As an industry, self publishing is still in its infancy. The Amazon model created extraordinary opportunities for aspiring authors to publish books that traditional publishers rarely considered in the past. Still, even with this new found opportunity, authors realize very quickly that only half of the self-publishing puzzle has been solved. While there are many popular tools that make it relatively easy to format a book and publish it on Amazon or any of the other popular platforms, placing a book in the public domain does not guarantee success. In fact, most books fail to generate enough sales to cover publishing costs, and many authors struggle to find effective and inexpensive ways to market their books.
How Big Publishers Stack the Deck
When you self-publish, it’s important to recognize that you’re now a direct competitor to the major publishers, including the “Big Five.” While the influence of these publishers has certainly been impacted by the new dynamic, it would be unwise to underestimate their reach and influence. Major publishers, and to a lesser extent mid-size independents, have resources they exploit on the marketing side that give them significant advantages over the average self-published author.
- Promotional Materials: Established publishers prepare and send out advanced reader copies, create flap and front cover copy and utilize professionally designed press kits to garner reviews and interviews. They also provide promotional materials to augment the author’s own marketing efforts.
- Maximizing Sales Channels: Traditional publishers have relationships within the industry that provide enormous benefits. This includes the ability to place books in the publisher’s seasonal catalogue through wholesale distributors. Publishers have a robust sales force that works directly with wholesalers and retailers to ensure their catalogue is well represented. In contrast, self-published books are almost non existent in brick-and-mortar stores.
- Enhanced Advertising and Publicity: Large publishers still have the capacity to provide substantial advertising support when compared to self-published authors. For example, authors receive favorable placement in print catalogues as well as retail fliers. Print and internet ads placed with distributors like Ingram or Baker and Taylor are also effective. Major publishers have internet marketing and advertising departments that set up blog tours, create video trailers, implement email blasts and help authors establish an effective social media presence.
The Isolation of Self Published Authors
The obstacles self-published authors encounter are only made more daunting by the fragmented nature of their industry. In speaking engagements before self-published writer’s groups, I always ask this question: “How many of you have purchased a book by another self-published author?” In almost every instance, I only see one or two hands raised in a room of 40-50 people. When I make a similar inquiry about books from well-known authors represented by big publishers, a whole host of hands are raised.
In essence, these authors use their discretionary dollars to support the very publishers who aspire to keep them buried on the Amazon and Nielsen BookScan bestseller lists. This lack of support points to the fact that most self-published authors see their journey as singular. They feel no sense of obligation to support other authors in the same circumstances. Their attitude suggests they want you to buy their book, but they’re not particularly interested in yours. The irony of this mindset is that the lack of solidarity creates a situation where all self-published authors suffer, and very few are able to obtain the resources required to successfully compete.
The Self-Published Authors Industry
It’s time to recognize the inherent disadvantages of being a self-published author and create a new model that harnesses the collective strength of the entire community. We are an industry, and the sooner we begin to support one another with our collective purchasing power, the sooner we will see more of our books rising to the top of Amazon’s bestseller lists.
In a local writer’s group I lead, we have nearly 500 members. We are working to leverage that purchasing potential to increase book sales and provide better deals on book marketing, author supplies and other industry-related products and services. A new website called The Hidden Author has introduced a unique business model that requires listed authors to provide four reviews every year for other self–published books listed on the site. Book Marketing Tools offers a forum for greater cooperation and coordination among self-published authors, and Build Book Buzz provides a variety of useful and reasonably priced resources and training materials to maximize the impact of your marketing efforts.
A Self-Published Authors Revolution
I’m calling for the self-published authors industry to unite around the cooperative concept that has been used for centuries by small businesses to level the playing field against larger competitors. Resources like The Hidden Author tap into the economic buying power of self-published authors to help great books gain higher visibility through better sales and more quality reviews. It’s time to recognize our enormous potential influence. Look for websites and regional and national organizations that cater to self-published authors, and let us begin to flex our collective economic muscle.
William Busse is a self-published author who writes horror/thriller fiction. He is a successful entrepreneur who founded two businesses in the HVAC industry. After publishing his book, and despite positive reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, Mr. Busse experienced frustration with the book marketing process. As a result, he founded The Hidden Author, a new website that requires listed authors to provide four reviews annually for other self-published books listed on the site. Mr. Busse is committed to working to help harness the collective power of the self-publishing community.