Is epublishing right for you?

I get this question a lot, especially at Pure Spec last month when I had my vendor’s table. It’s a good question and I’m always happy to talk about my decision to go with a new medium for my work.

Harvest Moon is an awkward length at 11,000 words. Most print fiction magazines do not take long pieces like this. Neither do the majority of print anthologies. It’s way too short for print publishers to purchase; most romance novels are around 70K, mysteries around 90K, fantasy around 110k.  So, the few places that would take the length were either non-paying or would have paid less than $25 for it.

I have nothing against non-paying or low-paying places, especially when they take reprints. I’ve sold reprints for $4 and was happy to do so for the exposure. However, I felt Harvest Moon had the “something” that would make it appeal to a lot of people. I wanted to give it the best chance as possible. And, frankly, I am trying to make a living off my writing. I want to be paid as often as possible.

Epublishing allows for pretty much any length because it’s not hindered by the printing aspect of it. That means short stories and novellas can find new markets that before were closed to them. Novellas are my favourite length to both write and read, but they have been near death for a while, due to the inability to print them in a cost-effective manner. Enter epublishing, where novellas can make a comeback.

The pay for Harvest Moon will be stretched over three years – the length of my contract. With MuseItUp, I make 40% royalties off the publisher’s bookstore price (i.e $2.50 per sale nets me $1.00), and 40% off the net price from third party (if a place like amazon or kobo sells Harvest Moon at $2.50, the publisher gets paid about $1.50, so I get paid 0.60). That can add up rather quickly, especially when you consider that it’s over a 3 year period.

Now, there are some bad sides to epublishing. First, I chose to go with a new publisher which I do not regret. In fact, I firmly believe that I have made the best decision for the book. However, let’s be honest. New publisher means no established reader base. That means, you have to help create one.

Which means, bad side number two. Marketing. When you sell to a magazine or an anthology, you are generally paid a flat fee and that’s the end of it. You got your money, so you don’t need to market the piece. However, when you epublish, you are on your own. You have to generate your own traffic to your piece, or else it doesn’t sell. So, there is a lot of work involved. You have to earn every penny of your royalty cheque.

I actually think this marketing requirement is a good thing. If you are planning to sell novels eventually, but choose to write and sell a few novellas in the meantime, you can cut your teeth on the marketing process. You can start building a fan base. You can figure out what works and doesn’t for you in terms of marketing. These are all good things in my mind.

Then, there are those that are not comfortable or familiar with epublishing. There are people who say “I’m waiting for the paper book to come out.” Or, those who don’t “like to read on a computer screen” or who “have no interest in ebooks.” There are those who think all epublished books are self-published, which they avoid like a plague. There are those who think epublished books aren’t edited and reviewed by editors the way that print books are (complete falsehood, at least in my case). All of these things are difficult to overcome and make marketing and selling unique challenges.

I’ve been very fortune in that Harvest Moon has been doing very well with MuseItUp Publishing. I am very pleased with how it has been selling (don’t worry – I will keep my promise of sharing my first royalty statement with everyone…but that doesn’t come until March).

Epublishing isn’t right for every piece out there. For me, however, my research said that it was the best choice for this particular story. And, two months into having it on the market, I believe that it was the best choice now more than ever.

If you have questions about the process, please feel free to ask! I’ll try my best to answer.

Posted on Nov 25, 2010 in Author Clinic | 20 comments
  • http://www.uleth.ca/edu/runte/ Runte

    I think e-publishing will, in the long run, be good for literature because stories will start coming out their true length — without the need to pad novels to the length that print publishers required to market as a novel, or to shorten a 8,000 word story to the 5,000 max of various magazines, and so on.

  • Krista

    I completely agree. Many times, I had fluffed out a story with a new subplot to meet a length, or cut out one to meet a low requirement. As things move to less reliance upon paper, it’s easier to let stories become the best length for each individual piece.

  • Zenodotus

    What I find most interesting is that you make it sound like it is the publisher that readers follow. So MIU has a bunch of regular readers who see your title and might be interested. What about followers of ABC Publishing? and XYZ Publishing?

    Which leads to the second most interesting thing, that you now spend valuable writing time doing marketing instead.

    I guess in print there are followings for certain publishers, especially romance, and maybe scifi or fantasy. But I don’t think most readers know or care if a book is published by FSG or HarperCollins, or even one of their specialty imprints. So I guess my question is, what’s the difference between MIU and FSG and their respective readers?

  • Krista

    Valuable time writing is only good when people read what I write. Authors who are looking to support their income with writing, who want people to read their books, and who want to connect with their readers have to market. That doesn’t matter if you are lowly Krista D. Ball or kingly Stephen King. Terry Brooks is a name every fantasy reader over the age of 16 knows. He doesn’t need to promote. He can put out a phone book and people would buy it. He still travels to conventions, where he meets fans. It’s a part of the job.

    I’m not sure why you felt I implied that readers follow publishers from my post. To some extent, it is true. Many romance readers look for Harlequin lines, for example. I found an author from ROC that I like and gave another two a try (liked both). Now, I generally try any new authors they put out. I haven’t really ever liked anything by TOR; I tend to skip books published by them.

    In the ebook world, it’s easier to follow a publisher because all of their titles are in one spot. So, folks tend to buy from their favourite author and then poke around the publisher’s site looking for more to buy. There are plenty that only go to amazon and buy their books; in that case, they often don’t know who publishes what author. Which is why you promote yourself.

    To answer your question regarding the difference between FSG, Harpercollins, Penguin and Muse? well, those are decades old large companies with billions of dollars in their budgets, pay advances, and dump all of their midlist authors who are’t bestsellers. Muse is probably smaller than FSG’s mailroom, but can risk new projects, new ideas, and new authors because the upfront investment and overhead costs are so much less.

    And, most importantly, Muse can handle any length of work. The publishers you mentioned will not. My work could not have been submitted to those publishers. I’d rather have to market a little (which, doesn’t take away from valuable writing time…it takes away from valuable video game playing time, internet surfing time, and TV watching time) and see my work in print, then never see my work in print because I don’t conform my work’s length or topics to the big six.

  • http://greyjamie.blogspot.com Jamie Grey

    Great article, Krista! I wrote a longer short story myself and at 7k words, would have had a really hard time finding someone to take it, but Muse has been great. It doesn’t come out until next May, but I already have ideas and contacts that they’ve helped generate. I’m not sure that you’d get that sort of personalized information from a larger company.

    Being a short story with a new ePublisher might make it more difficult to market, but then again, any short story might have a difficult time getting noticed.

    I’m glad to see Harvest Moon is doing so well – what have you found has been your best marketing tool so far?

  • Zenodotus

    It sounds like you have convinced yourself that epublishing is right for you. In general, I don’t agree.

    With certain works it may be right for you. This may be one of them. However, I think you are really accepting more work, less writing, and smaller return for your efforts. I believe Krista can achieve greater things.

    I read in your blog: “New publisher means no established reader base.” You meant that an older publisher would have its own established reader base — a group of readers who follow that particular publisher. Your further comments identify the difficulty in that many readers don’t stray to other epublishers, which limits the audience. Other than those categories I mentioned previously, one walks into a bookstore and is exposed to all publishes mixed together, so the audience is almost unlimited.

    My question really wondered why the big publishing houses didn’t have a particular identity among most readers, while smaller ones did.

    I disagree with your statement: “My work could not have been submitted to those publishers.” It certainly could have been. But you also correctly note that you made a choice to do something else. You could just as easily have taken the time and effort to make your story fit into what those publishers were looking for.

    The argument has been presented that editors and publishers want what they want, and writers must give it to them, because those publishers know what the market will bear. Scorn has been heaped upon those who reject the demands of those publishers, and publish on their own. But your closing comment sounds just like them: “I’d rather … see my work in print, then never see my work in print because I don’t conform my work’s length or topics to the big six.” Isn’t that the rationalisation that self-published writers make? But they are constantly being told they are wrong in their approach. So it sounds to me like this is exactly what you have done, except that you only went half-way to self-publication instead of all-the-way. You have chosen a limited market with a limited return for your investment.

    Again, though I don’t think your arguments are sound, they can be convincing, and you have convinced yourself, and perhaps others. And perhaps epublishing is right in some cases and for certain people. I think in the particular case of Krista D. Ball, she has the potential to realise huge returns on her fiction by focusing on her writing and aiming for those publishers where the payoff is great.

  • Krista

    No, Harvest Moon could not have been published in book format. The story is not a novel. It is a short novella. Print publishers are not publishing single-title short novellas. So, I could either get paid $10 for it in an online ezine or I could epublish it as a single-title book. I’ve made more than $10 thus far on Harvest Moon (well, not technically, since I don’t get the royalties until next year). Those are my options. I went with the one that pays the most money.

    Re: Small houses vs big houses Big houses don’t need one. They are in book stores, where the masses all go and buy based on the cover art. Online publishers are where the kindle masses go and buy based on cover art and price :p

    Yes, people do follow online publishing houses more than big print houses. I regularly check Carina Press, for example, to see what’s new. That’s just one example. Carina Press has significantly more traffic than MuseItUp because Carina is established as an online publisher where you can purchase books. Muse is still new.

    The relationship and purchasing experience between epublishers and readers is different than with big publishing houses and readers. It’s the difference between ebooks and print books.

    “You have chosen a limited market with a limited return for your investment.”

    Incorrect. The correct statement is: I have chosen to write a story that I love in a format and length that I love, even though it will provide limited return compared to having written a novel.

    Let’s not forget that many established e-published authors are making decent money for themselves. Kim Dare, Marie Dees, Zoe Winters, and JA Konrath are all examples just off the top of my head.

    Each piece needs to be evaluated for the best possible market. It’s not an all or nothing thing. I’ve chosen to self-publish one of my stories. I’ve chosen to epublish one of my novellas. I may choose to epublish, self-publish, or print publish my novels. Who knows? Each project needs to be treated as what’s best for that project.

    It’s interesting that you are saying that I should focus on my writing (considering what I’ve written this year). Further, I did aim for a publisher that could give me a good payoff for my story. Harvest Moon sits at 11k words. A complete story. I opted not to go with selling it a non-paying or ultra-low paying market.

    A story sitting on my hard drive not making me money and not getting read is a fail.

  • Krista

    Jamie — I’m glad to see Harvest Moon is doing so well – what have you found has been your best marketing tool so far?

    Arguing with Jeff (aka Zen) whenever I get the chance ;)

  • Krista

    I should add that any publishing medium that gives access to novellas – my favourite length for both reading and writing – is a good thing and a great progression. Novellas had nearly died due to the print inability to single-title print them and people’s reluctance of purchasing collections.

    Now, novellas are making a comeback. That’s really exciting for me.

  • http://www.museituppublishing.com Lea Schizas

    I’ll comment here that I agree with Zen that readers don’t follow publishers but they do follow an author. That’s why it’s important for writers to build a readership. On the other hand, a publishing house must also have some credibility of quality, and a respectful understanding how to treat a reader.

    I’ve read books from small to large publishing houses and the errors I discovered in some books were unjustified. It’s a shame how many associate small publishing houses with a lack of respect to their authors, or no interest in offering quality work to their readers/buyers. Although there may be some who only thrive on the visual of a $ sign, there are some of us who go past that and connect with our authors as a whole, collaborating on decisions for the best of the house, and communicating with the editors to offer the best product to our readers.

    Yes, big houses are established and they have the financial means to offer advances to the authors. And, yes, authors can wait to get on board with them, if ever. But a choice as to where to publish should always be with a writer and not dictated by others. For the author knows his or her work best and where it fits in.

    Writers just need to organize their writing time with their marketing, making sure the writing takes precedence. Marketing is a given factor no matter where you publish, but again, it’s the organizing the time that needs some skill.

  • Zenodotus

    Arguing with Jeff (aka Zen) whenever I get the chance.

    No doubt your sales and followers go up whenever I chime in. As usual, I’m here to help.

  • http://www.kristadball.com Krista

    I even have a marketing code that I use for you :p

  • http://www.kristadball.com Krista

    Lea – I gotta say, marketing really cuts into my video game time. I wouldn’t hate it nearly so much if it cut into writing time. But video game? No one messes with that sacred time.

  • http://www.museituppublishing.com Lea Schizas

    I know Krista, and answering your blog took time away from Collapse. :) I was at my all time high when I remembered to come back here and see how the debate between you and Zen was doing. LOL

  • http://dragonmuse.webs.com Rosalie Skinner

    I am really looking forward to reading Harvest Moon. Ok, I followed the publisher! Read the extract… was hooked. :p

    After several adventures in epublishing/selfpublishing I am happy to be with Museitup and the enthusiastic team of authors and editors who help with marketing ideas.

    Now, back to those video games Lea, and Krista

  • Zenodotus

    OK Krista, I’ve reloaded, and I’m back to help with your marketing.

    I noticed a comment on Merc’s blog about a story she had published, and the comment came from another author. It made me wonder what percentage of people who buy MIU books are authors, and what percentage are readers? In other words, (perhaps to answer my own earlier question) it strikes me that a difference between epublishing and print publishing is that the limited market for epublished works consists primarily of other epublished authors; while the broader market for print works consists of all readers.

    If I was a reader who didn’t know anything about MIU, how would I find one of their books?

    When I go to the MIU website, it looks to me that it is geared toward writers, not readers. They are not so much marketing their books to readers as marketing their publishing to writers. Their tagline is “Where your Muse entertains readers.” Clearly, that is targeting writers, not readers. Of the FAQs, only one of the twenty or so questions is addressed to readers. It appears not all that far removed from the website for PublishAmerica. Contrast those with the site for FSG, for example, which presents itself to the reader, rather than the writer.

    What say you?

  • Krista

    I can only speak from the people I know who have purchased my books. Most of my sales have come from readers, not writers. Friends, family, people I meet at conventions, people who follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and my blog. People who belong to SF Canada. People who are browsing amazon. If I had to estimate, at least 90% of my sales are from readers who aren’t writers. With that said, I’m happy to have writers reader my work. The more, the merrier.

    Most of the kindle owners out there are not writers. Most of the Sony ereader owners out there aren’t writers. This is a huge misconception that you have. I see ereaders on the bus. I see them at work. I see them in stores. People who buy them are readers. These are people who are tired of having boxes of books in their basement.

    re: If I was a reader who didn’t know anything about MIU, how would I find one of their books?

    The same as you would about the hundreds of print publishers out there whose books are rarely put on a shelf. Bring a print publisher doesn’t mean your books litter the shelves of bookstores worldwide. In fact, it’s the bigger ones and their off-brands and they pay a pretty price to be on those front tables at bookstores.

    Have you ever heard of any Canadian publishing houses? Probably not. How to those authors get the word out? They market themselves.

    Re: the MUI website. You do realize that they opened their doors yesterday, right? They’ve been marketing to writers because, surprise, they weren’t actually open. I agreed to have my book released early, allowing them to have a soft open to ensure things moved smoothly for when they officially opened. When a house in brand new and have almost nothing for sale, they do need to promote to writers for a while. For somewhere like FSG, who doesn’t take unsolicited manuscripts, they don’t need to target writers. In fact, they’ll do everything they can to turn writers away. They only want agents. That’s their business model. That is not MUI.

    So, let’s compare MUI with another online publisher (since I could not submit to FSG) – Carina Press, owned by Harlequin. There are a lot more things in common, especially when Carina first opened their doors (where their entire site was dedicated to getting writers to submit to them).

    I’m still confused why you think that I should have put Harvest Moon into print, when it’s not an available format for the book. Short story collections are notoriously low paying and, while I may move the books to a print format for conventions and speaking engagements, I don’t expect to make much money off that format. The story would have suffered to move it to a novel-length, as well as a short story format.

    So, again, why are you arguing against my choice?

  • Krista

    Also, I should mention, that my book is available on a lot more sites than MIU; on purchasing sites where owners of kindles, sonys, etc go to buy. This includes: diesel, apple bookstore, sony store, kobo, amazon.ca and .com, bookstrand, smashwords, omnilit, coffeetime romance (that sells more than romance, oddly enough)…I think I’m missing one…

    Those stores are ebook “bookstores”, if you like. I go to them and browse for books and pick up a few. If I like the publisher and author, I go directly to the publishers and see if I can buy from them for future books. I add them to my Reader Feed so that I get updates.

    I’m the exception. Most people go to the e-bookstores. And that’s a-ok by me. A sale is a sale, a broader audience is a win, a fan is a diamond.

  • Zenodotus

    So, again, why are you arguing against my choice?

    I’m helping your marketing campaign?

    I enjoy questioning things?

    I want to learn?

    I’m really not questioning your choice, just the reasoning behind your choice.

    No, I had no idea MIU just opened. While I understand the need to bring authors on board to have a list of books available for opening, I don’t understand why the website wouldn’t reflect their current focus and goals. I also didn’t know your book was available for purchase on other sites. But I don’t read ebooks, or browse them, or buy them, so I don’t know anything about them.

    I still don’t believe that anyone is restricted from submitting to any publisher. In this instance, you were prohibited from submitting elsewhere only by your own decisions. And as I said before, an epublisher may well be the appropriate and best option for a certain piece of writing. At this point, I still view the market as limited. (Your results may vary.)

    In your marketing, you have encountered resistance to ebooks. How do you reach me and those others? Or do you just write us off as “not your target audience”?

    I think I asked this on W3 already, but I will ask again: As a bookseller, can I purchase your ebook and then resell it? If not, how is it different from a compact disc, or a print book? If so, can I resell it only once, or multiple times?

  • http://www.kristadball.com Krista

    Thanks for holding while I finished Road to Hell :)

    I have encountered resistance to ebooks. That’s why I don’t market to people who resist ebooks. I’m always happy to let folks play with my ereader, ask me questions, etc. When I was at Pure Spec, a few people in the audience were very anti-ebooks, but I chatted them up at my table, signed bookmarks for them, and gave them a free download code for Wicca Dog, if they wanted to try out the process of ebooks.

    When I have print books, I’ll market the print books a little differently. I will still market the ebooks the same way I have been, mostly to online blogs and websites that already promote ebook authors (if you do a google search of my name, you get about 8 pages of me doing guest blog posts, interviews, book reviews, etc).

    Re: your bookseller questions.

    I’ll be blunt. Ebooks use a different business model. There is no resale of them period. Book sellers, both of new books and used books, will need to adjust their business models to survive if ebooks continue to gain in popularity. You can already see it here in Edmonton. Chapters (the Canadian big box bookstore) offers a significant amount of non-book merchandise, including movies, specialty gift items, baby toys, globes, etc. Oh, and books.

    They also have computers set up throughout the store, selling print books and ebooks.

    I’ve seen some used book stores move to a coffee shop/internet cafe/used books combo. If ebooks continue to be popular, perhaps used book stores will continue to have their used print books and also have their own online ebook stores, where customers can come in with their ereader and they can purchase whatever books they want online and have staff help them with downloading, if needed.

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