3 Reminders about eBooks Versus Paper Books

 

As writers, we race to stay up with all of the changes.

If you’re like me, you may have tried new social media sites or technology you wouldn’t normally try. After all, writers need to have a web presence in order to help with marketing and connecting with readers.

And writers need to know the latest eBooks trends and ePublishing options in order to stay on top of the rapidly changing publishing industry.

In fact, I bought my Kindle primarily for the purpose of understanding how they worked. I wanted to have firsthand knowledge of what it was like to purchase and download an eBook and also how it felt to read from a paperless device. I reasoned since readers would be able to purchase my books on eReaders, shouldn’t I have some basic knowledge of how they work?

And yet as we writers become immersed in the changing technology, we tend to get in a bubble and think that everyone else is in the bubble with us. We believe as technology advances, everyone keeps as up-to-date as us.

But the truth is, not everyone is moving at the same technological speed we are.

I’m reminded of this from time to time when I interact with readers. I often get handwritten notes in the mail from readers. And recently I received TWO letters from women who said this:

“It was nice to see your P.O. Box included in your book, as we do not have a computer.”

“I don’t have a computer (not good at it). Let me know if you write any other books—the titles, etc.”

No computer? That may sound archaic to those of us whose fingers are super-glued to a keyboard. But it just shows that not everyone is as bonkers about computers and the internet as we are.

Wirt Library, Bay City MI

Recently, I was speaking at a library in Bay City, Michigan, to a group of 50-60 people at a lunch program called “Booked for Lunch.” I shared about my writing journey, research process, and had a power point presentation giving some of the background information of my books.

At the end of my talk, I left time for questions and answers. In the course of the conversations, I mentioned that my eBook of The Doctor’s Lady was on sale on Kindle (at that time was a part of Amazon’s ‘What’s the Big Deal’ promotion). I asked for those who had eReaders to raise their hands. And as far as I could tell, NOT ONE person raised his or her hand.

What’s my point?

Well, I have three actually:

1. Know your genre readers and their demographics.

A recent Romance Writers of America survey indicated: One-third of romance book buyers (31 percent) surveyed currently read eBooks, while 69 percent do not.

Since romance readers are still largely buying paper books, I would miss out on a large population of fans if I decided to only ePublish my books. I would have been speaking to an empty room at the Bay City library.

The statistics may be different for paranormal, dystopian, or other genres. So we need to know our audience and plan accordingly.

2. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

In a rapidly changing industry, we don’t need to decide we’re only going to self-publish or only going the traditional route. Instead we can look at the benefits of both options.

I do believe that regardless of demographics, more and more people are trying eBooks. But . . . I’m fairly certain there will always be readers who will want a paper copy of a book—at least I’ve talked to numerous readers who claim they don’t want to read on eReaders and never will (just like the readers at my recent presentation).

If we want to reach the widest possible audience with our books, then we can’t alienate either group—fans of eReaders or paper books. We can consider reaching out to both in our publishing and marketing spheres.

3. Stay humble and don’t burn bridges.

It’s only natural for us to rise up to defend and show support for whichever method of publishing we choose whether that’s traditional, self, or small press. But honestly, I’ve seen a lot of pride over the past year in all camps.

In my opinion, it’s wisest to stay humble, realize the landscape is constantly changing, and be willing to change too. None of us knows what will happen in another year, or two, or five. So we need to remain flexible.

But in the process, we can’t grow chips on our shoulders, lash out at one type of publishing, or puff ourselves up with pride in thinking we’re on the right path (and those other writers have it wrong).

We all need each other, no matter our publishing choices. So let’s not burn bridges but rather learn from one another and support our uniquenesses.

What do you think? Are you supporting other writers who are choosing a different publishing option than yours? And why do you think it's so easy for us to get into the writer's bubble where we begin to think everyone else is just like us?

Are Agents & Publishers Too Picky?

If you’ve ever been rejected, you can’t help but wonder, “Are agents and publishers too picky?”

My debut book, The Preacher’s Bride, was rejected many times before finally garnering interest. And during the series of rejections, I had two main questions: “Am I getting rejected because of the quality of my writing?” or “Am I getting rejected because of my story idea?”

Now that I’m on the other side of the publication fence, my questions have been answered. I’ve learned that the quality of my writing was up to par (at least I think so, since The Preacher’s Bride has done well in sales and awards!).

But there was some hesitation about the story, the setting, and the time period of the book. Before offering me a contract, my publisher had to think long and hard about whether my book was the type that would interest their readers.

Of course, most agents and editors don’t have the time to offer a lot of feedback (if any) when they decline a project. So if they indicate that our writing skills aren’t strong enough then we really need to take that to heart and buckle down and work on improving.

But when we’re certain our writing skills are at a publishable level (we’ve started finaling in contests, we get positive feedback from objective sources, etc), and we still get rejections, we’ll often hear things like:

• This book won’t fit with the needs of our readers.
• It’s too similar to other projects we have right now.
• It’s too different and we don’t want to take a chance.
• The setting, time period, or subject matter won’t sell well.
• The genre isn’t clear.
• The story just didn’t resonate or grab me enough.

Are publishers and editors just being too picky when they cite those reasons for passing on a manuscript? Shouldn’t they be willing to take more of a chance? Try new things? Give new and fresh ideas a shot? After all, think about how many out-of-the-box stories have gone on to have huge commercial success?

The longer I’m immersed in the industry and the more I learn about the business aspect, the more I understand why publishers and agents must be so picky. In fact, I foresee the need for publishers to become even more choosey if they hope to succeed in today’s changing market.

Why? Why do they need to be so particular?

Here are several lessons I’ve learned:

1. Debut authors are a huge investment.

Whenever a publisher gives a contract to a debut author, they’re taking a risk. They have to pay out an enormous amount of money (for the advance, editing, cover, marketing, etc.) before the author brings in a dime. With all of the authors competing for a reader’s affection, there’s just no guarantee of recapping the money they’ve invested.

2. An author’s brand still sells a book.

If you look at the bestseller lists, they’re top heavy with brand name authors—usually those who have been writing a long time and continually put out books that readers fall in love with. Those are the bread and butter authors for publishing houses. We, smaller & newer authors, rely on them for our existence. They help foot our bills—at least until our brand becomes more established.

3. It takes many books, a lot of time, and hard work to develop a strong brand.

Even if an author occasionally makes the bestseller list, like I have, it still takes a long time and a lot of work to build a strong brand. My agent pointed out to me recently that I have only a fraction of the readership that I could have, and that I’ll continue to need to work hard at marketing each book. I’m still very much at the beginning of my writing career and have a long way to go to develop my name and readership.

4. The growth of e-readers and cheap e-books is changing the nature of building a readership.

With the growth of e-readers and the ease of buying cheap e-books, traditional publishers have more competition for a reader’s already overloaded time and attention. The fact is, as more and more books inundate the market (via e-publishing or traditional), all authors everywhere will have to work harder to obtain and maintain readers.

My Summary: In light of all of the above points, publishers and agents must be choosey in order to survive. This is a tough business for all of us—writers, publishers, and agents.

If your book is rejected because of the pickiness that is apart of traditional publication, you may just need to keep writing until you find your “break in” book. Or you may need to consider a smaller niche publisher or even self-publishing.

Whatever route you choose, it will be hard. There are no easy paths in today’s writing industry.

What about you? Do you think traditional publishers and agents are too picky? Are they justified in being choosey? Or do you think the system is unfair?

*Photo Credit: Flickr


In celebration of the countdown to the release of my book on Sept. 1, I'm giving away a signed copy of The Doctor's Lady this week! Click here to enter the drawing!

How Flexible Are You?

I’ve never prided myself on being a flexible person. I wasn't one of those girls who could bend over backwards or do the splits. And I certainly never managed to hug my head with my feet or other crazy combinations.

Aside from my lack of physical flexibility, I’ve always had a somewhat firm nature. I like to think of the positive aspects of my inflexiblity—that I’m strong, solid, and unbendable, particularly in the face of hardships.

But along with the positives also come the negatives. For example, when eating at favorite restaurants I’m unwavering in ordering the same thing every time, much to the chagrin of my connoisseur husband. I prefer the predictable. I like making plans and staying organized. And I don’t always leave room in my tight schedule for the unexpected.

With having five children, of course I’ve had to learn to be much more flexible and spontaneous! But it’s still not something that comes naturally.

I also have a hard time switching gears when it comes to my writing. But in a writing industry that is evolving at a fast pace, a writer who isn’t willing to be flexible and bend with the changes, is likely to be left far behind.

I recently did a Skype interview with author Joanna Penn (known on Twitter as @TheCreativePenn). Joanna successfully self-published her e-book Pentecost and has also built a large web presence. In our interview she asked me, “How do you see your writing future shaping up? Will you stay in traditional publishing or try indie? Will you stay in historical romance or do another series under another name?”

While I might not have definitive answers about my future at this point, Joanna’s question really got me thinking about the various areas in which we as writers need to be flexible:

1. Be willing to embrace new ideas for our stories.

My first two books are inspired by real life people. The Preacher’s Bride (which is on sale on Kindle for only $4 right now!) is a fictionalized version of the romance between the prolific writer John Bunyan and his wife Elizabeth. The Doctor’s Lady (releasing in less than two months!) is based on the first American woman to travel overland to Oregon. I love writing stories inspired by women of the past and I want to bring these forgotten heroes to life.

However, my third book (and possibly the next couple after that) won’t be inspired by real people. They will still be historical romances. But my publisher doesn’t want my brand to be too narrowly focused on inspired-by stories and so has asked me to broaden the scope of what I write.

As difficult as it was for me to switch gears, when I finally started writing Book 3, I fell in love with the story. My point is that to stay alive and relevant in this industry, we have to try new stories, hold our ideas loosely, be open to suggestions, and be willing to change with the times.

2. Be flexible with publishing choices.

I have a good working relationship with my publisher, and we’re in the process of talking about another contract. I’d love to keep writing for them long term.

However, like most published authors, I can’t ignore the growing trend toward self e-publishing. I need to remain open to the various possibilities that the future might bring. We may quickly be losing the distinction between self and traditional publication as more and more authors put a foot into both. We’ll likely see a lot of overlapping, perhaps parallel career paths.

Modern writers need to have an open-mind about publishing options and realize there isn't "one right way" anymore (if there ever was).

3. Be willing to accept social media changes.

No writer in today’s publishing world can afford to snub social media. But surprisingly I still run into writers who turn up their noses at some aspect or another of social media, largely because they don’t understand it, but usually under the guise of not having enough time.

The good ol’ days of a writing career being all about writing are long gone. In the twenty-first century a professional writer needs to learn as much as they can about social media and how to utilize it effectively. Writers who insist on sitting on the sidelines will miss out on playing the game. (However, we also need to be wise about when to jump in to social media. Read this post by agent Rachelle Gardner for more advice: "First Things First.")

For those of us already making good use of social media, we need to remain flexible too. Various social media sites will come and go with importance and relevance, and we need to be willing to evolve with the changes.

Your turn! How flexible are you? Is it easy for you to roll with changes? Or (like me!) do you struggle to switch gears? In what area(s) do you struggle the most to remain flexible?

P.S. Here's the Skype interview I did with Joanna. It's quite long (24 minutes!). But you're welcome to take a peek!

How Can Writers Know if Their Work is Ready for E-Publication?

E-publishing is growing in popularity. With the ease and low cost of getting a book into digital format and the lure of retaining the larger share of profits, e-publishing (as a self-publishing option) is a tempting choice for many writers.

Currently, anyone, anywhere, with any type of printed word can take a shot at e-publishing. And while I’m all for freedom of expression, and artistic license, and doing what’s right for you, and all that good stuff, sometimes I can’t help wondering if maybe we’re taking self-publishing freedom a bit too far.

Should we as writers develop a few general standards by which we measure our readiness for e-publication? In other words, how can we know if our work is ready for any publication, particularly e-pub when we don’t have some of the checks and balances that traditional publication provides?

Recently, fiction-writing guru James Scott Bell decided to venture into e-publishing. He’s the author of the widely popular Writer’s Digest books: Plot & Structure, Revision & Self-Editing, and Art of War for Writers. His newest writing book, Writing Fiction For All You’re Worth, just released. And wouldn’t you know it, he published it himself in e-book format. And he also recently self-published his e-book, Watch Your Back, a collection of suspense stories.

Because I respect Jim for his writing wisdom, and because I was curious about his venture into e-publishing, I asked him a couple questions. (For more of Jim's thoughts see this post: The Eilser Sanction.)

Me: If you were just starting out as a relatively unknown debut author, would you try e-pub? Why or why not?

JSB: First of all, I would not rush into anything, be it e-publishing or querying agents. I would first do everything I knew to make sure I'd written the best book possible. Most of the time that is not going to be a first novel. You have to become a real writer, being able to do more than one book, and making each book better than the last. Learning to write requires an apprenticeship of years, and just because you CAN put something out as an e-book doesn't mean you SHOULD.

The traditional route has the advantage of telling you a lot about your writing. It teaches you discipline and professionalism and how to create works that are marketable. All good.

Getting a good agent to be your partner is also a major plus in a writing career.

So, no, I wouldn't rush to e-publish. I'd spend time writing, going to some conferences, being in a critique group, and above all those things, learning to write.

Me: Without the checks and balances that traditional publication provides, what are some ways writers can know if their work is ready for e-publication?

JSB: That is indeed one of the good things about the traditional route. But then again, there ARE some very good novels that should be published but aren't.

How to tell if yours is one?

One gauge is a group of beta readers. In my early years I used the managers of an indie bookstore I loved (sadly, gone the way of so many other stores) and friends who were readers (not necessarily writers). I'd give out 5 manuscripts minimum. If I got back some of the same comments, I'd know that aspect would need work.

If I was just starting out, I'd do it this way. I'd first do back cover copy to see if my idea gripped people. I'd have some people over for dinner and pitch them the story, then sign them up for Amway. On second thought, maybe just pitch the story. See if you get an "Oooh" factor. You could do that with a few ideas, in fact.

The reason for this is you can have a nicely written but low concept or low stakes novel. And a book needs concept and/or stakes to be worth doing.

Now write it. Then test it. Then pay for a good edit.

Is your book ready now? Remember William Goldman's axiom about Hollywood: No one knows anything. So, in the end, you make the call...you know as much or more about it than anybody else.

My summary:

We need to develop personal standards for our own work and set them high. Remember most writers are blind to their own faults. So if we’re thinking about venturing into e-publication on our own we must have beta readers, critique partners, and professional editors. In other words, we need trusted, critical feedback from many sources.

After having been through rigorous traditional in-house editing process for my books, I cannot stress enough the importance of getting qualified and objective feedback. My books have numerous (a dozen or more) sets of eyes read and comb through them before they hit the shelves. We should expect no less from ourselves with e-publication.

By the way, if you want help in taking your writing craft to the next level, I strongly suggest picking up one of Jim’s books. In fact, his e-book WRITING FICTION FOR ALL YOU'RE WORTH is available for $2.99 on Amazon. I bought my copy last week and love it!

So, what do you think? How can writers set high standards for themselves no matter what publishing route they choose? Have you set standards for yourself? If so, what are they?

The E-Publishing Outlook for Average Authors:My E-Book Sales

Like most of you, lately I’ve been paying attention to all the hype on e-publishing versus traditional publishing. We’ve been getting the perspective of best-selling authors, like Eisler and Hocking. And sure, we can listen to their thoughts and advice.

But what does e-publishing mean for non-millionaire authors—which is what most of us are (including myself).

I recently got this comment, “For many writers, especially polished and seasoned writers, e-publishing is the best way to go . . . I can't honestly think of a good reason for a writer to NOT e-publish at the moment. Even if you have a print contract you should e-publish.”

The comment sums up what many people believe, that e-publishing is the becoming THE best publishing option, the way to make the most money. But is it really? Especially for average authors?

In light of all that’s happening in the publishing world, I asked my publisher for my sales figures. From what I could tell, the e-book version of The Preacher’s Bride seemed to be doing well.

When I got the numbers from my publisher, I was shocked to find out how low my e-book sales were compared to my print sales. My e-book sales comprise less than one percent of my overall sales so far.

LESS than ONE percent.

For an author with a wide-spread web presence, I had expected my e-book sales to have a larger share of my sales figures.

Sure, maybe I’d have more e-book sales if the price dropped from $9.68 to $2.99. But how much more? Is price really the determining factor for how well an e-book sells, or are there other factors that come into play?

Here are just a few things average writers should consider before taking the e-publishing plunge:

1. Who is the primary audience of your book? And are they buying e-readers and e-books?

I write inspirational historical romances. The majority of my readers are women in the 40-60 age range. In fact, I get handwritten notes from ladies who write in cursive, who don’t have email, who might not even have computers. They’d most certainly never be interested in the latest Kindle version of my book.

When we’re immersed in the writing industry and the blogosphere, we’re surrounded by fellow writers and industry professionals who all have the latest reading devices. But in reality, the large majority of readers still buy regular books.

If I’d only gone the e-publishing route, especially as a debut author, look at the 99 percent of my readership I would have missed. Of course times are changing. But I still don’t foresee middle-aged women and older shifting to Kindles any time soon.

The point? Know your audience. Are they online? Are they computer savvy? Do they like modern technology? Or do they prefer the tried-and-true?

2. How big is your established readership? And would they be willing and able to make the switch to e-books?

Can e-publishing be successful for “polished or seasoned” authors who already have a couple of books under their belt and have an established readership?

After I finish my current 3-book contract with my publisher, what if decide to head out on my own and try e-publishing instead of the traditional route? Since I already have a growing readership that loves my books, wouldn’t they be willing to follow me over into a new format?

Obviously most of my fans prefer paper books. In other words, paper readers and e-book readers are still very distinct among many demographic groups.

The point? We’ll likely lose a large percentage of our paper fans if we strictly e-publish. We’ll probably have to develop a new, different readership, similar to what happens when authors switch genres.

3. How much time, energy, and savvy can you devote to marketing?

If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook or my blog, you’ll probably agree that I’m quite active and put a pretty high emphasis on developing an online platform. I’ve worked hard to develop a wide web presence.

With my online presence combined with all the time, energy, and savvy I’ve put into marketing my debut book, you can understand my surprise that my e-books statistics aren’t higher. Imagine what the sales could look like for a writer with a significantly smaller online platform.

We certainly can't turn our noses up at the fact that established publishing houses offer fiction authors (especially debut writers) their platform. They have many, many readers who trust their brand and the books they produce. Though we do all we can to grow our platforms, we can't discount the sales that come simply by being connected to a well reputed publisher.

The point? E-publishing millionaire Amanda Hocking summed it up: “The amount of time and energy I put into marketing is exhausting. I am continuously overwhelmed by the amount of work I have to do that isn't writing a book. I hardly have time to write anymore, which sucks and terrifies me . . . . Just because I sell a million books self-publishing, it doesn't mean everybody will. In fact, more people will sell less than 100 copies of their books self-publishing than will sell 10,000 books. ”

Your turn! Have you considered e-publishing? Do you think it’s been slightly glamorized with all of the recent hoopla? Or can it be a successful option for the average writer? Why or why not?

Come back Wednesday as I chat with James Scott Bell about his venture into e-publishing and his thoughts on how writers can know if their work is ready for e-publication.