Posts Tagged ‘business of publishing’
The KDP select program can be quite useful to new authors who are looking for some extra exposure and visibility for their books. During a two day free run at Amazon, The Demon Mages peaked at No 3 in the sword and sorcery free fantasy list, and No 5 at epic fantasy free list. It also got listed in epic fantasy categories in UK, Germany and France. You can read the details here and here.
As promised, here is a look at the free books lists that were helpful in making my KDP select program a success. But before that, let me add that I didn’t spend any money in advertising and promotion. Instead I used the Author Marketing Club site to check the various sites. If you are member at Author Marketing Club, you can use their tool to submit but if you are not a member, you can still open each site individually to submit.
Also, if you want to save time, you can pay 40 dollars at ebookbooster and they will submit your book to 45 sites. Or you can check the sites they list and submit yourself. (Some of the sites they list are not even operating anymore. Maybe their list on the sidebar is not updated but I thought it better to submit myself in order to save money and also to be sure that the book was submitted to the right sites). It will take a long time, and you will need to be a bit organized but it’s worth the effort.
I submitted my book The Demon Mages to about 50 sites that list free books and only four of them actually listed it, but it was enough to boost the book to the top 5 on the free fantasy lists. Here are the sites that featured The Demon Mages:
Sweeties Pick
Free book Dude
FreeBooksy
BookGoodies
If you are an author looking to promote your book on KDP select, I wish you the best of luck.
Happy Writing!
So here I am, bringing you another interview. Fantasy author Anthony Ryan agreed to answer some questions on his writing and publishing process. Anthony self-published his debut fantasy novel Blood Song and was within months picked up by Berkley for publication. He continues to self-publish his science-fiction/crime novellas, so he is actually one of those successful hybrid authors who are doing a little bit of everything. After reading Blood Song I became a true fan, and eagerly look forward to the second book in his trilogy Raven’s Shadow.
Here is the interview:
Q) I have read Blood Song, the first book in the Raven’s Shadow trilogy, and it’s an amazing fantasy story. But for a new reader, tell us a little bit about the book.
Blood Song is the story of Vaelin Al Sorna, a member of a militant religious order in a fractious realm. The story describes his life from the day he is placed in the order, through successive years of war and intrigue as he uncovers many secrets about both himself and the Faith he serves.
Q) How long have you been writing? And what was your motivation to write Blood Song?
I remember forming the ambition to become a writer at a fairly early age but didn’t start writing in earnest until my early twenties. However, it took quite a while before I wrote anything worthwhile – the 10,000 hour rule holds true for writing as much as anything else. Blood Song was probably most inspired by my continuing fascination with history, although the themes of religious conflict and corrupting use of power were at the forefront of my mind during the aftermath of 9/11 on the ongoing war on terror.
Q) You self-published Blood Song, but it was quickly picked up by Berkley. How was your journey from from self-publication to traditional publication?
It took six and half years to write Blood Song and another year to collect rejection letters from pretty much every literary agent in the UK. Most responses were standard ‘thanks but no thanks’ letters but a few were fairly complimentary, along the lines of ‘we liked this but we’ve got enough fantasy authors at the moment.’ The net result was I had a choice between consigning it to a forgotten corner of my hard drive or self-publishing. I was increasingly aware of the potential offered by e-book self-publishing and the success achieved by a few authors who had secured traditional publishing deals via this route, however my ambition was limited to selling a thousand copies in the first year of release, which I felt would be enough to justify writing the sequel.
Before publishing Blood Song I did a dry run with my first Slab City Blues story. It garnered enough downloads and positive attention to convince me it would be worth continuing. Blood Song was initially published only on Smashwords from August to December 2011 during which time it sold a whopping five copies. However, after publishing it on the Kindle Store in January 2012 things started to change. The sales were not immediately massive but it did sell much better than on Smashwords, rising to a total of 3,500 copies by May which was when Susan Allison, the Chief Editor at Ace Books (the Berkley / Penguin sci-fi fantasy imprint) got in touch. I should stress that, as far as I know, at the time publishers weren’t engaged in any systematic analysis of e-book sales in search of new authors, though I think that may have changed by now. Susan had been made aware of the book by a Penguin sales rep who in turn had been pointed towards it by Lars Townsend, an employee of the Politics and Prose Bookshop in Washington DC then engaged in a personal reading project of self-published books (Lars has written a detailed account on his own blog here). Ace came back fairly quickly after I indicated my openness to an offer and we agreed a three book deal in July 2012, by which time Blood Song had gone on to sell over 20,000 copies.
Q) The biggest advantage of self-publication is the control over pricing, cover, and publication dates. Do you feel at a disadvantage now or are you happy with the way traditional publishing is working for you?
Before I agreed my deal with Ace I had a day job, now I’m a full time writer. I’m not saying that wouldn’t have happened if I’d continued to self-publish but it certainly made the decision to make the leap an easier one. So far the main advantages have been the advance on royalties, increased visibility, access to the editing expertise at Ace which has resulted in an improved version of Blood Song (available in hardback from 4th July), professionally produced covers, and most importantly of all, foreign rights sales: so far the Raven’s Shadow trilogy has been sold to eleven countries. There has also been interest from film & TV production companies although no options have been sold as yet. I fully appreciate that all of this is achievable by self-published authors without the benefit of a traditional publisher’s expertise, however, as a complete newcomer to the business, I’d really rather leave it to the experts and concentrate on the writing. Also, whilst self-publishing is continuing to progress and lose much of its previous stigma, there is a lingering reluctance amongst readers to take a chance on independently published titles. My sales ranking on Amazon UK has increased dramatically since my UK publisher (Orbit) took over the e-book in April 2013, despite a price increase.
Q) You are continuing to self-publish Slab City Blues novellas. Tell us about them.
Slab City Blues is an outlet for my love of crime fiction and sci-fi. They’re basically noir-ish, hard-boiled detective stories set in a less than pleasant future where humanity is beginning to colonise the solar system. The stories are all told in first-person from the point of view of a war veteran detective who lives on an orbiting slum known as The Slab, complete with gene-spliced vampires, werewolves and warring crime syndicates. There have been four novellas so far but I intend to finish the series with a novel-length story tentatively entitled An Aria for Ragnarok (you read it here first).
Q) You have released free audio versions of Slab city Blues. How has the readers’ response been? Is there a big market for audio books?
The first two stories are available as audio downloads on my blog, but the third, A Hymn to Gods Long Dead, was distributed via Podiobooks which allows access to iTunes and the other principal audio download sites. So far total downloads amount to 14,000. All Podiobooks content is distributed for free but they also enable readers to make donations direct to the author. The money received so far isn’t huge but I think the real benefit of putting out a free audiobook is in the publicity and potential to garner a following, plus it’s just something I enjoy doing. I’ll be putting out an audio version of the fourth story, The Ballad of Bad Jack, if ever I find the time to record it.
Q) Now that you are full time author, what is your work routine?
I’m pleased to report that I’m writing more on a daily basis and am much less tired in doing so now I don’t have to write on the train to work, at my desk at lunchtime, on the train home… etc. My routine varies as life often gets in the way, but I usually spend an hour in the morning dealing with emails before writing until midday. I try to get out of the house for a walk on most days during which I’ll listen to audiobooks (currently making my way through the works of Fritz Lieber which are a complete joy). In the afternoon I’ll spend three or more hours writing. When working on a first draft my daily output varies between 2000-3000 words a day (I work on a 2000 word a day minimum and usually manage to surpass it), though I try to have a day off once a week.
Q) What is your advice for aspiring/new writers?
The obvious advice has become something of a cliché: write as often as you can and read a lot. However, like most clichés, it’s true. So, apart from the obvious I’d say it’s important to concentrate on the craft of writing, by which I mean the mechanics of putting a coherent sentence together. There’s no point telling a great story if no one can understand what you’re trying to say. Also, it’s important to learn how to finish. I wasted a lot of time in my twenties starting stories or novels that never got finished. Some writers hate the whole idea of planning but I find it a vital element in actually producing work that gets finished.
In terms of self-publishing I would strongly advise new writers to learn from my mistakes. Any success I’ve had has been achieved in spite of not having my manuscript professionally proof read or commissioning a professional cover, both of which are the bare minimum new writers should do before publication.
Sabine’s note: If you love epic/high fantasy novels, I would urge you to buy his book. It’s absolutely fantastic. I did leave a review of it on goodreads which you can check. The book has high reviewer ratings and is selling extremely well. If you like reading or writing fantasy, you can also checked the interview of fantasy author Martin F. Hengst, author of The Last SwordMage.
I self-published Serpentine Love ( a free romance/fantasy story) in September 2012, but it still has not appeared in apple iBookstore. I emailed smashwords, and got a prompt reply that the book contains a link of another one of my books that leads to Amazon and hence, it was refused by iBookstore. I just need to remove the link and republish the book. I have yet to do it as I have been busy editing another book. However, two things that I have learnt, and wish to pass on: one; smashwords is extremely author friendly and responds efficiently to queries, two; don’t put any links that lead to Amazon when uploading a book to smashwords.
Do you have any publishing tips you would like to share in this blog? Leave it in the comments, or contact me and I will post it here along with your name and a link to your blog. Also, I have started a new Manuscript Critique Service (first two pages free). If you are interested, take a look here. It’s for new writers of fantasy, romance and paranormal stories.
Happy Writing!
If you are self-publishing, keep on experimenting with various prices to see what works best for you. It’s a good idea to make the first story free or price at a low, low price of 0.99 dollars. Series work better because readers get hooked on and want more, and also giving away the first book for free can encourage readers to leave reviews.
Do you have any publishing tips you would like to share in this blog? Leave it in the comments, or contact me and I will post it here along with your name and a link to your blog. Also, I have started a new Manuscript Critique Service (first two pages free). If you are interested, take a look here. It’s for new writers of fantasy, romance and paranormal stories.
Happy Writing!
Once you have accumulated about twenty rejections on your first story, it’s time to move on. You may keep working on that story and re-submitting it, but it’s better to start a second one. In six months you will have another completed story to submit, and you will be slightly better at plotting, characterization and dialogue. Always start writing a new story soon after submitting the last one.
Do you have any publishing tips you would like to share in this blog? Leave it in the comments, or contact me and I will post it here along with your name and a link to your blog.
Happy Writing!
Your first story probably will not sell, and second and third might not also. It’s nothing to get disappointed about. Writing has its own learning curve, and the more you write the better you will become. As you write more and more in the same genre, your stories will become increasingly original and complex. Don’t give up despite rejections.
Do you have any publishing tips you would like to share in this blog? Leave it in the comments, or contact me and I will post it here along with your name and a link to your blog.
Happy Writing!
Generally people think writers sit for hours lost in complex thoughts as they spin tales worthy of publication. The reality for most writers is far from true. New writers who are just starting on their publication journey tend to have day jobs, or in my case three kids. Writing time has to be carved out of a full daily calendar of jobs, chores and obligations.
On a normal day I might take an hour out while the youngest takes a nap to write. The laptop is always on so that if I get even fifteen minutes during the day I can blog, twitter, peek into Goodreads or check my email. When the story is about to finish I might stay up late to work at double speed to ensure I complete it in time for submission.
Most writers do the same. A few are the ones who have reached that stage of success where they can devote their entire working day to writing and publishing activities. They might even have offices in their home where they spend the day hours pounding at the laptop or giving approval for the galleys or cover art. The luxury of devoting every day to their career is an achievement.
It’s a success they have earned.
And yet even the most famous of writers may have an unglamorous life. He can walk into a restaurant and not be recognized. He can sit with his laptop at a coffee shop and no one will pay any attention. Most of a writer’s struggles and triumphs are internal. And yet it all stems from a deep, abiding love for storytelling.
The urge to write compels all of us to keep at it even when met with continuous rejection and failure.
The road to publication is paved with rejection letters. So if you are on the path to publication, hold on to that thought, and don’t give up. You will get there one day – and until then, happy writing!
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It’s that time of the year again; a new beginning. Fresh goals. In order to set new targets for the coming year, one needs to foresee the future. The publishing industry has been rapidly changing for the past five years due to the invention of tablets and e-readers. It’s a wonderful technology that’s shaping the future of reading for generations to come.
Here are my predictions for some things that might happen in the publishing industry in the years 2013 and beyond:
1) More mergers will take place between established and big publishing houses in order to cut costs and to gain economies of scale.
2) Bigger publishing houses will open new digital imprints, such as Random House and Harlequin have already done. This will give a wonderful opportunity to those writers who are not as yet ready to self-publish. Digital imprints have lower costs, can provide a greater variety of genre fiction to readers and provide solid editing and marketing supports. Publishing market share will be won and lost in the e-publishing world in the next five years until things settle down.
3) E-book prices will reduce. Established writers might still be able to claim 7-8 dollars but as more and more digital imprints crowd the shelves, newer writers (self-published or digital publisher published) will have to sell at 2-4 dollars range in order to capture the readers.
4) Print publishing will reduce until its share of the market is about 20%, and no more. E-books will be the norm and print books will occupy a niche market.
5) Print bookstores will close. E-bookstores will also close, as e-market consolidates around a few big established players such as Amazon, Nook store, Kobo and iBookstore. All e-book stores will start to carry self-published books in order to offer a greater variety to readers.
All these changes indicate that the time is ripe for a writer who wishes to establish his identity. Write, write and write, without compromising on quality. Sell, sell and sell. Even if you make no headway in the beginning, persistence and patience will pay off.
Happy Writing!
When you start writing the first book there is a dream that one day it’s going to be available in book stores. Of course there is the possibility that it might get rejected a few times before finding the right publisher who will see its worth and decide to publish it. The first rejection letter is a blow to the soul, but it makes you feel brave and courageous. Not everyone has the guts to put their work out there, you console yourself. Eventually someone will see what you envisioned and the manuscript will translate into a published novel.
After the first rejection letter, you feel like a real writer. You are out there in the professional field, getting feedbacks and opinions. You are doing something, and there is the chance that you will achieve your dreams.
But things change…slowly.
What happens when your work is consistently rejected? How does it feel after the second rejection letter on the first story, or the tenth rejection letter on the fifth story? At what point do you stop feeling like a to-be-successful author, and start feeling more like a failed writer?
Will you ever make it?
It is during these particularly tiring days that you, dear writer, must be your own beacon of hope. So what if no one has recognized the worth of your work. One day someone will. Your job is to work hard, and continuously try to improve your style and voice. After all, practice makes perfect. You will fail only when you stop trying. Till you try, you remain a work in progress.
And don’t limit yourself to one particular genre, or a particular type of story. Be brave and take up new challenges. Write in different genres, write short stories and long novels. Always do something new and different. There are not many writers who can claim that they sold their first ever story, but there are many who will tell you that it took ten years, or the tenth story that finally got sold.
Be your own motivating force.
Happy Writing!
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So today I stumbled upon Fantasy writer Rick Riordan’s blog. If you don’t know Rick, he is the writer of the extremely successful Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series. I have recently read the fourth book, and can personally vouch for the series. He is a great writer.
So anyway, on 26th January 2011, he wrote a post on Top five Misconceptions about Writing. It was a pretty long post, but one sentence struck me as amazing… “No book has ever been written because the author had spare time to write it.”
I not a famous writer (yet) and people still ask me as to how I find the time to write? Sure, I am a stay-at-home mom, with no less than three kids, and life’s a constant juggling act. Still, I don’t find the time to write. I MAKE the time to write.
Sometimes I do it when what I really want to do is to watch my favorite movie on tv. Sometimes I do it when I should be sleeping. There have been times when I have gotten up early to write while the kids were sleeping. I have given up reading a book in order to write.
Writing is not something I do when I have spare time. I do it because if I don’t write for a few days, I feel incomplete. I enjoy writing. It’s a part of my life. And I can’t give it up, just like I can’t give up reading, eating or sleeping. I write for myself. I write because it makes me feel good to see the words on the screen. I take pride in finishing one chapter after another until the entire story is there waiting to be told to someone else. I love editing because that’s like adding complicated layers that enhance the story.
So, dear writer next time someone asks you as to how you manage the time to write, tell them that you write from the heart and it’s not time you need but love.
Happy Writing!
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