Why you should dump your publisher

wannabee · 11-10-2010, 09:09 AM

Last week I read (outside MR) about 4 collaborating author's who wrote a book together and published it themselves. DRACULAS or similar. Can someone give me a link to their story about the financial reasons they bi-passed their original publishers to publish direct themselves. It was exactly what I need to present to my employer.

DMSmillie · 11-10-2010, 09:33 AM

Possibly this article by J A Konrath (one of the four authors) in the Huffington Post?

eBooks And The Ease Of Self-Publishing

- Donna

wannabee · 11-10-2010, 09:37 AM

Bingo! I love this site/forum.

wannabee · 11-10-2010, 09:40 AM

Thankyou, the site won't let me give you more karma yet. But I'll be watching.

DMSmillie · 11-10-2010, 10:36 AM

Heh! Not a problem. I've learned a lot, lurking on these forums. Just nice to be able to give something back now and then.

- Donna

L.J. Sellers · 11-10-2010, 12:02 PM

Joe Konrath inspired me to get my digital rights back from my publisher. Now I'm actually making some money. That's all the reason I need.
L.J.

Lemurion · 11-10-2010, 12:47 PM

If you're already published and have a following, self-publishing your backlist (especially electronically) will absolutely make you more money. It's a no-brainer. You may not sell as many copies of each book as you might in mainstream publication, but you make so much more that it more than outweighs it.

The catch is this only works if people are already looking for your books.

First novels by new unknown writers aren't as likely to do as well, because no one knows they exist.

In other words, dumping your publisher only works if you've already got one. Not having one in the first place doesn't necessarily provide the same benefits.

Krystian Galaj · 11-10-2010, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wannabee

Last week I read (outside MR) about 4 collaborating author's who wrote a book together and published it themselves. DRACULAS or similar. Can someone give me a link to their story about the financial reasons they bi-passed their original publishers to publish direct themselves. It was exactly what I need to present to my employer.

If you want to spend some more time digging for information, his blog posts from the last two years might be very relevant: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/

mr ploppy · 11-10-2010, 03:04 PM

I was one of the proof readers for that, so it will also be one of the very few ebooks that isn't full of mistakes.

wannabee · 11-10-2010, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.J. Sellers

Joe Konrath inspired me to get my digital rights back from my publisher. Now I'm actually making some money. That's all the reason I need.
L.J.

How did you get your digital rights back. Our publisher says eBooks MUST go through them.

L.J. Sellers · 11-10-2010, 08:49 PM

Wannabee, I had a small publisher, so no lawyers were involved. Just me begging to be released. I also forfeited future print contracts, but I can live with that.
L.J.

wannabee · 11-10-2010, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.J. Sellers

I also forfeited future print contracts, but I can live with that.
L.J.

Does that mean you will self publish ebooks only now? no more paper books!

L.J. Sellers · 11-10-2010, 11:56 PM

I meant withdrawing from print contracts with that publisher. I'm self-publishing print versions through CreateSpace, but I'm not concerned about how many print copies I sell. And I no longer waste my time promoting to bookstores. It's very liberating. Especially the part about being able to make my house payment. I was laid off my newspaper job earlier this year and had to make some bold moves. Going indie was the smartest thing I've ever done.
L.J.

wannabee · 11-11-2010, 01:10 AM

That's very positive. I have a couple of questions for you and anyone else that is self publishing if you don't mind.

1/ Did you use an aggregator to get your books out or did you open the accounts and upload them yourself?

2/ Did you get a choice to have DRM or not?

3/ What was the most difficult part of getting your books online?

I'll probably be doing this in the not too distant future although from abroad.

starrigger · 11-11-2010, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lemurion

If you're already published and have a following, self-publishing your backlist (especially electronically) will absolutely make you more money. It's a no-brainer. You may not sell as many copies of each book as you might in mainstream publication, but you make so much more that it more than outweighs it.

That's the folklore. Do not assume that it works in all cases. It doesn't.

It may depend to some degree on the type and genre of the book, as well as other factors.

11-10-2010, 09:09 AM	#1
wannabee Media Bloke Posts: 2,382 Karma: 113956855 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NSW - Australia Device: iOS	Why you should dump your publisher Last week I read (outside MR) about 4 collaborating author's who wrote a book together and published it themselves. DRACULAS or similar. Can someone give me a link to their story about the financial reasons they bi-passed their original publishers to publish direct themselves. It was exactly what I need to present to my employer.

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11-10-2010, 09:33 AM	#2
DMSmillie Enquiring Mind Posts: 562 Karma: 42350 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: London, UK Device: Kindle 3 (WiFi)	Possibly this article by J A Konrath (one of the four authors) in the Huffington Post? eBooks And The Ease Of Self-Publishing - Donna

11-10-2010, 09:37 AM	#3
wannabee Media Bloke Posts: 2,382 Karma: 113956855 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NSW - Australia Device: iOS	Bingo! I love this site/forum.

11-10-2010, 09:40 AM	#4
wannabee Media Bloke Posts: 2,382 Karma: 113956855 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NSW - Australia Device: iOS	Thankyou, the site won't let me give you more karma yet. But I'll be watching.

11-10-2010, 10:36 AM	#5
DMSmillie Enquiring Mind Posts: 562 Karma: 42350 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: London, UK Device: Kindle 3 (WiFi)	Heh! Not a problem. I've learned a lot, lurking on these forums. Just nice to be able to give something back now and then. - Donna

11-10-2010, 12:02 PM	#6
L.J. Sellers Novelist Posts: 287 Karma: 387979 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Eugene, Oregon Device: Kindle	Joe Konrath inspired me to get my digital rights back from my publisher. Now I'm actually making some money. That's all the reason I need. L.J.

11-10-2010, 12:47 PM	#7
Lemurion eReader Posts: 2,750 Karma: 4968470 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad	If you're already published and have a following, self-publishing your backlist (especially electronically) will absolutely make you more money. It's a no-brainer. You may not sell as many copies of each book as you might in mainstream publication, but you make so much more that it more than outweighs it. The catch is this only works if people are already looking for your books. First novels by new unknown writers aren't as likely to do as well, because no one knows they exist. In other words, dumping your publisher only works if you've already got one. Not having one in the first place doesn't necessarily provide the same benefits.

11-10-2010, 03:04 PM	#9
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	I was one of the proof readers for that, so it will also be one of the very few ebooks that isn't full of mistakes.

11-10-2010, 08:49 PM	#11
L.J. Sellers Novelist Posts: 287 Karma: 387979 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Eugene, Oregon Device: Kindle	Wannabee, I had a small publisher, so no lawyers were involved. Just me begging to be released. I also forfeited future print contracts, but I can live with that. L.J.

11-10-2010, 11:56 PM	#13
L.J. Sellers Novelist Posts: 287 Karma: 387979 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Eugene, Oregon Device: Kindle	I meant withdrawing from print contracts with that publisher. I'm self-publishing print versions through CreateSpace, but I'm not concerned about how many print copies I sell. And I no longer waste my time promoting to bookstores. It's very liberating. Especially the part about being able to make my house payment. I was laid off my newspaper job earlier this year and had to make some bold moves. Going indie was the smartest thing I've ever done. L.J.

11-11-2010, 01:10 AM	#14
wannabee Media Bloke Posts: 2,382 Karma: 113956855 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NSW - Australia Device: iOS	That's very positive. I have a couple of questions for you and anyone else that is self publishing if you don't mind. 1/ Did you use an aggregator to get your books out or did you open the accounts and upload them yourself? 2/ Did you get a choice to have DRM or not? 3/ What was the most difficult part of getting your books online? I'll probably be doing this in the not too distant future although from abroad.