Since the first half of this year is history, it’s a good time to take stock of what’s going on in self-publishing.
Why have so many authors embraced self-publishing?
The answer is easy. Authors enjoy having more control over bringing their stories to readers.
Often, they also have higher income without the middle “man” of the traditional publisher and/or an agent.
That’s one of the reasons behind the 17% annual growth rate according to
Blurb, founded by
Eileen Gittins in 2005.
Blurb is a platform that facilitates creating, printing, and publishing independent books. By the way, traditional pubishing had only a 1% growth during that same time period.
SELF-PUBLISHING REWARDS
In 2022, more than 2,000 self-published authors earned over $100K in royalties, and many of those authors were women. Around 67% of self-published books come from women authors which is quite a contrast to the traditional publishing world.
Monetary rewards aside, self-published works are now being accepted by prestigious awards like the Pulitzer and the British Book Awards. I was amazed to learn that a self-published work can be submitted for consideration.
Self-published books now make up 30 to 34% of all ebook sales, and there are nearly 300 million self-published books sold each year. What does it mean for an author? The market is growing so there’s room for new authors.
According to Alex Newton and his K-Lytics reports, 58% of the Top-400 most sold Kindle books of 2023 were romance titles.
For 2024, the forecast from several sources named these as trending genres: Romance, Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction, Romantasy, and Young Adult.
NOT ALL ROSES
Discoverability is the most important factor in book sales for self-publishing authors. Yes, there is room in the marketplace, but there is also tremendous competition.
You can write the best book in the world, but if no one knows it exists, you may end up as one of the 20% of authors who have no income from writing.
SELF-PUBLISHING IS A 1-MAN BAND
When I started self-publishing, there were no companies offering services like formatting ebooks and print books, cover design, proof reading, marketing, etc. I had to learn how to do it all. I made mistakes too, but I learned from them. Now I’m able to easily format an ebook which means I’m not paying $50-$100+ for this service.
The more you learn to do, and do well, the less overhead you incur. Just make sure that what you do looks professional.
Now there are many companies offering every facet of publishing including proofreading, editing, design, format, distribution, and marketing. These services may or may not be in your budget. That’s for you to decide.
BOTTOM LINE
What should a self-publishing author do with the information I’ve presented?
(1) Write the best book you can.
(2) Get it professionally proofed and edited.
(3) Package it so it looks as if it came from a traditional publisher—whether you do that yourself or you hire a company to do it.
(4) Learn how to market your book with successful online ads.
From conversations I’ve had with readers of just about every gennre, most readers don’t know, or care, if a book is self-published or traditionally published—unless they are jarred from the story by several typos, wrong word usage, poor grammar, etc.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
Readers are there for the story. Don’t give them a reason to be shocked out of the story by poorly presented text. That can be the kiss of death for an author.
Joan Reeves aka SlingWords: The Word Slinging Adventures of Joan Reeves
Source:
https://slingwords.blogspot.com/2024/07/self-publishing-potential-2024.html
Lion’s Mane Mushroom Nootropic
Mushrooms are having a moment. One fabulous fungus in particular, lion’s mane, may help improve memory, depression and anxiety symptoms. They are also an excellent source of nutrients that show promise as a therapy for dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, you may be curious about all the therapy options out there — including the natural ones.Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend has been formulated to utilize the potency of Lion’s mane but also include the benefits of four other Highly Beneficial Mushrooms. Synergistically, they work together to Build your health through improving cognitive function and immunity regardless of your age. Our Nootropic not only improves your Cognitive Function and Activates your Immune System, But it benefits growth of Essential Gut Flora, further enhancing your Vitality.
Our Formula includes:
Lion’s Mane Mushrooms which Increase Brain Power through nerve growth, lessen anxiety, reduce depression, and improve concentration. Its an excellent adaptogen, promotes sleep and improves immunity.
Shiitake Mushrooms which Fight cancer cells and infectious disease, boost the immune system, promotes brain function, and serves as a source of B vitamins.
Maitake Mushrooms which regulate blood sugar levels of diabetics, reduce hypertension and boosts the immune system.
Reishi Mushrooms which Fight inflammation, liver disease, fatigue, tumor growth and cancer. They Improve skin disorders and soothes digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome.
Chaga Mushrooms which have anti-aging effects, boost immune function, improve stamina and athletic performance, even act as a natural aphrodisiac, fighting diabetes and improving liver function.
Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules Today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.
