Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Location: Old New Castle, Delaware
E-books seem to have reached the tipping point. It’s all anyone’s been talking about lately. If you read our blog you know that I was a Kindle early-adopter. I’m crazy about my Kindle. It’s not that I read everything on Kindle, I’ve found that nine out of every ten books I read on Kindle are fiction. I just can’t get used to reading nonfiction electronically. I’ve found I’m reading three times the number of books I read before e-books. Go figure.
I also bought the iPad right away but don’t like it for reading– the size is all wrong. I went back to the newest Kindle. So I know e-books. I read e-books. I am not a Luddite.
But as the e-book chatter has increased I keep thinking to myself, e-books are definitely broken. If not now, wait six months.
But first, let me make a distinction. So far I have no complaint about e-books done by the traditional publishers as a different “binding,” part of a published author’s array of book options. Nowadays we talk about hardcover, trade paper, mass market, possibly large print and e-books. All great options for the reader.
The broken part of e-books is the do-it-yourself e-books being self-published by authors.
Okay, I know someone who’s reading this is thinking, “you’re only miffed because agents and publishers are cut out of the equation when we publish our own books.” No, really, that’s not true. Let me tell you why I’m worried:
Lack of a Marketing Plan. Yes, everyone can publish his own book these days, but you will have the same challenge vanity published authors have always had. How do we drive readers to our books? Last week, e-book phenomenon, Amanda Hocking, had a brilliant blog post about her success. Read it here.
She pointed out that, “Traditional publishing and indie publishing aren’t all that different, and I don’t think people realize that. Some books and authors are best sellers, but most aren’t. It may be easier to self-publish than it is to traditionally publish, but in all honesty, it’s harder to be a best seller self-publishing than it is with a house.” She added, “I don’t think people really grasp how much work I do. I think there is this very big misconception that I was like, ‘Hey, paranormal is pretty hot right now,’ and then I spent a weekend smashing out some words, threw it up online, and woke up the next day with a million dollars in my bank account.” She was honest when she said, “This is literally years of work you’re seeing. And hours and hours of work each day. The amount of time and energy I put into marketing is exhausting. I am continuously overwhelmed by the amount of work I have to do that isn’t writing a book. I hardly have time to write anymore, which sucks and terrifies me.”
Lack of Editing/ Lack of Quality: This is not a given, some books– especially reprints– will be professionally edited but I’m worried about the majority of manuscripts that will be self-published for e-books. Last week, Janet Kobobel Grant blogged about the importance of editing here. I’m not going to repeat what she said. When we’re finding a slump in dedicated readers I’m worried about what will happen when readers can’t differentiate between a quality book and the inevitable dreck. (We see a lot of the books authors believe are ready for publication. Believe me, they are not.) How can readers sort the good from the bad? Will readers give up?
Terrible Book Covers: So far, most of the self-published e-books I’m seeing have book covers that scream self-published. It is imperative to have a professional cover design. The potential buyer will make a decision based on what they see and read about your book. A good portion of that buying decision is visual.
Lack of Brand Consistency: Again this is not a given, but if writers publish all the different genres in which they’ve experimented, it’s going to be a disaster as far as brand is concerned. This is especially dangerous for established authors who’ve decided to self-publish some out-of-the-box books. Because of the marketing difficulties, the only readers they will be marketing to will be their traditional reader list. What kind of damage can be done if the books violate the brand the readers have come to expect?
Competition with the Publisher: When an established author decides to self-publish e-books he is directly competing with his own publisher. There are only so many book-buying dollars. It remains to be seen how publishers will react to this, but chances are they will not be enthusiastic about investing marketing dollars or offering generous contracts to someone who is directly competing against them. And if the writer is undercutting their prices, it will cause chaos.
When one of our authors works with more than one publisher, we have the time-consuming task of making sure each book releases in its own season– carefully spacing out the books so maximum attention can be given to each book. We call it being air traffic controllers– making sure we land each plane safely with plenty of space between. Who’s going to do that work? Again it could be chaotic.
Competition with the Bookstore: We can’t forget that it’s been the bookstores who’ve supported writers over the years. How are they going to feel about those self-same writers competing against them for the limited dollars. If you’ve been supported by indie bookstores, Walmart or even Christian Book Distributors, how do you think they’ll react to these books that they can’t offer to the readers they’ve nurtured on your behalf?
It’s Still Early Days. An agent is paid to worry and we’re mighty good at it. We need to consider all possible pitfalls. Who knows if my worries will pan out or not. But for now, I’m anticipating a whole mess of brokenness. This is one of those “don’t try this at home” warnings without considering all that’s at stake. There is much to lose.
Your turn: All of this is controversial. I haven’t seen anyone else tackling these issues. Am I overreacting? I know many see self-publishing and e-book self-publishing as a way around the gatekeepers, but what about the chaos? Please feel free to comment and argue any of the points I’ve made. That’s how we learn together.
Though I’m not the e-reader type, I’ll come around some day to reading fiction on an e-reader, but I see your point about not getting used to reading non-fiction electronically.
I especially see your point about self-pubbed e-books. The medium doesn’t change anything for me. I have zero desire to read a self-pubbed fiction book. I’d read a self-pubbed non-fiction e-book, but would prefer it be physical.
I fear with e-publishing, the lines will be blurred so that the casual reader won’t be able to discern between self-published and professionally-published titles, which I believe will be bad for writers.
For me, paying for a self-pubbed fiction book (e-book or physical) is like going over to someone’s house for dinner and them asking for money. Sure, the food may be tasty, but if I’m going to pay for a dining experience, I’ll visit one of my favorite restaurants where I know a whole team of qualified, trained professionals have collaborated to put together a marketable product.
If it’s good enough to merchandise, it should be done professionally.
Personally I would be afraid to self publish or e-publish. First of all…self publishing: I feel that I would need a good editor to make sure that my book was the best it could be before putting my name on it for the whole world to see. Second… E-books: I want to hold my baby and although ebook publishing is popular I would like it to be ONE of several “binding” choices…not the ONLY choice. I also want to have an agent that can guide me. I write… I think that authors should have time to write. If all authors do is work to sell and advertise then when will they have time to write? Amanda Hocking said in her blog that she doesn’t have time to write..so what will happen when her readers are demanding another book out of her?
Wendy, I’m not an early adopter and haven’t gone the Kindle route yet, even though my publisher has made a couple of my books available as e-books. Thanks for excellent thoughts on a hot topic.
I was surprised when an established author like James Scott Bell jumped into the e-book market, but Jim covered many of the things you mention in this post. He used an editor and a professional cover designer. He had an audience (from his prior books), and the work he published was just different enough not to be a competition to his works in Christian fiction. I’m waiting to see if Jim’s experience is the exception or will become the rule.
And I don’t think e-books will put agents out of business. I think they’ll be around for the foreseeable future, although they–like authors–may have to adapt a bit.
I think it’s a little disingenuous to say all indie books/authors have poor/no editing and all their covers are horrible. Sadly, I think you’re looking at the wrong books/authors. And I’m not just talking about back list books that went out of print and are now being uploaded as eBooks. Even those, at times, can be some of the worst culprits.
My theory is that the cream always rises to the top. Indie or Traditional… good writing will shine through and all the rest will fall to the wayside.
Richard, I look forward to seeing how Jim does in this venture. He’s a good friend and an excellent writer.
I agree with you about agents– I’m not worried that we will become obsolete. In these days of life coaching, spiritual direction and financial advisors, everyone understands that to achieve their goals it often takes expert help. I’m more worried about the state of books as a whole. I long for an emphasis on quality, no matter what topic or genre.
Scott, I didn’t say “all” books– I was careful to qualify that, but I stand by what I’ve said– it’s a problem. Do an informal analysis yourself.
And you are right, the cream will rise to the top, but how many readers will be sacrificed to get there? There will be some fine, fine books intentionally self-epubbed, but readers may have to be persistent enough to wade through pools of dreck to find those e-books. I worry that new generations of readers won’t have the patience. After you’ve spent money on four or five stories that don’t hang together (fiction) or books that don’t offer anything new (nonfiction) will you still click that button to buy?
Who separates out the cream? Especially when the volume of raw “milk” is overwhelming? Previously it has been the so-called gatekeeper. But with the gates wide open. . .
I am thoroughly enjoying this discussion Wendy. The new technology of publishing and it’s ramifications net an enormous amount of press (digital & print). It has been said that the new generation is the most literate…they consume vast amounts of verbal, visual & textual culture…on the internet. The pro’s and con’s of paper vs e-books will continue to be debated, like electric cars and fossil fuel powered vehicles.
We are in a constant state of “change” it seems and there is an opinion and a preference to match any choice. Choice being the operative word. I believe the current consensus is a “mixed use”, with most still preferring paper, allowing one to escape from digital devices. (I have a hard time visualizing curling up with my grandchildren and reading an e-book)
I agree with your concerns on self-publishing. Unfortunately, I have seen the result of poor editing, lack of quality, and a haphazard marketing plan. I am curious, thought, about a self-publishing company that advertises on a well-known major publishing house’s site. What type of relationship is this?
And what about the new Vook…how will this impact e-books? “A vook is a new innovation in reading that blends a well-written book, high-quality video and the power of the Internet into a single, complete story. You can read your book, watch videos that enhance the story and connect with authors and your friends through social media all on one screen, without switching between platforms.”
http://vook.com/what-is-a-vook.html
Publishing must evolve, stagnation is not an option, and authors must adapt…oh happy day!
Oops…I meant to say, I am curious, though,…(not thought)…where was my editor when I needed one!
Thank you. I keep going back to the idea of gatekeepers as I try to convince unpublished author friends they aren’t ready to self-pub. I have already been burned by enough poorly edited books that I now scroll down the Amazon listing to see who the publisher is before I’ll buy an ebook. If I don’t recognize the publisher I don’t buy–simple as that. The publishers have long been the gatekeepers, or quality control if you will, in publishing. Without the gatekeepers, the reader is at the mercy of anyone who can write a good promo blurb–which doesn’t necessarily mean a good book.
Wendy, I appreciate your willingness to explore the hot topics of e-books and self-publishing.
When e-readers first came out, I was one of those saying I didn’t think I’d get one. Well, my hubby gave me a Kindle, and I’m hooked. Like you, I use mine for fiction. I like being able to highlight and easily flip through the pages of my non-fiction books, so I’m still buying those as paper copies.
While I know some are happy to go the self-published e-book route, I can’t see myself doing that. I wouldn’t want to navigate the publishing waters without my awesome agent, Rachelle Gardner, or the editorial team at Barbour. I admire those who go it on their own, but I lack the knowledge or the time it would take to publish and promote a book by myself.
The competition issue seems the most muddy, as the others can be addressed by the author with some additional planning or effort.
Not sure how it will shake out. Doesn’t seem fair that authors should be restricted from publishing their own works, even if they are also traditionally published. Traditional publishers do not automatically take on every manuscript an author writes. If they’ve passed on it, or are likely to, why shouldn’t the author publish it? The problem in this, of course, is that it could take months for a traditional publisher to evaluate and pass on a manuscript, which means the author is forgoing revenue by giving them that opportunity prior to epublishing. There have to be carefully spelled-out conditions whereby authors can publish with traditional publishers and epublish as well.
Hmmm. There are a few things going on here. One is the issues surrounding an established author who also chooses to self-publish with e-books. On this, I agree with Patricia, that contracts between publishers and authors must be clearly spelled-out to avoid any breaches. Also, it seems like loyalty becomes an issue if an author steps around recognized supporters that work for him/her on a larger scale. Seems like it. I’m not saying, I’m just saying.
Another issue is that of the self-publisher/e-publisher that has a story to tell and isn’t keen on quality, whether it be in the book cover or in the editing. And I’m not saying that all self self-pubbers are like. On this, I agree with Scott. I’m glad that “word of mouth” is the best selling (or non-selling)tool.
I don’t think that too many readers will spend too many dollars on bad books. If it’s self-pubbed there isn’t going to be any huge marketing pitch for it compared to a publisher’s. If it does do well in sales, it’s because it was well-written, and most likely professionally edited.
That would be, “are the issues”. Sorry, need a grammar icon. Just so you know that I know the difference. 🙂
No, make that, “is the issue.” Geez! Help!
PS I was wondering about the Kindle vs. the Ipad. The Ipad looks even less like something you can cozy up with than the Kindle. I still prefer hardcopy!
Actually, I’ve been blogging about this too. I am very, very concerned about the proliferation of books in the Kindle store that are obviously completely unedited…and not just because I’m a freelance developmental editor. 🙂 My blog is called Read>Play>Edit and my 2-part commentary in January was called 1) It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times, and 2) A Novelist Needs an Editor. For Real. I hesitate to add links here because I don’t want this comment to end up in the spam folder. 🙂
Keep up the good work, sister.
What’s interesting about e-self-publishing is it removes the final “gatekeeper” – cost. Only the most passionate writers are willing to pay for the cost of print self-publishing – at least that slowed the flow somewhat. But with free e-self-publishing, hoo boy! I think we’re about to see a monsoon.
Wendy, thanks for an insightful, thought-worthy post. As a former editor, I’ve spotted a ton of horrible self-published material. (The worst title came from a pastor who self-pubbed a warning about the dangers of “Roll-Playing Games.” (I realized he meant role-playing, but I cringed at the very image of teens imitating dinner rolls in their games! I felt embarrassed on behalf of Christians everywhere.) Oh, if only all self-pubbed authors, both of ebooks and regular books, would let someone skilled in the English language proofread their material before it goes out to the masses.
I find a few parallels to my day job as a residential designer. I majored in architecture to learn good design, yet in my town most homes are built from stock plans or something the builder sketched on a napkin. And people live in them. Happily. These homes are affordable and the general public may or may not know or care about the difference in design quality. I’m proud of what I do, but the end-user decides what suits them. And when you get right down to it, Thomas Jefferson had no formal training in architecture, but Monticello is a fine house. 🙂
I guess what I’m saying is that readers will find books that please them. Word of mouth is more important than ever in social marketing, and it works very well with an Amazon-style system. Not all self-published work is bad. Not all traditionally published work is good. Word about a good book will spread.
I do think we’re in for a period when the market may be flooded with mediocre fare, but those who are hoping for quick dollars will soon drop out, whether they aim for a contract or attempt to go it alone. There is no road to success outside of hard work in pursuit of excellence.
I have a Sony Reader but seldom use it.
It will be interesting in a few years when the manufacturers make old e-book readers obsolete so they can sell new ones (as I predict they will) and people realize they can’t re-read books they’ve already bought. My books for kids are available as e-books, but I want my grandchildren to have hard copies so they can read them in future years and pass them down to their own kids.
What an interesting week of posts. Just caught up with them. The self-published e-book issue has been on my mind too, mainly because of the hype around Ms. Hocking (kudos to her for her honesty).
My feelings? The publishing industry is a 10×10 room with 1.5 million writers trying to squeeze into it. Yeah, it would be great if every single person who ever thought about writing a book could publish one, but it’s not realistic.
I think many authors will see the get-rich-quick aspect of the self-pubbed successes and rush to emulate them. How many will achieve the same success?
As Ms. Hocking said, it takes years to build a strong marketing base and that doesn’t include writing. If writers are in such a hurry to publish their own books, it makes me wonder if they’re willing to invest the time to learn how to actually sell them.
Don’t get me wrong, plenty of talented writers who are savvy online will find success going the self-pub e-book route, but I think it’s smarter for writers to submit to reputable e-publishers first.
Wonderful discussion everyone. I’ve enjoyed making it through Wendy’s post and all your comments.
As a reviewer, I’ve seen tons of books. Maybe I’ve been lucky or I am very picky, but most of the self-published books I’ve read have been good. Yes, there have been some dogs in the batch, but overall I can’t complain. Time is too short to read bad books, so if an author self-publishes and I don’t like his book because of editing issues, even if he gets picked up by a publisher later on, I might not bother reading his next book.
As someone who works in book promotion, I shake my head at many book covers, and wonder how anyone could write a great book and then slap a horrible cover on it. Those books are hard to even find reviewers for.
I honestly never thought of the competition angle until you brought it up, Wendy.
I love e-Books and my Kindle, but as an author I haven’t felt the desire to self-publish yet. If I pursue publishers and keep getting rejected, perhaps there’s a flaw in the book I’m too close to see. I might decide to seek a paid critique of a partial to find out. While I understand the frustration of trying to find someone to publish your book, especially if it’s one that doesn’t fit in a particular genre, I’m not positive that self-publishing is the answer.
Thanks for another great article, Wendy.
What an interesting discussion. I’m inclined to agree with all your points about self e-pubbing, Wendy. Maybe this is just me, but as an author, I don’t feel the need to publish every idea I have or every story I write. Why risk destroying your brand that you’ve worked so hard to build? There will be plenty who are successful in venturing out of their brand through e-pubbing (like JSB, mentioned above), but I wouldn’t want to risk it. Maybe it’s just because I’m a newbie. 🙂
A little off-topic: Janet brings up a good point that I’d never even considered – what happens when the first-generation eBook readers become obsolete? I imagine they will make it easy to transfer files to a new device, but for how long? How long until there is some better format that becomes the accepted norm and is no longer compatible with the old stuff? One that’s quicker, slicker, sleeker, or that beams the appropriate interpretation of the material directly into your brain. Well, maybe not that.
Seriously, though, is it conceivable that your entire eBook library could become obsolete ten years down the road? And what if Amazon’s technology becomes stagnant while B&N continues cranking out amazing new Nooks? You couldn’t necessarily upgrade to a different system and transfer all your files. Some of the file types are proprietary and won’t work on any system but the one for which they are designed. Bleh.
I guess I don’t mind change, but I’m always happier when we’re on the other side of it, not stuck in the midst of the storm.
Lots of people have been discussing these issues so your question if you’re the only one is a bit disconcerting because it might mean you haven’t really been following the issue. I assume it was just a figure of speech. The fact that agents and editors still see themselves as ‘gatekeepers’ is a problem. Readers are ultimately the gatekeepers for both traditionally published and self-published authors. After all the gatekeepers published Snooki. And Kate Gosselin (#6 NY Times bestseller but only 11,000 hardcovers sold– huh? Who’s fooling who here?) The reality is that for a self-published author to succeed it’s going to be as hard as for someone to succeed in traditional publishing. Which means 99.9% will fail.
The fact that publishers still focus on consigning to the retail outlets instead of selling to readers is a major problem. Self-publishers focus on selling to readers.
Lots of, frankly, crap is being self-published with all the problems you list. But also let’s be realistic about traditional publishing. I’ve got 20 years experience in it and I’ve seen how the midlist gets treated, which 99.9% of people who query agents can’t make it to. Publishers have been tossing books out there, hoping 1 out of 100 stick. Then they jump behind that one. I don’t think that’s wrong or mean or stupid. It’s just the reality.
I see more and more midlist authors jumping off that Titanic. Which means agents are threatened, so it also means one has to consider the perspective of the person commenting on self-publishing. Where does the agent fit in? I see agents trying to straddle both worlds just as writers are, offering to their authors to publish their backlist which might be considered a conflict of interest.
Spare me the bookstore lament. I’ve yet to see a single article about an author whose contract wasn’t renewed, but we wail about the indie bookstore that goes out of business. They went out of business for the same reason the author did: they ran their business poorly. I can’t tell you how many indie bookstore owners sneered at genre fiction such as romance, which sells 56%, and then wondered why they couldn’t make their bottom line. And let’s not get into Borders. I say this remembering going to an indie called Barnes and Noble on 18th St in NYC as a child. I love bookstores, but I’m also a realist.
Last year at Digital Book World I watched the gatekeepers dismiss e-publishing. 3% of our bottom line. Why should we care? Why are they caring now?
Over 30% of the top 100 titles on Kindle are self-published. The true gatekeepers are deciding.
Well, as a self-published author myself, I take issue with much of your post. But…I love that we live in a world where so many diverse ideals and opinions can coexist.
Regarding bad editing and bad covers- I agree. Those will turn a reader off in no time. That is a form of gatekeeping right there. Low sales = low ranking. But you are right, any writer who wants to self publish should spend the minimum $1k for editing and cover design before putting their work into the world. That is a business decision and, unfortunately, many writers don’t think in terms of a business.
Regarding a Marketing Plan- most authors don’t get any kind of marketing dollars at all from their publisher. The marketing falls squarely on their shoulders. So being self-pubbed is really no different in this respect.
There are 2 HUGE advantages to being self published:
1) MONEY – So far, there isn’t a publishing house out there that has attempted to match Amazon’s 70% royalty rate (or Bn’s 65%).
This is a big one: I have yet to write a novel. I have only written short stories and make over $1k/mo from my ebooks. Just from short stories– a very niche short form.
2) Control – in pricing, in cover, in length, in everything. And…being able to adjust and adapt quickly without having to get permission from a publishing house is key. Want to tweak your title description- great! Done! Want to upload a revised version? Done!
Anyway, I’ll get off my high horse. I just wanted to add a different perspective to the discussion.
I do enjoy your posts.
Thanks,
Kendall Swan
Bob, when I spoke about no one discussing these issues, I wasn’t clear. Of course I’ve followed all the discussions– I said so at the top of my post. I was referring to the points I made about established authors competing with their own publishers and with their own published books. Authors cannot straddle both worlds without cost. I’m afraid at some point publishers will expand their non-compete clauses to include e-books. I dread dealing with that.
I do disagree with you about bookstores, etc. In my past experience in a parallel industry, I found that every time a distribution layer was removed, part of the industry was diminished– we lost sales and a segment of consumers.
Great fodder for thought. You bring up good points. How I wish we could sit around and chew on this in person. Thanks for joining in the discussion.
Kendall, congratulations on your success. I’m guessing part of it is your savvy online marketing. Even your commenting here about your short stories made me want to go check out your books and your covers. Very smart. I’m guessing you’ve got what it takes to market and be successful.
Bob brings up an interesting point regarding readers being the gatekeepers as opposed to agents and editors. I don’t agree.
Yes, readers ultimately decide what to purchase, but if not guided by the real gatekeepers we stumble in our pursuit of excellence.
For the most part, people need to be told what is excellent by those who are more qualified.
Take a competitive sport that requires a judges keen eye like ice skating, gymnastics, or diving. If the medals were awarded based on viewers’ opinions, the wrong person would often win. We need those who know and understand what defines excellence in those fields to guide us.
I also wouldn’t use Snooki or Kate Gosselin as examples condemning the gatekeeper role of agents and editors; they publish those books because of reader demand. At least they’re much better crafted than had they been written by said celebrities.
I do agree with Bob in that not only are bookstores the “victims” of the publishing upheaval, so are authors. How many authors today are turned down for lack of “platform,” even with strong writing. The squeeze hits everyone. I lament the loss of indie bookstores. I lament the loss of great author voices too. Perhaps the e-pub phenomenon can swing the balance back toward authors a bit…
For me, as a Christian, the bottom line is how I can best contribute to the kingdom of God. God opens doors and shuts door in his time. My job is to keep knocking, keep trusting, and seize the opportunities he sets before me.
Sorry for rambling. Thanks for these crazy posts. We live in a broken world and are part of a broken industry.
Not that the posts are crazy… but you’re dealing with crazy issues in a broken industry. Oops… 🙂 I love you and your posts, Wendy, and always look forward to my daily fix of the Books & Such Blog! You’re my mentors!
Very enlightening post and variety of comments. As to marketing, quality, and mediocrity–to me these are the same in print and in e-book. I am not published, but everything you read about traditional publishing says euthors are on their own for marketing even if they go the traditional route.
There are plenty of mediocre books in print, and plenty of errors in print, though perhaps not as much in the vein of total editing nightmares as SOME of the self-pubbed books are purported to be.
I don’t agree with the comment that readers need someone to tell them what quality or excellence is. Readers are perfectly capable of deciding that for themselves. And assuming readers need a nanny also assumes the nanny is always right–which is wrong. 😎
Wendy,
I hadn’t e-readered until this week when I took Amazon up on the free offer of the Kindle for PC program. Then I “bought” a slew of free classics, and took Crossway up on this month’s offer of a free book (http://www.crossway.org/blog/2011/03/free-ebook-healing-for-a-broken-world)
Now I find I have divided loyalties. As a reader I have access to more free and high quality reading than I could finish in a lifetime. As a writer, I would still hope someone is willing to pay for things to read. Of course, I know that Amazon’s free gift is actually a way of training me to use the Kindle, and soon enough I will be hooked into paying real money for their books.
However, as a reader, I tend to stay away from best-sellers. I like obscure things that few other people are looking for. E-readers will be a special boon for this kind of book. For example, a Brazilian publisher asked my eldest daughter to rework her thesis (in Portuguese) on what the Brazilian church should be doing about domestic violence. Their first print run was 600 copies. (Would that even happen in the States?) Of course, my daughter wasn’t interested in making megabucks, she just wanted to make her content available. For that kind of author, the e-format is a wonderful boon (or will be as soon as the Brazilian audience gets more e-readers).
I suspect I will still pursue a traditional publishing house when my book is ready, but I might be more picky about what rights I hold back. For example, I might want to arrange for the Portuguese translation myself, and dibs the Brazilian market.
What I’m hearing is in order to land an agent you have to have a great book, an even better query letter, a platform, an audience, a website, a marketing plan and some luck, BUT that’s better than trying to do it on your own because you have a lot to lose. As a writer I feel I’m between a rock and a hard place, which would be fine if I had cut my arm off on a mountain in order to survive. I’m guessing that every unpublished writer without an agent would be willing to trade places with Amanda Hocking even after knowing how much time she is spending on marketing and communication with her readers, etc. Telling a writer that Hocking’s job has become tough as a self-published author is not unlike the King of England telling the starving peasants that being the King is not as easy as it looks. Thanks for bringing up a tough topic.
Wendy,
Forgot to mention in my previous post–you said that you are reading more now that you have an e-reader.
Well that has been true for me also. I now get to read more books, because with many e-books (though not all) the price is easier on the pocketbook.
Of course I’d love to buy print books, but $15 bucks a pop just isn’t in line with the smallness of my paychecks.
So whatever people perceive as the drawbacks to e-books, it is all worth it to me to have more access to books.
Agreed on some points, but can’t we all agree that traditional publishers also publish some absolutely horribly written books? I mean, Snooki, Lauren Conrad, Hilary Duff… they all have “fiction.” Even Twilight, which is a HUGE hit, is not all that well written. So the gatekeepers don’t always “keep the gates” when they know they can make a ton of money (even on a poorly written book). Right?
I should say, as well, that I agree wholeheartedly with Kendall. I’ve seen similar success which is why I’m also a defender of the Indie movement. That said, I have NOTHING against traditional publishers… though the books I mentioned above do make me sad for them sometimes.
Mind you… I’m not writing the kinds of stories that Kendall is… hehehe
Just had to say, “Here, here!” to Bill Giovannetti’s post:
“For me, as a Christian, the bottom line is how I can best contribute to the kingdom of God. God opens doors and shuts door in his time. My job is to keep knocking, keep trusting, and seize the opportunities he sets before me.”
Great discussion, everyone.
Scott, I don’t represent the kind of books Kendall writes either. 🙂 After I looked at Kendall’s website (bravely going past the Google content warning) I wonder if part of the reason for his success has to do with erotica being a huge draw online. It will be interesting to follow whichgenres work best in e-books.
E-books? Kindles?
Bah, a writer has no need for such tomfoolery! Just give me a glass of water, a windowless room, and a typewriter any day of the week 🙂
I am behind on this discussion, but I did want to say that when I get a book for my Kindle, it’s usually something I have either had recommended to me, or an author I’ve already read and I’m getting his latest. I tried a couple new authors that were offered free on my Kindle and ended up not finishing them.
But my Kindle has made me feel a little more free to download a book recommended to me. I might not buy a hardcover book of a new rec, but it’s so easy to just “whispernet” that experimental book and check it out. I was so impressed with one author that I did that way, I went back and bought all of her books.
Ebooks are overwhelming if you just “browse,” but I would love to see some books put there which have been taken out of print that I missed the first time around or would be hard to track down.
By the way this series has been great.
I guess I’m one of those helping to break the system:
“Mom’s Letter”, a short story
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NNVDR4
More items coming within the next two months.