Mark Henrikson's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing-process-publishing"
Writing Process – Publishing
Let me tell you a true story about two authors: myself and Author N, who published her first novel about the same time I did.
I spent the better part of a year crafting query letters, plot synopses, two page outlines, ten page outlines, and on and on. It seemed like every literary agent or publishing house had their very own format and requirements. I did everything short of giving them a reach around to get published, and what did I get for all my efforts? NOTHING. Half I never heard from, the other half graced me with a form letter response. Out of hundreds (seriously – hundreds), I only got one real response where the agent liked the concept but was getting out of the business. Out of options I self published on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (for digital) and CreateSpace (for paperback).
Author N had fortune smile upon her with a small publishing house taking her on, no advance in case you are wondering. Another advantage author N had over me was her book fell into the very popular YA fiction category where mine is more of a niche fit in Sci-Fi. Who do you think is doing better?
I am and by a very wide margin too. Surprise! Now why is that, and before you even think it, author N wrote a fine book so it certainly wasn’t about quality?
Going the indie route I was able to price my book low ($2.99 digital; $9.99 paperback @ 300 pages). Author N had the exorbitant pricing pushed down to her from the publisher ($7.99 digital; $17.95 paperback @ 150 pages). Given the competition out there, it is flat out impossible for a new author to get noticed with those prices.
I also had the flexibility to offer the book for free using Amazon’s KDP 5 day promo. This got the book noticed by thousands of readers so word of mouth/blog could go to work, and it did. Sales took off after that without me lifting a finger toward self promotion. Author N has been busting her tail lining up and attending author signings where 1 or 2 books will get sold over a 4 hour timeframe. Wait, doesn’t the publisher line all that up you ask? Nope, not unless you are an A list author, the rest are left to fend for themselves. Author N even had to find and pay for her own cover artist. I am so very glad that small publisher is earning their keep, aren’t you?
All the small presses want you to think going indie is somehow less relevant than getting published through them. Five years ago they would have been correct, self pubing back then was called vanity press for a reason. In today’s reality though, the small ‘relevant’ publishers do nothing for you except hold your pricing and distribution options in a choke hold long enough to milk the pity sales you will make to your friends and family (come on. You know that is what your first 100 sales really are).
Author N’s publisher pays her about $1.50 per paperback book and pockets the remaining $15.00 for doing almost nothing. She wrote it, she is selling it and only gets $1.50 per sale. That is flat out robbery plain and simple. (digital breakdown is: Author N = $0.90; Amazon = $2.40; Publisher = $4.69. My take home is about $6.00 for paperback and $2.10. per digital download at a much lower price point.
If you are a first time author, you are straight up crazy to publish through any other means than self publishing on Kindle Direct or Smashwords. They pay 70% royalties for the most part and leave you with complete control over your intellectual property. Oh yes, and your book can get out there in a matter of weeks with royalties paid every month rather than waiting 12-18 months for the publisher to get their act together and then only pay you twice a year.
The publishing world has experienced nothing short of an apocalyptic change in the last 5 years with the widespread use of eReaders. The power is now in the hands of the authors, be sure you keep it and publish indie unless you are getting one big fat advance that has at least a 1 with five zero’s behind it. That would at least ensure the publisher had incentive to go out and do something to promote your sales rather than stand on your shoulders while you do all the work and they keep the proceeds.
There you have it folks. Soup to nuts on turning an idea for a novel into one. Now stop reading about it and get to it. There is a wonderful story floating around in your head just waiting to come out for the world to enjoy.
I spent the better part of a year crafting query letters, plot synopses, two page outlines, ten page outlines, and on and on. It seemed like every literary agent or publishing house had their very own format and requirements. I did everything short of giving them a reach around to get published, and what did I get for all my efforts? NOTHING. Half I never heard from, the other half graced me with a form letter response. Out of hundreds (seriously – hundreds), I only got one real response where the agent liked the concept but was getting out of the business. Out of options I self published on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (for digital) and CreateSpace (for paperback).
Author N had fortune smile upon her with a small publishing house taking her on, no advance in case you are wondering. Another advantage author N had over me was her book fell into the very popular YA fiction category where mine is more of a niche fit in Sci-Fi. Who do you think is doing better?
I am and by a very wide margin too. Surprise! Now why is that, and before you even think it, author N wrote a fine book so it certainly wasn’t about quality?
Going the indie route I was able to price my book low ($2.99 digital; $9.99 paperback @ 300 pages). Author N had the exorbitant pricing pushed down to her from the publisher ($7.99 digital; $17.95 paperback @ 150 pages). Given the competition out there, it is flat out impossible for a new author to get noticed with those prices.
I also had the flexibility to offer the book for free using Amazon’s KDP 5 day promo. This got the book noticed by thousands of readers so word of mouth/blog could go to work, and it did. Sales took off after that without me lifting a finger toward self promotion. Author N has been busting her tail lining up and attending author signings where 1 or 2 books will get sold over a 4 hour timeframe. Wait, doesn’t the publisher line all that up you ask? Nope, not unless you are an A list author, the rest are left to fend for themselves. Author N even had to find and pay for her own cover artist. I am so very glad that small publisher is earning their keep, aren’t you?
All the small presses want you to think going indie is somehow less relevant than getting published through them. Five years ago they would have been correct, self pubing back then was called vanity press for a reason. In today’s reality though, the small ‘relevant’ publishers do nothing for you except hold your pricing and distribution options in a choke hold long enough to milk the pity sales you will make to your friends and family (come on. You know that is what your first 100 sales really are).
Author N’s publisher pays her about $1.50 per paperback book and pockets the remaining $15.00 for doing almost nothing. She wrote it, she is selling it and only gets $1.50 per sale. That is flat out robbery plain and simple. (digital breakdown is: Author N = $0.90; Amazon = $2.40; Publisher = $4.69. My take home is about $6.00 for paperback and $2.10. per digital download at a much lower price point.
If you are a first time author, you are straight up crazy to publish through any other means than self publishing on Kindle Direct or Smashwords. They pay 70% royalties for the most part and leave you with complete control over your intellectual property. Oh yes, and your book can get out there in a matter of weeks with royalties paid every month rather than waiting 12-18 months for the publisher to get their act together and then only pay you twice a year.
The publishing world has experienced nothing short of an apocalyptic change in the last 5 years with the widespread use of eReaders. The power is now in the hands of the authors, be sure you keep it and publish indie unless you are getting one big fat advance that has at least a 1 with five zero’s behind it. That would at least ensure the publisher had incentive to go out and do something to promote your sales rather than stand on your shoulders while you do all the work and they keep the proceeds.
There you have it folks. Soup to nuts on turning an idea for a novel into one. Now stop reading about it and get to it. There is a wonderful story floating around in your head just waiting to come out for the world to enjoy.
