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Seth Godin's defection from traditional publishing a wise move?
Last week Seth Godin revealed he will publish his own e-books instead of publishing books via a traditional publisher. Do you think he will experience the same success publishing his own books? Is publishing one's own book the "next big thing" for thought leaders? What are some things to consider if you want to follow Seth's footsteps and publish a book yourself?
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3 Answers
I have published (and yes, I wrote them myself) 7 books. most of them have been with conventional publishers. For my latest book, I self-published. 1. I didn't want a publishing house telling me what to write or how; 2. I didn't want to wait 2 years before it came out; 3. I wanted my own cover and my own editing/layout team.
I wrote the book in 4 months (ok, I worked around the clock, but still....) and then spent a month with the editorial and design folks to get what I wanted. I then contacted Lightening Source and Create Space to get the book printed and distributed (and I must say that CreateSpace (an arm of Amazon) was an amazing, amazing partner. Absolutely the most wonderful group I've ever worked with. And if they had a good quality cover, I'd recommend them wholeheartedly (they fixed my cover stock and sent me books to make up for the problems, but then a friend of mine just had the same problem with their cover).
Once I had the book almost done, I began working with distribution. LS does outside US, bookstores; CS does Amazon affiliates. Then I started developing a virtual book tour: for a month I did guest webinars and podcasts and blog posts. I had dozens of friends and colleagues from many industries interview me to make sure I got broad distribution. I created a dedicated website that had sample pages/chapters, links, etc. I sent out a page of brainless/painless things for my colleagues to do for me: instant tweets, different sized reviews, quotes, etc. so folks could easily recommend and link. In exchange, I wrote people up on my blog and dedicated a whole post to them, their books or programs, or their sites. We also got Amazon to delay fulfilling the early orders so the book could 'come out' on a certain date.
My book was #2 on Amazon for a day. It continue to sell well, and I continue to support the colleagues that helped me during my launch.
I believe that I did a far better job writing and promoting my book than a publisher would have (unless I were Stephen King or Danielle Steel), I got the book out a year earlier, and I have created a good product. I wouldn't mind having the book in bookstores (although my local bookstore sells it for me) -- that's the only downside.
I put up a site to help folks decide on how to publish: www.publishingchoices.com
Hope this helps. sharon drew morgen
Well, there are quite a few things to think about. I'll start the discussion by asking if you can reach your audience directly, as he clearly can. A good social media presence is essential if you want your book to get out there. I started Motion Publishing (motionpub.com) so I could not only do my own books, but others' as well. Two years ago, I had no social media presence and this would have been a waste of time. Now, I'm reaching people via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other sites.
Along these lines, I have found that more than a few folks are interested in what I have to say and write. Tools such as Kickstarter are invaluable for those looking to raise funds:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/705402671/the-new-small-my-third-book
I'd add that those who can't find a lit agent or proper publisher can take matters into their own hands. In other words, if you have a niche topic, it might make for a fine read--but that doesn't mean that a publisher considers it commercially viable.
Don't let that stop you.
I don't think the death of traditional publishing is as imminent as Godin made it seem in his post, but I do think he is being smart to focus on e-books. As much as I love the traditional feel of a book in my hands, it is so much easier to download a book on my iPad than it is to drive over to Borders and pick up a copy. We've become a culture of instant gratification and e-books definitely satisfy that need. Also, Godin's books are short and they are always hardcover (read: expensive). As a reader, I'd be much more likely to download his book for $9.99 than pay $15 for a book that I know I'll fly through in a couple of hours.
I don't think his move away from traditional publishing will decrease his audience at all... if anything he'll attract new readers for the reasons that I've just mentioned. Godin is a trend setter so I wouldn't be surprised to see more business authors follow in his footsteps.
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