e-Pubbing Education
As some know from my previous post, I've been exploring this whole 'traditional publication' thing and as I am, I'm finding some fascinating things about the 'other side' of publishing--namely that traditional publication via e-pubs is about as hard (and sometimes as troublesome) as just going it alone (self-pubbing electronically), depending on who picks up the work.
Yes, I do agree that there are a couple 'biggie' ebook publishers that can really be a great coup if you can land it, but overall, for the Average Joe it'll most likely be a struggle to successfully pull off the e-thing--traditional or no.
And while being e-published (traditionally) can help one's career (depending on how it fits into the whole spectrum of things), if you do decide to go this route, you'd better be just as prepared and knowledgeable about what you're doing as you would be for any other kind of publication.
Why? Well for one, the customer base itself is smaller because only certain people are willing to read electronic works to begin with therefore limiting the customer base ... but that's not the only obstacle with the whole e-publishing thing.
Yes, e-pubbing can often expand the products availability while reducing the overall production cost to some degree BUT on the other hand, with the current limitations in distribution (the recent loss of the Amazon/LS link for one) combined with the overall low profitability and overhead, there isn't a lot of squeak room in the industry--hence the all so common 'quantification theory.'
A theory that due to it's inherent design of 'more being better' will frequently rob an e-publisher of the necessary time to produce a premium product, thwart their ability to pay a qualified staff, hinder their capacity to back a professional marketing platform, much less pay the upfronts to have print editions manufactured for unproven works ... sigh...
And I guess that's why I found this new blog to be of interest because for it (like others I read) is openly discussing/reporting on some of what I've already been learning about e-publishers in general. (FYI Blog: Writer's Watch).
Keep in mind that I don't know the background of the blog host, nor the specifics involved, but realizing that education is key in publication--any kind of publication--and the more an author knows about the industry the better, I thought I would pass along the link.
Getting back to the research grindstone...
Yes, I do agree that there are a couple 'biggie' ebook publishers that can really be a great coup if you can land it, but overall, for the Average Joe it'll most likely be a struggle to successfully pull off the e-thing--traditional or no.
And while being e-published (traditionally) can help one's career (depending on how it fits into the whole spectrum of things), if you do decide to go this route, you'd better be just as prepared and knowledgeable about what you're doing as you would be for any other kind of publication.
Why? Well for one, the customer base itself is smaller because only certain people are willing to read electronic works to begin with therefore limiting the customer base ... but that's not the only obstacle with the whole e-publishing thing.
Yes, e-pubbing can often expand the products availability while reducing the overall production cost to some degree BUT on the other hand, with the current limitations in distribution (the recent loss of the Amazon/LS link for one) combined with the overall low profitability and overhead, there isn't a lot of squeak room in the industry--hence the all so common 'quantification theory.'
A theory that due to it's inherent design of 'more being better' will frequently rob an e-publisher of the necessary time to produce a premium product, thwart their ability to pay a qualified staff, hinder their capacity to back a professional marketing platform, much less pay the upfronts to have print editions manufactured for unproven works ... sigh...
And I guess that's why I found this new blog to be of interest because for it (like others I read) is openly discussing/reporting on some of what I've already been learning about e-publishers in general. (FYI Blog: Writer's Watch).
Keep in mind that I don't know the background of the blog host, nor the specifics involved, but realizing that education is key in publication--any kind of publication--and the more an author knows about the industry the better, I thought I would pass along the link.
Getting back to the research grindstone...
posted by dehanna at 5:56 PM
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