This week in publishing (March 7–March 13)
Posted By Sue Collier on March 14, 2011
Here is some of what is happening in publishing right now:
From Publetariat: Amanda Hocking the exception not the rule
The web has been abuzz lately (for example) with stories of Amanda Hocking’s incredible self-publishing success (and similar success by other indies). In a nutshell, Hocking has nine self-published works available on Kindle (and other ebook stores) and is selling hundreds of thousands every month and making more money than most writers ever dream about. Well, we dream about it, of course, but never expect to actually see it. Hocking sold 450,000 books on Kindle in January alone. At a 70% royalty that’s some serious moolah. Traditional publishers won’t be picking her up because none of them can offer a deal that’s even close, let alone better than the one she’s managed on her own.
From Galley Cat: Barnes & Noble still seeking buyer as stocks dip
Barnes & Noble began seeking buyers in August, but has yet to seal the deal. According to Reuters, the company stock price hit a two-and-a-half year low at the beginning of this week.
From The Creative Penn: Book launch—breakdown of the Pentecost launch process
OK, the dust has settled and it’s time to report back on how the launch of Pentecost went. Many of you have been asking so here it is. I also did a podcast about book launches with the marvelous Zoe Winters if you’d like to listen as well.
From Publishers Weekly: Three new indie owners stress community
Three Northern California bookstores have successfully transitioned to new owners in moves that the indie community could take as a sign that bookselling is still a viable and attractive business.
From Galley Cat: Kirkus Reviews unveils book blogger network
Kirkus Reviews has launched the Kirkus Book Blogger Network, a collection of literary reporters covering everything from mystery books to gardening books.
From Nathan Bransford: Amanda Hocking and the 99-cent Kindle millionaires
As Amanda Hocking said herself, “I don’t understand why the internet suddenly picked up on me this past week, but it definitely did.”
And how.
From Publishers Weekly: London bounces back
In 2010, a cloud hung over the publishing world—literally. When the tongue-twisting Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, blew its top last April, a cloud of ash blanketed the skies over northern Europe, halting air travel, stranding travelers, and ruining the best-made plans of the 2010 London Book Fair. But this year’s London Book Fair is back on track, organizers say, and strong attendance is expected at this year’s event, set for April 11–13 at the Earl’s Court Exhibition Center.
From Nathan Bransford: Further thoughts on the Kindle millionaires
Thank you so much to everyone who weighed in on yesterday’s postabout Amanda Hocking and the e-book self-publishing success stories!! It was a fascinating discussion, and I’m going to call out a few of my favorite comments in a second.
But first, I wanted to clarify a few things from the post.
From The Ultimate Writing Coach: How to print a self-published book
My friend and fellow fighter-for-the-good-of-authors consultant in the Indie book world, Sue Collier (co-author ofThe Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, 5th Edition) recently wrote a great blog post about various “POD Publishing,” “self-publishing” and “vanity” companies vs. skipping the middle-man and working directly with a print-on-demand printer. She says it boils down to going directly to CreateSpace, owned by Amazon, orLightning Source, owned by Ingram.
From Nathan Bransford: Why some ebooks cost more than hardcovers
The good people at Reddit recentlynoticed something peculiar and engaged in a spirited debate about it. The topic? A bete noir for many an e-book reader: E-books priced more than their print edition.
How could this possibly be? Paper costs more than electrons, so surely e-books should be cheaper, right?
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