January 28, 2011

As long-time readers of my blog know, I’ve given warnings over the years about self-publishing. I’ve seen so many new writers get “taken” by going this route.

They’ve been charged unbelievable amounts of money to have their books printed by a “publisher.” Then they’re left with a garage full of books they can’t get into book stores. They list them on Amazon.com, hoping this will do the trick, but no one knows them or knows to look for the book. Without a proven track record of some kind, it is nearly impossible to sell self-published books.

Where’s Your Audience?

Your track record might be in a professional area associated with your day job. For example, let’s say you give more than a dozen speeches every year on a particular topic (health, financing, etc.) and you have the credentials to back it up  (you’re a doctor or MBA, for example.)

If you have a built-in audience (those who come to your talks), then a self-published print book (on your topic) might sell very well. In cases like this, a self-published book where you get to keep all the profits is a smart idea. However, unless you have a built-in repeat audience, you’ll also be stuck with boxes of unsold books you’ve already paid for.

Enter e-books on the publishing scene…

Years ago, when they were first being talked about, I gave e-books a try. The print book many of you have of Writer’s First Aid started as an e-book and was later picked up by the ICL Bookstore and issued in a paper edition. That was a good deal for me–e-books didn’t sell all that well ten years ago.

But last year I decided to stick my toes in the water again with the two e-booklets I created (50 Tension Techniques and Writing Mysteries for Young People.) I did no advertising except telling you about them on this blog. They have made a good little chunk of money without me doing anything. I have been pleasantly surprised.

So last year when Amazon.com said that more than half their income came from selling Kindle e-books, I took notice. I already had the built-in audience (thousands of blog subscribers), and I knew how to do the e-books (how to work with Amazon and Clickbank, how to get ISBN numbers, etc.)

I especially loved the fact that publishing e-books costs almost nothing, you can promote and publicize online for free most places, and your percentage of profit is good, even after Amazon takes their 30% cut for Kindles and Clickbank takes their cut. In these economic times, I’m looking for ways to make more money with the writing, just like most authors.

That’s why More Writer’s First Aid is coming out as an e-book in .pdf and Kindle and for the iPad and a few other formats.

Factors in Success

Should you try this? Maybe, if…

• you feel you have a built-in audience already, or you’re willing to take the time to build such an audience first
• you have excellent writing, editing, and copyediting skills (I’ve worked as writer, editor and copyeditor over the years) or you’re willing to pay for such services
• you can do Internet marketing, or you are willing to learn how

If all these things apply, then you may want to try e-books. My 34 children’s books are all print editions (although I see that many of them have Kindle editions now too.) I have been slower to try these new formats, so I’ll have to let you know how it goes.

For those interested in learning more about this, here are some links:

Publishing E-books: Kindle, iPad, Nook, Kobo?

Publishing Your Own E-book

You Should Write an E-book

How to Write Your First E-book

September 1, 2010

The eight comments about Wednesday’s E-book Revolution post were so thought-provoking that I didn’t want the blog readers to miss them. I will post the eight comments below, with my reactions in red.

From Elizabeth:

My son gave me a kindle which I do enjoy, though I prefer REAL books still.
I think that e-books will make for a publishing revolution and make it much easier for niche interest groups.
All best wishes Yes, that is so true. While a publisher may not create a whole section for Amish Vampire fiction, an e-publisher can do so. (And don’t laugh–I didn’t make that up. It’s even got a movie deal coming.)

From Beth Mac

I still love the feel of a real book, and an e-book doesn’t seem real. But I can see how they have their place. I’ll always have shelves of books, myself. No batteries required! That “no energy source needed” is so true. And I see the shelves of books all over my house, and I love them! I love sorting through the favorites and passing them down to my grandkids. I just can’t see passing down an electronic box (which I suppose would be way outdated anyway.)

From rockinlibrarian:

In a way it’s silly to me, because I don’t BUY books unless I want to keep them forever, in which case I want a hard copy. If I just want to read a book and don’t care about keeping it, I get it out of the library. I wouldn’t mind having an e-reader, but I would use it primarily for reading long things I find on the Internet, or manuscripts from critique partners, or other transient sort of things. Yes, I would love one for that too! I understand there are people who actually BUY most of the books they read, who pick up huge piles of paperbacks that they read once and then throw away (or attempt to donate to their library- WE DON’T ACTUALLY WANT THEM, YOU KNOW, WE’LL JUST SELL IT AT OUR BOOK SALE FOR 50 CENTS); but that way of doing things is just so foreign to me.

I do worry about the money aspect of the e-book revolution. Even if readers do become incredibly cheap, people still have to pay for content, and for new batteries after the ones you have don’t hold their charge anymore, and for repairs or entirely new readers if they break I hadn’t really considered those “hidden” costs, but that would add up, and if anything that will just make books and reading even LESS accessible to the lower classes than it already is. I work every day with people who cannot afford a home computer, and have little idea how to use one, who then are stuck trying to figure out how to apply online for a minimum-wage job because the bigwigs in that corporation have naively decided that since everyone has a computer nowadays, applying online will be easy! I see entirely too much “everybody’s as well-off as I am” assumptions happening in most of the e-book revolution talk, and that still bothers me. I just experienced that yesterday. I took my granddaughter to a museum, but we had to leave early because she had homework. Last year she could do it in the car, but this year her math book and homework was on a CD that had to go in their home computer. (They weren’t allowed to bring their books home.) It seems like a big assumption to think all kids in the class will have computers at home.

The other thing that bothers me is the insistence that e-books are “greener” than paper. What, replacing something made from a renewable resource (trees) with something made from non-renewable resources (synthetics, petroleum, metals, whatnot), which takes electricity to run, which becomes hazardous waste (you don’t throw electronic equipment in the regular trash you know!) when it goes bad, is that really all that greener? You have really made me think today! I hadn’t considered that either.

But I’m not against the concept of e-readers. I think they’d be handy for transient and often-updated content. I think there are many situations- textbooks, user manuals, things like that- when an electronic version just makes WAY MORE SENSE than a paper version. Yes, my computer is loaded with manuals that are no longer included with new equipment. I actually like the idea of a more all-purpose type reader, a kind of book-shaped computer, where you can read the Internet and so forth too, a multimedia-type thing, I guess like the iPad. But it’s two different things: reading is reading, content is content- but a book is a physical entity, A Book. In other words, there’s no such thing as an e-book, it’s just content delivered electronically. I like how you think! Thanks for taking the time to contribute so much-I know it takes time away from your own reading and writing!

From Yvette

I don’t know what I think about e-books! I’m such a traditionalist! I don’t know what I would do without multiple bookshelves full of books made from paper. Me either! But, I’d be willing to publish that way, if that’s what people are reading. I’d carve my stuff into tree trunks if I thought people would read it that way! I love your sense of humor-and flexibility!  lol! I sure can’t afford to be choosy.

From Ally M

Hello,
From what I’ve heard/read about e-books they seem to have a lot of advantages… but one big draw back, if you don’t have power (dead battery & no way to charge it) you can’t use them. Still… I would love to have an e-reader & would purchase e-books if I had one, great for traveling, Yes, I thought of this the last time I flew. I only took carry-on bags, and to be able to take all the books I wanted, I had to settle for two pair of jeans and two tops for the whole week and hitting a Laundromat but I still love the feel/weight of a good book in my hands when I’m relaxing. For me nothing will replace a real book. I hear you!
My 2 cents… Cheers

From Trudy

Technology is fascinating and can benefit us in so many ways, but sometimes I’m sad about the way technology is taking over the way we read books. I have read a couple of e-books and I can understand how e-books can save on publishing costs, but I still prefer the feel of a “real” book or magazine in my hands. I think you speak for many of us, Trudy. I see the benefits too, and I love the “instant” factor of being able to download and read something right away-especially nonfiction. BUT I like to underline and find things, and I don’t know if I could get used to doing that on an e-book or not.

From Emily

I didn’t think I would like the whole ebook thing, but I have to say I’m a huge fan now. I spent several weeks in the hospital earlier this year and got my Nook during that time. It was so convenient to have everything I wanted to read right at my fingertips when I was unable to do much else. Yes, I can see this, when you’re traveling or away from home for any reason, and you can carry so many books that way so LIGHTLY. When I buy new books now, I get the ebook rather than the regular version, unless the book does not come in digital form. People like you must be why Amazon is selling so many ebooks. It’s nice for traveling, too! Of course, I don’t think traditional books are going anywhere…there’s still something lovely about the look, feel, and smell of a regular book. And something in me just doesn’t want to cuddle up with a child and an ebook. I just love both!

I also have your two digital books on my Nook, Kristi…I found them both to be extremely helpful when it comes to writing! Thanks, Emily! That’s funny, but when I put them together, I never envisioned anyone having them on an ebook reader! I figured they would be downloaded to computers, to have right next to a manuscript someone was working on. (That’s how I use the 50 Tension Techniques myself.)

From Andrea

I have absolutely nothing to do with e-books; they just can’t satisfy my reading senses. Narrow minded? Maybe, but there are just some things you can’t get from an e-book that you can from a printed book. I don’t think anyone would disagree with you there-even the biggest e-book fans.  I like to place the spine of a book in the palm of my hand and feel the weight, I like to fan through the pages and smell the paper and ink smell, but most of all I love turning the pages one at a time – especially when I am so far caught up in the book that I feel like I am a part of the story itself – I haven’t read an e-book that can do all that for me. I expect that all those reasons are why paper books will always be with us. At least, I fervently hope so!

Thanks for the great comments. And if you didn’t comment Wednesday, feel free to comment below. I’m learning a lot from all of you!

August 30, 2010

I’ve been reading a lot about e-books lately. For a long time, I didn’t pay much attention. Then I tried my hand at it with my e-booklets 50 Tension Techniques and Writing Mysteries for Young People.

E-books have exploded lately. Now that about half the books sold on Amazon.com are e-books, it’s time to take them seriously.

Since it may highly impact your own writing future–especially if you hope to make a living at writing–I’d encourage you to check out these articles:

“The Future of Publishing” by Randy Ingermanson is a good overview of the rise of e-books and what the next few years are going to mean, especially for fiction writers.

“The High Cost of Self-Promotion” and how author Jon Konrath was able to go back to writing full-time because of e-books.

“It’s All Hard Work” by Sherryl Clark–with e-book cautions for the new writer breaking into print–and advice on how published authors can make e-books work for them.

The More Things Change…

What do you think about all the news about e-books? Do you personally read a lot of e-books? Do your children read e-books? Would you buy more e-books if the readers were less expensive?

Give me your opinions on this!