tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post3165532485609206921..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Can Ebooks Outsell Print?JA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-81611868886017750702010-11-19T03:03:13.350-06:002010-11-19T03:03:13.350-06:00I'm a big fan of print books but considering t...I'm a big fan of print books but considering the advancement of technology I think it will not be long before ebooks will outsell prints.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bookoffers.com.au/" rel="nofollow">Kindle</a>Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07151478383870853094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-392187306069506352010-10-19T01:34:30.237-05:002010-10-19T01:34:30.237-05:00Wow! Thank you for the honesty and the disclosure....Wow! Thank you for the honesty and the disclosure. It's really great to learn so much more about the numbers behind traditional print vs eBooks.Deannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16126833660091932854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-11996306667722773142010-10-15T15:28:05.109-05:002010-10-15T15:28:05.109-05:00Please people who have books for sale, can you put...<i>Please people who have books for sale, can you put a link or an url in as a signature if nothing else.</i> <br /><br />Anon, thanks for giving us an opening for a free plug. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Do-Tampons-Take-Your-Virginity/dp/1453799753" rel="nofollow">Mine</a> just went live today.Marie Simashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07255293343641053930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-47913569729254323832010-10-13T19:37:47.321-05:002010-10-13T19:37:47.321-05:00I still can't entirely let go of the idea of p...I still can't entirely let go of the idea of posting a chapter at a time of my book. My concerns are these- 99 cents seems like too much for one chapter, when whole books are available for that price or free. I'd be happy with free for a few chapters, but don't think Amazon allows that option.<br /> More to the point is that this book is based on a historical event, a real barn-burner, and I have not seen it used in a book before. (Which may be good or bad.) I've put years into this and would like to be the first one (apparently, but doubtful) to use this event as the basis for a plot. <br /> After all the hoo-hah over piracy, I can easily see someone taking the first part of the book, and finishing it on line and presenting it as his own. <br /> Be that as it may, I still can't get too whipped up over the so-called piracy potential, because anyone is free to take it anyway, complete or not, and try to market it with their own name.<br /> I just wanted to tell the story. History belongs to everyone.<br /> Does anyone see a compelling reason that putting up a chapter at a time is a really, bad idea?<br /> I just want to see if this topic interests anyone out there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1503864381545437212010-10-13T03:29:00.530-05:002010-10-13T03:29:00.530-05:00interesting stats on B&N, bowerbirdinteresting stats on B&N, bowerbirdTara Mayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09095632631554776002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-64981925588580451552010-10-11T23:33:48.984-05:002010-10-11T23:33:48.984-05:00mark said:
> I don't get why
> ever...mark said:<br />> I don't get why <br />> everyone's trying to pick <br />> out what clothes to wear <br />> to the funeral of the Big Six<br /><br />it's because we want to look<br />_good_ dancing on their graves!<br /><br /><br />> Last I checked, the Kindle <br />> bestseller lists are still <br />> dominated by traditionally <br />> published books.<br /><br />oh, they'll continue to be big...<br />even waltzing out of the room,<br />carrying their money with them.<br /><br /><br />> Given that the Big Six <br />> have marketshare, money,<br />> clout, and an infrastructure <br />> in place, is it really likely <br />> they'll disappear? Isn't it <br />> more likely they'll adapt?<br /><br />it is _most_ likely that they will<br />simply choose to exit an arena<br />where they can no longer profit.<br /><br /><br />> And while there's <br />> the possibility that <br />> Barnes and Noble and <br />> Borders might disappear <br />> (I think it's a bit unlikely), <br />> are book sales at Wal-Mart, <br />> Sam's, Target, K-Mart,<br />> supermarkets and drugstores <br />> going to disappear? <br /><br />well, first of all, the latter places <br />which you list are entities who<br />don't provide very high margins.<br />they were enlisted to help with<br />volume, but it doesn't help to<br />sell a lot of units at no margin,<br />not if you're tryin' to stay alive.<br /><br />as for the two bookstore chains,<br />borders is on the way out now...<br />(have you seen their stock price?)<br /><br />barnes & noble is more healthy,<br />and they'll get a big boost when<br />borders departs the scene... but<br />may i suggest that you take a<br />closer look at what's happening?<br /><br />specifically, my sources say that<br />in every barnes & noble location,<br />22% of their floor-space is newly<br />reallocated to "toys and games"...<br /><br />if they closed 1 out of 5 stores,<br />that would be significant, not?<br /><br />well, that's essentially what they<br />have just done... they now have<br />much less space to stock books.<br /><br />furthermore, they are pursing a<br />"covers out" strategy, where more<br />books are displayed with covers<br />shown, not their spines, meaning<br />far fewer are being shelved, and<br />only lucky ones get the attention.<br /><br />all of this only exacerbates the<br />cycle moving customers online.<br />(even if they're buying p-books.)<br /><br />if you're counting on bookstores<br />to "save publishing", you've lost.<br /><br />-bowerbirdbowerbirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05962115094107919533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-47360222674502926622010-10-11T16:29:23.538-05:002010-10-11T16:29:23.538-05:00I may as well include a link as well. :-p The book...I may as well include a link as well. :-p The book is on Amazon at http://amzn.to/Elementi or you can see the first three chapters on my website at cericlark.com. I will send a free Pdf to anyone that doesn't mind reviewing it. Just let me know! CeriCeri Clark https://www.blogger.com/profile/12955958579692212846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-56060989714281132512010-10-11T16:10:26.498-05:002010-10-11T16:10:26.498-05:00Re: "Did the big music publishers disappear? ...Re: "Did the big music publishers disappear? Did indie bands start making millions?"<br />--------------<br /><br /> jtplayer said...<br />"The answer is no...and no."<br /><br />That's not quite true. the answers are Yes, some did, but not all and Yes, some did, but not all.<br /><br />You try living in L.A. and driving by the iconic Capitol Records building... which is now office space for rent because Capitol Records is no more - you'll give up the idea that the big record labels are invincible and doing just as well as they once were. <br /><br />And yes, some indies have made, and do make decent money on their own. Do we have a new indie Britney Spears? No, not yet, but there are some indies who have sold over a million records - Ani DiFranco for one. And some musicians went indie after their big hits, like Prince and Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. And some musicians hit it big as indies, got record deals, hated it, and went indie again, like OK Go. <br /><br />The indie approach in music is not going to have MTV and radio play, so the level of success will be different. Same for books - the indie self-pubbed book will not likely hit the NYT bestseller list, mainly due to getting books in stores, getting on buy lists, buying co-op placement, and garnering reviews can be next to impossible for the indie. That doesn't mean that they can't have success, and do very well for themselves. Success is all relative.Jennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15715761180494476618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-47319294218419439872010-10-11T11:14:57.140-05:002010-10-11T11:14:57.140-05:00I read your blog here now and then, Joe, and it al...I read your blog here now and then, Joe, and it always makes me smile. Keep it up.<br /><br />And to the person who said:<br /> <br />Please people who have books for sale, can you put a link or an url in as a signature if nothing else. I'm nosy-- I like to look and sometimes I buy.<br />5:49 PM<br /><br />Here is a link on Kindle to a crime thriller and my three Vampire Nation Chronicle novels.<br />http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=billie+sue+mosiman&x=18&y=32Billie Sue Mosimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14916044436751977805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-5289757488161590582010-10-11T08:29:07.943-05:002010-10-11T08:29:07.943-05:00I just wanted to add that it doesn't necessari...I just wanted to add that it doesn't necessarily take that much money to self publish a book.<br /><br />I estimate to self publish my book it's going to take 300-400 dollars max and that's because I am also planning to work with lightning source and CreateSpace as well as e-publishing on amazon.<br /><br />The rest of the money is for website expenses.<br /><br /><br />I do have a background in design and went to college for such, so I don't have to hire a cover artist/webdesigner. But we are writers and we know how to think creatively, so even without a background in design theres ways to get around this. <br /><br />If you're good at grammar and editing you can trade services with someone who is a good artist. Take me up on that offer in fact; I could use another editor and I'll gladly design a cover or website for you and trade services.<br /><br /><br />Also, you can get college students to edit your book in exchange for credits on their resume. I took a gamble and made a craigslist ad offering just that and got 6 responses! I found an editor who did a fantastic job editing my work and all it cost was my name for her resume and a recommendation letter.<br /><br />Once again, I understand self pubbing is not going to be for everyone, but don't let the cost of self publishing be the deterrent. <br />If 300 dollars is still a lot you can clip it even further. Just produce e-books until you make enough to get it in print. Use a free website/blog rather then purchasing a domain name. There's so many ways to get the job done, if you really want to get it done...Demon Hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16967772262668824655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-81619094213284017492010-10-11T04:54:29.482-05:002010-10-11T04:54:29.482-05:00Please people who have books for sale, can you put...<i>Please people who have books for sale, can you put a link or an url in as a signature if nothing else. I'm nosy-- I like to look and sometimes I buy.</i><br /><br /> You asked for it :-)<br /> My new mystery, just on the markets today: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Then-Clarke-Lantham-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0046A9PKG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1286790685&sr=8-3" rel="nofollow">And Then She Was Gone</a>J. Daniel Sawyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16634944509344138905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-69833316602404707452010-10-11T04:52:29.500-05:002010-10-11T04:52:29.500-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13324336902323178329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-37011363391063441462010-10-11T04:43:08.609-05:002010-10-11T04:43:08.609-05:00@wannabuy: "The big6 are not adapting. Look a...@wannabuy: "The big6 are not adapting. Look at the USAToday article referenced above. They need 10 people to work each book plus the author! I can see 3 or 4... not ten."<br /><br />They are in a tough place right now. Most of the money is still in print, so they can't ignore it, or the chains. So they need to be behind traditional printing and distribution still. <br /><br />And it's understandable that they don't want to undersell their print books with cheap ebooks. Why would they want to put out a new Stephen King ebook at a wholesale price of $6.50 (what Amazon would sell for $9.99)when the hardback is selling at wholesale prices of $14?<br /><br />The traditional publishers are not going to vastly undercut print because there's no guarantee print is going away anytime soon.Mark Asherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13758940020912520294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-57712667928461819202010-10-11T02:35:12.875-05:002010-10-11T02:35:12.875-05:00Selena Kitt: The only time I'd go with an indi...Selena Kitt: <i>The only time I'd go with an indie epub is if you're a total unknown and need to build your brand. You can learn the ins and outs in a year or two with an indie, build your audience, and then self-pub.</i><br /><br />Exactly!<br /><br />Once you realize no magic marketing fairy is going to come save you from having to promote your own brand, no matter <i>who</i> you publish with...Tara Mayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09095632631554776002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-3911320211416646832010-10-11T00:21:06.160-05:002010-10-11T00:21:06.160-05:003. ...But you still lose your copyright to someone...<i>3. ...But you still lose your copyright to someone else, and can't easily get it back.</i><br /><br />Tell me about it. Some are fine with giving your rights back. Phaze and Whiskey Creek gave them up to me, no problem. But Samhain? Seven years, man. I'm tied to them for SEVEN YEARS. It's slave labor, I tell you!<br /><br /><i>8. If you've bummed around small pubs long enough, you realize it would be simpler to just become one yourself. </i><br /><br />100% agreed. <br /><br />The only time I'd go with an indie epub is if you're a total unknown and need to build your brand. You can learn the ins and outs in a year or two with an indie, build your audience, and then self-pub.<br /><br />But for god's sake, do NOT sign a seven year contract. A year. Two at most. Make sure you read the fine print.Selena Kitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17783685215421352626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-63245105407788888292010-10-10T23:47:19.728-05:002010-10-10T23:47:19.728-05:00KevinMc: Publishers have become increasingly "...KevinMc: <i>Publishers have become increasingly "blockbuster" focused over the last decades. The result has been that most of their attention - and marketing dollars/effort - are spent on a tiny minority of published books which they believe can be manufactured into the "next big hit" by throwing ad dollars at them. And they're right often enough that they make money doing it.</i><br /><br />I read a theory on someone's blog that publishers used (popular) genre books to subsidize (prestigious) literary books. It certainly seemed plausible that publishers can use the profit on some authors' books to channel into adversting for some other authors' books.<br /><br />Is this true? Does anyone know?Tara Mayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09095632631554776002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-27071092638734046052010-10-10T23:29:05.898-05:002010-10-10T23:29:05.898-05:00There's a few problems with that line of think...There's a few problems with that line of thinking though, Timothy.<br /><br />#1 Something around 1% of NYC published books actually see any marketing dollars aside from those absolutely required to get them on bookstore shelves.<br /><br />#2 The average new SF writer makes a $6500 advance; for fantasy, $7000; for romance, $6000. Those were the ones I could find data for quickly... For an experienced professional novelist, the advance boosts to about $12500 for science fiction and $15,000 for fantasy. The entry level is hardly a good salary for the next three months, let alone the next year - and even at the experienced rates, the average novelist would have to sell 3-4 books per year just to reach the median national income. To make matters worse, with books from new and midlist writers pulled off the shelves rapidly, the longterm royalties which *used* to form the basis of a pro writer's income are vanishing or already gone.<br /><br />#3 Publishers don't really worry about a particular book earning out its advance. Most books don't. Books are set up (and printed in small enough numbers) so that long before an author has earned out an advance, the publisher has broken even on the book. In SF&F genres, most novels don't even have enough copies *printed* to earn out an advance.<br /><br />Publishers have become increasingly "blockbuster" focused over the last decades. The result has been that most of their attention - and marketing dollars/effort - are spent on a tiny minority of published books which they believe can be manufactured into the "next big hit" by throwing ad dollars at them. And they're right often enough that they make money doing it.<br /><br />But don't assume that because you haven't sold enough books to start collecting royalties yet that the publisher has lost money.KevinMchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01965779928268962182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-10423644674004344632010-10-10T22:10:24.642-05:002010-10-10T22:10:24.642-05:00I want to pick up Demon Hunter's comment: &quo...I want to pick up Demon Hunter's comment: "Furthermore, the industry whole heartily expects writers to do their own marketing now." This seems to me to be the wrench in the system. The large advances were supposed to (1) fund the writer's next year of writing without interruption and (2) focus the publisher's attention on "earning out" the advance. When authors need to do their own marketing, they have less time to write the next manuscript.<br />This entire conversation is so interesting, I've posted a <a href="http://www.myliterarycoach.com/fiction-resources/" rel="nofollow">free link</a> to this blog from my resources page.Timothyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12676826131239118764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-53258565513390117362010-10-10T19:51:21.458-05:002010-10-10T19:51:21.458-05:00Tuppsaid said:
We tell our writers to write. Just...Tuppsaid said:<br /><i> We tell our writers to write. Just write, and write well. Let the rest of it happen as it will.<br /><br />And thanks to ebooks, it is.</i><br />Nice story, I can only summarize some of it. But it does help explain why the 'neglected genres' are the first to find large fan bases on e-books.<br /><br />Mark:<br />The big6 are not adapting. Look at the USAToday article referenced above. They need 10 people to work each book plus the author! I can see 3 or 4... not ten. <br /><br />JT,<br />The point has been made several times that most authors cannot give up the 'day job' writing for the big6. But they can if they are 'just midlist ebook authors.' <br /><br />That is what the naysayers on ebooks should note. Indie authors can now write 6 books a year on Kindle or go back to maybe writing 2 per year for the big6. <br /><br />Now what happens when one becomes a best seller? <br /><br />Think about it... what fraction of the best-seller list was Indie authors in 2007? 2008? 2009? It is now ~ 1/3rd Indie. I'm very certain it was a far smaller fraction in prior years; just as I'm certain the fraction will grow with time.<br /><br />Where are the millionaire big6 authors? Very few (yet quite a few millionaire executives...). I'd rather see a few thousand 'midlist' authors able to make a living being full time authors than rich big6 executives.<br /><br /><br /><br />Neilwannabuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04297458705683991405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-56063115527847669722010-10-10T19:39:43.739-05:002010-10-10T19:39:43.739-05:00Absolutely, Mark - because they don't have to!...Absolutely, Mark - because they don't have to! Already, with only (10-15%, depending on whom you listen to) a small portion of the market moved to ebooks, it's obvious that authors can make good sales via ebook only, or ebook/POD. In enough cases to show it's not a fluke, more than they would have earned from a traditional publisher.<br /><br />What I was saying is, publishers will not be able to hold authors based on the publisher name alone. Readers don't care. The only reason publishers have held a lock on books is because they held the key to distribution (because distribution was expensive, and the bookstores very limited to a few major companies).<br /><br />With that no longer being the case, publishers need to find something else of value to lend to their end of the equation. Because readers don't generally read publishers - they read authors.KevinMchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01965779928268962182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-91146861819501724602010-10-10T19:29:33.959-05:002010-10-10T19:29:33.959-05:00"Right now, here's the thing... A good wr..."Right now, here's the thing... A good writer can only get into the bookstores via a publisher. If a good writer could somehow magically put 10,000 copies of their book into B&N nation wide, it would probably do just as well there as it would if it had a name publisher on the side bar."<br /><br />I certainly agree with this, but if you could convince Barnes and Noble to stock your physical copies in their stores, who is paying to print them? That's quite a sea-change, going from a system where the publisher gives the author an advance and bears the brunt of the printing expense to an author eschewing an advance and paying for the print copies. <br /><br />In other words, indies are going ebook and POD and in almost every case not paying for a print run of 10,000 copies.Mark Asherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13758940020912520294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-88754317968942439752010-10-10T19:27:50.250-05:002010-10-10T19:27:50.250-05:00I never brought it up as an objection to ereaders....I never brought it up as an objection to ereaders.<br /><br />Those are your words, not mine.<br /><br />I don't have particularly strong feelings either way regarding Kindles and the like. <br /><br />I haven't bought one simply because I have no need or desire to own one...right now.<br /><br />Perhaps this will change in the future.jtplayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14231456054855215404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-77033696821241342072010-10-10T19:14:34.149-05:002010-10-10T19:14:34.149-05:00jt: Look at you go girl, with that little sense of...jt: <i>Look at you go girl, with that little sense of humor of yours.</i><br /><br />Yup, I crack me up. <br /><br /><i>When I sell my book, I'd like to think people will read it. Not pile it up on the hundreds of other books they've bought "impulsively".</i><br /><br />As a reader who has literally thousands of tree books piled up around me, many, alas, yet to be read, I have little sympathy for this. I never buy a book without <i>wanting</i> to read it, but life happens, and I don't always have time, especially for fiction.<br /><br />However, I know I am much more likely to read it if I <i>have</i> it, so I buy a good book when I see it and can afford it, on the theory (proven correct many times) that later I might forget the author, the title, etc. I can still remember the synoposes of books I <i>failed</i> to impulse buy, but have no clue where to find them now. I wish I had bought them. Now I never will.<br /><br />And here's a nice TMI story for you. When I was recently in the hospital for several days, I went through quite a few novels and anthologies on my Kindle that I didn't even remember buying. Thank god I had. I wouldn't have been able to take that big stack of paperbacks with me. <br /><br />So, no, I don't mind you bringing up the topic, but it seems like just about the most absurd reason I can think of to object to an ereader.<br /><br /><i>But then again, I don't write with the intention of making it a paying career. I make my living very nicely in another industry, which allows me the luxury of writing for pleasure. <br /><br />I do realize this doesn't apply to all.</i><br /><br />Sadly, no. Some of us have to make money at writing or else give it up in order to do something that <i>does</i> pay for the food on the table. I've tried to barter directly with Costco -- trade them a story for some groceries -- but they wouldn't go for it. So money it is.Tara Mayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09095632631554776002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-47204296878697693782010-10-10T19:03:05.775-05:002010-10-10T19:03:05.775-05:00@KevinMC
True. That is how things use to be done...@KevinMC<br /><br /><br />True. That is how things use to be done and (from what I've read) it worked pretty well. Sure, most writers still weren't making millions, but I think it was fair to say they made living wages off of their writing. If not with the first book then at least by the second or third.<br /><br />But presently I am running into too many blogs by traditionally pubbed writers who are on their 4th or 5th book and not making 30,000 a year. <br /><br />Furthermore, the industry whole heartily expects writers to do their own marketing now. So while I understand a lot of writers don't want to deal with the business aspect of things, it is becoming a requirement anyway. The more recent blog post I've been reading by traditionally published authors are saying that authors need to have a website/blog/fan base now before agents will even look at them. And I'm talking fiction here, not non-fiction.<br /><br />I actually find the business aspect of self publishing kind of fun. But I didn't always feel like that either. <br /><br />Those who want to publish traditionally are not going to be able to escape having to do their own marketing. It's the new rule of getting published, traditionally or DIY.Demon Hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16967772262668824655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-32291627369121918712010-10-10T18:45:53.270-05:002010-10-10T18:45:53.270-05:00Re: "Maybe we can have RRM installed on eRead...Re: "Maybe we can have RRM installed on eReaders -- Reading Responsibility Management -- to put a stop to such criminal behavior."<br />-------------------<br /><br />Look at you go girl, with that little sense of humor of yours.<br /><br />For the record, I wasn't making an "argument" regarding the purchase of ebooks. And I certainly made no judgement whatsoever regarding this practice, criminal or otherwise.<br /><br />I was simply responding to Joe's "impulse purchase" comment with information that I believed relevant.<br /><br />Apparently you see it differently.<br /><br />Oh well.<br /><br />When I sell my book, I'd like to think people will read it. Not pile it up on the hundreds of other books they've bought "impulsively".<br /><br />But then again, I don't write with the intention of making it a paying career. I make my living very nicely in another industry, which allows me the luxury of writing for pleasure. <br /><br />I do realize this doesn't apply to all.jtplayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14231456054855215404noreply@blogger.com