David Gaughran's Blog, page 31
June 1, 2011
Cheryl Shireman's Life Is More Than A Dream – Interview
Today, we are going to do something a little different.
Cheryl Shireman was kind enough to answer a few questions. For those of you who don't know her, Cheryl is currently selling over 200 copies PER DAY of the e-book edition of her self-published literary novel Life is But A Dream.
Can you tell us a little about your book?
Life is But a Dream is a novel about a woman who suddenly questions her existence. Her marriage appears to be falling apart, and her only daughter is leaving for college...
May 31, 2011
Self-Publishing & Trade Publishing Are Not Mutually Exclusive Paths
There was one thing that stuck out like a sore thumb amidst all the huffing and puffing surrounding Barry Eisler's decision to sign with Amazon's new imprint, Thomas & Mercer.
Some people (both indie evangelists and arch-defenders of trade publishing), think that self-publishing and trade publishing are mutually exclusive paths.
This nonsense needs to be dealt with right away. First off, there are many, many people who have trade deals who are also self-publishing other titles.
There are lots...
May 30, 2011
Publishers Skinning Authors, Eisler & Konrath, and The Never-Ending Blog Tour
I have to spend the day hauling giant loads of copper, chemicals, and silicone (don't ask), so if you don't mind, I will do a quick news round-up, and talk about some stuff appearing here and elsewhere in the coming days.
Publishers & Agents Trying to Skin Their Authors
The Passive Voice is my new favourite blog (thanks to Dean Wesley Smith). He provides excellent overviews of the disruptive changes occurring in publishing, and as a former lawyer, he is especially strong on how publishers are i...
May 28, 2011
Nothing To Do With The Champions League Final
There will be no posting this weekend. I am a little behind schedule in cleaning up Let's Get Digital, Digital, and I would like to catch up. Blogging will resume Monday.
I hope you don't mind, it means you will get your free e-book quicker.
I refuse to comment on suggestions that this has anything to do with the Champions League Final between Manchester United and Barcelona this evening, and the related drinking binge that will accompany our inevitable victory, or any betting relating to the o...
May 27, 2011
Indie Publishing For International Writers, Step 8: Pricing Strategies
This is the eight part of my continuing series INDIE PUBLISHING FOR INTERNATIONAL WRITERS, a step-by-step guide to getting your stories into (digital) print. I'll be doing each step with you, learning as you do, because I've never done this before either. I will be compiling all these steps into a free e-book for my blog-readers when I am done.
Step 8: Pricing Strategies
There is a lot of debate about pricing. Today, I want to avoid a discussion of the ethics of various strategies. Instead, I w...
May 26, 2011
The Third Way – Barry Eisler Signs Trade Deal With Amazon
In a move announced yesterday at BookExpo America, Barry Eisler has signed a trade deal with Amazon's newest imprint Thomas & Mercer.
Full details of the deal have yet to emerge, but Eisler stated that the advance was "comparable" to the trade deal he walked away from. He also stated that print royalty terms will be similar, but that he will receive "close to" 70% e-book royalties and retain creative control.
He also stated that the contract was the most "author friendly" he had ever seen and t...
May 25, 2011
E-Reader War Heats Up and Amazon Launch New Imprints
Now that Transfection has flown the net, we can get back to business.
Tomorrow, I will continue my free guide to self-publishing with a section on pricing. Today, I want to look at some of the big news stories of the last week or so.
The E-Reader War Hots Up
On Monday, Canadian upstart Kobo launched a new touchscreen e-reader for the tasty price of $129.99. It only weighs 200 grams (take that, iPad!) and uses the same e-ink technology as the Kindle (easy on the eyes, can be read in sunlight)...
May 24, 2011
Haiku #10 – Never Underestimate The Power of a Carbohydrate
From either side of
my heart, beans and toast send love
notes to each other.
From the Haikupalooza archives. Do not attempt to drive a car or operate heavy machinery for one hour after ingesting these haikus.
Transfection Spreads Across The Planet! (Competition)
To celebrate the release of my latest short story – Transfection – I am giving away TWENTY-FIVE free copies of my new e-book.
It has already hit the Science Fiction Short Story Bestseller charts in the UK and America, and with a little push, it could go even higher.
Seeing as it's an old-school science fiction story about a scientist who becomes dangerously obsessed with his research, the competition is going to be a little experiment.
We're going to see how far we can get Transfection to...
May 23, 2011
Why Traditional Publishers Will Go The Way Of Travel Agents
Over the last six weeks or so, we have examined the various aspects of the publishing industry, and assessed how the different parts are functioning (or in most cases, malfunctioning) in the face of the changes brought about by the internet.
As any travel agent will tell you (if you can find one), the internet is an unstoppable force which revolutionizes every single business it comes into contact with. In publishing, change hasn't seemed as quick, but the internet has been quietly eating...
