What're the challenges facing in the Self-Publisher's world?

News, trends, and the future of publishing
Post Reply
ebookcoverr
Posts: 2
Joined: February 16th, 2015, 7:25 am
Contact:

What're the challenges facing in the Self-Publisher's world?

Post by ebookcoverr » February 16th, 2015, 7:38 am

Hello Self-Publisher!

I am a newbie on this forum. I am actually a freelancer designer working on free and customized e-book covers for people like you. I want to make my free service specified, so I'd appreciate if you can answer or discuss on my one simple question: What are the biggest challenges you facing in the Self-Publisher's world today?

There is no bad or good answer. ;) Thanks.

longknife
Posts: 185
Joined: September 16th, 2012, 2:03 pm
Contact:

Re: What're the challenges facing in the Self-Publisher's world?

Post by longknife » February 16th, 2015, 1:53 pm

Marketing your works!!!!

Established publishers pay smaller royalties because the put a lot of $$$$ in publicizing/marketing their products. They also have established distribution points.

Let's say you self-publish on Kindle or CreateSpace paperback for Amazon.com. Where are you going to get the money to:

a - pay for reviewers to give your work the good word?
b - advertise in the various publications?
c - make a lot of copies to sit on store shelves?

The way the most successful self-publishers are that way because they crank out book after book and catch the eyes of potential buyers. It's a self-generating game. Write a lot of works and get decent reviews which increases the visibility and chances of being bought by readers.

And there is this - we are often so engrossed in telling our story at length that we ignore how to sell it as briefly and eye-catching as possible. How many novelists could make a living working in an ad agency?
Drop by Father Serra's Legacy http://msgdaleday.blogspot.com. Comments always eagerly awaited - but only if you find the item interesting enough to respond to.

ebookcoverr
Posts: 2
Joined: February 16th, 2015, 7:25 am
Contact:

Re: What're the challenges facing in the Self-Publisher's world?

Post by ebookcoverr » February 17th, 2015, 7:07 am

Thank you longknife!

I have asked this question on other forums and surprisingly - or not - I got exactly the same answers about lack of marketing. Thank you for your reply!

User avatar
polymath
Posts: 1821
Joined: December 8th, 2009, 11:22 am
Location: Babel
Contact:

Re: What're the challenges facing in the Self-Publisher's world?

Post by polymath » February 17th, 2015, 12:41 pm

  • Unnecessary, unprofessional, and fair-weather profiteers' goods and services scavenging off gullible self-publishing consumers' vanity
  • An ever exponentially expanding plague of narcissistic daydream writing that is static -- the white-noise hiss of a corrupted transmission signal
  • Lack of blunt and frank self-assessment and otherwise conscious, critical editorial evaluation
  • Obliviousness to minimal, essential grammar, rhetorical style, content and organization craft, expression and discourse, and appeal features
  • Nonnative and otherwise incompetent English language users advertising predatory publishing services and goods for self-publishers
  • A flood of incompetent services and flawed goods and static narrative expressions that corrupt writing and language arts and sciences
  • Self-interested perpetuation of self-delusional and erroneous gossip and rumors about self-publishing and conventional publishing
  • Vice-ridden culture
  • An unnecessary human wreckage of broken ambitions
  • A la carte services and goods nibbles that drain wallets and kill writers' dreams by a thousand knife cuts
Although, the writing and the services and self-publishing culture and vanity appeals match each others' amateur standing -- ample occasion for dress-rehearsal practice and possible improvement. At least writers and artists are practicing their arts and learning the ropes and slings and arrows of a contentious, highly competitive lifestyle. If only a little more conscious, critical, responsible thought was interposed between vanity appeals and mature self-involvement.

In a final analysis, only a strongly appealing and competently arranged product successfully sells; and, it successfully sells itself.
Spread the love of written word.

User avatar
hesperus_lux
Posts: 19
Joined: December 30th, 2013, 10:23 am
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Contact:

Re: What're the challenges facing in the Self-Publisher's world?

Post by hesperus_lux » August 23rd, 2015, 3:33 pm

longknife wrote: And there is this - we are often so engrossed in telling our story at length that we ignore how to sell it as briefly and eye-catching as possible. How many novelists could make a living working in an ad agency?
Good call Longknife! Marketing knowledge is helpful for anyone who has decided to take the fate of their career/products into their own hands. I suggest reading a couple of good books on copywriting, or finding a good site or online course. Don't worry, your story telling ability can help with writing good copy!

Also, I have found that for good advice in general, Joanna Penn's blog and podcast are great resources: http://www.thecreativepenn.com/blog/
“Nothing is exactly as it seems, nor is it otherwise.”
- Alan Watts

Fuhvds
Posts: 2
Joined: November 10th, 2015, 3:48 am
Contact:

Re: What're the challenges facing in the Self-Publisher's world?

Post by Fuhvds » November 10th, 2015, 4:34 am

Bonne chance a tous !

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests