Why Write the Book and Choose Self-Publishing

Self-published authors Anne Ditmeyer and Martin Lake share what it really takes to go indie, from choosing platforms and budgeting for editing, design, and ISBNs to redefining success, avoiding scams, and playing the long game of finding readers and building a sustainable writing life.  

You'll learn:

• Why Anne and Martin chose self-publishing over traditional routes and how they framed readers as their gatekeepers.
• How both authors define success beyond bestseller lists, from “book as business card” to improving the craft across 25 books.
• The real timelines of an indie career, including slow early sales, backlist effects, and why self-publishing is a marathon, not a sprint.
• What a realistic budget looks like for editing, design, typesetting, audiobooks, and print on demand, plus where they chose to DIY or outsource.
• How they use platforms such as Kindle Direct Publishing, Lulu, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, and Shopify, and why most sales still come through Amazon.
• Practical approaches to marketing that do not require a huge following, including series, mailing lists, events, workshops, and using your existing communities.
• The role of ISBNs, imprints, metadata, and print on demand for getting into libraries and bookstores, and why in-store placement is harder than it looks.
• Red flags to watch for with third-party “publishing services” and why due diligence can save you thousands in fees and frustration.  
   

Resources and Links:

• 📑Interview Transcript
• Martin Lake’s Author Page
• Override by Anne Ditmeyer
• Reedsy
• Lulu 
• Fiverr
• Blurb 
• Bookshop.org
• Ingram Spark
• Anne Ditmeyer Resources
   

About the panelists:

Martin Lake is a historical novelist who discovered his love of history and writing early in life and later combined those interests after careers as a teacher, college lecturer, conference planner, and business owner. He has written 25 novels and several short story collections set from ancient Minoan times to the present day, earning around $275,000 in royalties, most of it from self-published ebooks, and now focuses on writing series fiction, running writing groups, and sharing what he has learned about the indie long game. 

Anne Ditmeyer is a Paris-based designer turned writer, creative coach, and workshop facilitator who is American by birth and French by “hard work.” She runs global creative workshops such as Write Your Own Rules and Mapping Your Path, is known for her playful “banana mapping” exercises, and in 2024 self-published her first book, Override: What if there was another way? A pocket playbook for possibility, using platforms like Lulu, IngramSpark, and Amazon to distribute a small-format book that doubles as a business card for her workshops and speaking. 

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