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Just do it! Article on self-publishing in Huffington Post
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It's not left over, traditional publishing is still like that. In self-publishing, it's a bigger gamble, where an author would have a greater chance of acheiving some success if more than one book is published per year.
Lily wrote: "It's not left over, traditional publishing is still like that. In self-publishing, it's a bigger gamble, where an author would have a greater chance of acheiving some success if more than one book ..."I understand why they do it, for the position they're in it's the sensible choice, but it must be very frustrating for the authors.
Agreed, it's frustrating all around. But then I try to put it in perspective. I happen to know several authors published with independent presses who are making a living just fine.The trouble with going by numbers only is it paints a bleak picture, and never shows what's really going on behind the scenes. So several indie authors that I know of, are making decent money, but those are the ones who are never reported. It's always the extremes we hear about, extreme success or extreme failure.
Amy wrote: "Do you want to put out tripe just to make a million dollars?"
If I thought for one minute that all I had to do to make a million dollars was to publish some tripe, I'd be at the slaughterhouse with a snow shovel!
Actually, I've seen it happen so many times that it became the mantra that saw me through many a period of depression over my writing prospects: "Crap sells!" From Fifty Shades to Professional Wrestling, to reality TV, it sometimes seems like if crap was a commodity, you couldn't produce it fast enough to wet the bottom of a bucket before people sucked it out. The part we overlook is that you usually have to have a fortune to spend on advertising in order to make that second fortune to replace it...
If I thought for one minute that all I had to do to make a million dollars was to publish some tripe, I'd be at the slaughterhouse with a snow shovel!
Actually, I've seen it happen so many times that it became the mantra that saw me through many a period of depression over my writing prospects: "Crap sells!" From Fifty Shades to Professional Wrestling, to reality TV, it sometimes seems like if crap was a commodity, you couldn't produce it fast enough to wet the bottom of a bucket before people sucked it out. The part we overlook is that you usually have to have a fortune to spend on advertising in order to make that second fortune to replace it...
Jack, you make a very good point. It isn't just all the work that happens behind the scenes, it's also all the money that's put into it. Alas, that's the business side of things and I suspect if any writer focuses too much on business, it would drive them batty. In theory, the more money you spend on advertising, the more money you'll get back. In theory.This i why I'll often tell aspiring writers who ask for advice that A) don't quit your day job and B) establish a support system. Friends, family, whoever you can get to be a part of your support system.
Money is totally it. I'm reaching the point with my business where I'm going to have to drop thousands of dollars to get it to where I want it to be. Just our website alone was five thousand dollars. People portray indie stuff as being so cost effective, when in reality you will spend way more out of your own pocket than you think.
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Article or not theres no real reality check to authors who have experience in the world of books, we know what works,what doesnt it's just finding the right way to go about doing what works best for us as authors.
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Just kidding, in case anyone wonders. Do people still buy hot cakes? I hope we have hot cakes.
Courtney wrote: "If crap sells I hope we're all producing steamy piles, one and all! Just kidding, in case anyone wonders. Do people still buy hot cakes? I hope we have hot cakes."
I'm offering my soul for sale to traditional publishing, does that count?
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I wasn't going to touch that one with a ten foot pole.
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Any discussions about ten foot poles belongs in the taboo thread.
Courtney wrote: "*ahemAny discussions about ten foot poles belongs in the taboo thread."
ha I love you :P
Courtney wrote: "*ahemAny discussions about ten foot poles belongs in the taboo thread."
Warning heeded ;)
The whole 'one book a year' thing is left over from traditional publishing. They might publish 50 books a year and thought if they put out more than one by a certain author the readers might get tired of them (i.e. there wouldn't be as much of a fuss when the book came out and the second may take sales away from the first, meaning more advertising for less sales) and they didn't want to put all their eggs in one basket.