Tag: self-published

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

News From the Self-Publishing World: 11/23/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

We pretty much love i09, the millennial go-to forum for all news fandom-related.  And when an article begins with the line, “At an anti-library closure protest, local magician and comics legend Alan Moore had some surprising words” you can bet we sit up and pay attention––particularly when those “surprising words” end up rallying support to the self-publishing cause.  The article by Kaila Hale-Stern, which posted to i09 on November 19th, records Moore as saying “Publishing today is a complete mess. I know brilliant authors who can’t get their books published [….] Publish yourself. Don’t rely upon other people.”  Says Hale-Stern, “It’s rare and refreshing for an established writer to promote the potential boons of self-publishing and be honest about their perception of what lies behind the industry curtain.”  Moore’s words aren’t exactly  hot off the press (the protest actually took place back in 2011), but Hale-Stern’s decision to resurrect them––and to a high-traffic website like i09––says a lot about what millennials are hungering for.  HINT: It’s not more bureaucratic red tape and rejection by traditional publishers.  For more of Hale-Stern’s article, visit her article here.

In another article published on the 19th, GalleyCat contributor Dianna Dilworth updates readers on the latest development for self-publishing authors looking to break into the audiobook market––and, fittingly enough, this week that involves the launch of a new self-publishing tool by the audiobook industry supergiant, Audiobooks.com.  (When you own the domain name, you must be close to the top of your pyramid.)  The platform is being called Author’s Republic, and according to Dilworth it will allow self-publishing authors to “submit titles to Audiobooks.com, Audible, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scribd, Downpour, and tunein, as well as library providers such as Findaway and Overdrive.”  The benefits seem (from a cursory glance at least) to be notable: “Most of these platforms will pay authors an average of 35 percent royalty on what their titles are sold for. iTunes and Amazon will pay a 25 percent royalty.”  Only time will tell if this new service measures up to existing competitors, of course.  For more information, follow the link.

Self-publishing made it into the Huffington Post this last week!  In an article for HuffPost Books on November 20th, contributor Brooke Warner writes that “Most writers have traditional publishing aspirations” in that “They want an agent to fall in love with their project and champion their work; they’re looking for the external validation of being accepted by a publishing house; their fantasies about getting published involve a red carpet experience that’s increasingly elusive in this industry.”  But so few aspiring authors receive that validation, despite having genuinely rich material to submit.  The solution?  According to Warner, you can fine-tune your approach to agents and publishers alike, but the one option which will always be open to you is that of the indie, hybrid, and self-publishing market.  Says Warner, “Independent publishing is a blossoming middle ground for authors, and in many cases you can replicate the experience you always dreamed of having–though you pay for it instead of being paid for it.”  Obviously we’re a little biased here at SPA, but we fully advocate for more creative control!  To catch more of Warner’s article, check out the original post.

When it comes to self-publishing, or publishing in general, “art books” don’t get a lot of love or attention.  But they should!  I mean, what’s more eye-catching and giftable than a beautiful oversized book full of illustrations and photographs?  And with the digital revolution has come a parallel evolution in the creation and editorial tools now available to artists and photographers––so really, seeing someone pay attention to them is both refreshing and necessary.  In this November 20th piece for Publisher’s Weekly,  Ryan Joe writes that “despite the amount of work that goes into such an endeavor, numerous creators—some big names in their respective fields, others up-and-comers—are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to getting their art books published.”  He goes on to document the ways and means in which several of these creators have trailblazed the way for other artists to follow, and in so doing Joe creates a summary guide for authors looking to flex a different self-publishing muscle.  Well worth a second look, we’d expect!

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.

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From the Archives: “Using Amazon Tags to Promote Your 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: March 4th, 2011 ]

Today’s post is by book marketing industry expert, Kelly Schuknecht.

A Tag on Amazon is a keyword or category label that customers can add. Tags can help customers find similar items on Amazon.  For example, adding Tags to the listing for your book on Amazon can help customers find your book when they are searching the Tags for similar books.

You can find the Tag section within a listing on Amazon towards the bottom of the page.  Here’s an example of the Tags associated with the book 33 Million People in the Room:

As a customer, you can click the existing Tags and add your own Tags, up to 15 per item.  As you can see, customers have Tagged this book as “facebook,” “internet marketing,” “social media marketing,” “twitter,” and several other things.  The first Tag, “facebook,” shows that this book has been Tagged “facebook” by 46 customers on Amazon.

After reading this book, a customer might be interested in reading more books about Facebook.  Clicking on the “facebook” Tag will open up a new page of all products that have been Tagged “facebook” (currently 585 products).

On the left side the customer can narrow the search results by other popular Tags.  For example, if the customer wanted to read more about marketing on Facebook, they could select “internet marketing” and narrow the results to 101 products.  The results might give the customer a few ideas of books they might want to read, such as:

#1 – Attention! This Book Will Make You Money: How to Use Attention-Getting Online Marketing to Increase Your Revenue by Jim F. Kukral

#5 – Social Media Marketing: Strategies for Engaging in Facebook, Twitter & Other Social Media by Liana Evans

# 11 – Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series) by C.C. Chapman

As an author, make sure your book is Tagged on Amazon with a number of keywords that will help potential readers locate your book. Look at the Tags for similar books to be sure you are using the same Tags, when appropriate.

disappointment

I’ll cut to the chase: Amazon’s tagging system officially doesn’t exist anymore.  The company released a statement as far back as 2013 that they were discontinuing the service.  “Originally,” the statement goes, “the Tags feature allowed customers to tag products based on their interests and suggest a different organization of products on Amazon. We’ve since continued to innovate on our more popular features such as Wish Lists, Customer Reviews, and Improve Your Recommendations.”  Which is all well and good (and we’ve even written about wish lists here, customer reviews here, and recommendations elsewhere) … but it doesn’t do much to soothe the burn of the original system’s absence, as these other features look and feel completely alien to tags, and deliver rather different benefits.

When I did a little digging into Amazon’s decision to ditch tagging, I discovered that there is, in fact, a consistent company-wide explanation for why they disappeared.  While various (occasionally irate)  Amazon customers speculated in the company forums that self-publishers were using the tagging system to drive traffic to their books (presumably at the expense of others), Amazon itself has remained calmly aloof from the fray and instead told curious authors, simply, that “Since the introduction of those features [mentioned above] the usage of Tags, and therefore their value to our customers, has declined.  We have removed TAGS in favor of the replacement features. Tags that you created are still available under Your Profile page.”  In other words, the time, energy, and money that Amazon had been pouring into maintaining the tagging system (at least in regards to software support) wasn’t drawing enough continued interest from authors to make it worthwhile.  Again, that’s cold comfort for those who actually liked tags and were using it to good ends.

What should we take away from this story?  Not despair in Amazon’s usefulness to the self-publishing author, I hope, but rather a realistic understanding of what the changing landscape of massive profit-driven enterprises can look like for end users.  It’s not always a comfortable outlook, since, as this one example makes clear, Amazon must be willing to shed any of its features that no longer further the bottom line for investors, sellers, and customers alike.  That’s how such international titans retain their hold on their various markets: through sheer force of will, and ruthless business (as well as programming) logic.  We as indie and self-publishing authors have to be prepared to adapt to whatever opportunities are offered, and never stop striving to master new ones.  The more diverse our skill sets and masteries, the more flexible our self-marketing strategies ultimately will be––and the more longevity they will attain. ♠

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, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Week in Review

News From the Self-Publishing World: 11/09/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

In this article for the Irish Times from November 7th, Sarah Keating reviews new titles being released by self-publishing authors Rachel Abbott, Angela Currie, Fat Roland, and Thijs de Boer.  These titles are particularly interesting to Keating because they represent a larger trend––a trend wherein indie and self-published titles have come to amount to roughly 31% of the Amazon Kindle Store’s overall sales figures.  She makes reference to an ongoing lawsuit Amazon itself has filed against “false reviewers” who are paid to boost sales figures for these authors––a lawsuit that may turn up dirt on more than just hybrid self-publishing companies and reviewers looking to earn a little extra cash.  (The consequences could be huge for traditional publishing companies, as well, in that it could either privilege them in the extreme or it could undercut a part of their promotional strategies as well.)  Keating’s reviews are themselves quite worth a look, as are her comments about the new self-publishing discovery tool, MacGuiffin.

Bleeding Cool has long been a litmus test for emerging technologies and paradigms; this week, in a November 5th article by contributor Michele Brittany, the digital magazine documents a panel of indie comic artists and writers at at Stan Lee’s “Comikaze” conference.  The panel, titled “Indie Creators, Unite! A Guide to Self-Publishing” was moderated by Fanboy Comics’ Managing Editor Barbra Dillon and featured Siike Donnelly (Solestar, The King of Neverland), William Orr (Hunter Black), Kevin Bieber (Man vs. Rock), Bryant Dillon (Identity Thief, Something Animal), and Madeleine Holly-Rosing (Boston Metaphysical Society, Kickstart for the Independent Creator: A Practical and Informative Guide To Crowdfunding)––many of whom have become well-known in the comic community, despite their longstanding indie roots.  It’s a happy circumstance that, in comics as well as in prose of all kinds, the self-publishing author now has representation at major industry events!  The panelists answered questions which ranged from “Why is self-publishing so important?” to whether authors should seek publication in digital or print formats, and all of the answers shed new light on the range of possible paths authors can follow in this brave new world of self-publishing.

Last week in a November 2nd piece for Publisher’s Weekly, Daniel Lefferts wrote that “Most authors write books with the hope of reaching a mass audience […] who buy and consume books because they enjoy them,” but recommends authors instead make efforts to “consider another, smaller (but possibly more influential) network—that of ‘professional readers.'”  What he means is, authors––particularly self-published authors––ought to keep the existence of one particular website in mind: NetGalley.  NetGalley, a web-based platform that enables publishers and authors to upload books for review by these professional readers, can be (in Lefferts’ words) “pricey.”  For this reason, Lefferts writes that “it’s best to do some preparation before taking the plunge”––a truth we find applies to more than just this one service.  He also describes in detail how authors might make better use of NetGalley, and how to help make their submissions stand “out from the crowd.”  All in all, very useful information to know!

Eileen Mullan, in this November 4th article for the digitally-based EContent Magazine, reports on the evolution of the publishing path over the last ten to fifteen years.  Mullan, whose own graduate school experience typified a larger “normal,” writes that “the worst part of being friends with a group of writers is that you are constantly seeing talented people who take their craft very seriously get rejected.”  And rejection is, ultimately, what Mullan sees as both a necessary crucible and the greatest trial through which today’s writers (still) must pass––only, Mullan sees a question mark in that sentence.  Is rejection, which underpins the traditional publishing method, really necessary to shape a book into something … “good”?  We know the answer to this one, and Mullan cites Andy Weir’s runaway self-publishing success, The Martian, as an example of a fine book that needed no rigamarole of rejection to reach excellence.  The rest of his article is equally as uplifting––and all the more useful for that.

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.

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News From the Self-Publishing World: 11/02/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

The big news this month is, of course, the yearly advent of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), a challenge undertaken by tens of thousands of people the world over––including around four thousand in India.  Aditi Maithreya, in a November 1 article for the Times of India, reports on what writers are doing there.  According to Maithreya, one Chennai-based blogger, Nandhithaa Hariharan, says that “Many of us have a story at the back of our minds but are lazy to write. The challenge brings in a kind of discipline that pushes you to pen down your thoughts.”

Camp-Participant-2015-Web-Banner

Hariharan, who is based out of Chennai, is undertaking NaNoWriMo for the first time, but many writers in India return year after year to write 50,000 words in the month of November.  And because NaNoWriMo operates outside the boundaries of traditional publishing, Maithreya writes, it presents opportunities to writers of regional dialects and fringe interests in a way that intersects nicely with self-publishing.  Depending on circumstances and output, participants may be eligible to receive discounts on Scribner, a manuscript-friendly word processing software program, or to receive free e-book editions of their novels.  But NaNoWriMo writers must remain cautious, Maithreya warns, especially since the breakneck pace of writing so many words a month can lead to loopholes and continuity errors slipping in under the radar.  She quotes Mumbai author Neil D’Silva, who warns participants that “NaNoWriMo writers must remember that after the first draft they need to edit and proofread before publishing.”  Luckily, there are plenty of services out there to help move busy authors from first drafts to final ones.  For more information, check out both Maithreya’s article and the NaNoWriMo website.

If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo 2015, we’d love to be there to support you!  Drop a line in our comments section to let us know, or send us the link to your NaNoWriMo profile and we’ll follow your progress and keep the digital equivalent of coffee and pep talks waiting in the wings.

If you were wondering, India is a phenomenal powerhouse of a market when it comes to the publishing industry, but it’s also rapidly becoming a leader when it comes to self-publishing, as well.  In another November 1 piece for the Times of India,  Gunjan Verma transcribes an interview with the freelance writer and self-published author, Ganesh V., whose debut book (The Underage CEOs) follows the stories of eleven successful student entrepreneurs.  When asked about his thoughts on where readers are at in respect to self-publishing, Ganesh V. replied that “the audience is ready. They want to read different genres, especially something which is off literary fiction. People [have] realized that heavy literary fictions are not for the masses and so the mood of the audience currently is right for the content which resonates with the common man.”  By simultaneously providing both a broader appeal and more niche genres, self-publishing simply presents both readers and writers with more options, Verma reports.  Before his book, says Ganesh V., “no one wrote about student entrepreneurs who dared to do something different. These are young entrepreneurs, in their 20s, who have just finished college and said a ‘No’ to the conventional path of the corporate world.”  Sounds like a fitting entry into the canon of self-publishing masterpieces, doesn’t it?  For more of this week’s interview, drop on by Verma’s article.

The numbers are in, reports Tom Holman, as of his October 29 report for The Bookseller.  The big takeaways are as follows:

1. Mobile overtakes tablets and dedicated e-readers as the device of choice […]

2. Digital sales are still growing, but they are also slowing […]

3. Self-love levels recede as many indie authors report lower satisfaction levels […]

4. Publishing remains very much divided on matters digital […]

5. … And the majority believe publishers remain unprepared for what is coming [….]

And while I’d love to sit here and unpack these points first thing on a Monday, I think you deserve more and better than that.  So, as I wrap up my Wednesday series on e-readers, I’ll be turning my eye towards this year’s Digital Census and the other materials that have emerged from The Bookseller’s “FutureBook” conference that have profound implications for the self-publishing author.  There’s a lot to take in.  In the meantime, check out Holman’s summary of events!

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.

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In Your Corner : The lonely road to self-publication

The road to self-publication is many things, and “frightening” can certainly register as one of those things, especially when you throw the word “lonely” into the mix.  Maybe it’s because we’re human beings and we’re hardwired to crave the affirmation and support that community brings, but there are few expressions in the English language that hold as much potential to inspire fear as “striking out on my own” or its close cousin, “in uncharted territory.”  And while it’s true that there are many other people out there self-publishing these days, there’s no exact way to translate that “head knowledge” into “heart knowledge” if it hasn’t been made real to us in personal experience––which is one of the reasons, I think, why digital communities hold so much potential for the self-publishing author.

frightened

Chances are that you or I will run across few others who will choose to self-publish over the course of our lifetimes, so where else are we going to turn for feedback or even for some basic know-how than the internet?  Blogs like Self Publishing Advisor and hybrid self-publishing companies like Outskirts Press provide important bridges to a successful and meaningful self-publishing experience for those of us who find ourselves stymied or at a loss, or even just lonely.

In this, my first post here, I’d first like to clear the air: it’s completely alright to be scared to self-publish.  Your feelings, whatever they happen to be, are one hundred percent valid.  My job, both as a contributor to this blog and––separately––as Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press, is to be your ally, cheer squad, sounding board, and advocate all at the same moment.  Everyone faces discouragement at some point when bringing a big project through from its beginning stages to its final execution and delivery, and self-publishing is no different.  But the challenges you’ll face or are already facing must be addressed as the specific things that they are, peculiar to your own individual experience.

There is no such thing as a cookie-cutter self-publishing experience.  But there are such things as insecurity, and fear, and trepidation.  These feelings are real, no matter what the reality of the situation is and whether they are built upon a factually accurate perception of what’s going on with your book.  And I can’t change what you feel simply by telling you “things are otherwise than how you see them in this moment.”  I’m lucky enough to have the (hopefully unbiased and wholly objective) perspective of someone whose work hinges upon being able to honestly and earnestly remind authors they’re not alone, and to simply be there, time and time again, when the authors I work with need someone in their corner.

It doesn’t hurt that I work for a company I really believe in.  As an employee at Outskirts Press, I don’t have to fudge on the details to make a sales pitch: we really are there to help authors before, during, and after publication.  Authors really do get to keep their profits, they’re really not stuck waiting for agents to like their books enough to publish them, and they really, truly, are not alone … even when it comes to the marketing process, which can often feel like the most isolating part of the whole experience, as the post-publication phase requires self-publishing authors to take responsibility for the course of their own careers in ways that more traditional avenues don’t.

Outskirts Press aside, self-publishing is now more common than traditional publishing––even though, sometimes, it certainly doesn’t feel like it.  (And there are a whole host of reasons why perception doesn’t line up with reality on this one, many of which can be traced back to the traditional publishing industry and its stranglehold on media outlets and therefore the larger public conversation.)  Self-publishing authors have a collective voice that resonates much more clearly now than it used to, maybe, but we still face an uphill battle when it comes to dealing with those fears and insecurities I mentioned earlier.  I’m here for you, though, and every week here on SPA I will keep on affirming your decision to self-publish and backing up those affirmations with a veritable onslaught of cold hard inspiring and encouraging facts, data, anecdotes, and proofs that I’ve amassed over a lifetime of experience in the self-publishing industry.  I hope you’ll check in every Thursday, and use the comments section, below, to ask questions and respond with your own insights.

You’re not alone. ♣︎

ElizabethABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, 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.