I tell you this because I've been hearing in the blogosphere lately, the constant murmuring of authors who want to ride the same lucrative wave as the big guys. They're using self-publishing to do it. Internet giants like Amazon and Barnes and Noble offer the opportunity to get your stories out there.
This can be a wonderful thing. On the flip-side, doing so may hurt your chances with royalty publishers down the road. So there are some things to consider...
Terry Burns, my agent at Hartline Literary, posted an interesting article on his blog, Cowboy Musings this week. It had to do with question of whether or not the decision to e-publishing your book on a site like Amazon might have a negative effect on your proposal to publishers. He surveyed over 100 editors in both main stream publishing and the Christian market. Their responses were surprising, and I encourage you to head on over to his blog to read them for yourselves.
You see, publishers expect the digital rights to your book to be part of the package they're paying you for when they offer you a contract. The problem, is that once Amazon has your book available in Kindle form...they're not going to give it up. And that is a dilemma that could knock your proposal out of the running.
Of course, ebook publishing is a wonderful opportunity for a lot of authors. Those who write non-fiction field, are a part of a larger organization, or who have a following all do exceedingly well with this route. Speakers and teachers get in front of their audience and self-publishing goes hand in hand with immediate sales at conferences where you make a real connection with your reader.
I encourage you to consider your future plans and hopes for your manuscript when deciding whether or not to self publish a digital version of your book. As always, its your dream, your direction, and ultimately your decision.
Until next time...Go Write!
Photograph by Andrew Mason.