You may be wondering what the above image has to do with my publishing journey. Well, let me explain … BTW, the following contains at least one or two affiliate links …
By the end of 2011, I could see that counting on Amazon for sales after not becoming KDP-exclusive was a failing strategy. Even so, I refused to make my novels exclusive to them. It seemed like it would be more than an affront to indie publishing. It struck me as the worst possible way to withdraw support for what I saw as a dangerously monopolistic company.
It must have been Fall 2011 when a feature film I’d written in 2009 managed to make the quarterfinals of a screenwriting contest called Scriptapalooza. So not only did I attend Bouchercon that year, but I decided to go to the Austin Film Festival. Or was it the following year? Now that I think of it, yes. I’m pretty sure. I didn’t keep a journal at the time like I do now (offline), not realizing the importance of what I was learning as I continued to fail spectacularly (financially, at least, if not health-wise).
I didn’t keep a journal at the time like I do now (offline), not realizing the importance of what I was learning as I continued to fail spectacularly (financially, at least, if not health-wise).
It was the Women in Film and Video day-and-a-half class on indie film production that changed me and my views on book marketing.
The teacher, Maureen Ryan, was an indie film producer and the author of the book Producer to Producer, which I bought and still consult from time to time. Ryan’s come out with a new edition that incorporates (what else?) new media! Maybe I’ll buy it. Possibly. And in print.
What matters is the class I attended in order to become a better-informed screenwriter led me to contemplate producing movies. Now that image above was what I assumed about filmmaking. It is a sweet narrative that seemed almost too much for me to take on. However, I now realize that filmmakers are a community. Like authors or readers. It’s just that the numbers are bigger, the stakes higher, and the effort must be made to get out there and meet people. I’m talking about networking.
What matters is the class I attended in order to become a better-informed screenwriter led me to contemplate producing movies. … So, I learned about the value of team building and having the confidence to try things, even if they might fail.
So, I learned about the value of team building and having the confidence to try things, even if they might fail.
It was in that class that I learned about crowdfunding. I even started a couple of crowdfunding projects—with a complete lack of decent planning, of course. I just launched myself into the thing and crossed my fingers. And tweeted and blogged and so on.
I even started a couple of crowdfunding projects—with a complete lack of decent planning, of course. I just launched myself into the thing and crossed my fingers. … But it takes more than that to independently make money through microdonations. Or subscriptions. Or other alternative ways to monetize your product online.
But it takes more than that to independently make money through microdonations. Or subscriptions. Or other alternative ways to monetize your product online.
I didn’t realize that everything I’d been doing up until that point was not helping to establish a reader fanbase. I was writing for other writers. Those were the people who left comments on my blog. Those were the people most affected by what I had to say.
Frankly, I think the message I sent out during the huge crash in sales when I opted out of Amazon’s exclusivity arrangement got lost in all the excitement. Not to mention that I compared Amazon to Hitler. That really helped. Not at all.
The only reason I was able to succeed at having my book make the New York Times bestseller list had a little to do with my ability, a lot to do with luck, and so much to do with relying on Amazon rank.
The only reason I was able to succeed at having my book make the New York Times bestseller list had a little to do with my ability, a lot to do with luck, and so much to do with relying on Amazon rank.
It is relying on Amazon for success that will lead to a writer’s undoing. If you’re relying on nothing but algorithms, maybe you’ll achieve sales. And maybe you won’t. Who’s to say what will succeed or not?
The thing is the more you depend on Amazon, the more you are beholden to them. And the more control they can exert over you. So at that point, are you still an independent author? And publisher?
And who are you really reaching? And how are you reaching them? And why do you have to be on Facebook? Who said you have to put up with any of this crap?
Nobody’s put a gun to your head. Have they? Maybe they didn’t use a gun, but that doesn’t mean you’re not being intimidated to the point of near-coercion.
PS: Amazon isn’t at all like Hitler. It’s more like Napoleon. They think they should own the world. Except Mr. B is much taller. And besides, Amazon doesn’t run death camps, unless you count their warehouses, which are really run more like prisons … scratch that … like small surveillance states? … . He doesn’t, does he? Right! 🙂
PPS: These are my memoirs. And I have no idea how this story ends. Or when.
PPPS: On a brighter note, I made more this past month from selling a short story than I did from all my ebook sales combined! I guess that’s a bright note. 🙂
Well, you know what they say …? 🙂
Yeah, Medium. Meh.
