In today’s brave new world of book publishing, the news is full of stories about writers who jumped from anonymity to the bestseller lists via clever blog posts, assiduous social media networking, and the support of a celebrity tweet or two. We’re encouraged to believe that having a publisher is now optional for reaching broad popular attention. That any self respecting writer with a clear voice and a fresh idea can do it all herself, if she so chooses.
Some proponents of self-publishing (J.A. Konrath, Barry Eisler, John Locke et al) go even further — they think having a traditional publisher is not merely optional but foolish. Why should a gifted writer share the proceeds of her success with an intermediary if she can attract a flood of readers without one?
This line of reasoning makes no sense to me. Yes, self-publishing and ebook-only publishing are enticing new avenues for aspiring writers. But self-publishing is not an easy road. As a recent New York Times article attests, “there are often hidden fees.” It’s expensive to self-publish. Incredibly time consuming. And the results can be meager. The author who was the focus of the Times article had sold 700 copies of her novel after months of hard work.
Despite the hype, the fundamental rules of publishing have not really changed very much. Now, as before, the greatest challenge facing a new writer is to find readers, not to finish and print a book. If anything, self-publishing has made the shelves, both virtual and physical, even more crowded. The obstacles to being noticed are even more forbidding, not less. In a world where anyone can upload a Word doc and call it a book, it’s more valuable than ever to have experts curate the works that are really worthy of a reader’s attention.
But even more important, good publishers add immeasurable value precisely because they have hard-won experience in all those aspects of the process that writers are not experts in. These arts — editing, positioning, packaging, and marketing — are as essential as they ever were. Freelance editors, publicists, and other service providers are available to provide such services, but few writers know how to choose and manage those hired guns. Even fewer possess the mix of discipline, public credibility, and book marketing savvy it takes to devise their own titles, cover art and marketing plans.
And let’s not forget that the explosive rise of e-books and online retail hasn’t eliminated the crucial impact of distribution and merchandising of printed books in stores — an area in which traditional publishers have an overwhelming advantage.
Some gurus of self-publishing suggest that trying to start word-of-mouth by focusing on friends and acquaintances is a new tactic. Actually, writers have done that from time immemorial. The difference is that now we call a writer’s core audience his “platform” or “tribe” and the Web makes it easier than ever to build one. Which is great news for every author, from the famous to the unknown. But surely the vast majority of promising writers who aspire to reach the wider world are better off with the help, nurturance, advice and financial backing of a prominent publisher. Writers who fall for the myth of self-publishing are likely to end up relegated to the periphery of the book world.
My advice to aspiring writers is to pursue the traditional path of agents and publishers to the best of your ability. If you fail to get traction that way, you can certainly try self-publishing as a way to attract attention and build your platform. But a good mainstream publisher is still the best way to reach the biggest possible audience via professional editing and marketing support — and to get paid an advance for your work, which the self-publishing gurus tend to conveniently ignore or disparage.
Of course there are rare exceptions — like self-publishing superstar Amanda Hocking — and those anecdotal triumphs draw a ton of media attention. But someone always wins the lottery too. Why take that risk and sell yourself short if you don’t have to? Besides, Hocking herself has now signed with a traditional publisher for her future novels, as the best way to build on her early success.
This is very well written blog post Adrian. There are two types of authors. There are those that want to make a quick buck and say they’re an author in hopes that it will attract new business opportunities and industry respect, and those that want to grow their brand (and business) by leveraging a publishers distribution system, editing and illustrative capabilities, and the credibility you get from a known publisher. People ask me who published my book all the time and I guarantee if I said that I self-published, they wouldn’t have nearly as much respect for me as they do. Everyone in the world can self-publish. Getting a book deal is such a challenging process that once you get it, it feels incredibly satisfying.
Hi Dan,
Just wondering if your comment intended to make traditional publishing sound like the new form of vanity publishing? If so, good work.
“There are two types of authors… ” That’s an odd statement to open with. Especially as everyone knows there are three types of authors. No more, no less. Tut. Obviously. We’re all taught that at an early age.
If you told me that God Himself was your well-known publisher, my respect for you would be the exact same as if you told me you self-published . Unless of course you told me God paid you a million million dollars to sign with him. Then I would be in complete awe and tongue-tied.
When my first book came out (traditionally published for those taking notes) I thought my publishers were taking the p**s with some of the stuff they were/weren’t doing. Completely confused me. Made me question common sense. But what did I know? First book and all.
Thankfully I became buddies with an author who signed a five book deal with Random House. Knowing that they baffled him just as much gave me peace of mind at least. Also made me realise that perhaps there are a lot of clowns working in the publishing world. Perhaps. Maybe it’s just me.
I have a chapter in my upcoming book called: I Thought I Was Going To Be A Greek God? I’m now thinking of changing it to: The Myth of Traditional Publishing.
I thought this article was well written, fair enough. Points put across well in an intelligent manner (unlike this comment, says you! I know, says I, shh). However, I don’t agree with most of it. Lots of old school championing of sticking with the status quo. Some points are pretty weak too. “But someone always wins the lottery too. Why take that risk and sell yourself short if you don’t have to?” Why take the risk of achieving success like Amanda Hocking and go on to sign a lucrative contract? I don’t get it.
Rambles are dragging on. I’ll finish with my main point again: There are three types of authors.
Cheers,
Mark
As someone whose nonfiction book projects (as author or ghostwriter) have been published by major houses (Random, Morrow, St. Martin’s, HarperCollins) ; who worked on a book years ago with Adrian Zackheim and wishes he could again; and who has written many book proposals that agents liked and editors complimented but did not buy: I have by default given up on trade publishing and embraced independent publishing as a ghostwriter-publisher catering to those authors who have something to say, a compelling need for a book, have the resources to underwrite it, and want to get to market sooner than they could through traditional channels, IF they could even get the attention of the gatekeepers.
I agree completely with the observation that the flurry of attention self-publishing has gotten in recent years is inflaming the expectations of writers who, too often, discover that the “editors” at the self-publishing factories aren’t actually editors and the marketing packages they bought are largely spam campaigns. It is a fine thing to encourage writers to keep everlasting at the goal of getting a trade deal. In my world, I meet more people every day who understand the high opportunity cost of having to wait years to (maybe) see their book published under a brand-name imprint.
There are not just two kinds of writers, as the previous commenter suggests, but many different flavors as well as many different ways to get a book to market. In my view, book publishing is going through the same transformation as the film industry, with a few majors and many independents. As sad as it makes me to see trade publishing struggling right now, I have to believe that what’s going on falls into the category of creative destruction that is providing an opening for new ideas and methods by which authors can find their audiences, however small they may be.
I’m of mixed opinions on this. I totally, wholly, completely understand the benefits of the old guard. After all, they exist as a mixture of gatekeeper, mentor, and tastemaker; they do exist to make sure that only the “good stuff” gets through, and that promising works are pushed into the hands of would-be buyers.
But as one of those aspiring writers, I’ve come to terms with the fact that my tastes and topics I like to write about are…odd. Not easily classified is a more articulate way of saying it; an even better way to say it is “not going to be a bestseller anytime soon”. These days, with the democratization of publicity and the advent of blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, what have you, I have a much better chance of connecting with my would-be audience if I do it myself than if I trust a publisher to back me up.
Because it’s expected these days, I’ll end up doing it anyway – and since my day job is doing social media, marketing, and PR for a small company, I’m used to it, and in a much better position to do it well than most other authors would. Inasmuch as editing, proofing, and those things are concerned, I do agree: they are essential to creating a great work of fiction, a good work of fiction, or even a mediocre one. I’ll look to hire a cover designer (because nobody wants to buy a serious book that has stick figures on the cover), but for the most part, I’ll have to take on many of these roles myself, and consider any expenses the cost of playing the game.
I’d love to be a published, “legitimate” author; it might just be that the e-market is better to me.
There is another category of writer — the formerly Penguin-published, now self-published author. Let me tell you what I love about self publishing: I have complete creative control, and everything happens at lightning speed. It’s great to get paid every month via direct deposit into my bank account rather than wait for months and years — or, worse, have to involve my agent in pestering my publisher for the “forgotten” or “overlooked” money I should have received months ago. Would I turn down another Signet contract? No. But self-pubbing has been a wholly pleasant, drama-free experience. No “personalities” to contend with. No waiting anxiously for checks that never seem to arrive. Nobody putting cover art on my book that brings me to tears when I see it. (Q: “Why is there a dog on the cover? There’s no dog in the book.” A: “People like dogs.”)
I miss the advance. I miss the bookstore experience. And yes, I miss the bragging rights that came with being able to say I was a Signet author. I suppose I will never really know how much of my self pubbing success is due to the fact that I had a loyal stable of readers who used to buy my Signet books, and a certain number of them doubtless followed me into the brave new world of Kindle and print-on-demand. I can vouch for the fact that there is much to recommend about self-publishing, and I’m glad I’m doing it.
Diane Farr
I agree with Dan Schawbel’s comments about different types of authors. Sadly, it seems as if there is a slow, steady market share shift to the get rich quick artists in the overall marketplace. I’d add that I once had 100% confidence about the quality of editing of books of certain publishers based on the publisher alone. This is sadly no longer the case.
Diane’s comment about irrelevant covers was obviously frustrating to her. with quality user generated content sites, I’m kind of surprised that more publishers haven’t migrated cover art creation to these types of sites as they would A) generally end up costing less and B) actually become a new marketing and public relations activity for the book. I’ve put this concept in the marketing plan for my current book proposal which is almost complete. Hopefully, someone will like the creativity that reduces expenses while increasing marketing activities.
I don’t disagree with anything that Adrian posted – other than to state that it is frustrating to see any more Amanda Hocking talk. In a world where business is changing in ways that historians will likely deem as having more impact on society than the Industrial Revolution, big idea books on how current events affect business are desperately needed. Nonfiction books that leaders can use to potentially save our way of life as we know it needs to enter the mainstream. The alternative is a decline in society due to a distinct and growing problem of scarce capital being spent on negative net present value projects over and over. This needs to be reversed for many, many reasons, including our obligations to future generations.
In the new paradigm, cycle time matters. Several authors that are serving as mentors to me have expressed frustration about the pace of certain parts of the publishing process. I do want to state to Adrian that I do find the timing of his post to be ironic, a number of literary agents take the Summer off and do not take submissions during June, July and August. I’d like to ask if Adrian would prefer to see a more even flow of book proposals throughout the year? If so, how does the community create this reality?
Thank you for the opportunity to have a conversation on these topics.
This article could be titled “Why It’s Better to Work for a Big Company than be an Entrepreneur.” It’s better for some people but not all people. I’m an entrepreneur at heart and don’t think I could ever put up with making a deal with a big publisher and giving them the control they demand over the product, packaging and promotion. They do not always know best, or they would have a much higher track record than their dismal 20% success rate with debut novels.
Mike, I think you put that very well. For Adrian to say that “Freelance editors, publicists, and other service providers are available to provide such services, but few writers know how to choose and manage those hired guns.” implies that writers are unable to learn. True, many writers might not know that at first, but that’s just a learned skill. I’m an author, and I’ve coached a lot of new entrepreneurs. It’s easier to learn to manage service providers than to learn to write. If you can learn the writing craft, you can figure out how to find and manage “the hired guns.”
Juli,
Theoretically, while any author – or any person – can certainly learn a new skill, most people who want to write books are not the same as those of us in the business of books. While it is true that if I started studying now, one day perhaps I could build a house from scratch, do my own surgery or speak fluent Farsi like a native, is it really the best investment of my time? Why should someone who apparently wants to write and promote their message also take on the onerous burdens typically delegated to professionals?
Securing an agent and signing with a major publisher is the best way to go for any writer because along with a signed contract come the benefits of editing and marketing. At one point I was close to having a book/movie deal with a major Beverly Hills agent known for putting together mega book/movie deals but it didn’t happen because I needed a literary agent with whom he could negotiate. Oh well . . .
The fact that my father was a script writer and best-selling author published in over 20 languages in the 1950s-1960s didn’t open any doors for me. Today’s agents either hadn’t heard of him or didn’t care. Truthfully, I wanted to make a name for myself on my own but a little boost from his success would have made my journey easier and swifter. I sent out query letters and received rejections. I sent sample chapters with a synopsis and got rejected because I had Chinese characters but I’m not Chinese. (What difference does that make?) One agent said my Chinese characters were too old-fashioned and sounded like they came from a Pearl Buck novel–this was supposed to be negative? I don’t for a minute consider myself in the league of Pearl Buck, so to have my characters compared to hers was a great compliment, although the criticism wasn’t intended as such.
From comments I received in rejection letters, it became obvious that agents weren’t reading my synopsis or sample chapters. Stuff the envelope, stamp the query letter “rejected,” and possibly scribble a few notes that didn’t apply to what I wrote. Some agents were intrigued with my manuscript and wrote complimentary letters, but because I was a first-time author they were hesitant to take a chance on me. So, after two years of rejections I self-published. It wasn’t my first choice and I wish I’d been able to sign with a major publishing house, but I gave up. Yes, I’d love to have a publisher and agent marketing my book. Receiving an advance would have been fantastic. I was fortunate to have a talented artist friend design my cover and shoot the cover photograph for free. A local photographer shot my portrait and only asked for an autographed book after it was published. I used a credit card to bankroll the cost of publishing. If I break even I’ll be thrilled. After one month’s release I received a royalty check that covered the cost of printing four books. My first book signing is in two weeks. Wish me luck!
For me, the easy part was writing. Marketing is something I have no experience with, and as a creative person I find it a challenge. I write, draw, and paint. I was a floral designer and taught elementary school. I studied dance and piano. I love doing creative things with my mind and hands. Marketing may be exciting for others, but for me it isn’t something I’d be doing if not for the fact that I don’t have anyone doing it for me. I may not sell a lot of book but I can honestly say that I’m thrilled I didn’t give up and stash my manuscript away in a box and forget about it. I know I’ve written something unique and interesting. I’ve received three 5-star reviews on Amazon so far. I may never be famous, but I finished something I started, thanks to self-publishing. I recommend it to any writer who can’t secure a publishing contract. Be selective and do research to find out if there have been complaints against the publisher you’re considering. Read your contract and carefully and when you find the right one, go for it!
>>Why should a gifted writer share the proceeds of her success with an intermediary if she can attract a flood of readers without one?<>It’s expensive to self-publish. Incredibly time consuming.<>If anything, self-publishing has made the shelves, both virtual and physical, even more crowded.<>good publishers add immeasurable value precisely because they have hard-won experience in all those aspects of the process that writers are not experts in.
The value is not immeasurable. It’s very measurable. Publishers take 52.5% of the list price of ebooks. For their “hard-won experience” they make more money per ebook than the author does.
As for being “experts”, I’ve never born witness to a greater comedy of errors than the multitude of mistakes publishers have made in regard to ebooks. Windowing, high prices, the agency model, low royalties, title grabs–it’s embarrassing and an insult to both writers and book buyers. The fact that I’ve been able to make so much more money once I was freed from the constraints of the “experts” shows how little the experts can do for an author.
And let’s be honest here–it is all about what a publisher can do for an author. We are the content providers. You need us. We do not need you, as evidenced by my success, and the success of thousands of my peers. Yep, thousands.
>>But a good mainstream publisher is still the best way to reach the biggest possible audience
I’m earning over $1000 a day. The one advantage legacy publishers had–a lock on physical distribution–is fading fast. Print sales are down 40%. Ebook sales are up 150%. Any author who would give a publisher 52.5% for editing, cover art, and uploading the ebook to Amazon is going to be kicking themselves later.
>>Hocking herself has now signed with a traditional publisher for her future novels, as the best way to build on her early success.<<
Hocking took a huge amount of money. I also encourage any author who is offered a huge amount of money to take it and run. But try to get the majority it upfront, before this house of cards collapses.
Here's how publishers might be able to survive:
1. Offer 50% ebook royalties to authors.
2. Move your offices somewhere cheaper than Manhattan.
3. Price ebooks according to what consumers want, not to protect paper sales.
4. Begin selling directly to readers.
But I've been preaching this for over two years, and no one has listened. We've just lost Borders. More bookstores will follow. Unless you're among a handful of authors sold in Walmart and Costco, there is not a thing the Big 6 can do for an author that she can't do for herself.
You said it perfectly, Mr Konrath. The success of “thousands” of self published books. That’s SO true – but the important missing detail from your optimistic rebuttal is this: according to BISG, more than 1m new ISBNs were issued in 2009 alone!
(my previous response didn’t display completely. this is a second try.)
–Why should a gifted writer share the proceeds of her success with an intermediary if she can attract a flood of readers without one?–
This statement assumes that a legacy published book will automatically attract a flood of readers. We both know this isn’t the case, considering the amount of books being published by the Big 6 that fail to make a profit. Working with a legacy publisher is no more of a guarantee of success than self-publishing. But self-publishing gets the author 70% of list price (that the author sets) vs. 17.5% of the list price (that the publisher sets, which is often far too high.)
–It’s expensive to self-publish. Incredibly time consuming.–
Fixed costs of self-pubbing include $500 for cover art, $300 for proofing, $250 for e-formatting, and any editing costs. This is a small price to pay vs. losing 52.5% royalties to a publisher on every sale, forever. As for time consuming, you sound as if being published by the Big 6 doesn’t require an author to do any marketing or publicity. That’s just silly. I spent far more time promoting myself when I was traditionally published than I do now. And with the Big 6, I averaged earning $40k a book. Now I earn $40k a month self-publishing.
–If anything, self-publishing has made the shelves, both virtual and physical, even more crowded.–
It is much easier to browse and find what you’re looking for on Amazon than it is walking through a B&N superstore that stocks 200,000 titles. Plus Amazon is an even playing field–I don’t have to compete with coop and multiple copies of lead titles prominently displayed. In fact, I don’t have to compete at all. My ebooks are $2.99. You can get nine of my novels for the price of a hardcover–and I earn $2.00 on each.
When readers buy a Kindle, they buy more and read more. Being inexpensive means not having to choose between two books. They can buy both.
The value of a book isn’t its cover price. It’s how much money a book makes. I can sell 20 times as many ebooks at $2.99 than at $6.99.
–good publishers add immeasurable value precisely because they have hard-won experience in all those aspects of the process that writers are not experts in.–
The value is not immeasurable. It’s very measurable. Publishers take 52.5% of the list price of ebooks. For their “hard-won experience” they make more money per ebook than the author does.
As for being “experts”, I’ve never born witness to a greater comedy of errors than the multitude of mistakes publishers have made in regard to ebooks. Windowing, high prices, the agency model, low royalties, title grabs–it’s embarrassing and an insult to both writers and book buyers. The fact that I’ve been able to make so much more money once I was freed from the constraints of the “experts” shows how little the experts can do for an author.
And let’s be honest here–it is all about what a publisher can do for an author. We are the content providers. You need us. We do not need you, as evidenced by my success, and the success of thousands of my peers. Yep, thousands.
–But a good mainstream publisher is still the best way to reach the biggest possible audience–
I’m earning over $1000 a day. The one advantage legacy publishers had–a lock on physical distribution–is fading fast. Print sales are down 40%. Ebook sales are up 150%. Any author who would give a publisher 52.5% for editing, cover art, and uploading the ebook to Amazon is going to be kicking themselves later.
–Hocking herself has now signed with a traditional publisher for her future novels, as the best way to build on her early success.–
Hocking took a huge amount of money. I also encourage any author who is offered a huge amount of money to take it and run. But try to get the majority it upfront, before this house of cards collapses.
Here’s how publishers might be able to survive:
1. Offer 50% ebook royalties to authors.
2. Move your offices somewhere cheaper than Manhattan.
3. Price ebooks according to what consumers want, not to protect paper sales.
4. Begin selling directly to readers.
But I’ve been preaching this for over two years, and no one has listened. We’ve just lost Borders. More bookstores will follow. Unless you’re among a handful of authors sold in Walmart and Costco, there is not a thing the Big 6 can do for an author that she can’t do for herself.
It seems we’re living a new golden age. Books have never been easier to buy and read and authors–whether published or aspiring–have more options to reach readers than ever before, including self-publishing. And let’s not forget that many aspiring authors are self-publishing their books in order to attract the attention of traditional publishing. It’s a great time time for books, reading and authors.
Like B. Lynch, I’m mixed on this front. I’ve had two books published by a traditional publisher, and I see the great benefits I’ve gotten by having a publisher in my corner. My credibility is boosted because I didn’t just upload a Word doc. I can get speaking gigs and media interviews, because mine is a real “big boy book.” And, best of all, my books get into the bookstores and the publicity department gets me interviews, which the self-published will have a very hard time doing on both fronts.
However, I see the need for self-publishing and do-it-yourself marketing. I see the successes that some people are having with their ebook-only plans. And I see the frustration that many would-be authors have in trying to get their book published, when they’ve already been edged out of the marketplace by another fairly crappy entry. It’s hard work and no guarantee of success or exposure, but authors like me carry the same risks with traditional publishers.
If I had to pick a side, I would have to go with where my bread is buttered and stay in the publisher world. They’ve been good to me. I’ve gotten some great benefits because of them that I never would have gotten by going solo
But if I ever want to do something new, like a novel, my publisher isn’t in that market, so I have to start all over. Then, maybe self-publishing becomes a real option for me.
Joe nailed it, so I don’t have much to add . I disagree with this recommendation that “aspiring writers [should first] …pursue the traditional path of agents and publishers [and only self-publish once they've failed].” Such recommendations strike me as symptomatic of the thinking that will lead to the decline of Big Publishing. The sooner publishers can abandon this dismissive attitude toward authors, and this inflated sense of value-add, the sooner they can start building thriving businesses again. Yes, publishers have much value to add, but many traditionally published authors aren’t experiencing it, and that’s a problem for publishers.
The true myth is that writers should wait for the blessing of Big Publishing before they enter the pearly gates of authorhood. It’s a false religion, really. Authors are waking up to realize the power, freedom and opportunity in self publishing. More here: http://blog.smashwords.com/2011/03/nietzsche-and-downfall-of-big.html
At Smashwords, we’re seeing authors bringing their reverted-rights works back to life as self-pubbed ebooks, and many titles are out-performing their previous original incarnations. Do authors make better publishers than traditional publishers? In some cases, yes, some cases no. Both trad and self-pubbers have much to learn from each other.
Adrian has written the most lucid analysis of self-publishing I have seen this year. I have worked in book publishing since the day I walked off a college campus, and during the past 44 years I’ve seen a lot of change sweep through the publishing industry (remember CBS buying Holt and RCA buying Random House in the 60s?); but the business model has not changed one iota: publishers find and develop talented people who create intellectual property then arrange to get it from the creators to those who need and want it. As Adrian points out, they add value all along the way. And what two factors most often doom what we once called “vanity” publishing? Poor quality and weak, or nonexistent, marketing. A good publisher conquers those obstacles.
Sure its time consuming to self-publish or ebook publish, but for some of us its become the only option available. Are writers supposed to just suck it up and not publish at all, just because a bunch of publishers decide they’re not going to publish someone? Nuts to that.
Ah! I must protest! As a literary agent for two decades, I will take heat for what I am about to say but it is The Great Unspoken Truth of publishing: the good stuff ALWAYS gets picked up by agents and publishers.
That’s right! Robin, the reason your book got relegated to being self-published is one or all of these factors:
1. It is poorly written
2. There is too much similar content and you didn’t take the time to differentiate yours
3. You have no platform and/or credibility to be writing on this topic
That’s it. That’s why you and every other author doesn’t get picked up. I see between 8000-10000 ideas per year at my agency. Every single time we see a good idea, we pounce on it at once – and usually, if the emerging author has also submitted it to many other agents, we find that there are many other agents also interested.
The opposite is also true.
The harsh reality from your side of the world: you have to work to improve your content before my world gets interested, but if it is good it will get attention.
There are SO few excellent book ideas in the world. As an agent, my whole life is about constantly searching for them. I take no pleasure and make no money by spurning hopefuls with marginal quality materials.
Dan, you remind me of the joke about how there are only two kinds of people in the world… the kind who think there are only two kinds of people in the world, and…
But seriously, there are only those two kinds of authors? You can’t think of any more than that?
Mike, yes — you nailed it.
As for Adrian’s piece, agreed with Mark, Joe already pointed out most of the flaws. I’ll just add this one: “Now, as before, the greatest challenge facing a new writer is to find readers.”
No. Before, the singular challenge was distribution, and legacy publishers had a monopoly on that. That monopoly is now broken, and distribution is no longer a challenge. Five years ago, if someone said to me, “I’m going to self-publish,” I would have responded, “What’s your distribution strategy?” Today, distribution isn’t even a question. My response would be, “How will you reach readers?” But as Joe has pointed out, if you think the answer to “How will you reach readers” is “Through a legacy publisher, of course,” you’re ignoring the fact that most legacy-published books don’t make money and then go out of print.
As you said, Adrian, “But someone always wins the lottery too.” Why do you argue self-publishing is a lottery but suggest legacy publishing is a sure thing? That self-publishing entails risk while legacy publishing does not? Do you really believe these things, or was there something missing in your presentation?
I also want to point out that I’ve never said that having a legacy publisher is foolish (this is in part because I don’t think there are only two kinds of author). I have said many times that publishing for me is a business, not an ideology. Whether an author prefers self-publishing or legacy publishing is in large part a question of what the author is trying to accomplish, and I try not to criticize tactics without first understanding objectives.
What’s really going behind arguments like Adrian’s, which cherry-pick data and inadequately examine even the cherries, is emotional. As I said in response to another such piece (link below), I’m not a historian, but I have a feeling that in every revolution, as a certain class loses its erstwhile power and privileges, there will be people who fear the loss of that class will lead to an erosion of structure, of standards, even of civilization itself. The vernacular bible? But how will lay people approach God without priests to interpret and intermediate? The Gutenberg press? But now anyone can have access to books and ideas, even people without the education or breeding to appreciate them! Woman’s suffrage? Democracy itself? I could go on. The “but you can only be properly edited by someone employed at a legacy publisher” is but the latest such meme. Like its forebears, it, too, will eventually be extinguished by overwhelming evidence to the contrary, to make room for new such memes that spring not from evidence and logic, but rather from an innate fear of change.
http://letters.salon.com/books/feature/2011/06/21/ebooks_john_locke/view/?show=all
As a guy who spent four years at the feet of the gatekeepers with two well-known NY agents, a legacy publisher offer that fell through when a board disagreed with an editor, and a movie supposedly in the stable for two years before it disappated, I can tell you I much prefer the alternate track. One agent’s exact words to me were “I hope you’re loyal because I’m going to make you rich.” Well, I was…and I’m not.
I like my chances better in the new world
I agree with this Adrian. If I had known how much time it would take for me to promote my work, I probably would have tried harder to get an agent. The creative process is so much fun, but marketing is too tedious and time consuming. Having rights to my work is good but at what cost. I can’t reach people in developing countries who support my work without going the traditional publishing route. Most of these people don’t have e-reader or a credit card to purchase books over the Internet. The whole promotion process is frustrating. I would rather be writing than spending all this time marketing my novels.
But why use an agent? Usually, they act only as a conduit between writer and publisher. As Juli said above, it’s perfectly possible to hire editors, publicists etc, so it makes sense to hire those people to do the work you are either unable or unwilling to do, and this will also give you the freedom to hire people located in your target market.
One important point – hiring such professionals, either on a freelance basis or through an agency, may seem expensive, but remember, they are professionals, and their fees should be compared with those of other professionals such as solicitors and accountants. If hiring an editor means you get higher ratings for a professional product, or hiring a publicist means you sell many more copies of your book, that money is worth spending. Don’t forget that publishers (usually) buy the services of these people too – not many publishers have these staff in-house. That cost is passed on to the author in the form of lower royalties, and as a freelance editor, I can assure you that the cost to the author is a good deal higher than the freelance has charged the publisher! In addition, publishing is a small world, and if you find one person in that chain (which IMO, should start with the editor, and most editors’ organisations have directories), they will often be able to find you the other links.
That said, I don’t think self-publishing is for everyone either. I believe that anyone writing fiction is probably better off approaching an agent or publisher first, partly to find out if their writing really is any good, and partly for the support network in what is a very competitive environment. By contrast, anyone publishing non-fiction, particularly in niche subject areas, might well be better off with self-publishing. Publishers generally distribute through bookshops, but a niche author may well find a far better return by selling to niche outlets – for instance, someone writing a history of golf might well get better sales through a chain of sporting-goods shops than through bookshops. Similarly, a canny publicist (or indeed author) would be likely to get a good return for relatively little effort by simply posting messages publicising the book on every available internet forum dealing with the subject. Much of marketing is common sense – the trick is working out what will give the best return for the lowest effort, and knowing where to spend wisely.
I agree with Adrian. If I had known how much time it would take for me to promote my work, I probably would have tried harder to get an agent. The creative process is so much fun, but marketing is too tedious and time consuming. Having rights to my work is good but at what cost. I can’t reach people in developing countries who support my work without going the traditional publishing route. Most of these people don’t have e-reader or a credit card to purchase books over the Internet. The whole promotion process is frustrating. I would rather be writing than spending all this time marketing my novels.
I love print books. I have spent many years writing marketing materials for book publishers, and have worked for a small publisher, and as a bookstore buyer. I have been published by traditional legacy publishers, and even had modest sales success. I have also survived a publisher bankruptcy (it took me a year to get my rights back), bad contracts, changes in publishing staff that meant my new books were lost in the shuffle, the usual rejections, the ups and downs of doing the business part of writing books.
When I moved to Nashville in the early 90′s, Music Row was flourishing with the country music boom. I watched the implosion of that industry in the digital revolution of the early 2000s, and saw the “For Rent” signs go up on Music Row. Music Row fought the changes, holding onto the way things were instead of seeing the way things could be. I see so many parallels in what is happening in the book industry now, including publishers’ resistance to a tsunami of change. I believe it does not have to be an either/or equation, but a both/and opportunity, if publishers are willing to embrace the emerging paradigm. But if they don’t adjust, the infrastructure will build and move on without them. Writers will still write and find ways to reach an audience, with or without a traditional publishing deal.
When my books went out of print and my rights were returned in 2009, my agent told me she could not find a market for my work. Self-publishing seemed to be the only option for reaching the people who like the books I write, and for expanding into new avenues of creativity. It was self-publish or don’t publish at all. Understanding that the e-book market is still developing, I made a choice to develop with it. My current financial gains may seem “meager” in comparison to what I earned being published with a traditional publisher, but the potential for growth is expansive. As J.A. Konrath says, self-publishing e-books is a marathon, not a sprint. Though “surely the vast majority of promising writers who aspire to reach the wider world are better off with the help, nurturance, advice and financial backing of a prominent publisher,” the truth is even writers who have had that backing are seeing those opportunities disappear, and the opportunities for successful (i.e. actually making money and creating art that satisfies the soul) self-publishing keep expanding.
I would love to see a beneficial synergy develop between traditional legacy publishing and self-publishing, but I am no longer dependent on that happening. Self-publishing has put the power in my hands. The gatekeepers eliminated me, but new readers are finding my self-published books. I am working on becoming a better writer and developing the skills that will help me create finer books. The right timing, the right people, the right book, and the right market are all unpredictable in any success story. If success in self-publishing is like winning the lottery, success in traditional publishing is no less so. Self-publishing offers me an opportunity to buy more tickets to the lottery. I may or may not win the jackpot, but I can tell you that I already have the satisfaction of connecting with readers who tell me they appreciate my work. And my income is growing as the e-book market expands.
I loved the moment when I held my first published print book in my hand. It was a beautiful book. I will always be grateful that I was able to experience the traditional legacy publishing paradigm with quality publishers and editors (and great agents). I also love seeing my self-published e-books find a new audience and being able to own my rights and develop them as I choose. I’m excited about the expanding opportunities in self-publishing. A new paradigm is an opportunity for anyone who is open to change, and those who succeed will be those who are willing to adapt.
Ms. Paull,
I think you are right to compare the storm the publishing business is going through to the one the music business went through in the early 2000s. Before beginning the quest that is writing books, I was an aspiring singer / songwriter (I know how to pick my businesses, apparently). I learned that even the best bands don’t get signed to major record labels. First, they have to develop a massive following that demands their music. They, basically, had to self-publish for years. Then, they might get picked up by a “small press,” a tiny label run out of a back room. Later, the “small press” might get bought out by a “major label,” a Hollywood label looking for a sure thing, just so the band can be signed.
This is, I believe, something like the model we’re heading toward with self-publishing. We do the work, with the help of the small press run out a back room. If we look like a sure thing, we might get picked up.
The thought of spending more time trying to get past the gatekeepers of traditional publishing only to be met with the possibility of giving them a huge chunk of the money for something that I could do on my own and at far less expense, and in far less time (I don’t care about paper, so that instantly saves me a year) is, in a word, unappealing.
The idea of curation is also questionable. Just because one of the major houses decides to put something to paper doesn’t mean it’s any better or any more valid than something written by someone who put just as much time, love, and dedication into their story and published it themselves.
I have the good fortune of seeing new books put out by the big houses every day and I’ve seen questionable pieces go across my desk. I don’t believe they put out a better product than an “indie” could by hiring people to handle the things they can’t, i.e. art and editing. Besides, the self-publisher doesn’t relinquish control over such trivial things as titles and cover art.
I’ll take my chances with self-publishing. I’m not looking to get rich quick or get signed by a big house. Call me an e-mid-lister (though I wouldn’t be adverse to more success).
The secret to your hoped-for success will come through a high quality book (which you may or may not be able to create or recognize – every author thinks their work is stupendous!); and an excellent marketing plan, well implemented and continuously tweaked. If you can accomplish all that, then self publishing is a GREAT choice for you.
Other than that, your willingness to improve your content, your self and your marketing presence BEFORE finding an agent like me or my colleagues is crucial.
Suzanna, you do agree with Adrian. You’re both arguing in essence, “Self publishing isn’t for me; therefore, it can’t be for anybody.” But is this not an unfortunately narcissistic and solipsistic way of approaching life? As well as a logical and empirical fallacy? Make the same argument with, for example, a food or a city, and you’ll start to see what’s wrong with it.
“I don’t like licorice, therefore no one should eat it.”
“I don’t like New York, therefore no one should live there.”
“I don’t like self-publishing, therefore on one should do it.”
As I said above, I try not to criticize tactics without first understanding objectives. I also try not to confuse my own objectives with the objectives of others, or to deny that objectives different from mine can still be legitimate. But then again, I’m just a writer, not the president of a legacy imprint, so it’s easier for me to be disinterested and objective when I approach this topic.
Barry –
Would you agree, as I do, that for some people who are prominent already in their world, have amassed a large group of followers, have a large enough staff (freelance or employees) who can manage the process for them, and who are willing to do the daily work it takes to make a book stand out in the current avalanche of words, that self publishing is a good option?
I do believe that’s the case. But for those poor writers who really think the industry is designed to keep them out, or who have something to do every day other than promote themselves and their book, I suspect it is not always a good choice.
I keep reading the same thing from pro-big publishing people: big publishers market the book. Yet every thing I’ve read, and all authors I’ve spoken to, say the exact opposite: authors are left to market and promote their books. So answer me this: how do big publishers market books, specifically new authors?
Self-publishing can be expensive or it can be extremely cheap, especially considering how big of a chunk traditional publishers take out of the royalties, as Joe has already expounded upon. These days as long as you have a credit card you can self-publish. Does that mean you should? No. Every aspiring author should vet their work with peers to make sure it’s worth the effort. Not all books are good ones, and that’s true of traditionally published work as well as self-published.
The notion that traditionally publishing text less time is completely ludicrous. Big houses are inindated with manuscripts every day, and must sort through and axe books all the time, sometimes without even looking at them. How long does it take a new author to acquire and agent, publisher, deal, be edited, and finally put on the shelves? Months or years? Self-publishing can take a fraction of the time if you know where to look for editing services and cover designs. Marketing and “getting the word out” is left to the author, whether self-published or traditionally published.
Eeek, so many spelling errors… Sorry all!
The marketing any publisher does is marginal at best, that’s usually true except for their A-list. As an agent for more than 2 decades now, I always tell my client the responsibility for marketing is 100% theirs and anything the publisher does is a great gift. I say this to my A-list as well as my mid-list.
HOWEVER the distribution in so many avenues that a big publisher provides are closed to most self-published authors. AND the MEDIA knows that most self published books have not been “curated”, as Adrian says, and therefore could contain any wild content hidden somewhere in the middle. It’s much, much safer to put on television an author whose book comes from Random House than one who comes from “Joe’s Publishing Company & Grill”. We know RH puts out good stuff that has been vetted by many professionals from the agent forward.
This is a difficult decision for most, because the the efficacy of the marketing is better with a big publisher, but the author still needs to do much of it.
Questioning the time it takes to get a good book through the system is like complaining that the grape juice meant for kids isn’t a fine wine yet, dammit. It’s a process of refinement and quality control.
I am sorry, Barry, that you didn’t understand my comment. I was just talking about my own experience. I don’t think self-publishing is bad at all. The production process was good. However I had not anticipated how much time the promotion process would take out my day. This is not the fault of self-publishing. It is luck of foresight on my part.
Sorry if I misunderstood you, Suzanna. When you relied only on your own experience in saying, “I agree with Adrian,” I thought you must be agreeing with his argument, which is, “the vast majority of promising writers who aspire to reach the wider world are better off with the help, nurturance, advice and financial backing of a prominent publisher.” What you wrote sounded to me like, “Yes, that’s true for the vast majority, and here’s my evidence: self-publishing wasn’t good for me.” But again, if I misunderstood you, apologies.
As someone a long way down the ‘teach yourself’ self-publishing route, yes it’s a hard (very hard) slog – but there’s nothing to beat the feeling of control.
My first self-published children’s book The Secret Lake will be going live in the next week or so in print via CreateSpace and Lightening Source and I’m almost ready to upload to Kindle and Smashwords. I’ve not used any outside services aside from an Illustrator for the cover – instead have made it my business to learn how to get it done..
At the time I wrote this book – ten years ago – I used to dream of the model that’s now available to us. Like so many others I experienced the frustration of lengthy waits for rejection letters – as well as (on the ‘positive’ side) strong interest from Bloomsbury (direct from the then Senior Commissioning Editor) and a couple of agents, but which eventually came to nothing… When I finally filed everything away in the virtual drawer and got back to the day job (of copywriting) it really bugged me that those stories would get left locked away – but there came a time when I felt I could go on forever trying to find a publisher. How times have changed and I’m delighted now to have the opportunity to get my work out there under my own steam…
Of course I’m under no illusion that making any decent return on it will be a hard slog, however I’m game to give it a go…
I am planning to recycle everything I’ve learned on this first round for my next books – and will be summarising the key steps I went through on a blog… This will partly act as an aide-memoire for myself, but will also offer a free reference point for others treading this path. There are of course already many fantastic blogs out advising on every aspect of self-publishing – so I shall be keeping my own to high level key steps and practical tips that I found of particular use, and providing links out to the more content rich blogs…
Yes, going off topic a bit here – but my point is that there is a great spirit amongst the self-publishing community with everyone helping each other… That feeling is a far cry from sitting at home waiting for the envelope to come through the door….
Karen Inglis
Ah, Karen, you are the best of all possible examples for why someone should go with a real publisher!
Your book has been out since August 4 and its Amazon numbers are still over 1 million. In other words, your book is not even out of the gate and it is already doing poorly.
How sad for you! But what a common lesson for all who self publish.
What a b#tch!
There are traditionally published author’s who don’t sell well either!
I do want to see my books in print. I have a book that no publisher anywhere would ever touch with a 10-foot pole. In fact, I myself recommend that people buy it only to use when toilet paper is lean, when a woodstove needs kindling or when paranoid School Administrators are looking for books to ban (or burn).
No matter how horrific, obscene, and spiritually devoid my book is, I can publish it myself through Amazon.com’s CreateSpace program (sadly, it can’t be done as an eBook).
Can any of the Big 6 publishers make me a similar offer? I would love to hear it.
A few weeks ago I debated self publishing with a flock of fantasy authors at Magical Words Writing Fantasy and I said to those authors that if I kept making the $400 a month I was making at the time that in 24 months I would match — and beat — the $10,000.00 advance (minus $1500 to your agent) offered by Science Fiction publisher Angry Robot.
Here it is two months later and I’ve beaten by projections by 22 months, having made around $8500.00 in two-point-five months.
Like Joe, I’m an example of someone Legacy publishing doesn’t want and doesn’t think they need. But, I’m not having any problems finding readers and fans and I’m having even less trouble spending Amazon’s money.
-P.D.
I’m the author of an ongoing series published in Australia. The first book was a modest success, and a bestseller in one of the largest chains here. (Now one of the ONLY chains here, but that’s for another day.)
The second book was well-liked by the fans, many of whom declared it better than the first. As with many series, it didn’t sell quite as well as the first. The third came out and was liked even more, but orders and sales were less again.
At this stage the releases were six months and then twelve months apart. It wasn’t a question of momentum.
The fourth title came out 12 months after book 3 and was shortlisted for a couple of major spec fic awards. I received a lot of feedback declaring it the best yet, but unfortunately it was hard to find in the shops. Most no longer carried the first two, which made it tough to bring in new readers.
The fifth book .. well, let’s just say an ongoing series published by the trade and sold through bookstores faces an uphill climb these days. I did everything I could think of to build a readership, and those who actually read the books seriously enjoyed them. They just didn’t quite make it.
I pitched a new series, different age group, but my name obviously doesn’t carry enough weight, and with the rapidly shrinking number of stores I’m facing a tough choice: Give up altogether, change my name and write something new, or go it alone and try to build a readership by myself.
Options one and two don’t hold any appeal, so it’s door number three for me.
Adrian, you’re right … but you’re right for fiction, mostly. Novels that bear trusted imprints have more credibility than those that do not.
But, for nonfiction, I think you’re off the mark. I know that, as a book publicist, I can promote a self-published book just as easily as a traditionally-published book. Sometimes, it’s even easier for me to promote a self-published book, because I start with a clean slate and can build a strong track record when it will do the most good. I’m unhampered by media rejections the traditional publisher has already garnered (because of weak pitches, bad timing, shotgun mailings, or the like). I also don’t have to deal with in-house publicists’ egos and territorial instincts (“No! Don’t contact ‘Good Morning America’ or any other national TV shows. They’re on my list! I might want to contact them. Hands off!” )
In other words, with self-published books’ promotional campaigns, I don’t have to wait for traditional publishers to fail before I can succeed. I’m working with authors who are fully cooperative and want the book to succeed, and who put their books first. They’re not competing with the publishers’ A-list books, and they’re never relegated to second-class status.
Of course, independent book publicists can only take on projects that have been professionally written, edited, produced, and distributed. We are only as credible as the last book we’ve promoted. But if I’m promoting a nonfiction book to the right media outlets at the right time, the author can have a successful book. And, if it doesn’t happen quickly, the author can keep trying until it does.
For me, those are the benefits of promoting self-published books. My bias is clear. I respect traditional publishing but, these days, I’d prefer to be involved with book promotion campaigns for self-published books.
Oh dear, oh dear! As the monks laboriously copying out multiple copies of the Bible probably once insisted to Caxton “It will never catch on!” The world moves on in technology and we should rejoice that e-publishing and the internet creates a greater audience for writers whoever they are. And remember, JK Rowling had her manuscript turned down by about 20 publishers before somebody took it on.
With a reputable service provider, one can only say the fees were hidden if one was not looking for them.
Furthermore, the statement that “self-publishing is expensive” is a bit silly. Of course it can be, but it never has to be. The formula for all human endeavors says that you either spend time or money. If you want to save time (for example, you don’t want to learn how to compose and execute an attractive, professional cover), then you spend money.
The thing is, what most self-publishers are doing can’t be compared to the full New York. If I was trying to recreate the ideal big publisher experience in a hardback book, self-publishing would be very expensive. Self-publishing an ebook can be… free.
It was not for me. I spent 150 for an editor (whose day job is editing erotic romance for one of the largest epublishers of same), and 15 for the stock photo.
>I spent 150 for an editor (whose day job is editing erotic romance for one of the largest epublishers of same), and 15 for the stock photo.<
Really?
Im desperate to find an editor, and a source of cheap stock photos. Id be very grateful if you could pass on info about them
I want to make an ebook of a poetry book I wrote that is out of print. My email is
marshaprescod@hotmail.com. Many thanks in advance!
The OP basic tenet, that “traditional” publishing is even available, is 99% false. Most writers would waste years seeking agents and publishers. And then another two years waiting on the snail-like pace of trad publishers. And then, likely as not, see the book remaindered before the season changes.
For the unpublished author, self-publishing is, as a practical matter, the only choice. Perhaps if the traditional publishers were less hidebound and slow, things might be different.
The OP’s article is 99% wrong, with a little seasoning of dishonesty.
Ya’ know, folks, I went back to the article and read it carefully. I want to retract my finding that it is 99% false. It is more like 50% falsehood, 45% misleading, and 5% utter bulls..t.
Agreed Jacques… Here’s part of that 45%:
“Besides, Hocking herself has now signed with a traditional publisher for her future novels, as the best way to build on her early success.”
She is legacy publishing one series of books…but she will continue to self-publish other series and standalone books as she has been doing for a while now.
Not really true, Jason. She has since said she is going to pull one of her previous series of books and they are going to be re-released from her publisher. She will be nearly 100% traditionally published in the near future.
This article was wrong on so many fronts. Comparing a successful ebook writer to winning the lottery is just one such misleading statement.
I’m a random writer with absolutely no following, no publishing credentials, nothing.
Last month I earned about 3,000 dollars on B&N and Amazon for my ebooks. Each month I’ve earned more money. I should make about 30-40 thousand dollars this year from my work.
I might not have won the lottery but it sure beats workin’ for a living!
I just put up my very first –ever– ebook, a fantasy novelette. It took me about 6 hours, start to finish, and cost zero dollars. Unless you count the monthly fee I pay to my internet provider, in which case it cost approximately one dollar and ten cents. Granted, if it had been a full novel, it might have taken an hour longer to get the formatting done. In the interests of full disclosure, I’m also not counting the time I spent writing and editing.
I did everything myself, of course. My own cover, content editing, copy editing, formatting, and conversion. I expect the process to be significantly smoother and faster next time, and the time after that, and so on. It wasn’t easy, but it certainly wasn’t incredibly time consuming. And it really doesn’t get cheaper than free.
So, on at least two of the foundational points of this article, you couldn’t be more wrong if you tried. The fundamentals rules of publishing have changed, and changed so radically that many, including you, are apparently incapable of even grokking the changes.
Let’s see…hmmm… I checked out your 99 cent book on Amazon. Looks like you have no sales and no reviews at all. That’s success?
Wendy Keller,
Maybe you missed that part at the very beginning of my comment where I mentioned that I just put the book out? As in it went live on Amazon a little more than a week ago? I didn’t expect much in the first month, or several for that matter. I have gotten 59 downloads on Smashwords so far, where the book is posted for free. Go me.
The thing is, buzz out of the gate isn’t relevant in digital publishing. It’s nice, sure. Doesn’t hurt one bit. Sales are always a good thing. But ebooks are forever. Forever is a long time to find an audience. Being an independent publisher, even if I only publish me, is a new business for me. Business take time to establish and grow. Judging my success by the first two weeks is a little bit premature, financial or otherwise.
For me, as a new author, success is having my work available to be read, with no compromises in control over content or rights. I wouldn’t be anywhere near that with a legacy publisher, or an agent. I would be depending on people other than the reader (my customer) to decide whether my work was fit to be read. Depending on employees and distributors to determine the fate of my product. No thanks (not without big bags of money involved, which isn’t going to happen.)
But thanks for checking out my –first– book, anyway.
Perhaps now you might address my actual points rather than engaging in ad hominem attacks on my credibility?
I believe you have proved the point that self publishing is a valid way for new writers to break into publishing with a tradional publisher. Most publishers won’t even look at a writer’s work unless it is sent by an agent. Many agents, rely only a query letter to decide what they’ll even read, and if they do request a manuscript may take months or even a year, or never to get back to the author. By that time a writer can have a few e-books out and selling, learning more about writing, and building a platform. (Since we all know it is the writer’s platform the publishers buy into, not necessarity the quality of the author’s work.)
The author’s other choice, to keep spending time sending query letters and hoping, No Thanks!
Drat! There’s no edit button for comments.
I believe you have proved the point that self publishing is a valid way for new writers to break into publishing with a tradional publisher. Most publishers won’t even look at a writer’s work unless it is sent by an agent. Many agents, rely only a query letter to decide what they’ll even read, and if they do request a manuscript may take months or even a year, or never to get back to the author. By that time a writer can have a few e-books out and selling, learnmore about writing, and build a platform. (Since we all know it is the writer’s platform the publishers buy into, not necessarily the quality of the author’s work.)
The author’s other choice, to keep spending time sending query letters and hoping, No Thanks!
Good article and great comments by some well established people such as Mark Coker founder of Smashwords. I believe with the growth of eReaders, tablets and mobiles combined with cloud computing services and social marketing, indie authors have been empowered to both self publish, market and sell online. This confluence effect has given rise to boutique publishers and self publishers in an evolving publishing model. I have spent the last six months researching eBooks, publishing and marketing and have spent time with grassroots writers groups, publishing conferences and assisted indie authors get their eBooks out (as part of my research). Having been in the software industry for over two decades, I would say that this new publishing model is still in its infancy and is rapidly evolving as innovative companies establish themselves. Smart traditional publishers have a lot of depth and experience but will have no choice but to react and evolve to survive. Everyone now has the same access and good authors with great marketing will do well at 35% to 70% royalties.
If you are considering publishing, there is always the question of whether to self-publish or publish through a publishing house. There is a slew of new publishing houses that have appeared with the advent of digital publishing, including the Bad, the Good and the Ugly.
There is a list of epublishing houses with ratings at http://www.epublishabook.com/2011/07/12/epublishing-houses-ratings-list/ where a new publishing house is added every week day. Worth checking when starting to look for a house for your book.
I had to chuckle at the title of this post, and chuckled more as I read it. Here’s why:
When I finished writing “In Her Name” back in 1994, my query letters resulted in nothing but a pile of rejection notices from the traditional publishers. Big surprise. Frustrated, I tossed the manuscript into a box and used it as a footrest. Writing the book had been great fun, but it looked like that was all the further I was going to be able to take it.
The manuscript sat under my desk until I learned about Kindle publishing in late 2007. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I spent the winter of that year scanning it in, edited the resulting Word file as best I could (although it’s less than perfect, I’m sure), and published it in May 2008 in the Kindle store.
An amazing thing happened: I sold three copies that month. The next month I think I sold eight. People seemed to enjoy them, and encouraged me to write more. And for the first time in fourteen years, I hit the keyboard again, doing something I vaguely remembered that I loved to do.
So, what’s my point? Well, with seven books on Amazon (and other retail channels) now, and after I got the hang of how to use Twitter effectively earlier this year, my royalties went from a few hundred dollars a month this January to thirty thousand – yes, for the month – in both June and July, and I sold just shy of 80,000 copies (just in the Kindle store, mind you) for the year through the end of July. August is a little slow: it looks like I’m only going to make about twenty-five thousand dollars, but I’m looking for a rebound when I launch the next book of the “In Her Name” series in early October.
The “self-publishing myth” has totally changed my life. Two weeks ago I quit my well-paying government day job of 26 years so I could write full-time, because that’s what I love to do and financially I couldn’t afford *not* to. Now my commute is walking downstairs in my bunny slippers to the rehabilitated junk room that serves as my office. I’m home when my wife and kids get up, and I’m here when the kids get home from school. I can take a nap if I feel like it. Or more than one. And we travel a lot more, because I can write anywhere and don’t have to worry about burning up limited vacation time. And we can afford to go places we only could have dreamed of before.
I’ll be the first to say that self-publishing isn’t an easy road. I work long hours and have to cover a lot of bases between writing, preparing to publish, and promoting. I agree with the OP on that much. But that self-publishing is a myth? Well, if a myth can put $20-30K a month in my bank account, then I’ll take it.
BTW – Joe Konrath, if you happen to read this, I wanted to thank you for your inspiration. I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, and have been meaning to get off my duff and post some comments thanking you. Then you wrote that I should be writing instead, so…