tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post2848371408960417412..comments2024-03-29T05:07:06.873-04:00Comments on Pimp My Novel: Guest Post: Is "Kindling" For You?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-88972558364317332422011-01-09T14:03:01.191-05:002011-01-09T14:03:01.191-05:00Hi Gisele! Wow, great questions!
Let me start wit...Hi Gisele! Wow, great questions!<br /><br />Let me start with the second first: your work is copyrighted as soon as you create it in a reproducible form (ie. write it down).<br /><br />But, for publication purposes, I wanted to *register* that copyright and put it on record with the Library of Congress--this is what most people mean by "copyright." <br /><br />It's not required, but it is the best way to protect your work if you are infringed against. It's easy and inexpensive to do, simply go to www.copyright.gov and you can do it all online.<br /><br />As for your first question, publishers have no say in what I do with my work unless they've paid me for it. If they want to pay me, I'm more than happy to negotiate a contract with them rather than self-publish a manuscript.<br /><br />Also, anything that makes my name more memorable to readers--like reading one of my self-published books--has a good chance of selling more of my traditionally published novels, which is why I see self e-pubbing as more of a promotional tool than simple money-making.<br /><br />You didn't ask, but I do discuss each title I self e-publish with my agent beforehand. Sometimes she asks me to hold off and she tries to "shop it" first--as in the case of SNAKE SKIN which she sold foreign rights to for a nice chunk of change....and right now if my sales trends hold, I'll also make more money with my e-published English version of SNAKE SKIN than I would with a traditional publisher--so I'll get two very nice revenue sources from one book without losing anything except the 15% commission my agent earned in the foreign sale.<br /><br />Win/win for everyone...except the traditional US publishers who missed out on a great book, lol!CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-45778389145044525662011-01-09T11:28:54.773-05:002011-01-09T11:28:54.773-05:00CJ,
thanks for sharing such a great post. I app...CJ, <br /><br />thanks for sharing such a great post. I appreciate your candidness in sharing your experience in e-publishing. I have two things in my mind:<br /><br />1) What has been the impact on your relationship with your traditional publisher since you have e-published? Have you felt any backlash from your publisher since becoming a publisher yourself and, for all intended purposes, a competitor?<br /><br />2) how does one secure copyright? Would you expand on that a little bit?Giselehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12954959858871289162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-40287918610127321322011-01-08T21:42:08.900-05:002011-01-08T21:42:08.900-05:00Sherry/Anna, As I mentioned in earlier comments I ...Sherry/Anna, As I mentioned in earlier comments I haven't found a way as an indy author to giveaway a book on kindle, so I do intermittent sales of books. <br /><br />Right now I have one at 0.99 and my overall sales of all books have doubled.<br /><br />Hope that helps,<br />CJCJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-56384512823529362672011-01-08T21:36:20.728-05:002011-01-08T21:36:20.728-05:00Great article, CJ. I read it with interest, since ...Great article, CJ. I read it with interest, since I've just done the same thing with some out of print titles.<br /><br />What I can't work out is how to do a short-term giveaway. Any pointers on that, or did you only do reduced price sales?<br /><br />Anna Jacobs, having difficulty posting, as usual with crazy BlogspotAnna Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10277479620229216946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-18468081276668377282011-01-08T15:23:33.333-05:002011-01-08T15:23:33.333-05:00Go for it, Babs! What do you have to lose?Go for it, Babs! What do you have to lose?CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-90714242101708016202011-01-08T15:19:25.149-05:002011-01-08T15:19:25.149-05:00I think I'm in a similar situation, CJ...I'...I think I'm in a similar situation, CJ...I'm starting to have novels published (yay!) but I have one that has been turned down by many, but is the book of my heart. So maybe this is the way to make it happen!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-66399521581445635222011-01-08T14:26:53.065-05:002011-01-08T14:26:53.065-05:00Glad you found it useful, Jo! Thanks for stopping ...Glad you found it useful, Jo! Thanks for stopping by.CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-2182911424430217002011-01-08T14:26:28.496-05:002011-01-08T14:26:28.496-05:00Brenda, don't you just love that feeling of em...Brenda, don't you just love that feeling of empowerment??? Best of luck!CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-30378906683625489292011-01-08T14:21:24.719-05:002011-01-08T14:21:24.719-05:00Great article, C.J. l Thanks for clarifying some q...Great article, C.J. l Thanks for clarifying some questions I had about self-epubbing.<br /><br />Jo Robertson<br />Mainstream and Historical Suspense Writerjo robertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16824237193217632098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-74891180286421461242011-01-08T14:05:49.240-05:002011-01-08T14:05:49.240-05:00Thanks, CJ, informative post! I'm just getting...Thanks, CJ, informative post! I'm just getting my feet wet in epublishing, since I only have rights back to one book so far. It took me a while to get a new cover done and do some minor tweaking on the manuscript (not much, since it's historical) but I finally put it up for Kindle, B&N and Smashwords in December. Only a handful of sales so far, but I'm only now beginning to do ANY promo for it. This is such an exciting time to be an author! And I hope readers will benefit by seeing a much wider variety of books available, now that we have the option of bypassing the traditional "gatekeepers." I'm also thinking of putting up an unpublished original. Contemporary, so I'm trying to decide whether to use a different pen name. But it'll be MY decision, which is very cool!Brenda Hiatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14434049411157004743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-17568020692271601092011-01-08T13:55:28.789-05:002011-01-08T13:55:28.789-05:00But that's the point, Helen, just because it&#...But that's the point, Helen, just because it's new and different, it doesn't have to be scary....instead look at all the opportunities it brings with it--for readers and writers both!CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-71901936632398814312011-01-08T13:51:25.419-05:002011-01-08T13:51:25.419-05:00Very informative post. Thanks for all the informat...Very informative post. Thanks for all the information and details of your venture into e-publishing. <br /><br />E-publishing is exciting, on the rise, and quite scary.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03171630819400384478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-50896019057267124802011-01-08T12:30:52.826-05:002011-01-08T12:30:52.826-05:00BTW, I just want to clarify that I'm not "...BTW, I just want to clarify that I'm not "against" traditional publishing--I love being published traditionally.<br /><br />My point is that the paradigm that is being changed is not e-books v. print (which is what has publishers in a tizzy) but rather a reader-centric business v. distributor-centric.<br /><br />Until publishers change their thinking and take advantage of the opportunities this new paradigm presents, they will continue to fail.<br /><br />Just my two cents--wiser minds than mine (like Eric's!!!) probably have more insight.CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-27961383834905783462011-01-08T12:26:12.423-05:002011-01-08T12:26:12.423-05:00Honestly, I'm not surprised to hear that, Al, ...Honestly, I'm not surprised to hear that, Al, although I hoped a smaller house like Medallion would be more in tune with their consumer base.<br /><br />Publishers still think of their customer as being distributors and bookchains instead of readers...<br /><br />They need to wake up and learn that we're entering an era where readers will rule, including deciding who becomes bestsellers....if publishers can't figure out how to reach readers, they are doomed.CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-44830044868281921542011-01-08T11:41:55.437-05:002011-01-08T11:41:55.437-05:00Thanks a lot; I'm extremely excited! I did exa...Thanks a lot; I'm extremely excited! I did exactly that and they nixed the idea, although I included a couple of blurbs for it instead...it's not much but I figure it's got to be better than nothing...Al Leveronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09875867178918970838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-67917453501952813522011-01-08T10:19:20.811-05:002011-01-08T10:19:20.811-05:00Al, congrats on your release. If I were you, I'...Al, congrats on your release. If I were you, I'd ask Medallion for permission to include an excerpt from your novel in the back of your short story collection as a teaser.<br /><br />They may not grant permission, but it never hurts to ask!CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-81015324349956363072011-01-08T10:08:14.778-05:002011-01-08T10:08:14.778-05:00Hi CJ, really interesting post and some fascinatin...Hi CJ, really interesting post and some fascinating results from your pricing experiment. <br /><br />My debut thriller, FINAL VECTOR, will be released February 1 by Medallion Press. As a virtually unknown novelist who has had a bit of success as a short story author, I was trying to find a way to generate a little interest in my novel, so I released an electronic collection of some of my previously published short stories titled POSTCARDS FROM THE APOCALYPSE on December 26.<br /><br />It's way too early to even make a guess as to whether sales of one will have any effect on the other, but it's nice to see a well-established traditionally published author doing some experimenting, too.<br /><br />Thanks for the post and best of luck as you continue your career...Al Leveronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09875867178918970838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-41150924084240675752011-01-07T17:57:52.837-05:002011-01-07T17:57:52.837-05:00JoAnn, congrats on your kindling success! Good for...JoAnn, congrats on your kindling success! Good for you!CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-57353617173222268372011-01-07T17:51:45.852-05:002011-01-07T17:51:45.852-05:00Hi CJ,
I "Kindled" my self-pubbed romanc...Hi CJ,<br />I "Kindled" my self-pubbed romance, "Mai Tai Butterfly" after reading your article in the SinC newsletter about doing it on Smashwords. I'm pretty challenged by techie stuff but it worked! I've only sold a handful of books but I've done NO publicity so it's amazing to me that anyone has found it. As you suggested, I formatted it first with SW and then went to Amazon DTP and tweaked it for them. Thank you! for giving us this information. (PS How long do you think it will take the Oxford Dictionary people to list "kindle" as a verb? Next year maybe?)JoAnn Bassetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12043784194314976637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-87864261155372048292011-01-07T17:10:57.140-05:002011-01-07T17:10:57.140-05:00Pam, I'm considered the publisher (actually I ...Pam, I'm considered the publisher (actually I list my self-pubbed books under "Legacy Books") but because I go through their self-publishing routes (as opposed to contracting directly with B/N or Amazon) the lowest I can price a book is 0.99<br /><br />I'd love the flexibility of being able to give my books away but right now it's reserved for "real" publishers and a few chosen authors.<br /><br />If anyone knows of a way to get chosen, please give me a shout!CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-38605244419260223162011-01-07T17:06:31.952-05:002011-01-07T17:06:31.952-05:00Great question, Steve! I don't have definitive...Great question, Steve! I don't have definitive stats, but I can tell you that a YA author Amanda Hocking sold over 150,000 ebooks last year....and she'd never been published before.<br /><br />So yes, kids are finding e-books as well as us adults who need to make that font oh-so-big!CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-35096016572727241522011-01-07T17:06:30.692-05:002011-01-07T17:06:30.692-05:00Great post, CJ! Just wondering about one thing, th...Great post, CJ! Just wondering about one thing, though. You say Amazon and BN don't allow you to give away free copies of your own books? I don't understand, are you not considered the publisher? Just curious!Pam Riplinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13727387457891576143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-54472622027660025612011-01-07T17:02:38.007-05:002011-01-07T17:02:38.007-05:00Thanks for the post CJ. I'm curious how e-book...Thanks for the post CJ. I'm curious how e-book sales trend across demographics. The e-book seems like an "adult" medium. Am I off base, or are you aware of any successes in e-book sales for mid-grade / YA?Steve Westoverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281628136635926941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-8721503913922187392011-01-07T17:01:11.335-05:002011-01-07T17:01:11.335-05:00Hi Patricia, thanks for stopping by!
The facebook...Hi Patricia, thanks for stopping by!<br /><br />The facebook giveaway is easy--all folks need to do is go to my page (http://www.facebook.com/CJLyonsBestsellingThrillerAuthor) click LIKE and they can then access a special reader appreciation page with freestuff like a widget, short story, and a complete novel.<br /><br />I thought it would be nice to give something back to fans--so far, no complaints, lol!CJ Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263382194031609952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-51874974614055940872011-01-07T16:36:45.708-05:002011-01-07T16:36:45.708-05:00I've been epubbing my backlist for a while now...I've been epubbing my backlist for a while now, trying to get a grasp on how to promote and what prices work, etc. I think there are still a lot of variations and no one plan works for all. Not sure how you're doing that Facebook prize but then, I'm still figuring out Facebook. "G" We really need to be able to hire internet consultants for promotion!Patricia Ricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04037803668672237351noreply@blogger.com