To publish or not to publish?

[yakboy69]

Just curious to know how many of you have published stories, novels etc? I have been giving some thought to publishing a book of short stories and I was curious about a few things. I am writing a story at the moment and, as is usual for me, I don't really have an ending in mind. It has taken on a life of its own and I feel it has some potential to be more than just a quick read, short story.
Any advice, ideas or reality checks would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TamLin01]

...I'm sorry, I don't think I understand the question? Do you want to publish a book? Then do. I mean, there's far more to it than just having the will, otherwise almost everyone would do it at some point, but that's surely the first step?

 

[Over_Red]

Alright. I just self-published two months ago, so I can relate to your situation!

*cracks knuckles*

SO.

I waffled a bit, too. In short: do it. It's totally worth it. Kinda hectic and more work than you think it'll be, but a fantastic experience altogether.

First of all, write your story. Make it a quality product. Nothing is more successful than a good book. It is the single most important factor in publishing success (unless you're going with a traditional publisher, in which case sheer mind-numbing persistence may be more important). A good book will shine through most crap that can be thrown at it. Similarly, all the effort and polish and marketing in the world won't help a book that just isn't very interesting.

The writing and editing process as a whole is an entire massive can of worms by itself, so I'll leave that one to you.

Ebook Resources

Here are two resources from Smashwords that I highly recommend, that are both free. They're both by Mark Coker, the owner of Smashwords and indie author enthusiast.

Smashwords Style Guide:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52

While the style guide is tailored to make your book suitable for Smashwords uploading, I found that it works just as well for the Amazon uploader. The style guide will teach you how to format the book in order to remove errors and do cool stuff like adding chapter links so the reader can jump between sections in your book. It will show you how to polish up whatever you publish so that you've got a clean product and make a good first impression on your readers.

Even if you don't plan on self-publishing online, it's still an excellent tool for making your text as good as it can be.

Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145431

The success book has all the extra information you always wanted to know about online publishing. Where is the Ebook market, where is it going? What are the qualities of a book that sells well? How does the price point affect sales? Where should you publish, and why? How can you get your name out there in the first place?

On that note...

Social Media and Promotion

Make it easy for people to find you! You want a presence everywhere.

"Everywhere" can be defined as:

(a) Major Social Media
Facebook - make yourself a page
Twitter - get an account
Goodreads - get an account, apply to be recognized as the author of your book once it is in their catalog

(b) Author Profiles
Amazon Author Profile - a place for your public face when you're published
Smashwords Author Profile - same deal, assuming you're published there
Literotica Author Profile (obvious enough) - good for referring people from your freely available works to your published works

(c) Self-made Stuff
Blog - Goodreads, facebook, and Amazon can all serve as a blog point, so you might not need an independent blog
Personal Wesbite - probably not necessary unless you're really trying to make a living from authorship alone

You want to be active in each of these places, and you want them all to be connected to one another. Think of it social media sites as the nodes of a spider web. The more nodes, the bigger the web. The more connections, the easier it is for people to jump to what they like to use when they discover you.

Facebook is important because it's facebook. It's big, everyone is there. It's like fax machines and phone lines; you've got to have one because everyone has one.

I feel the same way about twitter. If you're a twitter junkie, go crazy. I only really post to mine as often as I use facebook, so it makes little difference for me. I have it because some people prefer it to facebook.

Goodreads is a fantastic website. Hell, you might already have an account there. If you don't, check it out. It's a great personal resource you can use to track, rate, and review all the books you've read. It's a popular forum for the discussion and recommendation of various books, so it's important you get yourself on it.

You can add a book to the Goodreads catalog manually (it will need an ISBN, I think) or simply wait for their catalog to find you; when I went there, my book was already in place. Note that it's owned by Amazon, so books published on Amazon will get there sooner rather than later. Once that's done, you can apply for an "author account" and claim authorship of your book. That opens a lot of advanced features including the ability to collect fans, maintain a blog, and upload a preview of your Ebook to your book's page on Goodreads.

I have trouble finding the time, but I recommend you get involved in the Goodreads community. Don't spam yourself; rather, integrate and be a productive member. Attention will come on its own in time. More importantly, a good book speaks for itself.

You've also got your author profiles on Amazon and Smashwords. Smashwords is pretty cool, they give a few neat options. Amazon is a bit more limited in decoration, but your author page there comes with a built-in forum. It's a good tool to receive and respond directly to feedback.

Finally, you could build and maintain your own personal website. Unless you're planning on going the full monty and making a living from your authorship, this isn't that necessary; the rest of the stuff kinda takes care of it. If you do want to be bold and publish a lot of your stuff over time, this is a great way to centralize your "brand" and have an official internet node of your own creation. It certainly smacks of professionalism.

Literotica itself has been excellent for me. I've done a few things here and there on the internet; that gave me a bit of a jump start in terms of twitter followers and fans. I started publishing on Literotica for fun, and I got some really good feedback. And then it hit me: why am I not telling these people about my novel?

Literotica fans are awesome. They're cool, they're chill, they email me about the things they liked in both the stuff I've written here and the book I've published on Amazon. They're intensely loyal and excited about what I'm doing. It's great! If you've got people that like your stuff and want more of it, don't be shy - let them know about what you're up to You'll be glad you did. I sure as hell am.

One further resource: Bookbub. Assuming you're out in the Ebook world and getting some feedback and reviews, Bookbub is an extremely powerful marketing tool that can be a steroid shot in the arm for your sales. The basic premise is simple: you submit your work to Bookbub. If they accept it, you give Bookbub a cash payment, and then put your book on sale. Bookbub then sends a notice to several hundred thousand readers (or millions, depending on the category) that your cool book is on sale! I will let you look them up yourself for more detailed information on their criteria and fees. Don't feel bad if you're rejected from their selection processes, just submit again. They get a ton of requests, so often it's merely a matter of persistence. (I myself have not tried to get a Bookbub slot as of yet, but I relay this information from an experienced author who is a friend of mine).

On that last note, most of this information is a combo of what I've gathered through careful research and the recommendations of a friend that has been extremely successful - hundreds of thousands of Ebooks sold and dollars made, several stories in print and in bookstores. What you're really doing, fundamentally, is building a brand. Keep in mind that everything you do reflects your brand, and you, and stay pleasant and professional!

One last thing: traditional publishers are still the big powerhouses, but they are rapidly fading away as authors take their fate into their own hands with Ebooks. If you want to go the traditional paper route, be prepared for the long haul, long waits, and rejection letters. Self-publishing, on the other hand, is quicker and easier, but you're on your own, and success is hardly guaranteed.

Either way, hard work, persistence, and a quality product are the key things you need in your corner. It's just like anything else, really. Books are art, but they're also a commodity, a means of entertainment. People will pay for quality entertainment; they will ignore things that are not entertaining.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head. If something I said was confusing, let me know and I'll clarify.

So far, I've done all the things on this list myself, and it's worked out very well. I encourage you to do the same!

 

[yakboy69]

Thank you Over red.

Wow! Thank you so much for the information Over red.
You have certainly given me a LOT to think about. What is clear to me now is that I need to do a lot of investigation. Thank you so much for giving me the right places to look and I truly appreciate you taking the time to share all that information. I suspect I have a lot of work ahead of me.
Again, Thanks so much.

 

[Over_Red]

Glad I could help! It can be tough to know where to start, so I hope that all lets you hit the ground running.

 

[Aurelius_PG]

Another thank you to Over_Red!

I'm currently re-energising my writing hobby, as I really have to get these stories inside me finished. At least I can then move on and know they're done. I'll definitely be checking out some of those links.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Why pay someone to publish your work? That sounds like a scam to me. I don't have to pay upfront with Amazon or Smashwords or any other of the numerous publishers out there. So why pay? To have emails sent to, how many people/readers? Most of which will end up in their spam folder.

Sorry, but it really sounds like a scam.


How much to you get paid for each sale they make...% wise, of the total sale price?

 

[redzinger]

Are you referring to his reference to 'Bookbub'?

There's loads of this type of account on social media. Barely minutes ago, I unfollowed another annoying tweet-every-minute account. I get really annoyed by those who constantly self-promote on their author accounts, I'll just add them to a list and unfollow/unlike.

It's the same when I'm followed by an account which has thousands of followers, but also follows thousands - I know that it's not physically possible to read the timeline, so it's just a waste.
I can't see many people reading every tweet and thinking, 'Ooh, must buy that book.'

 

[Over_Red]

Why pay someone to publish your work? That sounds like a scam to me. I don't have to pay upfront with Amazon or Smashwords or any other of the numerous publishers out there. So why pay? To have emails sent to, how many people/readers? Most of which will end up in their spam folder.

Sorry, but it really sounds like a scam.


How much to you get paid for each sale they make...% wise, of the total sale price?

If you mean Bookbub, they're not a publishing service. They're an advertising service.

Anyone can go and sign up for Bookbub's email list. They email everyone on the list about Ebook deals in the genre they request to be listed for. That service is entirely free. People like it because they hear about good deals in genres they enjoy, and they know everything listed has passed Bookbub's quality filter. That way, you're not just randomly browsing around for indie stuff, which reduces the risk of paying for a stinker.

This gives Bookbub a product to offer authors. For example, in the genre of fantasy, there are 790,000 people signed up for Bookbub's mailing list. Bookbub charges an author between $140-$700 dollars to be sent out on their email list. The exact fee is determined by the sale price of the book; authors that create better sales don't have to pay as high a fee. They even tell you how many sales are made on average as a result of their advertising, as well as the range of sales.

They don't charge people money unless the book is accepted for the mailing list, so it's not like you're risking money. They review all submissions for quality. The point is that the sales generated from advertising your book to 790,000 people is more than worth the fee and the cost of temporarily discounting your book.

The word of mouth following that burst is worth even more - people that are on Bookbub's list are big readers. They're actively hunting for more books. They're exactly the kind of people that tell their friends and family: "hey, you've got to read this book!"

I think Bookbub has a genius economic model. They've effectively commercialized something that money can't buy, and everyone comes out happy. Authors get exposure, readers get good books on sale, and Bookbub the company makes money.

Bookbub probably won't take brand new releases, but it's a great service for authors after their book has been on the market for a time and has accumulated a body of reviews and some modest sales numbers.

 

[SamScribble]

Whether you publish or not is entirely up yo you. As is how you publish. Tips and tricks from people who have 'been there, done that' may be useful; but, in the end, it's your call. My own experience suggests that a 'mainstream' publisher is still best. But they are becoming harder and harder to convince. Good luck.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

If you mean Bookbub, they're not a publishing service. They're an advertising service.

Anyone can go and sign up for Bookbub's email list. They email everyone on the list about Ebook deals in the genre they request to be listed for. That service is entirely free. People like it because they hear about good deals in genres they enjoy, and they know everything listed has passed Bookbub's quality filter. That way, you're not just randomly browsing around for indie stuff, which reduces the risk of paying for a stinker.

This gives Bookbub a product to offer authors. For example, in the genre of fantasy, there are 790,000 people signed up for Bookbub's mailing list. Bookbub charges an author between $140-$700 dollars to be sent out on their email list. The exact fee is determined by the sale price of the book; authors that create better sales don't have to pay as high a fee. They even tell you how many sales are made on average as a result of their advertising, as well as the range of sales.

They don't charge people money unless the book is accepted for the mailing list, so it's not like you're risking money. They review all submissions for quality. The point is that the sales generated from advertising your book to 790,000 people is more than worth the fee and the cost of temporarily discounting your book.

The word of mouth following that burst is worth even more - people that are on Bookbub's list are big readers. They're actively hunting for more books. They're exactly the kind of people that tell their friends and family: "hey, you've got to read this book!"

I think Bookbub has a genius economic model. They've effectively commercialized something that money can't buy, and everyone comes out happy. Authors get exposure, readers get good books on sale, and Bookbub the company makes money.

Bookbub probably won't take brand new releases, but it's a great service for authors after their book has been on the market for a time and has accumulated a body of reviews and some modest sales numbers.

So let me understand this.

Never mind, I went there and looked around...and one thing I don't understand would be the promotion of a free book and paying $140.

That's just fucking crazy. Yeah, it might generate purchases of other titles, but I must have been Scottish in an earlier life, I can't see paying for only a maybe of generated income.

No thanks. And most of my titles are a lot more than a $1 even if I discount them at 50% and I'll be damn if I shell out $700 for a maybe.

 

[sr71plt]

I agree with Zeb on this one. If you are going to virtually give the work away (or, in this case, pay to have it read), you might as well just post it on the Internet for a free read and forget about advertising it.

 

[redzinger]

Anyone know how you can make an Amazon novel free please?

I've uploaded an edited story from here, intending it to be a freebie (as anyone could read it here for free), yet I didn't have the option of any price under 99c.

Thanks.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Anyone know how you can make an Amazon novel free please?

I've uploaded an edited story from here, intending it to be a freebie (as anyone could read it here for free), yet I didn't have the option of any price under 99c.

Thanks.

There should be a checkbox to make a freebie.

ETA: I remember seeing one, but now I can't find it. You may have to not select a royalty % then you might be able to put a zero(0) in the price entry.

 

[redzinger]

There should be a checkbox to make a freebie.

ETA: I remember seeing one, but now I can't find it. You may have to not select a royalty % then you might be able to put a zero(0) in the price entry.

Thanks. It's the first time I've done something like this and probably pressed the submit button too early - I thought I'd be able to make changes/preview etc, but it's not giving me that option (yet?).

 

[AZMotherLover]

To publish or not to publish?

I asked myself that question a few months ago.

As a novice author writing in a taboo genre, I didn't think I had any publishing options.

Then I found a website called Lot's Cave. On a whim I sent them a manuscript and asked if they might give me some feedback as to the marketability of my work. They accepted my story and published it, even creating a cover for it, at no charge to me. The Ebook is available on their website and on Smashwords.

I haven't done any marketing yet, and haven't been apprised of any sales, but I am planning on submitting more stories soon.

 

[lovecraft68]

Anyone know how you can make an Amazon novel free please?

I've uploaded an edited story from here, intending it to be a freebie (as anyone could read it here for free), yet I didn't have the option of any price under 99c.

Thanks.

I think free can only be done if you are in kindle select, which I do not suggest joining as it makes you exclusive with them.

 

[Megias]

Hi

Thank you I am new here and cant wait to read your story

 

[redzinger]

I think free can only be done if you are in kindle select, which I do not suggest joining as it makes you exclusive with them.

Thanks, I don't want to do that either as it would mean taking it down from here and my website, and anywhere else I've forgotten that I've posted it.

Awww, bollocks. So much for my grand promotion plans. Just have to hope that if anyone does pay, they don't complain after!

I just went back to check on it and it said 'Draft', which was odd as it was 'In Review' before. Hmmm.

 

[lovecraft68]

Thanks, I don't want to do that either as it would mean taking it down from here and my website, and anywhere else I've forgotten that I've posted it.

Awww, bollocks. So much for my grand promotion plans. Just have to hope that if anyone does pay, they don't complain after!

I just went back to check on it and it said 'Draft', which was odd as it was 'In Review' before. Hmmm.

If its in draft they are holding it back for a reason. Expect an e-mail from them in the next few hours.

 

[redzinger]

If its in draft they are holding it back for a reason. Expect an e-mail from them in the next few hours.

I suspect it's my cover, as I've checked the book and there doesn't appear to be any formatting errors. I think the cover's not the right shape, but I couldn't figure out how to translate their dimension requirements into the GIMP image:

ideal image height/width ratio is 1.6 (example:1000 x 1600)

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Thanks, I don't want to do that either as it would mean taking it down from here and my website, and anywhere else I've forgotten that I've posted it.

Awww, bollocks. So much for my grand promotion plans. Just have to hope that if anyone does pay, they don't complain after!

I just went back to check on it and it said 'Draft', which was odd as it was 'In Review' before. Hmmm.

Make it $.99, to many people that's free.

It went to draft because you changed something in the details and didn't do the final save and publish. If you change something on the first or second page and then wander away or just hit the save button it goes to draft.

They also want the cover to be 1400px wide. I just make mine 1400 x 2100.

 

[lovecraft68]

I suspect it's my cover, as I've checked the book and there doesn't appear to be any formatting errors. I think the cover's not the right shape, but I couldn't figure out how to translate their dimension requirements into the GIMP image:

ideal image height/width ratio is 1.6 (example:1000 x 1600)

1400x2100 will work

here is a link to a site that resizes for you if you have trouble

http://www.picresize.com/

 

[redzinger]

If its in draft they are holding it back for a reason. Expect an e-mail from them in the next few hours.

Not the cover...

During a review of your KDP submission, we found content in your book that is freely available on the web. Before we can publish your book, you need to take one of the following actions within five days:

Of course it's freely available! Gah. Hmmm.

 

[lovecraft68]

Not the cover...

During a review of your KDP submission, we found content in your book that is freely available on the web. Before we can publish your book, you need to take one of the following actions within five days:

Of course it's freely available! Gah. Hmmm.

Usually they tell you that if you are the true owner of the material to simply go in and resubmit it. That's how they cover their asses with theft because they now have you saying "Yes this is mine" so if it turns out its not there goes your account. Also takes them off the hook legally when a book is found to be stolen.