Who do you want to be the Winner?
/Not a Political Campaign Blogpost
There are a few big epublishers who have been around longer than most. They blazed a trail for so many other small epublishers, some who survived, some who never made it beyond their own magnificent launch.
This past week came an announcement from Samhain that in light of their declining sales and marketability, they would be closed to submissions, launching current projects, and then closing their own doors. They were one of the firsts.
According to the owner, Amazon is negotiating out the little guys. And with self-publishing so prominent, the publishers are finding it harder and harder to make money using retail sites like Amazon.
As a self-publisher, I can see how that's happening. There are other companies, like iTunes and Apple, who are working their own systems to create an alternative to Amazon. But, let's face it, I make a steady income [albeit small] from having my book on Kindle Unlimited, getting paid every time a page is read...enough that using the other retail outlets doesn't seem worth it. If I can focus all my energies in one direction--in sales and promotions--then maybe in the end, I'll make more money.
That's the hope anyway, I guess.
But more than that, I want more people to read my books. As much as I want to make money (so I can give money), I want my stories to be read and enjoyed. That's the art part, I think, and where the love really comes from. My stories are good, they are fun, they are heartfelt... and when I read a book that makes me feel good, I want to share it. Same goes for the books I write.
So, I'm sad that Samhain is closing its doors. Not because I'm an author with them [although I guess this ends my Revise and Resubmit for my Paranormal Romance!] but because if they can't do it...who can? What does this mean?
Are the self-publishers/authors the only ones who can truly take a risk in this industry? Or, Is this a sign of the pendulum swinging back towards traditional publishing?
I don't like to call the Sky Falling, so I think I'll just sit back and see how things go. Samhain is one publisher. This isn't an easy business to be a part of... it's a business where money goes out with the risk of nothing coming back in--every day. Will the stories be good enough? Will the covers entice? Will the authors do enough to promote? Will the retailers give the books top billing?
Who wins?
I'd like to see the reader be the winner. And sometimes that's hit or miss.
