The Rise of E-book OR Why is the publishing industry dying?
The Rise of E-book
OR
Why is the publishing industry dying?
By following a few links I ran across a very interesting story and it illustrates how the publishing industry is changing.
The first is the story of a young author who could not sell her books doing the traditional publishing system. This author is Amanda Hocking:
http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/
Starting in early 2010 she started to publish her books using Kindle, Barns and Noble, smash mouth and other sites that allow authors to self-publish their books in electronic formats. Over 2010 she wrote and put up over 10 novels. With basically just word of mouth by the end of 2010 she has sold 148,887 books. You don’t believe me? She has put up screen shots author tools from Kindle and Barns and Noble to show her numbers.
http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/2010/12/pics-or-it-didnt-happen.html
Her books range between $0.99 and $2.99 for each book. Assuming the lowest price we can guess that she has made: 148,887 times $0.99 = $147,398 less 30% which Amazon keeps this means that Amanda has taken home about $103,178. That is more than almost any author would ever make with an advance from a traditional publisher.
With authors able to make and keep so much money for themselves why should they go with the regular and more traditional publisher?
But you say that OK, one woman has a hit on her hands that is not a good way to measure the success or not success of e-books. Fair enough.
The second author to look at is Mystery writer J. A. Konrath, author of the traditionally published Jack Daniels mysteries and nearly a dozen self-published e-books.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
who says: “I have seven self-published e-novels earning more than $24,000 a year each. I wish I had more novels that I couldn’t sell [to traditional publishers], because I’m making a nice chunk of change with them on Kindle.”
Just form those seven books he is doing: $24,000 x 7 = $168,000
I could go on and point out more authors who are having great success with e-mail, but this tip of the iceberg should get you started and realize that thing are changing in the publishing industry. The change is simple; authors are taking control of their works and getting them to the public directly.
Your thoughts?
