Hi
I received a Kindle as a Christmas gift from my wife (Thanks, Liz!) and I'm wondering what other writers think about this unfolding self-publishing phenomenon. With tens of millions of units already acting as personal "bookshop windows" in the hands of keen readers all over the world, shouldn't all writers take advantage by self-publishing their works on the Kindle? If not, why?
I look forward to your views. Thanks.
Thanks guys - your answers have really got me thinking!
I agree with both of you that self-publication inevitably leads to a reduction in overall quality. But, on the plus side I suppose it means that, as the reader, we get to choose our favourite authors for ourselves, rather than rely on those that the traditional publishers want us to read!
I was amazed to hear yesterday that Amazon are already selling more that twice as many ebooks via the Kindle than they are of the traditional article - and they predict a 600% increase in the sale of ebooks in the next 12 months (wow!)
So, like it or not, one thing is for sure: Amazon's Kindle is currently revolutionising the way we choose and read books in the same way Apple's iPod has revolutionised the way we buy and listen to music.
That aside, I agree with Cressida that, from a writer's perspective, the impact of self-publication is not yet clear - It's one thing to self-publish, quite another to self-sell!
As a newbie, I'm particularly interested in one aspect - the traditional barriers to publication are no longer an obstacle for new writers...so I wonder how many of the future bestselling authors will be "discovered" via their published ebooks, as opposed to going through the traditional, painful process of multiple rejections behind closed doors? We shall see!
Thanks again for all the comments so far.
I agree with the quality thing - there's an awful lot of...let's be kind and say 'poor' stuff out there which makes a reader's choice more difficult. But since the majority of new self-pubs (myself included) price at 99c/86p maybe that's not too much of a problem.
The mechanics of publishing are pretty straightforward, though I went through my file several times before loading it and still found a couple of formatting glitches in KDP's conversion. Plus the way Kindle displays your book kind-of takes some getting used to, particularly if you've previously published a hard copy.
Those who have made thousands of dollars from Kindle books seem to (i) write either crime thrillers or horror/sci-fi (ii) have a large back-catalogue (iii) self promote themselves heavily online and (iv) have been in the right place at the right time.
That lets me out, then.
That's a really good question Dennis. I'm inclined to answer 'maybe'.
I've been reading on my Kindle since I got it for my birthday from my husband (thanks John!), and have been enjoying a range of well-known and not so well-known authors.
I would bet I can identify which are self-published, and some have definitely been published too soon. The quality can be patchy and the editing non-existent in some cases.
Once you've put yourself out there, you're making a first impression that cannot be undone. As an author, you need to be certain that what you're showing the world truly is your best effort, and has been edited to the highest standard you can.
On a more positive note, it's entirely possible to gain a readership through self-publishing alone, and indeed a couple of authors have made millions this way. Interestingly enough, they've moved on to traditional publishing houses once their success brought them to their attention.
I am putting a book on kindle this year so that I can test how easy the process is. I had a mad idea that I could get it up there in a month, but the actual writing and editing held me up!
What do others think?