The old route for literary success looks stodgy and outdated by comparison....
With self-publishing, you learn your craft while producing material. You win over your fans directly. You own all of your rights, and your works stay fresh and available for your lifetime (and beyond). Nothing goes out of print.... My bestselling work was my eighth or ninth title. As soon as it took off, the rest of my material took off with it. To the reader, it was all brand-new.... My entire oeuvre will always be in print and always earning me something. Nothing is pulled and returned from the digital bookshelf.
April 5, 2013
"Self-publishing is the future — and great for writers."
Says Hugh Howey (who played the self-publishing game exceedingly well).
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9 comments:
Descriptivists rejoice!
I have read all of Hugh's self published books, and they are fantastic. They tend to be between 0.99 and 2.99, although he also packages several related titles together for around $5-6.
It's great for the reader. It's great for the author (Go to Amazon, and select Best Selling Science fiction, and see how many of the top titles are from Hugh!).
The only ones its not so great for are publishers, but in this new era, I'm not so sure that is a bad thing. Publishers add some value, but they seem to be going the way of buggy whip makers and newspapers.
You should publish a coffee table book of your best nature photos, Madame.
I don't see the self publishing of physical books a particularly winning strategy.
eBooks, of course, but not something like coffee table art books.
All my books are ebooks now. It's kind of sad, but at the same time liberating. I don't have to go to a B&N or a library and I can select what I want whenever I want for next to nothing.
How does this relate to the earlier post about digital music? Does one own a copy of an e-book, or just a license to use the copy for a certain amount of time?
So far I've downloaded no music, no books, no videos or films. Because I'm a capitalist pig --- if I buy it, I OWN it.
I am in the middle of his Wool Omnibus on Kindle.
The trick there was he started out one part at a time. Part 1 99 cents, Part 2 ... they kept getting a bit longer and cost more -- then he brought out the Omnibus (5 or 6 parts). By that time I was hooked, but didn't want to spend more buying the parts than the whole costs.
I notice in his next series he did put a bit of a caution -- if you were willing to wait you could get them all for a bit less than buying them one at a time.
That being said, I really like his Wool series as do a couple thousand other people on Amazon.
I do like the physical aspect of books, but like also having plenty with me to read on and iPhone / iPod wherever I am.
You do own the ebook on Kindle and can "loan" it (through some kind of process I haven't investigated) -- but you can't give it away.
That is why I am not into paying a lot for a Kindle / eBook version.
Maybe freelance editing will take off with this.
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