A question for those who are self-published

[Anthony G Williams]

Originally Posted by Troo

I find the chaps on the ImagineFX forum particularly lovely. If you like, I can ask them if they're willing to give it a try?

Thanks for the offer, Troo, but I haven't yet decided what to do about Scales; specifically, whether it's worth putting any more time and effort into it - or into any other fiction, for that matter. I may decide to stick to non-fiction instead, since I sell everything I write in that field.

[rimworlder]

Thanks for the followup Tony.

Have you thought about ancillary materials or a follow-up to your best seller?

(Posters, maps of the events taking place...)

[Anthony G Williams]

Originally Posted by rimworlder

Have you thought about ancillary materials or a follow-up to your best seller?

(Posters, maps of the events taking place...)

The Foresight War was a book I just had to write - the ideas had been buzzing around in my head for years, and I decided that writing them down was the only way of getting rid of them. Having done so, I find I'm no longer interested in writing about that subject: that itch has been well and truly scratched!

[Mark Robson]

Originally Posted by gary compton

Speaking as the eternal optimist I think 10,000 book is achievable, I sell kitchen sinks and taps to earn my crust and in 2006 I was introduced to Ebay and Amazon (you can sell not just books on the Amazon site). From a standing start I sold 2000 sinks and taps in the first year, I couldn’t believe it. All the punters wanted was a sink and tap at the right price and delivered quickly and to be of good quality. I maintained 100% feedback all the way through. For every person who needs a sink their must be a 1000 who would buy a book...

I am always driven by success and try to be positive...why not have a dream, life would be boring otherwise.

He who dares wins!!

I missed this - been rather busy recently!

You're right, Gary. Ten thousand is achievable, but it might not be as easy as you think. The difference between selling sinks and selling books is that if someone buys a new sink, it is normally because they need a new sink. Trying to convince people that they need one of your books is not quite so simple. Yes, they might need a book, but you must ask yourself 'why yours?' Why not the next Terry Pratchett novel, or the next Paolini? (Grits teeth as I write the name!)

I have now sold over 50 000 copies of my self-published Darkweaver books, spread across the four titles. The first has sold by far the most - approaching 20 000. They are still selling steadily, though I don't market them as hard as I did to begin with - particularly now I have books coming out that are far better written. To be honest I would rather people read my newer stuff first, get hooked and then go back to my early books to see what I did to begin with. That way they can see where I came from, without potentially being put off by the early writing.

I believe your attitude, however, will carry you far further than your books, no matter how well they're written. If you can maintain your positive outlook and believe in what you're doing, others will be persuaded to join in your belief. Best of luck. Keep on with the positive thinking!

[gary compton]

Originally Posted by Mark Robson

I missed this - been rather busy recently!

You're right, Gary. Ten thousand is achievable, but it might not be as easy as you think. The difference between selling sinks and selling books is that if someone buys a new sink, it is normally because they need a new sink. Trying to convince people that they need one of your books is not quite so simple. Yes, they might need a book, but you must ask yourself 'why yours?' Why not the next Terry Pratchett novel, or the next Paolini? (Grits teeth as I write the name!)

I take your comments as a compliment and I admire your success and the fact you think your first books are not as good as your latest, so you have improved and still retain your humility

Writing is like life and it has to evolve, my first draft was rubbish in commercial terms but after 9 months of pain (child birth is not as bad as this - don't believe your lass) I have my latest offerings sitting on John Jarrold's desk awaiting a full structural edit.

I cant wait for his comments and if improvement is confirmed I will be happy anything else will be a bonus. For less than the cost of a pint of the amber nectar every other day you can have a great talent in the publishing world looking at your work and communicating with you - come on everybody can afford that surely!!

Regards Gary
Unofficial advertising executive for the JJLA

I hope he sees the funny side

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by gary compton

but after 9 months of pain (child birth is not as bad as this - don't believe your lass)

I've done both, written books and given birth. Writing a book doesn't give you swollen ankles, or leg cramps at 3 in the morning. On the other hand, the gestation period can be a lot longer ...

[gary compton]

Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton

I've done both, written books and given birth. Writing a book doesn't give you swollen ankles, or leg cramps at 3 in the morning. On the other hand, the gestation period can be a lot longer ...

Love that! - I bet you love your kids more than your books though!!

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by gary compton

I bet you love your kids more than your books though!!

You sound like a man who has never tried to live with three teenagers.

But you're right, barring a few years in adolescence when it was pretty much a toss-up, I do love my children more.

[gary compton]

Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton

You sound like a man who has never tried to live with three teenagers.

But you're right, barring a few years in adolescence when it was pretty much a toss-up, I do love my children more.

Don't start me off, my daughter recently metamorphosed from a teenager into a lovely young women.

But sadly I still have the two headed dragon at home, a nineteen year old boy who has testosterone flowing through his veins instead of blood... aaagh!! and he knows more than I will ever know!!!!!!!!!

I love him to bits though Lifes a bitch!

[scalem X]

leg cramps at 3 in the morning.

you.. you mean I'm pregnant?

But you're right, barring a few years in adolescence when it was pretty much a toss-up, I do love my children more.

But sadly I still have the two headed dragon at home, a nineteen year old boy who has testosterone flowing through his veins instead of blood... aaagh!! and he knows more than I will ever know!!!!!!!!!

My parents left the country to live at the other side of the world some more than a year ago, when I was nineteen. I guess they couldn't take it anymore.

[Mark Robson]

Originally Posted by gary compton

I take your comments as a compliment ...

Good. That was the intention.

[Anthony G Williams]

Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton

But you're right, barring a few years in adolescence when it was pretty much a toss-up, I do love my children more.

You don't get much choice...children are such an inconvenience and such a pain so frequently that if their parents weren't genetically programmed to love them they would generally abandon them - or worse.

[Troo]

Ah, see, this is why I choose not to have them. This way my love is all for my writing

[brsrkrkomdy]

Originally Posted by scalem X

4 -Charlatans who want to sell books with rubbish, with or without a free lucky charm.

This above quote is a very common theme in the self-publishing route. I've read some good things about the self-publishing but the bottom line is always bucks. How much are you willing to lose your shirt, skirt, pants, or whatever in order to see your book published? Let's face it, they're not cheap.
Besides, the term "self-publishing" has been bandied about too many times that it becomes a dilution and a distortion of what it really means.

Vanity publishing: you pay your publisher to publisher your work for you. No editorship. No proofreading. No nothing. (However, you might get somebody to proofread your stuff.) It's printed out. But no guarentee that your books will be lined up on bookshelves at bookstores everywhere. (And I'm talking in US not UK.)

Self-publishing: You don't pay to get your book published. Get a printer, ink, paper. Viola! Your book is published. No editorship though. You could get somebody to proofread your stuff. Now that you got your book printed out in more than several copies. Where are you gonna put them at? Your warehouse? Can you afford to rent a small one? And distribution is also key.

Small Press: They're not vanity publishing. From what I've read, it would cost the publisher himself more than a pretty penny to print copies of one book and distribute them to certain bookstores that would take them to sell.

Bookstores are notoriously picky. They put out books that are traditionally published on shelves to sell, and then sent back the ones unsold for discount. Very few books that are vanity-published, small press, and self-published were on their shelves. The vanity-published won't allow for discounts. (At least, that's what I've read so far.) Is that unfair? Sure it is. I'm not putting these endeavors down. These are the realities of the publishing world.

Personally, I'd stick with the traditional route than "self-publishing". Vanity publishing can help if you're already published and have a fan base to get reprints. That's what happened with Peter Atkins and Dennis Etchison with theirs. Another thing that would work for you is if your book is nonfiction.

I based all these from what's happened here in the U.S. not in the U.K..

[brsrkrkomdy]

Originally Posted by brsrkrkomdy

This above quote is a very common theme in the self-publishing route. I've read some good things about the self-publishing but the bottom line is always bucks. How much are you willing to lose your shirt, skirt, pants, or whatever in order to see your book published? Let's face it, they're not cheap.
Besides, the term "self-publishing" has been bandied about too many times that it becomes a dilution and a distortion of what it really means.

Vanity publishing: you pay your publisher to publisher your work for you. No editorship. No proofreading. No nothing. (However, you might get somebody to proofread your stuff.) It's printed out. But no guarentee that your books will be lined up on bookshelves at bookstores everywhere. (And I'm talking in US not UK.)

Self-publishing: You don't pay to get your book published. Get a printer, ink, paper. Viola! Your book is published. No editorship though. You could get somebody to proofread your stuff. Now that you got your book printed out in more than several copies. Where are you gonna put them at? Your warehouse? Can you afford to rent a small one? And distribution is also key.

Small Press: They're not vanity publishing. From what I've read, it would cost the publisher himself more than a pretty penny to print copies of one book and distribute them to certain bookstores that would take them to sell.

Bookstores are notoriously picky. They put out books that are traditionally published on shelves to sell, and then sent back the ones unsold for discount. Very few books that are vanity-published, small press, and self-published were on their shelves. The vanity-published won't allow for discounts. (At least, that's what I've read so far.) Is that unfair? Sure it is. I'm not putting these endeavors down. These are the realities of the publishing world.

Personally, I'd stick with the traditional route than "self-publishing". Vanity publishing can help if you're already published and have a fan base to get reprints. That's what happened with Peter Atkins and Dennis Etchison with theirs. Another thing that would work for you is if your book is nonfiction.

I based all these from what's happened here in the U.S. not in the U.K..

I meant to add comment to the above quote about charlatans who publish rubbish. I know of several who think their works are masterpieces. And worst, they think the traditional publishers and other writers feared the potential of their geniuses. I won't mention their names. Not gonna give them the attention they don't deserve. I assure you they do exist, and they're notoriously unpleasant twits who dish out threats to any who critiqued their work, especially if they're trying to be helpful. That said, I shall now step off the soapbox.