Readers and Self-Pub

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

As a writer who is both traditionally-published and self-published, I have an admission to make.  I work very hard on my traditionally published books.  But I work even harder on my self-published stories.

I’m not saying my self-published stories are better.

But I want to make sure that each element of every book is as good as I can make it.  I don’t have a huge team behind me for my self-pub…I have a small one.  And I don’t want to let the readers down. I feel more accountable. I feel determined to make sure the quality is as good and that my readers won’t notice a difference between series.

But what’s been amazing to me is that I haven’t gotten any feedback from readers regarding the fact that some of my books are trad-pubbed and some are self.  I’ve seen no indication that they’re aware I am a hybrid writer.

I’ve never had a reader complain that they couldn’t find my Myrtle (the self-pubbed series) books at their local Barnes and Noble.

I’ve never had a reader specifically mention that the quality of my self-pubbed books is poorer than my trad-pubbed books, and if they’ve mentioned it in a review, I haven’t seen it.

The only times I’ve gotten feedback from readers are small complaints –and they were asking me to pass it on to the publisher.  A few readers have asked why my Myrtle books aren’t available in large print (one of my trad-series is available in large print in libraries) and a few readers have asked why my quilting series and Memphis series aren’t available in audio like my Myrtle series are.

The couple of times I’ve emailed back to explain that I don’t own the rights to the quilting series or the Memphis series, it’s just frustrated/aggravated the readers.  They don’t want the details and they don’t care about the details.  They just want to vent and, ultimately, to get the format they’re looking for.

But here is my main thought, and I’ve been mulling this over a bit, recently.  So…one of the main reasons I see from writers why they’re pursuing trad-pub is the distribution to bookstores.  And I get great distribution and shelf placement with Penguin-Random House…on a tower near the café for the first month after release.

So…why don’t I get complaint emails from readers that they can’t find my Myrtle books in the Barnes and Noble?  Because I do have a healthy number of readers for that series.  Strong sales.

Is it because the readers who shop at physical stores only buy what’s in front of them at the store?  They don’t check out my website?  Penguin doesn’t list my Myrtle books in my bio, so they wouldn’t know about them from reading the trad-published books.  This would mean I’m missing potential sales from dedicated bookstore shopper readers who simply aren’t aware that my Myrtle series exists (or, possibly, that the Memphis one does, since it’s under another name).

I would say that I don’t have any crossover readers from my trad-pub to my self-pub, but I know that’s not true.  In my Amazon reviews for the Myrtle series, readers frequently mention my other series.  So…are the majority of Amazon readers not shopping in the bookstores? Ever?  Even though they clearly love books and reading?

Or are there just fewer bookstore shoppers altogether?  And it doesn’t matter that my Myrtle books aren’t there?

I suspect that the lack of print distribution for my self-pubbed series at the Barnes and Noble doesn’t matter.  The books are available in print—from Amazon.  And I do get checks from CreateSpace each month…there are still readers wanting print.

But are they just getting most of their print books from Amazon now?

I used to go to the B&N all the time, but I haven’t been for a long while.  However, I buy at least two or three books a week.  Online.

How do you buy your books?  How do you discover them?  Thoughts on why I don’t hear from readers wondering why my self-pubbed books aren’t in the B&N?

 

 

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