Q: How would I define the PIY (Publish-It-Yourself) author? 

A: Four parts fearless, three parts writer, two parts entrepreneur, and one part dreamer — with a sprinkle of pioneer spirit thrown in for good measure.

While self-publishing a novel does begin with the work of a writer, it is actually a business.  A small business.  A start-up business.  A messy, complicated, time-absorbing business located in unchartered territory offering up no guarantees of any kind.  

That’s where the fearless part comes in.

The exploding growth of the ebook market is a recognizable indicator that our tireless, irrepressible American ingenuity is on the loose again.  Lovely. 

For those ready to wade in the waters, all signals show there are profits to be made.  Money.  Income.  Earnings. 

Growth in a down economy. 

Major opportunities are exploding in every direction, and are by no means limited to the act of writing a novel.  A strong percentage (hmm, overwhelming majority?) of self-published authors are combing online resources, looking for small businesses and sole proprietors who provide the following services:

• Cover Art
• eBook Formatting
• Copy Editing
• Story Editing
• Translation Services
• eBook Reviews on Blogs
• Marketing Services

And the newest categories:

• Audio Book Narration

• Video Trailers for eBooks

Are you a graphic designer?  Do you speak html?  Are you bilingual?  Are you an editor?  Do you have one of “those” voices?  Are you actively looking for new opportunities?  Ready to start-up your own small business?

This is the time. 

J. A. Konrath, the biggest thing to happen to the self-publishing community since the advent of the ebook, is a reliable and entertaining starting resource.  Find his blog here.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned about the above opportunities during the start-up phase of my PIY life.  Hope you, too, will share your experiences, questions, and comments as we move forward.