The full report of the Taleist Self-Publishing Survey is coming on 24 May
12,000 words of analysis began with this collection of index cards
After reviewing the answers of 1,007 self-publishers from over 40 countries to 61 questions about their self-publishing experience, Dave Cornford and I are delighted to say that 12,000 words of data and analysis is now in the hands of our editors.
On Thursday 24 May that report will be available from Amazon, and there will be a downloadable summary of highlights on this site, together with images and video commentary.
Six chapters of data and analysis
The full report is split into six chapters, each offering fascinating insights into the world of self-publishing, including a whole range of information that hasn’t been available anywhere else before.
Chapter 1: Overview — The survey methodology, and the demographics of our respondents, including age, education, employment status.
Chapter 2: The Self-Publishing House — Where are self-publishers getting outside help, e.g. editing and cover design, and does production assistance make a difference to the bottom line? (Spoiler alert: it really does.) We also look at whether it makes a difference to to have been traditionally published first.
Chapter 3: Not a Gold Rush — Who is self-publishing? How long have they been writing for? Are they writing fiction or non-fiction, and which genres generate the most revenue? (We’ve already reported that romance authors are earning more than twice as much as their peers). Perhaps the most anticipated result of all is here: What is the average income from self-publishing?
Chapter 4: Marketing — What are authors doing to market their work? How much are self-publishers experimenting with the prices of their books? How important are social media like blogs, Twitter, and Facebook? What is the single thing that makes more difference to revenue than anything else? How many authors have pulled their books from other stores to be part of Amazon’s KDP Select?
Chapter 5: Top Earners — We look in detail at the authors who have said they are making enough from self-publishing to live on their royalties alone. What makes these Top Earners different from everyone else?
Chapter 6: Looking to the Future — We draw together some of the threads from the other chapters, and talk about the sentiment among self-publishers. Would they self-publish again? Do they consider themselves successful? How do they feel about the future for self-publishing?
Be notified when the report is published
Subscribe to the Taleist mailing list to be notified by email
Follow the conversation live on Twitter
The data and our conclusions are going to generate discussion across the internet. Be part of that conversation on Twitter by:
Following Dave Cornford on Twitter
Following Steven Lewis on Twitter
Following the #TaleistSurvey hashtag on Twitter
Follow the survey in the media
You can also setup a Google Alert for “Taleist” that will alert you to media coverage of the survey, which has already attracted interest from major publications.
Your contribution
The report couldn’t have happened without the 1,007 self-publishing authors who took the time to answer our questions; or without the help of the bloggers, tweeters and others who spread the word. We’re incredibly grateful for their help.
After four months in our data cave, we can’t wait to share the results and hear what you think.
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