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Self-Publishing Books
Earlier this year JA Konrath wrote A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Thinking POD? Think Again..... And the comments just keep on hitting this post. The consensus seems to be that self/vanity/subsidy/POD publishing can work well for nonfiction, sample copies, and for the person who doesn't care about fame and/or fortune but just wants to hold a book in hand or to give as gifts. Frustrated novelists, don't even bother glancing at self-publishing if you want to Be a Successful Writer and/or make money. Send your first chapter (up to 3,000 words) to The Writing Show's contest for a chance to win a cash prize and other promotional goodies. That might get your work noticed by someone who knows someone who ... [books]
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posted by Georganna Hancock M.S. | 9:30 AM
5 Comments:
There is so much negative talk about POD/Self-Publishing. I self-published my book with Xlibris and although the sales haven't hit the roof - I truly believe that whether you publish with a traditional publisher or Self-Publish - the author must do all the marketing and advertising no matter what. It is hard work no matter what avenue you choose to take. Of all the books I've read on book proposals, marketing, and so on - the one thing that I have always read was that the writer does all the marketing and we truly have to work our behind off even if we were accepted by a Traditional Publishing House. If there are no sweat and tears then there is no money falling from anyone's tree.
Thanks for visiting and leaving your experience-based comment, Tery. You're so correct! Even writers who are published by traditional houses are finding more pressure to assume the burdens of marketing their books. They have an advantage, however, of having the distribution and sales to bookstores handled by the traditional publisher. And that's where self-publishers run up against the stigma--major chain and independent bookstores often refuse to carry a self-published book for various reasons. It's in that vast middle ground between printing and purchasing that the self-publisher finds roadblocks.
Yes, you're right. Self-Publishers do have a hard time when their books are not in bookstores. However, a lot of times bookstores don't know how to label or display a book by its genre, therefore, it can still be hard to find your book in bookstores if it is placed in the wrong section, don't you think? Take for example my book: it is considered to be - "Non-Fiction," "Family Relationships," "Self-Help," and "Spiritual." How does one place a book in a bookstore? A Wonderful World We Weave When Writing Books. Some tongue twister - say that thirty times real fast. Ha ha. Great blog - I will be a constant visitor. :-)
Hi,
If you're going to POD or self-publish you have to understand the problems with distribution. As long as you do, then it's fine. I have gone the traditional route, the e-book and the POD. The difference is that unlike many authors I knew what I was choosing and why.
As for shelving, the chains will go by the categorizing used in Books in Print and done by the publisher. Many books can be shelved in several places but there is usually one place that is more dominant in the book and has is the target audience.
Hi,
Surfed over from Joe's blog. Heard on the news this morning how some musicians are now refusing to go the traditional route with big time labels for their music because they can't offer the musician anything that cannot be accomplished on their own.
Thought how similar that might be to self-pubbing authors.
Thanks for letting me just post a view.
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