This week in the world of self-publishing:
“Not happy with your Amazon royalties? Not thrilled with Amazon’s latest strategy to pay self-published borrowed books is a pool based on pages read?” asks Liesha Petrovich for HuffPost Business on March 3rd. Answers Petrovich: “You’re not alone.” And indeed, as she points out in her article, a number of high-profile as well as mainstream self-publishing authors are growing dissatisfied with Amazon’s offerings, services, and standard of treatment for its customers––readers and writers alike. And just because Amazon may appear to have a stranglehold on the indie publishing marketplace doesn’t mean that it’s the only option available; as Petrovich writes, “If you’re a current or future writer, with dreams of making a living writing, Amazon isn’t the only path to self-published success.” Her suggestions are threefold, and they don’t rely on switching companies––such as leapfrogging from Amazon to Kobo, or some other platform––but rather upon changing the sales paradigm altogether. Her recommendations are to:
- Sell from your own site
- Sell on other platforms (such as the Apple store, or through B&N), and
- Create your own path to publishing success.
“You’re not limited,” says Petrovich, “and you may have to try a few [options] before you find the results you’re looking for. Just remember you choose to go independent for a reason, and not to increase Amazon’s profits.” Amen to that. For the rest of Petrovich’s article, follow the link!
Says Meg Kehoe of the Romper in another article from March 3rd, “The amazing range that self-published books provide can be hard to navigate, but thanks to sites like Indie Reader and Goodreads, the world of books becomes slightly less daunting.” Kehoe herself is a handy resource for readers looking to break into the world of ebooks but find themselves without a map or compass. Her list of books you can’t afford to miss includes Jabberwocky by Theodore Singer (CreateSpace)––with obvious ties to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland series, just in time for a new movie coming out this summer––and Jack Hammond Junior’s The Last Hanging in Scots Bend (Lujack Press), Nina Ansary’s Jewels for Allah (Revela Press), and Russell Newell’s The Boy and the Bastard (Dog Ear). I don’t know about you, but after perusing Kehoe’s list and reading her summaries of each, I definitely feel like cracking open a few new ebook covers (figuratively, at least) this next week! You can view the entire list here.
Sometimes, it’s nice to hear from the very demographic we write so much about here on Self Publishing Advisor, and in his March 2nd column for The Beacon, the official (online and print) student newspaper of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Mitch Chapman speaks up for teen authors everywhere––and what he has to say may come as a surprise, in that he asks for us to stop defining teen authors as “teen authors” and instead define them simply by what they do (write) and how well they do it. Says Chapman, “even before the rise of self-publishing platforms such as CreateSpace and Lulu, there has been an unusual fixation towards teenage authors that sometimes bleeds into college life.” He goes on to argue that, although the phenomenon of the teen author pop icon has its roots in a fascination with the gifted youngsters among us, it has created a culture which commoditizes and monetizes an author’s age … and by turning age into currency, we of course perpetuate an opportunity for unhealthy exploitation. The label “teen author” also has the undesirable side effect of following young writers into adulthood, and diminishing the true value of what they do. Chapman concludes that, “At the end of the day, what matters is not your age, but the quality of your work and your personal integrity.” Wise words for us all. You can find the rest of his article at the MCLA Beacon website.
As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.
ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.
Self Publishing Advisor 
Thanks for the post and a very useful list of must reads.
You’re welcome, Robyn! If you read any of them, you’ll have to let us know how you like them! – Kelly S.