On the importance of Mark Coker
I don't want this post to turn into one long commercial so I'm going to get that all out of the way upfront. This does relate to the point of this post; I promise.
There are two pieces of news here before I get to what I want to say. One is that my novel, Re-Test is currently free. The second is that my two novels, A Way Back to Life and Two Worlds are available for pre-order through all channels. Including Amazon.
Below are the links and then we get into the actual discussion.
A Way Back to Life:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Smashwords
Two Worlds:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Smashwords
Re-Test for Free:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Smashwords
Man, that was a lot of html. Okay, all that aside, let's get into this.
As you can see from the links above, Amazon has finally decided to allow indie authors to be able to make their books available for pre-order. As I stated in a previous blog, this is a wonderful marketing tool for all writers and one that is especially valuable for indie authors.
So why did Amazon decide to do this? I'm sure that part of it was to engender good public relations in the midst of the Amazon/Hachette dispute. Some of it was probably due to pressure from indie authors and some of it was because of Mark Coker.
Mr. Coker (for those who don't know) is the founder of Smashwords, one of the first direct publishing sites, which allowed the rise of indie authors.
Smashwords was one of the first to allow indie authors the chance to make their books available for pre-order.
Coker is a former silicon valley publicist and indie author who decided to found his website to democratize the publishing landscape and allow indie authors to publish to major platforms like Barnes & Noble and iTunes.
Now don't get me wrong, I understand that Mark Coker is trying to make money for himself. I know that many of his decisions are based on what will increase his profits.
Yet, there are two ways that companies can be profitable. One is by suppressing the people they serve and the other is by uplifting them.
Mark Coker has chosen to uplift indie writers. At this point, Smashwords is a pretty successful business model and he could sit back and just watch the money roll in, but he doesn't do that.
What he does is search for ways to help indie authors become more successful. He reaches out to many authors through email and talks to us one on one. He offers tips on marketing and formatting and he advocates for indie publishing.
When you're the little guy in the big pond having someone with some clout on your side is a big deal and Mark Coker has been that for many indie authors.
He pushed for pre-orders when others just wrote that off as something that was reserved for mainstream writers. He gave us the confidence to demand equal treatment from outlets like Amazon.
Now Amazon has been forced to come along and offer pre-order buttons for indie authors.
This is an exciting time in the publishing industry. There are many changes happening and it is energizing both readers and writers. Part of the reason for that is people like Mark Coker who followed a vision of what the publishing industry could become.
All of this is basically a long-winded way of me saying thank you to all the advocates of indie publishing out there.
If you haven't picked up an indie book before I urge you to try one.
Sure, there are many that are filled with errors and not very good, but there are also many hidden gems out there that never would have seen the light of day if not for Mark Coker and others like him who do what they can to promote indie authors.
Not to delve back into commercial status again, but I would like to throw my two newest books into the ring of novels you should read.
A Way Back to Life, and Two Worlds, are the two best novels that I've ever written. I would put them up against anything being published today. Literally any book. I think they are that good. I hate to sound arrogant, but I am immensely proud of these novels and I think anyone that reads them will love the time they spend with the characters.
If you're a writer that's interested in indie publishing there are few places you can go for information that are better than Smashwords. Check them out, and thank Mark Coker for making this all possible.
There are two pieces of news here before I get to what I want to say. One is that my novel, Re-Test is currently free. The second is that my two novels, A Way Back to Life and Two Worlds are available for pre-order through all channels. Including Amazon.
Below are the links and then we get into the actual discussion.
A Way Back to Life:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Smashwords
Two Worlds:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Smashwords
Re-Test for Free:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Smashwords
Man, that was a lot of html. Okay, all that aside, let's get into this.
As you can see from the links above, Amazon has finally decided to allow indie authors to be able to make their books available for pre-order. As I stated in a previous blog, this is a wonderful marketing tool for all writers and one that is especially valuable for indie authors.
So why did Amazon decide to do this? I'm sure that part of it was to engender good public relations in the midst of the Amazon/Hachette dispute. Some of it was probably due to pressure from indie authors and some of it was because of Mark Coker.
Mr. Coker (for those who don't know) is the founder of Smashwords, one of the first direct publishing sites, which allowed the rise of indie authors.
Smashwords was one of the first to allow indie authors the chance to make their books available for pre-order.
Coker is a former silicon valley publicist and indie author who decided to found his website to democratize the publishing landscape and allow indie authors to publish to major platforms like Barnes & Noble and iTunes.
Now don't get me wrong, I understand that Mark Coker is trying to make money for himself. I know that many of his decisions are based on what will increase his profits.
Yet, there are two ways that companies can be profitable. One is by suppressing the people they serve and the other is by uplifting them.
Mark Coker has chosen to uplift indie writers. At this point, Smashwords is a pretty successful business model and he could sit back and just watch the money roll in, but he doesn't do that.
What he does is search for ways to help indie authors become more successful. He reaches out to many authors through email and talks to us one on one. He offers tips on marketing and formatting and he advocates for indie publishing.
When you're the little guy in the big pond having someone with some clout on your side is a big deal and Mark Coker has been that for many indie authors.
He pushed for pre-orders when others just wrote that off as something that was reserved for mainstream writers. He gave us the confidence to demand equal treatment from outlets like Amazon.
Now Amazon has been forced to come along and offer pre-order buttons for indie authors.
This is an exciting time in the publishing industry. There are many changes happening and it is energizing both readers and writers. Part of the reason for that is people like Mark Coker who followed a vision of what the publishing industry could become.
All of this is basically a long-winded way of me saying thank you to all the advocates of indie publishing out there.
If you haven't picked up an indie book before I urge you to try one.
Sure, there are many that are filled with errors and not very good, but there are also many hidden gems out there that never would have seen the light of day if not for Mark Coker and others like him who do what they can to promote indie authors.
Not to delve back into commercial status again, but I would like to throw my two newest books into the ring of novels you should read.
A Way Back to Life, and Two Worlds, are the two best novels that I've ever written. I would put them up against anything being published today. Literally any book. I think they are that good. I hate to sound arrogant, but I am immensely proud of these novels and I think anyone that reads them will love the time they spend with the characters.
If you're a writer that's interested in indie publishing there are few places you can go for information that are better than Smashwords. Check them out, and thank Mark Coker for making this all possible.
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