Tag: Self-Publishing

from the archives, karl schroeder, Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing

From the Archives: “7 Reasons to Self-Publish, From the Top…”

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: November 19th, 2009 ]

I’ve helped savvy authors transition their books away from traditional publishing houses, newly publishing authors make informed decisions to pursue other options, and even had personal experience publishing under my own traditional contract. Here are the top 7 or so reasons to re-consider holding out for that traditional contract and self-publish today…

7 – Traditional publishers lose money on over 85% of the books they publish, so they only accept 2% of those that are submitted.

6 – Traditional publishers typically accept manuscripts only from established authors who have already demonstrated a proven platform.

5 – Authors lose all control of their content during the editing process with a Traditional Publisher.

4 – Authors must still invest an enormous amount of time, energy, and money promoting a traditionally-published book.

3- Traditional Publishing: Authors typically receive 5-10% royalty on the wholesale price of the book, and from that have to give 15-25% to their agent. Do the math.

2 – The majority of books published by Traditional publishers go out of print within 3 years. Many books that are stocked on book shelves remain stocked for as little as five weeks before being returned, unsold, to the publisher.

1- Traditional publishers acquire all rights to your book and keep them, even when the book goes out of print or the publisher goes out of business!

– Karl Schroeder

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manuscripts

If you happened to read Karl’s original post six years ago and if you happened also to keep up with current affairs in the self-publishing and traditional publishing industries, you’ll know that very little–if anything–has changed.  Many authors turn to indie, hybrid, and self-publishing platforms because they’re driven away from the Big Five, either by the industry professionals themselves (i.e. outright rejections of book proposals) or by ideological differences and a desire to remain at the helm of their own publishing experiences.  This is what I call “white space thinking,” in which the predominant motivation is to define our choices by what they are not (“I am not going to publish traditionally because of x, y, or z”) or by what they want to steer clear of (“I don’t want to align myself with x, y, or z trend I see at Hachette, or HarperCollins, or some other Big Five publisher”).  What’s left outside of the margins, in the so-called “white space,” can be loosely described as “independent” publishing.

You don’t have to be running from traditional publishing to choose an alternate method, however.  There are a lot of reasons to run to self-publishing, without reference to the ills and crimes of a more traditional path.  While the reasons Karl states above remain accurate and true, I’d like to thicken out his list with a few additions that illustrate how positivity can actually be one of the foundational motivating factors for indie authors today.  And so, without any further ado, here are my additional 7 reasons to self-publish:

  1. You get to create your own timeline, from start to finish.  Your book might take two months, or two years, or two decades, but it will ultimately turn out true to your vision if you get to define your own benchmarks, deadlines, and so on.
  2. The process is simple, and not even  “simpler than….”  It’s just plain streamlined, start to finish, because you are your own middleman, and you are a marketing, design, and decision-making committee of one.  There will always be some fine print to wade through, but on the whole it’s not uncommon to panic at the sheer ease with which you can click your way into self-publication.
  3. The time is right.  There’s a whole slew of options to choose from in terms of indie, hybrid, and self-publishing platforms–and they’re all pretty good, and they’re all continually pushing themselves to do better, since the competition between developers and software designers is fierce.  We’ve crossed a kind of rubicon when it comes to forward momentum in the industry: companies have all the motivation they need to keep improving the user experience.  Self-publishing has gained the luster of a successful niche market, and is rapidly leaving stigma behind in the dust, while commercially successful self-published books rake in the film options and substantial net profits.  You can now make a name for yourself as an indie author!
  4. You can actually break new ground.  Without the checks and balances that tie up any big industry or company, you can quite literally strike out into uncharted waters and be at the forefront of a conversation, putting out timely book after timely book that reaches people where they’re at, while this or that specific issue is at the peak of popular interest.  You can write a book that future readers will call “prescient,” simply because you’re on the cutting edge, predicting and creating new paradigms–and perhaps even new genres!
  5. You can revise your book on the fly, at will.  You created this book, you own all of the rights to it, and you can re-release it if something about it strikes you as needing a little more work later on down the line.  This falls in line with other matters of creative control, as you get to call the shots on every detail that you want to … and you can offload the minutiae to a hybrid publishing company to free up your valuable time to do more of what you really love.  Which is, of course, writing.
  6. You can write responsively, because you have at your disposal some of the finest analytics tools ever designed for authors.  You can watch, in real time, what readers respond to–and tweak your writing process to deliver more of the same, or, alternatively, to make an unexpected turn and give them something they never knew that they wanted, something that isn’t pandering to popular acclaim.  You see everything, and you can make decisions in response to reader interactions that no one in the history of publishing–of any kind, period–has been able to make before!
  7. You’re a believer.  You don’t just own the rights to your self-published book, you own the vision for its totality, from the first splash of ink to the last burst of pixels.  You don’t need a team to tell you what’s what or how good a writer you are; you already know.  You already know that you have something to say that others need to hear, or see, but above all encounter.  And with that kind of conviction, you can cut through all the white noise and baffling criticisms and bureaucracy and simply do what you were born to do: write your book, and publish it on your own terms.  You believe in yourself and your book, and I do to.  All of us here at Self Publishing Advisor do!  ♠
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: 10/26/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

This has been a huge week for self-publishing, in that there doesn’t seem to be a large media outlet left untouched.  Take this October 23rd article in Publishers Weekly, for example, in which contributor Alex Palmer demystifies a few tried-and-true self-marketing methods.  Why is this such a big deal?  For starters, when an industry giant like PW dedicates significant page-space to a (for lack of a better term) “self-help” piece specific to self-publishing authors … well, this is a tacit acknowledgement that there are enough self-publishing authors out there to make them a significant reading bloc that PW is clearly willing to go to great lengths to woo.  Ten years ago, or even five, PW would have been far more likely to publish “discovery” pieces aimed at readers (past, present, or future) of self-published books and traditional publishing experts, rather than self-publishing authors themselves.  So this is exciting.  And the tips Palmer lists (like: “call ahead to make an appointment with the librarian or bookstore owner rather than just appearing unannounced” and “build […] ties to communities long before books come out so [authors and librarians or booksellers] won’t be strangers when the time comes to ask for arranging author events and distribution”) pack a punch and are backed up with useful insights from a variety of experts.  This has to be one of the best (and most interesting) assistive pieces I’ve read this year.

Talk about making serious press with serious media outlets; this week in The Bookseller‘s “FutureBook” section, contributor Porter Anderson walks us through a variety of self-publishing related news items (some of them in the lead-up to a #FutureChat Twitter event on Oct 23), but far and away the most interesting (I find) is his commentary on the divisions and contentions that exist between the different players in publishing today, and between traditional publishers and the self-publishing author.  He asks the question: “Is independent publishing ‘the contrary’ of the Trade?” by which he means, “Do we really have to frame every conversation about self-publishing and traditional publishing as a case of binary opposites?”  (My wording on that one.)  This is partially in response to some comments made by Hachette Livre’s Arnaud Nourry at the recent Frankfurt Bookfair (in which he described self-publishing as “the contrary of my business. We look at books and decide what we do and do not want to invest in”).  Anderson comes to no conclusions, leaving the field open to conversation in the “FutureBook’s” #FutureChat and at the upcoming Author Day conference on November 30th in London.

You thought it couldn’t get any bigger, didn’t you?  Well, it did.  And by “it,” I mean “self-publishing authors making a big splash in major headlines this week.”  Take this October 20th article for People Magazine‘s online edition by contributor Drew Mackie, in which we are presented with exactly what the title promises: seven movies that have their roots in the self-publishing book industry.  The Martian has gotten plenty of press lately, and Still Alice made the rounds and raked in a whole bunch of awards as both a book club favorite and an indie film darling, but some of the other titles might surprise you: Legally Blonde, for example.  Who knew?  Not me.  And I certainly am excited to hear that Hugh Howey’s Wool has FINALLY been moved out of “Development Hell” and into pre-production.  Mackie quotes Howey as saying, “Traditional publishing is much too restrictive. I don’t want to pump out the same book over and over. I want to challenge myself and produce the work that I feel is missing from the marketplace.”  And that, dear readers, is exactly the kind of rip-roaring rallying cry we all need to hear once in a while!

This one goes out to those of you from across the Pond––no, the other pond.  Australian media supergiant Yahoo7 highlighted the accomplishments of a self-publishing Aussie in a detailed October 21st article by contributor Sophie Smith.  Beau Taplin, a native Melbournian, has been making waves not just in the self-publishing industry Down Under, but among celebrities the world over.  He counts Kim Kardashian, Jessica Stam, Sophia Bush, Bindi Irwin, and Lauren Phillips among his many readers, but far and away he can credit his social media prowess with garnering him a wide readership.  Writes Smith, “Mr Taplin is making a living from the full-time occupation [of writing] despite choosing not to refer his work, which has attracted 281,000 followers on Instagram, 16.3K on Twitter and 10,000 on Facebook, to a commercial publisher.”  Taplin, who self-professes to “lean toward the shy end of the spectrum,” sees the novel as falling naturally in line with the traditional publishing model––but he wanted to do something different.  His book, Buried Light, comprises only 100 pages of prose, but it has rapidly eclipsed Taplin’s previous two books in sales.  Of finding his voice through self-publishing, Taplin has much to say: “I was lost before this.”  You can read more about his book at the link.

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.

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.

distribution

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.  ♠

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 Week in Review

News From the Self-Publishing World: 10/19/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

This week, the interview that caught our eye was one between Sussex author Fiona Cane and Argus news editor Lucy Pearce, published on October 16th.  In the interview, Cane reveals that Peter James and Eddie Izzard had a hand in her choice to pursue self-publishing her latest book, The Other Side Of The Mountain.  “It’s just so difficult now; publishing companies take on maybe one or two authors a year,” says Cane.  But she didn’t want to become bogged down in the politics of publishing––she wanted to get her book out there, despite encouragement from other quarters to chase after a more traditional route to publication.    The Other Side of the Mountain is not Cane’s first book, but it is the one she is most proud of: “It is much more the book I have always wanted to write but was never sure if I could.”  Lucky for us that her childhood schoolfellow Izzard happened to stop by with some sage words of wisdom at just the right moment!  “He told me that I had to really push, and want it, and believe,” says Cane.  And now we have yet another stellar entry into the canon of self-published geopolitical dramas; The Other Side of the Mountain takes place in Haiti in 2001, and amidst the political and social chaos of that year.

Ever wondered where exactly AmazonCrossing stands in respect to the world of self-publishing?  How about self-publishing abroad?  Just last week, on October 15th, Porter Anderson of The Bookseller published an article with some of the much-needed details––but he admits that it wasn’t easy to put together the material: “As more indie authors focus on opening international markets, more questions than answers are at hand. It is early days in the deep field of foreign self-publishing.”  According to Anderson, the matter of translation remains a huge stumbling block for foreign authors seeking self-publication; AmazonCrossing has, however, been taking steps to help ameliorate the difficulties.  Quoting Chad Post, director of the University of Rochester’s (New York) Three Percent translation project, Anderson reveals one key detail: “With more than 150 books translated now, this Amazon Publishing traditional imprint has become the US’ most prolific translation publisher.”  That’s a lot of books, but it’s nowhere near, in our humble opinion, enough!  (Though let’s face it, there will never really be enough….in our opinion.)  Throughout the remainder of his article, Anderson attempts to unspool some of the complicating factors that surround self-publishing a translated work (or, more correctly, finding cost-effective ways to translate your already self-published book).  Well worth a read, we think.

It’s an exciting time to be a Green Bay Packers fan!  Daniel Kramer, son of the legendary Packers player Jerry Kramer, recently revealed his plans to fund and self-publish a book of his photography and essays to PRNewswire in an October 15 press release.  The project, which is being funded by a Kickstarter campaign (ending on October 20th), reached its funding goals days before its deadline … and then some.  The book itself, which takes a close look at the 1996-1997 football season, will include material co-written with award-winning author Dick Schaap and feature Jerry Kramer’s own photography, taken on the ground with a privileged insider’s view of the goings-on.  The book will be released on the 20th anniversary of the season it documents.  And even if you’re not a Packers fan, any self-published, crowd-funded project that reaches this kind of stratospheric public acclaim is very, very good news.

In more news from across the pond, celebrated Blues scholar Adam Gussow is releasing his first piece of fiction––a novel, to be precise––through BookBaby.  In an October 15th article for HottyToddy, senior managing editor Callie Daniels Bryant writes that Gussow’s book is already receiving stellar reviews on Kirkus, where the book is said to be “a fast-paced, enjoyable one, with the harmonica blues angle putting a unique spin on the European trip narrative.”  If that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, consider the fact that Gussow is “noted for his longtime partnership with guitarist Sterling “Mr. Satan” Magee as the duo Satan and Adam.”  As a self-publishing author, Gussow has found success through alternative means of self-marketing, and has captured the attention of many potential readers through his carefully curated YouTube channel.  Gussow’s own experience as a street performer, or busker, provided much of the fundamental texture of his novel––Busker’s Holiday––so necessary to conveying the actual and authentic experience.  If you’re looking for something to take away from the news this week, here it is: the pairing of authenticity with a tech-savvy approach to social media may just be the start of something great.

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.

Book Reviews, janice viraht, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, t-bone's traveling circus, weekly self published book review

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: “T-Bone’s Traveling Circus”

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, courtesy of the Midwest Book Review:

T-Bone's Traveling Circus

T-Bone’s Traveling Circus

Janice Viraht

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478729105

Synopsis:

Defeat bullying with love, laughter, and acceptance! In this imaginative sequel to T-Bone the Flying Horse, meet Rita Bonita the young horse who is constantly the target of teasing and bullying. Her life is transformed in a wonderful way when she meets a girl and her colorful cast of misfit friends. The girl, inspired by her great friend T-Bone, has formed a circus to help the teased love themselves and stand up to bullying! Join Rita Bonita and her new circus friends as they share laughter and spark the imagination in this fantastical rhyming tale about love and acceptance.

Critique:

I found this to be such a delightful book. First of all I loved how colorful it is. The cover has a drawing effect to it that makes you want to sit down and see what is inside, and you will not be disappointed. We meet Rita Bonita, a poor little horse who is the victim of bullying. One sad baby, but her world is about to be turned around when she meets up with several young and misfit friends, and a circus. With them she is accepted and loved, and her world is turned around.
In this read you and your child will be reminded of the cruelty of bullying. It is a sad fact that this type of behavior goes on day by day. In this read children will see how sad and rejected it can make another, even if it is an animal, and how kindness and acceptance can change the world around for the bullied person. The illustrations are top-notch and the story is simple, yet has deep meaning that is brought front and center. This book addresses a serious problem by showing those under attack they are not alone, are not below others, and can find friendship and love. Well done, great read.

[ reviewed by Shirley Johnson ]

Here’s what some other reviewers are saying:

Rita Bonita is a horse that was teased and ridiculed for being different when she was growing up. They laughed at her ears, color and size, telling her that she was not a real horse. Then one day a wagon came slowly up the road and the cover said “T-Bone’s Traveling Circus.”
In the wagon there were many animals that could be considered misfits for they were unable to do what their kind was supposed to do or be. A lion that could not roar, a fairy with only one wing and a dragon that could not breathe fire were only some of the creatures in the circus.
From them, Rita Bonita learned that there are many creatures that are different and that is what makes them special and that her difference makes her special as well. When she marched with all the animals of the circus, for the first time in her life Rita Bonita walked tall and proud.
Being different in size, shape or appearance can be hard when you are young, especially when you are made fun of. Virant uses this theme to create a book that will impart the lesson that teasing about such matters is hurtful and it may turn out that the person you are teasing may be better than you at some things. That is an important lesson that needs to be given and reinforced until internalized.
The text is presented as a series of simple four-line segments where the even numbered lines rhyme and the text is embedded in an image that is very colorful. That coloration is not bright yet is distinctive and attractive enough to catch the eye of the child.

– Amazon Hall-of-Fame Reviewer Charles Ashbacher

T-Bone’s Traveling Circus is an adorable kids storybook about a group of misfits who are ‘different’ Whether it’s furry snakes or floppy-winged fairies, each of the characters have something about them that is different, and outright silly. My little girl loves T-Bone’s Traveling Circus and the colorful illustrations in the book.

As a parent I like the fact that it teaches children that it’s okay to be different. Whether it’s a disability, a weight, height or another characteristic that makes them different, this books helps kids realize it’s okay to be different.

– Amazon Reviewer So Simply Stephanie

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

Self Publishing Advisor

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