Rule changes for Reader, Indie Pick nominations

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

The publishing industry is making it harder for us to determine what is a traditionally published vs independently published book, and entire publishing lines are falling through the cracks. One case is when books can be purchased as paperback but only print on demand so they aren’t in stores unless special ordered and unlikely to be in libraries. Another case is an entire traditional publishing house that decided to never publish paperbacks again, just hardbacks and ebooks.

The recent poll shows that three of us do not read ebooks at all, and Reader Pick does need to be a book any of us could read if interested and budget allows or a library can get it. My thoughts haven’t solidified yet, and I’m posting here for discussion before either a decision or another poll. What I’m thinking is:

READER Pick changes to being currently in print in either hardback or paperback, definitely in print as ebook in both ePub and mobi format (which should cover Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and iOS devices).

INDIE Pick changes to LIMITED Pick. This would be any book that is currently in print in at least one format but excludes books that qualify as Reader Pick. This means books that went out of print but now are available only as ebooks would count, as well as new ebooks that are only available from Amazon, and even books available as hardback or paperback but not as ebook.

Undecided: We need to determine whether print on demand counts as Reader, if the book is also available in all the flavors of ebooks. I’m leaning toward no (so would qualify as Limited) but it could go either way.

[Trike]

Teresa wrote: "INDIE Pick changes to LIMITED Pick."

I like this idea a lot. It leans on the actual format rather than trying to decide the who/how of the publishing. Nicely done, Teresa! 😊

[Betsy]

One of the points of the Indie category was to provide a little extra help to self-published authors who don't have a publisher to do marketing for them. It seems to me that's still a valid purpose. But I believe many of them produce both paperback and e-book versions, so they would be in the Reader category. Which means they have to compete against big published authors for our notice. Maybe that's okay. I'm just thinking aloud.

I must admit that, as a reader, I also liked having the Indie category in that I have a prejudice against self-published authors. The quality of their work product is very hit or miss and I mostly don't want to risk it. I was able to avoid that by avoiding the Indie category. I'm not sure a Limited category would have the same effect.

I'm sorry to you independent authors struggling to find a market, but I need to be honest. That doesn't mean that I never read independent authors. Nathan Lowell is one of my favorites.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Perhaps we could have “Author Nominated” as a Themed Pick a few times a year?

Half the time we aren’t getting any seconds at all for the Indie Pick. And it’s a lot easier for me to check what platforms a book is available in than to determine whether a book is being advertised by a publisher or not.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Better idea: in the case of an author nominating own book that would fit the rules for Reader, allow the author the option of nominating it in Limited.

Edit: and Nathan Lowell’s next book is in the hands of the beta readers!

[Betsy]

Teresa, I don't think you need to change your categories to meet my concerns. I was just trying to expand the discussion a little.

Don't we already allow an author to nominate his/her own book in whatever category, as long as it otherwise meets the category definition. I think that would continue to work with the new categories, and is more generous than a lot of Goodreads groups.

And, yes. I support making things easier for you. You work very hard. Thank you.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

How’s this?

READER:
* Must be currently in print in either hardback or paperback (or both). Requiring a special order from a store or website counts, but not if the book is only available used.
* Must be currently available in multiple ebook formats.

LIMITED:
For books that are not available to all members. Must be currently in print in at least one format, either ebook or physical book. Requiring a special order from a store or website counts, but not if the book is only available used. Books posted to be read online count.

Print on demand books can go into either category, but not nominated in both in the same month.

[Betsy]

Sounds good to me.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Okay I’m going with the above as an experiment. Might drop Themed during this experiment, particularly if I can’t think of a theme that I have a good nomination for that I want to reread.