There was a time when writers sent their manuscripts to print publishers and hoped that the publishers or their agents will accept their manuscripts. Times have changed. We are now part of the self-publishing era of eBooks where writers can decide when and how to release their books. These breed of writers also manage the whole gamut of activities revolving around the release, including editing, designing the book cover, pricing, and the marketing.
Here are some writers who have treaded the path of self-publishing their ebooks to earn accolades.
Amanda Hocking writes novels of paranormal genre. She self-published her novels as eBooks for the various ereaders, such as Amazon Kindle. The first book she self-published was from the My Blood Approves series. Since that move, she has sold thousands of copies and made lot of money. She also quit her day job as a social worker to immerse herself in writing. The screenwriter for District 9 is adapting a movie out of her books and a traditional publisher — St Martin's Press — has inked a deal with her securing the rights of her previous and upcoming books. St Martin's is re-releasing the three novels that were self-published, Switched, Torn and Ascend, after re-editing. These three are part of the The Trylle Trilogy. Additionally, St Martin's is going to release her next series Watersong. Her pricing strategy when she was self-publishing: She priced the first book of each of her series at 99 cents. And decided to charge $ 2.99 for the subsequent books of the series. She also sent out copies to book bloggers for review.
Her blog: amandahocking.blogspot.in
Darcie Chan, a lawyer, self-published her debut novel The Mill River Recluse as an ebook. The story is about a rich widow suffering from social anxiety disorder. It has sold many copies and has been on the New York Times bestseller list. Her strategies when she published the book: paying for reviews and making the ebook 99 cents. Unlike Amanda, a traditional publisher has not yet signed a deal with Darcie as of now.
Her website: www.darciechan.com
Article comments
1 - Dr Joseph S Maresca
I think if you have something very constructive to say, get out there and review books of other authors. Then, try writing some books yourself.
Have senior people read your work. By all means, try self publishing to get your stuff into the hands of readers. Many readers are starving for good personalized commentary on a whole variety of subjects.
Today, people are looking for advice on many subjects ranging from college to building a business, repairing a car or organizing a wedding.
When the buzz gets substantial enough, publishers may come to you to get reviewed or to publish your books.