Should you take your previously published books and find a new publisher, or should you try the self-publishing route? And what about new works? With the stigma of self-publishing largely a thing of the past, since everybody’s doing it, both paths are equally valid. But they aren’t equally suited to all types of books, or all types of authors.

Even after being published by a traditional publisher, many authors still don’t know what type of book they have. Nor, surprisingly, do they much understand the publishing world or the book buying public. And, even more surprising, they don’t seem to know themselves. What so many writers dream of is a quiet place to write and the time to so. The prospect of marketing, and selling books gives them hives. There are others for whom getting out (or online) and interacting with their audience and prospects is what they crave, and for them, the book is the means to this end. You don’t have to be one of these extremes, but knowing on which end of the scale you are will give you an indication of how well you’ll sell on your own. And, sorry authors, but even if you traditionally publish, you still have to work at book selling. You can’t sit on your laurels until you’ve earned them.

In setting out to publish a book every would-be author really must examine their motivations for publishing, and also objectively study what kind of personality they possess.

Here’s a pretty good article by David Farland  about self-publishing vs. traditional publishing and how to know which books may belong where.

Learn about the classifications of books the “shelving categories,” and what makes a “blockbuster” as opposed to a mid-list good seller? Learn what the book buying public wants by hanging out where they do, join Goodreads and read reader comments about books like yours. Read books! Lots of them, traditionally published, and self published alike. Having trouble finding what to read? So is the book buying public. Cutting through the noise is the biggest challenge facing all publishers (and self-publishers) today. If you can’t find what to read next—don’t expect your own would-be readers to find your book just by virtue of its being on Amazon. Today (June 17, 2013) there are 41,449,000 books listed on Amazon. 41 million!

Incidentally writers, spend some time on Amazon studying the market and competition, maybe even before you set out to write—certainly before you set out to make your marketing strategy. The numbers can be found on the main books page in the left hand column. The columns shows New Releases (last 30 days = 95,308; last 90 days = 309,651; and coming soon = 54,890) Then the numbers a broken down by broad category. Study the categories where your book would fit. These breakdown further on those category pages. This is just tipping your toe into the beginnings of learning about your market. But you must start somewhere if selling books is what you really hope to do. And why do I say study Amazon (the evil empire of books selling)? Because they sell the most books and because they have this huge and very useful database just sitting there waiting to be mined for information.

But what about you and your books? Maybe you wrote a nice little story and you just wanted to scratch that off your bucket list. That’s fine too. If that’s what you’ve done, and you are happy with that achievement, (and it IS an achievement) then don’t whine when you haven’t sold any books beyond your circle of generous friends. Just be clear with yourself about your motivations and adjust your expectations accordingly. Could a self-published book (any category) be a runaway hit all on its own with no marketing effort whatsoever? Well, yes, and I COULD win the lottery, the odds are roughly the same.

Sue Campbell is helping former Stephens Press authors, and other soon to be published authors, find their own right path toward publication. She continues to offer author services including award-winning book design, book shepherding, and book marketing advice and assistance.

This has been coming for a while, and I knew, but didn’t want to believe this particular ride was nearly over.

Read publisher, Carolyn Uber’s heartfelt story here.

These past eight years or so have been the best times of my career in terms of fun, creative freedom (relatively speaking) and I am SO, SO grateful to have been a part of that. I am sorry to see this, well not end, but change, because though Stephens Press will not be publishing new books, I’ll still keep doing what I do.

I’ve continued through all this time working with individual authors and occasionally other publishers to produce covers, and helping to create book products that delight and inform. I don’t for one second think that the troubles in the publishing world mean the end of publishing. Not at all.

Things change, and as a graphic designer I’ve seen plenty of that before. In my career it happened when I was younger and maybe more adaptable. A young guy named Steve Jobs fell in love with typography and decided it needed to be included in his newfangled personal computer—the rest is now history. And most of us graphic designers survived, thrived, and some even became wildly successful beyond the dreams they had as young sprouts cleaning their technical pens every 20 minutes in the effort to draw a clean line. (The good old days weren’t all that great.) Change is scary and hard. It’s harder still for those who learned to do something well one way, only to see that way become obsolete just when we got really great at it.

We can’t stop change. We must embrace it or go do something else. I don’t really know what’s coming—print books may become collectors items, curiosities, works of art. (I’m hoping for that last thing.) Reading in the traditional sense may yet change even more. In the future people may not read by scanning letters on a page/screen, or whatever medium. Whatever happens, people will still create, share stories, entertain, inform, and delight. How those creations get disseminated, how creators and facilitators get paid for that—that’s just the details. But change takes time—it’s evolution not the big bang.

So it’s been fun. We turn a page, flip a screen … and we embrace whatever comes. Meanwhile there are still books being printed, and pixelized, and sold on these here interwebs. I’ll be doing what I do, and evolving with the rest of you.

Is this the year of the indies? The year that self-publishing authors are finally accepted in the mainstream? (With some of the same benefits that the mainstream has enjoyed, like wide distribution to multiple sales channels?) I don’t know. Truly, the stigma surrounding self-publishing seems to be lifting in most circles. Though with authors by the (hundreds of) thousands flocking to Amazon to get their work out into the world of readers—who they may possibly out number—getting noticed is still a struggle. With the “democratization” of publishing pushing the retail prices of books and e-books lower and lower, the economics of the old model simply aren’t working. Amazon‚ the savior of self-publishing authors rewards low prices with higher royalties, which is good for consumers—but in no small part is responsible for the unsustainability of the old model for publishers big and small. Overhead simply can’t be supported on margins so slim.

So if trends continue this way, and they seem to be, it’s out with the old and in with the new. With every closed door, a new one opens. Adapt or die. All those clichés seem to apply. The question is—what will we do with these opportunities?

For me, I am mourning the loss of the old ways. Now I am standing on the edge of a cliff. Will I fall …? Or, fly?

It begins:

The announcement of what amounts to the first book publishing program spawned by Google demonstrates a paradigm we’re seeing repeatedly. It suggests a sweeping change in publishing from how we’ve known it. The bottom line is that most people employed publishing books perhaps as soon as 10 years from now won’t be working for publishing companies.

The trade publishing business over the past twenty years has been transitioning from what it was for a century. The Internet, which so many of us said two decades ago “changes everything” is ultimately responsible. Amazon.com has been the primary catalyst, with print on demand technology (especially Ingram’s Lightning Source) and ebooks (mostly Amazon, but others too) as supporting players. With so many more books to choose from and really available than there ever were before, the function of gatekeepers, which trade publishers and booksellers clearly and proudly were, becomes an anachronism.

The big question — at least for me — is what is trade publishing transitioning to?

I encourage anyone working in publishing, or writing with an eye toward publishing to read the full post. Only time will tell if he’s right.

We don’t hear that many non-fiction works in audio, as it seems to me, to be a form that is more suited to narrative fiction. However, Schumacher’s works, while dense in information, are written in a conversational style that lends itself to this format. We (at Stephens Press) knew these books would be near the top of our list to get into audio.
My aims in auditioning talent for these books was to find someone with a pleasant voice, straight-forward style, and an enthusiasm for the material. I think I hit the jackpot with Douglas Pratt.

Sue: Doug, would you share a little bit about yourself?

Doug: Ah, my favorite subject. I’m a sixty year old father of two wonderful kids, and I’ve had more careers than I can remember. I was born in a tiny town near Niagara Falls, in the northwestern area of New York State. My grandfather planted an arboretum with over 400 varieties of trees, a beautiful place that we are now turning into an educational center; you can see pictures at www.robinhillpreserve.com. I have been a printer, a programmer, a computer store owner, a radio announcer, a magazine editor, an author of nine books and countless articles, an NRA Pistol instructor, an association executive, and an IT contractor. I have a passion for the space program and a devotion to the hobby of model rocketry. I currently make rocket and science kits for schools through my company, Pratt Hobbies (www.pratthobbies.com), hoping to inspire another generation with things that go whoosh and zoom.

Douglas Pratt

Sue: Is that what drew you to the Howard Hughes story?

Doug: Howard Hughes was an instant “go!” because of my interest in aerospace history. If there is one thing you can count on aerospace people for, it’s great stories. Get them started, and they’ll go on for hours, waving their arms through their loops and turns. My uncle Stan Smith, who was the lead engineer on the Bell X-1, used to say that the quickest way to kill a pilot was to put him at a bar with other pilots and tie his hands behind his back. I try for that sort of thing when I narrate a book like this. (Sue: Doug’s enthusiasm for Hughes’s story was evident and that’s what won him this gig.)

Sue: With your varied background, what got you into doing narration work?

Doug: People are always asking me to read to them, so I decided to try doing it professionally. I’ve always loved listening to audio books. Audio books, like radio, don’t demand your total attention; I can work in my shop or putter around the house and still get a good book in. So I spent a year getting professional voice coaching and learning the business.

Sue: How long have you been doing narration? How do you like it?

Doug: When Audible unveiled their ACX (Audible Creators Exchange) service that allows voice artists to connect with publishers who are in the market, I jumped right in. It took a while, but I was starting to get some notice when Stephens Press gave me the opportunity to do Geoff Schumacher’s outstanding Howard Hughes biography. I think that is going to be my breakthrough project.

I don’t have a very versatile voice with a lot of characters, since I don’t have a theatre background. I have to look for projects that are right for me, and that means books I can get excited about. I love narrating books. I’ve always loved books, coming from a literary family. I’ve written nine books of my own, it is enormously hard work writing a book. Don’t get me wrong, narration is work, especially if you care about doing justice to a book…and I never narrate a book I don’t care about. It just isn’t the same massive effort it takes to write the darn thing.

Sue: Was there anything in the Hughes book that surprised you or that you never knew about the man?

Doug: I thought I knew Howard Hughes pretty well, having researched him a bit at the time I built and flew a radio controlled model of the H-1 Racer. I knew he was an interesting character. I knew Howard Hughes primarily from the aviation standpoint, so it was very interesting learning about his movie work. But the most striking thing about the story to me was his descent into paranoia, his gradual surrender to his germ phobia and hermit lifestyle. It’s not so much a human tragedy, as Hughes really wasn’t a very sympathetic character … it’s hard to feel sorry for him. It’s primarily a tragedy because of the wasted potential.

Sue: You dove into Sun, Sin, and Suburbia right after finishing Hughes.

Doug: Yes! The two books really complemented each other. At the end of Hughes we learn that after Hughes’ death his cousin Will Lummis assumed control of the estate. Lummis is the real hero of the story. He could have sold off the pieces at a loss and wrapped it all up. Instead he ran it as a business, managed the divisions until they were worth something and then sold them, and developed the Las Vegas land Hughes owned into the planned community of Summerlin. It’s a fascinating end to a long and interesting story.

Sue: As a sometime visitor to Las Vegas can you describe your experience with Sun, Sin & Suburbia? Schumacher really got into the nitty-gritty of the city’s evolution in more recent history. This isn’t a subject area that tourists get to know. Will it change your view next time you visit?

Doug: Absolutely. My family and I spent two weeks in Las Vegas when my daughter Valerie competed in the NFL National Championships … that’s National Forensics League, not football. She was a champion debater in high school, and because I was working in my own business I could travel with her team. I wouldn’t trade those four years; hanging around with high school debaters will restore your faith in the future. So when she got a Nationals qualifier and we heard it was in Las Vegas, we planned a family vacation. Everyone had a blast, but my personal favorite was the Valley of Fire State Park … it felt like we were driving around Mars. I knew it was impossible to take in all Vegas had to offer in two weeks, but now that I’ve read Schumacher’s book I am itching to go back. I understand so much more about the place now, and that deepens the pleasure of visiting. I like to think it makes us more than just average tourists, that we can get more out of it by understanding just why Las Vegas is a unique thing. And there is so much more I want to see … the Symphony, the parks in Summerlin, even the Zappos headquarters in the old City Hall.

Sue: I noticed that your voice really changes when you are reading something that strikes you funny. There were some places in both books where I imagined you turning off the mic and cracking up. True?

Doug: True indeed. As I said, I don’t do character voices, so my enthusiasm for the book is what I can bring to the table. When I was working with voice coaches, we spent a lot of time deciding how much is too much…it can get over the top quickly. But I am genuinely excited by the books I narrate. It’s like being at a party or a dinner, and having a story that you’re just dying to tell … that’s what I try for.

A funny soundbite from Howard Hughes.

Sue: Thanks so much Doug for talking with us! Working with you has been a real pleasure. For those fascinated (as I am) with the technical side of the craft, I am going to run a follow up with Doug on the recording process! Stay tuned.

Check out Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue and Sun, Sin & Suburbia: The History of Modern Las Vegas. Both are available on Audible, iTunes, and Amazon. You don’t have to be a member of Audible to buy books there. (Though I highly recommend becoming a member if you like audiobooks, it is the cheapest and easiest way to get lots of listening pleasure.) The process of getting a book into your: computer, iPod, smartphone (any brand that plays music), Kindle, iPad, or other brand of tablet, or any brand mp3 player, is painless and automatic. If you haven’t tried audiobooks I urge you to sample these two. If you have a smartphone there is an Audible app for managing and playing your audiobooks (I recommend this) or you can play through iTunes or other music program. Incidentally, Amazon also offers syncing the audiobook with the Kindle ebook version, so you can start reading at the same place where you stopped listening!

Mr. Nasser is the dynamo behind the lasting impact his story has had on his many audiences of students and adults, alike. He has spoken to groups upwards of 800 times all around the USA, and the world. He continues to do so almost on a weekly basis. Soon, the story will come alive in a stage play.

When Stephens Press first decided to venture into audiobooks, My Brother’s Voice was high on the list of books that publisher, Carolyn Uber, (and myself as the newly dubbed “audiobooks coordinator”) wanted to hear in audio. We knew that this book would need a special voice, to bring the story to life. So I began the audition process on ACX (audiobook creator’s exchange) a division of Audible.com. I knew that I wanted a younger voice and one that could convey the emotion and drama of this story, but without going overboard toward maudlin or melodramatic.

I listened to many sample “reels,” and chose a few narrators and sent requests for a “sample” reading. Most all of them obliged me with a five minute reading from our book. What struck me was how different the interpretations all were. They were all good, in different ways, but the one I knew I wanted stood out for me right from the start. That one was Maxwell Glick.

Max had exactly the right tone, and a balance of drama and matter-of-factness. His clarity and pronunciation, superb. He also portrayed just the right amount of youthful “naiveté” that I felt suited they young “Pista” Nasser of the story. And, Max is an actor—that was also something I felt we needed for this story—because only an actor would “get” how to convey the emotional component. He does and boy did he ever!

I was thrilled when Max agreed to work with us on narrating this book. We’re lucky enough to have an interview with Mr. Glick, and following that an audio sample of his work on My Brother’s Voice.  Please read on for your reward!

Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Since starting over a year ago, I’ve narrated almost 20 books now. It’s been great.

When I agreed to host the tour in the waning days,  I hadn’t thought about what to say.

So I thought I’d recap the highlights of the reviews and comments.

Fan boy moment–> LIKE OMG, this book was amazing! There. Got that part out of the way. Now I won’t sound like an idiot during the rest of the review. But daaaaaaamn I had to say that. —Sean Hayden, author

When I began reading Witch Hunt: Of the Blood, I never expected to be thrown into such a realistic world of love, betrayal, acceptance and rejection. … the overall anthology is more of a complete novel than a multiple authors book. —Anne Michaud, author

Witch Hunt: Of The Blood well worth the wait! That’s it in a nutshell. —JB Lockhart

This group of writers did a fantastic job capturing the characters and making them come to life in this wonderful historical fiction that will keep you turning pages well into the night until you devour all of them. —Sally A. Wolf

None of these writers failed. Each of the stories is historically accurate in addition to being eminently readable. The history is accurate and the fiction is entertaining.—Dawn Gray

And there were similar comments throughout the tour. So, we got our strokes as writers. That’s always nice, but what we hope for most is that you’ll go check out the book on on of the sellers. You’ve got nothing to lose—and fun reading for a couple of evenings to gain. Do it! (Heck, the ebook is only  $4.99! That’s what, a latté?)

To tempt you further: a sneak preview of my novella. This free excerpt falls in the middle of the book so it’s not in Amazon’s free sample—exclusive freebie right here!

Witch Hunt: Of the Blood

Witch Hunt: Of the Blood got a nice mention on the blog of Llewellyn Publishing today! Our blog tour officially begins!

You can read an excerpt of my novella Shadows of Dreams right here!

UPDATE: Author, Sean Hayden, reviews WH:OTB here: Sean Hayden’s Blog. (He liked it!)

Judging from what I’ve seen and heard I would have to concur with the agent. I don’t think it’s a lack of caring. It’s that small publishers in particular are really suffering. They’ve had to lay off support staff, including slush readers, and staff editors, or contract ones. They are pushing more work through a smaller pipe trying to get out of the red, or at least to stay alive. It’s all too familiar a litany these days.

That they offer advances at all is a miracle. Unfortunately this story is common with any press that is not supported by a university or other deep pockets. Soon it seems the only ones left standing will be the mega publishers, who are hurting too, but not as much, and self-publishers—who won’t be making much (any?) money. To a large degree, this is the fault of the Internet, Amazon, and the rest of their ilk that have exploited this opportunity—opening of the flood gates of self-publishing. It is a two-edged sword. On the positive side, they’ve made it possible for tens (hundreds?) of thousands of people to publish to the widest possible audience with books that never go out of print. On the negative side—the same. There is such a glut of titles that it isn’t possible for a book to sell as many copies as it might have in earlier times. Supply and demand. (I’ve been barking about this for as long as Kindle Direct Publishing has been in existence.) But I am not saying I don’t like Amazon et. al. Not at all. They’ve been a boon to me, and you.

In the decades of the 50s to the 90s, when there was only a few dozen of well-known writers being mass-marketed by the big publishers per season, they had the widest possible audience. A few books/MANY readers. There weren’t many entertainment options then. Today, it’s the opposite. This isn’t going to change. But, would I want to go back to the old days when people with a bug to write and have their writings read, by someone, anyone(!) simply couldn’t get heard, or published. No I wouldn’t.

Self-publishing is the embodiment of free speech in a new, broader form. I never want to see opportunities for self-expression limited. However, it could be we’ve reached a new tipping point as well—when the numbers of authors are beginning to exceed the numbers of readers, or reader’s appetites for new books. Maybe that’s overstating the problem—maybe not. Certainly, there will never be an end to the need for new information—books that fill a niche for needed expertise in a particular area. Also, there will always be a desire to hear a “new” story for fiction lovers, but supply will exceed demand—it’s already happening in some subject areas.

What self-publishers will have to do, already have to do, is readjust what success as a writer means to them. So many, possibly all, new authors deep in their hearts feel a teeny hope when they push the publish button—that this one may hit big. That they will be discovered, lauded, and the bucks will start flooding in—sales through the roof! It’s not unlike feeding nickels (today, your credit card) into the slot machine and waiting for the bells, lights, and jingle of coins spilling into your lap. The odds are about the same. When it happens I imagine the thrill, the rush, hits the same pleasure centers in your brain.

It can happen of course—we’ve all read the amazing accounts over and over, but like the days of old, it happens to a small number authors—and an infinitesimal number of self-published writers. We all still keep buying Lotto tickets though, don’t we? Of course, because we are optimists! So that definition of success—wealth and fame—is by and large out of reach to all but a lucky few.

Though certainly, the satisfaction of doing the writing—the journey itself—is reason enough for many writers to keep doing it. That they completed the writing of an entire book, polished it, perfected it with the help of some professional help, or even without help, is no small feat. They have every right feel proud of that accomplishment, and share it if they wish. If, with even more work, they can attract a small following of people who read their work and like it—well that’s gravy. Quite likely these authors won’t be profiting much, or even coming close to minimum wage from their writing. Maybe that’s ok. It’s not the dream—but it can still be satisfying to the dreamer.

You might be asking, “Why, oh why would she be feeding us this bitter pill?” When after all, I make my own living creating book designs? Because I still believe the dream CAN happen, but being the pragmatist that I am, I don’t want to see people’s unrealistic hopes dashed and their dreams shattered. By all means write! Publish! Or, seek the validation of a publisher! We do want to see you succeed. Your success is our success.

As my grandma, the chicken rancher, used to say and mean it quite literally, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Have another way to make a living—have other dreams—and make them happen. I write too. I dream too. But, I don’t think I will ever quit my day job.

Am I completely wrong? I am not claiming any kind of authority, or insider knowledge. I am only pontificating my opinion formed by being an interested observer and small time participant in the publishing industry. I welcome your comments.

Still … bragging on my little stories seems a conceit. And it shouldn’t. Maybe other writers feel this way too. It holds us back. It’s hard to sell books these days. People who follow our blogs can always skip that post if they’ve heard it before. (Though nothing quite hurts like an “unfollow.”) So, I swallow my distaste for self-promotion and offer here a little commercial for our book, Witch Hunt: Of The Blood. Besides there are five of us writers in this book—and I love promoting them! I gave this story to Devin for her book—and I thought (and still think) it a worthy project. Witch Hunt: Of the Blood follows up on her very successful novel, Witch Hunt. We five writers each took up a character from that book and explored what might have happened outside of their parts in that family saga. The project was challenging—and great fun.

I stretched writing muscles I didn’t think I had. I don’t usually write anything magical, or paranormal. There are aspects of both in each of the stories. And each of the stories is set in a completely different time period. I do write historical fiction though—and read it—and love it. That was something I could sink my teeth into, and even if this isn’t a paid gig, I am actually kinda proud of what I did. But, that’s not the half of it. (It’s about 1/5th of it!) The other stories are really quite good. No matter how you feel about witches, or religion, or history, or war, or … or …. There is something here for nearly every reader.

You don’t have to have read the first book first, there isn’t really anything here that could mar that experience for you. But the original Witch Hunt is a darn good read. And I think that Devin is having a bundled sale on her website for the books together. Or, they are both available as e-books if you prefer that. So if you are looking for a last minute Christmas gift … you can gift these books on Amazon. And buy one for yourself. If you do read it, please consider reviewing or at least rating the books on amazon and/or Goodreads. This helps writers SO MUCH with being discovered. Thanks. Now back to my regularly scheduled pimping of other people’s books!

And of course, the covers are pretty special.

PS: You can read an excerpt of my novella: Shadows of Dreams on my other blog.