Quote:
Originally Posted by derangedhermit
Somebody's got to effectively market the book. Writers can't do it alone. Publishing a book doesn't sell it.
Once an author hits the top 10 or 20 bestseller list with a book, then marketing for that author is easier, based on the previous success and name recognition. Then those authors have to grind out book after book regularly, to stay on top and keep the $ rolling in. Witness the authors on the bestseller lists. They mainly stay the same, mostly pushing out mediocre drivel due to the constraints of keeping mass appeal and working on aggressive deadlines.
Besides, what authors want now and what they want in the future will be the same. Even if an author could do it all, they would still want to sell the book for whatever made them the most money. Author > Publisher > Amazon > you = $9.99. Author > Amazon > you = $9.99. Author > you = $9.99. The book is worth what it is worth to the consumer; nobody wants to sell it for less.
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Unfortunately, marketing is the least of it in the digital age. As an editor and an author, I can tell you that more top-selling authors than you can imagine are in dire need of editing before their work is published.
You can take that to the bank.
I've seen just horrendous writing from top names, and it takes strong editors to get them straightened up and producing truly publishable work. Not always, but more than you'd think!