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Advocacy in Self-Publishing, Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

In Your Corner: The Polar Vortex of Marketing

 

winter storm cat book

Are you managing to survive the current polar vortex sweeping across North America? (If you live in the southern hemisphere and are currently toasting your toes on a beach somewhere … is your suitcase large enough to stuff an adult human into? Asking for a friend.) This is the time of year—after the holiday magic has well and truly worn off, and before the rejuvenating effects of spring have kicked in—when we start feeling truly down and out. And of course, since everything is connected, our self-publishing adventures tend to suffer just as much as our general mood and the cleanliness level of our kitchens. (What? Your kitchen is still tidy? What’s wrong with me?) This is the time when we need a touch of encouragement to make it through the polar vortex, or whatever interminably cold and barren patch of ground we face.

It’s probably no secret at this point that I love Goodreads, the hybrid social media site for dedicated readers and book reviewers; it’s how I track what I’m reading, especially when my to-read pile (it’s actually an entire bookshelf, plus an extra coffee table, now) gets a little bit out of control. (Who am I kidding? It’s always out of control.) Well, back in October of 2016, the Goodreads blog hosted a series of posts that may prove to be exactly what you need to read right now, as a self-publishing author facing the doldrums yourself. The first post to catch my eye included a series of quotes from popular self-publishing authors such as Hugh Howey, such as:

hugh howey quote

colleen hoover quote

and …

andy weir quote

 

The post was titled “Advice for Aspiring Indie Authors by Successful Indie Authors” and I highly recommend that you check it out, as well as its sequel, “Indie Authors Share Their Secrets to Creating Successful Self-Publishing Careers,” which features much more lengthy insights from a number of others. As authorities on the subject, sometimes writers such as Weir and Hoover and Howey have the power to both inspire us and flip that emotional switch buried deep inside us, the one that gets a bit, ahem, iced over with repeated disappointment or from lack of use. If you’re at all like me, this is the time of year when my creative energy is at its absolute lowest, and I sometimes don’t even realize what all is possible, I’m so swept up in the blues. A wise word or two acts like a shock to the system, reminding me that, yeah, actually, I *can* do this thing I’ve been meaning to do, but have been feeling too anxious and self-sabotaging to get started on.

This week, take a moment to witness and absorb the wise words of these authors and remember what got you into self-publishing in the first place. Remember the joy that comes with carving out a space for yourself in the world of words, and seeing something you’ve written out there, changing the lives of those lucky enough to find it.

Now we can get started thinking about how to help more people be that lucky, right?

More on that next week!

You are not alone. ♣︎

Do you have ideas to share? Please don’t hesitate to drop us a line in the comments section, and I’ll make sure to feature your thoughts and respond to them in my next post!

Elizabeth

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Outskirts Press. The Sales and Marketing departments are composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.

 

news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 1.29.2019

January, illustrated name of calendar month, illustration

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!

We’ve been following the evolution of Wattpad for some time now, and the latest news is BIG: Wattpad, known far and wide as a host and home for free self-published digital stories, is now opening their very own publishing imprint for print books. This update, from Kidscreen contributor Alexandra Whyte, covers the basics. Writes Whyte:

The new division plans to leverage the company’s human editorial resources and its Story DNA machine learning technology to identify and publish stories that stand out from the  565 million-plus titles that are uploaded on its platform. Wattpad Books will also use audience data, along with global reading trends, to find international hits on the platform and some hidden gems to publish.

Its first YA six offerings will span fantasy, romance, mystery and more. Titles include: The QB Bad Boy & Me by Tay Marley (26.3 million reads), available on August 20; Trapeze by Leigh Ansell (2.5 million reads), on September 10; What Happened That Night by Deanna Cameron (one million reads), on September 17; Cupid’s Match by Lauren Palphreyman (46.4 million reads), on October 1; Saving Everest by Sky Chase (17.2 million reads), on October 8; and I’m a Gay Wizard by V.S. Santoni (400,000 reads), on October 29.

Much of our coverage on Wattpad here in the blog has been tied to Wattpad’s many successes, but it’s worth noting that many (if not most) of the stories uploaded to the site do not see blockbuster breakout success the way that the above have. Many of the most successful Wattpad stories seem to benefit from the same systems that underpin successes in other indie environments: authors who are engaged, social media savvy, and inventive marketers. We look forward to seeing how Wattpad’s latest venture goes! Also worth noting: The Verge also covered Wattpad’s big news, and you can read that article [here].

We can’t think of anything more quintessentially British than the boy who lived than, perhaps, the name Adam Croft. Croft, whose books are published exclusively online and distributed digitally, was “at one point […] earning an incredible £2,000 a day in royalties from his books, making him one of the world’s most successful independently published authors.” This comes to us by way of Express contributor Alice Pulham, who writes to argue that Croft’s example provides “an inspiring story for anyone who wants to be a writer but fears that the world of traditional publishing isn’t for them.” Pulham’s article covers Croft’s rise from obscurity over the last decade to become a force to be reckoned with in the wordsmithing community; he has now published upwards of 16 books, one of which (Her Last Tomorrow) sold “an amazing 150,000 copies in just five months.” Says Pulham, “Adam’s success shows just what can be achieved by authors with the drive and business sense to self publish, and is refreshingly direct about the book market. ‘Ultimately, the market will decide what books they want to buy, rather than publisher A or B.'” We couldn’t agree more, and we look forward to hearing more from this iconic British self-publishing author in the future.

spa-news

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 each month to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

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Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Self-Published Book Review: “My Nana Was a Free-Range Kid”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.
When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review:

My Nana Was a Free-Range Kid by NAncy Peek Youngdahl

My Nana Was a Free-Range Kid

by Nancy Peek Youngdahl

ISBN: 9781478704928

mom's choice award silver

Synopsis*:

My Nana was an Outrageously Mischievous kid. In the 1940s and ’50s, children were allowed to run free, play outside, and use their imaginations-without parents constantly hovering over them and fearing for their safety. In her own small town in North Carolina-with very little traffic, and neighbors who actually knew each other-Nana was no exception to the free-range kid phenomenon. But as an outrageously mischievous child that was left to her own devices, she sure got into some amazing and hilarious adventures. It was a glorious time to be a child! Both of Nana’s parents worked, so she and her brother were often unsupervised. They wreaked havoc most of the time, thus living an exciting childhood. Nana’s stories-told to her great-grandchildren-are all true. She relates how her family and neighbors survived in spite of her and is quick to let her great-grandchildren know what not to do. As she says, if she had lived as a child today, she’d probably be locked up in a juvenile home!

 * courtesy of Amazon.com

Featured Review

Her Nana was a lot like me when I was young.  I climbed trees, hung out by the creek, rode my bicycle, played in the barn and did anything I could to keep from being bored.  No one worried about me.  Life was different then.

The author shared a copy of this book with me for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

Nana climbed trees and hung from them mimicking the trapeze artists in the circus.  When she falls and knocks all the breath out of her, her brother helps her recover.

They also pretended her brother was a lion tamer and she was a lion, but the platform collapsed.

The worst thing they did was make a small fire and cook marshmallows. They thought they put the fire out, but it restarted and burnt the woods.  Never play with fire!

Nana has even more adventures you can read about.  Do you have a free range kid in your household?

– Reviewed by Jo Ann Hakola on The Book Faerie

Other Reviews

Non-Fiction recounts of the author’s free-range childhood in the 1940s & 50s, and the amazing and hilarious adventures initiated with my younger brother. The author lived an active childhood and wreaked havoc all around her neighborhood. The beautiful illustrations in my book could tell the stories without a printed word. This book is narrated by the author’s great-granddaughter who declares over and over her love for her grandparents and how important they are in her life. Her Nana’s yarns tie in many different lessons in what “not to do” and the themes throughout the book will surely hold imaginations long beyond the last page. Today’s child needs to know that family history is a very valuable commodity and should never be forgotten.

– reviewed on bookreviewbuzz

The events shared by “Nana” in this book will open opportunities for grandparents to relate stories about their own childhood.

– reviewed by Linda Ratcliff on Amazon

Book Trailer

 

 

tuesday book review

Thanks for reading!  Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space!

Self Publishing Advisor

selfpubicon1

news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 1.22.2019

January, illustrated name of calendar month, illustration

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!

Not to start us off on a negative note or anything, but this article from the Wall Street Journal last week by contributor Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg hits hard and doesn’t let up. As we’re all probably pretty well aware by now, Amazon has made bookselling (print and digital) as well as distribution at large a cornerstone of its commercial success, and their farsighted planning a decade ago are paying major dividends now, in the late 2010s. Fascinatingly, Trachtenberg uses the story of Mark Sullivan (author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky, a huge hit from 2017–and published by Amazon rather than one of the Big Five traditional publishing houses) to navigate the company’s long story of evolution from small tech start-up to a major force to be reckoned with, in book sales as well as everything else–including customer data points, which the company harvests in bulk. A complex and nuanced take on publishing in the age of Amazon, we highly recommend taking a look at this article–which also appeared in the WSJ’s January 17 print edition under the title ‘Amazon Rewrites Publishing By Pushing Its Own Books.”

One of the keen advantages that self-publishing has over the traditional model is its speed of turnaround and the general rapidity of the process. David Sharp of the AP, syndicated in this week’s Idaho Statesman, covers the posthumous publication of Dead Poets Society of America founder Walter Skold’s poetry collection, The Mirror is Not Cracked. Skold, who passed away in January of 2018, took his children on some of his many road trips to visit the grave sites of more than 300 great poets, and amassed a body of his own poems as well–the basis for the book. His children then elected to publish those poems in print to honor his memory, and elected to self-publish so as to release the book on the anniversary of Skold’s passing. Writes Sharp, “He launched the Dead Poets Society in 2008 in Freeport, Maine, drawing inspiration for the name from the 1989 Robin Williams movie. […] While alive, Walter Skold hatched the idea of creating a new holiday, National Poets Remembrance Day, on the Sunday closest to Oct. 7, the date Edgar Allan Poe died. He viewed it as a day to celebrate all poets, including those who have died.” Now that he’s passed on, his children and those who also lived to celebrate the poets are able to commemorate his life and love of words through the self-published tome–and those who are hearing about him for the first time can take part in the society he helped to found.

If you’ve spent much time in the world of comics lately, you’ll know that there’s a new force to be reckoned with in the land of superheroes (and more): Kickstarter. This article, courtesy of Forbes contributor Rob Salkowitz, dives into the decline of direct comic distribution (think of Diamond) and the rise of Kickstarter-funded projects as an alternative to the big publishing houses, including Marvel and DC. “Comic projects got funded at a nearly 70% success rate,” writes Salkowitz, “indicating that creators are doing a better job than ever finding their audience and mobilizing fans to support crowdfunded work.” But it’s not all clear skies and easy sailing, Salkowitz notes: Kickstarter projects are underrepresented by traditional comic promotional avenues such as the touted Previews catalog so familiar to comic lovers. Writes Salkowitz, the publishing system “has always rested on the weakest points: hard-pressed creators who struggle to make ends meet during the long lead times to write, draw, package and distribute their work, and the uncoordinated network of small, local businesses that connect comics to customers. Both are resilient beyond all reasonable expectation, able to survive through market conditions that would kill most other kinds of businesses. But that resilience is not without limits, and if the trends of 2018 continue, those limits will surely be tested this year.” Keep that in mind as you pick out your next selection at the comic book store!

spa-news

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 each month to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

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news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 1.15.2019

January, illustrated name of calendar month, illustration

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!

The biggest news here at the start of 2019 would have to be the fact that authors are, overall, earning less money. Niall McCarthy of Forbes has put together a nice and succinct report-on-a-report for those looking to understand what this news means for authors–including self-publishing authors. “The drop,” writes McCarthy, “appears to be impacting nearly all categories of authorship and writers of literary fiction have been hardest hit, suffering a 43% fall in earnings since 2013. There was one exception and that was self-published authors who saw their book-related income almost double since 2013, though it remains 58% lower than for traditionally published authors.” So it’s not all bad news for self-publishing authors, for many of whom self-publishing is ancillary to their other income streams–but it does seem to be bad news for the traditional publishing industry, when all the implications are weighed. So what’s causing this drop in income over time? McCarthy (and those he interviewed for this article) place the blame firmly in Amazon’s corner. Writes McCarthy, “While Amazon can prove positive for some authors, particularly those seeking to self-publish, it forces publishers to accept narrower margins and those losses get passed onto authors through lower advances and royalties.”  McCarthy’s article is accompanied by the following infographic, and we highly recommend you read the full Forbes article–here.

publishing income author earnings

Interestingly, the Forbes article is confirmed and supported by today’s second article of note–one which comes from Publishers Weekly, and which provides more of the background information covered in Forbes. They tackle the Authors Guild survey (which purports to be the “largest survey of U.S. professional writers ever conducted,” for context). PW contributor Calvin Reid writes that it’s not all bad news, however, and he tackles the big question of “what next?” that so many authors will be asking after reading the Authors Guild report:

The report includes a number of proposals to counter the slide of authors earnings. Among them the report calls on Congress to allow authors to join together to bargain collectively with giant self-publishing platforms like Amazon, Google and Facebook for better terms; calls on online resellers to pay royalties on the sales of new books; asks for better library funding to allow them to deliver a royalty to authors for lending books to the public; urges publishers to pay higher royalties on e-books and on deeply discounted books; and urges publishers to destroy all book returns to prevent these titles from reaching the secondary market.

So what can you do, as an author or reader of self-published and traditionally published works, do? You can voice your concerns directly to those who shape policy and procedure–the companies dominating the publishing and distribution fields, as well as the politicians who govern commerce overall–and push for the further democratization and empowerment of authors. It’s not all bad news for self-publishing authors, of course–our income levels have more than doubled in the last decade–but we’re still, as the report notes, falling some 58% short on average of traditionally published authors. So there’s still work to be done in raising the profile of self-publishing authors around the world, in addition to everything else. If you’re interested in championing the cause, we highly recommend you check out the full PW article at the link.

spa-news

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 each month to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

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