by
Sam Cheever
To varying degrees, big and small publishing houses are worried
about the Indie Publishing trend. I say to varying degrees because some of the
larger or more arrogant ones think they can ignore or bully their way past the
threat of losing more and more talented, ambitious authors to the siren song of
Indie Publishing. As Indie grows, submissions to small press/traditional
publishers have slowed. The submissions pubs receive are more and more weighted
toward brand new authors, which means they bring more risk and less in the way
of an established readership to fill the publisher's coffers. In addition, more
and more established authors are asking for their rights back on older books so
they can republish the books themselves.
It's definitely a brave new world.
I'm not going to pretend this is a simple issue. It's not. There
are many factors in the swing away from traditional publishing, but there are
things publishers can do to soften that swing...if they'll do them.
What are the largest complaints authors have against their
publishing houses? Lack of communication? Absence of payment? Lack of control?
Slow response times and even ignoring authors' concerns entirely? Yes, yes, and
yes. These are all problems. I don't
know too many authors who decide to publish their own work because of the
money. Of course we're all working for money...we need to buy food, gas, and
electricity right? But money isn't the biggest concern in this decision.
It's control.
Publishers who refuse to respond to emails sent by their authors
(and then deny it!) will continue to lose talented authors to Indie. Publishers
who have the "my way or the highway" attitude will continue to lose
talented authors to Indie. Also part of the control issue are things like
inflexible and/or overreaching contracts, long delays in adding books to third
party sites, prohibitive pricing, and extended time-frames getting books to
market once they've been submitted. These are all my reasons
for opting, more and more, to Indie publish rather than follow a more traditional
publishing route.
Control is the key. An author who publishes independently can
decide the time-frame for writing/publishing the book. She can select her own
cover artist and an editor who fits her style. She can set the price, control
the market her book is part of and create her own marketing plan. And she can
make adjustments as the book moves through its shelf life to ensure ongoing
success. The only way a publisher can compete with this is to work more closely
with the author as a partner, being flexible and open to doing things a
different way. Easier said than done, I know. When a publisher is working with
hundreds of authors, trying to meet the needs of every author can be very
difficult. But that's the only way today's publisher can compete in a
marketplace where organizations like Amazon make it so easy for an author to
gain control over her precious products.
Indie publishing certainly isn't for everyone. If you don't have
name recognition, you might want to stay with a traditional publisher until
you've created a large enough platform that you can sell books on the strength
of your name. If you're afraid to delve into new things, or you're technically
challenged, you might want to hold off on going it alone until you have a
better comfort level with the tasks involved. And if you'd rather spend all
your time writing and let someone else do the back office work, you're probably
better off going a more traditional route. But if you're an entrepreneurial
spirit with a dedicated reader base, you go girl(boy)! Indie publishing is a
bowl of sweet, juicy cherries. If you're like me, you're never happier than
when your mouth is full!
Happy publishing everybody!
###
These
Honeybuns are sugar free, but hot enough to burn!
Surprised
into hiding in a men's room stall at work, Angie Peterson, owner of the Dunk
and Run Coffee Shoppe, overhears two men talking about killing someone named
Alastair Honeybun. Picturing a frail, helpless old Englishman, Angie rushes to
warn him. There’s only one, small problem, Alastair Honeybun is six foot two
inches of yummy man, who's perfectly capable of taking care of himself. But
when the thugs show up while Angie's still there, they soon figure out they'll
need to take care of each other.
Buy in paperback: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1493641891
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EZRUSOW
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-honeybun-and-coffee-sam-cheever/1029841397?ean=2940045250016
All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ahoneybunandcoffee-1278310-153.html
Apple iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1047599058
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sam_Cheever_A_Honeybun_and_Coffee?id=761zBgAAQBAJ
###
USA Today
Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes romantic paranormal/fantasy and
mystery/suspense, creating stories that celebrate the joy of love in all its
forms. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and
exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 50+ books and has been
writing for over a decade under several noms de plume.
If you haven't
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