eBook the Next Frontier
By Jerry D. Simmons | March 8th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Imagine for a moment as an author, selling copies of your books and never having to print replacement copies. Consider the elimination of shipping, handling and warehousing costs for printed books. Imagine never having to deal with book returns ever again. A market exists where all sales are final, welcome to the new frontier of bookselling with digital downloads and eBooks.
For new authors struggling to create an audience, why would you want to launch in print when the price of entry into the eBook market is so low? A writer can take a manuscript that has been professionally edited and create an eBook for a fraction of the cost of producing a printed book.
When publishing independently and working to stay within a budget for production and marketing, wouldn’t your money be better spent on marketing rather than print and production costs? If you already have a printed edition of your book, and you own the digital and electronic rights, why not add an eBook to your product mix? Times are changing, markets are shifting, the eBook is fast becoming a viable market for selling content.
The method of eBook distribution is patterned after the print distribution business which means you need a publisher or distributor to gain access to the marketplace. Print is not going away but more consumers will be moving to the eBook because of price and wider availability of eReaders. If you have interest in exploring the market for eBooks, please contact me through this web site.
Independently Published Books
By Jerry D. Simmons | March 2nd, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
There are lots of good books that are independently or self-published and most use digital or print-on-demand technology. No doubt, if you take the entire self-published or POD community and read all the books available, you would find vast amounts of titles that would not only hold their own in sales but had the potential to become bestsellers if displayed and merchandised in bookstores. The problem is negative perception of POD and no ACCESS to the bookstore market.
Let’s examine some facts about the independent or self-publishing marketplace.
(1) The success of many self-published titles such as THE SHACK indicates there are good books that started as independently published. However, this book would not be on The New York Times bestseller list without the help of a corporate publisher who bought the book after it had sold over 300,000 copies.
(2) A recent article in Publishers Weekly titled “Big Houses Benefit from Savvy Self-Publishers clearly indicated that the success of a handful of self-published books that made it into the hands of the big corporate publishers has made that New York publishing world take notice.
(3) According to statistics provided by Ingram Books, the owner of Lightening Source, the self-published market will grow at 15-20% each year for many years to come. This of course crowds the market, but creates opportunities for authors who are self-promoters and write really good books.
(4) As the corporate publishers sell fewer copies each year, retail booksellers will search for new opportunities to sell a variety of new categories, and will welcome new unproven authors. If the New York corporate publishers won’t do it, then it’s time for a new publishing model to be introduced to the market.
For authors who want control over their writing, the ability to retain all rights, realize a royalty payment much greater than any corporate publisher would offer, and be willing to take suggestions on how best to package and price their book to maximize its potential in the market, then your time is here. This new hybrid publishing model is ready and available.
The Truth about Book Distribution
By Jerry D. Simmons | February 25th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
One of my readers sent an email asking about a particular book distribution program. He wanted to know if it was a scam. He quoted from some article he read where it talked about a distributor that went out of business trying to distribute books for small publishers. He said the article described bookstore distribution as a scam. There was in fact a small book distributor that did go out of business a few years ago because they didn’t understand what they were doing, which often happens to businesses with a bad plan.
When a small company of any kind, distributor or publisher, enters the world of book distribution to the mainstream marketplace, they better understand the rules and how to compete with the big corporate publishers. That is especially true with book distribution. One of the reasons for launching my book distribution program last year was to offer authors, small and micro-publishers an opportunity for exposure in the marketplace. This is a program that was two years in the making and I would not even attempt to launch if I didn’t feel it was viable and could be competitive against the corporate companies.
Book distribution into booksellers such as bookstores is a very competitive business and there are no guarantees of success. My program offers access to book buyers and nothing more. Anyone that tries to offer more doesn’t understand the business. Those that wish to throw stones at the idea of book distribution to bookstores just don’t understand the market. They know how to make money selling unsuspecting writers and authors products and services that don’t work. In turn they want to attack those that are trying to make the independent market a better place for authors, small and micro-publishers.
Nothing in the printed book business is easy, but before you jump to a book distributor make sure you understand the costs, terms and risks.
Publication & Distribution Program
By Jerry D. Simmons | February 17th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
There is a new program available that is offering a unique opportunity for independent writers, authors and small publishers to gain direct access to sales channels through a national distribution system for both print and eBooks. It is available for manuscripts and previously published books in one of three ways: (1) assist with print and/or eBook publication, (2) eBook distribution, and/or (3) print book distribution.
Both print and eBooks must be submitted for consideration. This program is searching for the very best independent books for national distribution. Once your manuscript or book has been selected you will be guided by the expertise of a group of professionals with more than 150 years New York publishing experience.
For consideration of your manuscript or book contact me via email (jerry@writersreaders.com). If your manuscript or book is chosen for this program there is never any guarantee of success. Distribution is the process of presenting your book to sales channels in the market largely unavailable to individual authors.
The purpose of this program is to provide “the best of the best” of independent print and eBooks access to the marketplace on a national level. Please forward me your questions or inquiries.
Book Distribution
By Jerry D. Simmons | February 16th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Getting independently published print and eBooks distributed into the traditional bookseller market has been difficult. Many companies promise distribution services that encompass nothing more than availability as opposed to sales channel access. Our sales staff presents books to booksellers the same exact way the New York publishers sell books. That is my background and I understand sales and distribution. My group has the ability to assist writers in print and eBook distribution. This program opens the door to a sales channel that up to this point has been blocked. For more details on this program, contact me via email (jerry@writersreaders.com).
Changing the eBook Game
By Jerry D. Simmons | February 15th, 2010 | 3 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Two weeks ago Apple introduced the iPad which shook the eBook business to its core and ignited a firestorm over the future of the digital marketplace. Last week one of the largest publishers in New York, Macmillan settled a dispute with Amazon over pricing of their eBooks effectively allowing the company to price above $9.99. These two events have suddenly changed the outlook for eBooks and instantly provided tremendous opportunities for independent authors.
Apple overnight made the market for eBooks more viable as a form of content delivery since the publishing industry holds the company in such high esteem. The book business is very old school and sometimes it takes a major event to open the eyes of New York publishers to the possibilities. Apple provided that eye opener. Amazon was a player and the Kindle opened some doors, but nothing like Apple and their new iPad. Suddenly everyone is taking a second look.
The big New York companies have been fighting with Amazon over the pricing of their eBooks since the Kindle was introduced. Today, for a hardcover priced at $28, Amazon sells the eBook for $9.99 and then pays the publisher $4.01. For each unit sold, Amazon was paying publishers $14.00 and as a result was trying to force the publishers to lower their price for all eBooks. The big publishers have refused. Amazon desperately wanted to seed the market with low priced eBooks and sell more Kindle’s; that strategy will now change.
The New York publishers have always felt that the pricing for their bestselling titles should be closer to the hardcover price, in effect raising the price for most if not all New York published eBooks. This opens the door for the independent author and publisher to price in a manner that will undercut their bigger competitors in a market that is already comfortable with $9.99 and below. This is something the print market has forbidden simply because of the cost of paper, printing and handling. This is a major event in the emerging market for the sale and distribution of eBooks.
As a result of these two significant events, every author should take steps to secure eBook distribution. Even though the print and eBook markets are the same, many of the major retailers for book sales look at both print and eBooks the same, which means the advantage of distribution for your eBook under a publisher banner is necessary to gain full market advantage of the distribution opportunities.
I would be happy to help you distribute your unpublished or published book as an eBook and provide the independent author with a market boost. Distribution of eBooks is a fraction of the cost of print and the economics make it much more advantageous for every author. The marketplace is getting ready to explode and if I can help you find a market for your eBook please contact me immediately. The window of opportunity may be small.
Getting Book Distribution Into Bookstores
By Jerry D. Simmons | February 15th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
For most independently published authors, the idea of having their book placed on the shelves of a major bookstore is the ultimate. The major retail chains have a system of inventory where new titles arrive and unsold are returned, every title is guaranteed to sell or face removal. The window of opportunity to sell a newly published title is ever so small, perhaps six weeks at most. While bookstores place newly arriving books onto store shelves they take the unsold ones off and send them back to the publisher. Each megastore carries around 120,000 unique titles, but only 25-35,000 are newly published, the rest are steady sellers called backlist titles. Due to the volume of new titles arriving daily, stores are forced to constantly turn their inventory. If you are fortunate to get your title placed you must have a marketing plan that will hopefully drive the consumer to your particular category and find your individual title. It’s a good idea to have a plan to make that happen before you seek publication and distribution. Bookstores are one sales channel but not necessarily the ultimate.
Print and Digital Publishing Strategy
By Jerry D. Simmons | February 1st, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
The business of book publishing was founded on the concept of the printed word on paper. With the recent rise of the eBook and digital delivery of content the industry is being forced into rethinking their strategy toward both print and digital. Old school publishers are hesitant to give digital any noticeable recognition for two reasons: first because today it represents only a few percentage points of total business and second, digital delivery upsets the tradition of the printed word.
The development of eReaders has given rise to a potentially lucrative market for publishers. However the tendency to publish first with print followed by digital has flaws. Traditional fears of canalizing sales from one format to another is an anachronistic way of thinking and in order for publishers to succeed, they need to change. It’s no longer possible for publishers of any size to ignore the marketplace and continue with business as usual.
This is especially true for small independent publishers whose business model has up to this point centered on print. The focus of print followed by digital is no longer a viable option. The economics of production and long standing discounts to booksellers have made the margins for print virtually impossible. It makes little sense, outside an overall strategy of print and digital, to consider the printed book the cornerstone of an author’s plan to create an audience and sell books.
Recent changes within the industry now make publishing a manuscript independently more acceptable than ever before. Professional production standards with savvy marketing have created some outstanding books that have been successful competing in the marketplace against all published books, not just independently published titles. This is a major accomplishment for the segment of the market that has long since been ignored. However, the negative perception of “self-published” remains so writers must be smart about the imprint that is attached to their book.
Any writer who has a professionally edited manuscript and is interested in charting a successful course to publication must develop an overall strategy that includes print, digital, audio and foreign rights, I encourage you seek out all options before making a final decision. Setting goals for yourself as an author and for your books should include professional consultation. Information is vital to making smart decisions and avoiding the pitfalls of publishing on your own.
Authors Beware of Faulty Promises of Success
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 27th, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
I dislike the need to write these warning blogs but the Independent publishing market demands it. It is my intent to inform everyone about new products or services aimed at the Independent writer or author that just don’t work. I’ve recently discovered three such services.
The first has to do with international distribution. One of the so-called “experts” wants you to believe that you can sell thousands of books by using their distributors who just happen to be overseas. Don’t fall for it! The international market for books is very small, compared to the US market. Plus you have multiple issues to deal with one of the most important being copyright. Never, ever send your manuscript or book to an overseas distributor and never agree to anything via email solicitation!
The second deals with specialty sales, often described as non-bookstore sales. You should never pay an upfront fee for this kind of service. Instead you demand to pay only on success. If the so-called sales force is successful and your book is actually ordered in quantities of tens of thousands, then I’m sure you would be willing to pay a reasonable fee. This entire premise is a way to generate revenue up front with no promise or guarantee. In fact, the author may never know who was actually contacted and presented their book. This is a bad deal for the Independent author and you should avoid at all costs.
The third deals with the growth of the eBook and how to profit. Suddenly there are seminars, webinars and a variety of secret formulas for success. Most claim to have sold thousands of eBooks within a 24-hour period and will share their proven secret with everyone for only a few hundred dollars. PLEASE do not fall for this or any of these scams designed to separate you from your money. There is no secret, no special formula, it’s a marketing ploy. If there was such a thing as a secret to book publishing success don’t you think someone would have come up with it by now?
Time for the Independent Author
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 20th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
If you are a writer and have been unable to attract an agent or editor for your work then take solace in the fact that your time on center stage is rapidly approaching. The independent or self-publishing marketplace is slowly becoming respectful. The advantage an independent writer who is not under contract has over everyone else is they own their content and all rights associated with that work. This is the single biggest advantage of publishing on your own.
Writers have more publishing options today than ever before, the problem is that these large POD companies that advertise and promote heavily are not the perception you want for your book. Publish under the wrong imprint and you are forever labeled with the worst of the worst simply because those companies publish anything. Don’t make this mistake. You are only a first time author once and you cannot re-launch a book as new. When a writer makes publishing mistakes with their book, it can spell disaster for your future as an author.
The single best form of independent publishing is the Hybrid Model of which there is only one company operating today, the INDI Publishing Group. Authors have the advantage of New York experience followed with professional production plus sales and distribution for their books. The key is that all manuscripts are vetted for excellence and only the very best independently titles are published. Perception is everything in book publishing, if you choose to go it alone, team up with experienced publishers and avoid the mass produced publishing mills. For a career as a writer, don’t make publishing mistakes.
