I was wondering if there is league table of eBook sales. My interest is in the sales of first time authors, not established authors who stand to benefit by selling a backlog of novels for pennies.
It would be interesting to know how many want-to-be authors sell a thousand or more eBooks. I am willing to wager that is not many.
The reason I ask is because of the on-going debate between traditional and self-publishing.
I have watched many youtube videos on the subject. Most are poorly-presented and amateurish.
Perhaps I am being cynical, but I wonder who has most to gain by self-publishing. Has this newly-formed market merely been created to exploit want-to-be authors who have failed to secure an agent and access the traditional route to publishing?
Many small to medium publishers will not invest in authors. They only offer contracts based on eBook sales, with the promise that if the novel does well they will do a print-on-demand run. That is vanity-publishing.
There is no financial risk to the publisher and they stand to gain from sitting back and doing nothing if the book does well. In addition the author has probably signed all his/her rights away in the excited rush to get a publishing deal. For example, the foreign rights, a scale of royalties based on book sales and possible film rights.
I do not believe an author should sign a contract, if a publisher is not prepared to market a novel, and do a paperback print-run. If that is the case, then authors have nothing to lose by being independent.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
I can understand a problem with self publishing as it all does seem like vanity publishing but I fall into the Jonathan camp and believe if you are not paying, it de-facto is not vanity publishing and as it looks now it is the only way forward for a modern writer.
Yes if you can get the agent the book deal and have the connections the publisher is the way to go. But if you are like me and thousands of other wannabe writers who are on the outside looking in, the Amazon Kindle way is the only road at the moment.
There are thousands of books published the normal way that are much better written than "Fifty Shades of Grey' but have not sold as well due to bad marketing
So if the difference is just marketing and you can by pass the standard 3 month slush pile of waiting for a rejection slip and market your master piece you will be ahead of the game.
I envy Adrian the 100% assurance that a publisher will read your book
and instantly see the success of publishing it.
And then I remember that Katie Price(Jordan) is one of the most successful British authors and her method of writing is to say to her hired ghost writer I want something with a horse a Prince sex and a girl with no shoes "Make it so"
I think the Jonathan way is the way forward. For example I find it hard to believe that there are any publishers actually reading anything on this site. I do put some my work up to be reviewed and get one or two comments which I am very glad for may I add. but to believe you will be discovered on this site is a great leap of faith.
I am great fan of Adrian and I love his methodical approach to writing “Read the best and then write the best and you will be published by the best” Unfortunately life is not like that. As Fifty Shades of Da Vinci Code writing proves.
Writing a great novel is not the same as having a commercial success. So if your are sitting on your masterpiece and you have been rejected by the your publishers of choice. First get some one to read it through to see is it true as the publisher says its unreadable. Then get, if you have the cash a professional editor to read it through.
If they think its OK. Then and only then go the E-Book Kindle route.
After that its all about marketing. Facebook twitter tumblr etc
Simples:D~
Author pays to have book published = vanity publishing (see recent Simon & Schuster news reports for an explanation. Sorry - that should be exploitation).
So if the author doesn't pay, that isn't vanity publishing. Seemples.
It seems to me good writing, or even a good story, barely rates nowadays since these are non-quantifiable personal opinions. With all publishers apparently struggling for cash and marketing increasingly costly even authors with book deals struggle for publicity. So any foot in the door is a help, I reckon, because exposure within the industry is the only way forward for authors. Unless you've got contacts...or luck.
In my case the jury's still out ;)
Author pays to have book published = vanity publishing (see recent Simon & Schuster news reports for an explanation. Sorry - that should be exploitation).
So if the author doesn't pay, that isn't vanity publishing. Seemples.
It seems to me good writing, or even a good story, barely rates nowadays since these are non-quantifiable personal opinions. With all publishers apparently struggling for cash and marketing increasingly costly even authors with book deals struggle for publicity. So any foot in the door is a help, I reckon, because exposure within the industry is the only way forward for authors. Unless you've got contacts...or luck.
In my case the jury's still out ;)