The six winners of the e-book revolution

The traditional publishers often comment that they are losing out due to the self publishing author and there are many commentators that suggest that readers are losing out too. With the merger of the two of the big six it is becoming true at least the traditional publishers are losing out from the new trend in publishing. However there are several winners from this industry and here they are and why.

1.       Readers

Yes they are winners. There is more choice, lower prices, more ways to read and better avenues for expressing their opinions. Yes you can argue that some indie books are poor, but so are some traditionally published books – it is all a matter of subjective opinion.

2.       Amazon

Amazon’s e-book reader Kindle and the fact that they have what could be about 60% or more of the e-book market has made them millions. So there is no doubt that they are a winner in the indie revolution.

3.       Mark Coker

You can hardly question that without Mark Coker the indie world would be so strong. Smashwords has given him an excellent presence in the publishing world where traditional publishers view him as the leader of the revolution alongside Amazon.

4.       Freelancers

Whether a cover artist, editor or formatter; the revolution has opened the doors to many freelancers on obtaining new work increasing their end of year earnings. It has allowed some bad eggs to seep in and give poor service to authors but it has also allowed great talent to shine that was otherwise hidden.

5.       The internet

The revolution has brought a revolution of critics as well. No longer are book reviewers hiding in newspapers but they have blogs and websites. There are also many sites which contain great articles for readers and writers which may not have existed before.

6.       Authors

Yes authors have won in the revolution. Now they have choice over their path, now they have control over their work and now they have a decent cut over their sales. And if it wasn’t for the authors then the revolution wouldn’t have happened and the other five wouldn’t have gained anything.

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Six Reasons Why Self Publishing is Not Destroying the Industry

There has always been a lot of talk about whether or not self publishing is good for the industry. There are many arguments that the new indie trend is destroying the industry, with this article appearing a little while ago. In short the author blames the indies for pushing traditionally publishers to the brink of collapse and says that the indie books are poorly written and full of mistakes.

However I feel completely different from the author of the article. For starters I am an indie author, it is a lifestyle choice based on several factors which I want from my writing and I am a reviewer of indie books. I have and do still read traditionally published books but in my own opinion some of the best books have been indie produced.

So I want to put forward these six reasons why being an indie author is not destroying the world.

1.       Traditional Publishers add very little value to the book

That is a big one to start isn’t it? But it is true. An indie author (if professional) will still source their own cover art, editing and formatting. So what do Traditional Publishers do that adds value for authors? Well they have excellent distribution avenues, which would cover most book shops if not all. However the book would only have a few weeks to achieve sales before it is pulled. That just simply isn’t long enough. With Amazon’ Createspace and other Print on Demand services it isn’t impossible now to get your books into the shops, you just have to try very hard.

2.       More books means more competition which is better for readers

In every industry the idea of more competition is horrendous to the thoughts of the established. However as was proven by in the UK in the telecommunications industry, the introduction of competitors to British Telecoms rather large monopoly forced the industry to offer better products at cheaper rates. This is what is happening at the moment with E-book indie authors. The vast majority of best sellers are excellent books with costs much lower than the traditional publisher’s prices. If the traditional publisher doesn’t want to conform to the new market trends then they will suffer like some of the telecommunications market suffered.

3.       Authors not going traditional add a different voice

Recently I was reading a book when I realised that the style was the same as another book. I went looking for the other book and realised that they were both produced by the same publisher. The voice, the style and the way it was written was practically the same. It was boring. And this isn’t an isolated incident. I picked up other books by the same publisher and realised the same. It wasn’t always this way – go back 150 years and the authors of the day each had their own voice that you could instantly recognise as being from that particular author. I always call this the golden age of writing. Indie authors have returned to this stage adding variance not only to the stories but the voices telling them.

4.       Indie music worked

Not so long ago, the music world had a similar trend. Indie bands were all the rage and in many respects I am sure they are today. I was never one for music, but from friends I know that indie musicians caused shockwaves in that industry yet the producers changed habits and dealt with the issue to live side by side. Now both cultures are thriving really well. If the traditional publishers don’t want to change with the times then it is not the indies’ fault that they are suffering but their own.

5.       It is the readers that matter not the publisher’s opinions

This is something that is often missed out in this argument. What does the reader think? Well if the New York Times Bestseller list and Amazon sale ranks are anything to go by; they have an appetite for indie published books. Readers are the ones that we produce our books for – not traditional publishers. If readers want to buy our books then who are Traditional Publishers to comment on it? Surely that just means they should contact that author and attempt to get a deal for their next book rather than throw their toys out of the pram?

            6a.       Traditional publishers produce some terrible books

“50 shades of grey” is an example of a book that sold based on hype and the push of the traditional publisher. The writing in the book (and yes I read it so I could see for myself – although I borrowed a copy) is not brilliant. There are several articles explaining why this is so – so no need to show it here. But I will say that the ratings on Amazon are artificially inflated by several comments which are five stars claiming – “found copy on beach, made great kindling. Very pleased with product” and “put copy in toaster, you couldn’t imagine the different shades of grey that came out”. Now I am one that doesn’t agree with those reviews. For starters they are very much like troll attacks, which I am opposed to and they support my opinion that Amazon and other retailers should verify their reviews much better.

But “Fifty Shades of Grey” isn’t the only book that suffers from poor writing that has been produced by traditional publishers. My wife recently had a book that was written by a well known (apparently) TV personality that was full of inconsistent tenses and some poor grammar. Why was it produced? Probably because of who it was written by. This made it marketable to the masses. I think it failed, as the book was eventually sold in basement bargain shop for 99p. But if traditional publishers think of what is marketable before what is good, then in the end they will fail.

Of course this is true for Indies as well – but Traditional Publisher’s have a book allowance each year on how many they can produce. When they produce a book they are denying another from being published. With self publishing there are no limits on the number of books being released. So if an author does produce a book that isn’t up to standard it doesn’t matter – other authors can still release their own book.

6b.    Traditional publishers don’t always get it right

Adding to the previous comment; traditional publishers don’t always get it right. Let’s pick up on Harry Potter – how many traditional publishers turned that book down before it became a huge money earning franchise? Traditional publishers are all about pointing the finger but not very good at saying when they are wrong. So who is to say that some of those indie books aren’t brilliant and deserving a place on the literature hall of fame?

Okay I cheated – there are seven reasons there, but you can forgive me – right?

Just because a few authors don’t edit and format their books, doesn’t mean that the whole industry isn’t great. There are some terrible traditionally published books and there are some terrible indie published books. But there are also real gems amongst both of them. At the end of the day I will always say that the power should be with the reader and not the opinions of publisher’s on either side of the fence.

A big thanks to Paul Kater for helping me get this article ready. You can check out his website here.

During July - Ghost Haunts - my short story collection is free on Smashwords.

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Many Fantasy Books in Mammoth Giveaway

Indie authors have joined together for a massive e-book giveaway. E-books from every genre are included in the event including Fantasy, erotica, horror, short stories, paranormal, romance, etc so looking through the list can be like looking at a mini-bookstore. The giveaway is fairly simple on its rules, you go to the site decide which books you would like in the giveaway and send a message. You won’t be offered books you don’t want after the draw in August – giving readers complete control over the books they want. So whether you are interested in Fantasy books such as “The Coming Storm” by Valerie Douglas and “Through the Barrier” by Angela MacDonald or business books like “Training and Development: How to Design Effective Training for the Virtual Classroom” by Shannon Sonneveldt there is likely to be something that takes your fancy. Here is a list of some of the fantasy books on offer.

Aoife and Demon by Shamila Ghyas & Humeira Kazmi.

Aoife Edwards is a college freshman, oppressed by her power-hungry stepmom who now controls her father's fortune and sees her as a marketable commodity. All she wants to do is skate, but when a strange, blue-skinned man drops into her life and opens a door into both her hidden past and an alternate universe full of dangers, Aoife finds herself face to face with a true, bad-to-the-bone Demon, and suddenly the meanings of friend and foe are no longer so clear.

Through the Barrier by Angela MacDonald

Cast inside a magic barrier in a forbidden land, the members of an unlikely company find themselves depending on each other for survival. In spite of his protection and support, the priests of the company feel a growing unease with the quiet Purtan. Questions are whispered as to who he is and what might be the motives for his selfless aid. Is it just the magics of an ancient and nearly lost race or is there something darker about him? They must learn quickly in this warped and malignant land, as it is not only the land itself they must navigate, but they soon realize they are pawns in the hunting game of a mad man who is right behind them.

The Coming Storm by Valerie Douglas

Elon of Aerilann, Elven advisor to the High King of Men, helped negotiate the treaty between Elves, Dwarves and men. He suddenly finds that fragile truce threatened from without by an unknown enemy and from within by old hatreds and prejudice. With the aid of his true-friend Colath, the wizard Jareth and the Elven archer Jalila, he goes in search of the source of the threat.

Ailith, the Heir to Riverford, fights her own silent battle. Her father has changed, but her quest to discover what changed him puts her life and very soul in danger and leaves her only one direction in which to turn. Elon.

To preserve the alliance, though, Elon will have to choose between his honor, his duty and everything for which he fought.

Birthright-Bestowed, Book One of Ilona the Hun trilogy by Erika M Szabo.

Ilona is an emergency room doctor, born into an ancient Hun tribe which still exists hidden amongst us with its strict and fiercely enforced rules. She doesn’t know much about her Hun heritage besides legends, customs and rituals that she continues out of respect for her parents whose sudden death ten years before devastated her. She plays her tune on her birthday given to her by her grandmother. Elza – Ilona’s housekeeper - explains the purpose of the tune is to let the elders know she had come to age. Her mother didn’t have a chance to explain her inherited powers, but after her 29th birthday when she is considered as an adult by Hun standards, she begins to remember the forgotten instructions concealed as rhymes her mother was teaching her since she was a small child. Ilona discovers she can heal with her bare hands; she can rearrange the human body to its healthy state. This ability is exciting as well as frightening. She is conflicted between having confidence in her intelligence and inherited abilities while having no confidence as a woman. Her insecurity created barriers which keep others out, and I also keep her caged in. She’s been in love with her unsuspecting best friend Bela, when a dashing stranger explodes into her life. The sudden magnetic feeling frightens her and discovering evil in him doesn’t help either. A sinister dark man appears Ilona connects his presence with the series of mysterious deaths around her. Zoltan saves her life by jeopardizing his, which prompts Ilona to start fitting the puzzle pieces together and discovering the ancient tribal secrets that not only can change her future but the future existence of the Huns as well.

Secrets-Revealed, Book Two of Ilona the Hun trilogy by Erika M Szabo

Ilona’s story is provocative, rich in characters and detail that bring a lost world to life, a journey to treasure and remember. In book one Ilona is a lonely doctor discovering her rich tribal heritage and birthright to become a Healer. The barrier created by her insecurity kept others out, but also kept her caged in. She has to break the barriers to discover her true identity. She discovers growing magical abilities within her in the strange world of the Huns, which are beyond her wildest dreams. She can use her given gifts for absolute good or absolute evil; the choice is up to her. Ilona’s birthright as a Healer runs alongside her desires as a woman. She’s secretly and hopelessly in love with her best friend, he seems oblivious to her feelings. Fate brings Zoltan into her life. Will he break her heart, or will he bring true happiness? Ilona is hoping for a red tulip, the symbol of devoted love. Who will offer it to her? She discovers some secrets the Hun society is concealing, a society that is secretive and complex, with strict and fiercely enforced ancient rules; revealed to only those who come of age. Ilona is a rebel, who is determined to control and guide her own life. Resourceful and daring, she crosses the line and breaks those rules. She must face the consequences and has to fight for her men; both of them disappear from the face of the earth. She acquires magical abilities beyond her dreams to find and save them. Ilona has been evacuated from her easy and steady life. She is happy, but she still has many doubts. She hates that she has to hide in the past from a faceless enemy, however enjoys meeting her ancestors.

If any of these titles take your fancy or you would like to look for more you can request them in the giveaway here.