On the importance of Genre
There is an old adage in self-publishing. Except, I can't really call it an old adage because indie publishing has only really been flourishing for the last three years or so. We could call it a rule, but I prefer to call it what it really is: a lie.
The lie is this: You can only make money self-publishing romance or science fiction.
This is often said by the old guard. The few people inside and outside the publishing business that would love to hold on to the antiquated model of publishing.
Of course it's a pretty big thing that they are now admitting it's possible to make money through indie publishing.
Well Author Earnings has released their latest report and it's pretty surprising Report
My favorite graph is the one right at the bottom. It highlights that not only can indies sell romance and sci-fi/fantasy novels, but that they are doing it at a greater clip than the big five is.
What's more, in the coveted Mystery, thriller, suspense category the big five only have a slight lead over indie and small publishers.
The area where the big five dominates the most is in the literary category. This is a little disheartening for me, because I have two literary novels coming out in September. Yet, I take solace in the knowledge that just a few years ago it would be unthinkable that indie authors could make up almost a quarter of all mystery, thriller, suspense ebooks sold.
Perhaps an indie literary novel hasn't broken out because not many people are writing them. All I know is that I believe in my literary books. I put a lot into each of them and I think they will entertain while at the same time forming an emotion connection to readers.
Maybe I'm a dreamer, but then aren't we all? The writers and the readers alike? Aren't we all just dreamers who love the realm of imagination?
What this news really highlights is the trend towards electronic reading and a de-emphasis on the publisher. No one cares who published an ebook they buy on Amazon. If it's a brand-name author they care about that. If not, then all they care about is if the story sounds interesting, or if a friend recommended it.
I can't deny that romance and sci-fi/fantasy are the two most popular genres for indie books. But that doesn't mean that anyone needs to limit themselves. These numbers are only going to continue to slide towards indie publishing. Now is the time to make a name for yourself. No matter what the genre.
The lie is this: You can only make money self-publishing romance or science fiction.
This is often said by the old guard. The few people inside and outside the publishing business that would love to hold on to the antiquated model of publishing.
Of course it's a pretty big thing that they are now admitting it's possible to make money through indie publishing.
Well Author Earnings has released their latest report and it's pretty surprising Report
My favorite graph is the one right at the bottom. It highlights that not only can indies sell romance and sci-fi/fantasy novels, but that they are doing it at a greater clip than the big five is.
What's more, in the coveted Mystery, thriller, suspense category the big five only have a slight lead over indie and small publishers.
The area where the big five dominates the most is in the literary category. This is a little disheartening for me, because I have two literary novels coming out in September. Yet, I take solace in the knowledge that just a few years ago it would be unthinkable that indie authors could make up almost a quarter of all mystery, thriller, suspense ebooks sold.
Perhaps an indie literary novel hasn't broken out because not many people are writing them. All I know is that I believe in my literary books. I put a lot into each of them and I think they will entertain while at the same time forming an emotion connection to readers.
Maybe I'm a dreamer, but then aren't we all? The writers and the readers alike? Aren't we all just dreamers who love the realm of imagination?
What this news really highlights is the trend towards electronic reading and a de-emphasis on the publisher. No one cares who published an ebook they buy on Amazon. If it's a brand-name author they care about that. If not, then all they care about is if the story sounds interesting, or if a friend recommended it.
I can't deny that romance and sci-fi/fantasy are the two most popular genres for indie books. But that doesn't mean that anyone needs to limit themselves. These numbers are only going to continue to slide towards indie publishing. Now is the time to make a name for yourself. No matter what the genre.
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