Publishing Strategy

SilverDragon · Oct 20, 2012

I am about to end my second month as a self publisher and things are still pretty good (this month was slow because of a nasty family emergency but it's getting better).

I have a very small backlog of titles (18), many of them are trilogies centered around a storyline. A friend of mine suggested that I release anthologies of 3 stories selling them essentially at a discount of what you could buy the normal stories at. With the titles I have or will have out now, I could concievably make 5 anthologies.

Here is my question, do I really want to do that? One of my trilogies is moderately popular (consistently around 15,000 to 30,000 ranked on amazon) and the others do okay.

Releasing the anthologies would give me a nice increase to the number of titles I have, but I don't know if it will hurt overall sales. What do you guys think?

dogpie · Oct 20, 2012

18 books is a small backlog? Seems gigantic if you ask me.

SilverDragon · Oct 20, 2012

I write short fiction (3,000 to 6,000 words) so its easy for me to get a large number of titles out in a short period of time. Now, if I was writing full blown novels, I'd probably only have anywhere from 1 to 3.

I say very small because I have to compete with authors that have catalogues of anywhere from 50 to 150 (or more) titles.

J. Tanner · Oct 21, 2012

It seems more common to offer both than not. It's particularly valuable if you are selling the indivdual stories in the sub $2.99 price range to package them up such that you can go with a price point that give the better royalty.

The only way to find out how it will work for you is to try it. It's the wild west out there and no one really knows much of anything. I suggest taking one of your lower sales trilogies and giving it a test run with a collected version for a couple months to see if the revenue generated by the series improves.

veinglory · Oct 21, 2012

If a "trilogy" is 18000 words or less, that is nor exactly a large unit. IMHO calling a short story a book and three a trilogy is pretty misleading. Even with three together it is a short novella.

Old Hack · Oct 21, 2012

I agree with veinglory: I wouldn't consider three short stories a trilogy, and if I paid for a trilogy and got three short stories I'd not be at all pleased.

Three stories put together doesn't make an anthology either: an anthology is a collection of shorts by different writers, not a collection by a single writer.

I'd call three short stories in one book "three short stories in one book", or similar. I wouldn't try to shoehorn them into an existing descriptor which actually means something else.

Sheryl Nantus · Oct 21, 2012

SilverDragon said:
I say very small because I have to compete with authors that have catalogues of anywhere from 50 to 150 (or more) titles.

I'd suggest you not get caught up in this "the more, the merrier" thinking. Just because an author may have that many titles doesn't mean they're all *good* stories.

They may be but you have to put out good stories for YOU. Quantity doesn't equal quality and if one person reads a sub-par story from you they're unlikely to buy again - so each of your works has to be the best they can be.

It's not a sprint. It's a marathon.

Good luck!

bearilou · Oct 22, 2012

The current mode of thought is that you see more sales the larger your backlist is. Right now, I'm reading where 30 is considered the sweet spot to start seeing the 'good' money.

Bundling is the term I've heard used. Take some of your stories that may be along the lines of a particular theme, bundle them into one and release it. Just make sure you are clear they are previously published individually elsewhere, so that someone looking at it doesn't get mislead into thinking they're all new.

...unless you include a previously unpublished short, then I suppose you could try to use that as a selling point!

Pandora Lee · Oct 22, 2012

bearilou said:
...unless you include a previously unpublished short, then I suppose you could try to use that as a selling point!

That seems like a good way to tick off the people who've already bought everything else in the compilation -- i.e., your most loyal customers. :/

bearilou · Oct 22, 2012

Sussurus said:
That seems like a good way to tick off the people who've already bought everything else in the compilation -- i.e., your most loyal customers. :/

Hm...good point. I hadn't thought of it that way.

I hadn't planned on going that route and when I said it I thought 'hmmmm it might work'.

In retrospect, I don't think I will.

:Thumbs:

oldhousejunkie · Oct 22, 2012

bearilou said:
The current mode of thought is that you see more sales the larger your backlist is. Right now, I'm reading where 30 is considered the sweet spot to start seeing the 'good' money.

30?!?

I hope you mean 30 short stories. Otherwise...Good Lord. I can't imagine being so prolific as to have 30 novels in my back list or taking the time to self-pub them all. Maybe after 30+ years of writing, but still...

bearilou · Oct 22, 2012

oldhousejunkie said:
30?!?

I hope you mean 30 short stories. Otherwise...Good Lord. I can't imagine being so prolific as to have 30 novels in my back list or taking the time to self-pub them all. Maybe after 30+ years of writing, but still...

GACK! Yes, I meant short stories.

Katie Elle · Oct 22, 2012

If you're pulling 15-30k ranks on Amazon, I'd let them sit for a while before bundling them. That's a great level of sales and there's no reason to sell them cheaper in bundles if they're selling that well without them. What genres/themes are you writing in?

SilverDragon · Oct 22, 2012

Hello everyone, thank you for all for your feedback!

I'm currently writing in the erotic fiction genre Elle.

Katie Elle · Oct 22, 2012

I knew you were writing erotica, just wondering what flavor. Those are good numbers.

elindsen · Oct 22, 2012

I say if it ain't broke...

triceretops · Oct 22, 2012

Gads, I wouldn't mess with it. Leave it alone and let run some more, those are good numbers.

tri

Publishing Strategy

SilverDragon

dogpie

SilverDragon

J. Tanner

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Sheryl Nantus

Holding out for a Superhero...

bearilou

DenturePunk writer

Pandora Lee

I <3 books.

bearilou

DenturePunk writer

oldhousejunkie

bearilou

DenturePunk writer

Katie Elle

SilverDragon

Katie Elle

elindsen

Zombie lovin'

triceretops