A self-publishing renaissance? Most writers making less than $1k a year

[Alan]

Jim wrote: " I was told of someone putting together a short list for a prize. It was for indie writers...,

I vaguely remember a similar post about a month ago - from Penny???? Anyway, great idea. I suggest a fairly long nominations list, then cut down to a shortlist and a prize. Simply getting onto the nominations list would be enough glory for many indies, those like me who are more interested in fame and status, not dependent on the money (though if there is any, it would be nice!)

and the first way they winnowed them was to cut out those who weren't any good
Plenty of those around! And quite a few getting a lot of publicity and apparently doing well. It makes me question how to judge 'quality' and/or who you trust to make that judgement. Don't bias your judging team too far to the present 'literary' end of the market, that is not the context we are discussing in 'indie world'

and another way they were cutting the list down to something manageable was discarding people who were notoriously 'badly behaved.' ..."

Yes ... anyone can make errors of etiquette on the web, it is still a fairly new environment and rules of behaviour are still evolving - but there are some who need to be removed from it as soon as possible. Fortunately very few in Goodreads, but the figure is still not zero..
This sounds like a good idea - it could be a great idea if anyone can be persuaded to finance it!

[Quinne]

I think few writers started with the idea of making big bucks. Perhaps now and then they daydream like the guy that buys a lottery ticket and creates a fantasy for a short while. Once the big is out there, yep the dream is there. Due to the number of self pub books out there, until a following is built and word spreads, income will be low. A pay your dues kind of thing.
I wrote my first book because it was a story in me that wanted out. A year later and money hours sitting on my butt banging keys, then hours of edit, then getting feedback from reading groups and back to editing. I sent it out to the world. It dawned on me that my book is my child. ( I have no flesh and blood children ) My child will live on after I am gone.
Yes, I would like to at least make the money back for editor and art work. My sequel will be my second born with a due date of Feb. When it gets sent out, I might even buy a cigar, sit out front and watch the world go by for awhile.
Not in it for the money.

[V.W.]

Quinne wrote: "I think few writers started with the idea of making big bucks. Perhaps now and then they daydream like the guy that buys a lottery ticket and creates a fantasy for a short while. Once the big is o..."

I suppose there has to be a process to weed out the chaff. In the past it was getting accepted by a publisher. Now it is getting noticed and accepted by the buying public.

However the book gets out there, it is in essence a little seed of immortality for the author.

[[deleted user]]

I thought I had paid my dues years ago by getting short stories published in magazines, and cultivating a (very small) following. But after I stopped writing for a few years, all of that evaporated. I'm a complete unknown. Another difference is that I no longer want to seek approval of editors and publishers who make more off my hard work than I do. So now I self publish, and I've become a very small cog in a massive gear. So, no, I don't expect to make money off my writing, but maybe years from now, after it becomes public domain, people will start to read it and say, "You know, this guy wasn't half bad." Of course, there's just as great a chance that it'll disappear into a dust bin of forgotten works that nobody reads anymore. What's left? I write for my own enjoyment, the kind of stories I like to read.

[V.W.]

Ken wrote: "I thought I had paid my dues years ago by getting short stories published in magazines, and cultivating a (very small) following. But after I stopped writing for a few years, all of that evaporate..."

Fame is increasingly fleeting these days without a publicity machine behind you. On the other hand, I still get an occasional sale of books I wrote years ago, so who knows.

[Mary]

One advantage of indie is that it's forever.

[Kevin]

Hopefully people write because they love it. Making money is nice, but I don't see that as the primary benefit of indie publishing. Indie lets the author connect directly with the reader. Even if only a small number of readers enjoy a book, they have still enjoyed something the author wrote.

[Heidi]

I agree with you. Write because you love to write, but don't count on being able to support yourself. In the Feb. 2015 Writer's Digest they do talk about people who are successing promoting their books. Some people are making it as a writer. There is a section on using Goodreads.

I also like the comment that indie is forever. Your books never go out of print so you can just keep marketing them.

[Sabrina]

Well said Heidi and Ken. Write because you love it. I had been writing for 20 years before I even thought of publishing.

I think some have inflated expectations of traditional publishing too. The average advance for a new author is around 5k. They do not see any royalties until their book exceeds the 5k mark. The average royalty is 30% per book sold, but then an author has to give an additional 10-15% to literary agent depending on deal. When you take into account that only 1% of submitted MS are even accepted by a traditional publisher... suddenly traditional publishing isn't looking so hot either. And then of course you have the current publishing climate where authors are no longer cultivated. If their first book doesn't sell well then they are dropped. This didn't used to be the case. There are, however, always exceptions with both routes.

If you go the indie route... you must put out money to make money, as with any business. You are, in a sense, investing in yourself. Most aren't prepared to do that.

[Heidi]

Sabrina, I agree with all your points.

I know a writer who isn't getting any advance from a small publisher and the publisher keeps asking him to make chances. I know another writer and uses all of his advance to pay for promotion. So traditional publication isn't easy either.

[Sabrina]

That's another misconception, Heidi. That traditional publishers market a new author. Some do, but not much. I know a best selling NYT author who has to do much of her own marketing. And them of course, with tradpub, an author can't just run promotions with sites like Bookbub at will.

[[deleted user]]

Sabrina and Heidi, I am with you on this. After trying for years to get published in the traditional way, I got fed up and quit trying, but kept writing for myself, as it is a hobby and a passion for me. Then came the new online self-publishing sites and I decided to become a self-publishing author and started putting my books online, but for free. While I will never make money with them, being able to publish my books without the tyranny of having to wait for the good whims of a publishing house was a big weight off my shoulders and I can now say with pride that other people can now enjoy my books. Sometime, pride is the best reward.

[Heidi]

Hi Micheal and Sabrina,
I hear what you're saying, Michael, I had a small publisher for my first book, but had trouble getting my science fiction book published. (My publisher retired). I am grateful for having a way to get my books into the world that isn't too expensive.
Heidi

[Sabrina]

Michel wrote: "Sabrina and Heidi, I am with you on this. After trying for years to get published in the traditional way, I got fed up and quit trying, but kept writing for myself, as it is a hobby and a passion ..."

Good for you, Michel! As you said, writing really is a passion, just like an artist who paints. Whether they make money or not... an artist can't stop creating.