Monthly Archives: May 2012

The 50 Shades of Grey Phenomenon

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It seems that everyone is talking about 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James. Libraries are debating stocking it, more than 10 million copies have been sold, it is putting feminism in the hot seat, but most importantly it gets people talking about publishing. According to The Atlantic, “The erotic novel became a New York Times bestseller without a traditional publisher, thanks to word of mouth.” 

More than anything, I think 50 Shades of Grey highlights the attractiveness and ease of e-books (which is where it got its’ early notoriety) and the power of word-of-mouth, whether spoken, emailed or sent via text. The fact that it started as an e-book meant women could buy it and read it without anyone knowing. And the more women who bought it, the more they talked about it. It became a secret club, it was the definition of a Buzz Book.

It also has a David and Goliath edge to the story. According to Sarah Fay in The Atlantic, “Self-published authors are the literary equivalent of self-made men and women.” E.L. James had no traditional distribution channels and therefore had to go through other methods to get her book read…and read widely. She tapped into a genre that has a huge fan base and it became the scandalous book everyone was itching to read out of pure curiosity. The more people talk, the more books sell.

Whether or not you agree with the fanfare, you can’t deny it has become the publishing story of 2012.

Why do you think 50 Shades of Grey has taken on a life of its own? Have you read it? Do you plan to read it? Do you agree with the attention?

Finding Your Self in Self-Publishing

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There are hundreds, if not thousands, of reasons to go the self-publishing route. Maybe you have a great idea that is tied into a specific time/place/event and you want to get it out into the world IMMEDIATELY. You are head-over-heels in love with your novel but the agents (or publishers) just aren’t biting. You want to retain all artistic and editorial control. You don’t like the financial offer that is being made by a publishing house. The list goes on and on.

In today’s publishing climate, self-publishing no longer has the stigma it once did. In fact, big names are jumping ship from traditional publishers and doing a lot of the work on their own (just ask Jackie Collins). It’s also becoming easier to gain attention for your self-published work thanks to social networking, the internet, the tremendous growth of e-books and even support from brick and mortar stores who are becoming much more receptive to carrying self-published titles.

Self-publishing still has its downfalls. The rush to put out a book before proper editing, strong cover design and an overall weak story remains evident in a number of titles. But a strong point made in a recent IndieReader piece by Terry Giuliano illustrates that “The difference is, when a traditional title garners negative reviews, only that book gets panned. No one cites examples of poorly written traditionally published books to support any conclusion about all traditional titles.” Why are all self-published titles forever linked? Why does one bad egg ruin the bunch?

The self-publishing market is growing and gaining strength. If you can put the proper resources behind your self-published book (including editing, cover design, a strong and relevant publicity campaign) and it is work that you are proud and excited to share with the reading public, then by all means, take that giant leap forward. Do it for your SELF! Keep in mind that you can’t avoid criticism. You can’t force people to read (or like) your book. You will be overlooked at times just because you are “self-published,” but if your writing is strong, if your story is engaging and if you remain optimistic, you will succeed. And in the meantime, keep writing!

We’re Back!

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We are back!

If you have been a follower of this blog, you are well aware of the fact that we took a bit of a sabbatical from writing to restructure the website. We’ve also  been working on some exciting projects, working with some fantastic authors and further immersing ourselves in the unchartered terrain of the ever-changing publishing world.

We’re excited for this new journey and have so much to share. We want to help you build a successful career as a writer. We want to teach you the skills you need to stand out and create a demand for your work and your voice. We want to educate authors, both successfully published and aspiring, how to make the most of your talents and build buzz around your book.

We are going to not only show you the ropes of the publishing industry but teach you publicity techniques that will help you navigate this ever-changing terrain. We will share interesting news from the publishing industry and answer any questions that readers and writers may have about book publishing, book publicity and more.