As I’ve become increasingly disgruntled with the charges my publishers (Troubador for all titles apart from New Generation who published HER PARENTS’ DAUGHTER) make for ‘supporting’ e-books (getting on for £40 plus VAT per year per title) this year, with time on my hands to explore, I decided to go it alone and, notwithstanding sales from other e-book markets, concentrate my efforts on Kindle.
Kindle Create was a revelation. It is easy to understand and use and, although it has certain limitations, it ‘does what it says on the tin’ and creates a perfectly acceptable e-book. And, what is more, it is free!
I have now used this to add INIQUITIES (a re-working of the three titles of The Iniquities Trilogy into one) to my Amazon page. As my contracts with the publishers expire I am adding my other titles (so far HIGHLY UNSUITABLE GIRL, SECOND STRAND and just today A SET OF LIES) so all my books remain available in Kindle format. I think my next book – whenever that comes about – will be published only using Kindle Create and I might explore their paperback (print on demand) option.
The publishing world has changed so much since I first looked to publish my first book in 2007. In those days you found yourself an agent (or didn’t) who negotiated (or didn’t) a deal with a publishing company and all you had to do was write the book and everyone else did the rest leaving you free to write the next one (simplified I know but roughly true). As self-publishing firms (such as Troubador) became more main-stream you by-passed the agent stage and went straight to publishing. You got a degree of support which, of course, you had to pay for. In the early days, when there were relatively few self-published authors the exposure your book got was far more than is possible today. Now there is, necessarily, less support and the author has to do far more than simply write.
So is the next stage in the publishing revolution doing it all yourself? No need for an agent. No need for a publishing house. Go straight to the bookshop by using Kindle Create?