Author Michael A. Stackpole says; "Books are Magazines"

[Arithonne]

Are they? Will customers "pointed to the website" see indie authors... or will they only see the Big Pub authors who pay to get displayed up front, crowding indies into the back?

Since the bookstore gets its cut of the profit regardless, I don't see why they wouldn't direct a customer who wanted a specific (indie) book that wasn't in stock to purchase that book from the website.

If you're asking whether customers are going to be directed to indie over NY when they're not looking for a specific book, I think that's another question entirely. I would think that a good bookstore employee would direct customers to books they think the customers would enjoy. That doesn't mean that's what happens in the real world, especially if the big publishers are paying stores to push certain books.

[DAHayden]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

B&N and Amazon make it harder and harder for indies to be seen past the walls of books that Big Pub pays to advertise. Amazon only recently segregated indie author advertisement in the discussion groups, forcing any posts with links to their books into a separate forum, away from all others.

I don't know about Amazon's forums, have never used them, but I have noticed any ways in which Amazon has otherwise restricted indies. In fact, they seem to encourage them quite a lot. They are putting some big indie successes into their Thomas and Mercer imprint.

B&N on the other hand... I wouldn't call them indie friendly. They don't want to say no but they have lots of subtle ways of shoving indie authors over to the side.

[banjobama]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

An author who understands and is embracing the future. Awesome.

This is Stackpole 100%. A "real" author who also supports digital publishing... we like it! (ETA: One of many such authors to be found, especially here on MR!)

[Lemurion]

I think Mike Stackpole's made a great point - but it only really works for authors who've been previously published commercially and are putting either their backlist or new works up for sale electronically. It works for them because people already know who they are.

I've been reading Mike Stackpole's books for almost 25 years - I've got four of them in this room alone. Directing me to the nearest eBookstore works because he can sell me books on the strength of his name alone.

It's not the indie author trying to fight past commercial advertising because I'm not looking for something new to read in this scenario - I'm looking for a new book by Mike Stackpole - and that only works if I know who the author is and already want to read their books.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

- but it only really works for authors who've been previously published commercially and are putting either their backlist or new works up for sale electronically.

It's not the indie author trying to fight past commercial advertising because I'm not looking for something new to read in this scenario - I'm looking for a new book by Mike Stackpole - and that only works if I know who the author is and already want to read their books.

Has this not always been an issue with indie authors, though? I don't think the technological changes to the publishing world will change that. But, If anything, it will give them a slight advantage over the old system, at least. So I still think his points are valid for everyone, not just established authors.

[Lemurion]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Has this not always been an issue with indie authors, though? I don't think the technological changes to the publishing world will change that. But, If anything, it will give them a slight advantage over the old system, at least. So I still think his points are valid for everyone, not just established authors.

There's no doubt that the current environment is better for indie authors than it's ever been. Having said that, I still think the real beneficiaries here are those authors who can get their names out the best - and for many, commercial publication is the best way to do that.

[OneandonlyDoc]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

There's no doubt that the current environment is better for indie authors than it's ever been. Having said that, I still think the real beneficiaries here are those authors who can get their names out the best - and for many, commercial publication is the best way to do that.

Unfortunately, his second-to-latest blog post pretty much points out that indie is the way to go for just about everyone because of the direction traditional houses are currently taking. http://www.michaelastackpole.com/?p=2702

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by OneandonlyDoc

Unfortunately, his second-to-latest blog post pretty much points out that indie is the way to go for just about everyone because of the direction traditional houses are currently taking. http://www.michaelastackpole.com/?p=2702

Why "unfortunately?"

[OneandonlyDoc]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Why "unfortunately?"

Mostly for Lemurion's point, unfortunately. I don't mind the idea of being an indie author myself.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by OneandonlyDoc

Mostly for Lemurion's point, unfortunately. I don't mind the idea of being an indie author myself.

Ah, OK. Gotcha now.
I'm actually all for seeing the power that the Big Houses wield start to wane a bit. They don't have to die, they just have to learn to accept a new role (one that's going to be forced on them eventually, anyway) in the industry.

[Lemurion]

Nothing wrong with being an indie author - but it's hard to get lots of sales without name recognition and the commercial publishers are better at creating that initial name recognition than the vast majority of indie authors.

That's why people like Stackpole and Konrath are benefiting the most from this situation: they're leveraging the benefits of indie publication to serve an existing audience. Authors without an existing audience have to create their audience before they can serve it. It's simply easier for those authors who only have to do one thing rather than two.

Both indie and commercial publication have benefits - but the greatest rewards are always going to come to those authors who can leverage the advantages of both.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Arithonne

I would think that a good bookstore employee would direct customers to books they think the customers would enjoy. That doesn't mean that's what happens in the real world, especially if the big publishers are paying stores to push certain books.

Exactly.

Originally Posted by Lemurion

That's why people like Stackpole and Konrath are benefiting the most from this situation: they're leveraging the benefits of indie publication to serve an existing audience. Authors without an existing audience have to create their audience before they can serve it. It's simply easier for those authors who only have to do one thing rather than two.

And exactly. This is the spot I find myself in: I can't break through the mass of advertising and promotion of the big publishing houses, already-established authors and the vast sea of indie authors, all trying to claw their way to the top of the hill to be seen. I generally feel like a single pixel on a movie-sized screen of static.

[DiapDealer]

That's why people like Stackpole and Konrath are benefiting the most from this situation: they're leveraging the benefits of indie publication to serve an existing audience. Authors without an existing audience have to create their audience before they can serve it. It's simply easier for those authors who only have to do one thing rather than two.

But my point is that nothing has ever changed (nor will it ever) in this regard: established authors will always sell more because they're already known—regardless of the medium. All others are struggling to become known, so they can join those ranks.

Yes, his posts are geared toward established authors embracing the idea of self-publishing, but that doesn't change the plight of the unknown indie author in any way.

I guess I just don't get your point. Yes, the new climate will benefit established authors more than it will indie authors... but the old climate did too.

[OneandonlyDoc]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Yes, his posts are geared toward established authors embracing the idea of self-publishing, but that doesn't change the plight of the unknown indie author in any way.

I guess I just don't get your point. Yes, the new climate will benefit established authors more than it will indie authors... but the old climate did too.

(maybe)

But this also points to something suggested by many of the "established" and "mainstream" authors writing on the subject--that indie writers should think about banding together, at the very least for the purposes of cross-promoting their work.

Hypothetical example: I'm a writer, and I know a few other writers that are also going the indie self-pub route. We all have work that's going to release about the same time, or a few folks have already released work. We've vetted each other's work, and most of it is stuff that we'd read ordinarily. So, we start adding sample chapters of someone else's work to the end of our ebooks, as a way to help promote the work of our writing friends and colleagues. In exchange, sample chapters of my work appear at the end of the books of these same people. Do it yourself cross promotion helps each of us gather more sales.

[DiapDealer]

Do it yourself cross promotion helps each of us gather more sales.

I think that's a fantastic idea. As long as those little consortiums don't eventually grow into a beast that gets to decide which indie authors are "in" and which are "out."