Questions re: Traditional Publishing vs Self-publishing

 

I belong to a number of online groups for writers. I enjoy people telling what the writing life means to them. But over the last few months, the comments have become variations on the same theme. A question like - I've just finished my first book, should I go for traditional publishing, or should I self publish?

I know what it means to be a beginner, and I have tried to provide answers in some cases. Unfortunatly, I sadly admit that I can be long-winded. Furthermore, my kind of answer, especially in the limitations of a twitter or facebook setting, probably ends up being more confusing than helpful. But the questioners keep showing up, many of them asking the same things. So I have decided to try giving my insights and responses to the questions of beginning writers here on this blog.

There are many important things a new author needs to consider when they first begin writing. 

First: You need time, money and, most of all patience 

In some ways, publishing can be analagous to remodeling a home. Some people and projects require the use of a general contractor to take charge.  Other people feel competent put in the time and energy to manage the details themselves, and need the control of engaging individual workers and making certain get exactly what they want. Your personality plays the biggest role in selecting which path you will do best in as far as publishing your manuscript.  

In modern traditional publishing, patience is not only a virtue, it’s an absolute necessity. Years can pass between the time you write THE END and when an acquiring editor agrees to buy the rights to publish your book.  Conversely, you may only need months to do it yourself and self-publish. The self-publishing path will cost you in money more than in time. 

Second: Your individual goals drive the decision

When you first start writing a manuscript, decide if your future plans include publication.  The sooner you make that decision, the sooner you can start looking into things like editing. Not everyone wants to publish. That’s absolutely OK. A member of my critique group is a fantastic writer, with zero desire to publish. Not even in a magazine. I love her writing, and a few years ago I tried to get her to consider publishing. No interest. Her goal is to have something that tells her history to her family when she is gone.
If you want to publish someday, start making decisions before you write THE END. If you are looking at traditional publishing, you can get an early start on researching agents and acquiring editors who are willing to take unagented submissions. If you decide to self-publish and want more than the pride of holding your book in your hands, and maybe seeing copies in the hands of your friends and family, the sooner you stargt learning more a out the realities of publishing the better. If you want to sell thousands of copies and eearn best-seller status while making a pile of money, start moving in that direction as soon as possible.

This includes an honest self-assessment on your comfort with marketing. While it is true that you have to market yourself and your book whether you pursue traditional or self-publishing, marketing is critical to any hope of making significant sales for a self-published book. People prefer buying books from authors they know, or at least feel they know. Celebrities, best-selling authors, authors with a major platform. That’s why you should begin your marketing work even before you finish your book.  

While many self published romance books and authors beat these numbers, the average self-published book sells 250 copies. The average self-published author earns $1,000 per year from their books. 33% of self-published authors make less than $500 per year. 90% of self-published books sell less than 100 copies.

Marketing yourself is crucial to helping you surpass those numbers. Use social media, your website, and any other means you have to build a group that will follow you. Over time, they will feel like they grow to know you, they will feel you are one of them. Then, months, even years later, when you have a completed book, you also have people who feel they know you and are therefore more likely to care about your book.

Third: Know your own personality

Are you ready to face rejection without feeling compleely dejected. Here are a few statistics accumulated a few years ago. 

Agents and acquiring editors reject around 90% of submissions. If you don’t accumulate a large number of rejections in your quest for traditional publication, you have either given up on getting an agent or being acquired by a traditional publisher - or you have the goddess Tyche in your corner (Greek goddess of fortune, chance,  and fate, much like the African goddess Oya who appears in my newest (and as yet unpublished) manuscript). In order to achieve you must be prepared to see a lot of nos first.

I hope I have managed to answer some issues aspiring authors may have, without making things more confusing. I would love to have you share any issues or alternate opinions in the comments. I too am eagefr to learn. For the record, I have traditionally published three books, and self-published two, so I have seen both worlds.   

Writing Dreams/Writing Reality

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

Being a published author was never a dream of  mine. In fact, it was something I fell into. But once that happened, writing became a total obsession. At the risk of boring you, I will briefly repeat my story. I was a freelance reader for seven years. I had read thousands of plots, giving the publishing house my thoughts on which was worth a second look, and which might be worth publishing. I simply woke up one day and said, "maybe I can do this." One rejection from a publisher later, I received  “the call.”  Oh glorious day! This is always a memorable moment in any author’s life. It’s the kind of surreal moment when you pinch yourself or scream loudly.  After much sweat, blood and sacrifice, your hard work has paid off.

Like the day John Lennon and John F Kennedy Jr. were brutally gunned down, you always remember where you were when “the call”came. I was working for a cruise line and the phones were ringing non-stop. I was in my office when my private line rang.  A cheery voice greeted me, “This is Monica Harris from Kensington Publishing. We put you through a lot, but I’m calling with good news. We’re offering you a two book contract.”

 I’m not a screamer but I screamed. Thankfully my office door was closed. I’d met this editor at a conference about a year ago. At that time she was acquiring historical romances. I didn’t write historicals, so my conversation with her though pleasant, had little to do with writing.

Twenty years and forty plus books later, I have realized many writing dreams and have learned some hard realities along the way. While many of my dreams were realized, others are still pending. Yes, I’ve written for a variety of publishers and I’ve published on my own. I’ve written series books and bigger books that are called mainstream or trade. I’ve had the good fortune to write at least four of these bigger books for traditional publishers. Books like Jade, This Way Home, Shattered Images and Hook, Line and Single, along with those I self-published. I’ve even sold four of my books to Audible.

One of the harsh realities of this writing business is you better be disciplined, meaning in order to earn a living and produce, you must write every day. For traditionally published authors, it is not unrealistic to be expected to produce three to four books a year. Indie authors need to have something to put out every 60-90 days or you get forgotten. It’s the only way to earn more than gas money in this highly competitive market. You’ll need to have at least 8 to 9 books out there to make any substantial money That unfortunately is a harsh reality.    

Another reality is you better know how to market yourself or have the wherewithal to hire someone who markets you.  It’s not enough for an author to just write these days, you must connect with your reading audience and build them. This often means putting yourself out there and navigating the world of social media. You rarely want to turn down interviews or opportunities to blog. And you better show up for conferences. One of the most powerful marketing tools an author can have is her newsletter. Don’t underestimate the power of a newsletter and its reachability.

Yet another harsh reality is that authors are responsible for their own health insurance, and there is no such thing as a 401K. I know this is  a grim picture I paint, but I have several New York Times Bestseller friends that have gone bankrupt.  This less than glamorous business,while highly rewarding,  needs writers to Mind Their Business (a workshop I teach).

Traditionally published authors need to know such things as their print run. They need to read the fine print on their contract. Indies have to make an even more concerted effort to connect with their reading audience, and must constantly remind them that they are out there. The Indie author lays out money from his/her own pocket just to be visible. She must pay cover artist, editors and even formatters.

So why do we keep at it? Because it’s an addiction. As writers we continue to write to feel fulfilled. It’s not something we can stop doing. It’s in the blood. But a word of caution, since few of us are Danielle Steel or the prolific La Nora, while you continue to write, do keep your day job.

About Marcia King-Gamble

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS

Changing Seasons in a Writer's Life!

By: Marcia King-Gamble
www.lovemarcia.com

Happy March!  Spring is definitely in the air.  I can feel it, even in the tropics (where I live). I can smell it and see  in the foliage.

   For those of you living in places where there is a visible change in the four seasons,  it's  usually a sign that  temperatures are rising and there  is a beach in your future.

But this months blog isn't about weather changes. It's about changes in the publishing world.

A little over a decade ago, eBooks took the publishing world by surprise. Many publishers and even readers were dubious, claiming it was a fad. On-line publishing was supposedly a place for the not-so-talented who couldn't get published anywhere.  That perception quickly changed when authors and publishers realized there were some serious money to be made. Books authors were told would never sell, and were subsequently rejected, found a home, and new life on the Internet. Just You, my mainstream book, http://a.co/i3MCJrX, for example had been sold three times to a traditional publisher. For one reason or another,  it never made it to the shelves. I got back my rights, self published and  received decent reviews. It's been one of my  better selling books.

The good news for Indies continues. According to The Written Word Media, in 2017 the majority of Fiction book sales will come from eBooks.  Statistics indicate that    70% of adult fiction sales were digital last year. Good news indeed for the Indie world.

In 2016, market share for traditional publishers continued to drop.  Small presses, Indie authors, and Amazon imprints accounted for over 50% of market share. This means reader perception continues to change. Readers are open to reading authors that are not traditionally published. This means smart marketing and developing a loyal following will become even more important this year.

Amazon imprints will command the top ten spots in 2017. This is based on last last quarters results when Amazon imprints took an additional 4% of the market share.

Mark Coker of Smashwords predicts that this year Kindle Unlimited will be king,  He talks about the value proposition of Kindle Unlimited for readers. He also believes that crowding will increase competition. Crowding means the availability of  more books online. Typically a print book has a shelf life. Not so in the e world as there is no limit to shelf space. So get out there and upload that back-list, my  author friends.

Audio books will increase in popularity in 2017. This comes as no surprise, given longer commuting hours, and  the ability to multi-task. You can use a device while doing house or gardening work.  Confirming this upward trend, The Association of American Publishers reports that audio remains the fastest growing format. Additionally, in a survey completed by Pew Research, 14% of respondents said they listened to audio books.

Mark Lefebvre of Kobo Writing Life believes this is the year authors should seriously consider expanding their offerings. By this, he means you should branch out and take advantage of multiple formats and sales platforms. He advises not to rely on a single retailer or format for your income.  The more formats you have available, the more readers you can reach.  Link: http://a.co/8xTJbcq


Market, market, market. The time and money are well spent, especially in an increasingly crowded  market. Overall  email marketing has proven to be the best way.   And it's not just about writing,  it's about career building Barbara Freethy says, and she is the classic example of an author who left traditional publishing behind. In July 2014  she was named the Amazon KDP Bestselling Author of All Time!  She's since built an even huger following. To quote Barbara, " It’s  about engaging and re-engaging the core audience and exploring ways to diversify income."

Facebook ads are supposed to decline.  Costs have increased.  So broaden your marketing efforts and diversify. Test and try new avenues.  Don't  be afraid to see what works for you.

Expand your audience internationally. Markets like India and Germany are growing just as fast as the UK and US  market did.  Mark Lefebvre of Kobo suggests you focus on International markets where English is spoken and there is no need for translation. And do consider selling the rights to your book to foreign publishers. Read Joanna Penn’s article on international rights for more information.

Finally, authors need to continue to support other authors. Collaborate on promotions.  Use your social media presence to share each others work This can be done through group giveaways, anthologies, samplers and author promotion websites,  Promoting your own book is no longer a  solo endeavor. The success of box sets  are a clear example. Reach out to your fellow writers and see who might be interested in working together. I know I did, and the results were phenomenal.

This  is your year. Change is in the air. Dust off those unsold manuscripts and get them out there!

Pic taken in Cozumel on a Writers Cruise Feb 2017 LR authors Marcia King-Gamble, Carol Stephenson, Karen Kendall.

About Marcia King-Gamble

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS

Inspiring Authors - Inspiring Brides

Hi everyone! I am YA author B A Binns , writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for teens. My tagline tells you what I am about - Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them. 

It's all about inspiration, in this case, in this case, a group of authors who decided to think outside the box set.

A set of inspiring authors, Kristen Osborne, Merry Farmer, Pamela Kelley and Cindy Caldwell, told the audience about an inspired plan they came up with: to publish a set of historical, inspirational books about mail order brides set in each of the fifty states.

AND to publish them, one a day, for fifty consecutive days.

Now that is a marketing plan.

They presented a report on the results at the 2016 Chicago North Spring Fling writer's conference in May.    

They had around forty authors in the group - several wrote more than one book. The unifying theme was that the young women had been working together in a factory that burned down. They were now out of work and looking for a new future at a time when being a mail order bride seemed a good solution.  Since the women had known each other there were crossover opportunities in the books, including letters between characters.

And of course, marketing opportunities galore for the group.

They "created" an author American Mail Order Brides. This pseudonym served as a unifier, so readers could search on that and find all the books in the series. As the days went on and word of mouth grew, American Mail Order Brides became Amazon's number one author in the Western Historical category. Even now, more than six months after the event, American Mail Order Brides author ranking on Amazon is:

#46 in Kindle eBooks > Romance > Historical Romance

They had a set of mixed results, but mostly this was a positive effort. Although they would probably not try to corral enough authors to do a fifty book daily spring again, this was by and large a positive experience and they are looking at other, smaller, collaborations. The unifying theme and author really helped in cross marketing and promotion. Each individual author reaped the benefits of other authors' success in attracting an audience.  And, unlike trying to put together a boxed set, there had no accounting issues to deal with.  Each individual author got the proceeds from their own book.

But they did get a few learning issues, namely, the poor authors whose books were released on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and new Years Day had much lower sales.  If they do anything similar in the future they know to skip releases on a major holidays.

If you have a taste to learn more, check out the series prequel or look at the covers.

I don't know about you, but I am always inspired when I hear about new ways authors find to get themselves out there.

Wattpad - Is It For You?

by Madelle Morgan

I'm posting Caught on Camera in serial form on Wattpad. My New Adult romantic comedy is in the "final draft before copy editing" stage. Every couple of weeks or so until it's published later this fall, I'll post another scene. 

I hope to gain feedback and followers who are excited about the story. Hopefully they'll tell their friends!


Are you on Wattpad? 

Wattpad is a social medial platform that enables anyone to read writer-posted work for free. Many of the writers on the site are pre-published. That is, they use Wattpad as a developmental program for works-in-progress. Some likely have no intention of formally publishing their fan fiction, poetry, and other creative work. For them, Wattpad is simply a place to share with a wide audience, and receive feedback with a view to improving their writing.

Why Should Readers Join Wattpad?

Readers actually don't need to be members of Wattpad in order to read the posted "parts". Unfortunately for readers, authors cannot keep the entire book available for free on Wattpad after it's for sale on the various retail platforms. Readers have a limited time or no opportunity to read the story's ending. So why sign up as a member, you may ask?

Wattpad members may:

• follow an author, and thereby be notified when new scenes or "parts" are posted;
• comment, helping to shape a story;
• vote on books to support a favorite author and make her books more visible;
• interact with authors; and last but not least,
• discover books and new authors.

Why Should an Indie Author Join Yet Another Social Media Platform?

In this fiercely competitive market, self-published authors join Wattpad to attract fans. Increasingly, published authors are posting several chapters; i.e., they post more content than "look inside" type samples or first chapters available on retail sites. Readers have the opportunity to try many authors without spending a dime. Authors hope the free reads hook readers, and that they'll eventually buy the books on retail sites to find out what happens.

From wsj.com, "Wattpad has 40 million monthly users - almost 90% of whom are on mobile devices."

My newbie impression (I just joined Wattpad in August) is that promo on an author's other social media platforms such as Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, etc. drives traffic to an author's books on the Wattpad platform. If a work has few views or votes, it's difficult for a Wattpad member to discover. The more member votes and views, the higher the book's ranking and the greater the discoverability.

More About Marketing on Wattpad

I decided to join and post scenes from my upcoming novel thanks to romance author Linda Poitevin. I've been following her informative series of articles, blog posts and podcasts - The Great Wattpad Marketing Experiment. Scroll down on the page at this link to Linda's website to the Wattpad heading to read about Linda's experience and lessons learned.

Read parts of Linda's Ever After romance series on Wattpad, and note that she has had 4.1 million views of Gwynneth Ever After, which is awesome!

Compare that to fewer than 20 views of three parts of Caught on Camera on Wattpad. Well, we indie authors have to start somewhere! Check it out here. I'd love your comments and feedback.

Hope you enjoyed the summer!

Madelle

Connect with me on Facebook. Follow to receive posts with links to articles on the film-making industry, dogs, romance writing and more, or subscribe to blog posts at www.MadelleMorgan.com.