online book sales

[dascmom]

I've been doing a lot of research on self-publishing. If I want to focus mainly (or exclusively) on online book selling, for example amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, kindle, ebooks, is there a reason to get the 50% trade discount on the book (which seems to raise the book's price greatly)or is a 25% trade discount acceptable? Also, it seems that at CreateSpace they only put your book online at Amazon.com. Is that correct? Is that enough exposure to sell your book online or do you need to have it go out in various outlets? One more big question, have any of you had success by focusing exclusively on online sales or is the local bookstore (book signings, etc.) important to your success?

Thanks for all of the help. It seems that the more I look into self-publishing, the more confused I become.

[Old Hack]

Dascmom, listing your books at online bookstores like Amazon and Barnes and Noble is going to make it available for people to buy, but it's not nearly enough if you want to make a decent number of sales--if people don't know your book is there, they're not going to buy it. You're going to have to focus on reaching out to your readers and letting them know about it, which is the really difficult part.

Most booksellers are going to want a minimum of 50% discount, although some will settle for less--they have to cover their overheads and make a profit, and they can't if they don't get a high enough discount. But you also have to make sure that you can give those discounts while keeping your book competitively priced, which is why you have to take great care when costing up the publishing process of your book.

There is a lot involved in self-publishing properly, and you are right: it is all confusing. It can be done, but you do have to do your research if you want to do it well.

[zpeteman]

Not disagreeing, just correcting.

I'm a bookseller and I can tell you that no one out there (short of maybe Wal-Mart/CostCo) gets a 50% discount on any book. 40% is standard, anything over that is gravy. 50% would be a bookseller's dream.

[Melanie Nilles]

What you're asking all depends on what you want out of it. You can e-pub for free through smashwords.com, which will get your ebook onto sites like barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, and the sony ebookstore. You set your own price too. The royalties are 85% to you of what smashwords receives, and that's a lot when sales come directly through their site. You don't have to have an ISBN to publish through smashwords either, as the other places will assign their own tracking number. My only problem is the character limit on the book's description.

Createspace is okay--free if you like, or to keep the price competitive you can pay $39 for their pro plan. They only sell through amazon, and you can put on your own publishing name, which I did (registered the trade name) but CS owns the ISBN, unless you purchase your own through Bowkers. I like the fact that I could enter my book in contests that require hardcopies.

You can also publish directly through dtp.amazon.com, their portal to creating Kindle ebooks directly, and the royalty is 35%.

All this is great if you can get your name out there. That's the biggest problem. It takes TIME to build up an awareness. And your story better be better than great to be considered half as good. Besides that, you don't want to self-pub and put out substandard work or any hope of gaining readers for other works is lost.

While you won't gain a wide audience going this route, it has its own rewards. And I've found that I can sell just as many books self-publishing as I have through a small publisher whose editing leaves something to be desired. At least if I spot any mistakes in my self-published ebooks, I can upload corrected versions immediately.

There's my experience in a nutshell...Oh, and I have received fan mail. Like I said, going this route has its own rewards

[Kemp]

Haha, yeah, I definitely agree about the character limit for description on smashwords.

In order to get put on Amazon, B&N, etc, you do need to follow their guidelines and such, but it's not hard at all, and they're very quick about granting approval. You just need a cover image, a copyright page, and proper formatting (which they are kind enough to go through in great detail)

I just put my first novel up on smashwords, and they approved it for distribution on those sites, so I can verify the system is pretty easy.

Of course, whether or not it brings in sales is anyone's guess.

[DavidNL]

It's all about getting attention, marketing and getting people to know about your book. This might come off wrong, but it's almost more important to build hype, awareness and being able to market your book than being a good writer.

I've made most of my money selling e-books and simply done the "traditional book" print outta pure have-to. You kindda "have to" have the book in traditional paperback format and selfpublishing is, by now, good and cheap everywhere. However, point your focus on marketing and consider doing ebooks too.

[Kemp]

Any particular tips to getting said attention?

[Melanie Nilles]

How to get said attention? I'm probably not the best at it, as I'm very introverted, but here's some advice based on what I've done...

First, be professional wherever you visit and use your website as your sig, like it's your virtual business card. Don't push your book but engage in helpful conversations in forums where you visit. If your book fits what someone asks for, include it with others you can recommend. Be enthusiastic about your book but be humble. No one likes a pushy salesperson--that'll turn off readers quicker than you click a button.

Also, get your books listed on as many different sites as you can. Get reviews and interviews--many sites will take self-pubbed titles and authors, but there you can't be bashful. Just remember not to push your book but to draw readers to YOU as a person through your personality and interests. Answer questions about your book, of course; THEN you're allowed to discuss it.

Keep a blog and updated it frequently. (When I don't have anything to talk about, I post little excerpts from my stories.) Keep your website updated often too, and make sure it's professional looking. (I keep the latest news blurbs about where readers can find my books or contests I've entered on the homepage with more in depth on a separate page.) Along those lines, don't get too personal. Keep it professional but don't be afraid to show yourself as a real person too.

Join organizations that support your genre wherever you can. (There are lots of informal SFF groups out there, which is my genre, so one does not necessarily have to qualify for SFWA membership to belong somewhere.)

If you can afford to, get a table at a convention to sell your books and talk to potential readers. Just be sure to have posters made and decorations. I learned the hard way, but the small publisher who put out my first book didn't get me any copies to sell...part of the reason I decided I'm better off self-publishing than accepting a smaller royalty and giving away my rights to someone else. (It's big publisher or self-publishing for me after my experiences with small presses.)

I'm sure someone else can make better suggestions, but that's what I've done. Except that I've also offered my works for free, either indefinitely or for a limited time, which was picked up by some free ebook sites. If you don't want to do that, then put together the first few chapters or a fair chunk of the book as a free PDF for people to sample. Be sure to include links where they can purchase the full book.

That's all I can tell you. It's all about getting your name out, though. I also run a fantasy e-serial with a new installment every week. It was originally going to be published by a small press, but after what I went through with the first book, I canceled the rest of the contracts. Instead, I decided to use it as a means to draw people back to my site on a regular basis by posting new parts every week for them to download and continue with the story. I only have to do some touch-up editing each week while I write other stories

[JFBookman]

Melanie has given you a great beginning, Kemp. A lot of what will work for you depends on your temperament and the niche or genre in which you write.

The old saying still holds true: go where your readers are, get known there. There's no particular shortcut. Definitely share your writing as much as possible, get into the "giving mindset" because you need to let people know what you're all about.

And if you haven't had your work edited, I would do that before doing anything else. Good luck.

[triceretops]

The whole process starts long before the book is released. Build a website and join as many display as possible. Pick up interviews. Talk your book up at writing groups. Put a chapter up online, but clear it with your publisher first. Facebook, Redroom, Myspace...things like that. Do a book release countdown on twitter.

Wise words, sure, which I've been following myself. Although I'm hitting brick walls, unable to sell a single copy of my newest release. I think it takes a small fanbase beforehand--people who have read you previously. It's damn tough to promote online. Sometimes I think I'm spamming the universe!

Good luck with the promo, though.

Tri

[Axler]

Originally Posted by Melanie Nilles

Createspace is okay--free if you like, or to keep the price competitive you can pay $39 for their pro plan. They only sell through amazon, and you can put on your own publishing name, which I did (registered the trade name) but CS owns the ISBN, unless you purchase your own through Bowkers.

Actually, now with Createspace's new expanded distribution program, your work can be sold anywhere...you're in the Ingram system.

That doesn't mean brick-and-mortar stores will carry your book, but at least now it can be ordered through them.

I think this will be a game-changer.

[Kemp]

Well, after fiddling around for a while with traditional publishing means, I decided to try out Smashwords. My main draw to them is that they had zero DRM and non-exclusive rights, which meant that I could potentially get readership and reputation while still pursuing other means of publishing.

I appreciate a lot of the advice; marketing is definitely not something I'm well-versed in, and lord knows everyone gets tired of people spewing themselves upon a message board with an emphatic, "PLZ REED MAI BOK PLZ!"

I've been scouring around trying to find places that would do reviews, but it's also difficult to convince people of the value of a non-commercially published novel. And why not? When anyone can make their work available, it becomes a massive crap-shoot of quality. Sure, there may be some decent works there, but who wants to take the time to filter through the slurry?

I've been somewhat fortunate so far; a couple of friends of mine have been telling coworkers and other friends. As homestarrunner.com and "Name of the Wind" has shown, word of mouth is always the marketing king. Naturally, in order to get mouths to spread the word, there does need to be some initial marketing effort. Or, at least that's how I perceive it.

Of course, for word of mouth to actually work, you need something particularly special that captivates and resonates with a wide audience; that's just the way it works.

Anyway, again, thanks very much for the advice and information; I'll see to what use I can put it.

[ResearchGuy]

Originally Posted by Kemp

. . . marketing is definitely not something I'm well-versed in. . . .

If you are anywhere near Northern California, check out this upcoming conference. Marketing and promotion will be among the focuses.

--Ken

[Melanie Nilles]

Originally Posted by Axler

Actually, now with Createspace's new expanded distribution program, your work can be sold anywhere...you're in the Ingram system.

That doesn't mean brick-and-mortar stores will carry your book, but at least now it can be ordered through them.

I think this will be a game-changer.

But you MUST be on the Pro Plan for each work you want to have in the expanded distribution plan. I added the expanded program to my book, which already was on the Pro Plan and it didn't take a week before it showed up at bn.com. They say it can take six weeks, but I suppose since everything was already going through CS for a few months before this new deal with Ingrams, it didn't take much to send the files they needed.

I discovered too that if you have smashwords and the expanded CS program, you need to double check everywhere except amazon. Barnesandnoble.com used the smashwords (limited) blurb instead of the full book blurb I had with CS and had put CS as the publisher when I have my own publishing name. After a quick email to bn.com, the info was updated within a couple of days.

Just FYI.

[Axler]

I thought Createspace automatically put your book in the Expanded Distribution Program if you had the Proplan...maybe I'd better check...I didn't know you had to sign up.

[triceretops]

Don't know what's going on, but I'm getting massive reads on a first chapter of Gate Walker on the Booksie display site. I listed about eight other novel first chapters, along with some articles and interviews, and they, too, are beginning to pop.

Here's where I promote, interact, and contribute:
MY WEBSITE (ALPHA ADVENTURES)
MYSPACE
CHRONICLES WRITING FORUM
WRITERS NET
JIM MELVIN’S BLOG—UNCLE—CHRIS
BOOKSIE
AUTHORS DEN
GATHER.COM
WRITERS FORUMS—CHRISSTEVENSON—MASTODON
BEBO
WRITESITE
AMAZON—WORDWARS—CHRIS
BOOKPLACE
LINKED IN
FACEBOOK—CHRISSTEVENSON--SUPERMAN
REDROOM
SHELFAR
ABSOLUTEWRITE
NEWS BOX
WRITING.COM
ETERNAL WRITING GROUP
WEBWIRE
GOODREADS
BLOG.COM
FANBIZZ CLUB
WORD PRESS
NOTCHUP—LAUNCH—INTERVIEW
ADVERTISE ANYTHING
PUBLISHED.COM
TRAFFIC SWARM
CLICK PRESSCODE
CHARTEOU—TRI—MASTODON

Some of these work better than others. The trick is to stay current and active on each one, at least enough to participate. That in itself, is a time-buster, but after a while you'll be able to tell which sites are more responsible for interest and sales. You have to feel your way along and click with the right community. Also, genre specialize. For instance, if you've written a paranormal, with a werewolf in it, you might sign up at The Werewolf Cafe--they worship the beast there--might sell a few copies.

Tri

[valeriec80]

Originally Posted by Kemp

I've been scouring around trying to find places that would do reviews, but it's also difficult to convince people of the value of a non-commercially published novel. And why not? When anyone can make their work available, it becomes a massive crap-shoot of quality. Sure, there may be some decent works there, but who wants to take the time to filter through the slurry?

Have you tried The E-Fiction Book Club. Good folks. And they aren't afraid to give a negative review, which is a breath of fresh air in the self-publishing world.

http://efictionbookclub.org/

[valeriec80]

Re: Expanded Distribution at Createspace.

I'd have to raise the price of my books, which I currently sell at $12.99. I'm not willing to do that. I like being able to sell at $12.99. It was one of the reasons I picked Createspace in the first place. I'd like to sell the darn things for $9.99 and compete with Walmart, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

Sigh. Sounded awesome, too...

[Kemp]

So: quick update. After being approved for "Premium" distribution, it apparently takes a while before anything appears on the B&N, Sony, Amazon, or Kobo pages: up to a few weeks. I doubt this will be like Publish America's, "We'll put your book in major bookstores," huge lie, but it might take some time.

[Melanie Nilles]

Yes, it takes a few weeks. Mine took a couple months, but it did get up on bn.com, not sony or anywhere else yet, but those distribution agreements came after the bn.com agreement. No, they don't lie or try to sugar-coat anything. Smashwords doesn't pretend to be anything but what you see.

Also, I put my works in the Amazon Kindle store myself. I'd advise doing that rather than waiting for Smashwords to do it. You can see the sales up to date immediately, which is nice. Most of my sales have come from the Kindle store so far.

[Kemp]

Excellent suggestion; it's not going to conflict with the Smashwords (eventual) upload, is it?

[Melanie Nilles]

Not sure...guess I'll find out when it happens. I haven't seen any listing except the original Kindle listing on Amazon, but the deal with smashwords is still pretty fresh.

[Kemp]

Well, I can probably just change my settings to opt out of the Amazon distribution, at least via smashwords. I suppose, with the book already posted on Amazon, I don't particularly need it anymore.

[Melanie Nilles]

Kemp, I just realized that I had opted out of the Kindle version at smashwords because I had already gone through Amazon directly. You can select what formats you want smashwords to convert your file to. It's been a while, so I completely blanked it out. THAT's why I haven't had any issues with it and won't be seeing a smashwords version on Amazon.

[triceretops]

Just read an interesting comment on PM that said Kindle sales out-stripped print version books over the holidays. Santa must have dropped off a gaggle of Kindles, wot? New tech. Ohhhh...shiiiiny.

Tri