Brave New Whatever
By Ann Aguirre | March 9, 2011 |
So I’m seeing tons of coverage of the digital phenomenon. There’s been a lot written about Amanda Hocking, obviously, and the new Kindle millionaires, many of whom have never been traditionally published. This is exciting for many reasons, but I want to address a few key points in the digi vs traditional publishing debate.
1. Craft is important.
No matter who you decide to write for, the quality of your work matters. It’s a bad idea to toss a book or story up on Amazon because it’s easy, convenient, and you figure even if it’s bad, it’s still worth $.99. The price may draw some readers in, but you won’t build a broad reader base this way. One sale, and then they’re gone. You’re looking to build a brand and create return traffic in terms of readership. It’s best to decide where your wheelhouse lies (paranormal, YA, SF, fantasy, urban fantasy, humor, women’s fiction, literary) and then do a number of stories or books in that same vein. That way, when you’re ready to branch out, you’ve built up trust from your readers that you can handle your commitments. Regardless of your venue, I recommend against writing five “book ones” for various series because that makes readers worry that you won’t follow through, and that makes them wary.
2. Writing is always hard work.
Whether you’re writing for NY or you’re an indie author, it’s never a matter of magic happening, everything got silver and sparkly for a while, and then you have a book, a horde of screaming fans, and a million dollars. There will be lots of long hours where it’s just you and the keyboard. Add in the revision, editing, proofreading, and promotion, and your hourly wage will probably not be awesome. Also, if you choose to become a digi / indie author, there are a number of things that you’ll need to do yourself (like all of the above, plus cover art), or you’ll need to outsource it. As an indie / digi author, you’re ultimately responsible for all quality control, which means readers will be harder on you if things aren’t up to snuff.
3. It’s not Us vs Them.
The caveats above notwithstanding, there are some great reasons to go indie. If you write a book that you love but it can’t find the right place, then there’s plenty of room for it on Kindle or Smashwords. (In my research, those have been listed as the easiest / lowest learning curve in terms of self-publishing for the digital world.) If you want complete creative control and you have faith in yourself as writer / editor / promoter, then digi is a natural fit for you. However, it’s not an Us vs Them situation. I’ve read screeds where people whom the “gatekeepers” have denied claim that traditional publishing is now running scared. I don’t see it that way. Sure, there are a lot more opportunities for authors than there were in 1979, but there’s also a lot of other distractions, entertainment-wise. I think the fact that readers are spending money on books is a good thing, all around, and there’s no reason why people can’t mix and match. If your indie books do well, you could get a NY deal down the line as a result of the sales and building your own fan-base. If you’re NY published, and you write something that isn’t easy for a traditional marketing department to get a handle on, then you might make a nice chunk publishing it yourself. These days, writers can mix and match, and I recommend that approach for the best career coverage.
4. Weigh your options against your needs.
It’s really important to make a list of what you hope to accomplish in your career, and what you’re looking for via publishing. Money, recognition, a physical book in your hands to show and sign, being able to say HAHA I DID IT! , readers liking your work, being able to earn a living. There are many different reasons why people choose this career path, and once you know what you’re trying to accomplish, you can analyze what markets offer you the best chances to do what you want. It may be that a combo approach as mentioned above will work best.
5. Make an informed decision.
Before you jump into anything, do your market research. If you want to be an indie author, look at strategies. Market in a similar way to those who are selling well in your genre. Check to make sure the publishing venue of your choice has a good reputation and their authors get paid. If you decide NY is magical, proceed in the same fashion. Nobody will give you a dream career. You have to get out there and fight for it. Whether you choose digi, traditional, or both, rock on. Just remember that it’s not a battle; we all love the books.
Photo courtesy Flickr’s deltafrut
Ann Aguirre is a bestselling, multi-published author with a degree in English Literature. She is a prolific writer, with nine releases planned for 2011 alone. She writes romantic science fiction and urban fantasy under her own name. As Ava Gray, she writes high-octane romances. She also writes “hot paranormal apocalyptic action” with fellow author Carrie Lofty under the pseudonymn Ellen Connor. Follow her on Twitter.
Thanks Ann. So many of the reports/articles on this subject take an “us vs them” approach. It is really nice to read one that reminds people that it is all about the books and the hard work that goes into telling a good story.
It was nice, for a change, to see a post about digital/self publishing that doesn’t automatically assume that authors who take that road haven’t bothered with quering traditional publishers. It really is a matter of find out what matters to YOU – we don’t all have the ambition of writing the next bestselling JK Rowling or Stephen King novel (although I’m sure that we’d all love to!)
Ann,
Completely disagree with this post on many levels.
1. You’re right about craft, but a book sold at 0.99$ does actually build a broader base as people are willing to try an unknown author at that price. If you’ve not written a decent book, then yes, readers will not come back. On the other hand, if you have, you’re increasing your fan base. This has been proven time and again. Read Konrath’s posts about “The List” and how he had it at $2.99, dropped it to $0.99 and saw his sales bring him into the top 100 at the Kindle store. He also saw an increase in his other books across the board. He is not the only author doing this.
2. If writing is always hard work, then maybe you shouldn’t be doing it. I write every single day. Over 2000 words per day. It’s easy, the words flow and my stories have won awards in addition to the fan mail I’ve received. I’m don’t work outside the house. I’m a full time writer and I am self-published 100%. Nothing flows to NY. So, I disagree with this point too. Writing is not hard work.
3. You claim it’s not Us vs. Them, yet your tone suggests it is. When you said, “if you write a book you love but can’t find the right place…” That’s not just what Smashwords and the Kindle are for. Many authors who have written fabulous books are self-publishing because they will not give over 80% of their royalties and their rights to NY. There are too many points to make about this so I’ll stop now.
4. and 5. are self-explanatory. People do have to weigh their options. I did. And I’m loving it every time I check my sales at Kindle, The Nook, Sony Reader, Smashwords, Diesel, XinXii, Kobo, Apple iBookstore and Amazon U.K. I see my the sales are rising.
I’ve commented numerous times on this site before. Have no misunderstandings: This is my top site to visit. Much respect. I just didn’t feel this post inspired people and felt it even knocked what people are doing, like myself, in the self-publishing arena.
Daryl Sedore
I think Daryl and I read different articles. :-) Loved this post, Ann. Thanks for the smart reminders, especially that quality is what will make “sticky readers” regardless of how a book is born, and it’s not Us vs. Them.
*waving* Hello, Ann!
I love your down to earth approach to the business side of writing. Is it okay if I quote some of this in a piece I’m writing for a forum on Writing as a Career? (with linkage here, of course)
Ironically, the flood of e-books into the digital marketplace will lead to consumers being overwhelmed with choices. How easy is it to find new music you love on iTunes? Don’t you get burned out after listening to 5-6 songs the iTunes homepage “helpfully” lists under the hot sellers? Same deal will happen with digital books, I predict. The ones who will succeed this transition will have to write great books, but that was true in the old model anyway. It’s just that now writers will get paid less overall. There, I said it.
Great points, Ann. Most of all I agree that publishing doesn’t need to be “us vs them”, and that either path could be an ideal fit for a particular writer’s circumstances. Thanks for addressing this head-on.
As long as a writer has all the facts and has made a rational decision, I think it’s all good.
YES! You said what I’ve been trying to articulate on a blog post for weeks and nothing I wrote came out quite right. Going to bookmark this and link it to my blog!
Yes! Yes! Yes! I’ve been talking to aspiring author for 12 years, many of whom were thinking of going the self-pub/epub/POD route.
Everything you say here is spot on.
It shouldn’t be about snobbery.
It’s a good thing if every author takes responsibility for the post-writing part of the process, whether they go with a traditional publisher or try to do it all themselves.
Brava!
I think the us vs. them mentality is dangerous in any case — whether it’s traditional publishing vs. epub or self-pub, or unpublished vs. published, or anything where sides can be drawn.
I think quality does matter if you’re thinking long term branding success. I think a .99 price point is too low, although $2.99 seems viable. .99 might bring new authors that wouldn’t take a chance, and right now a lot of people new to the e-reader platform might be searching for super-cheap and free content, but I think the idea is to create lasting readers that are not simply buying on price point. If they abandon you when you increase the price, then they’re not really your audience. As the market floods with .99 sales, this is going to make a difference.
I absolutely agree that writing is hard work, and to add, promotion is hard and crucial work, especially now, whether you’re traditionally published or self e-published.
This was a very reasoned and reasonable way to look at it. I have ebooks up that couldn’t find a place in traditional publishing (always ‘between genres’–sigh), but there isn’t necessarily one right way to go about this and I am delighted that both options are now open, not just to me but to anyone who has a good story to tell.
But it is hard work–both the writing, and certainly the marketing–whichever avenue you choose. Amanda Hocking made that very point just the other day.
The “us versus them” paradigm serves as a HUGE marketing advantage to the successful “us” at the present time. There are archetypal buttons being pushed; a deliberate gunslinger mythology being cultivated. It’s genius, really. I can appreciate it at that level.
What I wonder about is the legacy. In another fifteen years will an author be hip and edgy if they seek NY first? Will there be a NY to seek?
But I take your point, Ann, about an author needing to know themselves and their goals. Seems like that’s a good place to begin.
Great post! The digital world is opening up an option – it’s not the only game in town nor is it mandatory. It’s like when TV came along – the film world learned how to co-exist – TV was another option – not the end of movies. But right now, the digital world wants the world to think it IS taking over – lol! It’ll all settle down. As for me, I’ve done self-pub and small digital/print pub and I don’t think I want to do either one next time.
I love the discussion on this topic. I have apparently been living under a pile of books, because all the press on this self-pub e-issue was news to me. I’ve enjoyed reading the options and advice on the topic. As someone working on a non-fiction manuscript, I wonder if legal issues are a concern for the e-book authors. Or how do they address those on their own? I’m thinking an agent and traditional publisher with editors/lawyers, etc. would be useful for nonfiction.
That “wheelhouse” decision is the hard part for me. Even when a couple of my books can be classified as “fantasy,” they are so far apart on that spectrum that a fan of one might abhor another. All have had success with readers, and I’ve resisted writing book 2s until a book 1 generates some results. Instead, I’ve devoted the mental energy to continue exploring.
Ann, thanks for a great post! I agree, it shouldn’t be us -vs- them. This is about options and a different way of looking at publishing. Both are valid. As someone who keeps knocking on the doors of traditional publishers, keeps getting nice personal responses, but ultimately gets rejected, the possibility of finding a home for my stories through self publishing has become more and more attractive. I agree that it takes work, no matter which path you decide on. Ther are pros and cons to each and room for both.As Kath stated, I agree that the market will get flooded and some writers will drown while others swim, but it’s not that different in the traditional model. It will even out. I, for one, am happy that there is room for both and that those who choose self publishing are no longer pariahs.
A great post, Ann, and thought-provoking. I agree with you too Kathleen that the trouble is that already there are so many books around–traditional or indie–and the more there are, the harder it will be to get noticed, the less people will find books that otherwise they might’ve liked–which means authors will get paid less. Writing IS hard work–not necesarrily in terms of the writing itself which can come more or less fluently to people–but in terms of the life, or rather the living, the capacity to earn a living–it’s a rollecoaster, a feast or famine situation, as anyone who’s been in the business for any length of time can testify. Nothing is guaranteed, no-one owes you a wage, you either make it or you don’t–and no-one cares either way! (except you and your nearest and dearest!) Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great life too and I wouldn’t have it any different–but the new ‘gold rush’ of digital publishing makes people forget that as in all gold rushes, only a few make serious money–the others either slog it out patiently or drop by the wayside.
Fabulous post, Ann, and fabulous advice. I especially like the “mix and match” philosophy.
I find the “making a living” aspect fascinating on both sides. I’ve noticed many traditionally-published authors simply accept the fact that they probably won’t be able to feed their families with their advances and royalties, and therefore consider authorship more as a passionate enterprise than a source of livelihood.
Indies on the other hand tend to try their best to turn a profit, although they don’t necessarily succeed.
It’ll be interesting to see how these two ends of the spectrum wind up influencing each other: will traditional publishers take steps to force authors to become even more entrepreneurial? (E.g., eliminate advances altogether?) Will indies find a way to generate more reliable lump sums?
Stay tuned!
Sophie, I feel the same way. I loooove my job –it’s my dream come true– but it is work. It’s not magic. Sometimes the words so flow so well it feels rather Zen or magical, but it doesn’t happen while I’m doing something else. There are no book elves. *g*
Hi Ann. Totally agree with your points – quality is absolutely crucial to long term success and building a readership as a writer/author.
Whilst ‘indie publishing’ gives writers more options it certainly isn’t a wholesale replacement to the rigours of the traditional publishing process (not for the time being anyway).
I think most well written work will find an enthusiastic readership, it’s just a matter of finding them – utilising the Internet will, in my opinion, continue to give writers and readers more access to content that interests them individually.
Great post, will tweet to our followers.
All the best
Adam
iWriteReadRate.com
Ann,
As I’m working on my first novel, I’m trying to understand what is involved with getting published. Your article is the first I’ve seen that discusses this issue with a balanced perspective.
Thanks for the informative article.
Newbie