tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post5236181377323177718..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Monetize ItJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-23287025700629169302010-12-06T07:29:47.380-06:002010-12-06T07:29:47.380-06:00You're my new hero. I discovered you on an age...You're my new hero. I discovered you on an agent's blog -- I think it was Sarah LaPolla -- and she mentioned you were one of the rare exceptions: someone who makes a living from self publishing. I'm a writer, have been published in small venues (short stories), and have been pitching my novel to agents (partials sitting with two right now). I'd always been a self publishing "snob" until this past summer when I had an epiphany (and I knew it wasn't an original thought): the e-reader revolution is changing everything. I really believe e-readers can bring back the American short story as an art form. Where else is it possible to sell one short story at a time (and to make it easy for readers to try new writers)? So I started on my journey of releasing a short story a month. I'm thrilled to see someone like you who 1) has created a model that is so successful and 2) that you're willing to share your journey with others. I can't tell you how grateful I am for that. Rock on and keep writing! You've scored a new fan in me. :)RobynBradleyhttp://www.robynbradley.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-15227286290674869862010-12-01T20:07:44.020-06:002010-12-01T20:07:44.020-06:00wow! Now I think I could also sell my writings and...wow! Now I think I could also sell my writings and earn some bucks, after I came to know all about this. Thank.Binary Traderhttp://www.binary-options.eunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-63956791388743958832010-11-30T18:56:04.224-06:002010-11-30T18:56:04.224-06:00J.R. Parker said:
"Do you have any thoughts a...J.R. Parker said:<br />"Do you have any thoughts about Createspace vs. Lightning Source? That would be a blog topic I would be interested in hearing about... if you're open to suggestions. :)"<br /><br />LS and Lulu are both useful in addition to Createspace. For the book my company just finished, we are going through Createspace for greater integration with Amazon and cheaper author copies, but through Lulu and LS for international marketing and placement in bookstores. Bookstore chains tend to avoid purchasing from Createspace, since they're buying from their largest competitor. ;) <br /><br />In terms of quality, the books are identical - it's the end result of sales which changes.<br /><br />www.lundeenliterary.com <br />lundeenliterary at gmail dot comLundeen Literaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06706378156366979277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-57673074124168766272010-11-30T18:46:05.033-06:002010-11-30T18:46:05.033-06:00Hi all!
I hope Joe won't mind me jumping in h...Hi all!<br /><br />I hope Joe won't mind me jumping in here - I'm a longtime blog reader, but the business I've been forming has gotten its first book out!<br /><br />If you need interior book formatting, covers, Kindle formatting, etc., then we are for you! We're a husband-wife team, so you have not one but TWO people working on your books! <br /><br />www.lundeenliterary.com or <br />lundeenliterary at gmail dot com<br /><br />We also excel at marketing, promotion, and general publishing advice, so let us know if you have any questions. <br /><br />In the spirit of Joe's method of complete candour about publishing, we're going to be blogging a few of our projects start-to-finish, so you can see exactly what it takes to get a book made!<br /><br />With things slowing down for the holidays, we don't have much on our plates at the moment, so we can start work immediately - no waiting. Let us know if you have questions!<br /><br />And again, thank you to Joe for being awesome. 'nuff said!Lundeen Literaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06706378156366979277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-52084696285133120462010-11-28T21:42:53.298-06:002010-11-28T21:42:53.298-06:00Thanks for these suggestions! I'm just now fig...Thanks for these suggestions! I'm just now figuring out how to more widely distribute my online serialized novel, <a href="http://www.circusofbrassandbone.com" rel="nofollow">The Circus of Brass and Bone</a>, and these suggestions are great.<br /><br />(found this via jongibbs on livejournal)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-89102941150185599752010-11-28T21:07:23.561-06:002010-11-28T21:07:23.561-06:00Appreciate the help, Joe. Your experiences make it...Appreciate the help, Joe. Your experiences make it easier for authors to get their content to market. <br /><br />Getting your product (book) to market, however, is the easy part in a self-publishing world. The hard part is getting the word out to your target audience and connecting with them. <br /><br />I am working to reach out and connect wiht my target market. Any suggestions you may have on how you've been able to successfully reach out to yours would be valuable. <br /><br />Thanks again,<br /><br />J. Viser<br />(www.LieMerchants.com)James Viserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04689551338080985311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-25150988731276831332010-11-24T19:59:50.352-06:002010-11-24T19:59:50.352-06:00As a first-time author, new to e-publishing, I was...As a first-time author, new to e-publishing, I was astounded at how easy it was to use Amazon's digital text platform and Smashword's site. Great post Joe - thanks for the tips!!<br /><br />Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-3695958355839793282010-11-24T16:52:10.145-06:002010-11-24T16:52:10.145-06:00All right! Rob is still in this world. Take your t...All right! Rob is still in this world. Take your time, guy. No need to plug along through illness and holidays. I only wondered if you had been overloaded and decided to get out for a while.<br /> It would be useful if you (Rob) would consider posting a price range for a typical novel, so some of us could begin plugging away at picking up overtime hours to pay for all this. <br /> I am willing to learn the process, of course, but I see this becoming a jammed field very quickly, and while I have help available through work & friends to handle the vetting and public end of the deal, I would like the first book to be properly set up. <br /> There are also several well-established pros writing in this same time period-they have to be aware of this unique story, and I would not be surprised if they were already considering using this event as the basis of their next book. I want this chance. It will not come back again.<br /> Thanks as always to everyone for all of the great suggestions & advice. Enjoy the holiday.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-44092780601137851882010-11-24T12:58:28.435-06:002010-11-24T12:58:28.435-06:00Rob is indeed worth the wait.
You can go to the ...Rob is indeed worth the wait. <br /><br />You can go to the drive through at a fast food place and eat quickly, but waiting for a table at a fine restaurant is really the way to go.<br /><br />@ Geoff - Afraid is a good place to start, though I prefer Endurance. Shaken is also a good intro to my work.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-20924815106224808052010-11-24T11:48:33.598-06:002010-11-24T11:48:33.598-06:00Rob at 52 Novels, here...
My apologies, I'm b...Rob at 52 Novels, here...<br /><br />My apologies, I'm behind in responding to queries. I've had a quite a few books to prepare before the Thanksgiving holiday (plus a nasty stomach virus last week didn't help... sorry, TMI), and I've been focusing on delivering those books. <br /><br />I plan on answering my queries over the holiday weekend. So, if you've contacted me, I do appreciate your patience and ask that you be patient a few more days.<br /><br />Thanks!Rob at 52 Novelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-35768733961787575252010-11-24T11:24:56.517-06:002010-11-24T11:24:56.517-06:00Great, great info Joe. I'm nearing completion ...Great, great info Joe. I'm nearing completion of my current manuscript and gearing up to head down the self-pub road. This post will be beneficial going forward. Great stuff.<br /><br />As a huge fan of your blog and what you're doing in indie pub, and as a new Kindle owner, I'd be interested in reading some of your work, because I haven't yet. AFRAID always looked up my alley. What are a couple of other titles you'd point a potential new reader towards? In other words, where do I begin?<br /><br />Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-73581869482521357102010-11-24T11:04:41.408-06:002010-11-24T11:04:41.408-06:00And this just in (on subject) --
CreateSpace Ann...And this just in (on subject) --<br /><br />CreateSpace Announce Improvements to Their Self-Publishing Platform:<br /><br />http://mickrooney.blogspot.com/2010/11/createspace-announce-improvements-to.htmlVincent Eatonhttp://www.vincenteaton.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1198787013136479802010-11-24T10:00:13.567-06:002010-11-24T10:00:13.567-06:00Here's an informative post (not mine) on "...Here's an informative post (not mine) on "Self-Publishing Company Comparison: Amazon CreateSpace, Lulu or Lightning Source?"<br /><br />http://www.blogthority.com/460/cheapest-self-publishing-comparison-amazon-createspace-lulu-lightning-press/Vincent Eatonhttp://www.vincenteaton.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-49113349152771633642010-11-24T09:04:19.536-06:002010-11-24T09:04:19.536-06:00Anonymous @7:42
Keep trying. Rob's worth it.Anonymous @7:42<br /><br />Keep trying. Rob's worth it.fatcasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13097132363586411217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-48794686732259865852010-11-23T19:51:02.204-06:002010-11-23T19:51:02.204-06:00I followed most of your tips! I have to say, I re...I followed most of your tips! I have to say, I really love CreateSpace. No cost to set-up (I had Rob and Carl make everything POD ready as well) and straight to Amazon. The product is really top-notch. Everyone has been super-impressed with the paperback, as well as the ebook. Thanks for the list as well, it's good to check and see if I've missed anything!<br /><br />Karly Kirkpatrick<br />www.karlykirkpatrick.comKarly Kirkpatrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05032213203101470326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-54505724168942623102010-11-23T17:46:57.442-06:002010-11-23T17:46:57.442-06:00Passive income is definitely a good thing. You'...Passive income is definitely a good thing. You're going to have to start posting your investment advice soon! ;)Selena Kitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17783685215421352626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-26378905991358360222010-11-23T16:42:59.065-06:002010-11-23T16:42:59.065-06:00Linda, thanks for sharing your decision to price ...Linda, thanks for sharing your decision to price your non-Kindle editions a dollar higher to "escape' the Amazon discounting, on the basis other retailers will only discount up to 30%. I've been considering this, however I'm trying to establish the maximum any other retailer will discount in order to safeguard the price I set.<br /><br />And Christy, yes great to see Aaron Shepard visit here. I've used Aaron's books, and Joe's always-fun Newbie's Guide, as well as April Hamilton's Guide to Formatting for Kindle, as a few of my main reference points, all very helpful in navigating the Amazon jungle (er...website)lolIain Edward Hennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16527914346574994713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-84674628869433424622010-11-23T15:36:39.277-06:002010-11-23T15:36:39.277-06:00@anonymous
Joshua at ebook conversions
http://ww...@anonymous<br /><br />Joshua at ebook conversions<br /><br />http://www.ebookarchitects.com/conversions/services.phpbatesynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-7051092868785171122010-11-23T14:06:23.393-06:002010-11-23T14:06:23.393-06:00Man oh man I feel like the dog standing outside th...Man oh man I feel like the dog standing outside the butcher shop window. All this information and I still can't (as of yesterday) even complete the easiest no- brainer task-connecting with Siders. Any other names out there? He must have been overwhelmed & decided to disappear for a while.The 52 Novel site still goes blank 2/3 way through his info box.<br /> Meanwhile, finding a way into the Costco big box looks much more useful than waiting years while wading through TP. I still don't see any local authors in ours, home of Jacqueline Mitchard along with other #1 best selling authors. A few copies in PB of "The Dive from Clausen's Pier," which was a big seller for its genre, have appeared this week. How curious is that? The book was published quite a few years back, and is still an excellent read. I am only curious as to why I have not seen any more recent books by local authors. (I believe the author was living in this state when it was written.)<br /> Plenty of Patterson & Grisham and Roberts & Steele however. i shall stay on this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-69890385383359331902010-11-23T13:52:32.600-06:002010-11-23T13:52:32.600-06:00You're just awesome.You're just awesome.eywadehttp://wade-inpublishing.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-38021423376918503292010-11-23T13:26:26.139-06:002010-11-23T13:26:26.139-06:00Wow, amazing to see Aaron Shepard here! (Hi Aaron!...Wow, amazing to see Aaron Shepard here! (Hi Aaron!) <br /><br />His two bestselling books (Aiming at Amazon & Perfect Pages) were basically the blueprint for my publishing company. Basically, Aaron's books helped me quit my day job. <br /><br />He's also a big fan of LSI. I still use CreateSpace primarily, because it's so easy, but next year, when I release my biggest sellers (which are textbooks) I will be using both CreateSpace and LSI to print and distribute my books. <br /><br />If you want "easy," use CreateSpace. If you want more control, use LSI. If you want both, use LSI and CreateSpace. I wouldn't reccomend LuLu for anything except odds and ends, like calendars or other weird things that LSI or CS don't offer. <br /><br />There's a learning curve for all of them, so be prepared to learn how to run your own show.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-68339345581839488152010-11-23T13:02:46.983-06:002010-11-23T13:02:46.983-06:00Thanks, Joe, for the informative post. Always very...Thanks, Joe, for the informative post. Always very welcome.<br /><br />Unfortunately my experience with LSI UK has not been outstanding: a batch of covers with lines down them, sticky stuff attached to covers, less than perfect cutting. Hassle with the small publisher & LSI getting replacements. It's put me off both. I'm sticking with ebooks at present.<br /><br />@ Ian Edward and the problem of Smashwords' retailers undercutting $2.99 Kindle books and Amazon slicing our royalties in return...<br /><br />"Torc of Moonlight" is now up on Smashwords, and I'm waiting for the professional conversion for Kindle [I use www.jimandzetta.com]. My decision has been to upload the Smashwords edition @ $3.99 and the Kindle @ $2.99, working on the principle that any undercutting by retailers will be less than 30%. It is my intention to offer a Smashwords $1 off coupon when the Kindle edition goes live to give parity.<br /><br />I'm not sure if this will be more hassle than helpful, but it's a test. I can always lower the Smashwords price. Anyone tried something like this?<br /><br />Linda <br />http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/29377Linda Acasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03096791092366530129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-19388880233925326672010-11-23T11:14:25.270-06:002010-11-23T11:14:25.270-06:00the 2nd link, the one under the Kindle headline, h...the 2nd link, the one under the Kindle headline, has an extra period in it, right after amazon.com, rendering it useless.<br /><br />http://dtp.amazon.com./mn/signinC Ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550901066508791798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-70181958226580080192010-11-23T10:45:37.390-06:002010-11-23T10:45:37.390-06:00Thanks for sharing, yet again, Joe. A book about y...Thanks for sharing, yet again, Joe. A book about your marketing techniques would be yet another bestseller for you if you decided to go that route versus being generous enough to give them away to us all. Thank you!!!!Michael Balkindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13376258271732698366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-12765466928691988302010-11-23T10:00:56.623-06:002010-11-23T10:00:56.623-06:00I'm helping an author publish his new POD/e-no...I'm helping an author publish his new POD/e-novel and have used all the services you mention except for IndiaNIC; thanks for that mention. So we're out there, but am looking forward to your future post on "obscurity," cuz that's the big problem, isn't it? BTW, I would like to subscribe to your posts via email, but didn't see that option.Laura E. Kellyhttp://laura-e-kelly.comnoreply@blogger.com