Low to no sales and reviews. Are we lost in a glut?
I wish somebody would tell me what the hell is going on!
Read this HuffPost article, written by no less than Mark Coker (Smashwords CEO and indie author). Anyway you look at this, it spells doom. ( can't leave the link here but you can google it easily enough. Here it is:
2018 Book Publishing Predictions--Are Indie Authors Losing Their Independence.
In addition to this dire warning/prediction, tell me why, oh why, have sales and reviews dropped off almost completely for small/independent presses and self-published author. I'm seeing this all across the board. In 29 years of writing and authorship, I have not seen such a tedious halt for reviews and sales. I know why the reviewes are not there! That is another subject.
BTW, I'm not a doom-peddler or naysayer. I represent Guerrilla Warfare For Writers. I warn, and fight for the rights of authors everywhere.
I read it and it's sad. I have been noticing in Amazon that I can type in the title of my book and a whole list of titles that don't even resemble mine by other authors will pop up. To find one of my books I have to type in the name of the book and my name. This is grossly unfair and discouraging. I really don't know what the future of self publishing will be. People can get so many free ebooks that paper books have become almost obsolete. Call me old fashioned but I love the feel of a real book in my hands.
It's nothing new. Back around 2007, my small publisher, Booklocker.com and its CEO, Angela Hoy, sued Amazon (and won) apparently because Amazon was busy buying out all small publishers, like hers, creating a monopoly. As a result, Createspace and others are still around.
But Amazon has offered free ways for authors to publish pamphlets and call them books for free. Angela, in her newsletter, Writersweekly.com, illustrates currently how many small indie publishers upsell books and services, making publishing through them very expensive, that authors can no longer recoup with sales. So, everyone is moving to Amazon's "free" services. In addition, Amazon Prime offers endless free e-books. With all these free books to read easily read online, no one needs to buy books anymore and booksellers are going out of business.
I think that almost everyone seems to have an idea of writing a book. Retirees have a chance to do that without going through the ridiculous publishing establishment. Cream rises to the top, and pop culture determines what is hot and what is not. Most indie authors are producing penny novels. No one is buying them, but everyone is writing them. Amazon is becoming the only place to buy for price and will cut off free sales when there is no competition… Nearly there now. I refuse to buy books from Amazon to review unless that's the only place the author has placed the book. My books are available in several places that are not Amazon. I would advise everyone to boycott Amazon to save other businesses. Amazon has driven out Toys "R" Us, Sears, and countless other smaller stores. Let's save Barnes & Noble and the small bookstores in our neighborhoods.
With the new and exciting world of Kindles and Print-on-Demand (POD), Independent Publishing is becoming an enticing choice and a viable alternative to traditional publishing.
This book is about Poetry. Many different kinds of fables, short stories about life experiences, laughter, drama, children, humor, love, inspiration and some urban styles of poetry.
Essays dedicated to the new media, doing business on the web, digital content, its creation and distribution, e-publishing, e-books, digital reference, DRM technology, and other related issues.
But Amazon has offered free ways for authors to publish pamphlets and call them books for free. Angela, in her newsletter, Writersweekly.com, illustrates currently how many small indie publishers upsell books and services, making publishing through them very expensive, that authors can no longer recoup with sales. So, everyone is moving to Amazon's "free" services. In addition, Amazon Prime offers endless free e-books. With all these free books to read easily read online, no one needs to buy books anymore and booksellers are going out of business.
I think that almost everyone seems to have an idea of writing a book. Retirees have a chance to do that without going through the ridiculous publishing establishment. Cream rises to the top, and pop culture determines what is hot and what is not. Most indie authors are producing penny novels. No one is buying them, but everyone is writing them. Amazon is becoming the only place to buy for price and will cut off free sales when there is no competition… Nearly there now. I refuse to buy books from Amazon to review unless that's the only place the author has placed the book. My books are available in several places that are not Amazon. I would advise everyone to boycott Amazon to save other businesses. Amazon has driven out Toys "R" Us, Sears, and countless other smaller stores. Let's save Barnes & Noble and the small bookstores in our neighborhoods.
Ron