Upon the Gears of Big Publishing - ASJA May 15, Berkeley, CA

A true story

Free Speech Started Here in Berkeley

I was here in utero ’64/’65 when it all started

My mom and I attended demonstrations almost every day

My mom tells me how armed police surrounded buildings, wouldn’t let students pass to go to class. She was scared, and angry too because she felt her unborn baby was threatened She recalls the media (and Governor Reagan) portrayed peaceful demonstrations as “riots”

Fast Forward ~17 years and I returned to Berkeley ’83-’88 to get my business degree (I then did tech PR for ~20 yrs)

Then I met my wife-to-be, a fmr. Soap Opera Weekly reporter, and we wrote a book together

Publishers Said “No”
Despite representation from top NY literary agency, publishers said NO
Previous soap-themed titles had not performed well
A couple publishers offered constructive feedback
We did a massive revision, reduced the length and strengthened characters (book got much better!)
Our agent shopped it around again, and again they all said NO

The experience opened my eyes to Big Publishing
Business practices little-changed in 50 years
Backward looking
Books acquired based on perceived commercial potential, yet publishers don’t know how a book will do until readers decide
Books should not be judged on commercial potential alone
Manhattan sky rise rents add no value to a book
Unable to take a risk on every deserving author
Readers shut out

My Answer to the Problem: Smashwords
Ebook publishing and distribution platform
Free ebook publishing tools for authors and publishers
Distribution to major retailers (Apple, B&N, Sony, Kobo, etc.)
85% of proceeds back to author/publisher

How Smashwords Works
UPLOAD
Author/publisher uploads a Microsoft Word file, formatted to our Style Guide
Free conversion to 9 ebook formats
Ready for immediate sale online
DISTRIBUTE
Distribution to major retailers
GET PAID
Authors/publishers receive 85% of net = 60% list from major retailers

Indie ebooks published at Smashwords 140 6,000 28,500 75,000 (est)

It’s Time Publishing Got with the Free Speech Program An uprising is in the words

Catalysts of the Free Speech Movement
Oppression of freedom of expression, lack of political and academic freedom
Agents of change (ordinary people, empowered by simple yet powerful ideas)
Ideas that sparked the uprising
Freedom of expression should be a right
The current system is wrong

Is Big Publishing next?

The Old World of Big Publishing
Authors bowed subservient before the publishing gods, seeking
blessing
acceptance
validation
afterlife (a “published author” on your epitaph)

Publishers controlled passage to the hereafter
Highway to Heaven
The book deal opened the pearly gates to
The respect
The printing press
The distribution
The royalties
The readers
The fame
The realization of all writerly dreams

Is the allure of Big Publishing a mirage, a myth?

Reality is setting in for authors
Publishers are in the business of selling books, not publishing authors
More difficult than ever for talented writers to land a book deal
Advances are declining
Publishers want authors with established platforms
Books forced out of print before they’ve had a chance to find readers
Authors expected to shoulder most post-publication marketing on their own dime
Brick and mortar retail distribution disappearing

Drivers for the Overthrow of Big Publishing
Lack of democratic participation ( Snooki got a book deal, did you? )
Oppression of creative freedom by the publishing industrial complex ( you suck and don’t deserve to express yourself until publishers tell you otherwise )
Exploitation ( you’re easily exploitable when you have no other option, publishers know writers will write for free )
Lack of economic opportunity for authors
Agents of change ( successful indie ebook authors blazing new trails of inspiration )
When myths unravel, simple questions can spark a revolution

The two questions that will spark an author rebellion against Big Publishing

Q1 What can a publisher do for me that I can’t do myself?

The Tools for Ebook Publishing and Distribution are Free and Available to All
Authors become self-publishers
ebook printing press goes virtual, free to all
distribution democratized
no editorial gatekeeper, readers decide what’s worth reading
Rapid publishing & time to market
publish in minutes (indie) vs. 12-18 months (trad.)
Indie ebook economics favor indies
60-70% royalties on list price (indie), vs 5 - 17% (trad.)

Q2 (the most dangerous) Will a traditional publisher harm my book’s success?

Can a Big Publisher Harm Author’s Ability to Reach Readers?
Big publishers often squander an author’s full potential
Slow-Motion Publishing
They acquire books today for publication 12-18 months from now
Books over-priced
Renders books unaffordable to many readers
At 60% royalty, an indie author earns $ 3.00 on a $ 5.00 ebook. To earn same amount from a traditionally pub’d ebook, the book would have to be priced at $ 17.00
Books under-distributed
Archaic geographic rights limitations
DRM restrict availability and discoverability

Indie Authors Can Out-Publish Big Publishers
Playing field titled to advantage of smaller indie authors
instant, free publishing
democratized distribution
access to global market
lower expenses
closer to readers
never go out of print
earn more per book, or give it away for free

What happens when authors – the creators of books – lose faith in BIG PUBLISHING? God is dead. — Nietzsche

“ MARIO SAVIO BODIES UPON THE GEARS” SPEECH (view/listen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5o_0ZYA5HM ) “ There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious—makes you so sick at heart—that you can't take part. You can't even passively take part. And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all." Mario Savio , U.C. Berkeley Sproul Hall Steps, December 2, 1964

Throw Yourself Upon the Gears of Big Publishing
Take control over your publishing destiny
Go indie
Publishing is a right, not a privilege
Unleash your creativity and talent upon the world
Let readers be the judge
Like the free speech movement before it, we can’t even begin to fathom the profoundly positive changes to be sparked by the indie ebook publishing revolution

Thanks for considering the future

Learn more about indie ebook publishing
Free Resources
Smashwords Style Guide (how to create, publish and distribute an ebook)
Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to market any book, 30 ideas that cost nothing)
The Seven Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success (best practices for publishing, distributing and selling an ebook)

Connect
How to publish, distribute or partner with us - https://smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_on_smashwords
Twitter – http://twitter.com/markcoker
Blog – http://blog.smashwords.com
Huffington Post – http://huffingtonpost.com/mark-coker
LinkedIn – http://linkedin.com/in/markcoker
Facebook – http://facebook.com/markcoker
My SW page - https://smashwords.com/profile/view/mc
Smashwords FAQ: https://www.smashwords.com/about/supportfaq
Email – Reach Mark Coker at first initial second initial at smashwords.com

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Upon the Gears of Big Publishing - ASJA May 15, Berkeley, CA

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