Welcome to episode 21 of the Self-Publishing Roundtable.
First some bad news.
Our bearded uber-runner co-host Bill Dowis has decided to step down as a regular for personal reasons. He will still be around and may show up from time to time. But for the time being, he won’t be on the show.
We decided not to rob you of a potential sixth member each week so we have hired someone new to replace Bill.
This author will be revealed live this week on the show (and will be with us next week for episode 22). This author is very experienced, successful and is tapped into the indie community like few I have come across. I hope you will join us in welcoming them during the show.
Now onto the news for the week.
It’s been a busy week so we will be focussing on featuring the five biggest stories on the show. If we get time we may cover the rest, but just in case I’ll post them here for you to read anyway.
Bookbub Marketing Blog – Bookbub is a favorite marketing site among indies for the generally excellent results it provides when advertising with them. They have become one of (if not the biggest) bargain and free book mailing sites in the world. Not only that, they have done it in a very short period of time. On their new blog they will be sharing all they have learned when it comes to marketing to readers. This is a potential goldmine of information for all indies so we think it’s worth being a feature story this week.
Createspace Cover Changes – Createspace is the one of the most used sites for creating print on demand books for indies. The biggest issue most indies have had is the sometimes lower quality of the end product, compared to a site like Lightning Source. The biggest advantage to CS is that they are owned by Amazon. This week they opened up matte finish to book covers helped to improve the books indies can buy. We think this is pretty cool and a big step for Createspace moving forward. Hardcover next please!
Amazon.com.au – Amazon launched an Australian version of their e-book store this week. In addition they are finally releasing the Kindle Fire to the Australian market in time for Christmas. This is a big step towards securing the market, which Kobo has a foothold on at present. The new store offers the 70% royalty to indies, unlike some of the other affiliate Amazon stores. This could turn into a big market come 2014 if the Kindle Fire does well over the holiday period. Carl is going to squeal about this a fair bit. Here is the press release.
Erotica In Decline – An interesting article about the declining sales in erotica. We’ll discuss this and consider where erotica authors might move, if this trend continues. Especially given the recent Kobo Gate issues with erotica.
Trad For Indie Success? – Traditionally published authors have a better chance of making it in Indie publishing because of their existing fan base. This kindle boards thread came about because of a blog post by an editor from Harper Collins who said authors with no previous traditional background and no existing fan base, found success in self-publishing to be “elusive.” On the surface this comment seems like it should be true. But is it?
And some more stories we may have time to cover…
Indie Rights – An indie author’s guide to the various rights they hold, and how they can exploit these rights.
Marketing YA Books – This is a great article on writing and marketing YA, but I think the points transfer to adult fiction as well. We have quite a few listeners who are writing in this genre, it might make for a good discussion.
E-Books Up At Harper Collins – E-books are profitable for Harper Collins. More sales in the big 5 just brings more attention which is good for self-publishers.
Waterstone in with Amazon – In launch materials for Amazon Source, the program to allow independent bookstores to sell kindle readers and ebooks, Amazon highlights that it was the partnership with Waterstones that delivered the infrastructure now available to independent bookstores.
Print-On-Demand While You Wait – a PoD centre that could literally print your books while you wait for them. Anyone have any ideas on when this could be useful for you?
Kobo launches new pricing tool – Kobo has launched a new pricing tool. Basically this new pricing tool lets the author set a price change in the future. If they were trying to compete with Amazon’s Countdown program, they fell way short. It doesn’t have any kind of promotion associated with it, it doesn’t let you keep your higher royalty if you drop your book down to .99, and there is no way to let the reader know through the product page that the discounted price is a short term thing.
Authors Avoid Controversy? – An article from NYT that said surveys are showing that a huge chunk of authors are avoiding controversial topics in their writing because of fears of government watching them. I think this is massively important to freedom of speech, and more.
Hi all. Happy SPRT Night!
Well goooood evening everyone.
We are gonna be with you live shortly.
My top 3 guesses on the identity of the new co-host: 1.) Trish McCallan 2.) Hugh Howey 3.) Snooki
Evening folks. I’m going to miss Bill’s one-liners….
BuddyGott You were one of my guesses. Trish was another.
Howdy.
Heya guys, too bad about Bill.
Eric Guindon Eric!
We are just hearing about how Dave is having the week of hell. Be with you soon.
sryeager Steve!
melissadonovan BuddyGott Hi Melissa. Enjoying your book!
Carl Sinclair He needs to make a what’s up Dave’s butt show 😛
The best parts of this show are the pre-show and the post-show. The stuff in the middle is like the broccoli you have to eat to get dessert.
BuddyGott melissadonovan Hello and thank you 🙂
5, 4, 3, 2, 1….
Carl Sinclair That should really be on-air so we can all revel in it.
Come for the round tables, stay for the…well, no, that’s about it.
I love this show.
Dave’s beard is more epic than ever before!
melissadonovan Why?
BuddyGott Epic beard +3 to Charisma and Ranting
BuddyGott There is a rumor that he asked his stylist to add extra gray for his 50 Shades of Dave cosplay.
Anymore guesses on the new host?
jlward melissadonovan I haven’t psycho-analyzed my fondness for you guys yet.
Carl Sinclair garrett robinson
Carl Sinclair Is it a clone of Carl?
melissadonovan jlward I’m sure your therapist will get to the root of the problem eventually.
RemarkableReads Carl Sinclair Yep, Garret is one of my three guesses along with Buddy and Trish.
Eric Guindon Carl Sinclair I really hope not. I couldn’t handle having another Carl on the show.
Carl Sinclair Is it a character from one of your books?
melissadonovan Carl Sinclair Could be….
Carl Sinclair Ari is another guess of mine.
Carl Sinclair Maybe another accent, like Joanna Penn…that would be pretty awesome.
keithallenauthor Carl Sinclair Joanna would be awesome, but I think it’s like four in the morning in Britain right now.
melissadonovan keithallenauthor Carl Sinclair Damn you timezones!
Do we need to start chanting and stomping our feet to find out who this new host is?
Maybe the new host is Car’s imaginary friend…
You made it weird.
It’s TRISH!
Trish!
Hilary Clinton!
I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!
Yay!
Trish is awesome!
shroudbetween Do you think it’s a good thing?
jlward shroudbetween Of course. She’s incredibly knowledgable, and very successful. I think she’ll offer a good perspective and point of view to the show.
shroudbetween jlward Totally agree.
What’s Trish’s last name so I can go google-stalk her?
keithallenauthorhttp://trishmccallan.com/
http://unbound.bookbub.com/post/65347919983/welcome-to-bookbub-unbound
I’m glad about it being Trish but I lost money on this. Made a bet with my bookie that it was going to be me or Snooki. Oh well…
jlward keithallenauthor She’s got a picture of me from my modeling days in her banner…awkward…
keithallenauthor jlward Bound to happen sooner or later. That’s the price of fame.
shroudbetween keithallenauthor jlward And being ridiculously good looking…my cross to bear I suppose.
The first story of the night… Google wins the court case. http://gigaom.com/2013/11/14/google-wins-book-scanning-case-judge-finds-fair-use-cites-many-benefits/
keithallenauthor shroudbetween jlward Trust me… I get it. This face? This body? It’s a curse.
I’m doing Movember and find myself amazingly jealous of Dave’s manly ‘stash.
Trying to focus on the show, which is great, but distracted trying to figure out the picture to the left of Dave’s can of Pepsi. Three people on it. Looks like a cd. Hanson, perhaps?
BuddyGott The hanson sisters’ hair is much longer.
BuddyGott Battlestar Galactica.
BuddyGott I was just wondering the same thing!
jlward BuddyGott Ah! Mystery solved!
Doesn’t Lightning Source fulfill the paperbacks for CreateSpace? I thought I heard that somewhere.
melissadonovan Somthing like that Melissa.
Just went to CreateSpace to change to Matte covers and found that the extra distribution channels are now FREE… anyone heard of this before?
Eric Guindon Yeah there was a lot of buzz about that on kboards. Nice benefit.
One of these days Amazon will probably buy Lightning Source.
keithallenauthor Eric Guindon Was evidently distracted by Createspace! 😛
Late as usual, but I’ve made an appearance. How is everyone this evening?
xgranville We’ve been waiting for you to show up. Now, the show can start.
xgranville X – bad news, man. You weren’t named new co-host.
jlward xgranville Highly unlikely but thank you for feeding my ego.
BuddyGott xgranville Oh that thought NEVER crossed my mind haha.
Paul Hogan’s autobiography – first bestseller on Amazon Australia.
With Amazon in Australia, does that mean that Carl won’t have to translate his book into english?
BuddyGott A car wrote a biography about Paul Hogan? (badum-psh)
Those are huge shoes to fill, Dave. Being the Hasselhoff of America? I expect a drunken burger incident ASAP.
xgranville I just want Dave to post a picture of himself standing next to his talking car.
jlward xgranville Night Rider reference for the Ward-Win!
jlward xgranville Or a video of him running in slow motion on a beach.
BuddyGott jlward xgranville Oh maaaan, wouldn’t he just love that?
BuddyGott jlward xgranville I would pay to say that.
BuddyGott jlward xgranville I see a CI promo coming…get Yesterday’s Gone to 1000 reviews and dave does a “Hoff”
keithallenauthor BuddyGott jlward xgranville Dark Crossings: Along The Beach.
Might be a bad time for my erotica parody of Realm Keepers that I’ve written.
BuddyGott Or the best time. Whichever.
BuddyGott MidRammed?
keithallenauthor BuddyGott Wyrmspire is just too easy.
xgranville BuddyGott I vote best time
xgranville keithallenauthor BuddyGott Yeah…have to keep it classy
keithallenauthor xgranville BuddyGott At least in San Francisco.
It’s a shame Garrett isn’t here, he’s sure getting a lot of free self promo
erotica hasn’t gone away, it’s now just called new adult
RemarkableReads he does most nights
we just love Garrett around here
RemarkableReads What’s new about it exactly? Are they inventing new undiscovered sex organs?
RemarkableReads Or urban fantasy apparently, according to the top 100 list…
RemarkableReads Doesn’t he always?
My parody combines Realm Keepers with characters based on some of you. Realm SPRTers
shroudbetween RemarkableReads Shitless dudes does not mean erotica.
Carl Sinclair shroudbetween RemarkableReads new adult is college and post collegiate angsty stories
Carl does what he does in the name of science. SCIENCE!
Carl Sinclair shroudbetween RemarkableReads Best typo ever.
shroudbetween Oh yes. Science. Now, what’s the Australian translation of that?
it’s hard to get exposure now. that’s why you have to go streaking across the internet in an animated gif holding a copy of your book
xgranville shroudbetween Fosters, which is Australian for “beer”
shroudbetween xgranville One bottle of Science, please.
RemarkableReads Whoa whoa whoa! You can do that?!
shroudbetween RemarkableReads We going streaking?
John’s going to write Fluffer Flash Fiction under a pen name.
BuddyGott Like the name Buddy Gott?
xgranville shroudbetween RemarkableReads Through the quad to the gymnasium!
I publish all my books under hugh hocking konrath, then all my problems go away
BuddyGott going to…future tense?
jlward BuddyGott It’s kind of catchy.
jlward BuddyGott Goddy Butt.
shroudbetween xgranville Nobody in Australia drinks Fosters. That is just the beer we send to keep you all out,
BuddyGott Fluffer Flash Fiction, aka, being TOO good at your job…
Carl Sinclair shroudbetween xgranville Ah, like Molson Canadian.
Carl Sinclair shroudbetween xgranville It’s a good plan that stuff is terrible even by beer standards.
BuddyGott jlward Do you find that a lot of women start asking you about STD’s when you introduce yourself?
Buddy: Hi, I’m Buddy Gott.
Woman: Buddy got what?
jlward BuddyGott The clap.
jlward BuddyGott Ah, memories….
I gotta go, take a phone call. See you around G+
keithallenauthor jlward BuddyGott Buddy Gotta Catch Em All, Pokemon.
shroudbetween xgranville RemarkableReads get to it guys. seriously, you slackers
melissadonovan Bye Melissa!
melissadonovan Bye! Always a pleasure =D
Dave, we are always watching. ALWAYS.
That was a weird night. Lol
BuddyGott At least you don’t have people calling you “Wheels”.
Who wants to be in the After Party Hangout?
xgranville BuddyGott Xavier doesn’t either, he’s just saying it could be worse…
shroudbetween xgranville BuddyGott Yeah, right?!
jlward Yep!
jlward me. kevinmichael3@gmail.com
shroudbetween jlward What’s your real name again? I keep forgetting.
jlward Sure sounds good.
I’m waiting for Stone Temple Pilots to sue Garrett for using STP.
jlward shroudbetween Rich Scottards.
jlward shroudbetween It hurts, Ward… it hurts. Scott Richards.
jlward I’d be in for the hangout
jlward Me!
Death to ZC Bolger’s Twitter page.
Invites coming out in a moment for the after-party.
My thanks for the warm welcome from everyone. I’m excited to join SPRT’s crazy cast of characters. 🙂 The way you kept the guessing going was priceless and really made me laugh. And the perfect end to the guessing game was the delayed drumroll that went on and on and on forever…awkward…
.hahhahahhahhahhahha
Great show though, and I’m looking forward to joining everyone next week. 😉