tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post3180572256744677227..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Time InvestmentJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-73309955297673503972011-09-03T13:36:30.868-05:002011-09-03T13:36:30.868-05:00One thing that all writers need - traditionally pu...One thing that all writers need - traditionally published, Indie or self-published - and that is good reviews. What do you all think of these new services, like The Digital IN, which enable authors to commission reviews @ Amazon and Goodreads and other key book sites? I know publishers have been giving away ARC review copies and other premiums to reviewers forever, but is this different? And how important are these reader reviews anyway?Dan Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02745821936549011902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-70679118492747902462011-05-17T09:52:19.363-05:002011-05-17T09:52:19.363-05:00Great post. I have a question for you. Although ...Great post. I have a question for you. Although you are selling more books and finding more success wiht ePublishing than you did with your traditional books, would you say that a big part of that was the groundwork you built earlier with your traditionally published books -- and, of course, the heavy marketing you did?<br /><br />That is, if the average newbie offers their book as an eBook, it's not likely they'd have the same success as you did, already being a highly-successful author. Right?<br /><br />My first novel, Tracks, is being published by an independent press, Attics Books, on June 30. It's being offered as both an eBook and original trade paperback. I plan to do the traditional book tour and a bit of online marketing. But I imagine I can only dream of waking up to the kind of numbers you do!<br /><br />Here's to your continued success,<br /><br />EricEric D. Goodmanhttp://www.TracksNovel.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-16657177951083349862011-02-14T08:11:12.680-06:002011-02-14T08:11:12.680-06:00Joe,
You haven't even begun to scratch the sur...Joe,<br />You haven't even begun to scratch the surface of eBooks sales. I'm sure the English language market is still the bulk of sales so far but in future years you will hire translators and market them in Chinese, and any number of other languages. Or maybe you'll work with some agency that does that, but the point is that not only will more eReaders be sold but more markets will open to them. It has barely begun.<br /><br />It really makes me want to be a part of that future.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16710241828984849714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-74795679121203523782011-02-03T13:51:49.001-06:002011-02-03T13:51:49.001-06:00Phenomenal is all I can say. Thank you for sharing...Phenomenal is all I can say. Thank you for sharing this incredible insight from your hard earned and fought lessons.<br /><br />You have made up my mind about self publishing in no uncertain terms. I thank Seth Godin for sending me the link to your blog.<br /><br />You're an inspiration.Natalie Sissonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00812575516266211578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-57083297147984243332011-01-31T03:19:05.727-06:002011-01-31T03:19:05.727-06:00Goodluck for investing your e-books. Hope to see l...Goodluck for investing your e-books. Hope to see lot of sales from you. Make a good marketing technique in selling your e-books.cash advance californiahttp://www.nextpaydayonline.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-51768271801155453372011-01-30T15:15:31.854-06:002011-01-30T15:15:31.854-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.jtplayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14231456054855215404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-67463053148914907772011-01-30T10:53:28.982-06:002011-01-30T10:53:28.982-06:00@Joe Konrath I noted that review copies of Shaken...<b>@Joe Konrath</b> I noted that review copies of <b>Shaken</b> were available on Vine this month. Print version to be released in February. Also noticed paperback review copies of one of Karen McQuestion's books were available on Vine also. <br /><br />I always wondered how effective Vine was, even as I dutifully wrote my reviews. If must be effective if Amazon uses it for their own publications.Verileeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15903904471192374248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-57596470331677446762011-01-28T23:09:38.387-06:002011-01-28T23:09:38.387-06:00Hey Joe, another interesting post.
You're so ...Hey Joe, another interesting post.<br /><br />You're so right about the average sales authors make at book signings. In Canada the numbers are even lower. I've done well over 200 book signings and am considered one of the high sellers. In fact, I was told by Chapters & Indigo managers in Edmonton that I had the highest, most consistent sales at signings for two years straight out of all visiting authors. It was damned hard work, though I never did the touring you did. And I'm glad. <br /><br />The cost of touring across provinces or states just doesn't make it worthwhile in the end, especially when most authors are responsible for those costs--or at least a large portion of them.<br /><br />I watched so many authors at signings. I even organized multi-author events at major trade shows and elsewhere. Most authors were lucky to sell 5 books. Many went home without a sale. My average was a bit higher than the number you quoted represented a decent signing.<br /><br />By the way, my last virtual book tour (for my debut romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady) was 118 stops in 14 days. It took me 3 months to organize and write all the posts. I guess I beat your record. ;-) I know what you're saying about exhausting--even an online tour can leave you feeling like you've just crossed the country...on foot. lol<br /><br />This is where the ebook revolution makes it so much easier for today's authors. Why spend 8 hours in a bookstore only to sell a dozen books, when you can promote online and use social networks to get your name out there? <br /><br />I used to do 40 signings a month for 3 months before Christmas. That's a LOT of hours spent with little return. When you calculate hours, gas, travel etc, it didn't pay well. But I have to admit, I do miss the social aspect. I love meeting readers face to face. I loved doing signings. That's what separated me from most, I think. <br /><br />Now I meet readers online. And I use creative ways to connect. Though I'll always be grateful to all the bookstores that hosted me and I miss the "action" (but not getting asked where the bathroom is), I can use my time far more wisely by promoting my ebooks.<br /><br />Authors who want to succeed must learn to change with the winds, adapt to new technologies and step out of their comfort zone. Take a risk, try something new.<br /><br />Cheryl Kaye Tardif<br />bestselling author<br /><a href="http://www.cherylktardif.com" rel="nofollow">www.cherylktardif.com</a>Cheryl Tardifhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15160526951596806898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-84448176823863129632011-01-28T06:57:36.887-06:002011-01-28T06:57:36.887-06:00I'll miss seeing you at the bar at B-con. :)
...<i>I'll miss seeing you at the bar at B-con. :)</i><br /><br />I may go to B-Con. But I won't do any panels or any signings. I'd go as a guest, not an author.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-58135879363901684352011-01-27T21:54:32.356-06:002011-01-27T21:54:32.356-06:00I'll miss seeing you at the bar at B-con. :)I'll miss seeing you at the bar at B-con. :)Debbihttp://midlistlife.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-77435615634196419162011-01-27T16:48:30.984-06:002011-01-27T16:48:30.984-06:00Anonymous, those are most likely US figures. I'...Anonymous, those are most likely US figures. I've discovered that Canada and the Carribean are still behind the US when it comes to converting to eBooks. <br /><br />Russell Brooks<br />Author of <a href="http://www.russellparkway.com" rel="nofollow">Pandora's Succession.</a>Russell Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13877653195121083326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-33057144715134165542011-01-27T16:15:42.860-06:002011-01-27T16:15:42.860-06:00Latest milestone: Kindle books outsell paperbacks ...Latest milestone: Kindle books outsell paperbacks on Amazon<br /><br />http://tinyurl.com/4njj753<br /><br />ECAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-89702442633186624152011-01-27T13:46:26.492-06:002011-01-27T13:46:26.492-06:00"I've read that in Japan, 50% of books ar..."I've read that in Japan, 50% of books are read on people's phones now."<br /><br />J.L: I lived in Japan for three years - been back in the states almost a year now. I would have a REALLY hard time believing the market percentage for books on phone is that high.<br /><br />Yes, the Japanese cellphones are demigods of the technological era - you can get coupons, bills, e-mail, shopping, TV and just about any other functionality you could want (rarely did I see people actually TALK on their phones), but the visual media for them is still very very high. I rode the crowded subways in the morning and more than 70% of the people had some sort of newspaper, magazine, manga, ect.<br /><br />The Japanese character system allows for a much smaller print for long books. A 500 page novel for us... may be only 200 pages and fit in the palm of your hand.<br /><br />It was a real shock to see how thin their books were, even if it was a book written originally in English. The bookstores I visited were also always thriving, though they had pretty severe multimedia (movie/music rental plus game sales and books).<br /><br />I would argue the percentage is not that high - YET. I could definitely see it going that way. Are you sure it didn't say 50% predicted by such and such a date?J. E. Medrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09505810773159064262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-35281150740103060722011-01-27T10:02:06.798-06:002011-01-27T10:02:06.798-06:00"I think some folks are underestimating the e..."I think some folks are underestimating the ebook market by discounting the market of readers who will read books on their phones."<br /><br />I've read that in Japan, 50% of books are read on people's phones now.JL Bryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14069853523255643925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-18300436749382490672011-01-27T07:53:57.922-06:002011-01-27T07:53:57.922-06:00YES! Thank you! One of the reasons I really love...YES! Thank you! One of the reasons I really love ebooks as a writer is that it DOES give me more time to actually WRITE. And when I'm still juggling two Evil Day Jobs in order to do just that, I need to put my time where it's most valuable. Promo mostly isn't it.<br /><br />Thanks for being an inspiration.Kainoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-36637221873591729812011-01-27T04:50:01.785-06:002011-01-27T04:50:01.785-06:00Joe, I hope you have or will take the family on th...Joe, I hope you have or will take the family on that long deserved vacation. You may not need a break, but I'm sure they would enjoy one.<br /><br /><a href="http://prophecyofthemedallion.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Prophecy of the Medallion</a>Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16353373844105134032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-66935347013773291052011-01-27T04:02:35.453-06:002011-01-27T04:02:35.453-06:00It really isn't that hard. I've been walki...<i>It really isn't that hard. I've been walking up to strangers in bookstores for weeks saying, "Hi, I'm Joe Konrath. I wrote this book."<br /><br />It is amazing how many free dinners you can get using Joe's name. ;)</i><br /><br />I decided to give this a try, but all I got was a black eye! Before he hit me, the guy said something about seducing his wife during a book-signing tour. ;)Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09903015431055074342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-36579546380587999802011-01-27T03:55:09.503-06:002011-01-27T03:55:09.503-06:00Joe,
I can't help but be happy that all the w...Joe,<br /><br />I can't help but be happy that all the work you put in in the beginning is paying off today. Way to go! But the truth is that when you're unknown, either if you're traditionally published or go Indie, you have to put in several hours in the beginning to self-promote. Local or national media won't pay you any attention, unless it involves some sort of scandal or being a freeloader. And even then, that's only five minutes of fame. Remember Joe the Plumber and his book? Nuff said.<br /><br />My debut novel's been out for almost three months now, and only now is it beginning to pick up a little bit of steam (after busting my chops to get the 30 reviews it has now). I'll most likely still shoot for reviews, but the best publicity would be for me to get the paperback edition out by next month, my second book edited and published by the end of the year, while I write the third book. The more material you have out there, the more people will slowly discover you. At which point sales will increase exponentially. Like you once said, Joe. Leave the cheese out and the mice will come. <br /><br />Russell Brooks<br />Author of <a href="http://www.russellparkway.com" rel="nofollow">Pandora's Succession</a>.Russell Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13877653195121083326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-66340409974721532372011-01-27T00:24:10.850-06:002011-01-27T00:24:10.850-06:00I bought one of those 18,000 e-books on Kindle thi...I bought one of those 18,000 e-books on Kindle this month! I look forward to reading it.Cathy Keatonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18356112948372149785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-9989184407692606222011-01-27T00:03:44.276-06:002011-01-27T00:03:44.276-06:00People get REALLY MAD when you say no, regardless ...<i>People get REALLY MAD when you say no, regardless of how polite you are about it.</i><br /><br />I know. Though it is self-serving and perhaps even rude, I no longer respond to the majority of my email. On my website I say:<br /><br />"I read all of my email, but I've reached a point where I get so much of it I'm unable to reply to everyone. If I answered all the questions I received, and thanked every person who said kind words, I wouldn't have any time left over to write. In fact, I'm so behind in my work that I've stopped taking interviews and speaking engagements, and have cut out all traveling.<br /><br />Let me assure you that I'm grateful for the kind words and offers, and that I'm not trying to be rude. I've toyed with the idea of making my email address unlisted, but I still want people to be able to reach me, even if I'm unable to reply.<br /><br />So thanks for writing me, and I'm sorry I couldn't respond." <br /><br />Which means I often don't engage those who ask me for something, and therefor don't risk them getting angry when I say no.<br /><br />I'm flattered people ask, but they could also read my site FAQ and save themselves the trouble.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-24952094744836965362011-01-26T23:58:40.273-06:002011-01-26T23:58:40.273-06:00I'm sure this blog helps increase public aware...I'm sure this blog helps increase public awareness of me, but I'm not sure how many people who read it go on to buy my books. After all, this blog is for writers. The average thriller fan doesn't care about my ebooks rants. <br /><br />If I had to guess, I'd say less than .1% of blog visitors actually buy my books. Also keep in mind that the vast majority of visitors never post comments, either. I get around 4000 hits a day, so even when a thread goes to a few hundred comments, that isn't a large percentage.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-50379059478910259652011-01-26T23:53:03.426-06:002011-01-26T23:53:03.426-06:00Fantastic post, Joe!
(...Though I would argue tha...Fantastic post, Joe!<br /><br />(...Though I would argue that the time you spend blogging here, and responding to comments, counts as self-promotion...not that there's anything wrong with that.)<br /><br />I have followed your advice on this front and have become very selective when it comes to speaking events and conferences that I attend. Now I turn down probably 95% of invites that come my way, much to the delight of my family. <br /><br />But what's surprising to me - and I don't know if you encountered this -- is the negative backlash. People get REALLY MAD when you say no, regardless of how polite you are about it.<br /><br />For example, I turned down an invitation from a local reading group to be their guest speaker. The guy showed up at a bookstore signing that I did with Tod and asked again..and I politely turned him down...prompting him to give me a stern lecture that I had a responsibility to do his event, that I'm not "giving back" or "paying forward" if I decline his invitation. I still politely declined. Today he sent me ANOTHER invite...which I declined. Can't wait to see the stern email that's bound to come. <br /><br />And he's been nicer than most.<br /><br />LeeLee Goldberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13442268370192897461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-25370463028346677982011-01-26T23:05:10.115-06:002011-01-26T23:05:10.115-06:00We read to the kids (4 and 2) from the Nook every ...We read to the kids (4 and 2) from the Nook every night. If there were more books available, we'd buy them. We've been disappointed several times to find books we wanted not available. They both like to turn the pages with a flick of the finger (touch screen) which works like their computer (also touch screen). Definitely the future.<br /><br />And I expect middle grade and YA to follow soon. It's funny these ages are holdouts rather than leaders. Anedotely, it seems to be because parents don't want to buy the devices for their kids yet.<br /><br />I think if parents realized it would mean more reading, they might change their minds.<br /><br />Tara Maya<br /><a href="http://taramayastales2.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">500 Words</a>Tara Mayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09095632631554776002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-31343916112746357342011-01-26T22:36:30.824-06:002011-01-26T22:36:30.824-06:00"If I Were Your Monster" is my bestselli...<i>"If I Were Your Monster" is my bestselling title for the Nook (though it doesn't sell crap for Kindle.) That leads me to believe there is a hungry market out there waiting.</i><br /><br />Yay for you, Scott! <br /><br />My daughter LOVES reading Nook Books on my iPad. And she is dyslexic, so being able to change the screen color background really helps her focus.<br /><br />I think children's books are an underserved market in ebooks, but it will grow. I know it will.Selena Kitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17783685215421352626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-60918181070462345232011-01-26T22:33:16.133-06:002011-01-26T22:33:16.133-06:00one last thing (I really should read the whole thr...one last thing (I really should read the whole thread before I say anything...) I remember the Konrath 500 tour, Joe was always one to watch for the craziest-assed ideas. <br /><br />Wannabuy, you talk of the limited 800 titles at Target--to me, the Kindle explosion points out, as much as anything, how incredibly hungry the readers of America are. They have been under-served, disrespected, neglected, and cynically belittled. They get a Snooki book shoved in their faces while 100 hard-working writers head for the coal mines. Great way to treat your customers...<br /><br />ScottAuthor Scott Nicholsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09778999586794284457noreply@blogger.com