This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
In this week's Failure Friday segment, we hear from a romance author who dives into self-publishing with high hopes, only to encounter the hard work of editing an audiobook production. Writing those steamy bestsellers is harder than it looks. Welcome, welcome, welcome to Side Hustle School. It's Chris Guillebeau here, your host. Today, that story about the romance writing reality check.
Let's just talk about Failure Friday, very brief moment, a little bit of a disclaimer. Failure Friday is ultimately about success, but it's about what we learn from these moments of difficulty and challenge and struggle that often appear on the road to success. I don't want you to be discouraged through this series, as a listener shared with me last year. It made a big impact on me because I was like, "Okay, I do want us to be real. We got to be vulnerable and transparent, and not everything does work, at least not the first time." I think upon reflection, if you listen to these stories, I think most of the time you hear that the struggle was worth it, like there's something on the other side that is better, but we have to just go through that, so a little bit of a balance there.
Maybe I don't always get it right, but again, I just want to be real with you. Let's hear this story and let's just consider what we could learn, or maybe there's something we could preemptively do to avoid this particular difficulty, or sometimes the difficulty just arises. Sometimes it is just a disaster that comes out of nowhere, and then the question is how do we respond? How can we be resilient or anti-fragile, which is even better than being resilient? Okay, that's all I have to say.
By way of introduction, let's hear from Avery. She is the romance writer who tries to use Kindle Direct Publishing and some other tools, and just realizes that there's a lot more to it. I'm going to hand the mic over to her, I'll be back with a quick wrap up. When I first ventured into the world of self-publishing, I was fueled by a simple, get powerful dream to share my stories with the world. My name is Avery Kidan, a passionate writer with a love of romance novels.
I had spent years weaving tales of love, heartbreak, and triumphant reunions, and I believe that self-publishing through platforms like Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing, KDP, and Audible's ACX for audiobooks was my golden ticket. My journey began with excitement and high hopes. I had a manuscript that I was proud of, a story that had blossomed from a kernel and idea into a full-blown saga. I imagined my books not just gracing digital shelves, but also being available as audiobooks, whispering tales of love into the ears of avid listeners. However, my inexperience in the nuances of self-publishing quickly became apparent.
I underestimated the importance of professional editing, believing my multiple self-edits were sufficient. When my book finally went live on KDP, I was dismayed to receive feedback about grammatical errors and plot inconsistencies, details that a skilled editor would have caught. Similarly, my journey into audiobook publishing via ACX was fraught with missteps. Enamored by the idea, I rushed into selecting a narrator without proper auditions, leading to a mismatch between the voice and the tone of my book. Moreover, the technical aspects of audiobook production from sound quality to pacing were areas I had not fully appreciated.
My eagerness to see my book in audio format led me to overlook these crucial elements, resulting in a product that did not meet the standards of seasoned audiobook listeners. The sales, unfortunately, reflected these oversights. My dream of climbing the romance novel charts was met with the reality of languishing in the lower ranks, with few sales and little attention. It was a tough pill to swallow, but it was also a wake-up call. I took a step back and realized that passion alone wasn't enough to succeed in the competitive world of self-publishing.
It required a meticulous approach, an understanding of the market, and a willingness to invest in professional services. Determined to turn things around, I pulled my book from the platforms and embarked on a journey of learning. I attended self-publishing workshops, connected with experienced authors in the romance genre, and invested in a professional editing service. I also re-approached ACX, this time taking the time to understand the nuances of audiobook production and choosing a narrator who truly resonated with my book's spirit. When I re-released my novel, both in print and audio, the difference was night and day.
The new version garnered positive reviews, and sales began to pick up. My journey was filled with pitfalls, but each mistake was a stepping stone to a better understanding of the self-publishing world. Today, I view my initial foray into self-publishing not as a failure, but as a learning experience. It taught me that while self-publishing offers a fantastic platform for authors, it comes with its own set of challenges that require patience, learning, and investment. My love for romance writing hasn't waned, but now it's coupled with a practical approach to the art of publishing.
Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. Failure Friday, as I said, is ultimately about success or it's about growth. What can we do if something doesn't work as amazingly as we hope it would right in the beginning? So I really appreciate everybody who shared stories for this. Thank you Avery, and listeners, as I said, don't be discouraged.
Take these stories and go into your next project and think, "What might I need to learn before I jump into it?" Or maybe I can just jump into it, but if something comes up along the way, how do I then respond? Anyway, that's all I have to say about that. I want to leave you feeling encouraged. sidehustleschool.com, some resources, today's notes at sidehustleschool.com/2568. Much more is coming up, excited about January, and all that is to come.
Thank you for being out there. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School. From the Onward Project.
