JUST A REMINDER: Over the next few posts, I'll be reviewing some of the players in non-traditional book distribution. I DO NOT advocate any particular company. What you'll be reading is my thought process as I work through my decision-making. I can, and probably will, make a ton of mistakes. Your mileage may vary.
My last three potential retailers will be covered in one post.
KOBO
Kobo's criteria for an author to e-publish directly with them is a little bizarre. While Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Smashwords have their Terms & Conditions posted on their website, Kobo requires the author to e-mail them before they will send her the T&C. Also, if the author cannot provide them with an ePUB version of her book, they charge for the conversion. Why do this when other retailers will convert your file for free? Does anybody else have experience with this company they are willing to share?
APPLE
Apparently, Apple will not allow an author to publish directly through them. Do anyone know anything to the contrary? From what I understand, authors must go through a secondary distributor such as Kobo, Lulu or Smashwords. And from what I've heard Apple is pretty picky about what they'll accept for retail sale. Does anybody else have publsihing/retail experience with Apple they're willing to share?
AUTHOR'S OWN WEBSITE
There's a lot of pluses selling your books on your own website, the chief of which is total control. You can set your own prices and discounts. You receive 100% of the price of the book. (Yea!) But the biggest problem is exposure. Unless you're a name, you've got to find a way to drive traffic to your website. Something that's very difficult if you're an unknown (like me). This is something to look at down the road. Unless you're Stephen King.
Tomorrow we'll start looking at all the little publishing things you'll have take care of on your own. In the meantime, I'd love to hear from the WWW readers. What's your experiences with the companies I've been talking about?
Very helpful information, Suzan. Some of these publishers I've never heard of. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Savannah. Just remember, my list isn't all-inclusive. There's a lot more retailers out in the world, and you've got to shift through info to find the best fit for you.
ReplyDeleteOhhh, I know, Suzan. I've been looking for a year now. It gets to a point of confusion. Can't wait to read more information tomorrow.
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