An article posted in the group today by Robin Sullivan, entitled ‘The New Midlist: Self-Published E-Book Authors Who Make A Living’ details a persuasive list of reasons, backed up by facts and figures, as to why self publishing e-books is now a more viable way for first time book authors to introduce the gilded fruits of their inspiration and perspiration, into the brave new world of digital media.
Sullivan refers back to the bad old world when “self-publishing produced little to no revenue, and doing so was often the last resort for a project that had been rejected by everyone it had been put in front of.”
But now she says “in the post digital revolution” all this has changed.
“[T]he model has been turned upside down. Authors are going to e-books first based on earning potential and a quick time to market. If they do well, then they leverage their sales for larger advances and favorable contract terms.”
She adds: “Of course self publishing is not for everyone, but at least for those that decide to go this route, they won’t have to be that one in a million outlier—if they can achieve the e-book midlist status, they stand a good chance of telling their boss, “I quit, I’m going to stay home and write for a living.”
Sullivan cites a “watershed moment” that occurred in October/November 2010 when “the sales of e-books from previously unknown authors skyrocketed.”
She gives as a case study her husband , author Michael J. Sullivan, who has published six novels in the Riyria Revelations series through her small press Ridan Publishing. Starting at this time, hIs publishing income went from $1,500 approx per month to $102,000 in five months.
Michael J. Sullivan’s book series has also recently produced $154,000 in foreign rights, showing that with the new affordances of Amazon and Kindle, self-published e-book authors can now sell foreign rights.
Self published e-book authors are also commanding far larger publishing advances from mainstream traditional publishers picking up their books which already have a following of readers.
All of which leads to the response: E-Gads!
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As your humble scribe has several unpublished books, a novel art book and a new life journalism novel unfolding by the day (with glimpses on this Blog!) perhaps I should think of this as a publishing option? Sounds like it’s worth a try!
References:
Sullivan, Robin, 2011, 'The New Midlist: Self-Published E-Book Authors Who Make A Living’. PublishingPerspectives.com.
http://publishingperspectives.com/2011/06/self-published-ebook-authors-earn-living/
© Ruth Skilbeck 2011
