Crowdsourcing knowledge for new self-publishing help group

A new group wants to help indie writers get their books to readers without relying on the traditional publishing industry.

Independent Publishers of Newfoundland and Labrador (IPNL) is looking to bring together authors at various levels who are interested in self-publishing their work.

"People associate self-publishing with just slapping together a book and holding it up, 'Oh I published a book,'" says Jeff Kelland, one of the group's founders.

"Those days are long gone."

Kelland has self-published a book of his own, his first book back in late 2017. That experience left him with some questions.

"During the process and afterwards you wonder, could that have been done easier if I'd had the experience of indie authors who had written before me? Saved me some trouble? That's really where it began," he told CBC's St. John's Morning Show.

"I realized that, coming together is what's going to solve the problems that we have."

Kelland said there are a number of steps to getting a book published: writing of manuscript; editing; design; printing and formatting; marketing and distribution; sales, publicity and promotion.

Other than the writing, a traditional publishing house usually takes care of the rest, Kelland said.

"And when I say you can go with a traditional publisher, that's if they say you can. If you sent in your manuscript and they believe that it's good enough to publish," he said.

"There's an immediate start for an independent publisher, we don't have to wait for someone else's approval, we believe in our quality, and we'd like the reader to see it. And the reader will ultimately decide, anyway."

'There is no us and them'

Kelland said the local publishers in Newfoundland and Labrador are quite welcoming and supportive of independent authors.

"We started out by saying, there is no us and them, we're not — there's room for all of us," Kelland said, but he added that there's an increasing market for independent publishing and indie books sales.

The hope, Kelland said, is that this new group will serve as a sort of virtual storefront, as well as bringing authors together to help share knowledge and experience from all levels.

"It's challenging when you're self-publishing by yourself … The website, administration, can get us out into events, book fairs, this sort of thing," he said.

"People need to see, which they will on our website … the quality of the writing, and then see us in a public event, they get the chance to see that the physical books are every bit as good, as well. A good book is a good book."

Daphne MacNeil, the secretary for IPNL, said the group's first meeting was a success, and had a wide variety of personalities.

"The dynamics were very interesting. Many of them had full-time careers, some of them are still in their careers, others are looking at change," she said.

"The community that came together, we're very diverse and exciting, and international even in nature."

MacNeil said one of the main things she's learned through the group is just how much knowledge already exists among the province's indie authors.

"What I've learned is the skills that exists in Newfoundland and Labrador," she said, adding that since the first meeting, the group's numbers grew from 40 to about 100.

"And that's something I've learnt throughout my government career, 30 years, and we realize that sometimes we devalue what we have here and the quality of the books."

In the meantime, IPNL is now in the process of getting members, or potential members, to fill out a questionnaire to ensure people are matched with mentors who are strong in areas they need to work in, Kelland said.

"Our job will be done when people don't make any distinction between traditional and independent publishing," he said, "when they judge it based upon the book and the writing as opposed to how it was published."

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