Writing: How to Collaborate Effectively with Other Indie Authors In Your Genre

February 26, 2018 by Publetariat

The introvert in me is both scared and fascinated about talking to other indie writers cause I am worried they will see me as such a fraud! But only other people who go through the same issues you go through can really understand and commiserate.

Writing: How to Collaborate Effectively with Other Indie Authors In Your Genre

By Kevin Penelerick

As part of our series of posts about different ways that indie authors can collaborate to increase their self-publishing success, US ALLi Author Member Kevin M Penelerick, who writes zombie fiction under the pen name Grivante, shares with us today a series of impressive joint projects across his genre, which could also be emulated by writers in other categories.

Shortly after releasing my first book in the fall of 2015 I had my first exposure to other indie authors. It was at the Living Dead Horror Con in Portland, Oregon and they taught me two important things:

There was a lot I didn’t know about when it came to selling books
Other authors did not have to be seen as competitors.

Starting Out

I spent most of 2016 struggling to sell that first book and learning from others. I joined author groups online and started watching to see what others were doing to be successful.

One of the key things I saw that was driving results was authors working together.

There were groups for all the main genres and many sub-genres. I had success working with other horror authors and even the broader sci-fi genre, but there wasn’t one for my particular niche, zombies.

Reaching Out

Read the full post on Self Publishing Advice From The Alliance Of Independent Authors

Quick Link: POD: Why Authors Should Handle Their Print-On-Demand

October 17, 2017October 17, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Michele DeFilippo at BookWorks makes the case on why indie authors should do their own print-on-demand. What have your experiences been?

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POD: Why Authors Should Handle Their Print-On-Demand

by Michele DeFilippo

Michele DeFilippo of 1106 Design is committed to helping indie authors succeed. She has shared advice on our Discussion Groups forum and here offers further support by presenting the case for setting up and managing your own POD.

Marketing your book is the final step in self-publishing; it’s also the never-ending step. Distribution—a way of delivering your book to readers—is a vital ingredient of your marketing plan. At one time, a printed book sold in a brick-and-mortar bookstore (or via mail order or out of the back of one’s trunk) was the only distribution method open to self-published authors. Today’s indie publishers have several options: print, eBooks, audio books, and print-on-demand (POD).

In this article, I’ll focus on POD: what it is, who does it, and how authors can manage their own POD and get paid more.

Read the full post on BookWorks.

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If you liked this article, please share. If you have suggestions for further articles, articles you would like to submit, or just general comments, please contact me at paula@publetariat.com or leave a message below.

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Quick Links: Why Do Some Writers Choose to Go ‘Indie’?

January 9, 2017 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

At Writer Unboxed, indie author Erika Liodice explores the different reason people choose to go indie. Head on over and check it out and see if anything resonates with you. Are you an indie author? Why did you choose to do so?

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Why Do Some Writers Choose to Go ‘Indie’?

December 10, 2016 By Erika Liodice

After October’s inaugural, myth-busting post “What Does it Mean to Be an ‘Indie’?”, the comments section exploded with proud indie authors stepping forward and sharing their experiences. At first, I was surprised by the number of comments that rolled in—I knew I wasn’t the only indie hanging around these parts, but I had no idea there were so many kindred spirits out there. As I read their comments and stories, I spent some time visiting their links, where I discovered beautiful author websites, exquisite book covers, and an incredible range of work—from nonfiction to thriller to gay romance and everything in between. It was the ultimate demonstration of what it means to be an indie author. And it made me curious about what inspires some writers to choose this path.

For me, independent publishing felt like a natural next step in my career. I’d spent a decade working in marketing, advertising, and sales and was looking for something more entrepreneurial. When my first novel, Empty Arms, was complete, the indie movement was just beginning to pick up steam, and the idea of starting my own publishing company seemed like an exciting opportunity to merge my passion for writing with my professional experience. While the favorable royalty splits and payment terms were appealing and the disadvantages seemed like a fun challenge to tackle, what I wanted most as a writer and business owner was autonomy. I decided not to seek representation or pursue a traditional book deal, in favor of independence.

But what about other indie authors? How did they end up on this path? I decided to find out. I reached out to a handful of indie authors and asked them how their publishing journeys came to be. Not surprisingly, they were happy to share their stories. Here’s what I learned:

Read the full post on Writer Unboxed

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In The News – Indie Authors to Finally See their Books on B&N Shelves

October 17, 2016 by Publetariat

In The News – Articles Of Interest For Authors

This should be filed under about effing time, if it works out. I have been rooting for B&N to become competitive with Amazon and Apple. The more choices authors and readers have, the better. But B&N continually steps on their own feet. There are quality based caveats on an indie author having their titles in the store, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But will B&N manage to make good this time? Head on over to Good eReader for the full story.

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Indie Authors to Finally See their Books on B&N Shelves

June 28, 2016 By Mercy Pilkington

barnes_noble About three years ago, then-VP, Digital Content and GM of Barnes and Noble’s Nook Press division Theresa Horner sat down with GoodEReader at the Frankfurt Book Fair to discuss the state of the company, namely its self-publishing option and its ebook self-publishing platform. She posed the question as to what it would take to effectively compete with Amazon. Our response–which was not at all tongue in cheek–was for the retailer to stop banning indie authors’ books from brick-and-mortar stores. If Nook Press had developed a viable print-on-demand option and then told authors there was even a possibility of seeing their titles in their local bookstore on the condition that they pulled their books from Amazon’s exclusive KDP Select program, authors would have jumped at the chance.

Unfortunately, that didn’t come to pass and Theresa Horner is no longer with the company. The concept of opening the doors–and the shelves–to great self-published titles fell by the wayside.

Since that time, B&N has announced two print-on-demand options, both of which fell far short of meeting indie authors’ and small press publishers’ needs. One was to simply allow the upload and creation of print editions for what basically amounted to collectors’ editions and gift giving. The books were not listed for sale through B&N, and there was a significant upfront charge to produce them–unlike CreateSpace, just to name one example, that charges nothing to produce a print book then takes a portion of the sales price after it distributes the book to Amazon. Even though the Nook Press print option also included the choice to create a hardcover edition, there was no help in selling the print titles.

Read the full post on Good eReader

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In The News – Indie Authors Are Responsible for the US eBook Decline

August 1, 2016 by Publetariat

In The News – Articles Of Interest For Authors

According to Michael Kozlowski, indie eBook authors are responsible for the decline of readership. There are a good share of spammy books and just plain bad books and the bar to become an eBook author is very low, however I happen to disagree. To me there are so many distractions out there, that it is difficult to find time. Which is why my to view list and my to read pile are both huge. Read the article at GoodEReader and let me know what you think in the comments below.

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Indie Authors Are Responsible for the US eBook Decline

May 29, 2016

By Michael Kozlowski

How I feel every time I look at my to read stack. — How I feel when I see how big my to read stack is.

Over the course of the last two years the modern bookstore has been undergoing a resurgence in sales. The publishing industry have all reported that e-book revenue is down between 2-6% year on year and 12% across the board. The funny thing is, publishers for the most part are making more money, primarily due to higher e-book prices, but most are seeing a modest increase in print sales.

Why are bookstore chains like Barnes and Noble enjoying a robust increase in book sales? I think the main reason is because they only stock physical books by new authors that the publisher is really hyping and perennial bestsellers by recognizable authors. Simply put, it is far easier to discover a great book in a bookstore, than try and find one online. So why are digital sales truly down? The answer is too many e-books being self-published by indie authors.

Independent and self-published authors release more books on a monthly basis than the trade houses do. This creates an influx of new titles that fall by the wayside and pollute the search engine results, so it is almost impossible to casually browse and find something good. E-Books are immortal, so they never go out of print. Like cobwebs constructed of stainless steel, they will forever occupy the virtual shelves of e-book retailers. Every month there are more and more books for readers to choose from and there are now fewer eyeballs split across more books, this is the real reason why e-book sales are down across the board.

Not only do self-published authors write legitimate books that nobody reads, but some are doing some very shady things. One enterprising software engineer posted 800,000 Kindle titles that were written by an algorithm and there is a growing trend of authors taking advantage of Kindle Unlimited to redirect people from the first page of the e-book to the end, so they instantly make the full amount of the monthly pool of funds.

Read the full post on GoodEReader

Starting Out

Reaching Out

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POD: Why Authors Should Handle Their Print-On-Demand

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Indie Authors to Finally See their Books on B&N Shelves

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