from the archives – Page 16 – Self Publishing Advisor

Advocacy in Self-Publishing, distribution, from the archives, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Self-Publishing

From the Archives: “The Importance of Distribution in Self Publishing”

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: April 6th, 2010 ]

If a publisher focuses on discounts to an author who buys their own book in bulk, that often communicates two things. 1) That publisher is more concerned with selling to you than to other readers. 2) The publisher is charging you too much for lower quantities. Do you really want to be forced to buy 100 books at a time just to get a fair price? “Bulk” discounts simply trick the author into buying more books than they need, which defeats the whole advantage of on-demand printing.

I’ve seen many authors go down that road, and then end up with lots of books sitting in their garage or basement that no one knows about, because the distribution piece is missing. The power of the on-demand printing and EDI distribution offered in custom self-publishing take advantage of wholesale availability via multiple sales channels including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Baker and Taylor, and Ingram—North America’s largest distributor. Look also to see that your book is available through I-Page, the book ordering system available at over 25,000 bookstores and retail chains world-wide.

Do look also for a publisher that will sell your book to you at a special author discounted price as well. It’s never a bad idea to have access to an inventory to compliment your virtually endless on-demand inventory.

The power of distribution when paired with flexible pricing creates an advantageous sales combination for the self-publishing author.

There’s no easy way to sell books, but as this post back in 2010 points out, there’s no point to purchasing in bulk if you can’t actually move the copies into the hands of your readers. And as the original post expounds, an effective means of distribution remains absolutely essential in order to steer clear of stocking your basement and not those same readers’ bookshelves.

So how do you distribute books? Word-of-mouth can work, certainly, as is illustrated by the extraordinary case of Christopher Paolini, although one might argue that his case is only extraordinary because it was eventually “discovered” by the traditional publishing industry and afterwards became a massive hit. Paolini only relied on word-of-mouth and his own ardent self-marketing methods for a short while, when looking at the total “life cycle” of his Inheritance series.

It seems that selling through an online distributer is perhaps the way to go, especially when those distributers (namely, Amazon and Barnes & Noble) come with all of the might and power of a massive international company. There are certainly some extraordinary benefits to taking advantage of their systems, toward which end many hybrid publishing companies (such as Outskirts Press) provide packages geared specifically to exploit. And their digital distribution platforms, while perhaps too bulky to be truly “cutting edge,” do have all of the perquisite customer support and technical maintenance that you could wish for. There’s always an upside to walking down a path that many others are also walking down. (I’m thinking specifically of user how-to guides and FAQ forums, here––since I take advantage of those, and often.)

The ultimate point is, however, not to rely on making bulk purchases of your own book as an author, even with the possibility of an author discount. You want readers to be connecting some of the dots themselves, and buying through these (socially networked and easily findable) ecommerce platforms instead of only through you. If you are the only person who is selling your book, then that creates a kind of bottleneck for sales. Diversifying who sells your book and where it can be found is a vital component of any effective self-marketing strategy. ♠

ABOUT 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, brent sampson, from the archives, outskirts press

From the Archives: “SELF-PUBLISHING: THE NEW AMERICAN IDOL”

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[ Originally posted: February 4th, 2009 ]

Seeing Jennifer Hudson sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl reminded me of the recent article in the New York Times about the self-publishing industry, which received a lot of attention and has sparked ongoing controversy.

In spite of all evidence to the contrary, it appears conventionally published authors (and those striving to become such) still view self-publishing services with contempt because they feel authors are “cheating” somehow. After all, getting a book published traditionally is “hard work.” Those who have done it (or long to) perhaps feel as if self-published authors haven’t paid their dues.

But are they really cheating, or are they simply taking advantage of wide-spread changes occurring throughout the entertainment and business worlds?

Let’s examine other industries: The same Do-it-Yourself (DIY) fever is sweeping through the music industry. Or, to be more accurate, has already swept through the music industry. Talented musicians are no longer waiting for acceptance from the “establishment” and instead, are distributing their music through iTunes, finding their audiences through Myspace, and broadcasting their music videos via YouTube.   It is safe to say the music industry has irrevocably changed. Musicians no longer give 95% of their royalties to the “industry” and customers no longer buy CDs from brick-and-mortar music stores.

Are these musicians cheating? No. They are still paying their dues, but now the invoice comes after their music has already become available. They still must market aggressively to obtain listeners, but at least they have something to market.   The audience determines which of those musicians succeed and which of them fail.

This is no different from the self-publishing book industry.

I think it is safe to say that “becoming a rock star” is a dream that almost everyone can acknowledge, if not personally identify with; although if the ratings for American Idol are any indication, it might actually be a dream nearly everyone can identify with, too.

Other common dreams are “becoming an actor,” “becoming a model,” “becoming a professional athlete,” and yes, even “becoming a published author.”

Can you imagine the uproar that would ensue if all that was required to start playing for the New York Knicks was writing a check for $1000 to some internet company? Can you imagine the fervor if all that was required to obtain a recording contract was standing in line at some reality show try-out? Wait a minute! That’s already happening. Reality television has altered the search for “talent” and now, in rare instances, getting “discovered” is no harder than filling out an application. Nowadays, instead of submitting audition tapes to countless producers, lyricists stand in line and face the possibility of public humiliation at the hands of Simon, Paula, and Randy.

This is no different from the self-publishing book industry.

Is this “cheating,” per se, or has the do-it-yourself mentality simply removed unnecessary hurdles that prevented talent from being discovered faster? You see, talent is the one common denominator and talent cannot be purchased. Cast members of Survivor have their fifteen minutes of fame and then disappear back into the abyss. The try-outs for American Idol feature thousands upon thousands of “hopefuls” standing in lines around city blocks and yet the main competition is comprised of just a handful. Most had their opportunity to shine, and their audience rejected them. But at least they received a shot.

As the New York Times article states, self-publishing companies are thriving, and that is because we give writers their shot, their fifteen minutes, their chance. We are American Idol for writers. We make it easy to publish a book. If “publishing a book” is your dream, you’re going to be happy with the result. And if your dream is to be successful, famous, rich, or a combination of the three, you’re going to receive your chance, but just like everyone else who is successful, famous, or rich, you are going to need to bring something special to the table.

Most reasonable people recognize this. Those who don’t may become disillusioned, but listen – if it were easy to become a bestselling author, a multi-platinum recording artist, a player for the New York Knicks, or a highly-sought-after runway model, then everyone would do it.

Just because iTunes makes the distribution of music easy doesn’t mean every artist is going to become a success overnight. And just because standing in line for American Idol is easy doesn’t mean all those people are going to win an Oscar and sing the National Anthem for the Super Bowl.   Lord knows there is only one Jennifer Hudson. American Idol didn’t make her a success; talent pours from her soul. She would have found success tripping through the dark blindfolded. But American Idol shined a light on her, and she reflected back.

Self-publishing companies shine a light on writers. It is the writer’s job to shine back. Some authors do, like Gang Chen, who earned over $39,000 in royalties from Outskirts Press in the 4^th quarter of 2008. That’s $13,000 a month. Has his book sold a million copies? No. Is he making a lot of money as a self-published author? Yes. By any reasonable benchmark, Gang Chen is a successful self-published author who has given specific permission to have his successes shared.

And this brings me to my last point. All publishing companies are different, just like all writers are different, and just like all contestants on American Idol are different. Success is never guaranteed. But if you are going to self-publish your book, you’re better off publishing with a company where your chances for success increase. Above all, you have to believe in yourself and you have to work hard. Success rarely comes easily for anyone, but now, thanks to self-publishing companies, everyone has an equal chance. We’ll shine the light on you. What you do with that light is up to you.

Six years on, Brent’s words still hold true. As with many other career fields and endeavors in life, indie and self-publishing authors often suffer from what psychologists call “Imposter Syndrome.” In an excellent piece (“Imposter Syndrome, and What it Means to be an Adult”) for the journal Humanist back in 2014, Greta Christina defines imposter syndrome as “a condition where accomplished people see themselves as frauds, as not deserving of success or recognition, despite significant evidence to the contrary. I think imposter syndrome can apply to more than just career accomplishments. I think imposter syndrome can apply to every aspect of life, and our ability to navigate it as adults.” She goes on to discuss the importance of rites of passage and rituals as signposts on our way to self-acceptance and self-realization. Now, Greta Christina is approaching imposter syndrome as a humanist and not as someone specifically interested in self-publishing, but her words resonate. Indie, hybrid, and self-publishing authors are often (still) perceived as or perceive themselves as newcomers, aliens, or interlopers in the grand publishing sphere. And yet–and yet–the data shows that self-publishing is a fully respectable and increasingly respected niche. It’s so pervasively utilized by authors and readers alike that I even struggle to call it a niche.

So how do we change perspectives on self-publishing? How do we change the interior experience, the actual inhabited day-to-day emotions of being a self-publishing author? Well, if we listen to experts like Greta Christina, we invent ourselves some rites and rituals. Recognizing an unhealthy line of thought (such as, “I’m not a real author,” or “I’m only a self-published author”) and then combating it actively with positive (and true) rebuttals (“I am absolutely a real author!” or “I’m so excited to be a self-published author!”) is not just a ritual … it’s a necessity, like breaking any other bad habit.

So here, at the end of this archival revisitation, is my suggestion for a new daily ritual–

Repeat after me: I have to believe in myself and I have to work hard.

Say it again and again, until you believe in it. I believe in you. ♠

Alternative Marketing Methods, amazon, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Social Media Marketing, Viral Marketing

From the Archives: “Using Listmania to Promote your Self-Published Book”

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[ Originally posted: August 22nd, 2008 ]

If your self published book is available on Amazon.com, there are a lot of ways to promote it. Since Amazon sales should account for a large percentage of your overall book sales, this site is a good place to concentrate a lot of your efforts.

I’m going to tell you about creating a “listmania” list on Amazon. Have you ever noticed when you browse for something on Amazon, there are lists that are related to that subject that are mentioning other books and/or products?

By strategically listing products on your lists, (including YOURS of course), you can start to generate more traffic to your book listing.

Here’s how YOU can create just such a list:

Sign up for an Amazon Author Connect account if you don’t have one yet. Or sign-in to your current account.

Click on your personal “store” on the top tabs. Then select “Your Profile” from the sub-menu.

You will see lots of things you can personalize, including your bio and your online photograph.

But scroll down and you will see a section called “Listmania!” And this is where you create a listmania list.

Creating a Listmania List is a good way to increase exposure for your book.

Obviously, you want to ensure that your book is on your list.

But the real trick to a successful Listmania list depends upon the OTHER books you put on your list, the ones written by other people.

There are two ways to go about it.

1 – Adding books to your list that are applicable to your subject. The idea behind this concept is easy — if someone reads your list because they were browsing a similar book, they’ll be more apt to buy YOUR book because they’re interested in the subject.

2 – On the other hand, you can add very popular books to your list, since more people may have a chance of seeing it, even if fewer of them will be interested in your book.

I recommend creating multiple lists and trying different tactics to see which is more successful. Amazon lets you track the number of times your list was viewed. Use these numbers to create better lists in the future.

If you have more specific questions about creating a listmania list, the Amazon FAQ will help you.

So here’s the thing: Listmania doesn’t really exist anymore! Back in 2013, Amazon ceased offering support and guidance on using the Listmania interface, and it was entirely dismantled and rendered unusable over the months following. (Adrienne Dupree over at Leave The Corporate World Behind even wrote a lovely little lament to mark its final passing.) And this fact means that, on the one hand, we have to throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to our original post … but on the other hand, this presents the perfect opportunity to present you with new and fresh ways of utilizing Amazon for your self-promoting and self-marketing ends (as a self-publishing author).

First, we need to break down exactly what Listmania offered the average author. Essentially, this featured compiled lists–and this makes sense, given its name–but it was not to be confused with Amazon’s wish lists, gift lists, and registries, or even Goodreads’ Listopia lists (which still exist). These lists were designed to focus a reader’s attention on products that were similar or in some way related to products that a customer had already been viewing. By strategically listing popular products on your lists, including your own book, you were–in theory–able to generate more traffic to your book listing when people viewed your Listmania lists. This brings us full circle to that one key word I’ve been lobbing around a lot lately: findability. An Amazon Listmania list was supposed to render you and your book more findable, but to many people it remained just another one of the giant retailer’s many algorithmic mysteries.

And yet … findability remains important. There simply are better ways of going about it!

Here are my top 3 recommendations for filling that gaping hole in your heart once occupied by Amazon Listmania:

Start a Pinterest page. Not just any Pinterest page, mind. (And I’ve written about Pinterest recently in depth, so I won’t make like a broken record and repeat myself too much here.) Whip up a Pinterest page (or “pin” to a “board”) where you collect together other books along with other somehow related objects that your ideal reader might want to purchase. For example, someone who reads Hugh Howey’s Wool might want to pick up some tickets to tour the Titan Missile Museum outside of Tucson, or perhaps some Wool-inspired art prints.
Create a public Amazon Wishlist. This is easy to do, and it serves much the same function as a Listmania list–only, you’ll have to do a touch more legwork to advertise the list’s existence, since these wishlists aren’t necessarily designed to be searchable. For more information, hop on over to the Amazon how-to page for wishlists, and peruse at your leisure. Each wishlist is shareable across any platform you might wish, and you can snag a web link to copy and paste into emails or Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, or any other kind of social media feed you can imagine.
Take a stab at an entirely new social media platform. The reason why Listmania disappeared is that nobody was using it, or at least, too few people were using it to make it worth Amazon’s efficiently allocated time to advertise and maintain. It had a function, but it wasn’t one that really connected with Amazon’s user base. To make yourself findable these days, you must needs throw yourself into the post-millennial age, and go where your readers are. I’m not necessarily an advocate of just trying anything–you should always do a little cross-demographic market research to see if your readers actually are the sort who use Snapchat or Instagram or Tumblr or Twitter–but as a good friend told me last week, “Just doing what you’ve always done and expecting things to improve is a special kind of lunacy. Sometimes you have to innovate.” So–innovate, with calm but cautious optimism. ♠

Book Reviews, from the archives, Kelly Speaks, lunar eclipse, supermoon

From the Archives: “Self-published Book Review of the Week: The Science of Life”

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[ Originally posted: November 7th, 2010 ]

The Science of Life
Ronnie Lee
9781432758639 $34.95

Some things in life can’t be quantified by numbers. “The Science of Life: Philosophical Equations of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Religion” is a discussion that seeks to blend science with philosophy and religion, with a unique format from Ronnie Lee, a Chinese poet and philosopher. Giving readers a lot to ponder and think about and discussing major scientific breakthroughs and discoveries, done in a poetic style, “The Science of Life” is a unique experience that will be hard to match.

Susan Bethany
Reviewer

This Book Of Science is a unique volume of poetry full of scientific equations to understand fundamental scientific values of today such as quantum entanglement, gravity, relativity, string theory, genetics and even the origin of life. From Newton to Einstein to Bohr to Schrodinger, this book covers a history of physics, to uncover, inspire and unravel new laws of science to allow the past generation to be understood by the new and future generations to come. The information age has allowed a Golden Age of Science to begin and this book is a fundamental research log for the start of the new era of quantum mechanics, nanotechnology and space exploration. It attempts to align everything in science towards an orderly, easy and efficient method of deduction for a grand unfied theory and a practical logic to make science a success for society to reach its goals and ambitions for wealth, profit and worth. It attempts to unite the laws of life in the simplest way possible; through the heart and mind of a philosopher.

If you’re up on your space-related news, you’ll probably already be aware that two days ago, on the night of September 27th, North America was in a prime location to watch a beautiful three-and-a-half hour total lunar eclipse of a supermoon (that is, a moon that appears larger than normal because it is at its closest approach to earth), and it was also the last blood moon and harvest moon of the year. Night-sky lovers began celebrating early, on the 19th, by coining a new “day”–that is, International Observe the Moon Day. (Next year, in 2016, IOtMD will be on October 6th. Mark your calendars!)

Why do I bring this up? Well, first and foremost, because I’m a bit of what my family calls a “space enthusiast.” I love looking at the night sky, and I sometimes find inspiration there–but I also love reading about the night sky, and about the science that makes such stellar displays, well, stellar. So as my paltry little contribution to this week of astronomical wonder, I thought we might revisit one of our early book reviews, for Ronnie Lee’s The Science of Life.

Since we first posted a review of Lee’s poetry back in 2010, he has released a book trailer through his publisher, Outskirts Press. (See below.)

And the reviews have certainly come in! Ronnie Lee himself has posted a comment to his Amazon book page to say:

This is my eighth book and it holds insights into advanced yet simple, new and fundamental laws of classical and quantum physics including entanglement, quantum dots, gravity and relativity. These hold practical inventions that can be created like teleportation, engines and other tools like better cameras and scanners etc. With different approaches in equations and logics, this book shows new perspectives and theories to underline the mechanisms of the physics of the universe. It also hold clues, theories and logics to the origin of life and to some equations to understand AIDS, Cancer and Schizophrenia. By adapting standard rules, equations and logics, the procedure to analyzing complex systems from isolated systems on chemistry, physics and biology to the universe itself can be understood, used and measured to find practicality for human success in science to reach our technological capacity as creators. With a chapter on religion and the importance of moral balance that must be stabilized with the technological reality, we must gain faith and advice from God, allowing truth from the Holy Spirit to guide us for survival, health and worth with Jesus being the path where unjust dangers on Earth must unite with the just peace of Heaven and only through the narrow door can evil gain the wealth of the good through Jesus Christ. The religious story of life has long been told and so has their prophecies. This book may fulfill some prophecies and start some new ones too. It is a book of science for the success of life.

That’s some heady stuff, folks, and I don’t know about you, but I can certainly always appreciate some uplifting commentary on the intersection between science, faith, politics, and art.

Whether you pick up a new book this week, or sit on your front porch to watch the waning moon rise and set, I hope you find something new to fall in love with, and new stories to immerse yourself in. That is what, to me, my “space enthusiast” tendencies do: they help me fall in love, or back in love, with the minutiae of daily life. ♠

ABOUT 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.

bobbie christmas, Book Doctor, from the archives, poetry

From the Archives: “The Book Doctor on Poetry and Publishing”

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[ Originally posted: July 1st, 2010 ]

Q: How would I go about publishing an original one-hundred-page poetry book? Generally how much would the profit be from such a book?

A: You have quite a few options and potential paths when it comes to publishing. Before you decide to self-publish or try to sell a book to a publisher, first you must know your goals and assess your abilities. My fifty-minute seminar on CD called “I Finished My Book; What Should I Do Next?” covers the decision-making process, so you’ll know which way to go, whether you want to self-publish or attempt to find a publisher, and if you self-publish, whether you want to use a traditional printer, print-on-demand (POD), or a company that helps in the publishing process. I crammed the seminar with information and included many pages of supplemental printed material, so you can understand why I can’t answer your question in detail in only a few paragraphs.

Here’s a little information to help, though.

If you already know you want to self-publish, your next step depends on whether you want to handle all the pre-printing details, such as editing, internal and cover design, ISBN numbers, and finding a printer, or whether you prefer to rely on a company that handles those details for you—for a price. Read a good book on self-publishing and learn all aspects of it before you make your decision. Also carefully scrutinize the company you choose as a printer or publisher—know there is a difference—and carefully ensure that the services the company provides are the services you need.

You also asked how much profit to expect. Let me first ask a question: When did you last buy a poetry book? If you are like most Americans, you have not bought a single poetry book in the last ten years. Although millions of people write poetry, not many write it well, and even fewer buy poetry books. Poetry books rarely make any profit at all.

Although few Americans make much if any money from poetry, it is the highest form of literary art. Once writers master poetry, they can apply those skills to their fiction and nonfiction and increase their chances of making money with their prose.

My news should not discourage you, however. If you put a great deal of time and effort into marketing, you might make some money after all. At least one poet I know used POD for his books and travels the country giving readings. He writes excellent poetry and performs it well, and he has sold close to a thousand copies of his book. He chose POD, which gives him less profit per book than if he had chosen a traditional printer, but he did not have to invest a huge amount of money up front or store thousands of books, so the tradeoff suits his needs.

As you can see, the answer to both questions—how to go about getting a poetry book published and how much you might profit—are the same: It depends on what you are willing and able to do, and none of the paths are simple. Educate yourself first and then decide what works best for you.

When Bobbie Christmas (author of Write in Style, printed by Union Square Publishing, and owner of Zebra Communications) first wrote this question-and-answer post for us back in mid-2010, the self-publishing market was still young enough that authors could rely on readers to purchase the big “staples” of the book market––meaning fiction, and especially genre fiction––but the so-called “niche” markets and genres were still somewhat a) underdeveloped, b) undiscovered, or c) the data wasn’t available to analyze their profitability.

Luckily, we have on board our Tuesday “From the Archives” vehicle a time machine which allows us to jump five years forward from 2010 … to 2015. (Please allow me to pretend there’s actual time travel involved! It’s a Tuesday, after all.) And when it comes to self-published poetry, we have a great deal more information at our fingertips today than ever before.

First, I might point you to the experience of Mirtha Michelle Castro Marmol, whose book of poems (Letters, to the Men I Have Loved) has not only done moderately well––it has done so exceptionally well as to remain on Amazon’s bestseller lists for months. MMCM published through Outskirts Press, a hybrid publishing company based out of the Denver area, and OP ran a feature and interview piece with her on their official blog. “The most rewarding part [of being published] is and will always be the ability Letters has to touch people,” says MMCM. “It’s crazy because I didn’t think people really read books anymore. But for me, having these girls go and buy my book, and spend their twenty dollars or so on Letters––it’s amazing, that someone believes in things still.” Readers have been snapping up copies of her book, both in physical and digital forms, at such a rate as to firmly prove that people still “really read books”––including poetry.

Secondly, I might point you to this blog post by self-published poets Terri Kirby Erickson and Michelle True. (Every day there are more and more useful online resources like theirs that are sent out into the aether, and now the greater struggle is not just to find information, but to determine which information is actually useful.) This particular post is handy, not because it provides a template or how-to guide to put you on a path to success (though it might also do that, in a sense) but because it provides an anthology of the ways in which these two self-published poets have already found ways to sell their books. If you needed affirmation that you can be a poet, and a self-published poet at that, and find your readers––well, take a look. Articles like the one Denise Enck wrote for the Empty Mirror is much more prescriptive, and may help fill in the gaps.

Lastly, I might also point you to a bit of anecdotal evidence: Yesterday, I was in my local library, browsing the new additions, when I overheard a patron talking with one of the librarians at the front desk. “Where would I find the poetry?” she asked. “I don’t see much of it here.” The librarian pointed out that the poetry was mixed in with poetry, nonfiction, and even young adult, junior fiction, and junior nonfiction. “But why?” asked the patron. “All I want to read is some poetry. It’s the only kind of book that I actually enjoy!” The library did happen to have a section dedicated to local authors, many of whom were self-published.

What Bobbie Christmas wrote back in 2010 still holds true: “none of the paths are simple.” But today we have the benefit of knowing that, while writing remains a highly personal and sometimes borderline crazy endeavor, writers of all types and creeds and genres and niche markets are finding success, finding readers, and finding their true voice. Keep writing, dear readers. And keep publishing! ♠

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