Self-publishing turned the publishing industry on its head, but in the last decade we’ve learned that most self-published authors don’t make a lot of money, that the companies who charge them to publish their books keep a lot of the profits, and that even though the author may be able to lay claim to the status of having a book published that it’s definitely not letting them quit their day jobs.
Writing and Publishing an eBook Is Not Enough
Anyone can write and publish an ebook. All it takes is a basic word processer and an internet connection and you can write anything and upload it. But it’s the gap between writing and publishing that often needs to be filled with a team of experts who can help turn what you publish into something that will be purchased.
Write, Publish, SELL
An author is good at writing. That doesn’t make him or her magically capable of design work, marketing, formatting, editing, proofreading, optimizing, building a website, or engaging potential readers on social media. It’s in these other areas – whichever ones are not the author’s forte, where collaboration can lead to more sales.
Benefits of Collaborative Publishing
Every author would love to get a publisher interested enough in their book to offer a six-figure advance and take care of making sure the book earned back every penny and more. But with only a few viable traditional publishers left and agents being inundated with queries and manuscripts, it’s easy for a great book idea to be overlooked. It shouldn’t deter you, but that doesn’t mean you should go it completely alone, either. Collaborating with freelancers or a small publishing house in order to have access to experts who can help you edit, design, and market your book is essential if you're trying to earn a share of the profits that are out there. The benefits of collaborative publishing are:
- The end result of your ebook is something of higher quality, making it more likely that you’ll not only sell more but get better reviews on what does sell, which in turn drives more sales
- Expert help in targeting your niche audience so that you can maximize your marketing effort and get the best return on your investment
- A partner whose expertise and point of view complement your own so that your books are more comprehensive and well-developed
- Constructive criticism that will challenge you to improve the quality of your book and ensure better success
Today’s indie authors and small publishing houses have a unique opportunity to transform the digital publishing landscape with a collaborative approach that improves the quality of each individual book as well as the quality of the industry as a whole.
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