Here's Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
I'm not against traditional publishing. I love books!
I would certainly consider writing an in-print book if it seemed right in the future.
And I don't think "real" books are going away anytime soon. But I do think the traditional publishing process, as we know it, will. Times are changing; it simply cannot keep up.
The world is going digital. We see it everywhere—digital TV, email, cameras, phones, music, shopping online and the list goes on.
It's only a matter of time before books follow suit. In fact, they already are. Did you know that as of April 2011 Amazon sells more digital books than they do paperback and hardback books combined?
So what does that mean for a writer with dreams of becoming a published author?
I wouldn't hang up your dreams just yet.
But I wouldn't wait around for a publisher to "discover" you either.
Push the process along yourself. Now.
Sure, I got an email from a publisher, but here's why it could have just as easily been you…
The truth is, I don't think there's anything particularly earth-shattering about Tell Your Time.
Sure, I like it, I think it's good and I put a lot of time and energy into it. It's a system that works for me and I'm glad others have found it helpful.
But honestly, there are probably thousands of manuscripts sitting on desks or computers right now (maybe even yours) that would have an equal or better shot.
So why did a publisher seek mine out?
Because I have a blog. I'm dead certain that's one of the main reasons.
I don't say that to toot my own horn (lots of people have blogs a lot bigger than mine!). My point is, a blog is a huge asset for writers.
Pursuing bloggers is one thing traditional book publishers are doing absolutely right.
Publishers want to see that you have a platform
It's no mistake that more and more bloggers are signing book deals. And it's a trend that's sure to continue. In fact, I think it will be more and more unusual for authors not to have blogs.
I heard someone in the book publishing industry say recently that one of the first questions a publisher asks about a prospective author is this: Do they have a blog?
Why? Because most bloggers have a following. Even if it's not huge, they have a platform. A platform is gold in the book industry. (Why do you think famous people have always gotten great book deals? Because they have platforms.)
Think about it. So much of book selling is marketing. The writing is the easy part. Spreading the word about a book so people know it exists and will therefore buy it, is the hard part.
An author with an established following (like from their blog) makes the marketing part a whole lot easier.
Consider this
Think about the "old" days in publishing. Consider how much time and money it took to spread the word about a book that just rolled off the presses (especially the book of a first-time author).
If you were relying on word-of-mouth marketing, shelf space (which is always scarce) and the occasional media snippet, how long do you think it took for hundreds of people to hear about that book? Weeks? Months?
Now consider what it's like today. Let's say I'm a first-time author, but I'm also a blogger with a mid-sized blog.
Let's say my book rolls off the presses on Monday. Guess what? I'll write a post about it on Monday and boom, probably hundreds of people will hear about my book, just like that. In a day. And that's if I wrote only one post on Monday.
What if I wrote about the book leading up to the release? And after the release? And then I posted about giveaways and got my other blogging friends to post about it. And I tweeted about it. And they tweeted about it. And I talked about it on Facebook and, and, and…
Guess what? The word about my book has just spread to thousands of people (possibly more depending on how large my circle of influence is) in a fraction of the time it would have taken to spread to a few hundred in the "old" days.
I don't mean to be melodramatic, but don't underestimate the power of blogging. Traditional book publishers aren't.
So what does this mean for you?
Not excited about the idea? I get that. But even if you are one of the fortunate few that gets a book deal without a blog, I'll bet you a doughnut your publisher will want you to start a blog ASAP. Why? To build your platform. Which will hopefully increase sales. Which makes a publisher happy. Which might lead to another book contract.
Remember how I said last time that marketing is going to be up to you? It's true. You might as well start now. And a blog is a great way to do that.
But let me issue a word of caution. A blog is not a magic bullet. Just because you start a blog doesn't mean you'll be next on the "published author" list. It's going to take work. A lot of work. And then even more work. And the work will continue. Marketing doesn't end. And it's always a lot of work.
But it's something very concrete you can do. Right now.
Use a blog to build your platform. Hone your writing skills in the process. If a publisher wants to work with you down the road (or I should say, if you want to work with a publisher down the road), you'll be prepared.
On the other hand, if you don't get published, if publishing as we know it dies (or completely transforms), or if self-publishing takes off and you choose that route instead, you'll have a head start.
Next time? Self-publishing and some great resources.
Other posts in this series
- Why I Turned Down a Book Deal (And the Lessons I Learned), Part 1
- Why I Turned Down a Book Deal (And the Lessons I Learned), Part 2
- Why I Turned Down a Book Deal (And the Lessons I Learned), Part 3
- Why I Turned Down a Book Deal (And the Lessons I Learned), Part 4
- Why I Turned Down a Book Deal (And the Lessons I Learned), Part 5
- Why I Turned Down a Book Deal (And the Lessons I Learned), Part 6
Amy, you are so inspiring! I've built up my blog using your course, I manage my time using your book's ideas, I do my SEO with the plugin you recommended in the blog course, and am planning to do more SEO using your recent post. And I just love this series.
Thank you!
Annie Kate
Oh it's completely my pleasure and I'm thrilled it's been helpful!
Amy this has been so encouraging! Love what you are saying here!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
amy–such a great series.
the whole "start a blog" thing was definitely something that was said LOUD and CLEAR in the Traditional Publishing panel at Relevant.
now, i'm off to read your thoughts on affiliates.
Great thoughts in this series, Amy. Definitely inspiring and empowering to those who'd like to get published today. There are so many options out there for us today as authors, when I released my ebook, True Christian Motherhood (www.truechristianmotherhood.com), I was amazed by how many sales were made. The beauty is that we *can* keep most of the royalties with the ebook option. Now I am looking at self publishing options and there are many to be had (that help you keep more of the profit) instead of going the traditional publishing route. I am also looking forward to releasing several more ebooks in the future–so much fun! Thanks for sharing and many blessings to you…
Yes, definitely so many opportunities. I love it! Thanks for sharing your experience, June.
Yep, there's the marketing thing again! It's always about marketing for something like a print book.
What's funny is we even went so far as to put our website on our car for awhile. We had people find us through that!
Now, after doing so much marketing I look at an ad and think "oh they did a bad job" or "what a brilliant idea!" and try and take the lessons learned and use for our products.
Great set of posts! I will send people your way when I get the "how do I write a book?" question again!
I know, I'm the same way—always taking note of how others are marketing. Thanks, Tawra!
Amy, but I have a blog…several blogs, actually. My challenge is traffic. How do I get people to read my blog? so I can then build my platform…. and market my work ….and sell my ebooks?
Delina, I think every blog writer's challenge is traffic! I'm really commiserating with you here and looking forward to Amy's reply!
Check out my traffic posts and then just keep at it. (I wish I had a pill, but alas, that's all I got for ya!) I'll post more traffic-building ideas as I think/find them.
Ah, yes, the traffic is definitely the trick! That's why I suggest everyone start a blog as soon as they can just so they can start building the traffic before they really need it. It's like compound interest—gotta take advantage of the time!
Unfortunately, building traffic is a slow process for most of us. Slow and steady is good though. Here are all my traffic posts. It's one of those things that you just have to keep working on.
Amy, THANK YOU for this series! It has really given me some things to think about. I really had no idea how it all works, but I DID suspect that in many cases, self-publishing an ebook is a better route. Wonderful series!
Glad it was helpful, Dawn!
I've really enjoyed this series. I just read this morning an article about what publishers can do marketing a book that authors can't do that was interesting. http://www.idealog.com/blog/publishers-adding-value-on-the-marketing-side
Thanks for the resource, Heather. I'll definitely check it out. In the last 24 hours I've seen two new posts on the same subject. (I'm putting all my links in a ginormous link love post next time.)
Amy, this series is very informative – honest, blunt, real. Thank you!
It surprises me that writers need to be told to start a blog. It surprises me how much I LOVE doing my blog (began April 2008), because I am an artist rather than a writer!
You writers out there who are reluctant to do a blog – it is FUN!!!
I enjoy it as well. I like it because the sky's the limit and there are so many possibilities and opportunities in blogging.
I have loved every article on this topic! Thank you for your insights, Amy!
So glad! Thanks, Darlene.
Amy, I wanted to start a blog for ages and you gave me the know-how! Thank you and this series was a lot of fun to read. You are a good writer and this inspired me to add a series to my new blog! Thanks again for everything.
Thanks Kim. Yay for your blog! Woot!
Hi Amy! Thanks for sharing your experience. Just a note – the last link, "Just Start A Blog", on this post is not working. Gave me the "Not Found, Error 404" message.
Thank you Georgina! I appreciate you letting me know. Fixed.
Thank you so much for this series – it was truly eye opening and inspiring. There definitely has been in the past the distinction between "real" books and authors and "ebooks" and bloggers etc. It is nice to start changing the message that self publishing and ebooks might be the smarter path in terms of return on investment (you don't spend 1-2 years on the process only to take a small cut of the money for YOUR work, instead you get your ebook out there, promote it etc and keep a majority of the sale price = working smarter)
Definitely. And the gap between "real" and "self-published" will only get smaller as time goes on. What a cool thing to be part of all the fun!
Hi, Amy
I love your blog. You are so transparent! Not only that but your gifts, knowledge and wisdom you share with others at no charge. Who does that? You! That is very commendable. Because the world tells us all "one key to success is to NOT share what you know." I know you don't share everything, but you share most. You help people. You have a wonderful gifting to giving generously. You will be rewarded in heaven much. Thank you for this blog and this series. Shows your true character as well. Love it! I will be back. Keep it up Amy! Thank you for being a blessing.
Thanks J.Le. I appreciate your encouragement and I'm so glad BWA is helpful!
Hi Amy,
I agree with you that starting a blog is the first step to help with becoming a published Author. A blog allows others to see your writing and how you interact with your audience. These days, I believe that everyone could benefit from having a blog.
Yes, as the world becomes more and more online-focused, anyone who wants to keep up should have a "cyber home" and a blog is a great one!
While I do agree with the concept of having a blog to promote ones work, starting a new blog after one lands up a book deal is going to take them nowhere. An established blog that's been there for 1-2 years and has a significant amount of followers is important.
Yes, the sooner you get started the better for sure.
Amy,
I have loved this series! It came at a perfect time for me. My first published book is going to be in stores soon and I am trying to think of marketing ideas etc. for that and at the exact same time, I am launching a different eBook in a week and this series has given me a lot to think about. I've really enjoyed your honesty and perspective. I can say that as I am doing both right now at the same time with different books, I have thought more than once that next time, I don't think I will do the traditional publishing just because it has been more stress than I imagined and the royalties are quite low compared to what you keep on a self-published eBook as an example.
Anyway, I also have to add another HUGE thank you. You were instrumental in helping me believe that I could do the eBook and this week as I have been putting it on e-junkie and Kindle and setting up an affiliate program and working on a website for it etc., bloggingwithamy.com has been open and referenced hourly! I really feel like I couldn't have done this without you…thanks Amy!
Woohoo! Congrats on both the traditionally published and self-published books!! Thanks for sharing your experience.
thanks amy. this series was very interesting AND helpful. i have been behind since i was out of town in october for two conferences. nothing is more frustrating to me than to be behind, way behind! i see all these pieces i need to "pick up" and don't know where to start and in what order!
tomorrow is list day and getting into your book…that i have! will be high on the list. i have many to-do's that have gotten lost. thanks. i don't know why, but reading this series has helped some things fall into place for me. yeah!
So glad to hear it. (And yes, I am perpetually behind too.)
Brilliant series Amy! Thank you!
Thanks, Lisa.
Hi Amy,
Thanks for the wonderful website, such great insights! I have a question about blogging: I followed your advice and started a blog, but the problem is, not many people visit it. No matter how many new stories I have, the number of readers only increase slightly. I am kinda tired of putting so much efforts and seeing so little result. At least with traditional publishing, they can guarantee you an audience, once you get through a gate (of 1 person, the publisher). With blog, you are trying to satisfy so many people, but each of them don't have the same power as the publisher. In the end, it doesn't look like fruitful effort for me. Advice?
Yes, traffic is the biggest hurdle for all bloggers and we're all always trying to increase it! This never stops.
My best advice is to "be as many places as you can" (commenting on other blogs, guest posting, on forums, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and be as helpful as possible. Of course you'll have to figure out (a) how much time you have to devote to networking and (b) which avenues work best for you and your blog. Most of all, just keep at it. It's a slow process. But you've definitely got to go out and find places to offer your input instead of waiting for people to find you.
P.S. Have you seen my posts about traffic?
Amy, I have had your blog as my home page for over a month now. Love it and appreciate all of the wisdom you share. I have actually written a book about self-publishing and would love it added to your resource list. If you would like to see a copy let me know and I will send you one! Julie Beyer, MA, RD
Sure, send it on over if you'd like. No guarantees at this point, but I will certainly take a look!
Thank you, Amy – I can always count on you for a huge amount of information (and inspiration!). I appreciate you sharing your story as I begin my journey writing a book.
Thanks Amy, Made me feel better about Turing down my own offer. I just couldn't justify my use of underpaid time just so I could say I was "Published".
There is a little bit of me still wondering what if though
I understand what you're saying, but I wouldn't assume it was your only opportunity. Perhaps there's a point down the road when it will seem right and you'll go for it!