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Bargain Booksy, book marketing, freebooksy, marketing, publishing, tips, trends, Written Word Media
Chloe of the Written Word Media published recently 10 trends in publishing that are of interest to every author – particularly Indie ones:
1. Indie authors will continue to take up a growing percentage of the market
Indie authored books are estimated to compose up to 20% of the book market. They are continuing to take share from traditional publishers, mainly due to their consumer-friendly pricing – indie titles retail at an average price of $2.99 to $3.99, while traditionally published books retail between $7.99 and $14.99.
Readers are factoring price more and more into their purchasing decision and opting for high-quality, lower-priced (usually indie) titles over the more expensive titles put out by traditional publishers. The ability of indie authors to offer their books free, either for a limited time or as an intro to a series, is another advantage indies have over traditional publishers. Free is a very powerful discovery tool and one that readers are using more and more. Traditional publishers rarely offer their books for free, so all new titles and authors that are discovered through free promotions will be indies. All this combines for a growing market share for indies.
2. Amazon cracks down on quality of content
As of February 3rd, all eBooks offered for Amazon Kindle that have been reported to include typos, formatting issues, or other mistakes that lead to a poor reader experience will be removed from Amazon until the mistakes in question have been fixed. Readers attempting to purchase a title that has been reported to contain errors will be confronted with a message stating “Item Under Review”, and you will not be able to purchase the title.
Finding a great editor and formatter for your eBook just became even more important. There are a variety of repercussions here, including the failure of a marketing plan if your book is taken down in the middle of a paid promotion.
3. Mobile internet usage continues to grow
Between 2010 and 2014 smartphone internet usage was up 392%, and that percentage is only going to continue to rise.
So, make sure your author website is mobile friendly. If your website is not mobile friendly it will be hard to navigate for up to 60% of your visitors.
4. Amazon borrows grow at the expense of sales
More readers are accessing books for “free” through the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library (KOLL) and Kindle Unlimited (KU) than ever before. Fortune reports that Amazon Prime is now in 38% of American Households. Prime membership grew by 40 million members in December alone to reach an estimated 80 million people. One of the benefits of Prime membership is access to the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library that allows Amazon Prime members who read through a Kindle to choose one book from the library every month to read free.
Similarly, Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service open to both Prime and non-Prime members. When you enroll in KDP Select, your books are automatically included in both Kindle Unlimited and The Owner’s Lending Library. What this means is that as more readers join Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited more and more books are being “borrowed” by readers instead of being bought – something I’ve even noticed in my books.
So, if you are not enrolled in KDP Select your book sales may suffer as Amazon tends to give merchandising priority to books enrolled in KDP Select.
5. Free works as a marketing technique- especially for series
Series consisting of at least three books, in which the first book is perma-free, sold more copies overall. Also, 45%-55% of readers who download a book while it was free and read it, go on to purchase more titles by that author. These readers may go on to become fans and paying customers.
6. Email marketing is proving to be the most efficient way to drive sales
Traditional publishers and indie authors alike plan to invest time and money on reaching readers directly through email marketing in 2016. This is the most effective way to drive sales of your new titles, since you can control the message and know that you are hitting an audience that cares about your work.
There are two email marketing tactics that publishing professionals will deploy in 2016: newsletters and book promotion services. You can only send a newsletter if you have a mailing list, which is why both indies and traditional publishers are investing in building their lists. In addition to growing personal lists, publishers and indies will continue to utilize ebook promotion services that have large lists to drive book sales and revenue growth. BookBub is the largest player in the book promotion space followed by companies like Bargain Booksy and Freebooksy who are continuing to invest in and grow their lists.
So, this is a perfect time to get started on that newsletter. Mailchimp is free until your reach 2000 subscribers, so they are a great place to start managing a list.
7. Physical book sales are on the rise
Physical books sales were up in 2015, proving that readers still like the feel of a book in their hands. Many of these books are purchased on Amazon, making offering your book available through print on demand services such as CreateSpace prudent. Additionally, one segment of the reader market that remains difficult for indie authors is placement in brick and mortar stores. We recommend designing and formatting your books for eBook and print, then contacting your local book stores to see if they would like to host an author event and stock your books.
8. The International eBook market continues to grow
The international audience for eBooks is growing. The United States and Canada beat the rest of the world into the eBook trend with almost 30% of readers consuming eBooks. The United Kingdom has long been third on the list of eReading nations, but France, Germany, Italy, and Russia are seeing growth in the percentage of readers who enjoy eBooks.
So, one way to increase sales this year is to expand your distribution to include countries other than the United States and Canada. Most platforms (Kindle Direct Publishing, iTunes, Kobo) make it easy for you to distribute your book worldwide with a few clicks of your mouse. It’s time to make sure your books are available around the world.
9. Readers Cry: “More coloring books and bad boys!”:
Adult coloring books and erotic romances continue to be popular.
So, if you’re writing erotic romance, you’re going to see another good year as your genre continues to be very popular. If you’re already publishing coloring books you’re well-positioned to continue cashing in on this trend. If you’re thinking of entering the adult coloring book market, however, beware, as it is quickly becoming saturated with new players.
10. The world is starting to accept Indie Authorship as a choice
For years readers and the press assumed that the indie author was only publishing their works themselves because they couldn’t land a deal with a publishing house. They didn’t seem to understand that many authors were making the choice to stay indie, choosing to laud those who managed to “make it” into a traditional publishing deal.
As the publishing industry continues to be watched by the masses, the truth behind the numbers is coming out and readers are starting to understand that being an indie author is often the most lucrative choice. Now we just need to convince the press to pay indie authors their due. Some say it will take a major news outlet like the New York Times Book Review consistently reviewing indie titles for a full industry shift to occur. Will 2016 be that year?
Visit the Written Word Media for the full post.
The Story Reading Ape said:
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
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Jack Eason said:
Reblogged this on Have We Had Help? and commented:
More from Nicholas
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Tracy Campbell said:
Thanks again for a post jammed-packed valuable information, Nicholas. 👍
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Tracy Campbell said:
I meant jam-packed. LOL
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Aw, you! Thank you 🙂
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C.E.Robinson said:
Thanks Nicolas for an ultra-informational post. I’m not there yet to “publish” a book, but need to know this stuff when I get there. Writing a book now and have another 30,000 words to go. Always come back to read your posts! Thanks for keeping up with the latest for Indies! 💛 Elizabeth
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Yay! Thanks for the kind words, and best of luck with those 30K words 🙂
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Lucinda E Clarke said:
Reblogged this on lucinda E Clarke and commented:
Good news overall. Do you agree?
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D. Wallace Peach said:
All good news for indie authors! Thanks for the great info.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Only for hard-working Indie authors. Not so much for those who see Indie publishing as a get-rich-quick scheme. Which is great news, indeed 😉
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D. Wallace Peach said:
Exactly. Any efforts that drive quality are good for us all.
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kimwrtr said:
Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog and commented:
Great list! One I will memorize.
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Jackie Weger said:
Thank you for sharing the post, Nicholas. however, fat chance of getting local book stores to stock our print on demand copies. I’ve tried it. Most local stores within 60 miles of me are used or new & used book stores. The new order from Ingram. Used book stores despise indie authors because our ebooks cannot be traded–so their used book stocks are shrinking. I’ve heard that lament from a half-dozen book stores. Back in the day, we romance authors made our reputation in used books stores. We were welcomed when new legacy issues came out. We could set up two or three dozen autographing events in the blink of an eye. Our used books were turned eight or ten times…no royalties. But we got the exposure. Now we don’t. We have to be innovative. I am very happy with Amazon ebook Ad campaigns. Few sales, but the borrows/KENP pages read are ticking in. Pays the rent. Note: Legacy publishers have made tidy inroads into the Russian market, but Russia remains the largest pirating country. Forty million new subscribers to Amazon Prime is astounding. New readers! New Audience!
JackieWeger
No Perfect Secret
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Great point. That’s not necessarily the case everywhere in the world, but it can be pretty hard to break into local books stores.
Lick China, Russia is still a high-risk country in my book. As is any country with lax intellectual property laws, for that matter.
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Jackie Weger said:
Well, I live in the USA, so I can only speak to our market. If our CreateSpace editions ever get listed on Ingram, we might or might not see sales. I think Ingram has Lightning Source for indie books. Might be worth investigating…but I would venture that until an indie edition has 1000 reviews it would be ignored. Something has to catch the eye of the Librarian or bookstore owner for the book to be ordered. Practically speaking placement in an Ingram catalogue does NOT guarantee a sale.
JackieWeger
eNovel Authors at Work
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you for that! I agree completely; something has to catch the eye of the person in charge before they even consider placing an order.
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Jackie Weger said:
Nicholas, I’ve been reviewing the trends in this article. Every single author I know who lives outside the USA wants to break into the US market. Why? Because the US market is the largest in the world. I attended a UK writer’s conference in the 1980’s that drew authors from five countries. I was swamped by authors asking how to break into the US publishing universe. My tip for indie authors is make your mark in the US market. No business can ‘get’ into the Russian market, or Chinese market without jumping through government hoops. China is a communist country. Books sell for four to eight cents American. Yes, many use iPhones and iTunes…but in their own languages. Read the fine print on those services. Apps for English language downloads and translations have yet to be available services in many foreign countries. Amazon gives us access to the Eastern Indian market now, but our books sell for pennies on the US dollar. We have exactly one Indian blogger and one German blogger to reach those audiences.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
As a Greek writing for the US market, I can attest to that 😀
I’ve noticed the lack of promoters in other markets – something sure to change.
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Jackie Weger said:
Yep. It may–but those bloggers will be asking for the US author’s $$, as do the two foreign sites I mentioned.
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Mysticalwriter said:
Reblogged this on Mysticalwriter.
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aurorajeanalexander said:
Reblogged this on Writer's Treasure Chest and commented:
Nicholas C. Rossis has published an interesting and very informative blog post about 10 trends in publishing we need to know. Thank you very much Nicholas for providing us with this useful information.
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LionAroundWriting said:
Very informative.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thanks 🙂
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margaretwelwood said:
It’s possible–at least in my experience–to place books in physical bookstores when you’re living in a relatively sparsely populated area. People here really like the idea of supporting a local writer and a local artist. (The artist is well known around here.) Also, as I went through a printer rather than a self-publisher, I got a very good price on a large quantity of books, and can sell them at a reasonable price. I’m able to take them back if a vendor wishes, but so far that has not happened.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
That’s great! Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
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doverwhitecliff said:
Reblogged this on Wild and Woolly Wordsmithing and commented:
Awesome post! Have to share!
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M. L. Kappa said:
Very interesting post, Nicholas. I’m glad I discovered your blog!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
That is so sweet of you; thank you 😀
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