Self Pub Do Sell, and sell Lots

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

but the average book sells fewer than 150 copies.

I propose that if you were to count the publisher's slush pile in your trad numbers, the picture there would look very much the same. We all know VERY few make it to be published by a publisher, and of those that do, VERY VERY few are on the shelves for more than a few months. Joe Blow with a book has almost no chance of hitting it big going through traditional publishing. A gazillion books are rejected for every one that hits the shelf and even if accepted Joe Blow's books are tied up for a year or more while he tries that route.

The primary difference is that with self-pub the slush pile is public. Otherwise the chances are better for the self-pub to make it alone - if they have good business sense and a good book.

Check this post:

http://yearoftheindie.blogspot.com/2...lers-sage.html

As you can see the top seller, Elle Casey, sold 46,000 books in July ALONE, as a self pub from home in France. She is a NY Times best seller. It can be done, if you write good books and have good business sense. Authors like her turn down traditional publishing contracts because they would lose money.

The bottom of the list is in the 10's. At 10 per month, the worst selling indy in the list will beat your 150 in 16 months - which in some cases is faster than a traditional author can even get on the shelf (based on first hand reports).

All I am saying is you are under selling selfpub by A LOT and over selling trad pub, IMO. I will say it again, if you write good books and have good business sense, you can make it as a self pub and even have a shot to make it big.

Please understand, I am not demonizing traditional published authors or publishers. I think that is a valid option for today. I am merely defending the self-pub option as just as legitimate and just as reasonable.

[Lemurion]

My fundamental disagreement with you is that from where I sit, you're treating the exceptional as the norm. My argument is that the exceptional is just that, exceptional.

From the original post:

Even at just 10 copies a day, that's selling 300 books a month. 3,600 books a year. You can't tell me those are only to family and friends. These are real authors selling real books to real customers.

That "just" is someone in the top 2% of sales on Amazon.

From the same post, 1 copy a day is better than 80% of all eBooks on Amazon, and going back to her source, 10 copies a month is rank 250,000, or better than 75% of all eBooks on Amazon.

Still, that's an achievable number for many indie authors, 10 copies a month, and if you have a number of titles out, it adds up, and sales can often rise. The problem is that at $2.99 a copy and 70% royalty rates, you need to sell 2380 copies to earn $5000 from that one title ($5000 being a small advance). That takes almost 20 years at that rate of sales.

I'm not arguing against self or indie publishing; I'm doing it myself. My point is that the glowing numbers many people post aren't what the average writer can or should expect. Most writers will not do that well. Some will, some will do fantastically well, but most won't and they have to be ready for that.

It's great that we can self-publish, but passing off exceptional successes as the average does nothing but hurt the industry going forward.

[Anna Drake]

The most recent quote I could find on the subject (2008) said Book Scan reported the average U.S. book sold less than 250 copies. Of course, this predates the rise of the ebook.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by Anna Drake

The most recent quote I could find on the subject (2008) said Book Scan reported the average U.S. book sold less than 250 copies. Of course, this predates the rise of the ebook.

The problem with averages is that the 0's pull them way down. Most books do not sell, regardless of how they are published. I bet many of the authors that came out of this forum do better than that.

I just read another first hand account at a person that turned down a "six figure" traditional publishing contract and went self pub with their DEBUT book. Last I looked that book was sitting at #132 in the Amazon Paid Store.

These are exciting times to be an author.

[Anna Drake]

Actually, Vydor, I agree with you. I just thought the average figure listed above was informational. It's a tough business no matter which side of it you're on. But you're also right in that this is one of the best times for many of us who would be writers!