Publishing Mistakes
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 26th, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Some of the biggest publishers make mistakes. Trying to capitalize on a celebrity book when their star is rising is a possibility, launching a new title when their star is falling can cost a publisher his or her shirt. This is the problem with the Kate Gosselin book from yesterday’s TIPS for WRITERS, click here to read.
The most curious thing about her new book was the fact that selling a little more than 10,000 copies could make it all the way to the #11 spot on The New York Times bestseller list, #103 on the USA Today list and ranked #862 on Amazon. Just goes to show how much publishing is based on “perception.” The book was sold based on previous sales, there were tons of copies stacked high in stores and even though it had very poor sales the first two weeks, the bestselling “perception” was created before anyone knew the truth.
This simple principle holds for any book: IF you are successful at creating buzz around the launch of your new book, get enough copies stacked into stores, create a false impression that the book will be a bestseller, anything is possible. In the end it may come back to bite you and cost lots of money, but perception in publishing is still a very strong strategy for success.
Bestselling Books and Bestseller Lists
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 25th, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Kate Gosselin is an author and star of a cable TV series Kate Plus Eight. She has used her stardom to become a bestselling author. The 35-year-old mom’s first two books, “Multiple Blessings” and “Eight Little Faces,” both climbed to number five on the New York Times’ list; “Multiple Blessings” sold 523,000 copies in 2009.
Her latest book isn’t exactly flying off the shelves. Since its release, “I Just Want You to Know: Letters to My Kids on Love, Faith, and Family” has sold just over 10,000 copies, according to national book sales tracker Bookscan. The non-fiction title debuted at #11 on the New York Times’ non-fiction bestseller list, and at #103 on USA Today’s bestsellers chart. Its Amazon.com rank was #862. This is in spite of Gosselin’s relentless promotion on TV and radio.
Jim Milliot, business and news director of book-industry magazine Publishers Weekly, tells UsMagazine.com that the numbers “nowhere near a blockbuster” and “not that impressive.” Could “I Just Want You to Know” end up selling 500,000 copies in the long run? Not likely, Milliot tells UsMagazine.com, explaining that the lion’s share of book sales typically occur “in the first month or two of publication.” He adds that Gosselin will have “a very tough time getting to 50,000, let alone 100,000…I think it will be a disappointment in the end.”
The real question for authors and book lovers alike is: how does a book that sold only “a little more than 10,000 copies,” end up on national bestseller lists? For information on how a book becomes a bestselling title, read my article explaining how the system works. Click here.
Anything is Possible
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 21st, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
There is no easy road to becoming a successful author. Successful is defined as the ability of one to make a living writing. Anything beyond that takes talent, a lot of luck, timing and following the proper steps to publishing success. Paying tens of thousands of dollars to have an aggressive promoter provide you with a special “success package” that includes seminars, workshops, personal coaching and messages from bestselling authors will only drain your pocketbook and not get you closer to publishing success.
There are no secrets and never any shortcuts! Having spent more than two decades in the New York publishing world I can honestly say that many great writers with terrific books never achieved publishing success even though their publisher spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and let out all the stops to try. It’s neither easy nor quick to become a successful author and sitting down in front of a large crowd of people who all paid a lot of money to listen to how anyone can become a bestselling author is totally bogus.
Anything is possible, if a writer will practice their craft by writing lots and lots of material. Hire a professional editor to help them become a better writer. Focus on becoming the best writer you can be. Don’t fall for get rich quick schemes and never let your dream die. Publishing is a highly competitive business and there are over one million new titles published each year. If you do the right things including reading and researching competitive titles and authors, you have as good a chance as any to be the one who becomes the next big bestselling author.
New Formats, New Markets
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 17th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Publishers actively promote various formats for publishing content simply because it creates a new audience and more sales. Hardcover readers sometimes purchase paperbacks but paperback readers rarely purchase hardcover books. Older consumers prefer trade paper as opposed to mass market size where the print is small. Audiobook lovers sometimes read books in print but prefer audio because of their travel or workout schedule. Readers of eBooks also purchase print books but seem to enjoy the convenience of the eReader.
If bestselling authors can sell on average—a million hardcover copies, two million trade paperbacks, two and a half million mass market paperbacks, one hundred and fifty-thousand audiobooks and another one hundred thousand eBooks, this clearly illustrates that each format for publication has a distinct market. That is why publishers make most of their titles available in as many formats as possible. This is also why independent print authors should have at a minimum an eBook for their writing.
Any author serious about their audience and creating additional sales must have a quality produced eBook available for sale at all major online retailers as well as the major online catalogs, schools and libraries. The market is growing, don’t miss your opportunity.
New Face of Publishing
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 14th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Once the current top management of the major publishers move on and out, younger executives with new ideas that fully embrace the digital technology will take over and more emphasis will be placed on eBooks. For the independent author the delay from old to new provides a window of opportunity to be among the first to gain a footing in the digital world before the majors take over and attempt to dominate like they do with print.
Every author with a print title should not hesitate getting into the eBook market—AS LONG AS—they do it the right way with the correct brand and global distribution. The major publishers will eventually attempt to influence the market as they do with print titles and will do everything they can to dominate and eliminate competition. Small category publishers who have been around for fifty years are still holding space on shelves due to their longevity and ability to hang on. If they were new publishers today trying to gain a foothold in the market with print books their chances of survival would be slim at best.
Don’t make a digital mistake that you may have made in print, select your publisher wisely, be concerned about the level of production, become part of a quality group of authors and not just another name on a list. Digital publishing will eventually focus on the “perception” of the product and the independent author will improve their chances at success by making wise decisions today. If you have questions about digital product or the market for eBooks, please send an email Jerry@WritersReaders.com and let me help you navigate the process.
Bestseller Lists
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 13th, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
At this early stage in the development of the eBook market, sales do not in any way reflect or have any impact on bestseller lists for the print edition. Take into account the fact that eBooks of major titles are not released until several months after the hardcover and you can see why. The release of a trade paperback several months after a hardcover will not have any impact on bestseller lists for the hardcover edition. Bestseller lists for print formats do not include sales from corresponding formats. Trade paper sales do not impact hardcover sales and so on.
The question will be, if a trade paperback and eBook are released simultaneously will both editions count toward bestseller placement and my guess is they will not. Simply because the players in creating bestseller lists are slow to change and since they’ve been putting lists together for ages, it is doubtful they will change anything in the near future. I suspect that sales by format will continue to reflect only that particular format and none other. At some point there will be a recognized bestseller list for eBooks at it will probably come from one of the leading newspapers.
Enhanced Applications for eBooks
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
The big questions for everyone in New York publishing houses regarding eBooks have been: How to improve the value of an eBook over print? How to make the eBook special and worth the price? Apparently they have found answers with enhanced applications for eReading devices.
Enhanced applications will include such things as video, audio, author interviews, insights into the writing and publication of the eBook, much the same as you see when you purchase a DVD and get the director’s cuts. The jury is still out but in the end if the quality and presentation of the material added to the eBook gives it an added value and enhance the reading experience, then consumers should be willing to pay the price.
The potential for a thoughtful and value added presentation of additional content that truly enhances the eBook is exciting and provides a unique opportunity for the independent author. The big publishers are hampered in many ways and never make quick decisions. The INDI author has a real chance of creating a market for their writing in the eBook format that is price aggressive, content rich and capable of creating buzz in a digital market. The eBook marketplace is only going to grow and provide a new market for reaching an audience.
Hopes, Dreams & Reality
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 10th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Anything is possible in publishing, dream big but follow a few simple rules. First: write your own story and never worry about a potentially hot category or bestselling style of another writer. Second: seek professional editorial help, someone you are comfortable with who can challenge you to be a better writer. Third: follow your publishing dreams and find a way to make it happen. There are no secrets, it takes hard work, lots of time and don’t give up attitude.
If you dream of being a bestselling author then recognize the fact that talent is required. Believe in yourself and your writing but don’t spend foolishly, you cannot buy your way to a bestseller list, there are entirely too many people that will take advantage of you if you let them. There are never any guarantees in publishing so don’t listen to the sales pitch and never invest money in marketing unless you completely and totally understand how what you are getting makes a positive difference in the market. If all else fails seek professional guidance from someone with experience that can answer your questions.
Publishing is an extremely competitive business and selling books successfully is difficult. If you follow the rules, make smart decisions about how you publish and spend on marketing then you have as much a chance of realizing your dreams as anyone. Mistakes could ruin your chances as well as cause you to spend money unnecessarily. Consider investing in a publishing expert for guidance. You are only a first time author once and you only launch a new title one time. Make the most of your opportunity and who knows what might happen?
Publishing & Marketing Dilemma
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 7th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
The most common complaint I receive from independently published authors is that they paid several thousand dollars for a book which in the end has a bad cover, poor production quality and too high of a cover price. After this sad story is played out in an email they follow with a question: What do I do now? In every case their publisher offered to help market and sell books for a sizeable fee which is in addition to the amount already paid. It’s the same each time.
What I don’t understand is how writers continue to fall into this trap? It amazes me how so many are blinded by the promises only to be left with a few dozen copies of a badly published book. Unfortunately there are no good answers and certainly very few solutions to this problem. If you build a bad house rather than try to repair it’s always less expensive to tear down and start over. Sorry but in most cases that is the best solution for a badly published book.
So-called print-on-demand companies that dominate the self-publishing business are not publishers. They are printers masqueraded as publishers with little or no actual marketplace experience. Their strength is in sales and marketing of their product and making promises that cannot be realized. They have a very slick promotion piece that is called a bait and switch. They make big promises, playing into the hopes and dreams of writers, offering a low introductory price. Once they get a signed contract then the writer realizes the additional add-on for services grows to an industry average $2,200 per title after the low start-up of $399.
Shortly after I decided to start my free informational web site WritersReaders.com it became apparent that the giants in the self-publishing business were not about to let a lone voice with twenty-five years of New York publishing experience hurt their business. As I began to write and speak about the truth in publishing and offer services that would counter what they had to offer, the heavy distorted promotion began and without the deep pockets on my part to advertise my message, it has been left to the readers of my blog, newsletter and those who have heard me speak to spread the news.
As I continue to battle the injustice of bad publishing and marketing scams, I’m asking that more independent writers and authors share my story with others. Now that the market for self-published titles has grown to more than 760,000 last year, this means more and more unsuspecting writers are being taken advantage of by these self-publishing elements whose motivation is only money and not the marketability of books.
The marketplace for books is very crowded and extremely competitive. If an author has any hope of realizing dreams of becoming a legitimate, successful author then the rules of the market must be followed. I’ve written extensively about the dos and don’ts of publishing and I do my best to offer as much free advice as possible. The problem is that I need to make a living too and it’s impossible to answer every question for free. The services I offer are reasonable and the experts I have access to have unmatched New York publishing experience.
You can cut corners and save money but you must realize that it will negatively impact your book. It’s not inexpensive to publish professionally which adheres to Book Industry Standards. Writers must be willing to invest a bit more to have any chance of success which can be defined as a product with the potential to sell copies. Don’t make publishing mistakes that you can rarely overcome, seek professional guidance and be willing to invest in what’s important for your book.
Why spend countless hours writing and then follow the crowd by publishing a bad book? It doesn’t make sense, spread the word, there is an alternative.
Non-traditional or Specialty Publishing
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 6th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
There is a market for books outside the mainstream mass market and bookstore chains and that is called specialty publishing often referred to as non-traditional book sales. Although this market exists, penetration in large quantities is difficult. Most niche publishers target this market and aggressively pursue sales by developing relationships with customers and creating product specifically for that market. That is the most established form of specialty book sales.
Unfortunately there are programs available to independent authors that charge fees for presentation of a book by a thousand plus sales force which in reality means nothing. This form of direct sales rarely results in actual copies being sold and is only successful at separating the author from their money. If you are interested in pursuing this form of direct sales for your title please email with questions and I’ll gladly assist you. Specialty publishing is not the answer to poor book sales and in the end, it may very well be another disappointment.
Publishing is easy, selling books is difficult. For authors who understand the market and the business behind the book, they have a much better chance at being successful by utilizing the power of the information they possess to their full advantage. This web site was created as a free information resource for unpublished writers and authors. The key is understanding how the pieces fit and where you and your writing can make an impact. It’s not rocket science.
