1. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2010
    Messages:
    13,984
    Likes Received:
    8,557
    Location:
    California, US

    Interview with Andy Weir's agent (The Martian)

    Discussion in 'Self-Publishing' started by Steerpike, May 18, 2016.

    jannert likes this.
  2. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2013
    Messages:
    17,674
    Likes Received:
    19,889
    Location:
    Scotland
    I like his attitude. He definitely is more focused on his authors than on 'sales.' Is he ...dare I say it ...old-fashioned? :) He sounds like a great guy to have on your side, if you're an author and he likes your work. He's open to all sorts of approaches to marketing.
     
    Steerpike likes this.
  3. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2010
    Messages:
    13,984
    Likes Received:
    8,557
    Location:
    California, US
    I like him too. And I like that he addressed an on-going myth, based on what might have been a historical truth, that continues to be set forth in discussions on publishing:

    "A question I often get from authors is whether by self-publishing digitally they kill any chance of the book being really really successful in print later (if picked up by a publisher). What’s your take on it?

    Oh, I don’t think it does at all. A quick check of Publishers Marketplace shows more than 400 deals in their database for books that were initially self-published, and that trend will only get stronger. And of course, some truly major books – The Martian, included! – started out life as self-published books.

    When a self-published book does well, it can not only help your chances of getting the book picked up by a major publisher — if that’s what you want — it can also put you in line to receive a much bigger deal than you would have otherwise.

    Where it can be problematic is if you self-publish a book and it doesn’t sell well. At that point there’s really not much you can do because publishers’ responses will essentially be “The market has spoken.” When it comes to self-published books, publishers only bet on success, which makes sense when you think about it.

    So my advice for anyone who wants to self-publish first is: do it well. And if you’re unsure about whether you want to traditionally publish or self-publish my advice is often to try traditional publishing first. If you approach it the right way, you can figure out very quickly if it will work with a traditional publisher. And if not, you can always self-publish and all you’ve lost is a little time.

    However, for anyone who wants to self-publish their book first, the key is to make sure you really go for it. Don’t just put it out there and hope that readers will somehow discover it. Have a marketing plan and pursue it with more of an entrepreneurial mindset. That can be difficult for some authors, but given the amount of noise out in the market, if you want to really give your work a chance to do well, you have to do what it takes to let readers know it’s out there."
     
    jannert likes this.

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice