Here’s Reading You ~ An Author’s POV! (Part III)
Last week Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words finished up our reader’s thoughts on eBooks, how they use them, where they find them and the authors that write them. This week, its the authors turn. From hardback and paperback or even the graphic novel to the eBook, what does writing and publishing eBooks mean to an author? Has it helped them find an audience? Made it easier to publish a novel? Made it harder to find time to write because they are so busy promoting themselves and their stories? And is the eBook industry changing?
I know…what a lot of questions to dump onto an author already burdened with so much to do these days. But I thought it might help us understand eBooks from their perspective and maybe let us appreciate those stories that we read just a little more when we consider the author’s point of view. Maybe you as readers have questions you want to ask our authors?
That’s why we are dividing our authors blog section into two parts, one this week and into the next. If you have questions, please comment below and all week long. If we use your questions? See the contest at the end of this blog for your answer!
The authors participating this week are Parker Williams (Of Love and Corn Dogs), Wulf Francu Godgluck (Tooth, Claw, and Horn Chronicles), and Jay Northcote. Thank you all for participating and taking time away from your busy schedules to answer my questions.
~ Authors On Ebooks~
Parker Williams
As an author, what has your experience been publishing ebooks? Especially self published ebooks? Did you start off that way? Was a traditional publishing house not the answer? Or if it was, why?
No, I started out being published by Harmony Ink (the YA arm of Dreamspinner Press.) A friend encouraged me to try it, and even helped me get the book ready to submit. Hitting that ‘send’ button was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, because I grew up thinking that writing wasn’t for me (thank you, Dad!)
How has the ebook industry changed since you started publishing? How do you view these changes?
I’m not sure how much the industry has changed since I started in it. Self-publishing has been a terror for me, because I’m not sure what the heck I’m doing. I pay a company to format my books, because the rules for each site are wide and varied.
Have you as an author benefited, are indifferent, or has it made your job more difficult to get your books out there?
I’ve had to be more creative to get my book noticed. My saving grace was running Pride Promotions, because I had a list of bloggers who I already worked with who were willing to help me. So to them, I am exceptionally grateful.
What things would you change if you were starting over?
If I were to start over, I would be less hesitant about some things that I thought would turn people off. Haven’s Creed, for example. I was so certain no one would buy it, and even more certain that I would get pilloried for publishing it. As is the came with most books, it has some who loathed it, but surprisingly a lot of people seemed to enjoy it. It gave me the courage to explore some other things I might not have done otherwise.
What has been your biggest challenge? And biggest victory as an author – other than publishing that is? Is it see your genre expand?
My biggest challenge is not knowing what I’m doing with self-publishing. I wish I could understand it, or find an easier way to format, because I feel silly having to ask for help. My biggest victory? The very first letter I ever got that told me my writing made a difference to someone. Knowing that even just one person thought my story was worthwhile.
And I would *LOVE* to see the genre expand. I think too many people see M/M or F/F literature, and automatically shuffle it off to the side without even giving it a chance. There are some stellar storytellers out there that they’re missing out on.
Where do you see ebooks and yourself in the future?
I hope to be writing until the day I die. When I go, I want to have my collection of books buried with me, so I have something to read while I wait for eternity to pass.
As an author, what has your experience been publishing ebooks? Especially self published ebooks? Did you start off that way? Was a traditional publishing house not the answer? Or if it was, why?
I have self-published all my books and don’t think I would change that anytime soon, you have more freedom as a self-published author but you also have to carry the cost and the risk thereof: Publishers already have an established readership, whereas if you are an author just starting out and self-publish your first book, you need to build that readership first, you also run the risk of plagiarism and piracy, where unfortunately you don’t have a legal team to back you up. But again you would earn more royalties on each individual copy sold, you determine the price of your book but you also run the risk of loss if you do not sell enough copies to compensate for the cost of getting your book published.
I guess it all depends on where and with what you are more comfortable. The only reason I self-published in the first place is publishers tend not to like my books because of the tone of my writing, as it tends to be a bit on the dark side.
How has the ebook industry changed since you started publishing? How do you view these changes?
In my honest opinion a lot, and not for the better, new books pop up every day now and the problem is the writing of these books is becoming poorer and poorer. Because the problem we are facing today is the lack and misunderstand of literacy, I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the number of authors and readers that still does not get the concept of showing and not telling, the difference of just simply reading what is actually written and then to thinking about what was said in that sentence as to what is actually conveyed, then there’s lack of using beta readers, and yet these books still sell? And more often than not it’s self-published books. So the bigger question we need to ask ourselves is; can readers really differentiate between a well-written book and a poor one, in all honesty, it seems that the poorly written books these days are the ones selling. Why? Because readers deem this poor quality of literature acceptable.
Why readers? Because it’s a vicious endless cycle – poorly written books are read by readers- reader becomes authors- produces poorly written book because of reading poorly written books.
Have you as an author benefited, are indifferent, or has it made your job more difficult to get your books out there?
Assuming this question is based on the previous answers, yes it has made my job more difficult: anyone can tell a story, not everyone can write a novel. It took me five years to even feel ready to show my first novel to readers, and that’s not from reading a lot, that came from writing, learning how to write, learning the difference between showing and not telling a story, learning how to convey the right words in the right way to paint the picture I want to portray inside the reader’s mind and the emotions I want to invoke inside the reader’s heart. It came from endless rewrites- first drafts, second drafts, and third drafts. From taking a step back and thinking about what I am writing, and from working very closely with my beta readers and editors and mentors who have been in the industry for years. And lastly evaluating myself and my writing as to how much I, as an author, has grown from the first piece I wrote to the current piece I have published.
Now, I, and many other authors have to compete with books, that are almost in a sense mass produced and that are deemed acceptable pieces of literature. That does make an author feel a bit dejected, that does make us question ourselves and whether or not the time, effort and blood placed into a manuscript is even worth it. Reader so easily voice, that we don’t write fast enough or that a particular author is only capable of publishing a novel once a year: And there is a very good reason for that, good things take time, we want to make sure we don’t push out something that’s going to be flat, one dimensional and unemotional.
And we are in the losing side here, because I see it so often when a really good book gets bashed down and really bad one gets praised. There are so many authors out there both new and experience that does not get the praise their work deserve.
It’s like a very good friend of mine said, “good writing should be like a movie for blind people.”
But we are also pressured against reader’s demand: Am I going to risk losing readers, and take the time to produce a novel to the best of my abilities, however long that may be- or am I going to give into the demand of the industry and produce something flat, quick and easy, with no flavor or substance?
What things would you change if you were starting over?
Not a lot, I would for one spend more time establishing a readership and interacting with more readers before I released my first book, but again it comes back to time. Writing a novel takes up a lot of time, establishing a readership and maintaining that readership via social media is a whole job in itself, so where do you draw the line, where do you find the balance? Authors are still people, they still have families, jobs and responsibilities outside of the writing world. Even as a full-time author I find this very difficult to balance. So now as the industry has changed; it crucial for any new author to establish a readership before they have their first book out in the publics’ hands.
What has been your biggest challenge? And biggest victory as an author – other than publishing that is? Is it see your genre expand?
Biggest challenge: Making sure my next book exceeds the one before it, Good, great, I’ve written a good book I can be proud of, now comes the next novel. Reader’s expectations. This always guts me during the writing process. The fear that this new book might not live up to the hype of its predecessor. And it’s both real and healthy, it encourages me to strive for better, to work harder, not to have the plot run away with me and high-jack the story to a point where it can’t be saved, and lastly writer’s block and writer’s burn out.
Biggest victory as an author: I’m discovering who I am, learning more about myself and what I am capable of, how talented I am and recognizing myself worth, but still be able to stay humble throughout this process because trust me, it can go to your head.
Where do you see ebooks and yourself in the future?
To grow more as a writer, to one day hopefully become a full-time writer in the horror genre and be successful in it.
As for ebooks in the future, one can only hope that we find some way to better protect our work against piracy and plagiarism, as with the advance of technology, there are its disadvantages; illegal distribution of books and selfishly stealing others work is a threat to both writers and the industry. With ebooks being so easily distributed as they are in the numerous ways they can be scattered throughout the big web. It’s hard to keep track of where they end up and how to protect
them.
Jay Northcote
My first experiences in publishing were with Dreamspinner Press almost three years ago. They published in paperback and eBook format, but the vast majority of my sales were eBooks.
I made the switch to self-publishing about a year into my career as an author. With it being so easy to self-publish eBooks in particular (although it’s also easy to publish paperbacks through Createspace) I didn’t see that there was much benefit for me to stay with a publisher once I had a readership.
Even in the relatively short time that I’ve been publishing, the industry has changed a lot. The market for our genre is growing, but is also getting exponentially more crowded. It’s hard for authors to get noticed. Kindle Unlimited and the huge number of indie authors have driven prices down—which has a knock on, negative impact on author earnings. However, the rise in popularity of eBooks has allowed me to have a career as an author that I would otherwise never have had. I don’t believe that I would ever have considered writing as a full-time job if it hadn’t been for the boom in the e-book market and the subsequent growth of small presses and Indies. I count myself extremely lucky to have found my readership and to be able to do this as my job. I’m grateful to all my readers for making this possible.
It’s hard to predict the future in such a volatile and rapidly changing market. Ebooks are here to stay, and I think subscription services like KU are too. Personally, I would like to see more consistency in eBook pricing across the industry. The 99c novels that dominate the charts are making it harder for authors to earn a living. But I’m hopeful that as long as I work hard and stay focused, I will be able to keep writing full-time for the foreseeable future.
As you all can see, their experiences run the spectrum, from self publishing to working with established publishers to using both methods of getting their stories to their audience. All see the ebook as a format that’s here to stay. But how will the market change? And how will the authors and publishers have to adapt to the changing market? That remains to be seen.
More authors next week. Do you have questions for these or any authors? Send them in. I will forward them on and use them in our blog next week or the week after.
Giveaway: From the readers leaving comments I will be choosing 3 more winners to receive $10 gift certificates from Dreamspinner Press. Contest ends at midnight, November 3rd. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
And now for this week’s schedule.
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Sunday, October 23:
- Here’s Reading You ~ An Author’s POV! (Part III)
- This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
- A Paul Review: The Beginning (Sirius Wolves #6) by Victoria Sue
Monday, October 24:
- Release Blitz & Review Tour – Con Riley’s Must Like Spinach
- Riptide Blog Tour: Change of Address by Jordan S. Brock
- Alisa Audiobook Review: Corey: The Atherton Pack 3 by Toni Griffin
- A Free Dreamer Release Day Review: Changing World by Cari Z
- A Paul Review: Germ by April Kelly
Tuesday, October 25:
- Reclaiming Hope by Shell Taylor Tour with Guest Post
- Riptide Blog Tour and Giveaway: Interborough by Santino Hassell
- A Stella Review: Different Names for the Same Thing by Francis Gideon
- A Caryn Review: Interborough by Santino Hassell
- An Alisa Review: His Scar by Erin E. Keller
Wednesday, October 26:
- Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Closet Boy by Sean Michael
- Blog Tour and Giveaway: Full Circle by Victoria Sue
- Contact, Gothika Volume 5 Tour with Guest Post and Giveaway
- An Alisa Review: Night Train to Orleans By Carolina Valdez
- A Paul B Review: Full Circle by Victoria Sue
Thursday, October 27:
- Cover Reveal – Alpha Barman by Sue Brown
- In the Spotlight:On Fire by Alicia Nordwell (Guest Post)
- An Alisa Review: Open Omega and His Bitter Bear By Susan Laine
- A Free Dreamer Review: 18% Gray by Anne Tenino
- A Release Review: Touchdown (Game Day Book 1) by T.S. McKinney
Friday, October 28:
- In the Spotlight: Make Someone Happy by Hank Fielding (Guest Post)
- A Stella Release Day Review: Murmuration by TJ Klune
- An Alisa Review: Of Paws and Pet Rocks by J.D. Walker
- A Lila Review: A Sip Of Rio by Teodora Kostova
- A MelanieM Review: Too Many Cases by Julia Rancourt
Saturday, October 29:
A MelanieM Review: Shield of the Dragon by Megan Derr
About the Authors:
Parker Williams can be found at his Goodreads blog
Wulf Francu Godgluck
They come to me in the night, creeping into my head. Their voices are all different, their stories all dissimilar, but they keep saying the same thing…
“Show us, tell us to the world. Bring us into yours, and make us known.”
Then I sit and they take over. They tell their tales of love, loss and sinister misfortune, not all of them get a happy ending, but they are pleased when their part is written.
I sometimes find myself lost in my own mind; a world very similar to our own yet so different. Things don’t go bump in the night—they squeal, and crawl under your skin, making you grind your teeth, and your stomach turn over and put your nerves on edge. Then there’s the drama. Oh, the drama!
I write because I must! There is so much inside of me that needs to get out. So many stories to tell, characters that want to be heard, and hearts lost and won. Words and art are my way of bringing my world to others. I enjoy telling tales of the human condition but working in elements of the supernatural. Werewolves, Vampires, Zombies, Witches and the unexplainable all set against the human world or worlds of their own.
I was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, grew up in a working class family and enjoy writing, cooking and spending my husband’s money! Yeah I’m a cocky little brat too 🙂 (and proud of it, spankings included.)
You can find Wulf at his website
Jay Northcote
Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.
One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.
Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. Jay has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and he also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as audiobooks.
Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her.
Contact Jay at:
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 