Author: James Duffy
Date:   11-12-09 13:56

I posted this on the Other Ways Into Print forum, but figured I'd also post it here, since it applies to both groups...

I have two historical adventure novels that were published in print (hardback & paperback) a few years back by a New York publisher (a standard book deal; not POD). I retained the e-book rights to the works, and I'm now looking at my options for getting these titles onto the key e-book sites. There are quite a few e-book publishers seeking titles, and my print publisher is now also asking me to license them the e-book rights. But what would be the advantage to working with any of them vs. uploading the titles myself? Seems like a pretty simple process to use a free service like Smashmouth to format the documents for the various e-book devices and then upload the content myself to Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, and all the other sites. Financially, I would more than double my take per book doing this myself. Anyone have any thoughts on the value of using an e-book publisher? Am I missing something here?

Author: Gary Kessler
Date:   11-14-09 20:39

You think people here read just one section of the forum? There's really no reason to double post anything.

Author: James Duffy
Date:   11-14-09 22:38

Sorry, Gary. I'm new to this group. Didn't know how much cross-reading went on with the members.

Author: Gary Kessler
Date:   11-14-09 22:59

Well, since I took the time and effort to post to your question and you breezed right by that to post again as if you hadn't been helped . . .

Author: James Duffy
Date:   11-15-09 17:33

True, but only because your reply didn't address the question... What's the advantage to using an e-book publisher when it's so easy for authors to self-publish an e-book? In the case of my current publisher, there won't be any additional marketing or promotion services offered. They'll just be uploading the files to the various sites, just like I can do myself. So the question remains... Why use an e-book publisher?

Gary, I'm not looking to butt heads here; just looking to hear other knowledgeable points of view discussing any advantages of an e-book publisher that I'm not aware of so I can weigh my options.

Author: Gary Kessler
Date:   11-15-09 19:16

Perhaps you didn't ask what you thought you asked, as I did respond to what is the essential difference. I think you don't understand enough about the business to be asking the questions you think you're asking.

An e-book publisher will distribute where buyers are buying--sites where buyers know they are looking for e-books when they go there. If you self-publish a print book you're stuck with finding the buyers yourself--including on web sites like the publishing services where nobody browses except for the service's own authors or a mega site like Amazon.com or B&N, where browsers are looking for traditionally published books, not self-published books.

E-books sell easier than self-published print books. I believe I gave explanations for that.

You yourself can't upload to sites like Fictionwise and AllromanceEbooks, because only publishers can do that. And this is where buyers are going to look for their reads that aren't published by traditional publishers, wanting them in cheaper e form now, because that mode of reading is taking off.

E-book publishers are still using at least a bit of selectivity; there aren't too many readers floating around anymore who don't understand the self-published print books are self-selected by the author. Self-publishing in print is pretty much beyond its marketable trend now.

And we won't be butting heads anymore, because I won't try to explain it a third time.

Author: James Duffy
Date:   11-15-09 22:18

OK. Chill. No reason to get so cranky. Thanks for the info.

Author: Jack Scoltock
Date:   11-16-09 05:30

Sometimes if an e-book is a success the publisher will bring it out in paperback.
Happened to me.
Jack

Author: craig malateste
Date:   11-16-09 12:55

Mr. Kessler: You appear to be an impolite, pompous ass. If taking the time to answer someone is such a burden, perhaps you should consider not answering.

Author: James Duffy
Date:   11-16-09 13:01

That would be nice, Jack. I've always felt my two ancient Rome adventure novels would do much better in mass market paperback than in hardcover and trade paper, but I could never get my publisher (who focuses a lot on library sales) to see it that way.

In doing more research into this question and speaking with folks on other forums, I've come to learn that the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader sites are pretty much the only eBook sites that will allow uploads directly from the author. The others like Diesel and eBooks.com will only accept file uploads from publishers. So now I need to decide if the higher royalty rate from the two biggies will offset the fact that I'm not on the other sites, or should I just accept the lower royalty and have my publisher get it up on all the sites. Probably a wash either way.

One last thing I'm going to check out... Someone just told me that Ingram Distribution has a way to help authors get more uploads to more sites. I'll be looking into that today.