news from the world of
self-publishing
“Thanks to markets like Amazon that have made it easier than ever to access books, authors no longer have to wait to be given a green light,” writes Beth Jordan in this recent article for StudyBreaks.com. Jordan briefly covers the history of the longstanding family feud between traditional and self-publishing forms, with the rise of the digital and Internet age as well as the market forces creating additional challenges for the more established institutions even while going indie seems easier and more reliable than ever–with all of this making the page. Jordan also covers some of the other finer points of the debate, including why authors might or might not choose to go indie, and how different pros and cons can influence an author’s relationships to their community of readers … as well as other authors. Says Jordan,
[L]amenting one’s inability to sell books or to be traditionally published can become a dangerous, unproductive spiral because there are many reasons an author’s book might not be selling — most of the reasons likely coming down to marketing, visibility or the book’s quality. While the frustration is understandable, publishing a book through traditional means is unlikely to fix the situation as Amazon and other companies continue to out-compete the traditional publishers.
Jordan covers shifting market shares, the powerful role competition plays in decision making, and some suggested steps towards boosting visibility. All in all, this article makes for a great, ahem, all-rounder when it comes to entering or revisiting the key points of why we do what we do, and how. We can’t think of a better way to kick off this week’s news!
- 5 Proven Tips for Effectively Marketing Your First Book by Josh Steimle
Five is a solid, memorable number, and it’s neither too long nor too short a quantity of listed items to ensure peak performance. So when Josh Steimle writes for Entrepreneur online that “A successful first book could even become a quality revenue stream of its own, paving the way for future writing endeavors” and that this process “can be accomplished in five easy steps,” you can be sure we’re going to sit up and pay attention. Steimle’s points, which include straightforward suggestions to research, plan, and begin executing a marketing strategy well before your book’s publication date, have the force of “common sense” behind them–only, as we know, that isn’t entirely common in the way it probably should be, all things being equal and communication being free of the current status quo. The nice thing about Steimle’s article, too, is that he also touches on some suggestions, including those for advance copies and incentives by way of free content, that often aren’t talked about as often as they could be, or should be. This is the kind of specialized information that indie authors might not instinctually know going into self-publishing for the first time, and which can really make a difference.
Another totally unintended “five” that converses comfortably with our last news item: Last time we covered the news in self-publishing, we included a previous article by Forbes contributor JJ Hebert, “5 Low-Cost Marketing Strategies for Your Self-Published Book.” This time around, Hebert is writing to authors (or potential authors) of “business books” in order to encourage them to use a self-published book as a kind of brand launch or relaunch–a way of sending your thoughts and your way of doing things out there into the world, and to establish yourself as a person of authority on matters pertaining to your field. As Hebert puts it, “writing and publishing a book is the ultimate credibility booster and business growth tool because the book will position you as an expert in your field, and you will become the go-to person for your particular topic.” But making sure your book sticks its landing and isn’t a wasted investment of your precious time and money (and since time is money, on to the nth degree) has to be a top priority, and Hebert has a nice list of straightforward suggestions in order to make that landing the stickiest possible stuck thing it can possibly be. Hebert does have a toe firmly in the waters of self-promotion here himself, given that he is CEO and founder of a self-publishing platform himself, but that doesn’t mean his tips aren’t worth taking a good, long look at. We happen to think he practices exactly what he preaches, and what he preaches seems to be effective enough to make us stop and look–and when it comes to marketing, that’s half of the battle won right there.
Self Publishing Advisor 