As a writer myself (albeit in the more "boring" topics of business and operations), I've long thought about publishing a book but haven't gotten around to it, mainly due to the fear involved of time spent with very little return. I'm happy to write for myself (and I do!), but having done extensive research into the self-publishing landscape, the marketing and promotion aspects of book publishing remain my biggest hindrance.
Personally, I've discovered some of my favorite books through happenstance circumstances, with a large number of these books likely not having seen the light of day for many years. Some of these books are fantastic, yet due to a lack of awareness of their existence, I'm certain that the authors did not benefit monetarily from their endeavors. Haven't you ever come across a book that you love that none of your friends have heard of? I certainly don't think all aspects of the serendipity involved with discovery will ever be replaced, but I'd like to believe that in this day and age, the connections between readers and writers for discovery should be stronger.
Likewise, this means a lot of pieces that writers publish goes undiscovered -- but there is a audience out there that is willing to pay for to read what we write (I know, because I am such a reader). The question is how do we traverse this path of marketing and promotion to reach our yet-to-be-discovered audience?
I've put some thought into this and think there needs to be a better solution for self-published authors, that many of the current platforms don't satisfy. Would a direct-to-reader publishing platform and community (not unlike Goodreads, but with an equal emphasis on marketing and publishing for authors) be of interest to any of you? Would the ability to collaborate with readers to pre-determine buyer interest, beyond pre-orders, be useful? What types of tools / platforms / communities do you wish existed?
How do we empower authors? I'd love to hear your some of your thoughts and opinions.
Personally, I've discovered some of my favorite books through happenstance circumstances, with a large number of these books likely not having seen the light of day for many years. Some of these books are fantastic, yet due to a lack of awareness of their existence, I'm certain that the authors did not benefit monetarily from their endeavors. Haven't you ever come across a book that you love that none of your friends have heard of? I certainly don't think all aspects of the serendipity involved with discovery will ever be replaced, but I'd like to believe that in this day and age, the connections between readers and writers for discovery should be stronger.
Likewise, this means a lot of pieces that writers publish goes undiscovered -- but there is a audience out there that is willing to pay for to read what we write (I know, because I am such a reader). The question is how do we traverse this path of marketing and promotion to reach our yet-to-be-discovered audience?
I've put some thought into this and think there needs to be a better solution for self-published authors, that many of the current platforms don't satisfy. Would a direct-to-reader publishing platform and community (not unlike Goodreads, but with an equal emphasis on marketing and publishing for authors) be of interest to any of you? Would the ability to collaborate with readers to pre-determine buyer interest, beyond pre-orders, be useful? What types of tools / platforms / communities do you wish existed?
How do we empower authors? I'd love to hear your some of your thoughts and opinions.
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