Author Archives: Deborah H. Bateman

Who Needs a Traditional Publisher When You Can Self-Publish for Free?

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With the success of such self-published authors as E.L. James author of “Shades of Grey” and Amanda Hocking, author of numerous best-selling e-books, including “Hollomen,” there is no question that e-books are here to stay. How is it that some self-published authors are able to sell more e-books than authors published by major publishers?

One could argue that there are two reasons why this is happening.

The first reason being is price. Some self-published authors are selling their e-books for as little as $.99 where the standard price of an e-book published by a traditional publisher is $9.99. That is ten times what the indie author is charging, and that alone can play a significant role in why some indie authors are selling more e-books.

Being an avid reader myself, I have to say that there have many instances where I purchased a book of interest, simply because of the low price. I tend to believe that there are millions of other authors who share my philosophy as well. What boggles my mind is that many times, the e-book version of books published by the majors are very similar in price to the paperback version. If I have a choice between a paperback book for $10.99 verses the e-book version for $9.99, I’ll take the paperback for $10.99.

Jessica Park, author of “Flat-Out Love” was quoted as saying that one of the reasons she fears a book deal with a traditional publisher is that she knows that the e-book versions will be severely overpriced.

The second reason for the major success of the indie author over the traditional published author is that some, not all, but some traditional published authors are relying too much on the publisher to make their books a success, whereas, an indie author knows from the very start that if their book is to be a success, they will have to become aggressive marketers.

There may come a day, if that day has not come already where an author from anywhere in the world will no longer even need a traditional publisher to believe in her book, especially with the launching of Createspace, a company that will publish your paperback and e-book at no costs to you.

For the ambitious author, with a dynamite marketing plan and the skills and commitment to pull it off, there will no longer be a need or want for the traditional publisher.

Sarah Box is the author of “The First and the First Lady, the True Story of What Never Really Happened!” You can find her on Facebook.com. http://www.facebook.com/sarah.box.547

Author: Sarah Box
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

Why I Went With Traditional Publishing

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Karma? Fate? Fickle luck? Good fortune?

These are all theories on how things happen to us, the common man. It’s a debate that has stormed across the ages, and will never have a resolution. We’ll all stumble along, damning fate whenever we trip, and thanking our good luck when we shine.

So it is with my start in writing. Going traditional was simply dumb luck. Or one of those other choices. See, I never ached to have my books read. It isn’t something I yearned for over the last 54 years. But over those years, I was looking for a way to create. Playing the trumpet, singing, even tried my hand at genealogy. (That last isn’t quite up there in the creation scale, but trust me, there’s a lot of satisfaction in it.) Nothing seemed to do the trick. So, one day I just decided to try writing. That was a year ago. Didn’t know crappola about writing, publishing, or any of the rest. (Still don’t know too much.) But what I did discover was that it’s fun. Just plain ol’ fun. And so I wrote. And wrote. And wrote some more. And after four months, I had a novel. I edited the snot out of it, lost sleep for a few days, and finally picked three publishers to which I would submit.

Now, unlike many of you who might be reading this, I hadn’t gone through the rejection thing. I’d heard the nightmares, of course, and had even read Stephen King’s account of his start, and how many rejection chits he’d received before he began his decades-long romance with the literary world. (That work is entitled “On Writing”, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone wishing to gain a bit of perspective.) So, I waited. The first rejection came back pretty fast. They were a blood and gore type site, and my story ain’t that. Fair enough. The second one was down my alley, and took my work. But when I wrote them a courtesy letter, telling them I’d also submitted to another publisher, they slid a rejection back down the tube faster than a Nolan Ryan fast ball. So, one remained. And I resolved that, given all the success stories I’d heard over the weeks about publishing “indie”, if I was rejected again, I’d go it alone. Even downloaded software to convert my story over to mobi. Had a cover artist picked out. The works. Then the letter came.

Congratulations.

And all that stuff about going it on my own flew out the window like it was chasing that Nolan zinger. So, now I have a contract, my work will be out in a few weeks, and here I sit, acting like I know something and spouting this and that.

Now, had I been rejected and gone indie, some things would be different. I’d be hustling to get my book converted (not too terribly difficult, and there are sites out there that will do it for a fee), get my cover done (ditto), and slap my book up on Amazon, Barnes& Noble, and Smashwords. I likely would have also gone to Createspace and done the print side. Then would have come the marketing. The Twitter, blogging, hob-knobbing, asking for reviews, asking for guest blogs, asking for author interviews…to be short, my next few months would be spent asking for something, mainly publicity. And you know what?

Two things are what.

Number one, that would be perfectly ok, because if you’re writing it, and believing it’s good, then you damned well better be prepared to TELL folks it’s good.

Number two, it’s absolutely no different when you publish traditionally.

Well, it’s a little different. My publisher IS setting up many of those afore-mentioned interviews, guest blogs, and so forth. But I’ll still have to work my butt off. I’m good with that. He goes to bat for me. He does that because he likes my book…and because when my book makes money, so does he. The down side to this is he has complete control over where and when my book gets published. I signed a contract saying so. A lot of folks have a problem with that, and I have to admit, it gave me pause. But after emailing quite a bit with the man in charge (His name is Tim C. Taylor), I felt very comfortable indeed with my choice. Now my book is due out in a little while under the Greyhart Publishing logo, and I’m a very happy boy.

So, you ask, what’s the bottom line? It’s simply this. We all do what works for us. Indie works. So does traditional. Will I ever go indie, if Tim doesn’t like something I do, or if it’s in a genre that doesn’t interest him? Absolutely. Do I have a bit less control since someone else holds the reins? Yeah, probably. But, I don’t care. My work load for getting my book out there is now far less, I can devote more time to writing, and it’s all good. Very good. So, see, it’s what is right at that moment, and for your particular situation. There is no right and wrong, no good and evil (except in our work). Both beasts can result in success, both in failure. That, in the end, depends on you.

Now, stop reading this article and go write something.

Author: Thomas Rydder
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Beading Necklace

Going Indie As an Author

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Why I Joined the Indie Book rebellion.

I first noticed it with films. Indie was a new way of making films, and struggled to find acceptance in the beginning. Some were good, even great. Some were forgettable at best, awful at worst. But for the actors and talent producing independent films it was an experience that freed them from the controls of major studios. Then I started to enjoy indie music. Bands and recording artists saw the advantage and began their break away from the control of major labels, often pushing talent to their view of conformity. The result was some good musical talent, even great recording. But, there was some not so good as well.

Starting with films and spreading to recording, and the indie movement has given us outstanding results, great films and wonderful music The list of famous, critically acclaimed indie films and music is impressive indeed.

Both have benefited from rapidly developing technology and have gained market acceptance under the Indie banner.

Indie films and music took time to gain a foothold and find acceptance, and they had to overcome resistance by funders and audiences. But films and music is now judged on their individual merit, not the reputation and name of a film studio or record label.

Why is there still reluctance to accept indie authors?

The reputation of Vanity Press has hurt the move to indie publishing. For starters it is still held that supported self-publishing is the same as vanity press. Anybody with a computer can churn out a manuscript. The technically challenged might choose a typewriter or write in long hand and have a friend type it out. But once a writer has a manuscript it’s easy to find a printer willing to create a book, although it might be necessary to buy a print run in quantity to keep the cost manageable. Many writers followed that path, paid good money, only to end with a garage full of books and no access to retail or online channels.

To be fair, there a lot of personal stories, family memories and community histories that has used the vanity press method to enrich our lives. But we also suffer when compared to books that look shoddy and are poorly written, an unfortunate outcome that may occur when books are printed using the vanity method. Often the books are poorly designed, lack an editor’s touch, and the author has little reach beyond family, friends and acquaintances. I cringe at the thought that someone is lumping one of my books in with some of them.

That is one of the reasons libraries are reluctant to consider indie published work, and newspapers equally unenthusiastic about reviewing them.

Supported Self-Publishing

Supported self-publishing is different. This is the method that gives me, as author, a menu of services providing me with a toehold in the retail distribution chain. ISBN numbers mean my books are available for order through companies like Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. In fact Amazon took things a step further and developed Createspace, a service for indie authors, providing a full menu of resources up to and including the print-on-demand part.

The technology of on-demand printing means a newly emerging author, like me, isn’t committed to purchasing an unrealistic supply of books. My warehouse is a virtual warehouse, actually a computer in Charleston, SC. When there is a demand for one of my books the computer goes to work for me, it’s handed over for delivery, and I have a new reader enjoying one of my novels.

That said, I also make sure I have copies in my closet and car trunk, just in case.

The benefits of self-published are clear as day to me. I maintain control over my books. I wrote them and it’s my sweat and vision in each of them. I had the good sense to realize I needed the steady hand and eye of a good editor. I quickly realized that putting my words between the front and back of amateurish covers was a mistake. But I learned, and took control and made sure I now have cover designs I can be proud of. Now, all of my novels have the book-look.

It took indie films time to gain acceptance. There were some clunkers, and poor attempts at film making. But outstanding films taught audiences a valuable lesson. Judge films on their individual merit.

Any garage band with access to a recording device can turn out DVDs and publish their work online. Unfortunately, that means some bad music is turned out. But the discerning listener has learned to judge a recording on individual merit.

Read my book and you be the judge

Why not judge my books on their individual merit? I say, let the reader’s have a vote. I have limited money to invest, but I am committed to books that look good, are enjoyable to read, and get the stamp of approval from my readers. If I can publish such a book, keep my price low, and still make some money (or not lose a lot of money), it’s a no-brainer for me. It was clear that the odds are stacked against my stories being accepted by a traditional publisher, regardless of how convinced I am that I have written a good story. They aren’t going to be quick to take a chance on an unknown.

My choice was clear.

So I chose to become an indie author, and it was the right decision. I have three novels, each different in story and style. There are readers who will like all three, and other readers who will prefer one over another. What I have ended up with is taking pride in my accomplishments as a writer. I had no idea the journey would end up here, with more yet to come.

Best of all is the growing list of reviews that count, the comments from readers who tell me they kept turning the page.

MARKETING IS NOT A DIRTY WORD

What about marketing as an indie author? It ain’t easy folks.

I watch well-known authors advertising their latest work, urgently staring at me from the television screen and asking me to buy. The reality of today’s publishing environment means that there is a dwindling pool of dollars for marketing, especially for an unknown. Why would publishers take a chance and spend money marketing me?

I have to look to my own marketing needs. I came from a career in non-profit management. It actually provided good training for marketing as an indie author. Non-profit organizations are always cash-strapped with little or no money for marketing. That meant facing the challenge of marketing on a shoe-string.

My marketing and reach is severely limited. I don’t have a huge budget. I have to make sure that every penny spent for marketing counts. That may sound restrictive, but it means I am challenged to be creative in ways of spreading the word about my novels. It’s hard work. I have to screw up my courage in talking to bookstore managers. It’s not that I’m not proud of my work; it’s my fear of the unknown in making cold calls. I suffer the dread of rejection, like a lot of people.

But years into the process I have a portfolio of marketing ideas that work, and a long list of things that didn’t work.

Finally, I am convinced it is time for the indie author to step into the spotlight? To take that step we have to make sure we create quality written product. Then let our work be judged on merit. No more, no less.

There are ‘rookie’ mistakes, and I made mine. One glaring example was trying to economize, make that go cheap, led me to use a template cover for my first two novels. They looked just like they were template, nothing to make a potential reader consider reaching for them.

We’ve all heard the saying that you can’t judge a book by the cover. A well-designed cover can give a potential buyer a glimpse of the story within. In fact, a good design can act like a magnet, causing someone to pick up a book and look at it. That is, after all, the first step in selling.

Send me an email to chuck@writebyme.ca and I will be glad to send you before and after covers. You will know what I mean just by looking at them.

Once past the cover design, you need a book that has been professionally edited. I just love getting emails and comments from readers pointing out the missed commas, misspelled words, and other glitches we miss.

A good cover, a good interior, and you have a marketable product, one you can be proud of. All you need then is a buyer standing at your table, waiting for the author’s signature.

Chuck Waldron

As an independent author and publisher, I have learned some valuable lessons through trial and error. If you are considering self-publishing I hope you find the encouragement you need to take control of your publishing destiny. Welcome to the Indie Book Rebellion.

Chuck Waldron
http://www.writebyme.ca

Author: Chuck Waldron
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Expanding Your Reach Through Digital Publishing

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The recent unveiling of Apple’s iPad set the social networks ablaze with commentary. While many oohed and ahhed over the device’s shiny appearance and capability for making life and work run more smoothly, others wondered aloud (and on Twitter) if the gadget would only serve users as an expensive, tricked out Kindle-type monitor. To be certain, if Apple succeeded in anything with its initial push, they added fuel to already animated discussions on the future of publishing in the digital age. For the business using the Internet to strengthen brand visibility and customer reach, this represents progress worth watching, even if you don’t work in publishing.

Experts may debate whether or not print is dead, but it can be agreed upon that digital production of books and documents won’t fade anytime soon. Amazon.com reported a record high for Kindle eBook sales late in 2009, while document sharing sites Wattpad and Scribd boast thousands of available works – everything from novels to dissertations to poetry and plays – for download to laptops and smart phone reader applications.

Amateur writers are not the only ones making use of this exposure, either. Scribd, for one, distributes works by major corporations and publishers, including Ford and Simon and Schuster. Recently, self-publishing platform Smashwords, which allows authors to make content available for sale or free, signed agreements to allow the works of registered users to be distributed to Barnes and Noble’s website. Not to be outdone, Amazon cooperates with authors directly to sell their books via their Kindle store.

Bottom line: if you have written something worth sharing, and wide distribution can benefit your business, it should be seriously considered. All you need to do, once the writing and editing is completed, is plan accordingly. As you ponder this type of marketing strategy, ask yourself these questions:

1) What can I write about my company/products/services that people may want to read?

What is your main line of business? If you work in construction, perhaps you have extensive original material on home repairs and tips that can be collected in a digital booklet and distributed. If you deal in antique, you can lend your expertise to a pricing guide or series of articles on properly buying and selling items. For everything you do, you can provide instructions and insight.

When you do prepare work for distribution, take care to make certain your work is original, with attributions to other sources made where needed, and that your website and business information is provided. Cover art is not necessary, but if you feel it would help readership you can easily find royalty-free artwork online to use.

2) How do I format my book/lets?

Common formats of electronic documents include HTML and PDF, which may be created easily through the proper software or freeware. Other formats, readable on proprietary readers like Kindle or Sony’s reader, can be translated through free publishing services like Smashwords.

3) Where do I offer my book/lets?

For marketing purposes, it is beneficial to make any complimentary digital downloads easily attainable. Offer the files on your site’s server, and take advantage of free distribution channels like Wattpad, Scribd, Smashwords, and similar sites. Advertise links on your blog and social profiles for maximum exposure.

Similar to article marketing, creating digital downloads can work to lend authoritative value to your brand and increase awareness of your business. As people turn more toward sharing free content via social media and smart phones, so you have the opportunity to raise exposure of your work, products and services.

Kathryn Lively is a social media specialist assisting clients with social media writing and travel social media services.

Author: Kathryn Lively
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A Strategy For Getting Your Self-Published Book Into Stores

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I’ve spoken to self-publishers who are quick to say that they don’t need brick and mortar bookstores. This is usually expressed after they realize that, even though their books are listed in Books in Print or are in the Ingram catalog, not even one bookstore has ordered a copy.

If you are actively promoting your book off-line as well as on-line, you will find that it is possible to break into bookstores, even if you have to do it one store at a time.

The key is local events. Start in your local community when your book is launched. Send out press releases to local daily and weekly papers. Contact local radio and TV stations. Offer to do readings at local libraries, and then hit the bookstores.

Start with a chain bookstore. I love independent bookstores, but if you want to make a big push to get your books into stores nation-wide, you’re going to have to aim for the chains.

Go to the manager or buyer at your store, and explain that you’re doing a local media push. Let her know what speaking engagements and interviews you’ve already lined up, and the press you’re expecting to receive.

Explain that you want to point all those readers to one particular store to buy the book, and ask if she can help you out by ordering a quantity of books.

If she says no, move on to the next largest chain, or if there’s only one chain in your local area, the largest independent store.

Keep going until a bookstore says yes. Usually your largest independent bookstore will agree to stock the book, and host a reading.

But don’t be discouraged if all of them refuse you. It’s not likely, but it can happen.

In that instance, push the book through your own website. You want to be able to track sales through your promotions, so set up a page where people can enter their Amazon receipt number to get a bonus directly from you.

Do your media blitz in your city, and document the sales it generated.

Now you can begin a blitz in a neighboring city, following the exact same steps, but this time when you approach bookstores, you’ve got documented information about how many books are likely to sell. Use that information to try to get into a chain this time.

Once you do get your book accepted, even if it’s on a limited basis, into a chain. Do a big, big push. Use everyone you know, and every contact you have to sell as many copies of that book as possible.

Once your book has a sales history in a chain, it’s easier to get restocked, and to get your books into other stores in your state.

The more you sell, the more likely it is that someone at head office will see a ‘trend’ and give you a call, as the publisher of record, to find out what the appeal is, and get your books throughout the region, or even the country.

Most importantly, never give up on off-line promotion. Seek out radio interviews, send out press releases, and market your book for all it’s worth.

You’ll sell more books, and realize that dream of seeing your book, face out, at a brick and mortar store.

Wendy Woudstra has been writing about publishing and book marketing for more than a decade. Learn more about book promotion at her website, http://PublishingCentral.com

Author: Wendy Woudstra
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Coffee and Cancer