Amazon – Page 12 – Self Publishing Advisor

Self-publishing Amazon and the Kindle

I love the feel of a book in my hand, marking up pages and highlighting my favorite passages. The process of it all. And books are also a contribution to my physical space in a design sort of function. I enjoy the presence of the different sizes, shapes, and colors on my bookshelves. The collection is somewhat a statement of self, and often a conversation catalyst with visitors.

But for the publishing industry, the importance of e-books is undeniable. This past Christmas, for the second year in a row, the # 1 selling item on Amazon.com was the Kindle e-book reader. Guess what – if people are buying e-book readers, their buying ebooks. Your e-books. The advantage for self-publishing authors is that you can price your e-book version more competitively, sell in more places instantaneously, and market for virtually nothing.

Do you have a Facebook page and Twitter handle? Are they linked to your publisher? Do you follow and participate in your publisher’s blog? If not, now is the time to start. Social media avenues provide a great place to promote your books.

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Self-Publishing

Kindle versus iPad. Or, not really at all…

At the recent Self-publishing Book Expo in New York City, Amazon’s Jason Kuykendall admitted to owning both a Kindle and an iPad.

(Don’t tell Jeff Bezos!) He already knows, and should because this is a good thing for Amazon, and for self-publishing authors. As Jason pointed out, the Kindle is more than a device among the various available – it is a distribution channel. As a reader, you may have a preference, or as can be the case with Apple an open prejudice. We’ll let Bezos and Jobs worry about those manufacturing and marketing details.

As an author, these devices are much more than readers, they are distribution channels from the Espresso Book Machine all the way up to Ingram. Instead of being readers, the Kindle and iPad are for authors important distribution channels.

Be sure to check with your publisher about options distributing through as many as possible.

Book Promotion

Using an Ebook Edition to Promote Your Self-published Book

Ebooks are bigger than ever, with recent news of Borders jumping into the mix this month. Aside from actually selling your ebook, did you know that an ebook edition of your self-published book can actually work into the promotion of your hard copy book.

Its no secret that the distribution of an ebook is quicker and more affordable. With your electronic ebook file, you can literally sell the same “thing” over and over again. By giving people a choice between your ebook and your paperback, you offer them two different price points. You can even publish portions of your ebook as a ‘teaser’ to promote your hardcopy book, selling one to literally sell the other.

If you don’t have an ebook edition, there is no better time than now to get one. If you have an ebook edition of your book, perhaps you are already using it to promote your hard copy version on places like Amazon’s Kindle Store, iPad, or any number of other new distribution options.

Choosing a Publisher

The Kindle effect in self-publishing

Commerce doesn’t exist without value, or in today’s age, pricing. Pricing is about availability, and availability implies no easy substitutes (real or perceived).

The internet has dramatically flattened and widened availability. The number of books a brick-and-mortar store can make available is a kernel compared to the capacity of Amazon, not to mention what the advent of digital formats and the Kindle have contributed. Real availability is virtually limitless. That effect cannot but have implication on pricing, right? It seems that some traditional publishers are slow to catch on when pricing books, especially their digital and Kindle titles.

But this is big news for the self-publishing author. With full-service self-publishing options, you can now integrate a Kindle edition into the version library of your book AND control your own pricing, keeping 100% of your royalties. And here is the key – Amazon pays royalties based on one of two retail price categories:

$2.99 – $9.99 received 70% royalties

Above or below receive just 35%.

It seems like Amazon understands one or two things about commerce, and this couldn’t be better for self-publishing authors.

Book Marketing, Choosing a Publisher, Self-Publishing

Stocking Self-published Books

Understanding how distribution works in the current POD publishing model makes a strong case for focusing book sales and marketing exclusively from literally tens of thousands of online exclusive venues from the micro-niche outlets to the whopper marketplace that is Amazon.

Even though this model is over a decade old, the concept has been slow to absorb among authors and retailers alike. Visiting a brick-and-mortar store is an experience after-all, and there is value in reaching real readers in real spaces.

Whether or not to stock a book in a brick-and-mortar store is a decision for each author to make upon careful consideration to the content, market, and return-on-investment, etc., because there are distinct qualifications most books must meet in order for a store buyer to decide whether or not to physically stock a book in their store. Remember, Amazon can stock virtually every book available in the ‘cloud’ or virtual space. Brick-and-mortar stores have very real limitations in terms of space and their own ROI to consider.

So if your goal is to stock your self-published ‘on-demand’ book in physical retail locations, consider these 3 qualifications when preparing your book for publication:

Retail Returns – this is like insurance for the retailer, allowing them to return any unsold books after a set period of time. A handful of full-service on-demand publishers offer this option. It will come at a cost to the author.
Distribution Discount – while online retailers will often stock a book as low as 25%, offline stores will require a steeper discount – 50-55%. Their cost and investment is higher. The downside means lower royalties and/or higher retail prices for the book.
Buzz – sure, books printed and sold on-demand require ‘buzz’ too, but that buzz comes before the book is sold, and sells the book. A brick-and-mortar store is taking a bigger risk, buying books that have yet to actually sell to a reader, so they’ll be looking for a book they feel has a potential to move. Don’t hesitate blowing your own horn. Or, look for a publisher that will help do it for you through options like copywriting, custom design work, personal marketing assistance, and press campaigns.

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