Don’t Get Hung Up on Reviews: Tips from an Indie Author

Indie author Michael Phillip Cash urges self-publishers to follow their dreams and let go of fear.

Although Michael Phillip Cash always knew he wanted to publish his work, he “didn’t have the faintest idea how [he] was actually going to accomplish that goal.” One day on Amazon, he stumbled upon CreateSpace: “I’ve been with CreateSpace now for over five years and it really is a soup-to-nuts website. They’ve thought of everything.”

Perhaps due to the way Cash discovered self-publishing, he never had the fear many authors describe feeling before embarking on a self-publishing project. “You write what you want, get it copyedited, create an amazing cover, upload it, and market yourself as a brand.  What’s so frightening about that? It’s so much fun that writing and self-publishing one book will never be enough.”

Cash recently finished work on his latest book, Monsterland, and is beginning two more sequels to his novel Witches Protection Program, which PW called “a familiar yet satisfying adventure,” adding that “the action and humor will leave cozy magical mystery fans hoping for more adventures.” 

We asked Cash what tips he had for other indie authors.

Read!

“Read the book APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur—How to Publish a Book by Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch. It’s the definitive guide to self-publishing.”

Don’t Get Hung Up on Reviews

“Reviewers will hate your stuff. You will 100% get seething and blood-boiling reviews. People will spit horrible things online about your work. At first it’s a little shocking that there are people in this world who would try to destroy something you created. But…it’s OK. Don’t let them upset you. Thank them for their critique and move on. Don’t lose one second of sleep over someone’s horrible words. Focus on the good reviews, not the bad ones.” 

It’s Your Dream

“You’re not going to get famous overnight. Don’t self-publish to think that Disney is going to buy your stuff and make a ride based on your book. Self-publish because you love it and you want to connect with people. Self-publish because it’s a dream of yours. Not for vanity.”