Authors Must Take Control
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 7th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
There are two distinct and separate markets for selling books, the most commonly recognized is the traditional. This includes all the major bookstore chains, independent bookstores, retail booksellers of various kinds, big box retailers and all other outlets that sell books. The second market is everything else, often referred to as the “specialty” or “straight from the trunk of your car” market. Fortunately the online sellers bridge both markets. The six largest publishers in the world, control, dominate, and subsidize the traditional marketplace. All self-published, print-on-demand, and small publishers that utilize POD technology fight and scratch for placement, acceptance, and sales in the traditional market.
The only way the Independent author can find a place for themselves in the traditional market is to establish a niche outside of the “self-published” world. Perception in publishing is everything and if your book is immediately labeled “POD”, you have a tremendous mountain to climb without the hope of much success in the traditional market. It would be a tremendous help is the independent author could develop a community, create a united voice, and begin to stand on their own. This is what is meant by taking control and is the first step toward acceptance in the traditional market. Trying to find your way in the traditional market for book sales when you are labeled “POD” is fraught with numerous problems.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Sales, Booksellers, Self-Published Author, Self-Publishing
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