There's a storm on the horizon of the publishing world - though some would say it's a lot closer than that. What's it about? The impact of digital publishing on the traditionally paper-dominated publishing industry.
Writers, agents and publishers are all angsting about it, tweeting about it and crystal ball gazing about it. As indeed they might, because it's their livelihoods at stake. Will e-publishing be the death knell for paper books? Or is it just a fad, a bit player in a mammoth market?
One thing's certain: nobody knows.
But everyone's got an opinion. And it seems to me (if I didn't already know it) I must be nuts to want a career in writing right now. Not only do I have to overcome my own inferiority complex, the futility of the slushpile, the multiple (read: hundreds of) rejections, the need to be a marketing expert - now I'm not even sure what 'publishing' means any more.
I always hoped I'd be published one day, that I'd hold my book, see my name on the spine. E-publishing didn't even cross my mind. It doesn't really count as 'published', right?
Wrong. E-published equals published. But - and here's the thing - e-publishing makes it easy for people to self-publish. Anyone can do it. I could upload my manuscript to Kindle and start selling it tomorrow if I wanted. Do I want to? Um... I'm not sure. There are lots of factors to consider - some I'm already aware of, but plenty of others I'm not, I bet. So, for now, I'm going to play a fence-sitting game.
Which probably means, as with most decisions I make, it's the wrong decision and I should've leapt onto the self-publishing train before it gathered speed and left me behind.
Seriously, folks, I was not meant to be rich. I'm not complaining - well, okay, maybe I'm whinging a little - it's just the way it is. Whatever I decide, you should do the opposite and, trust me, you'll be loaded in no time!
Anyway, enough about me and my bank overdraft. What I want to know is this: do you read books in digital format? Leave a comment and tell me yes or no, because I'm keen to see how many of you would currently choose to read e-pubbed books.
Yes - I often choose to read e-pubbed books - for two reasons: yes, they are usually cheaper and that makes a difference, but also, it's the fact that if I see a book I really want I can get it instantly. For me the instant gratification factor is important! I still love printed books - always will - but e-books are a big part of my life now.
ReplyDeleteAs for your interesting comment about kindle direct publishing, Maggie, you might be surprised. I have one title with a UK imprint and one 'indie' title out there at the moment. Guess which one is selling better?
Yes - the self-pubbed e-book, American Smile. But for those interested in e-publishing themselves you need to remember that 'kindle' does not mean e-reader. There are lots of different readers. Get your book on smashwords if you want to reach them too.
Cody, you raise some really interesting points. Thanks! An instant gratification girl, eh? (grins) I think there are a few of us like that! It's great to hear that, in your life at least, digital and e-pubbed books can co-exist happily.
ReplyDeleteAs for your indie published book, I'm not surprised at all. :) You're definitely not the first person who's told me that - and, believe me, it just adds to the temptation. (sigh)
You're absolutely right re my use of the word 'kindle' and I should've made myself a bit clearer. I didn't want to get bogged down in the detail but, for anyone reading this post who might be thinking of going the self-pubbed route, Cody's right. Keep in mind your market uses a range of e-readers and make sure you're accessible to the widest audience possible. Thanks for making this point, Cody :)
the debate may continue, but e-books have made enormous inroads into traditional publishing. Amazon reports that e-books sales are now outstripping paper book sales. Ever since the invention of the printing press we've associated a book as being a thing of paper. But the paper is jus the container; a book is what's inside those pages. It's about ideas, worlds, characters. Anyway, how come being e-published or self-published is considered such a dirty little act, and substandard. Huh! If I came up with a smart new idea for...say...how to make a car go faster, and I took that idea into business, would anyone say my product was less than the best because I chose not to use a traditional car manufacturer to bring my idea to everyone's attention. No! I'd be celebrated as a genius. It's only in publishing that go-it-aloners are derided as vanity publishing. Oh, phooey to that, I say. Traditional publishers think they own the marketplace. Well, e-publishing and the ease of self-publishing have kicked those money-grubbers into touch. viva le revolution.
ReplyDeleteTraditional publishers have been milking the reading public for decades. 40, 50 dollars for a book? Yeah right. And we know that unless you're Marian Keyes or another of the big fish, the author is probably getting a few bucks from that 40! If that.
ReplyDeleteMy wife just bought an iPad 2 ...one of the main reasons for her purchase was to read e-books (and play solitaire). I can safely say we will never be buying a "real" book again....unless of course we decide to stick with that anachronistic filly and eventually get faith and celia (or becs and miriam) onto "real" bookshelves.
I love the thought of e-books even as I grieve what could be the loss of the familiar paper ones. I too have battled slush piles and seen the downright wacky books being offered for sale and then turned to e-sites and read trailers of books that are far more interesting.
ReplyDeleteSo you're not alone in fence sitting.
Are e-books the way of the future? For certain sure. In a world shrinking daily with insufficient food to feed its population sacrificing trees to make paper books seems doomed as a colossal waste of resources.
I just bought myself a cheap and cheerful e-book reader - and although its not a Kindle - I'm in love! ($119 from Dick Smith for those interested - and its in colour!)
ReplyDeleteThe main reason for buying it was to be able to have my own book in my hands. My debut story is novella size, so my publisher couldn't print it in paper format. My dream of holding an actual 'book' will have to wait until I write something longer, but in the meantime - I have it on e-reader!! Woohoo! : )
And when buying new books, I tend to be like Cody - that instant gratifaction - you can't beat it! Plus, the cheaper price means I can buy more - always a big plus : )
Thanks for stopping by, Amy. (waves madly) I've got this zany vision of you stomping around with a placard, yelling "Revolution! Revolution!" :D
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure digital publishing is considered a dirty thing any more - it definitely wasn't what I was meaning in my post. Certainly in the past it's been seen that way, but I was referring more to the fact that if you do choose to go that route you've got to make very sure you get it right, because traditional publishers are less likely to look at you later on if you've got a mediocre sales record through e-pub.
Of course, the same is true if your paper book's sales are mediocre, so I guess it's swings and roundabouts!
So I take it your vote is a resounding 'yes' to e-readers?!! lol
Hiya Peter! Thanks for joining the discussion. An iPad2, eh? Lucky wife! Guess she'll have to hide it or you'll be nabbing it first. ;)
ReplyDeleteWow. So you're going to be total converts, yeah? That'll save you a lot of bookshelf dusting! I'll be really interested to see how it goes - bet you'll have to buy a second e-reader though...
Your Celia definitely deserves a place on bookshelves, whatever you may think about paper books. (So hurry up and get it done, buddy!)
Hey Shirley, great to have a fellow fence-sitter here! Good point re the resource usage - that's a definite advantage to the digital revolution. So do you think you'd by e-books? (ie now - or a year or two down the track) Or will you be loyal to the books you can touch?
ReplyDeleteHiya LaVerne - great to hear about the new love in your life! ;) You've got the perfect reason to buy an e-reader, and I'll be really interested to hear how your sales *and* purchases go!
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