Business End

Articles about the business aspects of publishing and self-publishing.

The Endangered Fate of Barnes & Noble

by

This article, by Peter Osnos, originally appeared on The Atlantic on 2/5/13.

America’s last major book store chain is shuttering locations as it tries to evolve for a digital future. Is this simply a tough transition, or the beginning of the end?

Washington D.C.’s Union Station is a major point of entry for the nation’s capital. Streams of daily commuters from the region, tourists, and business travelers on the Amtrak circuit from Boston and New York can choose from an especially ample array of shopping and dining opportunities. But, as of the end of February, one of the anchor retailers will be gone.

Barnes & Noble is shutting down its bookstore in a main concourse after failing to reach terms with the landlord. Browsing the aisles at Barnes & Noble stores has been a core feature of the chain’s strength in the forty years since Leonard Riggio purchased the assets of what was then a venerable seller mainly of textbooks and turned the enterprise into the country’s most formidable shaper of a superstore culture for book selling.

It is hard to imagine a destination like Union Station without a fully stocked bookstore, even if it is also the case that an increasing percentage of the consumer traffic is carrying a mobile reading device that is loaded with books purchased elsewhere, mainly from Amazon.

The sprawling Barnes & Noble on Georgetown’s M Street is gone, and the company has closed superstores in New York, Dallas, Chicago, and Seattle (among other places) in similarly well-situated locales as part of a broader brick and mortar contraction that suggests–disturbingly–its long-term decline. Barnes & Noble’s post-holiday report for 2012 reflected a drop in same-store sales of 3.1 percent, and despite a substantial push to expand its Nook line of e-readers, product sales for the devices were down 12.6 percent from a year ago.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mitchell Klipper, chief executive of Barnes & Noble’s retail group, said that, over the next decade, the chain will reduce its outlets by about twenty a year to reach a figure of about 450-to-500 consumer stores, down from a peak of 726 in 2008. A separate chain of 674 college bookstores (which thrive on tchotchkes and their exclusive franchises) is not part of that calculation. Even with so many fewer consumer stores, Klipper said, “It’s a good business model. You have to adjust your overhead and get smart with smart systems. Is it what it used to be when you were opening 80 stores a year and dropping stores everywhere? Probably not. It’s different. But every business evolves.”

Read the rest of the article on The Atlantic.

Killing the “Pay First, Read Later” E-bookselling Model

by

em>This post, by Daniel Kalder, originally appeared on the Publishing Perspectives website.

Sometimes you encounter an idea that seems so obvious it’s amazing that nobody has thought of it before. That’s how Yoav Lorch feels about Total Boox, his intriguing new reading platform that is about to be unveiled this March. The idea is simple: instead of paying up front for a book you may never even look at, you download it for free and then only pay according to how much of the book you read.

“The idea came to me gradually. I was thinking about the potential of ebooks, and how to make books more interactive, the different types of books you could produce, but then the idea that you could pay as you read — well, that was far more interesting than everything else. So I did away with interactive books and all that. This seemed genuinely different.”

Lorch initially trained as an economist, but after a few years working in that field switched to become a successful children’s book author in Israel. Along the way he also wrote for TV, the theater and produced translations. In the 1990s, he became interested in new technology and founded two successful startups, PressPoint and Zlango. He is a man interested in ideas, and how to make them work:

“When it comes to ebooks, people talk about the technology a lot but they don’t spend much time looking at business models. And so the old business model of pay first read later — which makes sense when applied to physical books — has been smart and sneaky enough to creep into the world of ebooks. But it doesn’t belong there. It’s a business model which may seem to be part of the essence of books — but it isn’t.”

Advantages of “Pay as You Read”
 
Read the rest of the post on Publishing Perspectives.

Entrepreneurial Authors Wear Many Hats

by

This post, by S.R. Johannes, originally appeared on Indie ReCon on 2/19/13.

In the digital age, a new kind of author is emerging. The entrepreneurial author (EA).

I think this is where the term indie publishing comes into play and maybe what kind of distinguishes a self published author from what some call an independently published author or indie.


Entrepreneurial authors run their own publishing business – all aspects. The only difference between an entrepreneurial author and an actual independent press is that EAs only publish own works and contract out the work needed. Independent presses publish more than one author while handling all business aspects.

To be an entrepreneurial author – you will have to wear many hats: (these are not in any order of importance)

· Writer – Write the best book you can. But in this industry, the writer side has to understand that self-publishing is not a shortcut to writing; it’s a shortcut to publishing.

· Editor – Edit and re-edit your own work. Traditional authors have a stricter vetting process where many people look over the work from content to copyediting. EAs need to be even better at editing. That way, the EA can use an editorial budget wisely – for content editing and copyediting.

· Cover designer – Figure out your cover design as well as overall book design. Even if you can’t do it yourself, try to learn about covers, find out what looks good and what doesn’t – placement, fonts, colors, jacket copy – and know your book enough to figure out what concept you want. Whether you pay someone or not – you need to know how to define quality work.

· Formatter – Unless you want to pay someone to format, you will be expected to format across several different channels that may have different requirements, depending on what ebook format you need (epub, mobi, pdf, paperback etc). This requires an understanding of Word, Html, and more.

· Project manager – When you have experts doing things for you (covers, swag, web sites etc.), you have to manage a budget and a timeline to be sure it all comes together.

· Distribution –
 

Read the rest of the post on Indie ReCon.

We Interrupt This Series On Marketing With A Timely Lesson On How NOT To Succeed…

by

This post, by Gayla Drummond, originally appeared on her Feral Intensity site on 2/15/13.

A writer dropped into the KDP forum today, linked to her two books, and said, “Take a look and your opinions are welcome!”

She stated one was a “wonderful romance”, and the other was about basic training.

For the most part, we’re a pretty welcoming bunch over there (at the moment). The first response complimented her covers, but also pointed out that there were formatting issues with both books.

Her response?

“Come on people! You’re quick and ready to tear down a bad book, but you have nothing to say about good books?????”

For anyone who hasn’t interacted on public forums, that response is a signal to pop some corn and settle in for a drama llama show. It’s a clear indicator that the poster thinks his/her shit don’t stink.

She didn’t want anyone’s real opinion, she only wanted to be told how awesome she is, and the first responder replied saying as much. Her response?

“oh please…. what makes you an expert?”

Um. [scratches head] Why did she come to the forum and ask for opinions, again?

Another member pointed out that the KDP forum isn’t really the place to ask for criticism. Our fearless writer’s response?

“This is a general forum, is it not???? Many people here offer opinions and thoughts about content. Its not too difficult to read sample pages and enjoy the writing. If there are any Vets on here, [redacted] should be of special interest and well worth the money and time to read.”

Okay, she has confidence in her writing. There’s nothing wrong with having confidence in your work. I and many others have confidence in ours, or we wouldn’t put it out there. :)

However, it becomes clear as the discussion progresses that our first responder nailed it: Our new member doesn’t want to hear any criticism.

 

Read the rest of the post on Feral Intensity.

Are You Going To Be Left Behind?

by

This post, by Anthony Puttee, originally appeared on Book Cover Cafe on 2/9/13.

There’s something that I’ve been noticing recently, and I wanted to get my thoughts out here today.

Amidst all the news and “noise” on the interwebs about how publishing has changed and what the future holds in store, I find it interesting that there are still some writers and authors that believe that someone is going to cut them a break and drop a nice publishing offer in their lap.

They still have a mindset towards publishing that’s ten or fifteen years old.

Is this because they’d rather turn a blind eye to change?

Perhaps they like their own idea of publishing, rather than what’s really happening in the world today.

One thing is clear to me, and that’s these people are going to be left behind. They’re going to find themselves on the wrong side of “change”.

Unfortunately for them that change is already here.

Our consumer economy is changing. People are buying online more than ever. We’re communicating online to each other more than ever. Making consumer and social transactions online is now commonplace and accepted.

I have news for these writers and authors. These changes aren’t going away and publishing is right in the middle of it.

The day of submitting to publishers is yesterday’s mentality. The trade publisher business models are changing. They’re joining forces to survive, like the Penguin and Random House merger. Their bottom lines are in flux and it’s not just to do with e-books like some would assume.

It’s to do with the overall global economy changing and how our social and consumer transactions are taking place online. A small part of that is e-books because of how these are purchased, discovered and how they’re read.

Gary Vaynerchuk said it well in his book the Thank you Economy:

Read the rest of the post on Book Cover Cafe.

To Register Or Not To Register Your Copyright

by

This post, by Literary Lawyer Kelly Way, originally appeared on the Writer’s Fun Zone site on 2/8/13.

Welcome back to our regular column on literary law. Today we focus on whether of not to register your copyright from our monthly guest columnist, Kelley Way, a lawyer specializing in literary law. If you have general questions for Kelley on copyright or other aspects of literary law, be sure to comment [on the original post]. Thanks!

PS. A list of books on literary law can be found here.

PPS. For more on copyright, visit the U.S. Copyright Office.

And now for a bit of necessary legalese: Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice, and that an attorney-client relationship is not formed by reading the article or by commenting thereon.

***

To register or not to register…

Copyrights and trademarks are very different. One protects your work, while the other protects your reputation. A sentence is almost impossible to copyright, but it can easily be trademarked. On the other hand, they have a lot in common. Both exist to allow you to profit from something you worked to create. Both can be obtained without having to file a form with the government. And both really deserve to have that form mailed in.

But why? I just said you can get a copyright or trademark without it. And do we really want the government to be a big know-it-all? Yes, we do, and here’s why.

First of all, the Copyright Office and the Patent and Trademark Office can be very useful tools for writers. You can check to see if a work is still under copyright before you quote it in your book (this is more useful for pre-1978 books, but I covered that in an earlier article; just assume that any work created after 1978 is copyrighted). You can also check to see if the title of your book is trademarked before you put it on the market. This will save you a lot of time, stress and money if you should end up on the receiving end of an infringement lawsuit. In order for this system to be effective, though, these offices need authors to register their works with them; they’re not going to reach out and find you.

And second, if your copyright or trademark is registered with the appropriate office, then if you should be in a position to sue someone else, not only do you have a more solid case, but you will also be entitled to statutory damages if you win. Let me elaborate.

Read the rest of the post on Writer’s Fun Zone.

Mailbag Monday With Answers to your Self-Publishing Questions

by

Well, that was an exciting ball game yesterday, wasn’t it? Today to help you cool back down, I’ve reached into the mailbag for some questions that have come in recently.

Since most self-publishers run into the same kinds of questions as they get further into the publishing process, I like to post these questions once in a while for the benefit of everyone.

Q: I’m ready to key my hand written story into a program that I can use to format, send excerpts from, massage, you know what I mean. Do you have a recommendation for me?

A: Most writers use Microsoft Word, but I’ve really been enjoying Scrivener lately, it’s a real writer’s tool. Scrivener gives you remarkable capabilities to organize your research and your writing in the same document, to easily rearrange parts of the document, many ways to view your content, and the ability export to ebook formats. It’s really state of the art.

Q: How do I determine the sell price of my book?

A: The best way to begin to get an idea about your pricing is to look at other, similar books that have been popular, like with Amazon’s “Top 100″ lists in your specific category, niche or genre.

Q: I thought if something was written and/or published that in itself would copyright it automatically. Is that not the case?

A: Copyright is created at the same time you create the work. The Copyright office registers copyrights, and that would be particularly important for someone publishing under a pseudonym, to establish who the actual copyright owner is. Q: I’ve been approached by a large on-line store who wants to carry our book. Hurrah!! They are NOT a bookstore, however, and I was unsure of what sort of discount to propose. A: If the retailer is outside the normal book distribution channels it’s common to give a bigger discount in exchange for payment on delivery with no returns. The most typical discount for this type of sale is 50% in my experience.

Q: Do e-Books need to have the bar code? I know they need a different ISBN but I am just doubtful about the bar code and could not find the answer anywhere. A: No, ebooks don’t need a barcode. Where would you print it?

Q: Is it possible to put the ISBN number on a book that has already been printed without the number? If yes, how do I go about it?

A: Yes, the way to do it is with self-adhesive labels. I believe you can buy these from barcodegraphics.com

Q: What’s the downside of not buying my own ISBN and using the free ones, provided by PoD companies or ebook distributors?

A: There are 2 potential issues with using a “free” ISBN. First, it will show the owner of the ISBNs (the PoD company or ebook distributor) as the publisher of record. Second, if you ever want to move your book to another vendor, you will need to use a different ISBN and deal with the metadata issues that that implies.

Q: Would you help me to choose (I think mostly between Garamond and TimesNewRoman) for inside fonts for a semi-technical book (about nutrition) I am about to self publish? I just want to use what is most common, nothing fancy…

A: If you are choosing between Times and Garamond, use Garamond. Times Roman was designed for newspapers, not books.

Q: I am about to self publish my first book and was wondering if I should incorporate a publishing company name, or just put it under my current corporate business name. Should I make up a publishing company name, use my business name, use my name, or not have one at all?

A: You can choose to use your current corporate name or create a new company, either will work. Many people who already have a company structure use that but create an “imprint” name for their publishing activities. So for instance you could brand your books with an imprint like “LiveMore Books” and keep all the business activity within your corporation. Any of these ways will work.

Q: I’m a new self-publisher and I don’t know whether to use CreateSpace or Lightning Source or Lulu or what. Can you advise?

A: I think the best place for authors to publish their own books right now is CreateSpace, were you can contract for other services if you need them but you don’t have to. You’ll get low prices and decent quality books, with lots of support and resources to help you. Lightning Source is more of a business-to-business company whose customers are publishers rather than authors.

Q: Guy Kawasaki in his “APE: How to Publish a Book” (which I read this week) suggests that the order of the parts of an e-book can deviate from the Chicago Manual of Style. Your thoughts?

A: Guy is correct when it comes to ebooks. Print books often have a long frontmatter section including blurbs, previous books, half-title and blank pages as well as copyright and contents. Since only about 10% of your book will be made available as a “sample” on eretailers’ sites, you want to make sure browsers can get to your content right away. You can move some of the traditional parts of the print book to the end of the book or even put them on a web page you link to from inside the book.

Have you run into any questions that are holding you back? Don’t know who to ask? Go ahead and ask in the comments [on the original post]and let’s see if we can help.

 

 

This is a reprint from Joel Friedlander‘s The Book Designer.

How EBook Readers Shop And The Importance Of Sampling

by

An author at a conference recently asked me for tips on publishing on the Kindle and then said that he didn’t actually read books on digital devices.

I was kind of gob-smacked because how else are you going to know if there are problems until you start getting 1 star reviews?

When you publish a print book, don’t you buy it immediately to test the process and the quality? So why not do the same for ebooks?

If you’re going to digitally publish, I believe you should own an e-reader, even if just to test how your book looks. They aren’t expensive anymore so there is no excuse.

It’s also important to understand how ebook readers shop, because they are the high-volume readers, the ones who will make up the bulk of your digital sales.

How do ebook readers shop for books?

I read around 95% digitally, on a Kindle Paperwhite and through the Kindle app on my iPhone. I don’t own every device but I certainly test the .mobi format on Kindle and the ePub format on my desktop reader and my iPad and iPhone. I am also a voracious reader, getting through 3-5 books per week, more on holidays. Not having a TV helps!

This is how I shop:

a) I hear about a book on twitter, or I see one at a physical bookstore, or see a review somewhere, or find something I like in the Amazon store Top rankings for categories I like. I surf for fun in the Last 30 Days area.

b) If the book is available as an ebook, I download the sample right away and put it into a collection marked Samples. If the book isn’t available as an ebook, 99% of the time I won’t buy it unless it is an author I am committed to. I have other Collections on my Kindle marked ‘To Read’ which are books I have bought but haven’t started yet, “Reading” for ones I am reading now and “Make Notes On / Review” for those I want to revisit to write notes on or review on Amazon & Goodreads.

c) In between books I am currently reading, I go through my samples. If I make it to the end of the sample, I will usually buy the book because I am hooked. If I don’t, I delete the sample. No sale. I usually give a book 3 clicks of my Kindle before I delete it. Harsh, maybe, but life is too short to read books that don’t call to you.

So your marketing efforts, your book cover, your book description and reviews have helped your book get this far, but it is the sample that leads me to buy. I probably delete 60-75% of my samples so I have a harsh approach, but I don’t think I am an untypical example of a high volume ebook reader (although if you are one also, I’d love to know what you think in the comments!)

Make sure your sample makes the reader want to buy

Your book has to start with something that hooks the reader.

This isn’t new advice – if you want an agent, the first page has to hook them, and readers of print in bookstores may browse the first page, but because there are so many ebooks available, readers are increasingly unforgiving if a book doesn’t fit what they are looking for.

Here’s some tips:

  • Get into the meat as soon as possible. Put all the acknowledgements and extra stuff at the back, not within the sample. I was severely annoyed recently to download an Angela Carter anthology of short stories to find that the entire sample was an essay about her work and the stories didn’t come until later. I looked for a better version.
  • During the editing process, make sure you pay particular attention to what will hook the reader. If non-fiction, what is the problem you’re solving. If fiction, why would the reader read on? What have you caught their attention with? What loops have you opened mentally that they must close?
  • Make sure the formatting is excellent and easy to read throughout. I have deleted samples straight away when they start with coding errors. It denotes a lack of respect for the reader. This is why you need to test and curiously this has happened with more traditionally published books than indie. Seriously, one book was entirely formatted in Bold. Did no-one even check it? (Make sure this doesn’t happen to you!)
  • If non-fiction, DO include the table of contents. If fiction, your chapters don’t really add anything so aren’t so necessary.

What other suggestions do you have for improving samples? How do you shop for ebooks? Please leave your comments [on the original post page].

 

This is a reprint from Joanna Penn‘s The Creative Penn.

The Best Way to Build an Author Website

by

One common question that authors ask is how to build an author website, and some authors wonder if they really need a website at all.

A website is an essential tool for all authors. You need an online hub to send people to (everyone from potential customers and fans, to influencers and the media) and a place to showcase your books and your credentials.

By using a blogging platform to build your site, you can easily create a combination website and blog, all on one site, or just create a traditional website without a blog. For most authors, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to create an author website.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the terminology, a blog is a particular type of website where people post articles periodically. This article is a blog post and you can see a link to the blog section of my website in the navigation menu near the top of my site. Other links in the menu go to other parts of my site.

Here are the platforms that I recommend considering for your author website:

WordPress.org is the most powerful platform, offering the most flexibility and design options, plus lots of “plug-ins” to perform various functions. This is the tool that professional online marketers use. The platform is free, but expect to pay around $10 a month for web hosting services. To learn how to build, use, or improve your WordPress site, I highly recommend Blog Aid’s training programs.

Authors should be aware that there is a different version of WordPress called WordPress.com. There is a free version or you can pay a fee for certain upgrades. I don’t recommend WordPress.com because there are some limitations to the service. For example, Javascript is not allowed, which may cause problems with things like installing an opt-in form for your mailing list. And the terms and conditions of the service limit or prohibit advertising on your site – you can get details here.

TypePad is a good compromise between ease of setup and features. It’s the platform that I use, but I would use WordPress.org if I were starting over today. Expect to pay $9 to $15 a month, and there’s a discount for annual payment.

Blogger is free and it’s the easiest to set up, but it has some limitations in terms of what can be included on the site. This may be a good choice for single book authors who want to keep it really simple.

Related Articles

What’s the Most Important Thing on an Author Website?

Author Blogs – Use Categories to Organize Your Posts

Want to learn more about promoting your book? Subscribe to the free Savvy Book Marketing Newsletterto get advice and resources delivered to your inbox twice a month.

 

This is a reprint from Dana Lynn Smith‘s The Savvy Book Marketer.

Open Mic Night For Self-Published Authors

by

This post, by John Wilwol, originally appeared on The Washington Post Books site on 1/29/13. It describes a very interesting use of the Espresso Book Machine, in which authors are allowed to read excerpts from their books and listeners can purchase print-on-demand copies immediately.

Since it arrived a year ago at Politics & Prose, “Opus,” Washington’s first print-on-demand Espresso book machine, has helped hundreds of area scribblers realize their publishing dreams. On a gray, biting afternoon Saturday, a dozen of them gathered at the bookstore to delight a standing-room-only audience with selections from their work. It was the first-ever Opus open mike [sic].

Picked by a lottery open to all Opus authors, the diverse group brought poems, novels, memoirs and biographies. Before the writers came to the lectern, marketing director Lacey Dunham — timecards in hand — warned them not to break the five-minute limit: “I used to be a teacher!”

Joseph T. Wilkins, dressed in a red tie, white shirt and blue blazer, kicked things off with a lively introduction to “The Speaker Who Locked Up the House,” his historical novel about late-19th-century House Speaker Thomas Brackett Reed. “It’s a fat sucker,” he said of the book. “If you like history, you’ll like this.” A former municipal judge, Wilkins lives outside Atlantic City and comes to the District regularly for research. When he heard about Opus, he said, he was “fascinated by it.”

Read the rest of the post on The Washington Post Books site. Note – you’ll need to scroll down, an ad cuts the article in half right in the middle.

Used Ebooks, the Ridiculous Idea that Could Also Destroy the Publishing Industry

by

This post, by Brian Merchant, originally appeared on Motherboard on 2/9/13.

Amazon has a patent to sell used ebooks. When I first scanned the headline, I thought it must be some Onion-esque gag, and I’m sure I wasn’t alone. Used e-books? As in, rumpled up, dog-eared pdfs? Faded black-and-white kindle cover art, Calibri notes typed in the margins that you can’t erase?

Barely-amusing image aside, used ebooks are for real. Or at least have a very real potential to become real. See, Amazon just cleared a patent for technology that would allow it to create an online marketplace for used ebooks–essentially, if you own an ebook, you would theoretically be able to put it up for sale on a secondary market.

The approved patent describes the process:

Digital objects including e-books, audio, video, computer applications, etc., purchased from an original vendor by a user are stored in a user’s personalized data store … When the user no longer desires to retain the right to access the now-used digital content, the user may move the used digital content to another user’s personalized data store when permissible and the used digital content is deleted from the originating user’s personalized data store.

Used ebook shoppers could buy your digital copy, directly from you, and Amazon would facilitate the transfer of files–and it would pocket a fee.

It’s a fascinating concept, really, but it could ultimately be devastating to the publishing industry and, potentially, to authors. First, the elephant-sized absurdity in the room: a “used ebook” is identical to a new one. It is a precise digital reproduction. The file does not age, it cannot be damaged, it cannot be altered–therefore, it is worth no less than any other copy, and the only premium purchasers of “new” ebooks would be paying for would be the right to read it first.

And that’s where we start running into problems. Nobody, besides die-hard fans of a given author on a big release date, would ever care enough to pay extra for digital dibs. Used ebooks would eliminate nearly all the incentive to buy “new” ebooks. And Amazon could be banking on that, even though at first blush it might appear to undercut its own business.

Bill Rosenblatt, a copyright expert and witness in numerous digital content patent cases, argues that the online retail giant may be angling to push publishers out for good with such a move. He explained his case to Wired:

Read the rest of the post on Motherboard.

Let Your Writing Lead You Where It May

by

Many of those who are reading this are facing the harsh reality that author royalties may never be enough to support yourself and your household, or at least the only slightly less harsh reality that while you’re waiting for lightning to strike, you’ve got bills to pay.

I am living proof that writing can be a great career skill and a surprising stepping stone; you can make a living with your writing, but not necessarily in the way you imagined, and not necessarily by doing nothing but writing. Still, writing in a professional context is no less legitimate than writing in an artistic context, and it can be very fulfilling while also providing you with some financial security, as I’ve learned firsthand.

I am one of those rare, incredibly fortunate individuals who has a dream job, and I have writing to thank for it. I get paid to consume all kinds of digital entertainment content (e.g., ebooks, audiobooks, apps, movies, TV shows, music) on various devices and write about it. I write reviews, tips and tricks, how-tos, and editorial commentary. I work from home, and have the flexibility of setting my own schedule. I am acutely aware of how lucky I am in this, and just as certain that I never could’ve arrived at this point in my career without having accumulated the skills and experiences gained through all the career paths I’ve traveled in the past. It’s been a long and circuitous route, but the one constant through everything has been writing.

I started out as an English major, but only because it was a favorite and easy subject for me, someone who’s always been a prolific writer and voracious, compulsive reader. There was just one problem: I never aspired to a career in education, academics or journalism. Of course I dreamt of becoming a published author someday, but it seemed more like a pipe dream than a practical career choice. When I decided I needed to change to something more paying-the-bills -friendly, I switched to an Animal Science/Veterinary major because I’ve always loved animals and science.

While doing a mandatory research project I realized I enjoyed analyzing data, working on my research paper, and using technology to facilitate better, faster and more accurate results more than I enjoyed providing healthcare to animals. From there it was a hop, skip and a jump to a career in software development, where my unique combo plate of communication and tech skills always kept me in demand. I may never have been the most brilliant software engineer or database admin in any of the companies I worked for over the years, but it was my writing and communication abilities that always tipped the scales in my favor. A particular strength I had was the ability to translate highly technical content and concepts into plain English. I did a great deal of technical writing and software documentation during that time, and wrote numerous project plans and proposals as well. This kept my writing skills sharp and it kept me happy, because I never had to give up completely on my first love: writing.

Little did I suspect those tech and writing skills would form an ideal platform for me to circle back around into my long-dormant dream of authorship, but that’s exactly what happened. Back in ’07, when Amazon launched its first Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, ‘self-publishing’ was still a dirty word. Among most aspiring authors and publishing wonks, the bias against self-publishers was no less passionate nor baffling than the completely unjustified reverence heaped on mainstream publishing. I came into that milieu as an outsider with a tech/business perspective, and all I could see was that self-publishing simply made more sense for many would-be authors and existing authors, and that this was the direct result of two recent, disruptive technologies: ebooks and Print On Demand. It was really my innate drive to make sense of the nonsensical and disprove fallacies that drove me to champion indie authorship, and eventually, to found Publetariat.

In 2010, I had divorce and unemployment foisted upon me simultaneously. After I’d been floundering on my own a while, one of my online colleagues in indie authorship and ebooks reached out to me, and once again it was on account of my unique skillset. From my work advancing the cause of indie authorship, I’d learned all about the publishing business and self-publishing in particular. My work in software engineering had provided me with web development and site administration skills. My work in founding and maintaining Publetariat had schooled me in content development, SEO and social media. I’d also published books of my own, both mainstream and indie, both in print and e formats, so I could relate to the author’s perspective. On top of this my sincere passion for tech and digital media had never flagged. So my colleague, who was looking to expand his simple, Kindle-focused blog into a full-fledged site, offered me a unique opportunity to put all my skills and interests to good use in helping him take his business to the next level.

As his business grew and sprouted new sites, I transitioned into being administrator and Editor in Chief for his Kindle Fire site. This has been a great fit for me, since I still get to use bits and pieces of all my various skills and can finally put my lifelong love of entertainment content of all kinds (books, movies, TV shows, web, music, games) to work: the Kindle Fire is essentially a delivery system for all those things, so it’s part of my job to stay involved with them and write about them.

And this brings me to my latest career morph. I still run Publetariat, and I’m still Site Admin and Editor in Chief for Kindle Fire on Kindle Nation Daily. But a few days ago I launched a new site that drills down even further from what I’m doing on those other sites to focus on digital media and tech in a way that’s not limited to the Kindle Fire. The new site is Digital Media Mom, and its mission in life is to help non-geeks navigate the sometimes complex and confusing world of digital media. It’s about educating consumers so they can feel confident their digital device and media purchases are solving problems and saving money for them, and it’s also about having fun and talking some trash about entertainment media and content. It’s a lot of fun for me, and I hope it will be helpful and entertaining for consumers.

So while there’s no easy or guaranteed path to a dream job like mine, I hope my experiences demonstrate three things. First, that writing can be a valuable career skill in virtually ANY field. Second, that being a fulltime author is not the only dream job available to people who can write. Finally, that very often, the only way to get a dream job is to create it yourself. If you’re passionate about something many other people are passionate about, and you can communicate about it in a way that appeals to those other people, you can fill a niche. If you have skills or knowledge that can help others solve their problems or reach their goals, and again, you can communicate well, you can fill a niche. And many of the job skills you’re accumulating now, while working at jobs you may not particularly enjoy, may prove to be instrumental when the opportunity to write your own ticket comes along.

 

This is a reprint from April L. Hamilton’s Indie Author Blog. Visit April’s new site, Digital Media Mom, for tech information and tips in plain English, honest reviews, digital media bargains and freebies, commentary, and fun from the pockets where entertainment media and pop culture intersect.

Trolls Among Us

by

This post, by Steven Ramirez, originally appeared on his Glass Highway site and is reprinted here in its entirety with his permission.

A few of my colleagues have been commiserating lately in various social media circles about the one-star reviews they received for their books. I am in complete sympathy with them. I’ve had my share of nasty comments over the years. Because of this, I always do my best to comfort these sensitive souls. Truth is though, the lovely, caring artists filled with God’s gift for stringing words together in a way that amazes need to, well, man up.

How, you say, can I be so callous? Trust me, it’s not that hard. I’m sitting here alone in my office writing this piece with no audience to glower at me disapprovingly. I’ve got all kinds of chutzpah when I’m by myself. Besides, I’m in a basement, and it’s about fifty degrees down here. I could keep turnips fresh for months. If we were having this conversation in person though, say at a nice warm Starbucks, I might be a little more inclined to be nice.

Anyway, the thing is, there are trolls out there. Don’t ask me where they come from or why they feel the need to destroy another person’s months or even years of labor by making snarky remarks meant to illuminate their own questionable wit rather than provide honest, intelligent feedback. But there you have it. Know only that they exist. Like piles.

The Need to Feel Superior One author wrote recently that one of her book covers had—without her permission—been uploaded along with other covers to a sort of online wall of shame. The perpetrator even had the temerity to say that he would be more than happy to design a “good” cover for her and for all the rest of these poor hapless authors who had obviously gone astray in the cover design department. Unfortunately, the author decided to go after this person, and he retaliated by getting his friends to generate a bunch of—you guessed it—one-star reviews for her books. Ouch.

Personally, I’d love to know how much business this marketing genius actually drums up for himself using tactics not seen since Watergate. One thing’s for sure, I wouldn’t hire him to decorate the cupcakes for my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah, were she Jewish.

To me, this is simply a case of someone needing to feel superior by denigrating the hard work of others. It’s not professional, not wanted, and has no place in online commerce. Period.

The Need to Compete There are well known stories of authors—some of them successful—who write sock puppet reviews, singing the praises of their own works while eviscerating those of “the competition.” One best-selling author was recently found out. Check this out. Hey, it’s business! No, it’s stupid.

I am getting my own novel ready for publication, and I have nothing but admiration and good cheer for other writers who have already published their books and are seeing brisk sales. Why? Because I know how much work goes into a book. And because it helps all of us. This is a community, after all.

The Need to Be Unhappy Then there are those who write bad reviews—often without even reading or at least finishing the book—because they themselves are miserable. This makes no sense to me at all. If I have a headache, I take Ibuprofen. I don’t whack the guy next to me over the head with a wet sock puppet in the hope that somehow my pain will go away.

What’s maddening about these people is there is nothing to be gained whatsoever. No money, no fame. Nothing. They are just being mean.

The Need to Face the Truth This is a tough one. Maybe—just maybe—the one-star review is (gulp) deserved? Especially if most of the other reviews are lousy. It means you wrote a lousy book. In that case, you need to step back, regroup and try again. Maybe it is that awful book cover. Or maybe the book needs some serious rewriting. In any case, a work would have to be pretty bad to warrant one star. I mean any book in your friendly airport Hudson News is worth at least two stars, am I right?

Which brings me to my theory about one-star reviews. I’m no statistician, but it seems to me that readers might just be treating one-star reviews as patently fake anyway. I don’t know about you but when I see a one-star review, I tend not to put a lot of stock in it. For me it screams, “I was having a bad day when I wrote that!” I would hope that other readers are doing the same.

But what about those trolls? The ones who are going against the tide of good reviews, essentially throwing dog poop on an otherwise pristine basket of daisies? Two words. Ignore them.

And with that, here’s some troll humor.


 

10 More Cons Of Self-Publishing

by

Here are ten more reasons that explain why self-publishing might not be the right thing for you to get into when you are trying to publish your new book. But when reading this list, keep in mind that there is no one right way to get your book published. Therefore, it is important for each writer to consider their own goals, reasons, and resources before choosing to pursue the traditional book publishing route, or the self-publishing route.

1. You Are Responsible For All Editing
As a self-publisher, you need to become skilled in all editorial and design areas – or hire and pay for an expert to do it. Editing takes a lot of time to do correctly. And a good editor is not easy to find. If you overlook any editorial mistakes, they could be stuck in your book until the next printing.

2. You Must Treat Your Self-Publishing As A Business
Managing a business, even a very small one, is very time-consuming. As the owner you are responsible for every aspect of the business, such as marketing, finance, public relations, design, writing, website design, etc. The list is endless.

3. Booksellers Will Not Buy Directly From An Author
Many booksellers will not buy directly from an author. It is too expensive and time-consuming for them to set up an account to handle only one book. That means you will need to find a distributor, who will insist on a large discount from the cover price. That means that about 70% of your profits gets consumed very quickly.

4. It Can Be Difficult To Get Reviews
Most reviewers, especially in the main-stream media, won’t review books that are self-published.

5. You Must Get A Lot Of Exposure
You will discover very quickly that with self-publishing, writing is 5% of the process – marketing is 95% of the process. You might spend twelve months writing your book, and then spend the next sixty months putting all of your time into marketing that one book. Marketing your book never ends. Going with a traditional publisher puts your book way ahead of the self-published books – right from the start. Traditional publishers have the ability to get your book a huge amount of media exposure very quickly.

6. Self-Publishers Might Not See A Profit For A Long Time
Most traditionally published books see a positive return on their investment. Most self-published books never make a profit. So, if positive cash flow is your only motivation for enter self-publishing, you might be making a mistake.

7. There Is A Prejudice Against Self-Publishing
This is the general perception of the general public, and most of those who work in traditional publishing, the media, and every university and college. These are the same people who believe that unless you have convinced a traditional publisher to publish your book, there must be something wrong with it. If this bothers you, then self-publishing is not for you.

8. All Marketing And Promotion Is Your Responsibility
Although this is similar to traditional publishing, with self-publishing you are completely on your own. You will need to expend an enormous amount of time learning to market and promote your book. Your life will be consumed with marketing and promotion for the entire life of your book. It never ends.

9. Self-Publishers Have A Smaller Marketing Power And Reach
This is a great reason to use a traditional publisher. They have enormous marketing power and clout, and are very sophisticated marketing experts. They can wield their power to get your book into every imaginable outlet. The fact is that there are fewer marketing and advertising opportunities for self-publishers.

10. Self-Publishers Don’t Have Big Industry And Media Connections
This is another great reason to use a traditional publisher. The main reason is that as a self-publisher, you will need to develop your own connections within the media, and within the industry that you write in. And a traditional publisher is already set-up within the media to promote your book on a large-scale.

This article was written by Joseph C. Kunz, Jr. and originally posted on KunzOnPublishing.com

 

10 Cons Of Self-Publishing

by

Here are ten reasons that explain why self-publishing might not be the right thing for you to get into when you are trying to publish your new book. But when reading this list, keep in mind that there is no one right way to get your book published. Therefore, it is important for each writer to consider their own goals, reasons, and resources before choosing to pursue the traditional book publishing route, or the self-publishing route.

1. No Guarantee Of Success
There are no guarantees of any kind of success with self-publishing – or any kind of publishing or business – or in life in general. That’s just how it is. One of your publications that you put all of your efforts into might sell one copy a week. And your next one will sell 100 per week. You won’t know for certain which of your books will sell well until you write it and publish it. And to make the whole process of self-publishing more interesting, you will shoulder 100 percent of the financial risk. If you can’t deal with any of that, then self-publishing is not for you.

2. High Out-Of-Pocket Expenses
Self-publishing start-up costs can be very high if you foolishly purchase and take delivery of a large quantity of books from a printer. And then spend the next three years trying to sell them. And then get sick of the entire process and sell them to a big bookstore chain for pennies on the dollar. Where do you think those expensive coffee-table books on the bookstore discount table come from?

3. Choosing A Particular Niche For Your Writing Can Be A Crap-Shoot
There is a market and audience for every imaginable niche. But if you expect to make any money writing about your particular micro-niche, you better pick wisely – and really know what you are writing about. A traditional publisher probably won’t accept your book if your micro-nice is too small to be profitable. They will help you make your book more marketable to a bigger audience. But if you don’t want that kind of professional help, you can self-publish your book about a very obscure topic that is of interest to you, and not many others, and languish in obscurity.

4. Revisions Can Get Expensive
Revisions can be very expensive if you haven’t yet sold the bulk of your initial inventory of books – that inventory that you foolishly ordered in bulk to lower your per-copy price – and are now storing in your basement.

5. Distribution Is Limited
Distribution can be limited because bookstore chains, for the most part, do not accept self-published books. But eventually you will find other sales outlets for your books. You can do your own distribution by finding bookstore that will accept self-published books in your niche. You can also sell and distribute your books directly to buyers that contact you through your own website. Shipping fees, bookstore fees, and distribution company fees will all take a huge chunk of your profits. And all of this takes time away from your writing.

6. Fiction Market Is Very Tough
The fiction market can be particularly difficult to sell to – especially for unknown or new authors. It is especially difficult to build a following for your fiction without the backing of a traditional publisher. And most reviewers will not touch your book with a ten-foot pole.

7. Can Be Very Time Consuming
Self-publishing is extremely time-consuming – especially if you expect to make any money at it. Don’t forget, that with self-publishing you are responsible for all aspects of your book’s production, marketing, sales, design, writing, publicity, finances, website design, etc. It can easily become a major portion of your life.

8. You Must Accept Returns And Give Refunds
If your books do not sell, the stores return them to you for a refund. And you pay for shipping both ways. You can offer a larger discount and write a special contract refusing returns, but stores will not accept that. Accepting returns and giving refunds can be a dangerous and costly game for a self-publisher with limited financial resources.

9. There Is A Huge Amount Of Competition
If you are afraid of competition, and the challenge of building a following for your publications, then self-publishing is certainly not for you. Competition is what keeps you on your toes, and constantly striving to offer a better product, and helping more people in the process. It’s called capitalism. If you don’t have the intestinal fortitude for a good challenge, and the chance to help people with your books, and make a few bucks while doing it, then a life of self-publishing is not for you.

10. Big Learning Curve
There is a very big learning curve for self-publishing. It can take a few years to learn all the ins and outs of self-publishing. In addition, you need to learn the ins and outs of the publishing industry, and also learn about all aspects of running a small-business.

This article was written by Joseph C. Kunz, Jr. and originally posted on KunzOnPublishing.com