tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post9035090114860585918..comments2023-12-14T10:28:43.397+00:00Comments on Declan Burke: A Cheap Shortcut To E-OblivionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-26422138393069787912011-04-22T05:23:52.672+01:002011-04-22T05:23:52.672+01:00Perhaps what the first poster was trying to say, i...Perhaps what the first poster was trying to say, in more polite terms if you will, is that the rules in terms of presentation, formatting and quality and their relation to a title's success have changed a bit. The price point at which Amanda Hocking offers her books, (at $2.99 and below) offers her more leeway shall we say in terms of the kind of quality that readers are willing to accept. <br /><br />I have read several comments on her books in the Apple iBookstore of readers complaining about the frequent misspellings in her work but who also write that they were willing to overlook those flaws because the book was $2.99 instead of $12.99. So long as mainstream publishers stick to the agency model and seek prices at their comfort-level, there will likely always be room for writers like Hocking who price their work more cheaply.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04524591865420751540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-19652868819512291992011-04-21T18:44:58.642+01:002011-04-21T18:44:58.642+01:00Another good example is Gordon Ferris. He apparent...Another good example is Gordon Ferris. He apparently sold about 50,000 e-books over the xmas holidays and then got a mainstream deal. Thing is, the hardback release was so quick I have suspicions as to how the whole thing came about.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13316263425112020638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-87103784907904883562011-04-21T18:32:23.778+01:002011-04-21T18:32:23.778+01:00Yes, I think the most popular will be co-opted by ...Yes, I think the most popular will be co-opted by the traditional publishing industry - or will at least be made offers. Some, like Ms. Hocking will take those offers, others may not.<br /><br />One thing about Ms. Hocking that I think is also a factor is the amazing output she's managed. Her Wikipedia entry says she wrote 17 novels while working full-time. Not many writers can put out 17 good novels in their whole lives. So, like Stephen King, she is different than most of us and probably can't really be used as an example.<br /><br />But e-books, like the pulps, offer a way for some writers to make some money. Some will probably do it under pen names and some will never break out into the mainstream.John McFetridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09442198820998606682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-45080124257094520232011-04-21T15:17:43.629+01:002011-04-21T15:17:43.629+01:00Damaris - Counting your writing time as 'billa...Damaris - Counting your writing time as 'billable hours' is as good a way I know of going slowly insane. I can totally commiserate ...<br /><br />Dana - I think Amanda Hocking is the exception to the rule, definitely. <br /><br />John - There's a strong element of truth in the idea of self-pubbed ebooks being an almost separate market to the mainstream industry, but your analogy is in line with Al Guthrie's, I think - the best and / or most popular writers will be co-opted by the mainstream. <br /><br />Anonymous - Try googling 'Amanda Hocking 40 hours' for the lady's own take on this. <br /><br />I don't know the ins and outs of Amanda Hocking's story, but given that I've been scrabbling around the margins of the publishing industry for the best part of a decade now, I'd imagine it took a hell of a lot more work than asking a few book blogs to review her books. Maybe the guy next to her is working every bit as hard as her, I really don't know. It's possible she worked smarter, or had better books to sell. <br /><br />Cheers, DecDeclan Burkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14322645323239292406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-64480833143841732412011-04-21T14:54:42.268+01:002011-04-21T14:54:42.268+01:00How did you get the idea Amanda Hocking spent 40+ ...How did you get the idea Amanda Hocking spent 40+ hours a week promoting her books? That couldn't be further from the truth. <br /><br />All Amanda did (and this came straight from her in a bewildered email) was to as a few book blogs to review her novels. From there it was all word of mouth. She did nothing special (other than re-write Twilight with Trolls instead of Vampires) and worked no harder than the guy next to her selling 10 copies a month.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-42845647502161277162011-04-21T14:27:51.413+01:002011-04-21T14:27:51.413+01:00Lately I've been looking at the covers of pulp...Lately I've been looking at the covers of pulp novels from the 50's and 60's. <a href="http://salmongutter.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">"Rex Parker</a> has a great blog. <br /><br />It's possible that the self-published e-books are to publishers today what those pulps were to publishers then. Almost an entirely seperate market.John McFetridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09442198820998606682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-68612199377022487112011-04-21T12:53:54.117+01:002011-04-21T12:53:54.117+01:00Guthrie may be understating his point. It's mo...Guthrie may be understating his point. It's more than odd, it's ignoring the elephant in the room, and it shows why publishing has been such a mess. They're behind the curve, and they like it there.<br /><br />I think of Amanda Hocking more as a lottery winner than an e-publishing success story.Dana Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01350344882342624735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-36600952764098447082011-04-21T12:35:25.282+01:002011-04-21T12:35:25.282+01:00I'd have to agree with Declan that there's...I'd have to agree with Declan that there's not a "Cheap and easy" way to self-publishing success. The first rule is as it always has been: write a good book, and that's not easy though not financially expensive. (Unless you count your hours working on the book as billable hours.)<br /><br />I spend dozens of hours editing and formatting and making the covers for my ebooks. Let's say at a minimum 50 hours (after the writing which involves a lot of editing as well) and if I were to be paid $10 an hour, that would be $500 invested. And I would not say I've achieved "success" yet. ("Ever hopeful," says the man with the betting slip in hand...)Damarishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06606512050937295882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-51811411236321950412011-04-21T10:03:39.279+01:002011-04-21T10:03:39.279+01:00Hi Melissa -
Thanks for taking the time to comme...Hi Melissa - <br /><br />Thanks for taking the time to comment. <br /><br />As for your query about Amanda Hocking - and she's by no means the only 'indie' success story - I can only say that there's an exception to every rule, although I'll also say that I haven't read any of her books, so I'm in no position to comment on their quality. <br /><br />I do know, though, that Amanda Hocking employed editors to work on her books. If you're saying that those editors did a poor job on her stories, I'll have to take you at your word.<br /><br />Without having read Amanda Hocking's books, I'd suggest that her success - and good luck to her - was at least in part derived from the fact that she spent in excess of 40 hours per week promoting her work.<br /><br />In the long run, and looking at the big picture, and as with any other success story in any other creative endeavour, the vast majority of people who succeed will be those who play close attention to detail and presentation. <br /><br />Finally, it's entirely probable that I'm not quite as expert as I'd like to appear to be. Few people are. But if you believe that there is a cheap and easy way to succeed in publishing, I'd very politely suggest that you're wrong. <br /><br />Cheers, DecDeclan Burkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14322645323239292406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-34056657716781761912011-04-21T09:51:36.436+01:002011-04-21T09:51:36.436+01:00Sorry to bust your bubble Dec, but if the last sen...Sorry to bust your bubble Dec, but if the last sentence of your post has any truth to it, then how do you explain Amanda Hocking? Her books are poorly edited, not necessarily well-written and she designed her own covers (and you can tell!) and yet she still somehow found a huge, devoted, and loyal audience who loves her work. Maybe you're not quite as expert as you'd like to appear to be?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11206122764082951383noreply@blogger.com