tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post6330674600082482566..comments2024-03-28T02:00:11.260-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Guest Post by Robert SwartwoodJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-86219520798108752142011-12-01T16:57:06.413-06:002011-12-01T16:57:06.413-06:00I am still starting slow, even though I have a web...I am still starting slow, even though I have a website, a blog, a fb page, twitter account - and use them. <br /><br />Some day over the rainbow ;-)<br /><br />I am still selling a few at a time though.Cyn Bagleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08404416186783891402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-32515226232997990242011-11-23T11:50:44.104-06:002011-11-23T11:50:44.104-06:00Love the concept and the cover, definitely picking...Love the concept and the cover, definitely picking this one up.Shawnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03279517495579034815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-13080726042890515152011-11-21T15:51:08.059-06:002011-11-21T15:51:08.059-06:00Great post, Rob!
Like you, I put off self-publish...Great post, Rob!<br /><br />Like you, I put off self-publishing for a long while, too. I had one major publisher set on my first novel for nearly three years--saying they really liked it, etc.--and then a form letter after all that time.<br /><br />The biggest problem is finding just one place to categorize my series since they are cross-genre thrillers. I believe that's been the biggest problem trying to get an agent or publisher before I finally went with KDP, Smashwords, and Createspace.<br /><br />Who has time to waste? Not me, anymore.<br /><br />And now with the current economy, self-publishing is the more logical direction in many ways. My audience continues to grow, too.<br /><br />Much continued success to you, Rob!Leonard D. Hilley IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561431360237578683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-7669586791811367222011-11-21T09:52:39.508-06:002011-11-21T09:52:39.508-06:00I found this very interesting. While it wasn't...I found this very interesting. While it wasn't directly addressed, you hit on a major issue with going the traditional route. Even after you get an agent, that doesn't mean you're book will sell. <br /><br />I really don't know which way I'm going to go yet. I don't have a novel finished in a way that's good enough.For a long time, I thought I needed an agent to make the decisions. <br /><br />Then I started writing short stories which has taught me how to do the things I didn't even know I didn't know, but it also has taught me to have faith in my work. <br /><br />In the last year, I've had a little success and I just made my first pro sale. Knowing what I know today, I'm glad didn't self-publish. But I also feel very comfortable with that option now.M.R. Jordanhttp://mr-jordan.weebly.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-89323226934112884532011-11-20T20:39:49.257-06:002011-11-20T20:39:49.257-06:00Rats. I don't know how that last comment got p...Rats. I don't know how that last comment got published anonymously, but it was me - "IMO looking...."Ellen O'Connellhttp://www.oconnellauthor.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-88723409815044050312011-11-20T20:38:03.731-06:002011-11-20T20:38:03.731-06:00IMO looking at Joe's stated income and number ...IMO looking at Joe's stated income and number of books available and using that to disparage is exactly backwards. Way back when Joe had maybe 28 books available and was reporting lesser but still impressive income, the light bulb came on for me.<br /><br />My first indie book, a cozy mystery has never sold more than 300 copies a month and now after 18 months has settled in at about 100 a month (first at $1.99, 2.99 since the 70% royalty). I looked at that one book and thought - wow, imagine 28 of them. Heck, imagine 10, or 5.<br /><br />My romances, which do about 3 times as well, inspired even more imagination. Dean Wesley Smith emphasizes this point on his blog - it's not that one book but the body of work. I have 4 novels and a short story out now. At my age 40 is never going to happen, but I imagine 8, 12, 16. Oh, glorious possibilities.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-84592691138487786842011-11-19T20:33:01.906-06:002011-11-19T20:33:01.906-06:00Rob, great post. The indie publishing business is ...Rob, great post. The indie publishing business is as much about luck as the legacy publishing business but your story is proof you don't have to receive $20k paychecks a month to survive (granted, Konrath has earned his keep but nothing wrong with getting $1500 checks either). ;-)<br /><br />Your story is a cautionary tale but I agree legacy publishers should be scared indeed. I don't see you *not* becoming a success and believe me, your $10 and $15k per month checks will be right around the corner. If this business has taught me anything, we will never have enough great thriller writers and you seem right at home in the genre. Congrats and here's to continuing good luck. ;-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17624296734028156426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-89824116566214171442011-11-19T15:00:59.268-06:002011-11-19T15:00:59.268-06:00This is off the original topic but with the tighte...This is off the original topic but with the tighter contracts, Book Country and other things they are doing I wondered if they are likely to hit up deceased author's families. <br /><br />They are already fighting to lock in people's backlists and rushing old novels back into print to avoid the 'out of print' clauses. How likely is it that some widows will resist a hundred extra a month for their husbands 1950 bestseller being converted to an ebook? <br /><br />The more content they grab, the longer they stay alive.Wayne McDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13444890562154236226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-45210092747128417962011-11-19T13:43:44.671-06:002011-11-19T13:43:44.671-06:00Hey, Joe, I don't know why you even bother to ...Hey, Joe, I don't know why you even bother to argue with idiots like Anonymous.Mark Edward Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09348437062900925019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-36818242669846819272011-11-19T01:43:44.896-06:002011-11-19T01:43:44.896-06:00Congratulations on your success! Very inspiring!
...Congratulations on your success! Very inspiring!<br /><br />As far as legacy publishers go, they might just turn into vanity presses, following in the footsteps of Penguin's high-priced self-publishing venture.Marilyn Peakehttp://www.marilynpeake.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-23735368372714890742011-11-19T00:45:00.010-06:002011-11-19T00:45:00.010-06:00I suggest Robert put all his written books up on t...I suggest Robert put all his written books up on the e-sites, and let the readers decide if they are good or not. He may be surprised, and if some are not popular he has lost nothing, except the time to format and upload them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-59458608221264154582011-11-18T21:43:59.608-06:002011-11-18T21:43:59.608-06:00Adds: yearly and biyearly sales conferences at plu...Adds: yearly and biyearly sales conferences at plush resorts for days on end, flying in authors, lush pads, the stockholder families taking tons off the top, see Mohn family re bertalsmann, rupert murdock enterprises re harpercollins. They will tell you its a losing prop. Hamptons, marinas, eu/ny/ hideaways say differently. I dont begrudge people their hard work and merit that comes from it; just when running a serf-vassel outfit... <br /><br />yet, when the underclass becomes educated... harder and harder to maintain the old model... look for importing books by authors in impoverished countries, paying them squat, translating into English offshore and then flooding US market for profit made on two poor people's bones, each book. This is just one of the sick suggestions I've overheard from upstairs recently.<br /><br />thanks..<br />dr.cpe<br /><br />Joe said "How much does it cost to rent an entire floor of the Flatiron Buidling?<br /><br />"How much does it cost to have an obscenely huge display at BEA?<br /><br />"How much does it cost to ship the same hardcover upwards of three or four times when they get returned for full credit?<br /><br />"How much does it cost to take agents out to three martini lunches?<br /><br />"Publishing may be the single most wasteful industry on the planet. The amount of money they blow is disgusting. The return system is archaic.<br /><br />"But now they can justify their bloated existence by screwing the author and taking more than half an ebook's list price--which they set.<br /><br />"Fail. Fail fail fail."Archangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18358062143743621676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-51811484968525981902011-11-18T21:26:36.350-06:002011-11-18T21:26:36.350-06:00Selena
That's a good one...got any more?Selena<br /><br />That's a good one...got any more?David L. Shutterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08357694121376734716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-16554969557871564422011-11-18T21:17:18.103-06:002011-11-18T21:17:18.103-06:00Twenty-years of trying to sell novels and I said s...Twenty-years of trying to sell novels and I said screw it and have started e-pubing. Yes, it hasn't sold a lot, but 70% of anything is better than 15% of nothing. <br /><br />And, I even gave Joe a hat tip in the credits for providing the inspiration for going this particular path. <br /><br />I'll hopefully be able to have at least three titles out in the next year and can only go up from there.Joe Collinshttp://www.josephfranciscollins.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-47414115399499788192011-11-18T19:03:48.240-06:002011-11-18T19:03:48.240-06:00ROBERT: Money is tight and reserved for those writ...ROBERT: <i>Money is tight and reserved for those writers earning the big bucks.</i><br /><br />Which has never made a lick of sense to me. Why advertise what will sell on its own?<br /><br />Or maybe it's all went into prominent store placement rather than what I think of as traditional advertising.<br /><br />But the cynic in me thinks it's more likely self-fullfilling prophecy. The marketing team markets only what is sure to sell anyway because then they can claim the marketing was successful and not worry about their jobs.J. Tannerhttp://authorjtanner.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-3024398944769560432011-11-18T18:50:38.921-06:002011-11-18T18:50:38.921-06:00I really like the statement that it's creating...<i> I really like the statement that it's creating a small business. You're so right about that. The only problem with marketing is the time it takes away from trying to write more. I find that it's difficult to write when I'm trying to send my novel to reviewers and also working a full-time job. </i> <br /><br />Yes, marketing does take up writing time, but don't think traditionally published authors don't have to do much of their own marketing as well (I mean, look at Joe). In my experience, the PR department sends out numerous galley copies to numerous places hoping for a review, but those aren't guaranteed. They'll also set up readings and book signings, but nine times out of ten they won't pay for your travel or lodging or even meals. Money is tight and reserved for those writers earning the big bucks.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11958488745475196164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-44428053742080251202011-11-18T18:37:25.874-06:002011-11-18T18:37:25.874-06:00JOE: How much does it cost to rent an entire floor...JOE: <i>How much does it cost to rent an entire floor of the Flatiron Buidling?</i><br /><br />Kris Rusch got ahold of some numbers for one of the big 6recently(?) and if memory serves their rent calculated out to hundreds of millions a year based on the square footage. Thanks, authors!<br /><br />JOE: <i>Publishing may be the single most wasteful industry on the planet.</i><br /><br />Um, Hollywood? :)<br /><br />On the larger topic being discussed I don't dispute any of the specific economics. I think individual authors can make smart business decisions. I think authors as a group are prone to making terrible business decisions and based on that I think big publishing will continue to get a willing group of replacement authors to fill whatever midlist they are interested in publishing as a proving ground for replacement bestsellers.<br /><br />I don't think the midlist is of much concern to them. They've always churned through those authors.<br /><br />Not that I think the Joe style prediction is impossible. It would take an exodus of bestsellers I'd guess and when we hit the ebook/paper tipping point I suppose it could happen. But I wouldn't bet on it. I bet we see them bend heavily on terms to keep their cash cows. This will hurt their profits or perks but I expect they'll take that hit and readjust to the changing environment.J. Tannerhttp://authorjtanner.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-84253136231763972262011-11-18T18:23:21.013-06:002011-11-18T18:23:21.013-06:00Yes. I'm sure I've had sex more than some ...<i>Yes. I'm sure I've had sex more than some humans somewhere.</i><br /><br />Joe sez: <i>you use your real name with your partners? Or does that scare them off?</i><br /><br />He uses his pen name. Dixon Hand.<br /><br />So many anonymi, so little time...Selena Kitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17783685215421352626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-65549426813128202982011-11-18T17:50:13.336-06:002011-11-18T17:50:13.336-06:00I really like the statement that it's creating...I really like the statement that it's creating a small business. You're so right about that. The only problem with marketing is the time it takes away from trying to write more. I find that it's difficult to write when I'm trying to send my novel to reviewers and also working a full-time job. (I'm sure those tv breaks really cut into too.) <br /><br />Thanks for being an encouragement!Jason D. Morrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04473532447312789024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-75308316449235936952011-11-18T17:42:49.108-06:002011-11-18T17:42:49.108-06:00Great post and congratulations to Robert. I wish m...Great post and congratulations to Robert. I wish my experience with self-pubbing was as lucrative as everyone has said who has posted. I just released my first self pubbed novel called Black Knight Chronicles and I am wondering if anyone will ever see it. <br /><br />I am a believer, though, in the ebook revolution.<br /><br />SeanSean McCartneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06021291935983850700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-18567142959105647992011-11-18T17:14:42.313-06:002011-11-18T17:14:42.313-06:00Show us where all that obscene profit is hiding.
...<i>Show us where all that obscene profit is hiding.</i><br /><br />How much does it cost to rent an entire floor of the Flatiron Buidling?<br /><br />How much does it cost to have an obscenely huge display at BEA?<br /><br />How much does it cost to ship the same hardcover upwards of three or four times when they get returned for full credit?<br /><br />How much does it cost to take agents out to three martini lunches?<br /><br />Publishing may be the single most wasteful industry on the planet. The amount of money they blow is disgusting. The return system is archaic. <br /><br />But now they can justify their bloated existence by screwing the author and taking more than half an ebook's list price--which they set.<br /><br />Fail. Fail fail fail.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-48218963920570420852011-11-18T17:05:31.633-06:002011-11-18T17:05:31.633-06:00"The Big 6 are taking 52.5%, and they ARE NOT..."The Big 6 are taking 52.5%, and they ARE NOT funneling more than a fraction of that money into marketing ... "<br /><br />So where's all the loot? Off the balance sheet? In the Caymans? You're a numbers guy. Show us where all that obscene profit is hiding.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-44705143407894255742011-11-18T17:01:44.118-06:002011-11-18T17:01:44.118-06:00"Phew...good thing another shit-spewing, face..."Phew...good thing another shit-spewing, faceless Anon showed up disparaging indies over how they stack up to (SURPRISE!) one in a million bestsellers."<br /><br />Um, it was Joe who claimed to stack up against the bestsellers. This particular shit-spewing faceless anon never said a word about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-9313598031321072762011-11-18T16:58:39.958-06:002011-11-18T16:58:39.958-06:00Those two phrases don't match. You say you hav...<i>Those two phrases don't match. You say you have 40-odd titles up, and you claim sales of 400,000 over a couple of years, which is about 5,000 per title per year, on average</i><br /><br />I post my numbers often enough for you to know better. I sold 85k copies of Trapped in a year, and that's better than many bestsellers. Ditto several other of my titles.<br /><br /><i>Question is: Is JA actually 'a bestseller'?</i><br /><br />I've hit the Top 10 on the Kindle Bestseller list with several titles. I'd call that being a bestseller. You can hit the Times list selling fewer than 40k a year.<br /><br /><i>Joe seems to be averaging about 14 sales per day per title, according to his own claims.</i><br /><br />There's so much wrong with that. Each of my titles doesn't sell the same. The novels far outsell the shorts, and I have a handful of novels that account for 90% of my sales.<br /><br /><i>It keeps on releasing "Million Club" names, and I don't see 35 indies there.</i><br /><br />I'll be there soon, probably by next year. But then, I'm just midlist...<br /><br /><i>Yes. I'm sure I've had sex more than some humans somewhere.</i><br /><br />Do you use your real name with your partners? Or does that scare them off?<br /><br />Look, your argument is bad. The Big 6 are taking 52.5%, and they ARE NOT funneling more than a fraction of that money into marketing. Many books released have the barest of marketing, nothing more than a lame press release and a quart page in the catalog. That doesn't justify taking so much in royalties. NOTHING a publisher does justifies taking that much in royalties, and defending them reeks of Stockholm Syndrome. Unless you're an uber-bestseller, in which case what applies to you applies to only a few dozen people on the planet. But that still doesn't mean you should defend publishers.<br /><br />I'm lucky enough to be in the top 1% income bracket, but that doesn't mean I'm a republican.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-64197264302914359552011-11-18T16:35:14.320-06:002011-11-18T16:35:14.320-06:00Phew...good thing another shit-spewing, faceless A...Phew...good thing another shit-spewing, faceless Anon showed up disparaging indies over how they stack up to (SURPRISE!) one in a million bestsellers.<br /><br />Good. All this open, earnest business discussion centered around a guest poster...just didn't seem normal.David L. Shutterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08357694121376734716noreply@blogger.com