Self-publishing on Amazon?

efreysson · Apr 26, 2013

I've published two fantasy novels in Iceland and I'm fighting to get the third one released this fall, but I really want to reach the foreign market. I'm considering my options, one of which is to either pay for an English-language translation or do the whole thing myself and just pay for a proofreading and e-publishing on Amazon.

E-publishing hasn't really taken off in this country so I don't know much about it but it has been recommended to me as a decent option for struggling writers. Is it, really? Does it have a chance to reach more than a few hundred or is an e-book by an unknown doomed to obscurity?

veinglory · Apr 26, 2013

If you mean publishing via Amazon Kindle, you can certainly do very well. Some authors make a good living selling primarily via that format.

However, they are minority who use the platform well, write popular genres and in most cases are very prolific.

Personally I only just started self-publishing via Kindle yesterday (literally). So we shall see.

WriterBN · Apr 26, 2013

efreysson said:
E-publishing hasn't really taken off in this country so I don't know much about it but it has been recommended to me as a decent option for struggling writers. Is it, really? Does it have a chance to reach more than a few hundred or is an e-book by an unknown doomed to obscurity?

The short answer is no.

The longer answer is maybe: if you have a really great book, in a really hot genre, and can spend a lot of time marketing it.

shaldna · Apr 26, 2013

efreysson said:
I've published two fantasy novels in Iceland and I'm fighting to get the third one released this fall, but I really want to reach the foreign market. I'm considering my options, one of which is to either pay for an English-language translation or do the whole thing myself and just pay for a proofreading and e-publishing on Amazon.

if not one else has mentioned it, you need to look at your contract with your publishers before you look at self publishing - does your contract allow you to sp those works in other territories, do you have a non-compete clause?

dondomat · Jun 7, 2013

efreysson said:
I've published two fantasy novels in Iceland and I'm fighting to get the third one released this fall

If you do start work translating them yourself, you're welcome to send a chapter or three. Fantasy from Iceland sounds fascinating, I'm very curious. In return I can like send you back my attempts at proofreading and stuff.

Sometimes I don't visit absolute write for a long time, but I always come back...that's in case at some point I show no activity here and don't return PM's.

Old Hack · Jun 7, 2013

Moving this to the Self Publishing room in three, two, one...

...and here we are!

It's a better fit here than in our e-publishing room.

Self-publishing on Amazon?

efreysson

Closer than ever

veinglory

volitare nequeo

WriterBN

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

dondomat

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman