DBW Interview with Data Guy, Co-Founder, Author Earnings
By from Digital Book World 2/23/16 – Indie or trad published authors–do not miss this interview!
“Who exactly is Data Guy?
We know he’s the numbers wizard behind Author Earnings—a collaboration between himself and self-published mega-author Hugh Howey. And we know that he’s anonymous. But that’s pretty much it.”
Among the highlights (questions are bolded):
DB: So based on all the research that you’ve done into ebook sales and where the money is going, is there one piece of strategic advice that you’d offer to Big Five publishers to do things differently than they do now?
DG: Most avid readers today read digitally. When you look at who’s reading 50 books a year, 100 books a year, those are the folks who are giving new authors a shot… And the digital readers, these avid readers, are basically bypassing those authors, because they don’t recognize the names, and the price is off-putting to them.
Strategically, if you’re a Big Five publisher, supporting those authors now would lower ebook pricing, meaning you’re building a healthy, sustainable pipeline of intrinsic revenue streams you control down the road. But by not doing so, instead you become increasingly reliant on being able to make opportunistic acquisitions of these big blockbuster properties that originate outside of the traditional publishing industry…
DB: What do you see happening to publishing in five or 10 years down the road?
DG: …In the end, it’s about readers and what they want. They’re going to define the shape of the industry in the future. Not us. We’re going to basically be playing catch-up.
The Indie Authors Guide to Trends in Erotica and Erotic Romance
Erotica trends and tips for indie authors
By Ryan Joe from PW 2/19/16 – For those unfamiliar with the genres, erotica and erotic romance might seem the same: stories about sex. But a closer examination reveals a lot more. As in most literary genres, certain tendencies attract readers, enjoy a brief moment of popularity, and lose traction—possibly to be renewed years later by another author.
How One Bestselling Indie Author Became a Book Box Entrepreneur
From bestselling indie author to book box entrepreneur
By Jennifer McCartney from PW (2/19/16) – Like hundreds of other indie authors who have found success, Colleen Hoover has a number of New York Times bestsellers, a deal with a traditional publisher, and a strong social media following. Her latest romance, November 9 (Atria), about a troubled couple that agrees to meet up at a designated spot for just one day per year, was a top-100 digital bestseller on Amazon. In addition to all that, Hoover has parlayed her success as an author into a new business: the Bookworm Box subscription service.
Behind the Scam: What Does It Take to Be a ‘Best-Selling Author’? $3 and 5 Minutes.
By Brent Underwood in Observer Business & Tech 2/23/16 – This isn’t about how The New York Times list is biased (though it is). This isn’t about how authors buy their way onto various national best-seller lists by buying their own books in bulk (though they do). No, this is about the far more insidious title of “Amazon Bestseller”—and how it’s complete and utter nonsense.
Here’s what happened in the book industry over the last few years: As Amazon has become the big dog in the book world, the “Amazon Bestseller” status has come to be synonymous with being an actual bestseller. This is not true, and I can prove it.
Self-Publishing Notebook: Welcome To The Jungle!
By Jonathan Kile from Creative Loafing 2/24/16 – Over the course of the next year I will talk a lot about Amazon. Amazon is the king of indie publishing. Depending who you ask, Amazon is, like, 145% of the self published ebook market. OK, that’s not a real percentage, but if you tally up Nook (Barnes and Noble), iBooks, Google Play (I’ve read one on there) and the handful of other eBook platforms, they’re the Dairy Queen and Tastee Freeze of the eBook market.