Self-published e-book author: 'Most of my months are six-figure months'

CNN Tech ^ | September 7, 2012 | John D. Sutter

[2ndDivisionVet]

It's been called a "cure for rejection-letter fatigue."

Amazon on Thursday released new details about the success of its program for authors who want to self-publish on its Kindle e-reader devices. The company, which unveiled a suite of new e-readers and tablets at a press conference in Southern California on Thursday, says 27 of the top 100 Kindle books were created using a system called Kindle Direct Publishing.

That system allows authors to bypass traditional publishers and instead deal directly with Amazon, which claims to be able to publish their books digitally "in hours."

The authors receive 70% of the royalties from the sale of these books. And some of them are doing quite well.

"Most of my months are six-figure months," said Hugh Howey, a 37-year-old Florida author whose "Wool" series of digital books was highlighted by Amazon. "It's more than I ever hoped to make in a year."

The company says some authors, including Theresa Ragen, who appeared in a promotional video during the Amazon event, have sold hundreds of thousands of books.

During the event Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos displayed a quote from Kathryn Stockett, author of best-selling novel "The Help," in which she lamented being rejected dozens of times before a publisher accepted her.

"What if I had given up at 15? Or 40? Or even 60?" she was quoted as saying......

[The Duke]

My own book comes out on the 22nd of this month. It's been 2+ years in the making, with a lot of midnight oil burned. In my case my book ("When There is No FEMA") is an attempt to provide the reader with enough knowledge to survive a prolonged, large scale disaster.

Somehow, though, I suspect it won't bring in a vast fortune. Hopefully I'm wrong! :)

[Cementjungle]

I have a handful of books (photo books) on sale on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. They bring in a few hundred (total) each month, but then I don’t do any promotion or anything at all.

[rwfromkansas]

Went through an “easily” cured cancer earlier this year (found out right before Christmas...that was fun and at age 29). I am thinking there has to be some niche I could write about with this experience to help others, but I just haven’t figured it out. Getting an idea drilled down to one or two main ideas that the chapters can expand upon is hard. Never written a book before, only articles for newspapers when I was a journalist.

[Revolting cat!]

Yep, even as I read just today a character say in a novel I’m reading that vanity presses are “pathetic”, and vanity literary agencies (as such apparently exist) are “really sad”. Whatever. The niches that sell e-books are however well defined, and they’re not exactly what is called ‘top shelf’, but if you fit into one of them, then sure, go right for it!

[earglasses]

I’m already the author of a self-help best-seller published by Random House. But I’ve had no luck interesting agents or publishing houses in my new, award-winning first novel.

So I’ve set up my own self-publishing house (”Books of Destiny”). I used Amazon’s CreateSpace and Kindle Direct to self-publish the novel. Also used CreateSpace and Lightning Source/Irwin to publish another non-fiction work.

What I’ve learned in the process is that there’s no such thing as easy money in the publishing biz. So I’m returning to my core discipline as a marketer, and am about to begin to self-promote the sales of my books.

Please note that this post is NOT part of my marketing program. It’s just a cautionary note to those who may wish to enter the publishing arena on their own.

[mosesdapoet]

Got a bunch of stuff. For me worth looking into

[D-fendr]

I have a Kindle account and have downloaded books. I like to read them sometimes.

I find myself picking up my ‘real’ books more often. They are easier and more enjoyable to read for me. If I really want a book, I’ll buy the tangible version.

Each has its place.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Yeah, I don't know how much of that was “Honey, we need to head to Paris for some shopping, hurry up and write another book.” or some such. Why did he ALWAYS describe EVERY female (and most male) characters clothing from head to toe, including any and all weapons and accessories?

[GeronL]

If I ever finish one of my stories and it is long enough, I would consider it.

Maybe I can do an ebook called “First Draft Unfinished Stories”...

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I wonder if this has anything to do with Jeff Bezos buying the Washington Post. They have some big printing presses.

[Seaplaner]

My latest book is nearly finished (writing, of course).

I have been looking into this method of publication quite seriously.

.

[jcon40]

I use a kindle / Amazon and preview other books but not sure how all of it works. Fortunately my wife’s a tetchy and doing most of the preliminary work for me.
She finds lots of good reading in the 99 cent section.
We started the used bookstore in our town years ago so have played in the business for a while. Others in our family are writers doing quite well

Finding a good read is always tough as far as I’m concerned.

[rwfromkansas]

We like going to Barnes and Noble on a Friday evening to read magazines and books. I hope they will never close, but I am expecting them to shift all online within 10 years. Sad.

[jcon40]

Love to see what you’re working on. I think its a good sign when you don’t like your work. Makes you realize how much time you’ll need to put in.

[rwfromkansas]

That’s cool you are able to get that without promotion. A few hundred a month is still pretty nice. A car payment.

[Yardstick]

Is he counting the figures after the decimal point?

[Gene Eric]

Would rather flip through paper pages, preferably with a stick and scotch when possible.

[TADSLOS]

I’ve read the Wool Omnibus series via kindle. Great scifi story of Big Brother meets apocalypse.

[max americana]

That’s a good title. Run with it as we in Hollywood are too stupid to chase good books.

[GeronL]

bump