Sunday, June 20, 2010

Self-Publishing

If editors at New York houses loved your book, but ultimately turned it down because they felt they had too many similar books in that market, would you turn to self-publishing?

That’s what Boyd Morrison did. In The Huffington Post, he says he received “rave rejections” but no takers for his book, The Ark. So he posted his manuscript in the Kindle store.

It sold through word of mouth.
To my shock, my novels started climbing the bestseller list. Within a month, The Ark, which was getting excellent reviews from readers, reached number one on the Kindle store's technothriller bestseller list, higher than established authors like Tom Clancy and Brad Thor. In three months, my three books sold 7,500 copies and were selling at a rate of 4,000 books per month. 
That got the attention of an editor at Touchstone Books, who offered him a four-book deal and Morrison’s foreign rights agent sold The Ark to 18 foreign markets.

What about you? Would you try this? Do you think you could stir up enough “word of mouth” to sell copies and make money – or even get enough sales to attract an agent’s or editor’s attention?

29 comments:

  1. Why not, Hel! If your book has been properly edited and polished within an inch of its life and you are aware that you will need to put in a lots of hard work marketing your book, I say why not.

    Boyd Morrison isn't the only writer who has believed enough in their own work to go down the self-publishing route.

    G.P.Taylor did with his book 'Shadowmancer' and was taken up by 'Faber & Faber'

    So it can be done.

    Myself, No, simply because I know you've got to be prepared to work hard at selling yourself and your book.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If I had a solid novel I believed in and I was ready for the amount of work and persistance it took, I would surely do it! I have a huge support system through my family and friends...I could probably start a small fortune by selling out to my friends and family. Of course, I would really have to be ready to take on the commitment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I heard about this man awhile back and instantly had a flash of jealousy!

    I think it can be done (obviously, this guy proves that!) but you must have a great concept and a good product. I'm not sure I could get enough word of mouth to do this, but I'm in awe of anyone who can!

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's that word of mouth campaign that might be difficult. Another reason why establishing your platform before you try to publish is so important.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't see why it's a bad idea.

    CD

    ReplyDelete
  6. One would still have to be a marketing master!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a great story - so nice to hear of someone getting noticed this way! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's not really clear, but I get the feeling that he's suggesting the book sold through readers' word of mouth rather than his own, i.e. excellent reviews and ratings. Though it's tempting to consider this route when you read this kind of story, I fear there is so much more involved than meets the eye. I'd consider it, but with hesitation.

    ReplyDelete
  9. He had the excellent book rejections meaning at another time it would have been picked up. (I love when publisher think there's only one kind of reader buying at a time. grrr)
    Nice how the publishers came around after he was making money to give him a deal.
    If I had the same type of rejections, I think I'd be willing to try it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I know several published writers (through large houses) that are taking this route when their publisher cancels their series and their readers are interested in reading more stories centered around the protagonist.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Getting published through traditional means is getting tougher and tougher. I think self-publishing and marketing are becoming very real options for many writers. This is a great example of making it work.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What he did is becoming more and more common among authors who are self-pubbing via Kindle and other venues. It seems to be working well for a lot of them who are selling in similar numbers. How the word-of-mouth works, I haven't a clue. You have to get readers to get the reviews to generate the buzz.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a great success story! E-readers seems like a great way to self publish.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great post! I'm in a similar situation with a tight book (with series potential) that agents and editors seem to like in a crowded field. I was thinking of turning it into a blog, chapter per post or something. I've been hesitant to self-publish, but this is a good success story.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I think the kindle selfpub models is changing the field for self publishing. I think we'll be hearing more of stories like this.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Joanne, it is hard to believe it was just through readers' word of mouth. It would take work on the author's part just to get the book out to readers and then a continued effort to promote it beyond the initial readers.

    It does seem sort of vague and unclear, doesn't it, Maryann?

    Go for it, Theresa!

    I think you're right, Susan, especially in this Internet age of promotion.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm doubtful I could do it, but am glad Boyd Morrison could.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The marketing part is tough enough when you have a traditional publisher, so I'm not sure I'd ever have the energy or the know-how to self publish.

    I definitely admire those who do. Teresa Funke, for instance, has her own company and she publishes her World War II novels, some for kids, successfully on her own. Everyone should read her short story collection about the women of WWII -- Dancing in Combat Boots. She even performs a one woman show based on the book.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I have a friend, Patricia, who's book set in the WWII time period is about to come out. Seems to be a popular time setting for books.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm still not 100% convinced self-publishing hasn't lost all of its stigma, but I can understand why authors would go this way. If I had a ms no one wanted then think I would definitely consider it.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Lynda, I think self-publishing still has a bit of stigma attached. It's changing, but still there.

    ReplyDelete
  22. While there is a bit of stigma attached to self-publishing, it is changing and I think stories like Boyd's are fantastic and anticipate there being more of them cropping up. Boyd is someone who put in the work up front, believed in what he did, and decided to leave the results in the hands of the readers instead of accepting the answer of No from the publishing houses.

    For those who are concerned about the amount of work involved with self-publishing, it would certainly start to raise questions in my mind if I were a publisher or agent. From the agent/publisher perspective, I want an author who is willing to go the extra mile, who believes enough in his/her product to make the same marketing effort as those who successfully self-publish because ultimately that means more potential dollars to the bottom line.

    More and more marketing efforts are being put on the author to help promote their books, so the work is there to be done, self-published or otherwise. And if you are already willing to put in the effort and you combine your hard work with some assistance from the publishing house, then the sky is the limit.

    ReplyDelete
  23. If great books are self-published in greater numbers, the stigma will be gone one day...

    ReplyDelete
  24. What an amazing story, Helen! For myself... I honestly don't know if I would make the jump or not. Truth be told I think that decision would hinge upon a lot for me. Still, it's good to read accounts like this as a reminder that it can be done.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Great story. Obviously, not everyone is going to get picked up by a publishing house but if you have a strong storyline, strong editing and a good looking cover maybe all that is missing are some sales. www.unibook.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. I know you've got to be prepared to work hard at selling yourself and your book.
    Contextual Ad Network India

    ReplyDelete
  27. I recently had this same conversation on a writer's board and cited the same author. It's a heartening story.

    I see so many writers reject self-publishing out of hand. I think too many of them are still stuck in thinking self-publishing means the pre-digital age style of vanity press self-publishing. There I agree with them, fiction authors should avoid them like the plague.

    But new ebook options, where you can self publish without any major cash outlays makes a lot of sense - once you actually have done your due diligence in editing and have actually gone through several submissions to traditional publishers. If, after all that, and you still can't find a buyer, self e-publishing makes perfect sense.

    But I think too many authors skip that due diligence phase. Don't turn to ebook self-publishing first. Boyd Morrison certainly didn't. Instead, keep it in reserve as your ace in the hole.
    ~jon

    ReplyDelete
  28. Very true, Jon. If your book has not been edited and doesn't read and look professional, it won't sell.

    Nishant, selling your book is hard work, even more so if you self-pub. Good point.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...