Ever wonder how your words would look on an eReader? Want
your books to never go out of print (so-to-speak)? Not sure how to get started?
I got loads of great responses from everyone earlier in the
week regarding what topics they’d like to hear about from my foray into the San
Francisco Writer’s Conference. A bunch of you wanted to hear more about eBooks,
so let me start there, but I will get to each of your points of interest in
subsequent posts as well.
First off, eBooks are gradually going to overtake paper
books in a matter of years. Yep, you heard me right. Already 30% of all books
sold today are eBooks and more than half the households in the nation now own
one or more eReaders. I listened to a great talk given by Mark Coker, CEO of
Smashwords (seen below), and he accurately described the eReader Revolution as a Gold Rush
where some debut writers are striking it rich and other established authors are
leaving their publishing houses to strike out on their own and reap bigger
profits.
Checkout Smashwords
to see how you can upload your book on Smashwords in order to generate an
eBook. Best of all, it’s free! What I particularly liked about Mark’s talk was
his honesty and sincerity towards writers and their craft. He takes issue with
publishers, believing that they take advantage of writers and that’s why he
doesn’t charge writers to use Smashwords. You may or may not agree with him,
but he genuinely cares about helping authors out.
Do you want to learn more about eBooks? Just let me know. Or
perhaps you’d like to hear more about agent speed-dating or book cover design?
Or maybe whether a series or stand alone books are easier to market?
I'm very happy my publisher made my books available for all eReaders! That is where they have sold best.
ReplyDeleteI hope we don't lose paper books altogether, though I can imagine a day when they become more for collectors. I think, too, we're seeing things swing pretty dramatically with ebooks, where established, traditionally published authors are now choosing to self-publish out of frustration and self preservation. It is most definitely the future, but it also means there's a lot more slush for readers to have to wade through to find something they like. It's a very interesting time to be an author. :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Mark! I'm actually thinking about publishing my first ebook - a haiku chapbook - and I think online publishing is enough for now. I'm not thinking about in print publishing yet, though I'd like that for later.
ReplyDeleteI used Smashwords to publish my ebooks. It's a wonderful site! Made it to the primary catalog and my ebooks are on on iTunes, Sony, in libraries and at B & N. Agreed, Coker knows the ebook business.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Ebooks are huge. I get them when I can though if it costs nearly as much for a paper one, I'll still go with paper. Theyre so much easier to loan.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised how easily I've converted to ebooks--and I was one of those stubborn people who didn't want to cross over "to the dark side," LOL. Now I love them. :)
ReplyDeleteThough I have a Smashword account,frankly speaking I did not know much about it. Thanks Mark for this informative post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. I know a few people who have been happy using Smashwords for their books.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information. You are probably right about eBooks, but I still hate hearing it. :(
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. Haven't written a novel yet, but I've been thinking the ebook route for when that time comes.
ReplyDeleteThe Degenerate
It doesn't surprise me 30% of books sold are e-books . . . though I'll miss the paper ones. Physical copies are such a different experience.
ReplyDeleteThis is a timely post for me as I'm self-publishing my anthology in the next few days. I think it's opened up a lot of opportunities that weren't there before.
ReplyDeleteI think eBooks will continue to be successful, but a paper book will always be desired. The joy of holding a tangible book will never disappear.
ReplyDeleteeBooks will probably take over the industry in a couple of years, but personally, i need the crisp smell of paper in my nostrils.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great posts.
I've sometimes considered ebooks and self-publishing, but I've never really known where to begin. Thanks for sharing this :)
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely sounding like a much more viable concept than it did a few years ago....who knows I may try it myself one of these days:)
ReplyDelete