And now for the news!
This week in the world of self-publishing:
In this article, Jeremy Ryan Slate asks the question, “Why use a publisher at all?” in lieu of the question, “Why publish at all?” when confronted with the reality that only 1% of books published in 2016 ever made it to an actual bookshelf.
Slate uses the example of a book by Jared Kleinert called, “2 Billion Under 20” to really send his point home. Kleinert’s book–which focused on millennial entrepreneurs–did well initially. However, because the author went through a traditional publisher, when the book’s sales began to fizzle out he wasn’t able to use/repurpose the content of the book to generate sales because he had waived the right to do so with his publisher.
Thus came the impetus for Kleinert’s next book, “3 Billion Under 30,” which he decided to self-publish, for a handful of reasons, some of which are elaborated on in this article. First was networking–the stories he compiled to make the book came from over 75 entrepreneurs, all of whom used the book as a platform for their brand, in turn helping Kleinert establish his own brand. Secondly was the press component: when you self-publish you can promote the text on your blog, website or other social media platform by publishing excerpts–a liberty you do not get when going with a traditional publisher. Lastly, Kleinert–a true businessman–has come to realize that the free market has made it more profitable for editors and designers to freelance than it was for them to work for traditional publishing companies. Thus, the best of the best are accessible to self-publishing authors who are willing to pay to have professionally designed and edited books, of the same (if not better) quality provided by traditional publishing companies.
To read more insights from the entrepreneurially minded, read the full article by clicking the link above!
Maryann Breukelman’s first published novel is entitled, “The Secret Bookstore” and is described by the author as “a modern fable …a sort of a fairytale for adults.” Written under the pen name, Magnus Fox, Breukelman identifies with the main character, who embraced the fear of the unknown so as to find a path to self-discovery–much like the author feels she herself did by self-publishing this piece. Breukelman has written many manuscripts, but most remain hidden away or abandoned before she decided to explore writing in a new genre with “The Secret Bookstore.”
“The novel follows the journey of Fox, a disillusioned accountant who finds his life thrown into chaos at the appearance of a mysterious woman urging him to seek out a secret bookstore and ultimately his true purpose in life.
Fox is faced with the decision to leave his comfortable life behind and risk it all in the quest. The book follows that journey into the depths of a distant forest, chronicling Fox’s growing obsession as he faces a series of extraordinary events.”
This book can be read as an entertaining tale of adventure, or as a more philosophical plunge into the question of “why self-publish?” or what our purpose in life might be.
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.
Self Publishing Advisor 