Austin S. Camacho's Blog, page 26
July 19, 2012
C3 – Launching of a Conference
The Love is Murder conference changed my life. When I attended it six years ago I had already been to several writers’ conferences but this was my first experience at a gathering that welcomed readers as well as writers. Since then I’ve enjoyed Bouchercon, Malice Domestic, Magna Cum Murder, Thrillerfest and others, but LIM is STILL different because it attracts a broader spectrum of fans and authors. Mystery lovers mingle with thriller, horror and romantic suspense fans and share what it’s like to be a fan or a creator. The only bad thing about LIM is that it is in Chicago in February, a long, risky flight from Maryland. One year I spent the day in an airport never quite managing to reach the conference I had already paid for. So from the beginning I have longed for a similar conference closer to home.
Fast forward to 2012 and the creation of Intrigue Publishing. In conversation about things we could do I mentioned my long held dream of holding a “Love is Murder East” expanding the multi-genre concept.
It is at this point that the Deus ex machine says, “Well… why not do it?” In this case the Deus was my very special friend (and Intrigue VP) Sandra Bowman.
There was plenty of “why not.” It would be a lot of work. It would cost a lot of money. There was no guarantee that anyone would come.
At this point Sandra and Intrigue President Denise Camacho ganged up on me. “We’re not afraid of hard work,” they said. “We have the money. And we know a lot of people in the industry and in the local writing community. We just need to commit, and give ourselves enough time to figure out all the details.”
So what would this conference be about? I suggested a list of fiction genres that have been overlapping of late. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. Horror. Science fiction. Fantasy. And a newcomer sub-genre called steampunk. Each has its own conferences around the country, but how much fun it would be to throw writers and fans of these genres together.
Then we needed a name for the conference that would tie it all together. But what did all these fictional styles have in common? Four of the 7 could be gathered under the umbrella “crime fiction.” Four often featured inhuman entities. And we needed to say that we’d be as much about the craft of writing as with the writing itself. After tossing around a few dozen possibilities, Denise finally nailed it when she suggested we call it Creatures, Crimes & Creativity.
Like that, a plan was in place. Well, not quite a plan. Actually we jointly decided that we would leap off this cliff together and build our wings on the way down.
July 14, 2012
Why Writers Should Guest Blog
Today's guest blogger, Heather Green, is a Christian mom, freelance writer, pet lover and the resident blogger for OnlineNursingDegrees.org, a free informational website offering tips and advice about medical transcription degrees and informational websites. Her article explains why you are reading her here instead of there today.
Keeping a blog is a great way to build community with your readers and to promote your writing. It gives you a platform to share your latest works, your writing process, and a bit about who you are as a writer. Not only does it help you to promote your work, but it allows your readers to get to know you and build a relationship with you.Guest blogging -- or writing for another person's blog -- can also benefit you. Here's why writers should consider guest blogging -- even for other writers:
Increased ExposureEvery time you get your name on another site, you are getting more exposure for you and your work. if you are lucky enough to get a guest post on a popular blog, you are getting your name in front of a large audience of potential new readers. Try to write for blogs within your niche so that you can get exposure with your target audience.
Quality BacklinksWhen you guest blog, you usually get a link (or two) back to your site in your author bio at the end of your post. These links help you in two ways: 1) They increase your search-engine ranking; and 2)They send quality traffic back to your site.
The more links you get to your site, the more Google thinks that your site is an authority in your niche and the higher it will place your site in search results. The next time a reader searches for keywords in your niche, your site is more likely to be among the first results, meaning that you will get more traffic to your site. More traffic=more potential readers for your work.
Builds Authority
Writing quality content for guest posts helps you to build authority. Whether you are writing about the process of writing, the publishing industry, or any related topic, you are establishing yourself as a credible authority in your niche. The more readers see your name behind quality content, the more they will see you as a trusted source and the more likely they will be to turn to your blog as a resource.
Builds Relationships
Writing guest posts for other blogs helps you build relationships with the blogger. These relationships could lead to long-term partnerships (maybe a writing collaboration) or mutual promotional efforts. You may even pick up some useful contacts (such as agents or publishers they know). Any relationships you build now could benefit you and your writing in the future.
Guest blogging offers you another way to promote your blog and your writing. Are you writing guest posts? How has it benefited you? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Keeping a blog is a great way to build community with your readers and to promote your writing. It gives you a platform to share your latest works, your writing process, and a bit about who you are as a writer. Not only does it help you to promote your work, but it allows your readers to get to know you and build a relationship with you.Guest blogging -- or writing for another person's blog -- can also benefit you. Here's why writers should consider guest blogging -- even for other writers:
Increased ExposureEvery time you get your name on another site, you are getting more exposure for you and your work. if you are lucky enough to get a guest post on a popular blog, you are getting your name in front of a large audience of potential new readers. Try to write for blogs within your niche so that you can get exposure with your target audience.
Quality BacklinksWhen you guest blog, you usually get a link (or two) back to your site in your author bio at the end of your post. These links help you in two ways: 1) They increase your search-engine ranking; and 2)They send quality traffic back to your site.
The more links you get to your site, the more Google thinks that your site is an authority in your niche and the higher it will place your site in search results. The next time a reader searches for keywords in your niche, your site is more likely to be among the first results, meaning that you will get more traffic to your site. More traffic=more potential readers for your work.
Builds Authority
Writing quality content for guest posts helps you to build authority. Whether you are writing about the process of writing, the publishing industry, or any related topic, you are establishing yourself as a credible authority in your niche. The more readers see your name behind quality content, the more they will see you as a trusted source and the more likely they will be to turn to your blog as a resource.
Builds Relationships
Writing guest posts for other blogs helps you build relationships with the blogger. These relationships could lead to long-term partnerships (maybe a writing collaboration) or mutual promotional efforts. You may even pick up some useful contacts (such as agents or publishers they know). Any relationships you build now could benefit you and your writing in the future.
Guest blogging offers you another way to promote your blog and your writing. Are you writing guest posts? How has it benefited you? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
July 10, 2012
How I Came to Have Intrigue in My House
Sometimes, things happen just because there’s no reason for them not to.
A decade ago, when I decided I could handle my own books better than the Print On Demand publisher I was working with, I did a lot of research. I learned that bookstores did not want to deal with self-published authors any more than they wanted to deal with POD publishers. The solution seemed to be to get my books published by a small press… or at least make it look that way. So I dreamed up what seemed like a good name for a press putting out mysteries: Intrigue Publishing. It was a serious publisher’s name and covered mysteries and thrillers, which is what I write.
Over the last ten years I’ve sold a lot of books and found ways to get my books into bookstores when even the small press I placed one book with could not. My lovely wife Denise has become quite an expert on small press publishing in the process of overcoming one obstacle at a time. And during those years there have been several times when she and I had dreamed about, talked about and even plotted about publishing other authors. Also, based on my success several authors have approached Denise to get published. My camouflage was so good they assumed I was with a successful small press.
Then along came our very special friend Sandra Bowman, who writes urban fiction as B. Swangin Webster. She is so canny a marketing guru that her novels seemed guaranteed to be successful for a small press. Too bad we didn’t have one. That’s when Sandra asked the obvious question.
Why not?
Well, the truth was there was no good reason. We had the skills. We had the experience. We just didn’t seem to have the drive to move forward. However, Sandra brought tons of drive to the party, so three partners seemed to be the right formula. We decided to officially launch the ten-year-old Intrigue Publishing as a brand new small press.
To start a small business in the state of Maryland all that is really required is to apply for a license. We did so and established our partnership officially. The next question for us was, what shall we publish? Our name implied a certain identity so we were not going to publish just any kind of books.
The decision making process was long but not really complex. I’ll tell you about that part of our journey next week.
A decade ago, when I decided I could handle my own books better than the Print On Demand publisher I was working with, I did a lot of research. I learned that bookstores did not want to deal with self-published authors any more than they wanted to deal with POD publishers. The solution seemed to be to get my books published by a small press… or at least make it look that way. So I dreamed up what seemed like a good name for a press putting out mysteries: Intrigue Publishing. It was a serious publisher’s name and covered mysteries and thrillers, which is what I write.
Over the last ten years I’ve sold a lot of books and found ways to get my books into bookstores when even the small press I placed one book with could not. My lovely wife Denise has become quite an expert on small press publishing in the process of overcoming one obstacle at a time. And during those years there have been several times when she and I had dreamed about, talked about and even plotted about publishing other authors. Also, based on my success several authors have approached Denise to get published. My camouflage was so good they assumed I was with a successful small press.
Then along came our very special friend Sandra Bowman, who writes urban fiction as B. Swangin Webster. She is so canny a marketing guru that her novels seemed guaranteed to be successful for a small press. Too bad we didn’t have one. That’s when Sandra asked the obvious question.
Why not?
Well, the truth was there was no good reason. We had the skills. We had the experience. We just didn’t seem to have the drive to move forward. However, Sandra brought tons of drive to the party, so three partners seemed to be the right formula. We decided to officially launch the ten-year-old Intrigue Publishing as a brand new small press.
To start a small business in the state of Maryland all that is really required is to apply for a license. We did so and established our partnership officially. The next question for us was, what shall we publish? Our name implied a certain identity so we were not going to publish just any kind of books.
The decision making process was long but not really complex. I’ll tell you about that part of our journey next week.
July 7, 2012
Newsletters II
Last time I told you a bit about putting out an author’s newsletter. Today I’ll share a few more tips on the same subject.
Try to keep your newsletter simple and easy to read. Sure you can get all sorts of color and pictures on there, but that can make it harder to read your message if your reader is using his or her phone. The system I use offers a full color fancy email, but it also goes out in a words-only version.
Readers today like to scan pages more often than they read deeply. Make sure you appeal to people who just want to hit the high points by writing strong headlines. You might want to make good use of bullet points. At the very least, write short paragraphs and leave plenty of white space on the page. Make it easy to get your messages without sifting through big blocks of copy.
How often should a newsletter go out? Well, that depends on how often you have news. In general I think that anything more than once a week will be regarded as spam. Longer than monthly and you risk being forgotten.
Remember that people are judging you as a writer by your newsletter so edit it carefully. Typos or bad spelling send the message that you don’t care about your writing. And by the way, that same reasoning applies to emails, blog posts, and everything else you write. If you can’t get a newsletter right, why should people think you can handle a short story or novel?
They’re also judging you as a person, so don’t overdo the promotion. A newsletter filled with self-praise, special offers and blatant sales copy will lose you readership quickly. Of course the newsletter is meant to promote your books, but you need to balance that kind of content with useful information. You’ll want to tell readers what you’re doing and give them the latest news about your writing, but some sort of value-added content keeps people coming back.
A good newsletter can be a lot of work and requires consistent effort. But it’s worth it to have a consistent and welcome way to stay in touch with your readers. Give it a try.
Next time I'll talk about the process of putting together a publishing company from scratch. Meanwhile, as always I'm open to guest bloggers who want to talk about a slice of THEIR writer's lives.
Try to keep your newsletter simple and easy to read. Sure you can get all sorts of color and pictures on there, but that can make it harder to read your message if your reader is using his or her phone. The system I use offers a full color fancy email, but it also goes out in a words-only version.
Readers today like to scan pages more often than they read deeply. Make sure you appeal to people who just want to hit the high points by writing strong headlines. You might want to make good use of bullet points. At the very least, write short paragraphs and leave plenty of white space on the page. Make it easy to get your messages without sifting through big blocks of copy.
How often should a newsletter go out? Well, that depends on how often you have news. In general I think that anything more than once a week will be regarded as spam. Longer than monthly and you risk being forgotten.
Remember that people are judging you as a writer by your newsletter so edit it carefully. Typos or bad spelling send the message that you don’t care about your writing. And by the way, that same reasoning applies to emails, blog posts, and everything else you write. If you can’t get a newsletter right, why should people think you can handle a short story or novel?
They’re also judging you as a person, so don’t overdo the promotion. A newsletter filled with self-praise, special offers and blatant sales copy will lose you readership quickly. Of course the newsletter is meant to promote your books, but you need to balance that kind of content with useful information. You’ll want to tell readers what you’re doing and give them the latest news about your writing, but some sort of value-added content keeps people coming back.
A good newsletter can be a lot of work and requires consistent effort. But it’s worth it to have a consistent and welcome way to stay in touch with your readers. Give it a try.
Next time I'll talk about the process of putting together a publishing company from scratch. Meanwhile, as always I'm open to guest bloggers who want to talk about a slice of THEIR writer's lives.
July 4, 2012
New roles and newsletters
Friends, I may have overextended myself with three major projects. First, I’m one of the principals of a newly-launched small press called Intrigue Publishing. That new company is putting a new literary conference together for next year. And, as one of the author mentors of this new press, I’m rewriting my fiction marketing manual. I know I need to get back to regular blogging so I’ll be sharing all three adventures with you here but I won’t change the title because, despite all these hats I’m wearing, I’m still just Another Writer!
Today I’ll share a slice I’m adding to the marketing book, part of a new section on newsletters.
Each time I prepare my electronic newsletter for release I consider how few authors I know send one out. That’s too bad, because a newsletter is an easy and inexpensive way to stay in contact with your readers.
The physical part is easy. I use Vertical Response but there are a couple other equally good companies like Constant Contact that will supply a template for you to write into, and then distribute your newsletter to the mailing list you designate.
But just having one won’t get you far. Your newsletter needs to be interesting, useful and fun or no one will read it. To get the idea, I suggest you take a good look at what other writers are sending out. Mystery author Brad Parks produces my favorite writer’s newsletter. Rick Robinson also sends out a good example to follow. And naturally you can sign up for mine at my web site.
When you’re sending out a newsletter you need to know your audience. Remember you’re writing for them, not your own ego. If you know who your readers are you can write what they’re curious about and interested in.
And remember that less is more! Most people prefer short emails and the same goes for newsletters. Follow the example of other writers, but however long your newsletter is, make sure it’s packed with interesting and useful content. That “value added” content is what will hold your readers.
I’ll talk a little more about writer’s newsletters later in the week. Meanwhile, with all that's going on I'm always open to guest bloggers who want to talk about THEIR writer's lives.
Today I’ll share a slice I’m adding to the marketing book, part of a new section on newsletters.
Each time I prepare my electronic newsletter for release I consider how few authors I know send one out. That’s too bad, because a newsletter is an easy and inexpensive way to stay in contact with your readers.
The physical part is easy. I use Vertical Response but there are a couple other equally good companies like Constant Contact that will supply a template for you to write into, and then distribute your newsletter to the mailing list you designate.
But just having one won’t get you far. Your newsletter needs to be interesting, useful and fun or no one will read it. To get the idea, I suggest you take a good look at what other writers are sending out. Mystery author Brad Parks produces my favorite writer’s newsletter. Rick Robinson also sends out a good example to follow. And naturally you can sign up for mine at my web site.
When you’re sending out a newsletter you need to know your audience. Remember you’re writing for them, not your own ego. If you know who your readers are you can write what they’re curious about and interested in.
And remember that less is more! Most people prefer short emails and the same goes for newsletters. Follow the example of other writers, but however long your newsletter is, make sure it’s packed with interesting and useful content. That “value added” content is what will hold your readers.
I’ll talk a little more about writer’s newsletters later in the week. Meanwhile, with all that's going on I'm always open to guest bloggers who want to talk about THEIR writer's lives.
May 30, 2012
Misconceptions of a Writer
This Guest post is by Christine Kane, a graduate of Communication and Journalism. She enjoys writing about a wide-variety of subjects including
internet service
for different blogs. She has some comments about how others see writers that I thought were worth sharing.
I started off studying biomedical science in college. I thought I wanted to be a doctor. Then I realized you have to study a lot and you have to be okay around blood. That is when I stumbled into Journalism. I found myself extremely excited and interested in the courses that I took which is strange because I never considered myself a good writer or even a writer. Well many years have passed and post grad I have dabbled in public relations, copy writing and now just being strictly a writer. When people ask me what my occupation is, I always answer with ‘writer’ and an eye roll. I know as soon as I say this, the person will respond in disbelief and wants to know what exactly that means. Being a female and 28 years old and telling people I am a writer tends to get a few ‘no ways’ and some chuckles. No I am not trying to be trendy and in touch with my emotional side and hug trees. I get paid to write. I work for a company that needs a writer for their blogs. It’s simple and easy. I love blogs and the blogs love me. Being a younger writer I am not sure why it puzzles people that this is my actual occupation. When I first told my family about my occupation choice they followed up with, ‘okay then what?’ as if I just had told them I wanted to be an award winning movie star. Do I need a then what? I don’t think so. Until I run out of words I am sticking with this writing gig. Other stigmas that comes with the occupation term ‘writer’ is the misconception that I am lazy and hang out at coffee houses all day or that I famous and my work will be turned into a movie starring Cameron Diaz. False.And False. Oh and the best, ‘have you written a book?’ and the ‘can I be in it?’Not quite sure why being a writer is such an interesting occupation that conjures so many different ideas and thoughts. When someone tells me they are banker, florist or they sell insurance, I believe them and understand their job duties. I know that they are a banker, florist and they sell insurance.
I am sure that you have seen these job meme’s floating around the webs. I decide to update it to reflect my personal writer life: As far as I am concerned I am a writer and yes I am writing a book. Are you in it? Maybe, maybe not. Will I be famous, probably not?I love writing because it’s my chance to say what others don’t know how to say or won’t say. Whether I am writing for fun or for a paycheck each word is a chance to story tell. A quote that I live by: “I think you must remember that a writer is a simple-minded person to begin with and go on that basis. He's not a great mind, he's not a great thinker, he's not a great philosopher, he's a story-teller."--Erskin
I started off studying biomedical science in college. I thought I wanted to be a doctor. Then I realized you have to study a lot and you have to be okay around blood. That is when I stumbled into Journalism. I found myself extremely excited and interested in the courses that I took which is strange because I never considered myself a good writer or even a writer. Well many years have passed and post grad I have dabbled in public relations, copy writing and now just being strictly a writer. When people ask me what my occupation is, I always answer with ‘writer’ and an eye roll. I know as soon as I say this, the person will respond in disbelief and wants to know what exactly that means. Being a female and 28 years old and telling people I am a writer tends to get a few ‘no ways’ and some chuckles. No I am not trying to be trendy and in touch with my emotional side and hug trees. I get paid to write. I work for a company that needs a writer for their blogs. It’s simple and easy. I love blogs and the blogs love me. Being a younger writer I am not sure why it puzzles people that this is my actual occupation. When I first told my family about my occupation choice they followed up with, ‘okay then what?’ as if I just had told them I wanted to be an award winning movie star. Do I need a then what? I don’t think so. Until I run out of words I am sticking with this writing gig. Other stigmas that comes with the occupation term ‘writer’ is the misconception that I am lazy and hang out at coffee houses all day or that I famous and my work will be turned into a movie starring Cameron Diaz. False.And False. Oh and the best, ‘have you written a book?’ and the ‘can I be in it?’Not quite sure why being a writer is such an interesting occupation that conjures so many different ideas and thoughts. When someone tells me they are banker, florist or they sell insurance, I believe them and understand their job duties. I know that they are a banker, florist and they sell insurance.
I am sure that you have seen these job meme’s floating around the webs. I decide to update it to reflect my personal writer life: As far as I am concerned I am a writer and yes I am writing a book. Are you in it? Maybe, maybe not. Will I be famous, probably not?I love writing because it’s my chance to say what others don’t know how to say or won’t say. Whether I am writing for fun or for a paycheck each word is a chance to story tell. A quote that I live by: “I think you must remember that a writer is a simple-minded person to begin with and go on that basis. He's not a great mind, he's not a great thinker, he's not a great philosopher, he's a story-teller."--Erskin
March 11, 2012
Riptide by Debbie Mack
No, I don't usually do book reviews here, but sometimes something special comes along.If you’re looking for the ultimate beach read, you should treat yourself to Debbi Mack’s newest crime novel. Riptide is so riveting you might forget to turn over, but the pace is so hot you’ll want to dive in to cool down!The action takes place in Ocean City MD, where lawyer “Sam” McRae must defend a friend accused of murder. The search for evidence to clear her friend’s name drives McRae to come up against a local businessman with more influence and power than morals. Alone against a community apparently determined to convict her friend, McRae must prove herself both smarter and tougher than ever.Taking nothing away from Mack’s well tuned plot, what really made this book for me was Mack’s top notch protagonist. Despite being an attorney, Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae is more Sam Spade than Perry Mason. This tough, feisty and relentless broad makes Riptide a great, fun ride.
Join in on the big Facebook launch! https://www.facebook.com/austin.camacho.author#!/groups/305994622792418/
March 9, 2012
To self-publish, or NOT to Self-publish – Part II
My blog last week focused on the pluses and minuses of self-publishing and several of you offered insightful comments. The one thing I think we can all agree on is that it is a highly personal choice and may not be for everyone.
When you make the shift from independent author to independent publisher a lot of responsibility shifts to your shoulders. Suddenly, you are responsible for cover art, proof reading, editing and the overall design of the book. If it’s an ebook you also need to handle conversion of the manuscript into the right kind of file. That all translates into a lot of time and a steep learning curve OR several thousand dollars out of your pocket. These are things you simply can’t skimp on, and it’s very important to face the hard facts concerning what you can and can’t competently do yourself.
The other side of that coin is the Henny Penny result. Since you did all the work and baked the analogous bread all by yourself, you get to keep all the profits. If we’re talking about a Kindle book, that means as much as 70% of your chosen sale price. That kind of a profit margin might allow you to experiment a lot more than traditional paper publishers dare to.
And remember that independent publisher means just that. You can still get your book printed on paper with a nice hard or soft cover, push it into book stores or gift shops, and do book signings or give talks with book sales at the back of the room. Old school can still be made to work. But if you’re more a cutting edge kinda guy or gal, ebooks are marching into the future. Are you familiar with fiction streaming? Wattpad? How about enhanced books with pictures, web links and interactive software built right in? Either way, you make the calls for marketing strategy without having to push someone else. You set the cover price, and change it whenever you like. You decide when to put your books on sale, or maybe give several hundreds away. You can get blurbs from writers you know, and post them wherever YOU think they’ll have the best effect. If you want to invest in yourself you can get a book trailer made or buy ad space in the magazines you think your readers read. It’s all up to you.
But while a lot has changed, some things stay the same. Only placement with a traditional publisher will get you an advance. It makes it more likely that a major reviewer will read your book. And it multiplies your chance of winning a significant writing award (for instance, traditional publishing is a requirement to be nominated for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar award.)
These reasons make some of us continue to wish for a traditional publishing contract, even those of us who are successful do-it-yourselfers. And there may not be a clear right answer. Either way, we know that the publishing industry is going to change radically in the next few years. Only you can know whether it’s better or worse for you. Me, I intend to be prepared for whatever happens as far as I can be.
So, as a writer who wants to be broadly read, what will influence YOUR choice?
When you make the shift from independent author to independent publisher a lot of responsibility shifts to your shoulders. Suddenly, you are responsible for cover art, proof reading, editing and the overall design of the book. If it’s an ebook you also need to handle conversion of the manuscript into the right kind of file. That all translates into a lot of time and a steep learning curve OR several thousand dollars out of your pocket. These are things you simply can’t skimp on, and it’s very important to face the hard facts concerning what you can and can’t competently do yourself.
The other side of that coin is the Henny Penny result. Since you did all the work and baked the analogous bread all by yourself, you get to keep all the profits. If we’re talking about a Kindle book, that means as much as 70% of your chosen sale price. That kind of a profit margin might allow you to experiment a lot more than traditional paper publishers dare to.
And remember that independent publisher means just that. You can still get your book printed on paper with a nice hard or soft cover, push it into book stores or gift shops, and do book signings or give talks with book sales at the back of the room. Old school can still be made to work. But if you’re more a cutting edge kinda guy or gal, ebooks are marching into the future. Are you familiar with fiction streaming? Wattpad? How about enhanced books with pictures, web links and interactive software built right in? Either way, you make the calls for marketing strategy without having to push someone else. You set the cover price, and change it whenever you like. You decide when to put your books on sale, or maybe give several hundreds away. You can get blurbs from writers you know, and post them wherever YOU think they’ll have the best effect. If you want to invest in yourself you can get a book trailer made or buy ad space in the magazines you think your readers read. It’s all up to you.
But while a lot has changed, some things stay the same. Only placement with a traditional publisher will get you an advance. It makes it more likely that a major reviewer will read your book. And it multiplies your chance of winning a significant writing award (for instance, traditional publishing is a requirement to be nominated for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar award.)
These reasons make some of us continue to wish for a traditional publishing contract, even those of us who are successful do-it-yourselfers. And there may not be a clear right answer. Either way, we know that the publishing industry is going to change radically in the next few years. Only you can know whether it’s better or worse for you. Me, I intend to be prepared for whatever happens as far as I can be.
So, as a writer who wants to be broadly read, what will influence YOUR choice?
February 29, 2012
To self-publish, or NOT to Self-publish
If you feel that THAT is the question, you're in good company. And I'd like to invite you to join the debate here for a couple weeks.
This conversation arises due to the extensive changes that have rocked the publishing world in the last few years. In the past, each publisher had a couple stars and a mid-list. But these days, mid-list writers are an endangered species. Publishers neither have the money nor the confidence in writers to publish a bunch of books that might not make much money.
That means that unless you’re one of the blockbuster boys it’s real hard to make writing fiction a career. At the same time, one can’t help but notice that the writers getting nice contracts seem to be people who are already names - actors, celebrities, big-name chefs, etc. Fiction authors who do land contracts seem to be getting smaller and smaller advances. We look over at people like Joe Konrath making $150,000/month with e-books and wonder if that’s a workable alternative.
I have nothing but respect for Mr. Konrath, but anyone who tells you they know the future of publishing is kidding himself. BUT, since nobody really knows what the industry will look like in a couple years, isn’t this the perfect time to try new things?
Also, with so many big names stepping into self-publishing it is no longer the mark of the desperate wannabe. More and more successful e-book authors are getting contracts with mainstream publishers. Even agents (maybe the most conservative people in the business) are starting to see e-books as valuable entrees into the publishing world. True, not every e-book is worth buying and you might get tarred with that same brush. But is every printed book worth buying? I think not, but they are a bigger financial gamble for the buyer than an e-book at $2.99 or even 99 cents.
Of course, it’s not all that simple. Not everybody WANTS to learn book design, how to choose covers, the ISBN process, hunt for distribution and be a publicist. Let’s face it: a lot of us just want to write! If that’s you, maybe self publishing is not for you. On the other hand, learning the ins and outs of the business has certainly given me a better perspective on what to write and what readers want. And, frankly, it has gotten me more engaged in my work.
More pros and cons from me next week, but first, I want to hear what YOU think?
This conversation arises due to the extensive changes that have rocked the publishing world in the last few years. In the past, each publisher had a couple stars and a mid-list. But these days, mid-list writers are an endangered species. Publishers neither have the money nor the confidence in writers to publish a bunch of books that might not make much money.
That means that unless you’re one of the blockbuster boys it’s real hard to make writing fiction a career. At the same time, one can’t help but notice that the writers getting nice contracts seem to be people who are already names - actors, celebrities, big-name chefs, etc. Fiction authors who do land contracts seem to be getting smaller and smaller advances. We look over at people like Joe Konrath making $150,000/month with e-books and wonder if that’s a workable alternative.
I have nothing but respect for Mr. Konrath, but anyone who tells you they know the future of publishing is kidding himself. BUT, since nobody really knows what the industry will look like in a couple years, isn’t this the perfect time to try new things?
Also, with so many big names stepping into self-publishing it is no longer the mark of the desperate wannabe. More and more successful e-book authors are getting contracts with mainstream publishers. Even agents (maybe the most conservative people in the business) are starting to see e-books as valuable entrees into the publishing world. True, not every e-book is worth buying and you might get tarred with that same brush. But is every printed book worth buying? I think not, but they are a bigger financial gamble for the buyer than an e-book at $2.99 or even 99 cents.
Of course, it’s not all that simple. Not everybody WANTS to learn book design, how to choose covers, the ISBN process, hunt for distribution and be a publicist. Let’s face it: a lot of us just want to write! If that’s you, maybe self publishing is not for you. On the other hand, learning the ins and outs of the business has certainly given me a better perspective on what to write and what readers want. And, frankly, it has gotten me more engaged in my work.
More pros and cons from me next week, but first, I want to hear what YOU think?
