Comments for J W Manus

Comment on What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question… by Paul Salvette

Paul Salvette — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:04:45 +0000

A lot of erotica authors really crank out the books (particularly when they are in series). I’m not saying the writing is bad, but they write up to one a month, which is incredibly impressive in terms of quantity! These authors tend to sell pretty well, but their fans can be really pushy–always on Facebook demanding “Hey, when’s the next damn book coming out”. That’s a lot of stress on the author, but they do make a good business out of it.

Comment on What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question… by bpeschel

bpeschel — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:27:53 +0000

I think the answer lies in how you define quality. A writer can dash off a story that moves. Dean Wesley Smith recently wrote a book on deadline in about eight days, under a penname of a best-selling author. (He posted a daily diary on his website, and, no, he won’t tell you the name of the author.) You can bet that the story moves, but that there’s not going to be one memorable sentence in it.

If your readership wants that kind of story, it’s possible to provide it to them rapidly. Think of writing a soap opera instead of a romcom.

Comment on What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question… by Joanne

Joanne — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:11:37 +0000

I come from a world where you get what you pay for. Green around the edge of publishing I bought the whole shebang and got educated very quickly about POD companies and their wares. Sigh ~ If only I read this post when I needed it, I’d be $20,000 dollars richer than I am… I am grateful for the good I bought, and terribly sad about the rest.

Comment on What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question… by Randall Wood

Randall Wood — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:44:41 +0000

Nice post, Jaye,
You see quite a few of these advisory post out there, and of course they all suggest something different. I like your approach here simply due to the fact that you never used numbers (dollars) and you asked the core question that all indie authors should be asking themselves; What do my readers value? Sometimes it actually is as simple as that.
Well done.

Comment on What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question… by laurieboris

laurieboris — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:35:09 +0000

Reblogged this on Laurie Boris, Freelance Writer and commented: This is interesting but one thing JW Manus wrote puzzled me. Do any readers value quantity over quality? I know that fun and entertainment are valuable, but why should that mean they go out with minimal or no editing?

Comment on What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question… by acflory

acflory — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:15:46 +0000

Thanks for the encouragement Jaye. I’m working on that 2nd book now. Your advice made a lot of sense to me.

Comment on What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question… by Jaye

Jaye — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:10:30 +0000

No need for chills, ac. See it as a challenge and rise to meet it. Self-publishers on shoestring budgets are producing wonderful books all the time, and many are succeeding in building their careers to the point where they can make a living doing what they do best, which is write.

Comment on What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question… by Jaye

Jaye — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:04:54 +0000

Don’t get me wrong, Paul, I think if someone is selling a product, then that someone owes it to their customers to put together as professional a product as they are capable of managing. And, like you, I would really prefer it if people would use professionals to format their books.

Reality is, time and money are both limited resources. Some people have more time than money, and others have more money than time. Either way, those resources should be concentrated where they will do the most good. The thing about self-publishers is, they are creative. Even with very limited resources, they can find creative solutions to all sorts of messy little problems.

Comment on What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question… by What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question | The Passive Voice | Writers, Writing, Self-Publishing, Disruptive Innovation and the Universe

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:00:48 +0000

[…] to the rest at JW Manus and thanks to Julia for the […]

Comment on What Are the Real Costs of Self-Publishing? Wrong Question… by acflory

acflory — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:02:19 +0000

This is a chilling post for a first-time author, but worth its weight in gold, or oil, or something else valuable. Thank you.