This is an exciting time for writers with all the new avenues of publication opening up with e-books and digital publishing, and I have enjoyed hearing of the success of writers like Joe Konrath, LJ Sellers, and others who have sold hundreds of books. (They also have great tips and advice on self-publishing.)
I have put some titles up on Kindle and Smashwords myself, but recently decided to go through Books We Love Publishing Partners and let them do all the formatting for the different venues. I am not technically savvy and my learning curve for all things computer is very steep. Just ask my kids who dread the e-mail from me with the subject line "Help."
There are pros and cons to going with a publisher as opposed to uploading books independently, and one of the reasons I decided to do the former is because I've had a long relationship with Books We Love. They have been in the business of connecting authors and readers for several years and that connecting is still going on with the publishing arm of the business. Sure, I will still have to do a lot of my own promoting, as most of us writers have to do now, but BWLPP is doing some, too. That is a real advantage for me, as well, because promoting is my second least favorite thing to do.
BWLPP is taking a small percentage of the book sales, and I am willing to give them that for the ease of publication, as well as the added promotion. Many other writers are doing it all themselves, and I admire them for that. But it is not for me, and I think we all need to take the path of most comfort when it comes to taking advantage of these new opportunities.
What about you? Would you go totally independent, or take advantage of a publisher?
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One Small Victory is now available in paperback. It has been on Kindle and Smashwords for almost a year and BWLPP just released the paper edition via CreateSpace on Amazon.
Friends Forever is enjoying a new life in paperback and as an e-book, also through BWLPP. It has been revised and updated since it's first brief publication years ago.
6 comments:
Actually both sound like very viable options, but I would go with the latter myself as I am fine with promoting myself but all the formatting and all that stuff I just can't fill my head with it.
Alex
Breakfast Every Hour
So far, I'm going independent. I haven't found too much difficulty in understanding the formatting guidelines (perhaps having books published by publishers with a digital focus helped, although I didn't find the formatting much different from what I submitted for my print books). Smashwords has a very step-by-step manual, and they will format for all the other stores. True, I don't have a lot of bells & whistles, but I haven't had any complaints yet.
For me, the challenge is the cover art.
Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery
Terry, I'm lucky in that my daughter does great covers for me.
Alex, I did a couple of books with Smashwords and did the formatting myself, but found it too time-consuming. I would rather just write books and have someone else do all that tech stuff. But then, I still remember the old ways when we had to type 3 or 4 hundred pages and mail it off in a cardboard box. Talk about time consuming. LOL
Wow, your daughter does your covers? You are lucky, having that kind of talent on tap!
I absolutely can't get my head around formatting, I'd definitely need help.
Thanks, Amie. I am lucky to have her to do my covers as well as my Web site. And my son keeps me up to speed with computer issues. I would be lost without them.
I've written a few novels, a couple that I wouldn't feel bad about putting up digital myself, but only after I did some reworking of them. If and when I do this, I'll definitely find someone to help, whether it's small press or totally solo. I have a friend who formats and does covers, and I'll ask her for a price if I go that route.
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