An Award-Winning Book

Heather Haven's novel, Death of a Clown, won the 2014 IPPY Silver medal for Best Mystery/Thriller in ebook. 

Death of a Clown, by Heather Haven (The Wives of Bath Press)

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The Joys and Foibles of Self-Publishing

An IPPY-Winner Shares Her Story

Note: This article was previously published in Northern California Chapter of Sisters In Crime newsletter.

I was with two traditional publishing houses before I self-published. They treated me just fine. I have no horror stories about being stolen from or anything like that. However, in today’s clime, with roughly a million books being published every week—okay, maybe not a million, but it sure feels like it sometimes—there wasn’t a devotion to shining a light on my novels.

Yes, I was hot the first couple of weeks after the book came out, but then I was competing with the next author on the publisher’s slate and the next and the next. Furthermore, when you sign with a publisher, you relinquish a lot of rights, such as choice of book cover, release date, pricing, marketing, etc. I had no idea I’m fussy about this sort of thing, but apparently I am.

In this life, timing is everything. Mine for striking out on my own couldn’t have been better. Self-publishing is quite acceptable now whereas, even five years ago, I received a few tsk-tsks from fellow authors, with waves of pity thrown in on the side. But here I am, self-pubbed and loving it.

Right up front, the most challenging aspect is doing a professional job on the various components needed to get a novel on the shelf, whether it’s a real shelf in a bookstore or a virtual one online. Many demands arise after authorship—proofing, editing, formatting, creating a cover, choosing your print house, running promotional campaigns, building readership, etc. I know it sounds daunting, but often things are just putting one foot in front of the other. These boots are made for walking. Get a good pair and go where no man or woman has gone before.

And there is a rewarding side to self-publishing. I have complete control of my novels from start to finish. I’m the boss of me. And I love every part of what I’m doing. My novels sell consistently. Maybe not a yacht’s worth—more like a rowboat’s—but they sell! I’m building an ever-increasing fan base, and having a fabulous time. You can’t beat that.

On the down side, the biggest mistake I’ve seen among self-published writers, and made myself, is to put the work out there too fast. We tend to be over-eager and rush the product when we don’t have someone standing over us saying it’s not ready yet. Whether you are self-published or not, quality is all. If you want to compete with the big guys on any level, you gotta do it right. Just like mama said.

A few tips if you decide to self-publish. Try not to take on too much at one time or reinvent the wheel. There are resources. Go online and find them. You can job out a thing or two, if you have any kind of budget. A lot of artists and services are quite reasonable. You don’t have to do EVERYTHING yourself, really, truly, pinky swear. But you might find you have a flair for something you never knew you had. Life is, after all, a learning process. Ask questions, but be judicious. If you want the right answers, go to the right sources. Don’t be afraid. If I can do it, you can do it.

Above all, respect what you do. You walk a path trod by Shakespeare, Dante, Jane Austen, Wordsworth, Virginia Woolf, Hemingway, Steinbeck, James Joyce, Stephen King, Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse, and many, many others. We are members of a noble craft, self-published or not. Be proud. I know I am.


After studying drama at the Univ. of Miami (FL), Heather moved to Manhattan. There she wrote short stories, novels, comedy acts, TV treatments, ad copy, commercials, and two one-act plays, produced at Playwrights Horizon and well received. She even ghostwrote a book on how to run an employment agency (while unemployed). Heather has won numerous awards for her Silicon Valley-based Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, Manhattan-based WWII Persephone Cole Vintage Mysteries, Ringling Brothers Circus mystery noir Death of a Clown, and short story anthology Corliss and Other Award-Winning Stories. She and her husband of 34 years are allowed to live with their two cats, Ellie and Yulie, in the San Jose foothills, where Heather is currently writing her ninth novel. Learn more about Heather's writing here


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