• Home
  • Author Services
  • Bookstore
  • Being Indie - Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Author Services
  • Bookstore
  • Being Indie - Blog
  • Contact

Do You Want to Write? Do You Want to Make Money? Why not, both?

6/22/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
When Fifty Shades of Grey came out, it made some people really take notice, especially Traditional Publishers. The book, and the author, received a lot of criticism from the literary world, but the most important thing about the book, the main thing that everyone should have paid attention to: The READERS. The popularity of the book spoke louder in volume than any of the critics. And, quite frankly, it should. 

The article, Fifty Shades of Grey: the series that tied publishing up in knots, touches on how Fifty Shades of Grey not only turned things around for self-publishing and caused quite a stir with Traditional Publishing, the article also addressed the most important factor in selling books - The Reader.

“The Fifty Shades phenomenon has shown the entire industry that huge amounts of readers just want a really good story and they are not that fussed about how it is presented to them,” said Scott Pack, a former head buyer for Waterstones and publisher for Harper Collins, who now runs the Aardvark Bureau imprint. 

The runaway success of Fifty Shades had forced the entire publishing industry to re-evaluate assumptions of what makes books sell.“For years, centuries even, the publishing industry and literary world’s definition of good was the only one that mattered. If we didn’t think something was good, it didn’t get agented, it didn’t get published, bookshops didn’t stock it and it didn’t sell,” he said.

I see this question in writing forums and writing groups all the time, "Would you rather be a so-so writer, like, E.L. James of Fifty Shades of Grey and make money, or be a literary genius and only make a few cents?" Why do we have to choose? Not al of us are going to be E.L. James or Stephen King. Not all of us are going to Hemingway. But we can be ourselves and write, follow our passion, and if others take pleasure in reading what we wrote and we make a few bucks along the way–That is Fantastic.

Self-publishing has opened doors to all kinds of writers and would-be writers. Some do it just for the pleasure of writing, some attempt (and some succeed) to make money at it. What is important to you? Do you just want to write and share it with some friends and family? Or, do you hope to make a few bucks, even become the next big sensation? Either way, just write. The Self-publishing world is open for both.

0 Comments

Who's Working For Self-Publishing Authors?

5/12/2014

3 Comments

 
Picture
 Who’s Working For Authors?

The battle between Amazon and the Publishing industry continues to heat up. Thanks to the exploding self-publishing Indie market, there is plenty of conflict in this story. Only this isn’t fiction - it’s real.

Navigating through the myriad of publishing choices available for authors today can be complicated and confusing. For the first time in history, with the help of new innovations and more accessibility, there are a variety of options for new and experienced writers. But, with some of those options, comes a price. If an author doesn’t take the time to understand their options or research them they might pay the price later.

Everyone wants a piece of the Indie publishing pie; Amazon, publishers, small presses, vanity presses, ebooks and even bookstores. Yet, in this scenario, who is working for the authors? The only real answer to this is - the author. Authors must be more diligent then ever to protect themselves and their work.

This blog post is the result of the Amazon vs Publishers and bookstores battle. During my research for a book client, I couldn’t locate any evidence of who was really working for the authors? For example, a certain bookstore, which is now offering self-publishing services, was convincing my client, and other writers, to be anti-Amazon. They would tell them that they should use their program with Ingram, a nationwide book distributor.

Yet, I felt that they weren’t telling their clients the entire story. The information the bookstore provided was limited and one-sided. I couldn’t get a clear picture of what was really being offered? Nor, could I understand what the benefits were for the author? What the authors would hear is use them and Ingram and your book will be in bookstores. Only, they left out some really important information: just because you use Ingram doesn’t mean that your book will be picked up by bookstores. In fact, probably just the opposite.

And, where did Amazon fit into this equation? Were the books going to be available on Amazon? It was a bit confusing since they were anti-Amazon. After all, Amazon sells the majority of books and ebooks all over the world.

Regardless of how any of us feel about Amazon, they are a necessary tool for today’s Indie authors. My goal was to make sure that my client had full advantage of all avenues that would help her book be successful, this included Amazon. It should be about how could we make them, the author, successful, not who is the bad guy in this story.

I, for one, am grateful to Amazon. Because of Amazon and the Kindle, there are more readers today than ever before. Amazon and Createspace have opened up doors and opportunities that were never available before. Not just for writers, but also for readers.

They have allowed writers to explore and expand. They put no limit on creativity.

As an author, I am more willing to go with a publisher who can solve my problems and makes it easy for me. One who understands the importance of writers, as well as readers.

I think bookstores and publishers shouldn’t focus on anti-Amazon campaigns. This won’t gain them market share. Instead, they should take note of what Amazon is doing right and focus on that. Amazon makes it easy for writers. They don’t limit writers. Authors should have the options to diversify their work; to self-publish on the sites that make it easy for readers and writers to connect.

As an author, it should be all about your bottom line, not theirs. Do what is best for you. All of these options should be working for you, not the other way around. After all, it is your writing that is making them money.


3 Comments

    The Author in all of us

    There is a story inside. One that needs out and to be read by others. It's there and now it's time for it to flow from author to the reader. Join us as we celebrate Indie authors.

    Archives

    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012

    Categories

    All
    Amazon VS
    Anacortes Senior College
    Barbara Bickmore
    Books By Barbara Bickmore
    Bringing A Book Together
    Channeling Characters
    Character Channeling
    Demanding Characters
    Diy
    Do Character Talk
    Don't Be The Expert
    Don't Rush
    Don't Wear All The Hats
    Editing
    Ending A Story
    Finding Your Muse
    Flash Fiction
    Heidi Thomas
    Hire A Pro
    I Chose To Self Publish
    Indie Ebooks
    Is Self Publishing Free
    Jared McVay
    Joan Silling
    Judith Kirscht
    Kathleen Kaska
    New Author
    New Authors
    Nicole Persun
    Once The Book Is Complete
    On Writing
    Peter And Penny
    Remarkable Women
    Revising Your Work
    RIP Barbara Bickmore
    Self Publishing
    Self-Publishing
    Shelburne Cover
    Staying In Character
    Susan Wingate
    Terry Persun
    The Man Who Saved The Whooping Cranes
    The Other Life
    Where Does A Story Start
    Who's Working For The Authors
    Writer's Other Life
    Writing
    Writing The End

    RSS Feed

What We Do

Ebook Services
Printed Book Services
Book Cover Gallery
Other Services
Tiny Hands Art


OUR BOOKS

Books by Armchair ePublshing
Books by Karla Locke
Armchair Shorts
Adventure w/ Peter & Penny
Armchair Cruising Book

CONTACT US

360-588-6968
armchairepub@gmail.com
Other ways to connect with us
Picture
Photos used under Creative Commons from CollegeDegrees360, mripp, Sir Hectimere, Gonmi, Ale Márquez, roseannadana, melenita2012, Dean Hochman
Armchair ePublishing
  • Home
  • Author Services
  • Bookstore
  • Being Indie - Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Author Services
  • Bookstore
  • Being Indie - Blog
  • Contact