Ten Things We’ve Learned About Collective Self-Publishing

This month marks a milestone that’s being celebrated all over the world: it has been six months since the idea of Turtleduck Press was first floated. Oh, and it’s 2011. Happy 2011, readers! Here are just some of the things we’ve learned in our first six months:

1. When the time is right, things start to happen very quickly. The idea was first proposed on July 8. Within a week, we had our own venue for private discussion. In less than a month, we had three (already edited) long works going through our approvals process.

2. After that first heady rush, things get less glamorous very quickly. It turns out that starting a publishing label, even a self-publishing collective, is a lot of work. Who knew, right? We had much to learn about website setup, formatting for CreateSpace and the various e-book platforms, cover design, marketing, you name it.

3. Life happens. When Turtleduck Press was first formed, there were more of us. Then life got in the way, and some of us had to drop out. The five remaining Turtleduckers flailed a bit, then buckled down and figured out how to keep going.

4. Scheduling meetings would be much easier if we weren’t in multiple time zones. Throw in family who want to see us sometimes and irregular work schedules, and it’s a miracle we’ve ever managed to meet at all.

5. Reading each other’s stuff is still fun, even after working on it together. I was one of the approvers for Life as a Moving Target and Knight Errant. In the course of reading, making suggestions, and reviewing the revised versions, I read the former twice through and the latter once and a bit. Both of them still moved me and made me smile, both times.

6. Previous experience in a related area helps. Our initial web developer, who set the stage for what became our website, is on her way to becoming a professional. The person who caught the torch had previously done her own website, and while she still had a lot of learning to do, she had a good foundation for it. My background is in editing, which includes knowledge of page layout and production processes, and I’ve even been involved with another small press in the past. Other members bring experience in photography and in running organizations. Together, we complement each other’s skills, which avoids headaches and makes Turtleduck Press stronger.

7. Planning is important. We hashed out policies and procedures and schedules early on. All of these have helped things run smoothly, even when we’ve needed to adapt them to changing circumstances.

8. Turtleducks are cantankerous, demanding creatures that can be very friendly when you get to know them. Oh, and that applies to writers too.

9. Marketing is hard. Okay, we knew that when we started. We’re still working on strategies for spreading the word and finding readers who will like what we’re offering.

10. This is just the beginning. Our full website has been live since December 1, 2010. Our books are starting to sell. We’re looking ahead to our upcoming releases. We still have a lot to learn, a lot of experimenting to do to find out what works and what doesn’t. Fortunately, we’re still excited about the future and can’t wait to see where Turtleduck Press will take us in 2011 and beyond. We hope you’ll stick around to find out!