Category: Kelly Speaks

Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Promotion Strategy, Kelly Speaks, linkedin, Social Media Marketing

An Indie Author’s Social Media Primer |LinkedIn

If you’re not already a member of LinkedIn, perhaps you’re familiar with the following scenario: you wake up on a lovely Monday morning, high-tail it in to work with only minutes to spare before your shift at the factory plant or in the cubicle farm or out at the library begins; you pull up Microsoft Outlook to check your email and set up your day’s schedule, only to find … thirteen emails from friends who want to “add” you to their “professional network on LinkedIn”?  What in blazes does that mean?  Is it a scam or something?

linkedin email

No, it’s not a scam–I promise!  The emails are just an incredibly weird side effect and the only negative feature I know of to setting up a LinkedIn account.  (When new LinkedIn users have the chance to add friends to their network, the website mines their email contacts to generate networking possibilities, and doesn’t visually make it clear which of the folks you click on to connect with already have accounts and which ones do not).  So while the emails may clutter up your inbox, they’re not meant to be malicious–either on the part of LinkedIn, or the friends who send them.

linkedin

All this begs the question: What exactly is LinkedIn, and how can a self-published or self-publishing author best make use of the platform?  This social networking website touts itself as “The World’s Largest Professional Network,” is run by CEO Jeff Weiner (of Yahoo! fame) and a board chaired by founder Reid Hoffman (of PayPal and SocialNet.com fame) with the purported goal of connecting users interested in more career-driven networking than is made possible by, say, Facebook and Instagram.  It seems to be doing a fairly good job of achieving this end, as its approximately 364-million-strong user base can attest.  Any self-published author looking for a new weapon in his or her repertoire should definitely keep LinkedIn at the top of the shortlist!

Debunking the Great LinkedIn Myth: “It’s all work, and no play.”

LinkedIn certainly attracts a different user base from, say, Snapchat–but that doesn’t mean its users aren’t making full use of the platform’s more “social” aspects for recreation and enjoyment.  And as this article on the Daily Dot points out, industry professionals are being led into blogging and socializing by the platform–book lovers and self-publishing author’s don’t have to fight or struggle to carve out a niche … it already exists.  Users log in to LinkedIn, on average, less frequently than the average Facebook user (according to Mashable in 2013, the average Facebooker checked the app 15 times a day).  But engagement on LinkedIn is, contrary to some folks expectations, extraordinarily high.  This may be because LinkedIn is a destination website, a place to go rather than a place to go through to get somewhere else or to burn some free time.  Users see LinkedIn as a tool, and they’re more likely to actually read the blog posts (for example) that they see on there than ones they might stumble across elsewhere.

But what is a self-published author to do?  Setting up a LinkedIn profile will benefit anyone, but what are some ways that an author can make special use of the platform?

Top 5 Best Practices:

1. Groups, groups groups.  Other social media platforms have group discussion boards–last week, for example, I specifically pointed out Etsy’s group features–but not all groups are created equal.  What may seem perfunctory or underdeveloped or a programming afterthought elsewhere has been brought close to perfection on LinkedIn.  You can tell that group memberships and discussions were a priority of the website’s developers, as the interface is clean and smooth and easy to interact with.  You can find or create groups, manage groups, join groups, and participate in groups you’re interested in without worrying about the content being dumped straight into indexing search engines for everyone running a Google search to see–LinkedIn’s algorithm is much more picky in what it offloads than, say, Goodreads’.  You can customize the privacy settings of the groups you manage, rendering some public and free to join, and others private or invitation only.  And all that I said above about user engagement being high on LinkedIn?  There’s no better place to see this engagement lived out in the round than in LinkedIn’s many active groups.  So: join a few!  Start a few discussions!

2. Keep tabs on the “Topics” page.  A simple search shows a beautifully put-together page in the Topics section of LinkedIn dedicated to none other than the subject of self-publishing.  These Topics pages serves as a kind of constantly-updated newsletter of everything posted to the website–articles, blog posts, groups discussions, presentations, companies, and industry trends–that relates.  You can find what characteristics or “skills” LinkedIn users engaged in self-publishing share (“Creative Writing” and “Editing” the top two–no surprise there!), or you can access a slideshow on “How to Write a Book in 10 Days” … just to provide two examples among many.  Don’t underestimate LinkedIn’s Topics!

3. Make it your first stop on the research train.  Are you looking to self-publish and you haven’t decided what company best represents your interests?  Many indie, hybrid, and self-publishing companies keep active LinkedIn pages, and you can take full advantage of this by connecting with the company itself or any of its employees who also have LinkedIn profiles.  Outskirts Press is a great example of a hybrid publishing company with a rich LinkedIn presence–many of its authors, author representatives, and executives are present there.  You can do your due diligence with ease, just by perusing a company’s profile and exploring the information presented there.  Want to know if you can trust a company to provide the best quality print on demand books for you?  Want to find agents, editors, or other collaborators?  Check LinkedIn.

4. Boost your credibility.  As I’ve mentioned already, LinkedIn attracts users who are highly engaged but who are also looking specifically to build business-oriented networks.  Accounts are reviewed by LinkedIn staff to verify that users are not using fake or ridiculous names, which is just one layer of the self-reinforcing professionalism that makes LinkedIn special.  If you want to create a brand around your name as a self-published author, there’s literally no better place to get started.  Creating a polished LinkedIn profile that takes full advantage of the metadata and the form available (enter as much information as possible to make yourself as findable as possible!) will allow you to feel confident that a publisher or agent who Googles your name comes up with something that confirms your reliability, credibility, and professionalism.  There’s not much more you can do to help yourself stand out from the pack!

5. Use the Pulse.  Just over a year ago, LinkedIn opened up its “Pulse” blogging platform to all users–a privilege that had previously been reserved for about 500 key “Influencers.”  Perhaps because it began with such constraints, Pulse retains some of its aura as a voice for the truly expert, and it’s a beautiful illustration of how a blog can indeed be seamlessly wound up with a social network.  Pulse offers all or most of the features you might find on a blog platform like WordPress, with great customizability and the option to include hyperlinked text.  Posts on Pulse automatically display as both a part of your user profile and your connections’ home page feeds.  They show up in search engine results, too.  The best part about Pulse is that you don’t have to use it as a blog if you don’t want to–you can use it as a secondary publishing platform.  Because Pulse allows for beautiful long-form posts, you could feasibly offer whole chapters or even an entire book (in chapters) for your connections to read!

Most Overlooked Feature:

The “Projects” section of your LinkedIn profile is an excellent–and under-utilized!–feature that you should definitely take a second look at.  Why?  Because it’s not just a spot to list ongoing works in progress … it’s a fully linkable and functional tool.  You can connect a project to an Amazon book listing, an author webpage, and to its actual editorial or publishing team!  I mean, how neat.

linkedin projects

Best of all, the projects section is a dedicated space, which means that the information you input there won’t get shuffled off of your profile page or lost in the aether.  Unless you choose to remove it, a book you list as a project becomes a permanent feature of both your page and the page of any other collaborators who confirm their connection to it!

I hope you’ll join me in building this Social Media Primer!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line at selfpublishingadvice@gmail.com.  And remember to check back each Wednesday for your weekly dose of social media know-how. ♠

KellyABOUT 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.
Advocacy in Self-Publishing, amazon reviews, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Promotion Strategy, Book Reviews, Kelly Speaks

From the Archives: “Soliciting Book Reviews for your Self Published Book”

Welcome back to our new Tuesday segment, where we’ll be revisiting some of our most popular posts from the last few years.  What’s stayed the same?  And what’s changed?  We’ll be updating you on the facts, and taking a new (and hopefully refreshing) angle on a few timeless classics of Self Publishing Advisor.

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[ Originally posted: August 18th, 2008 ]

If your self-published book is available for sale at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble (BN.com), and other sites, you want to be sure your online listings have book reviews. You can always be sure your book has at least 1 review by asking one very close friend or relative to write a review for your book.

Once you have one review, your job is to solicit others. Obviously, if you’ve given some of your books away to friends or families, you should ask them to write a review in exchange for the book. As you continue to give them away, suggest to your customers that it would be helpful to you if they took the time to write an honest online review.  People like to help people, but usually only do so if you ask.

BONUS: Once you have reviews, you can use them in quotes for further promotion. For example:

“Best Book Ever!” — Amazon.com review.

Your book detail page on Amazon and Barnes & Noble have links for writing reviews of your book. If you haven’t done that yet, do it right away.

Remember, in order to write a review for a book on Amazon, each reviewer must have an Amazon account with which they have purchased something. This is how Amazon verifies the identity of the reviewer. They don’t need to buy your book, per se, they just need to buy something, anything, from Amazon. But it is nice if they DO buy your book, so suggest that to your friends first.

book review

Seven years on, and we’ve had ample time to expand upon the notion of book reviews and how beneficial they can be for your self-promotion strategy as an indie or self-published author!  And when I say ample, I mean that we’ve literally written essays on the subject.  For a litany of our best book-review-related material, check out this link, and this one, and this one.  Oh, and don’t forget our last in-depth primer post on the matter!

If the intervening years between 2008 and 2015 have taught me anything, it’s the power and influence of positive––and authentic––book reviews.  Which is why, when I look at my words from so long ago, the ones I want most to revisit are these: “[Reviewers] don’t need to buy your book, per se, they just need to buy something, anything, from Amazon.”  While the fact remains true that an Amazon reviewer isn’t strictlyr required to buy a book or an ebook to review it––and there are certainly many circumstances in which readers may legitimately acquire a book without purchasing it through Amazon or purchasing it at all––I see now that my words, out of context, might encourage authors to strong-arm their friends and loved ones into posting Amazon reviews out of obligation, rather than genuine interest.  I cannot stress how wrong I would be to encourage this notion.  Reviews should never be given unwillingly.  

Let me say that again: Reviews should never be given unwillingly.  We should try to avoid creating situations in which false approval is the platform upon which we launch our careers as authors.  As indie and self-published authors, we’re striving to shake off the constraints and residues of the so-called “Big Bad Publishing Institution,” a process which puts the torque into the word “spin” and serious money behind works and authors that critics are paid to laud.  We can work the system, yes––and self-promotion is in large part knowing how to cultivate a certain degree of cunning––but we should never sacrifice our self-respect.

Which is why we keep revisiting this idea of the book review.

There are so many ways in which we can be both cunning and conscientious, both the serpent and the dove.  Our past posts will lead you deeper into the specifics, but suffice it to say: don’t be afraid to go after reviews, and to openly and honestly ask for them, to outright challenge your readers and those who fall within your social sphere to offer them up … and also, don’t forget that the best review is an honest review, and the best way to keep hooking in good and honest press is to write another brilliant book.  Even better, if that’s possible, is helping out a fellow indie or self-published author by exchanging books and promises to support each other with favorable––and honest!––reviews.  What better way to cut through the bureaucratic red tape of traditional publishing than to participate in the broader exchange of thoughts and ideas with the whole self-publishing community?  Up and at ’em!  ♠

KellyABOUT 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.
Kelly Speaks, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Week in Review

News From the Self-Publishing World: 8/31/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

We’ve written about Espresso Book Machines before, but now it looks like the prestigious and world-renowned Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in the Upper East Side is set to unveil one of these delightful gadgets for its patrons to use.  All that’s necessary for New York’s elite to self-publish a book is, now, to drop on by the store at Lexington and 68th Street with a flash drive in hand.  The machine prints around 100 pages a minute, and provides cover design features to make the process as easy as hailing a cab.  In addition to the EBM, Shakespeare & Co. has additional good news for self-published authors: as its summer-long renovations wrap up, the store is set to unveil a new section dedicated entirely to self-published authors!  For more information, check out Shaye Weaver’s article on DNAinfo.com.

Self-published author Zen Cho has locked in a three-book deal with major publishing houses Penguin Random House (in the US) and Pan Macmillian (in the UK).  29-year-old Cho, a London-based writer with Malay roots, has seen previous success through publication in indie online magazines and through the 2012 release of The Perilous Life Of Jade Yeo, a romance which centers on a Malaysian writer in 1920s London.  In Annabeth Leow’s article for Asia One, Cho dishes on both her writing method and the backstory to her latest book, Sorcerer to the Crown, an English Regency romance that tackles subjects as ambitious as the “transatlantic slave trade and the conquest of India,” all while adding a fantastical twist to the Alternate History genre.  While she joins the ranks of traditionally-published authors with this twist to her own tale, Cho’s story remains one that holds a lot of pith and promise for those of us who steer clear.

In this article for The Guardian, Anna Baddeley delves into what’s changed and what’s remained the same in respect to the conversations surrounding ebooks.  And the long and the short of it is this: more has changed than has stayed the same, and that’s a very good thing.  She comments on the diversification and stabilization of the ebook market and its interconnectedness with self-publishing.  To Baddeley, the obsession over whether ebooks are going to destroy the publishing industry is little more than a “distraction,” and as the market matures beyond this distraction, it lays the groundwork for a few clear benefits.  Says Baddeley, authors are now more “clued up about how books are made – and more aware of the power they have to influence what and how they read.”  For us indie and self-published authors, there’s no better encouragement to keep making the choice to empower ourselves and our readers than the knowledge that we do, indeed, have the collective power to reshape the industry to very, very good ends.

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.

KellyABOUT 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.

etsy, Kelly Speaks, Social Media Marketing

An Indie Author’s Social Media Primer | Etsy

If you’re a bibliophile, chances are you’ve heard of Etsy.  Chances are you’ve shopped on Etsy––or at the very least, window-shopped.  There’s something so winsome about this platform that just … sucks you in and then later spins you out, dazed and simultaneously envious of other peoples’ talents at handcrafts and carefully counting your change to see if you can afford to buy something beautiful today.  I’m not speaking from experience, of course.

Okay, so I am.  And what’s wrong with ogling a beautiful watercolor print of one of my favorite quotes, or eyeing a delicate little charm to add to my collection, or drooling (just a little) over the “reading fox” bookends––which happen to come in at #11 on this Buzzfeed contributor’s list of perfect gifts for the bibliophile in your life who already has all of the books that he or she might ever need.  There are at least a dozen other Buzzfeed articles that cover the exact same ground, and this isn’t just because Etsy is a great place to shop.  It’s because Etsy is a great place to both promote and sell, including for the self-published author!

Etsy

When it comes to the big social media platforms out there, nobody quite knows what to do with Etsy.  Is it social media?  Or is it just some form of social shopping, translated from the physical mall into the digital sphere?  The fact of the matter is, most people don’t think of Etsy as a digital gathering space for people so much as for objects, and that’s a crying shame.  Etsy goes out of its way to provide a friendly platform for indie and self-published authors to sell their books––and nobody seems to be talking about this very important fact!  And in large part, this mass silence can be attributed to one overarching misconception about Etsy:

Debunking the Great Etsy Myth: “It’s just a glorified Craigslist for selling vintage castoffs and overpriced coasters.”

Oh man, don’t get me started.  (Well, we’re already started.  This rant’s on me.)  Unlike last week’s post, which delved into the book-lover’s best friend Goodreads, not a lot has been written about Etsy as a community and a platform for authors––so this is all relatively new territory in respect to writing out the theory, even though Etsy has long been supportive of its self-publishing shops.  Etsy has gotten lots and lots and lots of attention, however, for carving out a vital place as a launching point for entrepreneurs of all kinds.

It’s easy to throw buzzwords like “entrepreneurial” around, but Etsy has a history of being absolutely serious about improving the lives of its users, particularly its marginalized, impoverished, or otherwise struggling users.  And self-published authors know all about struggle, right?  Sure, you can buy stuff on Etsy––but that’s not the only thing it’s good for, and if you spend even five minutes browsing the site’s many links and means of connection, you’ll get a good taste for why I’m including it in my list of Very Important Social Media Sites You Should Join Immediately!  Here are just a few thoughts to get you started.

Top 5 Best Practices:

1. Join a team … or a few.  Even before you list items in your Etsy shop to sell, you should take a gander through Etsy’s “Community” tab, and hone in on its ever-expanding list of “Teams.”  I know of at least two that are dedicated specifically to authors––this one, and this one––and there’s at least one more that’s given over exclusively to Etsy users who take part in the November NaNoWriMo challenge.  Quite apart from the wide-open general forums, these teams will help you find “your people” in Etsy.  The author groups are, for the most part, small enough to feel comfortable and large enough to provide a diverse representation of all sorts of best practices as lived out in various authors’ stores.  You don’t have to be an active seller on Etsy in order to take part in the teams and forums, which is a handy thing indeed for when you’re looking to launch your store but are still searching for ways to do so successfully!

2. Work the metadata!  Yes, yes, I know that my continual harping on boosting your “findability” is probably starting to sound like a broken record … but it’s as accurate in application to Etsy as it is on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, Goodreads, and everywhere else you can imagine.  So: fill out your seller profile page fully, and mention all of the appropriate buzzwords––”self-publishing,” “children’s book author,” “author,” and et cetera.  You can even use your profile picture to feature the cover art for your latest book.  Etsy’s seller profiles, along with each item’s individual listing, feed directly into indexing search engines like Google, so give those algorithms some meat to chew on!

3. If you printed and made your own book, list it.  There are constraints to what you can sell on Etsy, it’s true, and this is how the website has managed to differentiate itself from big box stores and that behemoth, Amazon.  Its forté is in providing specially crafted goods of limited availability, either vintage or handmade.  What qualifies as “handmade” turns out to be a rather amorphous mass of flexible options, so don’t despair!  The easiest book to sell is going to be one you printed and packaged yourself, and if you’ve chosen a Print on Demand (POD) option like this author (who uses a local printing company in the UK) or this author (who used a digital printing company for comics artists, Ka-Blam) then you’re most likely still in the clear.  If you’re unsure about where your POD company falls in respect to Etsy policy, it’s easy to drop an email to Etsy staff to confirm or to apply to work with an “outside manufacturer.”  It’s helpful to approach these occasions not as obstacles, but as safeguards––Etsy simply wants to elevate demand by ensuring an item is of high quality and limited availability.  Self-published books almost always fit these criteria!

4. If your book doesn’t quite fit the category of “handmade,” think “BUNDLE” instead!  You can still take advantage of Etsy by offering your book for sale with a related craft item, perhaps a themed bookmark or other object or piece of limited-run merchandise that somehow ties back to your work.  For example, you might include some handwritten recipe cards if you’ve self-published a cookbook, or include an original (and signed!) piece of art if you’ve self-published a picture book.  Whatever you choose, you can either make it yourself or have someone else make it for you.  Just make sure the bundle carries with it a significant personal touch!  Think in terms of bundles, and think in terms of gifts.  What would you buy to go with that new mystery you picked up for your husband?  What item would just perfectly complete your Christmas package for your bibliophile of a best friend?  These are the sorts of items that will round out your bundle!

5. Go digital.  Etsy’s policies allow for automatic downloads when buyers purchase digital files.  This absolutely includes ebooks!  Most of the ebooks for sale on Etsy are, at present, craft-related or instructional guides (as this author/seller demonstrates), but there’s a growing cadre of authors in all genres finding representation there (if you don’t believe me, check out this author, and this one, and this one).  The only limitations are size (20 MB or fewer) and format (.PDF files only), but these are relatively easy constraints to work around.  And as always, Etsy demonstrates its eagerness to set its users up for success by posting a thorough “how-to” page for listing and selling digital items.

Most Overlooked Feature:

As you might have inferred from what I’ve already written, I think the most fearfully neglected asset Etsy has in its favor is its tight-knit community of staff and fellow author-sellers.  If someone hasn’t already asked the question in their forums, and if they haven’t already addressed a concern in their “Online Labs” (found in the “Community” section) or in their “Help” pages, and if it hasn’t been thoroughly analyzed in the “Teams” discussions, then Etsy staff will go out of their way to help you out via email.  Etsy’s founders want you to succeed.  Your fellow authors and sellers want you to succeed.  You want to succeed.  It’s literally the perfect environment for a newcomer to dive into self-publishing, complete with a resilient safety net and a genuinely interested set of supportive people to serve as your cheer squad.

I hope you’ll join me in building this Social Media Primer!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line at selfpublishingadvice@gmail.com.  And remember to check back each Wednesday for your weekly dose of social media know-how. ♠

KellyABOUT 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.
from the archives, karl schroeder, Kelly Speaks

From the Archives: “Statistics Suggest Good News for the Self-Publishing Author”

Welcome back to our new Tuesday segment, where we’ll be revisiting some of our most popular posts from the last few years.  What’s stayed the same?  And what’s changed?  We’ll be updating you on the facts, and taking a new (and hopefully refreshing) angle on a few timeless classics of Self Publishing Advisor.

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[ Originally posted: December 17th, 2008 ]

Bowker, the global leader in bibliographic information management, recently released 2007 book publishing statistics compiled from its Books In Print database. Based on figures from U.S. publishers, Bowker is projecting that U.S. title output  last year increased slightly from 2006 to almost 300,000 books. That’s over a quarter of a million books published in one year alone.

Here’s another interesting statistic, while traditional book publishing was basically flat last year, there was a staggering rise in the reported number of on-demand and short-run books to 134,773, pushing the grand total for projected 2007 U.S. book output to 411,422 books. In fact, Bowker has planned to separate this particular output from its traditional reporting and has begun tracking the On Demand industry segment separately.

What does this mean for you? To begin, your book may not stock in every bookstore. Or any bookstore. And it’s entirely possible that you may not want it to.

As a self-publishing author, these statistics undoubtedly suggest your sales opportunities will continue to grow and become more profitable. Sales are shifting from offline to online. More and more people are becoming comfortable with (and even accustomed to) shopping online. Selling books online is more cost-effective than selling through a typical bookstore, and that means more money in your pocket. It’s no coincidence that Amazon’s book sales numbers mirror the same increases on an annual bases. That’s good news.

It’s been said before on this blog, make sure your self-publishing choice lets you set your own retail price, royalty, and discount to take maximum advantage of shifting consumer trends.

Something to keep in mind as you wrap up your writing and begin the publishing process.

Have fun and keep writing.

– Karl Schroeder

Well, it should come as a surprise to no one that Bowker has updated its data sets since we first wrote this blog back in 2008–and the news is, unsurprisingly, mixed but mostly positive when it comes to the world of indie and self-published authors!  The newest report, which covers industry data for precisely the years that have elapsed since our original post (2008-2013), shows that the market for ebooks as well as self-published books has mostly stabilized.

Bowker Report

Here’s what’s changed: while overall, the growth of print and ebook sales has proven to be exponential (436.53% in five years––not bad!), the rate has slowed to a still-impressive 16.56% between 2012 and 2013.  There’s no reason to believe that this should be interpreted as a “slow-down” rather than a natural stabilization, as the Bowker report breaks down the percentage of increase or decrease by indie, hybrid, or self-publishing company.  The fact that some companies are proving to be breakout successes (Smashwords and Blurb, for example) while others have seen steady growth, others slight decline, simply goes to show that the self-publishing market has responded to increased pressures by diversifying and steadying.  Says Bowker Director of Identifier Services, Beat Barblan, self-publishing is “evolving from a frantic, wild-west style space to a more serious business.”  There’s also the lovely little fact that, in 2013, there were as many self-published works (458,564 to be precise!) as there were total titles published in 2007 (including those published by traditional means).

Ebook sales continue to account for the majority of percentage increase in terms of sales over the last five years, which may provide some guidance as you move forward in selecting your self-publisher.  Whatever avenue or company you choose, take a good long look at both the Bowker report and your own personal desires when it comes to sales margins and profits.  You get to call the shots, so make sure they’re on target with the most up-to-date information.  And the verdict is in: the statistics still suggest good news for you, the self-publishing author! ♠

KellyABOUT 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.