Author: Tim Hooper
Date:   11-18-09 15:12

Why do you want to be published? Is it to be able to say, "Hey look at this book, I wrote it?" Or to be able to boast about being "published" in itself? I hope not. I hope you have not lost focus on what the point is. It should be in the fact that you love to write and you want to share your work with the world. Granted, yes I realize that in order to truly fulfill this you have to make enough money to do it full time. But why should it matter how you get there as long as you get there? Through Traditional Publishing or ePublishing. As long as you can sell enough books to make enough money to do what you love, that is the point. There is a lot of talk about ePublsihing ruining your chances with Traditional Publishers, but whether that is fact or fiction, who cares. Lets remember what the point is.
ePublishing can get you there. eBook sales have gone up 108% each year for the past two years and is said to be headed toward mainstream in the next 4 to 5 years. You truly can make enough money to support yourself as a full time writer. Is it instantaneous? No. But it is doable and for some, it may be their only shot.
Give it some thought!

Author: Cathy C
Date:   11-18-09 21:32

I can't even begin to express the problems with the statements in the above post. Let us simply say that there are some. Good luck with your plan, though. Since my plan actually IS to make a living at it, I won't be following this advice.

Author: Tim Hooper
Date:   11-18-09 22:38

What advice are you talking about. The above is not for people that are already published. It is for people that have tried to get published and have found obstacles there. I believe the order to take is write a book, try to obtain traditional publishing, then try ebook publishing. If you are published, it would be a good idea to move into eBooks as well because if you haven't looked to your right, ebooks are the future of reading. Get onboard or get losted in the shuffle.

Author: Gravity Fades
Date:   11-19-09 12:45

Get "losted"? Good God almighty, son, this is a writing site. If you plan on selling your service to writers, at least prove you have more than a passing knowledge of standard grammar. Sheesh.

Author: Tim Hooper
Date:   11-19-09 13:38

Touché Gravity Fades. However, what would editors do for a living if we didn't have typos?

Author: Azhden Belle
Date:   11-19-09 16:11

LMAO... Alright... Tim... editors fix OTHER PEOPLE'S Typos... not their own...

But, I do get what you are saying in your first post, here. I agree that we need not lose focus on our goals. However, you should really consider using a different means of talking people into using your services. Telling everyone that the sales of eBooks has gone up 108% each year for the past two years is vague. Try actually telling people the ACTUAL AVERAGE of eBooks that your authors have actually sold. Telling someone whose book has only sold 10 copies that eBooks have increased by 108% is like saying, "You might double the amount of books you've sold.... maybe..."

All that person is thinking is, "Wow... how fricken amazing! Whoopie! Now, I can actually say that I sold a whopping 21 books! Yay!" Can't you just feel the sarcasm?

The point is, I would love my book in eBook format... LOVE IT! But, I would much rather it be in paperback and hardcover, because these are the ones that sell the most. No matter how popular the KINDLE gets, downloaded books WILL NEVER turn paper obsolete. You must understand that feeling, smelling, hearing, and, if you're a freak, tasting the pages is what makes reading AN EXPERIENCE, not just a hobby.

...not to lose focus on the point here...

I love literature; it's my entire existence. Writing is the only thing I've ever been good at, and I would love to make a living off from it. But, you don't get royalties by giving your book to an eBook publisher that GIVES YOUR BOOK AWAY FOR FREE... 100% of 0 is still 0.

Azhden Belle

Author: Little Swallow
Date:   11-19-09 22:54

Well said Azhden!

How much would a mediocre author make on his/her e-book, say in 6 months?

Author: Azhden Belle
Date:   11-20-09 07:48

:-D