tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025264318423694875.post6371074178190000085..comments2024-02-05T10:41:31.777-05:00Comments on I Saw Lightning Fall: Stross on Self-PublishingLoren Eatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12488412683340389286noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025264318423694875.post-58599712916142858392013-04-27T13:49:46.655-04:002013-04-27T13:49:46.655-04:00Yeah, I remember listening to Howard explain that ...Yeah, I remember listening to Howard explain that decision on an episode of <i>Writing Excuses</i>. I think he said that <i>Schlock</i> had to hit some incredibly high sales figure within the first year or he was going to go broke. With self-publishing, he could lower the sum to a much more manageable figure. It worked for him, and I'm glad. His is kind of the ideal example.Loren Eatonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12488412683340389286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025264318423694875.post-26815549353131480612013-04-26T21:15:29.092-04:002013-04-26T21:15:29.092-04:00I suppose the best example of #1 would be Howard T...I suppose the best example of #1 would be Howard Taylor, who self-publishes, self-markets, and self-ships his webcomic Schlock Mercenary. The works consistently get nominated for (but have yet to win) Hugos, and sell quite nicely despite their lack of a main publishing company.<br /><br />His blogs on the subject are rather fascinating. His take was unique, since he has an exceptionally strong business sense, and is married to a stay-at-home mother whose business sense, creativity, and work ethic surpass even his own. They apparently talked to a number of publishers, and while they had offers for publication the offers simply didn't have a large enough PR push. His sense was that he didn't want a publisher to cash in on the goodwill he'd already generated, but to expand his markets. No one made him a good enough offer.<br /><br />His story is also an interesting case in crowd-marketing, and of the idiosyncratic associations required for success in such ventures. He is very active among SF writers, promoting his friends' work on his blog and grabbing a diverse number of popular authors to write introductions for his collections. But he's also never forgotten that his strip's second name is "Mercenary," and has sold t-shirts (twice capitalizing, quite literally, on major characters' deaths), dice, reusable shopping bags, pins, challenge coins, refrigerator magnets, a board game (in association with people who actually knew how to make such games fun), &c. Additionally, he sends out a hand-signed Christmas card to each customer every year, partly out of gratitude and partly because he knows that fostering goodwill and word-of-mouth is the best business practice.<br /><br />Thankfully, however, the world has room for writers who do not have his particular (and bizarre) blend of talents. Still...he's got a rather interesting career path, worth taking a look at.Chestertonian Ramblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01550643992523840950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025264318423694875.post-62408684504183845512013-04-26T13:53:56.252-04:002013-04-26T13:53:56.252-04:00Patti,
Sadly, I top out at about 600 per day. It&...Patti,<br /><br />Sadly, I top out at about 600 per day. It's like I hit the proverbial wall.Loren Eatonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12488412683340389286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025264318423694875.post-33554799190218045442013-04-26T13:53:25.063-04:002013-04-26T13:53:25.063-04:00CR,
It seems we're almost entirely agreed. Se...CR,<br /><br />It seems we're almost entirely agreed. Self-publishing seems to work great for three groups -- the hyper-competent (who can and don't mind wearing all of the hats); the talented-but-marginalized author (who could appeal to niche markets if only the big publishing houses had a clue about them); and the already-successful writer (who gets a bigger cut of the pie and can leverage an already existing market). If know of folks in camps two and three. I know of none in camp one.Loren Eatonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12488412683340389286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025264318423694875.post-9278539322482583522013-04-23T18:43:42.926-04:002013-04-23T18:43:42.926-04:00I am always amazed at how quickly some can write. ...I am always amazed at how quickly some can write. Today I did 1600 words, close to a record for me. pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025264318423694875.post-79784794332673218802013-04-23T18:26:27.185-04:002013-04-23T18:26:27.185-04:00This is exactly my feeling. I suck as a publisher ...This is exactly my feeling. I suck as a publisher (I've tried it, and once I get beyond middle-level work my lack of networking and logistics skills really shows its face.) If I can't publish and promote *other* people's work (where my view isn't clouded by my self-doubt/self-aggrandizement), why would I ever think I could publish my own work? And even if I could--why do a second-rate job at work far from my proficiency, when I could (if published) do work that I'm good at (to wit: writing) while letting another person take over marketing/cover design/ISBN-buying/bookseller-placing/editing/investing money up-front/making sure the guys producing the physical book don't do a shoddy job?<br /><br />That said, I'm also a bit of a publication snob. I'll read a self-published book, if it comes highly recommended enough. But self-publication is likely to put a book lower on my wishlists, while a reputable publishing company will make me more likely to buy a book. <br /><br />(Exception 1: when an author has already established himself through traditional publishing. Exception 2: anthologies edited by author who fulfills Exception 1.)Chestertonian Ramblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01550643992523840950noreply@blogger.com