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| Insecure Writer's Support Group Blog Hop |
Hello and welcome to the IWSG blog hop.
What is IWSG? Founder of IWSG and author Alex J Cavanaugh explains the group's purpose is "to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" You're invited to become a member of this supportive group.
The group blogs the first Wednesday of every month, The list of bloggers is always available so you can hop around to the author blogs filled with humor, advice, and thought-provoking topics on writing and publishing. You can find the list of participants at Alex's IWSG page.
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What do you do with your old books you have published either traditionally or indie? I am insecure on how to handle these old graying stories that I love dearly. But, after 2 or 3 years they are just sitting online at my publishers and doing absolutely nothing!! Do I get my rights back and re-pub with another publisher or self-pub?
I've thought about self pubbing. I just released a gardening e-book February 15. I used the info from my gardening blog plus other materials to make a booklet on starting a garden. I plan to release a couple more in the series.
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| Quick Tips on Vegetable Gardening: Starting Your Garden Quick, clear, concise, tried and true gardening tips |
After self pubbing a couple of projects, this one went like clockwork. (I know that's a cliche, but this describes it perfectly.) I was prepared this time after studying several books on Kindle formatting, as well as learning from my experience with the other two projects.
I chose niche categories so the ebook was an immediate bestseller in 3 categories.
I had my friends ready to post a review the minute the book went live.
Clockwork.
I don't know about fiction though. So much more competition. But at least if I self pub one of my ebooks and make five sales, I'd still be ahead of what the book is doing now!
I never really thought about what would happen to my books once they were out and aging. I just worried about getting a publisher for my first book!
What is your experience with your "old" fiction/non-fiction? Are you continuing to enjoy sales from your previous books? What is your advice on dealing with aging books? Please leave a comment.
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I'm celebrating eBook Week by giving away an eBook from my list. Just leave a comment anytime this week, and I'll draw a winner from all commenters on Sunday, March 8. Check my Amazon Author page to make your choice. If I don't have your email addy, please leave it in the comment or email me with it at jqrose02 at gmail dot com. (Yes, the new e-book on Vegetable Gardening, QUICK TIPS ON VEGETABLE GARDENING: STARTING YOUR GARDEN is on the list too!)
Plus GIRLS SUCCEED: STORIES BEHIND THE CAREERS OF SUCCESSFUL WOMEN is 50% OFF during this event. $2.00.
Grab it at Smashwords
Plus GIRLS SUCCEED: STORIES BEHIND THE CAREERS OF SUCCESSFUL WOMEN is 50% OFF during this event. $2.00.
Grab it at Smashwords
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23 comments:
I apologize, Readers, for the 3, yes THREE images of the Read an Ebook poster. In my dashboard, where I write the posts, these images don't even show up! So I can't delete them from the page. Weird. At least you will know THIS is the week to read an e-book!!!
I got back all my rights from whatever publisher my books were with (one stubbornly refuses to acknowledge it after many attempts). I've self-pubbed all of them under my own name. I'm selling them out of Smashwords for the broader distribution and Amazon for the Book Match and Audio book discount (buy the ebook, get the audio book for $1.99). Now, people can buy them or not.
The audio book copyrights are still held by Audible for seven years, so not much I can do about that.
I'll occasionally announce the various books' existences at ridiculously low prices (everything is a buck right now), but other than that, they're on their own.
You could get your rights back, do some updating of material and covers, then launch them through Create Space.
They may be aging, but they still have value to readers.
I have yet to publish a book, so I can't comment too much. But it seems like republishing them on your own is a great idea.
Marva, a buck a book? How's that working for you? Increase in readership? I think of you when I am pondering on what to do. Thanks for adding to the discussion.
C.Lee--I love your last line--"they still have value to readers." I remember after the first book was pubbed, I saw places I wanted to re-write, but alas, too late. If I get the rights back, I could do the re-writing. That sounds good. Thanks for stopping.
Thank you Chemist Ken. I'm thinking about it now more seriously after reading these comments.
Hi Karen, Have you considered adding new material and re publishing it? Are you still getting sales? I am so nosey, aren't I? Thanks for commenting.
I've heard more than one author want her rights back so she could self-publish. In fact, one of them asked to use the same cover.
They figured it was ready to go, so why not?
Anna from Shout with Emaginette
I don't have personal experience with this, but have seen several acquaintances take back the rights for their old books and re-release them self-pubbed. So far, they've each been happy with how it's turned out.
I didn't know this was Nat'l Lose Yourself In An Ebook Week. I've been reading Game of Thrones series. Awesome stuff and something a reader can really get lost in.
Hi JQ, well done on your gardening booklet. As you say in your post, you've learned a lot over these years since you were first published. I'm in the same position as you, wondering what to do about older books. If you self-publish, it involves so much work selling the books - but at least you might actually sell a few copies, and the money from the sales would all be yours. I would be tempted to get the rights back, rewrite the passages you weren't happy with, and release the novels again (self-published). You have nothing really to lose. Good luck with it, and congrats again on your gardening series.
Anna, that's good news she got her rights back. Kind of tricky on the book cover. I think the cover artist has to approve using it and you may have to pay her for it.
Shannon, glad to hear the authors were happy when pubbing their own work. Sounds good!
Stephen, I haven't read Game of Thrones, but I mostly read ebooks nowadays. Really like so many pluses when reading on my Kindle. Thanks for stopping in.
Thanks so much, Helena. I'm really having fun with this gardening book.It is re-charging my love for this crazy writing industry. Yes, you may want to consider self publishing your older works. It will be a challenge, but I have learned so much more about the publishing side. Kudos to folks who decide to open their own publishing houses and take on the risk of traditionally publishing their authors.
The Buck a Book special is for a limited time. I've advertised it on my blog, FB, G+ for the last couple of weeks with my Have a Trailer campaign (showing all my book trailers one per day). If anybody is interested, the books are ALL at the sale price at all distributors. I use Smashwords to push to everyone but KDP.
The downside to taking back rights and self-pubbing is that nobody notices the old books because they've seen them before. The best way to push sales on old books is to write ANOTHER book then use it as leverage to get the readers to take a chance on the older works. This is especially true for series.
It's not something I've dealt with, but I don't see why it wouldn't work as well for fiction. Like you said, if the book isn't selling now, what have you got to lose?
I'm dealing with this right now, JQ, so I'm interested to read everyone's thoughts. I'm debating self publishing the trilogy that I got the rights back on.
Hi Marva, I am concerned too about nobody noticing the old books, but with a snazzy new cover and new title, it should get noticed by readers who weren't into ebooks way back four years ago (probably five by the time I actually get this done.) Good luck on the Buck a Book promo. I saw a post about it on G+.
Thanks, Alex. I like the way you think.
Hi Tess. Loved that werewolf trilogy!! Yes, try it and let me know how it goes.You can be the guinea pig. LOL..
Congratulations Karen Walker, you won the prize in this week's drawing! Please contact me to let me know what you would like. My email is jqrose02 at gmail dot com.Thank you!!
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