Take Back Your Book – Katie L. Carroll

I’m always happy to have Katlyn Duncan guest post on the blog. Not only is she an award-winning fiction author, she is also a wealth of information when it comes to the topic of author careers. Her first nonfiction book is TAKE BACK YOUR BOOK: AN AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO RIGHTS REVERSION. Let’s give Katlyn a big welcome as she talks about her latest book THE SUCCESSFUL HYBRID AUTHOR: TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TRADITIONAL AND INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING CAREER.

As an author who has been publishing for 10+ years, I’ve witnessed many different iterations of what a writing career can look like. More importantly, the joining of both types of publishing paths that many people tend to think of as separate. Today, I’d like to share my experience and knowledge about what it means to be a hybrid author, and how both traditional and self-published authors can become one.

A hybrid author is someone who has traditionally published books and also self-published books. The term “hybrid” is used to describe the combination of traditional and self-publishing methods. This allows authors to have the best of both worlds and to gain control over their publishing career.

Becoming a hybrid author is a practical decision that can be made by both traditional and self-published authors. For traditional authors, it can mean having rights to their books revert back to them, giving them the option to self-publish. For self-published authors, it can mean pursuing traditional publishing opportunities while continuing to self-publish.

One of the benefits of being a hybrid author is the ability to have control over your publishing career. Self-publishing allows authors to have more control over the creative process, including cover design and release dates. Traditional publishing, on the other hand, provides authors with a team of professionals to help with editing, marketing, and distribution. As a hybrid author, you have the opportunity to choose which route to take for each individual project, giving you the best of both worlds.

Another benefit of being a hybrid author is the potential for multiple income streams. Self-publishing allows authors to earn a higher royalty rate and to have control over pricing. Traditional publishing, on the other hand, provides authors with an advance and the potential for larger sales. As a hybrid author, you can earn money from both traditional and self-publishing, providing a more stable income stream.

However, becoming a hybrid author also comes with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the amount of time and effort required to navigate both traditional and self-publishing. It can be time-consuming to query agents, submit to publishers, and to self-publish. It’s also important to have a clear understanding of the rights and contracts associated with both traditional and self-publishing.

Another challenge is the need to constantly adapt and evolve. The publishing industry is constantly changing, and as a hybrid author, it’s important to be open to new opportunities and to be willing to adapt and evolve.

To become a hybrid author, it’s important to research both traditional and self-publishing options. For traditional publishing, research literary agents and publishers that are a good fit for your genre and writing style. For self-publishing, research the best platforms and distribution channels. Building your author platform is also essential, by developing a following on social media and building a community of readers and reviewers.

It’s also important to have a clear understanding of the costs associated with self-publishing, such as editing, cover design, and formatting. It’s also important to have a clear plan in place for marketing and promotion, whether through traditional or self-publishing channels.

You can learn about all of this and more in ‘The Successful Hybrid Author’, a comprehensive guide on how you can take control of your writing career and start earning more income from your books. It’s available now in eBook, paperback, and hardcover.

THE SUCCESSFUL HYBRID AUTHOR blurb:

Are you ready to take control of your writing career and start earning more income from your books? If so, becoming a hybrid author may be the perfect solution for you.

With hybrid publishing, you can take advantage of the best of both publishing paths, such as greater creative control, higher royalty rates, and the ability to release your books on your own schedule.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll:

Discover the key differences between self-publishing, independent publishing, and traditional publishing.
Learn how to choose the right publishing options for your books to maximize your income.
Navigate the world of hybrid publishing and transition from traditional or independent publishing.
Get practical tips and advice for starting and growing your career as a hybrid author.

Whether you’re coming from traditional or independent publishing, this guide will give you the tools you need to become a successful hybrid author. It’s time to start your hybrid author journey today.

About the Author:

Katlyn Duncan is a multi-published author of adult and young adult fiction, and has ghostwritten over 40 novels for children and adults.

When she’s not writing, she’s obsessing over many (many) television series’, and hanging out on YouTube where she shares her writing process and all the bookish things.

Keep up with Katlyn on her newsletter at http://www.katlynduncan.com.

I’m very excited to host my amazing critique partner Katlyn Duncan today to talk about her latest release TAKE BACK Y OUR BOOK: AN AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO RIGHTS REVERSION AND PUBLISHING ON YOUR TERMS. Katlyn is the author of many YA and adult works of fiction and this is her first work of non-fiction. It’s so full of relevant information about the business of publishing and rights reversion, and I think any author or aspiring author will feel empowered after reading it. Welcome, Katlyn!

The inspiration behind a book is frequently talked about when writing fiction, but there’s often an interesting inspiration story behind non-fiction. What gave you the idea for TAKE BACK YOUR BOOK: AN AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO RIGHTS REVERSION AND PUBLISHING ON YOUR TERMS?

When the book rights for my debut Young Adult paranormal series (The Life After series) reverted to me in 2019, I immediately looked online to see what I should do with the book. But there weren’t many recent articles about what to do after book rights reversion. I had to do a lot of research myself, which was mostly scouring writer groups and working my network to find other writers who had their book rights reverted. For those authors, all of their stories were different, which helped me understand that I had to make a lot of decisions on my own.

One day, you and I were discussing self-publishing, and the idea came so quickly to me. There weren’t any resources out there about the process of rights reversion all the way through re-publishing the book, so I wrote it myself hoping to help any authors who are or will be in the same position.

Let’s turn the inspiration to you! What made you want to become a writer?

Storytelling has always been a huge part of my life. As a kid, I loved drama class and acting in plays while devouring movies as much as I could. Eventually, that stemmed into penning my own plays and movie scripts (which will never see the light of day, by the way!). Then when I was in my early twenties, I started to write fiction novels and I haven’t stopped since.

What’s one book you wish you had written? And (of course) why?

Can I say ‘Twilight’? I wouldn’t mind living in Stephenie Meyer’s shoes right now with the ability to auto sell anything I write and take all those lofty advances to the bank.

I think we’d all say yes to Stephenie Meyer’s advances! You write both fiction and non-fiction. How was writing TAKE BACK YOUR BOOK different from writing your fiction projects?

There are a few ways it was different. First, I had to do a lot of research for this book, more than I have for any of my fiction novels. Previously, I had saved some articles from when I was going through the book rights reversion process, but there was so much more to outline for the reader. I had to make sure that I listed as many options for a reverted book as possible, which meant exploring as many publishing paths as I could, along with outlining the self-publishing process from start to finish, and beyond to marketing and future plans for the book.

Second, writing a non-fiction “arc” is much different than a fiction one. You have to structure the book in a way that is compelling and makes sense as its own type of story while allowing author voice to shine through instead of a character’s voice.

Obviously TAKE BACK YOUR BOOK is full of advice for authors, but what’s one important takeaway you’d like to leave readers with today?

Regarding book rights, make sure you understand what you are signing away and how long your rights will be in someone else’s hands. This is where community is very important. Ask fellow authors in both the “traditional” and self-publishing spheres and find where your book belongs before you put pen to paper and sign any contract.

It’s so important to understand what is in a publishing contract before you sign. One last thing, what is next for you in your writing career?

I’ve completely veered away from traditional publishing and diving head-first into self-publishing. I’m re-publishing my debut YA series under a new pen name (Katy Duncan), starting with ‘Soul Taken’ in September 2021, followed soon after by book 2 (‘Soul Possessed’) and book 3 (‘Soul Betrayed’) in 2022, in addition to publishing adult thrillers after that.

TAKE BACK YOUR BOOK blurb:

Revive your book from the bottom of the charts with rights reversion.

Have you sold your book to a publisher, but years later it’s not selling the way you want? Are you frustrated with their lack of marketing and little to no royalty payments?

It’s time to take back your book rights.

This guide will give you the knowledge and confidence to get your book rights reverted and how to place it in front of new readers, on your terms.

In this book you’ll find:

The basics of rights reversion
What to do with your book after reversion
How to re-publish your book
Long-term considerations for your author business and backlist
Stories from authors successfully reverting and republishing their books

You will always be your book’s biggest champion. Don’t condemn it to years of neglect at someone else’s hands. Take back your rights and make them work for you for years to come.

Buy the book on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and these other book retailers.

About the Author:

Katlyn Duncan is a multi-published hybrid author of adult and young adult fiction and has ghostwritten over forty novels for children and adults.

When she’s not writing, she’s obsessing over many (many) television series’, and hanging out on YouTube where she shares her writing process and all the bookish things.

Find her at katlynduncan.com, YouTube, and Instagram.