More Authors Start Their Own E-book Store

[Billjr13]

Thanks Critteranne and David. Bookmarked

[David.Niall.Wils]

No problem. I think you'll see a lot more authors digitizing their backlog as it catches on.

[Ken Maltby]

Might make a big difference, over time, for the meaning of "out of print" or at least
the impact to the author and consumer. Finding a "new to you" author could mean
finding not just his latest work, what's in print and being promoted by a publisher,
but perhaps all his work to date. Certainly an advantage for series. I know I am
more likely to start a series if I can be sure of finding the rest available.

Luck;
Ken

[David.Niall.Wils]

Yes, and I believe there will be some hard-fighting between authors and publishers over the length of time rights are withheld...what out of print MEANS...and who owns digital.

[fugazied]

This is great!
I hope that some big name authors take the leap soon as well. If we get a Tom Clancy level author deciding to self publish or starting a direct e-book partnership with Apple/B&N/Amazon then it will start a landslide. Publishers will be forced to concede to some consumer and author demands.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

All of these authors were published at one point. You'd almost certainly never know any of their names otherwise (that is, of whatever names are recognizable).

Agreed. I think self-publishing will benefit two types of people:

1. Famous authors who have the name recognition, as well as the money to pay for marketing on their own etc. They can now get books right to consumers and not have to split revenue with publishers on e-books. At least once their out of contract.

2. Upstarts. If they're good they can make a name for themselves. May not be able to become famous that way, but can at least have more leverage in contract negotiations by being able to show how many people bought their books they self-published when shopping new manuscripts etc.


As for your other comments about self-publishing being nothing new--that's true of course. But it will become more feasible as we move through the coming decades and see digital content become the dominant way people get music, movies, books etc. It's hard to succeed now when the majority of sales are still paper books, cds and dvds/blu rays as you have to be very successful (like a Pearl Jam) to be able to press/print your own material, ship it to stores etc.

[MaggieScratch]

Originally Posted by fugazied

This is great!
I hope that some big name authors take the leap soon as well. If we get a Tom Clancy level author deciding to self publish or starting a direct e-book partnership with Apple/B&N/Amazon then it will start a landslide. Publishers will be forced to concede to some consumer and author demands.

Keep in mind these books have already been published in hard copy, and therefore have had the benefit of professional editorial development; new texts published in this way will have skipped this important step. They've already gone through the gatekeepers. What they are doing is basically the same as releasing a new paperback edition of these particular novels.

That being said, it's great that these authors are aggressively using the rights that belong to them! Authors with books published in the past five or six years might not have the same flexibility and freedom.

[dmaul1114]

Yep, but again that wouldn't be an issue for successful, established authors who have the money to pay to have their works edited on their own. There are plenty of editing companies out there, you don't need a publisher to use them. I have some colleagues who speak English a 2nd language who pay for editing of their research articles etc.

[David.Niall.Wils]

Also keep in mind that some of us, as well as putting up our previously published work, are launching a few original titles to test the waters as well.

I have The Orffyreus Wheel and On the Third Day - both doing fairly well - neither (as of yet) has found a home with a print publisher.

David

[Blue Tyson]

Wish someone could talk Charles R. Saunders into doing this for his Imaro and Dossouye books.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

Keep in mind these books have already been published in hard copy, and therefore have had the benefit of professional editorial development; new texts published in this way will have skipped this important step. They've already gone through the gatekeepers. What they are doing is basically the same as releasing a new paperback edition of these particular novels. ...

I agree with this. Digital or not, publishers do offer a valuable service, as gatekeepers, editors, marketers....

The vast, vast majority of self-published digital stuff is self-published for a good reason. It's a cheap version of the vanity press.

[David.Niall.Wils]

Another point is that there are authors like myself...I have licensed work out (and yes, they made it available for the Kindle, but I make no money off of that). I have other books that only came out from independent publishers in limited, signed editions that cost a lot of money to read. The e-Book editions give me a chance to make books that might have made a bigger splash first time around available to a much wider audience. [Promotion deleted - MODERAT0R]

David

[K-Thom]

I agree with this. Digital or not, publishers do offer a valuable service, as gatekeepers, editors, marketers....

Not exclusively. Think of a mixture of this:

Agreed. I think self-publishing will benefit two types of people:

1. Famous authors who have the name recognition, as well as the money to pay for marketing on their own etc. They can now get books right to consumers and not have to split revenue with publishers on e-books. At least once their out of contract.

2. Upstarts. If they're good they can make a name for themselves. May not be able to become famous that way, but can at least have more leverage in contract negotiations by being able to show how many people bought their books they self-published when shopping new manuscripts etc.

Consider a joint website run by thriller/suspense writers with the likes of Tom Clancy, Robin Cook, Mary Higgins Clark and others. As a reader you'd have a certain trust in the quality of that site, right?

Now consider this site offers newcomers a chance to publish their first novel. Revised, of course. Nothing right out of the keyboard.
Such a site would play the role of a gatekeeper, and you definitely wouldn't need a publisher for it.

Sure, all of these authors established their reputation through book publishers. Publishers won't become obsolete. But renowned authors may add quite a different, alternative approach, if they're willing to accept the role of senseis in their own genre. Or kohais and sempais, to take into account the relationship between "newcomers" and "oldtimers".

[MaggieScratch]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Yep, but again that wouldn't be an issue for successful, established authors who have the money to pay to have their works edited on their own. There are plenty of editing companies out there, you don't need a publisher to use them. I have some colleagues who speak English a 2nd language who pay for editing of their research articles etc.

Copy editing is not the same thing as editorial development. That is when the editor gives the author constructive feedback to help her shape the story. It's not something one can easily hire, and not something that many authors would be pleased to give up, unless they are Anne Rice.

[David.Niall.Wils]

Maggie,

True. On the other hand, if you have a decent fan base, you can do as I do and run earlier drafts through critical hands before you reach that copy-editing phase. I have had very good luck getting critical feedback from reader's groups. My agent is very good, as well...you work with what you have, sometimes.

I certainly agree that books that have been through that entire publication process are nearly always better. It's like listening to a band live and realizing they sound NOTHING AT ALL like the studio, produced version of their sound.

DNW