Comments on: Interview: Rudy Rucker on the Present and Future of Self-Publishing http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2009/02/19/interview-rudy-rucker-on-the-present-and-future-of-self-publishing/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:08:08 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Michael Crumpton http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2009/02/19/interview-rudy-rucker-on-the-present-and-future-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-338 Michael Crumpton Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:32:55 +0000 http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/?p=1042#comment-338 I suspect that the long tail model still works, but that it is a very bumpy tail. You might go for months without a sale/view and then someone who knows someone that writes for BoingBoing or some other high profile blog mentions your work in passing and there is a flurry of interest for a couple of weeks or so and then things settle down again. Maybe one secret to having a robust tail is to try to have works available that have a wide range of interests that would attract vectors from all kinds of venues. It is possible that having coalitions of artists/otherfolks with diverging interests but some commonalities banding/blogging together would be the best strategy for attracting attention (actually BoingBoing is a good example) on a more frequent schedule. In a funny way it is sort of like the old album/single strategy of the record companies in how people are sucked into buying the album by the one thing that they are familiar with. Regarding giving away your ebooks, I noticed when Cory Doctrow put out his "little brother" ebook that he had a little blurb for each of his favorite bookstore at the beginning of each chapter. I did not find it obnoxious or distracting (in spite of the fact that none of the bookstores were local to me), and I think that the fact that I remember it months later makes me think it was at least as effective as other sorts of advertising. It would be interesting to see if the bookstores noticed any effect. The interstitial commercial served the broadcast industry well for decades, even after the invention of the VCR. BTW I like your books a lot, and I am looking forward to seeing your paintings. I suspect that the long tail model still works, but that it is a very bumpy tail.
You might go for months without a sale/view and then someone who knows someone that writes for BoingBoing or some other high profile blog mentions your work in passing and there is a flurry of interest for a couple of weeks or so and then things settle down again. Maybe one secret to having a robust tail is to try to have works available that have a wide range of interests that would attract vectors from all kinds of venues. It is possible that having coalitions of artists/otherfolks with diverging interests but some commonalities banding/blogging together would be the best strategy for attracting attention (actually BoingBoing is a good example) on a more frequent schedule. In a funny way it is sort of like the old album/single strategy of the record companies in how people are sucked into buying the album by the one thing that they are familiar with.

Regarding giving away your ebooks, I noticed when Cory Doctrow put out his “little brother” ebook that he had a little blurb for each of his favorite bookstore at the beginning of each chapter. I did not find it obnoxious or distracting (in spite of the fact that none of the bookstores were local to me), and I think that the fact that I remember it months later makes me think it was at least as effective as other sorts of advertising. It would be interesting to see if the bookstores noticed any effect. The interstitial commercial served the broadcast industry well for decades, even after the invention of the VCR.

BTW I like your books a lot, and I am looking forward to seeing your paintings.

]]> By: Karl Schroeder http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2009/02/19/interview-rudy-rucker-on-the-present-and-future-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-337 Karl Schroeder Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:15:06 +0000 http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/?p=1042#comment-337 Rudy is right, publishing is changing and options expanding to meet a variety of goals and markets. Options like Lulu can be a reasonable direction to follow, especially where low book sales expectancy are present - considering your market and goals is always a good idea. There are also those options that do charge for publishing packages and options like Outskirts Press. Those fees are not paying for vanity or ego, rather those integral services that bridge self-publishing and traditional publishing to help authors meet a greater market with a strong published title. It is precisely those services that helped Outskirts Press' 5 top selling authors earn more than $60,000 in royalties in the 4th quarter alone last year. Good article. Great work, Rudy. - Karl Schroeder Rudy is right, publishing is changing and options expanding to meet a variety of goals and markets. Options like Lulu can be a reasonable direction to follow, especially where low book sales expectancy are present – considering your market and goals is always a good idea.

There are also those options that do charge for publishing packages and options like Outskirts Press. Those fees are not paying for vanity or ego, rather those integral services that bridge self-publishing and traditional publishing to help authors meet a greater market with a strong published title. It is precisely those services that helped Outskirts Press’ 5 top selling authors earn more than $60,000 in royalties in the 4th quarter alone last year.

Good article. Great work, Rudy.

- Karl Schroeder

]]> By: Bookninja » Blog Archive » Rudy Rucker on self-publishing http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2009/02/19/interview-rudy-rucker-on-the-present-and-future-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-339 Bookninja » Blog Archive » Rudy Rucker on self-publishing Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:57:31 +0000 http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/?p=1042#comment-339 [...] sci-fi author Rucker has no shortage of support from publishers but has chosen to self-publish some of his work. Why? Well, with the art, you might see why, but where will he go from here? Self-Publishing [...] [...] sci-fi author Rucker has no shortage of support from publishers but has chosen to self-publish some of his work. Why? Well, with the art, you might see why, but where will he go from here? Self-Publishing [...]

]]> By: Tessa Dick http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2009/02/19/interview-rudy-rucker-on-the-present-and-future-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-336 Tessa Dick Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:35:00 +0000 http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/?p=1042#comment-336 thanx for the very informative article -- I had no idea how talented Rudy Rucker is! ~~~ thanx for the very informative article — I had no idea how talented Rudy Rucker is!
~~~

]]> By: Michael N. Marcus http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2009/02/19/interview-rudy-rucker-on-the-present-and-future-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-335 Michael N. Marcus Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:45:36 +0000 http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/?p=1042#comment-335 Rudy said, " If you get serious about producing a POD book on your own, I think it’s possible to declare yourself to be a publisher, and cut a deal with Lightning Source yourself." It's not really that complicated. In the US, publishers don;t need licenses to publish. Anyone can declare herself or himself to be a publisher, and register a business name for a few bucks. It's no big deal to get ISBN numbers, and there's no need to "cut a deal" with Lightning Source. Within a couple of days after you approve a proof, your book should be listed on Amazon.com, BN.com, Target.com and other online booksellers in the US and abroad, and will be available for ordering at any terrestrial book store. All you have to do is follow Lightning's online instructions, upload proper PDF files, and have a valid credit card. After being disappointed with several traditional publishers, I formed my own publishing company last summer. I'm now working on my fourth book -- which will help people to learn from my mistakes and become better self-publishers. Michael N. Marcus http://bookmakingblog.blogspot.com/ etc. Rudy said, ” If you get serious about producing a POD book on your own, I think it’s possible to declare yourself to be a publisher, and cut a deal with Lightning Source yourself.”

It’s not really that complicated. In the US, publishers don;t need licenses to publish. Anyone can declare herself or himself to be a publisher, and register a business name for a few bucks. It’s no big deal to get ISBN numbers, and there’s no need to “cut a deal” with Lightning Source.

Within a couple of days after you approve a proof, your book should be listed on Amazon.com, BN.com, Target.com and other online booksellers in the US and abroad, and will be available for ordering at any terrestrial book store.

All you have to do is follow Lightning’s online instructions, upload proper PDF files, and have a valid credit card.

After being disappointed with several traditional publishers, I formed my own publishing company last summer. I’m now working on my fourth book — which will help people to learn from my mistakes and become better self-publishers.

Michael N. Marcus
http://bookmakingblog.blogspot.com/ etc.

]]> By: File 770 » Blog Archive » Rudy Rucker Interview at SPR http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2009/02/19/interview-rudy-rucker-on-the-present-and-future-of-self-publishing/comment-page-1/#comment-334 File 770 » Blog Archive » Rudy Rucker Interview at SPR Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:27:25 +0000 http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/?p=1042#comment-334 [...] Review follows the worldwide splash from its Tessa Dick interview by quizzing Rudy Rucker, a writer who reminds so many of [...] [...] Review follows the worldwide splash from its Tessa Dick interview by quizzing Rudy Rucker, a writer who reminds so many of [...]

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