David Gaughran's Blog, page 28
July 9, 2011
Two Indie Writers Somehow Escape The "Tsunami of Crap" To Sign Major Trade Deal
With the kind of timing that only athletes and comedians are blessed with, two more indie writers have managed to wriggle free from the "tsunami of crap".
Mark Edwards & Louise Voss, who I have spoken about before on this blog, have signed a six-figure, four book deal with HarperCollins UK.
But it wasn't just an eagle-eyed editor and agent that spotted their potential in the endless morass of horrid self-published work that is blotting out the sun and condemning all superior literature to...
July 8, 2011
That Bear Ate My Pants: A Home Run On Day One
Today, I have a guest post from indie author Tony James Slater.
I first met Tony at a writer's conference in 2010. Neither of us remember much about the encounter, which is a testament to the hard working bar staff of York University.
I was trying to snag an agent for my historical novel, and he was hitting the same brick wall with his account of his exotic adventures in Ecuador. When I heard Tony was self-publishing, I was delighted, as I knew how hard he had worked the traditional route...
July 7, 2011
Batting for a Broken System
There was a ridiculous article last week in the Wall Street Journal called "Cherish The Book Publishers – You'll Miss Them When They're Gone."
I was going to write a take-down of this, but Kris Rusch and Joe Konrath beat me to it. You should check out both their responses. Krus Rusch goes point-by-point, and Joe Konrath, in a post titled "The Tsunami of Crap", laughs at the ridiculousness of it all:
"Some people believe the ease of self-publishing means that millions of wannabe writers will...
July 6, 2011
Let's Get Digital – A Radical Free Strategy
This month will see the release of my latest book Let's Get Digital.
As is almost compulsory in non-fiction, it now has a snappy subtitle: Not just how to self-publish, why to self-publish.
That's not just window-dressing. I believe it is essential to have an understanding of the current state of the publishing industry in addition to learning how to publish something professionally.
Let's Get Digital
The first part of this book will give you an overview of the rapidly changing book business...
July 5, 2011
What About The E-Reader Everyone Owns Already?
A lot of my friends don't own e-readers and most have no intention of buying one – for now at least. Some are curious about the iPad, and a couple have one, but most don't see the point of owning that, a laptop, and a smartphone.
When I tell them that I am publishing e-books, they often ask if there will be a print version. Many don't realise that you can read e-books on your computer.
But even when I explain this, I can see the resistance. They have jobs where they stare at a screen all day...
July 2, 2011
Smart Promo Idea (And For A Good Cause Too): The Summer Book Club
Just a short post today. A group of top-selling indie writers have come up with a rather clever idea that I wanted to highlight (which also happens to help a worthy cause).
The Summer Book Club contains titles from top indie authors J Carson Black, Saffina Desforges, Mark Edwards & Louise Voss, Sibel Hodge, Victorine Lieske, HP Mallory, Scott Nicholson, and Cheryl Shireman.
You can read Mark Edwards' blog post about the background the idea here. They have set up a Facebook Page to promote the b...
July 1, 2011
That Was The Month That Was – June Sales Figures
I took a day off yesterday! I did… nothing! It was beautiful, but now it's back to work.
Today, I am going to reveal my slightly disappointing sales figures for June. I will pinpoint some of the factors in the decline.
But, I will also explain why I am not too worried, and why I think things will pick up this month. Finally, I have some other numbers which are very pleasing.
Full Breakdown for June
If You Go Into The Woods
Amazon US 33 (down from 88)
Amazon UK 3 (down from 15)
Amazon DE 0 (down...
June 29, 2011
Interview With Indie Romance & Erotica Writer Harris Channing
I like to mix things up now and then on this blog so that it's not all publishing news all the time.
Today, I am posting an interview with romance and erotica writer Harris Channing.
Some of the topics we touch on are writing in different genres, secret identities, and the huge popularity of erotica e-books.
***
Hi Harris, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions. There's plenty of stuff I want to ask about, but I have to get one thing out of the way first. Does sex sell?
The short...
June 28, 2011
Major US Agency Moves Into Publishing. Or Do They?
It seems like the big news stories are coming every day now. That's what happens when you combine the disruptive power of the internet with a revolutionary change like digital self-publishing.
In an announcement that is sure to cause some surprise, Dystel & Goderich – agents for Barack Obama, Judge Judy, John Locke, Joy Bauer, David Morell, and Richard Dreyfuss – have announced a move into publishing. Or have they?
I have made my feelings about agents moving into publishing quite clear on a...
June 27, 2011
Are Big Publishers Losing The Battle For The Big Backlists?
Ian Fleming Publications Ltd., the company which manages the literary estate of the deceased James Bond creator and thus controls not only all pre-existing James Bond works, but all future ones too, have been in the news this morning
It has been announced that Simon Trewin from United Agents is no longer representing the company, which has been snapped up by Jonny Geller of Curtis Brown (UK). The reasons for the move are unknown, but will be speculated upon.
The timeline is interesting here...
