This presentation was given by Mark Coker to the Published Authors Network (PAN) group at the Romance Writers of America (RWA) 2012 annual conference in Anaheim. It explores the major trends facing ...
This presentation was given by Mark Coker to the Published Authors Network (PAN) group at the Romance Writers of America (RWA) 2012 annual conference in Anaheim. It explores the major trends facing authors and book publishers.
The Future of Book PublishingPresentation Transcript
THE FUTURE OF PUBLISHINGRWA Published Authors Network (PAN) keynote July 25, 2012 Mark Coker Founder, Smashwords Twitter: @markcoker
Note to viewer: This presentationwas given on July 25, 2012 at RWA. I’ve made minor annotations tocapture some of the information that was conveyed verbally. Please share this presentation with fellow writers. Permissiongranted to copy and share this presentation with anyone, provided it remains in its unaltered state, and the recipient is not charged for the information.
I bring you a message“a message of hope for those who choose to hear it, andwarning to those who do not”~ Lyrics from Rosetta Stoned by Tool
My Backstory
My wife (fmr reporter for Soap Opera Weeklymagazine) and I wrote a novel about daytime television soap operas
We were repped by one of the top NY literary agencies
Publishers Said “No”• Despite great efforts of our agent, every major publisher said NO (TWICE!)
I imagined hundreds of thousands of other writers like us Silenced
The Problem with Big Publishing• Books judged on perceived commercial merit • Difficult to identify potential bestsellers • Readers decide this!! • Reject many great authors• Publishers deciding what readers can read • Readers shut out• Slow production cycles• Books too expensive• Cannot take a risk on every book
My Answer: Smashwords• Ebooks + Open Publishing • Free ebook publishing tools • Distribution to major ebook stores • Promote publishing best-practices • Power to the author
Smashwords and Romance• Romance = 30% of our sales across our distribution network (Apple, B&N, Sony, Kobo, etc.) • 18% erotica• Average romance title sells 2X the average title at Smashwords store• Romance authors have led the ebook revolution, and will continue to lead
Smashwords, Apple and Romance• Apple iBookstore July 26, 2012 • 4 of top 10 Apple Romance bestsellers, and 10 of the top 20 are from Smashwords • 5 of top 20 bestselling titles store-wide are from Smashwords, and ALL ARE ROMANCE! • 10 of top 40 store-wide bestsellers are from Smashwords, ALL ARE ROMANCE!
Enough about Smashwords.Let’s talk about you, and the future of publishing
Let’s bust a dangerous myth
What myth should we bust?
The Myth of Big Publishing
You were taught to bow subservient before the altar of Big Publishing
… taught you weren’t an author until a publisher blessed you as such… and until you were blessed, you were a failure
Publishers were the bouncers at the pearly gates• You were told a publishing contract would confer… • blessing • acceptance • validation • entry into the afterlife as a “published author”
Publishers controlled Heaven• Promised Perks of the Afterlife • editing • printing press • distribution • marketing • royalties • fame and respect • readers • “published author” inscribed on your tombstone
… and if you dared indulge in the carnal pleasures of self-publishing...
You were told to keep toiling and waiting. And waiting…. … you’d get a deal when you sacrificedenough of your soul like these other great writers…
Justin Bieber got a book deal
Snooki got a book deal
Kourtney, Kim and Khloe got a book deal
StopDon’t sell your soul
Q:WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WRITERS LOST FAITH IN THE RELIGION OF BIG PUBLISHING?
“GOD IS DEAD” Friedrich Nietzsche (Message: Institutions live and die basedon the trust, faith and confidence placed in them by the believers. Those of us whostand between the author and reader must add value, otherwise we cease to exist.)
IS BIG PUBLISHING DEAD?
No, though it has lost its wayYou will decide the fate of Big PublishingYou can help it find its way, if you choose that path
WE LIVE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
BOOK PUBLISHING IS CAUGHTIN THE TURBULENT CROSS CURRENTS OF MULTIPLE CONVERGING FORCES
TECHNOLOGY IS COLLIDING WITH BIG PUBLISHING (Notes: Technology is a catalyst for rapid evolution. Successful technology is that which satisfies human desires for greaterempowerment, and for products and services that are faster, cheaper, more accessible and more useful. Technology can be disruptive by rendering old business models and practices obsolete. )
Here comes technology
Let’s examine the changes
FIVE TRENDS TO ROCK THE WORLD OF PUBLISHING(notes: to prepare for the future, it’s more important you understand where you’reheading, rather than when you’ll get there.Here, I will share macro representations of where your world is headed
TREND ONEBookselling moving to the Web
Percentage of book purchasesmade online vs B&M, Print and E- Web Brick & Mortar Today?
Bookselling moves to the Web• The decline of brick and mortar• Consumer drivers: • Price • Convenience • Selection• Self-published books displayed side by side with traditional books • Big publishers no longer control distribution
TREND TWO:Reading Moving to Screens
Screens are the new paper
Ebooks to overtake print Ebooks Print books Today?
Ebooks as a percentage of US wholesale trade market 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012Source: Association of American Publishers, publishers.org. 2012 Smashwords estimate
Why ebooks are hot• Screens offer better reading experience than paper • Changeable font size A A A A • Portable and compact • Screens will get better/faster/cheaper • Amazon, Apple, B&N, etc• Ebooks offer better consumption experience • Lower cost than print • Convenient sampling and purchasing • Huge selection
TREND THREEThe Rise of Ebook Self-Publishing (a.k.a indie ebook publishing)
Number of books published indie vs. traditional Indie books New trad. books Today?
New tools open book publishing and distribution to all• Tools such as Smashwords empower you to become your own publisher • Free printing press in the cloud • Distribution to major online ebookstores, libraries
Indies are Now Out-Publishing Big Publishers• Indies scaling all the bestseller lists • (Aug 1, 2012 update: Four Smashwords authors in August 5 NY Times Bestseller list.)• Indie author advantages • faster time to market • greater creative control • lower prices to consumers • lower expenses • better distribution to global market • never go out of print • earn more per book
Indie Ebook Authors Earn Higher Percentage of List Price Indie Traditional 60-80% 5-12-17%• Indies earn more at lower prices • Indies earn more selling a $.99 ebook ($.60-$.70) than a traditional $8.00 MMP ($.40) • At $2.99, indies earn $1.80. Trad. author would have to sell at $10.25 • Lower price = reach more readers = more sales at higher profits per sale
TREND FOUR Content Explosion Leads toDownward Pressure on Prices
Glut leads to price competition $4.25 $3.15 October 2010 March 2012Average price of Smashwords ebooks
TREND FIVEPublishers Losing Primacy
Big Publishers Have Lost Their Monopoly• Printing press is free to all• Distribution free to all• Knowledge to publish, distribute and market high-quality, professional books is free to all• Big Publishers overprice• Professional authors asking: • “What can a publisher do for me that I can’t do for myself?” • “Will a publisher actually limit my ability to reach readers?”
Stigmas to Flip? Aspire AspireTraditional IndieAspire Indie Aspire Traditional 4 yrs ago Today? Future?
What is Success?
The Success Flywheel
How Price and Royalty Impact Success
The Interplay Between Unit Volume and Dollar Volume• Per research released at RT Booklovers, lower prices sell more units, and $2.99-$5.99 earns authors more than $6.99+ • Implications • Lower priced books sell more units, build author brand and author platform faster • If given option to earn equal or more income selling $2.99 ebook vs. $6.99+ ebook, $2.99 author wins the long term game because they’re building platform and author brand faster than traditionally published authors. See recent SW blog post, How Traditional Publishers Can Harm Author’s Career . • Indie ebook authors may have long term advantage over trad. authors
How Price Impacts Units SoldA book priced at $2.99 sells approximately 6.2 times as many units as a book priced over $10.00, and about 4 times more than $9.99
What Price Yields Highest Earnings?
Interplay of price, volume, royalty: Indies building platform, earning more per unit sold Author earnings Traditional 17.5% Indie would list earn 60%+ list $2.27 $7.80 $.60 $2.40
How Big Publishers can Regain the Faith• Do for authors what authors cannot or will not do for themselves• Change the publishing mindset • Serve authors first • Empower editors (the heart and soul of great publishers!) • Develop long tail strategies• Forget about selling, focus on publishing• Increase author royalties• Abandon DRM
The Plan Forward for Romance Authors
The 5 Trends Create a Future that will… Benefit Indie AuthorsDisadvantage Some Traditional Authors
You are the future of publishing
Your words have value
You are your own gatekeeper
YOU are in control now
YOU decide when your manuscript graduates to PUBLISHED BOOK
Honor your readers
Give readers great books that are as good or better than those released by Big Publishers(and do it faster with lower prices)
The task before you is not easy, yet…
The Opportunity to Reach Readers Has Never Been Greater
Think Globally
The market for your books outside the US will soon dwarf the US marketApple operates iBookstores in 32 countries. We distribute to Apple. In May 2012, ~45% of Smashwords Apple iBookstore Sales were Outside the US
You Have the Tools to Reach a Worldwide Market Today The Tools are FREE
Final Thoughts• Change brings opportunity• Writers are in charge now • Publishing is easy, professional publishing takes work • Readers, not publishers, control your destiny • Indie vs. Traditional is not an either/or decision. Some authors straddle both.• You are the future of publishing!
Free Ebook Publishing Resources• NEW! Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success (best practices of successful authors)• Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to market any book)• Smashwords Style Guide (how to format an ebook)
How to Publish and Distribute Your Book with Smashwords Useful LinksHow to Publish and Distribute an Ebook withSmashwords FAQ(This slide not included in RWA presentation)
Thank you for considering the future! Q&AConnect with Mark Coker and Smashwords:Web: www.smashwords.comBlog: blog.smashwords.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markcokerFacebook: facebook.com/markcokerHuffPo: huffingtonpost.com/mark-cokerTwitter: @markcoker
