to share what she’s learned about publishing and bookselling since taking over the shop.

When did you take over Umina Beach Book Nook? Can you describe what the shop is like and what your goals are for it?

I took over the store in April 2024, but the store has been around for ages. My goal is to really make it an inclusive space, and more diverse. I want readers of all ages and all backgrounds. No snobbery about those who love a bit of romance or fantasy, plenty for kids, lots of great new releases and, of course, the strong literary prize winners. I want it to be a cosy and welcoming space for the community to connect in.

Can you tell us about your books and why you pursued self-publishing?

I’ve written five books now. The first three were self-published, but my last two were published with a traditional publisher (Major Street). Why did I go self-publishing? Well, really, because the publishing world feels like a closed circuit; you have to know someone. I did pitch a few publishers and wasn’t successful. So I decided to go it alone. But for my latest Six Figures series, my pitch was successful. I think there are pros and cons to each path.

Did you have any experience trying to get your self-published titles stocked in bookshops? What was that like, and how did that experience inform your approach to stocking self-published books as a bookshop owner?

With my kids’ book, I remember wandering around bookshops feeling very small and stupid and being rejected by most. Some shops accepted copies on consignment, and I literally never heard from them again: no money, no books back, nothing. It was totally gutting and humiliating.

Even in our store, when I took it over, there was a massive box of books that were taken ‘on consignment’; some had never even been put on the shelf. Most of the authors weren’t in the computer. There was no way to contact them. It was embarrassing, to be honest. You put your heart and soul into a book, and I think all authors should be treated with respect.

Now we have a dedicated area for self-published and local books, and we have a form for authors to fill out. We take three books on consignment and set very clear expectations. We also promote on socials and in our newsletter.

As a bookseller, how do you pitch self-published books to customers?

Obviously, booksellers are much better at selling books they’ve actually read and loved. It’s hard for us to read everything, so we have a Facebook community where we often get our customers to read and recommend titles. But we sell them just like other books, based on the readers’ likes and dislikes, and there’s an added edge that people love supporting local writers!

Are there any particular self-published books that are selling well, or that you’re particularly excited about stocking?

Oh, we have a few: The Maltese Web by Sean Richardson is going great, as are Poems for When the World Is Ending by Will Small and Welcome to Ord City by Adrian Deans. And we have more coming.

Since taking over the Book Nook, what have you learned about books and bookselling that you’ll consider while writing your next book?

I think there’s a big difference between writing the book you want to write and writing a book that will sell. It’s great if the Venn diagram crosses, but often it doesn’t. That book about pig raising in NSW might be your passion, and if you’re happy selling 100 or so copies, that’s great. But to really sell, it needs to be on trend or really unusual.

Honestly, it’s hard enough selling books by big, famous authors, let alone small self-published ones.

I also think that authors underestimate the amount of work they need to put in—on social media, their website, podcasts and events. Even if you have a publisher, they won’t do all that hard work for you. Look how many events Michael Robotham goes to; he works hard! You need to work hard, too.

What recommendations do you have for self-published authors looking to get their books stocked in bookshops?

Don’t wander in off the street with your books in your arms. Booksellers are often busy and might not have time to chat. I’d recommend emailing or ringing first and asking about their process, then following up with a visit in store.

Manage your expectations; we can only take three books at a time, because our shop is the size of your bathroom. And remember that the seller will need to add around 50% to your price to make it worth their while.

Bestselling author Loretta Smith shares the details of her own fascinating and incredible life; a life in which she has had to negotiate the pain, physical restrictions, and medical interventions of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. She shows that despite being a patient for a lifetime, she has survived, and even thrived, with an imaginative brain more agile than her body. You will be charmed, challenged, and will laugh out loud at her wit and ingenuity.

Corpus in Extremis: A Memoir by Loretta Smith

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