There was a time when having a self-published book meant you were not good enough to have a real book - or at least that was the perception. Many authors spent years waiting for their big break with a traditional publisher because they insisted on having the backing of a big name - all to find their unprinted, and often unfinished manuscript packed away in a box in the spare bedroom.
So what does a 26-year-old young adult fiction writer know that the rest of us don't? Amanda Hocking knows that you can make money and get coverage on the USA TODAY by selling your self-published ebook for $2.99. You can sell 450,000 of them, no less. And, the three titles in her Trylle Trilogy (Switched, Torn and Ascend, the latest) will make it to the top 50 of USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list.
Is this route for you? Consider these advantages: you get the opportunity to have a book on the market that might not otherwise be seen by anyone and there are very low upfront costs for production and distribution.
In a recent USA TODAY article by Carol Memmott covering Amanda's success, more evidence was given to support joining in on the self-published e-book movement.
"Novelist J.A. Konrath, who has sold more than 100,000 self-published e-books, gets more than 1 million hits a year on his blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing (jakonrath.blogspot.com). His novel, Shaken, hit No. 9 on the Kindle list last year."
"H.P. Mallory, another self-published paranormal e-novelist, has sold 70,000 copies of her e-books since July. Her success caught the attention of traditional publisher Random House, with whom she just signed a three-book contract."
As the publishing industry changes, so do new and successful ways to bring great content to thousands of readers. Kudos to you Amanda, your persistence and creativity has likely inspired many authors to unpack their manuscripts!
To read the entire USA TODAY article, click here "Authors Catch Fire With Self-Published EBooks" by Carol Memmott
Arielle Ford has launched the careers of many NY Times bestselling authors. She is a former book publicist, literary agent and the author of seven books. To learn how to get started writing a book please visit: www.HowToWriteMyBook.com