tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post9124729787630737036..comments2023-11-02T02:40:48.410-07:00Comments on Crime Fiction Collective: 25 Reasons to Self-Publish, Part IL.J. Sellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-38468755963650044162013-02-05T09:42:43.834-08:002013-02-05T09:42:43.834-08:00Hello,
I am a first time writer, and I am looking ...Hello,<br />I am a first time writer, and I am looking into the prospects of self-publishing. Do you have any words of wisdom on who to choose, i.e. Lulu, Createspace, etc? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-81829530105990888362012-09-27T08:16:18.785-07:002012-09-27T08:16:18.785-07:00Thanks for all the great information. I'm link...Thanks for all the great information. I'm linking over to quite a few of the sites you provided.Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-33359595174082098642012-09-27T07:07:57.202-07:002012-09-27T07:07:57.202-07:00I greatly admire your work, Hitch, and have been r...I greatly admire your work, Hitch, and have been recommending BookBiz at conferences and to every writer I know who is considering indie publishing.<br /><br />I think the reality of this question is more temperate than, "Indie publishing, best thing ever, woo hoo!" or, "Bang your head against the brick wall of traditional for thirty years." Like political debate, the truth often lies somewhere in the middle.<br /><br />I believe both paths have merits. And the numbers of successful indie pubbed authors depicted here suggest pretty much what I've always felt--extreme success as a writer is a rare thing. Traditionally or independently published, being a big bestseller is going to be about as rare as hen's teeth (strike that cliche from your indie or trad pubbed ms). <br /><br />We could discuss why that is--some ceiling on superstars? an artifact of talent? or good story-telling?--but I think it's crucial for all writers to recognize that, and not be lured onto one path or another by either EL James or, well, EL James, who went traditional after huge success as an indie.<br /><br />Where I do think publishing independently really works is for the mid-list writer who found him or herself back-burnered by the traditional system, which increasingly relies on big numbers and mega sellers for the allocation of resources. The control and infinite shelf life of indie pubbing is on the side of the midlist, quirky, or quiet book that hangs out in the so-called long tail.<br /><br />The idea that no-editing/marketing is taking place with a traditional publisher is not what I have experienced with my own publisher, nor what I see with other writers publishing this way. The editorial process I would say is passionate, dedicated, and honed to a shine. It's one of the biggest treasures along the trad path.<br /><br />Marketing varies, and I would urge any writer to expect to do a great deal of reaching out to readers--however s/he publishes. I don't think this really differs. The traditional publishers do more or less depending on the book and the author.<br /><br />Anyway, clearly much food for thought here, and I hope readers will take time to understand the pros and cons of both paths--and time to produce the best possible book, because in the end, that's what a lot of it (not all) comes down to.<br /><br />I look forward to the next installment!jenny milchmanhttp://suspenseyourdisbelief.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-43078962069405139722012-09-18T08:09:17.584-07:002012-09-18T08:09:17.584-07:00Does anyone have any advice on Self- publishing pa...Does anyone have any advice on Self- publishing paperback books?<br />E-book sales on Amazon are great, but paperbacks are often printed, in my experience, at a much higher cost. I would love my readers to get my paperback books cheaper.Casey Kellehernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-18773022494490384202012-09-06T08:10:24.743-07:002012-09-06T08:10:24.743-07:00You make a good point there, I think, Kindle Autho...You make a good point there, I think, Kindle Author. But new authors still need to make sure they put a pretty good product out there the first time, or the bad reviews could damage the good reputation they're trying to establish and jeopardize their chances of succeeding.Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-33021869543496658852012-09-06T07:07:12.602-07:002012-09-06T07:07:12.602-07:00If someday want to have a traditional publisher ha...If someday want to have a traditional publisher handle the printing and sales of your title, I still believe self-publishing is the best first step. You learn more about the process, get feedback directly from readers, acquire a first-hand understanding of marketing, and more. And if you achieve some small-scale success with your self-published book, you'll be in a much better position to get the attention of a major publisher.Kindle Authorhttp://www.kindlehowtopublish.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-78725829062183924222012-09-05T17:36:32.508-07:002012-09-05T17:36:32.508-07:00This is wonderful information. Very inspiring. The...This is wonderful information. Very inspiring. There is less and less reason to buy into the old business model of traditional publishers. The bottom line - from what I can see - is that digital technology changed the game completely, cutting out entire steps (such as setting hot type by highly paid union employees), and also cut down the time required for editing. The problem is they didn't pass the savings along to consumers. They dug this hole for themselves as far as I can see. I'm glad technology is on the side of us authors. And I agree with what someone else pointed out: there is no such thing as skilled thorough edits at publishers these days, never mind a solid marketing push. At least not when it comes to the vast majority of us who are not household names. Great post - can't wait to see Part 2. Thanks.Margaret Carrollhttp://www.margaretcarroll.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-79436989315353532322012-09-05T07:37:53.166-07:002012-09-05T07:37:53.166-07:00Great list! I'm going to be sharing it with my...Great list! I'm going to be sharing it with my indie author groups. While I'm looking forward to my debut with MuseItUp, I'm especially excited about becoming a full fledged indie author this spring. <br /><br />Thanks so much for sharing this!Stacy Greenhttp://stacygreenauthor.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-75098884444521551602012-09-04T17:10:13.583-07:002012-09-04T17:10:13.583-07:00I hope every indie author sees this, and in doing ...I hope every indie author sees this, and in doing so, understands that it can be done. Amazon has created a platform that's evened the playing field and made it all possible. It's a wonderful time to be an author.<br /><br />Thanks for taking the time to compile all this great info, Hitch!<br /><br />ANDREW E. KAUFMANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08835920472268730244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-2927246656306651252012-09-04T11:35:54.887-07:002012-09-04T11:35:54.887-07:00Of course you didn't deliberately leave out Dr...Of course you didn't deliberately leave out Drew and LJ, Hitch! :-) But I couldn't help mentioning them, as I'm so proud of both of them for their hard work and persistence, leading to well-deserved success with indie publishing. They and other determined authors like them are role models for the rest of us!<br /><br />Can't wait for the whole list of reasons and to check out your website! I'll be sending my clients there!Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-86226314551145728012012-09-04T11:30:27.474-07:002012-09-04T11:30:27.474-07:00Hi, guys:
Thanks, but--as I said--we have the sec...Hi, guys:<br /><br />Thanks, but--as I said--we have the second half coming on the 18th (or whenever I'm next due). The entire list will be available soon, along with a list of over 100 new resources and links and a massively revampled FAQ system (including "ebooks for dummies" primer questions like "Is it true that readers can change how my book looks?," replete with screenshots, exemplars and other illustrative material). We're working out some last-minute kinks, and, yes, natch, this is the same site that was <i>supposed</i> to go live on 4th July, but...hey. You can make books, or make website progress. ;-)<br /><br />And, Jodie, I didn't deliberately leave out the awesome LJ or the redoubtable Drew--I was trying to give a different reason, or class of reason, for each link, and wanted to cover a large scope of rationales. ;-)<br /><br />Hitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00320501122327769279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-71276709576226925112012-09-04T07:51:17.493-07:002012-09-04T07:51:17.493-07:00Awesome list, Hitch! Thanks so much for sharing th...Awesome list, Hitch! Thanks so much for sharing this great info! I'll be sending my clients here.<br /><br />And you can add our own Andrew E Kaufman to the list of wildly successful indie authors! And LJ Seller's no slouch, either!Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-57356887826564248822012-09-04T07:49:13.317-07:002012-09-04T07:49:13.317-07:00Some compelling arguments here. Great post, Hitch!...Some compelling arguments here. Great post, Hitch!Peg Brantleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04906858123466177508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-34284637833676549582012-09-04T06:49:13.639-07:002012-09-04T06:49:13.639-07:00What an excellent list of reading material and sup...What an excellent list of reading material and support for self-publishing. I'll send the link to every author who asks me about the process or who says "I'm holding out for a traditional publisher." L.J. Sellershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.com