Marketing and Publishing Updates
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
A few odds and ends and updates:
Draft2Digital: I’ve used Smashwords since I started self-publishing. It’s been convenient for me to upload one file there for distribution to multiple retailers. But I’ve experimented lately with Draft2Digital, a similar distributor (these distributors are paid a percentage of our book sales for our convenience). I really like its user interface: it’s a nice, clean look and the site is fairly easy to navigate.
I’ve found I especially like the email updates they send that let me know when my book has gone live on the different retailers or when my price changes go through on the various sites. It’s also nice that I can make my book free on Nook through Draft2Digital…that seemed to make Amazon move very quickly to price match when my book was free on the Barnes & Noble site.
I’m also paid more frequently with Draft2Digital than I am with Smashwords (payment is quarterly at Smashwords). 
Pen name tidbit: Apparently, my readers got an email from Amazon about Race to Refuge, which I wrote as Liz Craig. I did list myself as the publisher, but didn’t put myself as a contributor in the author section on the KDP dashboard. I’m thinking the reason readers received emails is because I linked to the book on my Amazon Author Central. I guess, since Liz is a nickname, there was no trouble claiming it. I never had such luck with my Riley Adams series for Penguin, which has a different Amazon Author Central page.
Penguin Random House reaching out: I was blinking in amazement on August 12th. After writing a post on the 3rd pointing out ways that my publisher, Penguin-Random House, and other traditional publishers could improve, I was surprised to see something new in my email inbox: an author newsletter. This was the first author newsletter I’ve received and I’ve written for Penguin since 2010.
“Welcome to this month’s Penguin Random House Author News! This monthly newsletter offers Penguin Random House highlights, tips to help you connect with readers, publishing industry news, and more. It also includes information on updates to the Author Portal.”
There were links to three stories on writing, promoting, and fair use. And even a webinar signup on learning about the role of networking in promoting.
There were 7 links to industry articles (from everything from The New Yorker to The Bookseller and GalleyCat).
Followed by…a request for feedback. (!)
On Friday, even more astoundingly, I got a check. Out of the blue. A check I was expecting in October. According to the letter that accompanied it, however, this is likely due to the merger between Penguin and Random House and not the publishing world as we know it radically changing.
But the newsletter is a step in the right direction. I definitely enjoy getting more information from my publisher. It’s a good thing.
Got any updates of your own? What are you trying out? Thoughts on pen names and making them work better for us?
Draft2Digital, pen names, and slow publishing changes:
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