“it’s harder to be a best seller self-publishing than it is with a house.”
Tuesday, March 8, 2011Posted in: self-publishing
I managed to catch up on some of the stuff from my Google Reader, here’s a post that caught my eye.
Amanda Hocking (she sold a million books after self-pubbing) on the realities of self-publishing (Via Lee Goldberg.)
Everybody seems really excited about what I’m doing and how I’ve been so successful, and from what I’ve been able to understand, it’s because a lot of people think that they can replicate my success and what I’ve done. And while I do think I will not be the only one to do this – others will be as successful as I’ve been, some even more so – I don’t think it will happen that often.
Traditional publishing and indie publishing aren’t all that different, and I don’t think people realize that. Some books and authors are best sellers, but most aren’t. It may be easier to self-publish than it is to traditionally publish, but in all honesty, it’s harder to be a best seller self-publishing than it is with a house.
I don’t think people really grasp how much work I do. I think there is this very big misconception that I was like, “Hey, paranormal is pretty hot right now,” and then I spent a weekend smashing out some words, threw it up online, and woke up the next day with a million dollars in my bank account…
I guess what I’m saying is that 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. I don’t mean that to be mean, and just because a book doesn’t sell well doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. It’s just the nature of the business.
So to paraphrase, self-pubbing can work, but it takes hard work and lots and lots of luck. That’s what she’s saying, isn’t it?
Shiloh Walker
March 9
4:04 am
It’s a whole lot of work. Yes, it can work, but dang, it’s a headache and a half. Of course, if I sell a million of mine? I’m hiring somebody to do the headache-y stuff. *G*
Amarinda Jones
March 10
7:43 pm
There are some dead set suspect publishers out there. I believe it’s better to do it yourself and take on the hard work because at least you know you’re being paid correctly.
Sara Reinke
March 12
3:01 pm
I think it’s important to walk into ANY publishing arrangement – self or “traditional” or otherwise – with a clear and realistic expectation of the potential outcome. I’ve seen just as many authors sign a NY deals and come away disappointed as with ebook and self publishing ventures. We can’t all be Amanda Hocking or Nora Roberts or all of the writers in between. But we can define what makes us happy and satisfied and work to achieve that. What the hell is the point otherwise? 😉