Posted on 2014-Feb-17
Author Earnings’ Aftermath
In light of Hugh Howey’s revelation about the critical piece of data that has become the talk of the (virtual) town, authors and bloggers came up with their own responses toward the validity of his methodology. Analyzing the data, the current climate of the publishing industry is one where self-publishers are earning higher income selling their eBooks on Amazon. The wild reception of the data resulted in his newly-created website being temporarily inaccessible. Last week, we covered how the data itself had a lot of merit for indie authors who are merchandizing their writing craft digitally, especially on Amazon. Hugh hopes that the first data report in the series will serve as a reference for all authors to take into consideration of what will be the best deal for them to monetize their book. Having generated massive feedback in several blogs, it seems the raw data is unavoidably compared with the one provided by Dana Beth Weinberg, who came up with the report a few months ago based on the Digital Book World and Writer’s Digest survey with 9,210 aspiring, self-published, traditionally published, and hybrid authors. The full report can be bought for the cheap price of $295.
Simon & Schuster and Hachette Report Increasing eBook Sales
Regardless of how in-depth and insightful the data analysis and interpretation of both reports may be, the more data is open for public, the better decision authors can make to demand a fair share of their earnings from their signed contract or be better prepared for the self-publishing route to optimize sales. Whichever path they choose, it is equally important to learn how eBooks can play a significant role in distributing your writing craft straight to your potential reader’s device without worrying about the delivery time and shipping costs. As seen on The Digital Reader’s blog, Lagardère, the parent companies of Simon & Schuster and Hachette, report that their publishing division’s revenue increased 1.9% in 2013 with eBook sales marking a dramatic increase of 33% in the U.S. and 42% in the U.K. according to this press release. Other sources similarly claim increased digital sales in 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. According to the writer’s speculation, the next quarterly report, expected to be available very soon, should paint a clearer picture of the publisher’s digital sales increase. In contrast to what the AAP reports said earlier that most of the 2013 eBook market would be flat, it is unlikely the case.
Author Solutions Dissected by David Gaughran
To make sure self-publishers and most authors alike make the right publishing decision, David Gaughran dedicates his latest blog entry to listing all the Author Solutions subsidiaries to educate how authors should be aware of their operations. Instead of whistleblowing their services alone, he quoted The Bookseller’s latest decision with permission to remove Author Solutions and its subsidiary companies’ ads from their website and also ask them to remove the information about the Bookseller “entirely.” In the next paragraphs, David reveals the unbelievably high cost placing an ad with Publishers Weekly and Readers’ Digest. You have to see it to believe it how the fee can go from $16,499 to $72,499. Apparently, there is a lot of money to be had as Author Solutions allegedly earned nearly $1M from one event based on David’s estimation. Wrapping up, David asks self-publishers to call for an action to get a proper answer. In the comment section, Elise M. Stone recounts how Author Solutions reserved the multi-booth display at the Tucson Festival of Books and charged $599 to open a booth when the same price would be for an entire booth.
Making the Right Decision
Making the right decision always comes with a huge responsibility to research and reach out to fellow colleagues who have provided openly public data for all to digest and query. Although there will be an ongoing debate over which report will be the best to benefit every author in the industry, authors are now equipped with more data and report to draw comparisons in order to decide which publishing method best suits their needs. Even if you are willing to entirely outsource distribution to an expert, perhaps it might be practical to crunch the numbers and keep the costs down to save for the next book and polish your marketing outreach. At BB eBooks, we provide the affordable solution to provide you with the right digital format, fast turnaround time, and reliable response in eBooks and POD books production. If you have questions, please consult our FAQ or send us a quote now.
Label: Self-Publishing
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