This 26-Year-Old Is Making Millions Cutting Out Traditional Publishers With Amazon Kindle

[The Straight Story]

This 26-Year-Old Is Making Millions Cutting Out Traditional Publishers With Amazon Kindle


This 26-Year-Old Is Making Millions Cutting Out Traditional Publishers With Amazon Kindle
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry | Feb. 28, 2011, 10:45 AM | 92,066 | 102
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Amanda Hocking

Welcome to disruption. 26-year old Amanda Hocking is the best-selling "indie" writer on the Kindle store, meaning she doesn't have a publishing deal, Novelr says.

And she shouldn't. She gets to keep 70% of her book sales -- and she sells around 100,000 copies per month. By comparison, it's usually thought that it takes a few tens of thousands of copies sold in the first week to be a New York Times bestselling writer.

The comparison isn't entirely fair, because Hocking sells her books for $3, and some $.99. But that's the point: by lowering the prices, she can make more on volume, especially impulse buys. Meanwhile e-books cost nothing to print, you don't have to worry about print volumes, shelf space, inventory, etc. And did we mention the writer keeps 70%?

Previously one of the best selling Kindle writers was J.A. Konrath, but it was assumed he was popular because he previously had a publishing deal and so already had notoriety. That's not the case with Hocking, who published stories on her blog before turning to Kindle. In fact, out of the top 25 best-selling indie Kindle writers, only 6 were previously affiliated with a publishing house.


http://tinyurl.com/4bn5ubw

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Question:

What price range for Kindle do you pay for fiction and non-fiction? (BTW, did you know that, even if you don't have a Kindle, you can read it on your PC and droids with their apps?) For a first-time unknown novelist, for example, would you be inclined to read it if it was $1, or would that turn you away, thinking it wasn't any good if being sold for so little?

Thanks. :hi:


BTW, I'm consulting editor, publicist, chief cook and bottle washer for these two titles -- both listed at $5 in the Kindle store, also available in hard copy -- hence, my question. :)

The Book of Obeah

Housekeeping for the Soul




edit for typo

[The Straight Story]

3. for me

I would buy a kindle book (and I do have a kindle) from an author I knew (ie, have read previous work) easily for $5-10, for one that I am new to $1-3 (and I hope to publish two books on kindle myself, for $1.50, when I get around to finishing them).

I think it being $1 would not be an indication of it's internal worth - as a kindle owner I have over 2000 books, mostly free from various sites, and for free they are pretty good :) (With ONE exception here, some of the older books that were scanned in and OCR'd - no one bothered to proof read the OCR and some are near impossible to read, and the scanned PDF version has print so tiny it is unreadable).

I'll check out your books :)

[OneGrassRoot]

4. Thanks for that feedback!

Good luck with your books!

:hi:

[The Straight Story]

73. BTW - looks like some great reviews for your book

Bookmarked the link to it on Amazon and buying it tomorrow night when I get home. I am sending my son a kindle (he is in Iraq right now and I promised him one this month along with some girl scout cookies). I am pre-loading his kindle (he does not have a great connection out there) with some books, will let you know what he thinks of your work (might be a spell though before he writes a review!).

[OneGrassRoot]

74. I appreciate that so much. :)

I'm lowering the price though; it takes several business days to take effect. Gonna lower it to $2.99 based on the great feedback here. Thanks for starting the thread, btw. :hi:

I found this program, http://booksforsoldiers.com/, and am going to send copies of the novel to soldiers.

Thanks again, and best wishes to you and your family.

:hug:

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. Why pay anything when many libraries let you download many books for free?

Granted, some times you have to wait. Some cities longer than others.

[OneGrassRoot]

13. I agree. I use libraries as much as possible, as should everyone...

But for those who do want to purchase for whatever reason, I'm curious about the price for Kindle they're comfortable with.

:)

[Solomon]

60. There are problems downloading from libraries. getting the books

you want when you want them, etc. I have a Kindle and find it more convenient to pay a dollar or two for something I want now than to wait and deal with the hassle of borrowing from a library. Plus I own the book once I pay for it, I don't have to worry about how long it takes me to read something. Nothing worse than being force to read something I don't want to at the moment because if I don't, the book will disappear.

[Dappleganger]

Publishers are giving libraries hell as well.

This is an excerpt from an email sent out to libraries who offer downloadable eBooks through OverDrive:

New eBook and digital content licensing terms for library lending
The past several months have brought about dramatic changes for the print and eBook publishing and retail industries. Digital book sales are now a significant percentage of all publisher and author revenue. As a result several trade publishers are re-evaluating eBook licensing terms for library lending services. Publishers are expressing concern and debating their digital future where a single eBook license to a library may never expire, never wear out, and never need replacement.
OverDrive is advocating on behalf of your readers to have access to the widest catalog of the best copyrighted, premium materials, and lending options. To provide you with the best options, we have been required to accept and accommodate new terms for eBook lending as established by certain publishers. Next week, OverDrive will communicate a licensing change from a publisher that, while still operating under the one-copy/one-user model, will include a checkout limit for each eBook licensed. Under this publisher’s requirement, for every new eBook licensed, the library (and the OverDrive platform) will make the eBook available to one customer at a time until the total number of permitted checkouts is reached. This eBook lending condition will be required of all eBook vendors or distributors offering this publisher’s titles for library lending (not just OverDrive).
In advance of any licensing changes going into effect, we will communicate the details (effective date, how to order, etc.), through “Critical Alerts” in Content Reserve. Any eBook license term changes will not be retroactive or affect titles already licensed and in your OverDrive catalogs, prior to the effective date. In an effort to reduce library and patron confusion during this transition period, we will also develop clear and well-marked indications on any eBook or other titles in Content Reserve that are subject to new or modified publisher terms. At present, these lending model changes do not affect audiobooks, and are not wide-reaching, and instead limited to a one publisher’s content.
In addition, our publishing partners have expressed concerns regarding the card issuance policies and qualification of patrons who have access to OverDrive supplied digital content. Addressing these concerns will require OverDrive and our library partners to cooperate to honor geographic
3
and territorial rights for digital book lending, as well as to review and audit policies regarding an eBook borrower’s relationship to the library (i.e. customer lives, works, attends school in service area, etc.). I can assure you OverDrive is not interested in managing or having any say in your library policies and issues. Select publisher terms and conditions require us to work toward their comfort that the library eBook lending is in compliance with publisher requirements on these topics.
Another area of publisher concern that OverDrive is responding to is the size and makeup of large consortia and shared collections. Publishers seek to ensure that sufficient copies of their content are being licensed to service demand of the library’s service area, while at the same time balance the interests of publisher’s retail partners who are focused on unit sales. Publishers are reviewing benchmarks figures from library sales of print books and CDs for audiobooks and do not want these unit sales and revenue to be dramatically reduced by the license of digital books to libraries.
My team is working with publishers and librarians to streamline, consolidate, and manage these issues. We seek to make ordering digital book materials a good value proposition for our library partners. As a partner to libraries and also as a distributor working with publishers, we are in the position where we must balance sometimes competing needs and interests. I ask you to bear with us as we work together to adjust to this changing landscape and evolving terms and conditions.

**************

Short version: Harper Collins wants ebooks to "self-destruct" after 26 times each purchased file is "loaned". Other publishers will undoubtedly follow in their footsteps. Libraries are already suffering from economic devastation so this is just another nail in their coffin.

[Shagbark Hickory]

28. In other words...

It is necessary for publishers to remain in business so they can continue to make money being largely superfluous. So they will try to put the libraries out of business through complicated and expensive licensing agreements. Only the authors can save us now.

[OneGrassRoot]

They are typical of Corporate America, imho...

The power, money and resources are consolidated in the hands of a few, while everyone else does the bulk of the work and receives a mere pittance as compensation.

Traditional publishing is on the way out. They're struggling to stay relevant but haven't figured it out, similar to big record labels when music downloading hit the scene.

[Dappleganger]

39. Exactly.

They don't give a damn who goes down with them, either.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

64. I am going to defend publishers, or at least the process

Even when the best authors show up with a manuscript it will need to be edited/reviewed and tweaked. They all do. Sometimes it is syntax, spelling, or even format. That part of the publishing process add significant value to the work. Besides English majors need the work :sarcasm:

The second part is printing and distribution. Here the part that technology has had the great impact. Ebooks and even laser printers have turn this upside down. Printing houses are no longer needed to do the distribution deals previously critical to a book's success.

[Shagbark Hickory]

68. What if editors continued to offer their services?

Aside from maybe marketing, what else is in that "first part" that requires publishers to demand the same kind of money they were making before without the same amount of work being done?

[WolverineDG]

78. Not all libraries do that

mine, for example, does have a link on its homepage so you can download books, but when you click on the link, it sends you to Project Gutenberg, which is great, but only offers books that are in the public domain.

dg

[Solomon]

79. I have 1200 books on mine and most of them are free.

There's a lot of free books out there.

[OneGrassRoot]

81. Wow.... (edit to add something I just discovered)

That's impressive!

Maybe you guys can recommend some of them in the book forums (fiction/nonfiction) here.

:hi:


On edit: I knew Amazon was instituting a minimum price soon, and it seems they already did. When going in to change the price of the Kindle version for the two books I'm working with, there was a minimum requirement of $2.99 for the list price.

Just fyi.

[itsallhappening]

8. The "magic" price range is $.99 to $2.99

The value of a book is not its cover price. It's how many readers you reach, their overall feedback and, most importantly, whether they come back for your other books.

[OneGrassRoot]

16. Thanks for that. :)

Indeed, it's about numbers. The e-book phenomenon is really hitting a fever pitch now, and I've heard conflicting feedback about list price.

:hi:

[itsallhappening]

20. If you're not already following this blog, you should.

Joe Konrath is really blowing the lid off this ebook revolution. He was mentioned in the OP. There's a ton of stuff here for writers. You wouldn't be wasting your time to spend a few dozen hours studying his posts for tips.

http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/

[OneGrassRoot]

22. Yep, been following him for a while. Thanks. :) n/t

[Dappleganger]

26. Yes.

[Shagbark Hickory]

29. Wouldn't it be nice if the college textbooks lived by that mantra? nt

[mmonk]

37. Yes. Absolutely.

That would make a huge difference for college age students.

[dixiegrrrrl]

51. What I can't figure out is how some Kindle books can be priced for 15.00 or more.

I see that and just shake my head.

The whole selling point to Kindle was low book price, but of course that is not true for all books.
(disclaimer: I do not have Kindle or Nook)


About 90% of my current book reading is from book swap sites, or used books under 5.00, or free downloads.
Lots of people cannot afford 15.00 or more for a book in any form.

[Dappleganger]

11. A friend of mine just published his first ebook a couple of weeks ago...

he made it available in both B&N and at Amazon for 99cents (he's a new fiction author). I am very likely to try out a new author for up to $3.99, under $3 if at all possible. Hard copies should be more, of course.

You'd also want to try out Fictionwise, their terms are very favorable to new authors.

[OneGrassRoot]

14. Thanks!

Much appreciated. :hug:

:hi:

[NV Whino]

61. Price range has little to do with it

(Unless it's too high.) Reading a sample of the work is what prompts me to buy (or borrow from the library).

I'm working with my writing group right now to publish on Amazon. I'm sure we will put it on Kindle as well. I encouraged them to do this after publishing our first book, More than Wine, by traditional methods.

Amazon provides the ISBN number, which was a nightmare for an unincorporated group such as ours. Consequently we went with no ISBN, which meant our local libraries wouldn't even take it as a donation.

Amazon provides marketing. Marketing was a nightmare. We sold to our local used bookstore, our local Copperfields, our friends and family, and we sold on street corners and our local farmers market. And we gave many away. Amazon not only makes it available to the world, they actively market it libraries and bookstores nationwide.

Then there was the cost. I believe it cost us $5000 to publish 1000 books (plus production costs). We did get our money back, by the way. There is no up front cost (other than production, which is where I come in) to publish on Amazon. A book sells, Amazon takes a percentage, you get the rest.

I just produced some children's books for a client, which we published on Amazon. These will probably not go on Kindle. A friend of mine just listed her previously published book, Canary in the Courtroom, on Kindle. I highly recommend this, by the way. It's a slightly fictionalized version of her travails battling a pest control company after they misused and mismanaged and misrepresented the pesticide they were using in her house. She tells of her subsequent health problems, which lead to the loss of her job, and the court case that followed.

[OneGrassRoot]

63. Amazon definitely has a finely tuned system.

They've opened up a world of possibilities to many authors -- newbies and bestselling authors.

The distribution is one of the key features they provide to the self-published authors. Quite a few successful authors are choosing to self-publish, even though they have a relationship with a publisher. They retain full control by doing it themselves, can get it out faster, and make much more than going through an agent and publisher.

The indie book world is very unhappy with Amazon though, as it has greatly impacted independent bookstores in ways that aren't obvious.

There is a DUer who is works for an indie bookstore and enlightened me a while back; hopefully she'll chime in here later.

I'm hearing more and more people give good reviews about their experience with Amazon's Createspace. Thanks for sharing your insights!

:hi:

[DeschutesRiver]

70. Same here re the samples offered via Kindle

Dh has been downloading them frequently, and has plans to buy a few now, and just went to the library last night to get a couple of others. And while we were there, we both picked up a load of other library books to read.

I can't think of another device that I've loved the way I do the Kindle. The only downside is that we have just one, and fight over sharing the use of it:) Which is funny, because when I ordered it for MYSELF, he didn't see any reason that he'd ever want such a thing, and now he is an addict.

We'd been avid readers since we were kids, but had slowed down over the last few years. Due to the convenience of the Kindle, we are reading back near full speed again. Main reasons: it stores so many books - I like to jump back and forth between books, but no longer like to carry several with me when I am out on errands or otherwise away from home, and also, if my eyes get a bit tired, or the light is dimmer, I can increase the font - changable fonts depending upon circumstances has turned out to be a very big deal for me.

[Solomon]

80. Everybody in my family has a Kindle. Everybody gets to read

any book paid for or downloaded. It's literally changed our lives.

Can't say enough about the Kindle, except to say "stay away from the Nook". LOL

[Zywiec]

2. Just another example of someone getting rich on the backs of others. n/t

[The_Commonist]

7. Huh?

What does that mean?

[itsallhappening]

9. Must be tongue-in-cheek.

[Zywiec]

10. Sarcasm

I've seen thread after thread here about how people with lots of money had to exploit others to get it.

I don't believe that, but some do.

:hi:

[The_Commonist]

35. Got it!

Hard to tell sometimes, without facial expressions and voice inflections...

[karynnj]

25. Why do you say that?

She wrote the books and is choosing to sell them as she wants. She did not use the services of a publisher - meaning that she did not have an editor, did not have someone do all the work needed to make hardcover books and to do the marketing. She did all this herself - or it wasn't done (as in the case of producing paper books.)

There are many writers, who even if the book were going by electronic only - which I would bet some publishers may move to for some books, who would still want a publisher because of the some of the support they provide.

[Zywiec]

30. See post 10 n/t

[karynnj]

33. Sorry!

[itsallhappening]

32. .....

"There are many writers, who even if the book were going by electronic only - which I would bet some publishers may move to for some books, who would still want a publisher because of the some of the support they provide."

In the vast majority of cases, their support is worthless. The writer still has to do most of the work in terms of marketing and reaching potential audiences. And rarely does an author out-earn the advance that a publisher pays.

[karynnj]

44. In the one case that I know well, what I wrote is true

A teen I know was encouraged to write a book of essays and was given guidance as she completed the book over the course of a year while in high school. They did help on editing and suggesting some changes. More importantly, they got the book to appropriate reviewers and got the books into the stores. The book, which was on religion, was never anticipated to be a huge seller. The advance was about $2000 and she has continued to get bi-annual checks that have totaled more than the advance. (It also looked rather impressive on her college application!)

She was involved with reaching potential audiences, but they helped set up some print and one radio interview.

[itsallhappening]

5. Excellent.

The dinosaur that is the publishing industry will slowly wither away.

Writers can go directly to the readers and let them be the judge of what's good and what's not. No longer do we only get to read what one or two agents and editors in a building in NYC think we should read. I can't imagine why a reader would want to remain in the highly restricted format of having one or two agents and editors deciding what reading material we have access to.

[OneGrassRoot]

12. Word...

Not to mention making approximately $1 for a book listed at $22, yet doing all the work other than the actual printing of the books (obviously I'm not speaking of Kindle but hard copy). There is ZERO reason to go with traditional publishing for e-books. I see very little reason to work with traditional publishers for any format, as with today's tools we can do this ourselves from A to Z.

It's all about marketing. Random House hasn't figured out how to market in today's environment any better than unknowns. That's why they go with "sure things," people who are already known and have a built-in audience.

:rant:

:hi:

[itsallhappening]

17. The stigma of self-publishing is fading, too. And it never made sense to begin with.

I don't know anyone who refuses to go see an indie film at a small theater. And I don't know anyone who refused to buy a self-made CD by a band they heard once or twice and decided to check out further.

There will always be literary snobs, I guess, and that's their right. But they're just going to be left in the dust with the Big Six publishers.

[OneGrassRoot]

18. I agree wholeheartedly.

Had I had my way, this NEVER would have gone through an agent and traditional publisher. A massive waste of time, energy and now money. I worked for MacMillan back in the day, and I am no fan of traditional publishing, even less nowadays.

I've actually been really focused on creating a publishing co-op.

:)

[itsallhappening]

21. Oh, and one other major factor.

You write whatever the hell you want to write. Period. Nobody is looking over your shoulder, demanding cuts from the manuscript or forcing you to add stuff that you never intended to be there.

Your only jury is the reader and, make no mistake, they make their decision very clear.

[OneGrassRoot]

23. Word. :) n/t

[karynnj]

31. My guess is that to be published by a publisher, someone other than the writer took a financial

risk - thinking the book good enough. There are many people who produce "vanity novels" It is almost certain that the best of the self published books will be better than many of the published ones. There will also be ones that are really really bad.

One feature of the Kindle might even the playing field a little - the fact that you can get a free sample. That "free sample" would give you more confidence to buy the entire thing if it is interesting.

[itsallhappening]

34. It never really was a financial risk for the traditional publishing house.

They could pay an advance and the author has to out-earn it in sales, or they have to pay back the balance. And the only way to do that is marketing, which the author does most of anyway.

[Dappleganger]

15. And what are publishers doing about this? They are doubling-down on prices and terms.

Unfortunately they haven't learned their lessons from RIAA and ebooks with DRM are even easier to unleash into the underworld. Push people away with your pricing structure and pirating grows by leaps and bounds.

[KittyWampus]

36. Understandable wanting publishing to EVOLVE. But publishers can give advances to writers

and allow them to do work. It also gives access to editors.

I read mainly non-fiction.

So the author writing an in depth biography of Ben Franklin can starve and live on the streets while they do their research?

[itsallhappening]

38. Authors rarely out-earn their advances.

The author doesn't have to starve because they didn't get an advance. You write part-time until you can write full-time.

[OneGrassRoot]

40. If that were happening, I'd agree with you, KittyWampus...

But my experience, in observing the trends over the last decade, is that rarely do first-time authors receive advances (though lightning does strike periodically) and they're responsible for nearly every aspect of the process.

Traditional publishers have cut so many from their editing staff that manuscripts don't go through the rigorous levels of editing as they used to. And it shows. :(

There are exceptions, but that's what I see.

And you bring up another great point as to why I love the idea of a publishing co-op as an alternative, to help finance projects that require research and provide work to editors, etc.

:hi:

[Dappleganger]

41. My editing services are basically free...

all I want is a hug, lol. ;)

[OneGrassRoot]

46. Awwww......

:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

Always!

:hi:

[KittyWampus]

47. I suppose the other alternative to co-op publishing > having tenure as a professor >

That seems to be the way it's done.

[OneGrassRoot]

48. That probably helps. :) There is actually a fairly well-known author here...

with one of the top publishing houses, published by them previously.

With the latest book, he has been solely responsible for marketing. They haven't done a thing.

It's a sad state of affairs, but what industry isn't in a sad state in the US these days?

:shrug:

:(

[NashVegas]

42. Oh Hell No

They can study to take MS, SQL, Ruby, etc.. certification tests and go into IT, like everyone else who wants to see prices come down on cultural "content."

[Little Star]

19. How do you find these non-published e-book writers on amazon?

[Dappleganger]

27. Often they're in the top listed ebooks on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text

Fictionwise.com is another great place to find them. MobileRead.com is a great place to go and get suggestions for anything ebook or non-pub ebook writer-related suggestions.

[Dappleganger]

43. Another way to discover "new" non-published ebook writers is on Twitter.

Follow #fridayreads for some great suggestions.

[Little Star]

82. Thank you for both suggestions :)

[BillyJack]

24. Interesting

Bookmarking to read later.

[handmade34]

45. rec

[Modern_Matthew]

49. The more we digitize our culture and cut out ancient middle men, the better. nt

[NashVegas]

55. You Haven't Cut Out the Middleman. Not Remotely. We've Replaced It

Instead of having to kiss 10-30 well-chosen asses to find the route to success, an artist now has to stroke the ego of 10s of thousands of wankers who will push any piece of crap in return for that stroking. And if artist A won't do it, artist B will.

[highplainsdem]

50. A HuffPo blogger interviewed her a couple of months ago. Link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tonya-plank/meet-mega-bestselling-ind_b_804685.html

[highplainsdem]

52. Their latest article on her, with video from KTTC:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/01/self-published-author-amada-hocking_n_829906.html

[VoteProgressive]

53. This is the same as for the Apple Store. Nice for independent developers!

[WatsonT]

54. I am really excited about getting a kindle

just waiting for the price to drop a bit and perhaps see what long term bugs turn up.

The benefit to no-name writers will be tremendous. It will guarantee that a lot of people who could never get published before get a chance to do so (means wading through a lot of crap novels but at least it isn't dependent on the whims of an editor).

I wonder if someone will come up with an e-book version of kindle. Where you can rate your novels within a specific genre and it gives you suggestions based on how other people have voted within that genre.

Could be fun.

[NashVegas]

56. Kudos To Her, But ...

Having worked in the media business, closely affiliated to the music business, for almost 30 years this just makes me sad for all of the people in the publishing industry who put their hearts and souls into what they do to promote great books and great authors.

[Courtesy Flush]

58. But they got to decide who was great.

No matter how cutting edge an author may have been, he couldn't make it without approval from a boardroom somewhere. I feel like we've been spoon fed our talent for too long.

When I listen to the radio I get tired of hearing the same songs over and over. I know there's tons of great talent out there that isn't getting play. Same goes for writers. The culture authorities decide what's good for the rest of us.

I welcome the change, and I still see a future for your friends. Only a few freelancers will really break through.

[NashVegas]

66. No One Decides What's Great. Some People Recognize What's Great. Some People Decide What to Push

Even before the corporatization of the last 15 years, people who decide what to push have their own reputation and future business prospects to consider. It used to be, the people who decided what to push were also the people who recognized greatness.

I don't know about the publishing industry, but I know the supreme irony of what happened in the music industry is that it was the computer industry that enabled taking the decision of what to push out of the hands of personnel who were the most connected to the product *and* the audience, all in the name of improved ratings and lowered payrolls.

If file sharing, Pandora and iTunes are so fucking fantastic, where's the new Prince? Where are this century's Talking Heads, Led Zepellin, or Beatles?

Go walk into a small independent bookseller and look at the people who've been working there for 15 years. They aren't getting rich but they're doing what they love, and they're in the process of losing their jobs to the *new* middlemen - bloggers and Twitteres and FBers. PR schleps who will promote anyone who will pay them, and techies, accountants and others who chose financial stability over passion, and now have a way to get ego gratification, too.

I am accepting the change, I have no choice. But I feel awful for any kid out there who's even considering a career in the arts.

[Dappleganger]

72. What independent booksellers?

The big chains have virtually obliterated their presence in many cities and towns.

[speltwon]

67. That can be said in any industry

There are good people in any industry (yes, there are), but when technology makes an industry less relevant or necessary - well, that's the way it works. I am sure at one point there were a lot of nice people in the whale oil distribution industry too.

The thing is that technology has repeatedly and overwhelmingly made more choice available to consumers whether it's music, books, or whatever, and in any # of areas, the "deciders" are much more the consumers than the middlemen. The niche consumers also have far more choice.

That's true in food, books, software, news media, music, clothing etc. FAR MORE than it was 20 yrs ago. And the internet is largely to thank. The end consumer has far more choice in all those areas than they did, and often at much better prices. It is much better for the independent producer and much better for the consumer. We are far less beholden on a few "deciders' as to what foods we eat, books we read, music we hear, etc. than we were a couple of decades ago. Any dingdong with an internet connection iow almost anybody has incredible access to everybody else in the world with the same internet and that's never been the case in the history of mankind.

[Courtesy Flush]

57. Self publishing has some pitfalls.

My wife was given a book by a self-published author. It was a vanity-press paperback. The writing wasn't good, but that's a matter of opinion. The real problem was in the editing. Poor spelling, grammar, and punctuation filled every page. It was so distracting that the book was painful to read. Basically, he went to press with a first draft.

Writing is hard work, and I'll assume the girl in the story is putting in the effort, based on her success.

[hunter]

59. I've been reading Democratic Underground so long...

... I can read ANYTHING.

Poor spelling, grammar, and punctuation fill every page!

[The Straight Story]

62. You is being Korrect, I learnt many new variants of engrish here

:rofl:

[justiceischeap]

65. Depending on what you write, there are some folks that offer editing for free

Again, it depends on the community you're writing for. That said, I've seen enough "published" authors having the same issues with editing. I agree it's distracting and makes the book painful to read but I'd rather learn that lesson @ $.99 than $15. That said, if you're concerned about self-published fiction, try reading the excerpt to get a sense of the writing. For me, if the dialogue is bad, I pass. I can get past bad grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. but if the dialogue isn't well-written, I refuse to read it.

[krabigirl]

69. You don't have to go through a publishing house to hire an editor.

[JoeyT]

71. Won't someone think of the poor middle-men!?

What will they do without their 80+% cut?! Do you really want to live in a world like that?

I know I don't. The world I want to live in is one where a person can spend a half a decade writing a book, sell a million books, and get 15% if he or she is lucky. And they'll still turn out a book full of spelling and grammatical errors because editors cost money and things that cost money hurt the bottom line.

[Amonester]

75. Not only that... How many "book-making" JOBS get scrapped..

FOREVER?

(and will never return)

What Are Book-making Workers Supposed To Do Now? Enlist In The Never-ending Imperial Oil Wars?

[OneGrassRoot]

77. I think JoeyT was being sarcastic, but I'm not sure you are.

Forgive me if you are. :)

As others have mentioned the "book-making" jobs -- editors, printers, graphic designers -- can all have direct relationships with the authors, no need for a publisher to be involved any more.

There are exceptions to everything, of course. There are probably good publishers out there, employing good editors, paying a decent royalty to authors, helping with PR and marketing.

My biggest complaints with today's traditional publishers are 1) the slashing of editing departments, which makes the quality of even traditionally published books diminished and 2) the lack of involvement in PR and marketing, leaving that up to the author.

Authors have really depended upon publishers for both of those things, even when distribution and other technical aspects became easier to do oneself given today's technology. When they don't provide those two services, yet keep 85% of revenue generated, I lose sight of their purpose.

:hi:



edit because I can't type or think any more :eyes:

[seabeyond]

76. lots of free. and some under a $1.00. i dont buy books more than that. some really bad. really

really bad writing going on. so though cheap, there is a lot that a publisher would stop from being published or polished up that is not happening.

but i like