Ebooks: Passion and Publishing

 
 
TLC friend James Swain is the national bestselling author of 14 mystery novels. He's been published in France, Japan, Russia, Germany and Bulgaria andreceived France’s prestigious Prix Calibre .38 for Best American Crime Fiction. His Tony Valentine series was recently purchased by Langley Films ("Cops," "Brookyln’s Finest") with the author set to write the screenplay.

Q: With a record like that, why would James Swain self-publish four original novels as e-books: "Jackpot," "Wild Card," "The Program," and "The Man Who Cheated Death"?

A: A series of unusual events took me down this road. My former publisher, Random House, had kicked two books in the Tony Valentine series back to me, "Jackpot" and "Wild Card." I’d been thinking about self-publishing them, then looked at the cost and flipped, so I decided not to do it.

In April, I bought my wife an iPad as a gift. It was love at first sight, and she started reading three books a week on it. Her passion for reading ebooks – which she’d never done before – made me start to look at ebooks much differently.

A short while later, I read an article in Publishers Weekly about a writer named J.A. Konrath who’s having great success selling ebooks. The PW article was extremely critical of Konrath, which bothered me, since most of the mainstream publishers are doing the same things to sell ebooks that Konrath’s doing. In August, Konrath spoke at a writer’s conference I attended, and I realized the guy was way ahead of the curve, and a real genius in this field. That’s when I made the decision to go digital. I had two other novels which my agent was shopping, "The Program" and "The Man Who Cheated Death," which I decided to release as ebooks as well.

    

Q: I’m sure that many of our readers have considered doing the same thing. Have you been happy with the results?

A: Yes, and for a number of reasons. I’ve sold several thousand books so far, and the sales continue to climb. I also enjoyed the process of self-publishing digitally, which allowed me to choose the cover art work, and also do my own marketing. It was very empowering, and something I highly recommend. Q: There are readers who hate ebooks, and won’t buy them. Have you had much response from them?

A: Yes, although the number has been small. A number of distraught readers have sent me emails, which I find funny. If you hate computers so much, why are you using email?

Q: But they love books. Isn’t that what they’re saying?

A: I love books as well, but that doesn’t change what’s happening. Our country is going through a cultural shift that’s being spurned on by the recession. We’re buying smaller houses, smaller cars, and running up less debt. The ebook model fits in perfectly with this cultural shift, which is why ebooks are selling so well in this terrible economy.

The mainstream media has done a wonderful job of demonizing ebooks, and blaming them for publishing’s current dire straits. This simply isn’t true. The publishing industry’s downward spiral began in 2008, and was caused by a financial crisis that was out of control. Ebooks are the best thing that’s happened to the business since the popularization of the paperback, and may very well be the industry’s salvation.

Q: You seem very passionate about this topic. Is there a reason, besides the success you’ve had?

A: Yes, there is. I was in the magazine business for 25 years, and ran a successful magazine rep firm in Florida. In 2000, I made a series of calls on publishers in New York with an Internet guru and friend named Sal Dickinson. Our message to each of the publishers was the same. If you don’t embrace the Internet and use it to market your magazines, it will destroy you. None of those publishers cared to listen to us, and one actually showed us the door. Today, all of those magazines are out of business. I’m talking about titles like McCall’s and Gourmet, which had millions of readers and tons of ads.

What happened to the magazine business was a tragedy that could have been avoided. The same thing could happen to the book publishing business if the publishers are not careful.

I don’t mean to be the messenger of doom here. Hopefully, there is room for both traditional books and ebooks, and that over time, the two will compliment each other. That’s certainly the scenario I’d like to see. In the meantime, I’m hedging my bets, and plan to publish more ebooks in the future.

Q: Are you giving up traditional publishing?

A: Not at all. I just signed a multi-book deal with Tor for a new series called Dark Magic. The first book will be released in the Fall, 2011.

Q: You said something earlier which intrigues me. How can ebooks be the industry’s salvation? They cost so much less, and as a result, the publishers and authors make less. That doesn’t sound like salvation to me.

A: Right now, it isn’t. But over time, it should be. Look at the numbers. The average reader of ebooks purchases three times as many books as traditional book buyers. As devices like Kindle and Nook continue to spread, there will be more and more people buying ebooks, and the market will continue to grow. If the trend continues – and there’s no reason that it shouldn’t – sales of ebooks could easily surpass those of traditional books.

The other important part of ebooks that’s being left out of the conversation is that they allow a greater number of people to buy books than ever before. Over half the people in the U.S. don’t live anywhere near a library or bookstore. That’s 150 million people, and many of them love to read. Once those people start to buy ebooks (and many already are), we’ll see the base of buyers explode.

I believe that books are the great equalizer. If two people read books, they can sit down and have a conversation, even if they come from different sides of the political spectrum, and share nothing in common. Reading expands our minds, and makes us better people. The explosion of ebooks is great because it means more people are reading. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

Q: How easy was it to get your ebooks published?

A: I didn’t find it easy at all, simply because there is no information out there on how to self-publish in the digital world. If I hadn’t heard Konrath speak, I wouldn’t have done it. His talk answered a lot of nagging questions, and empowered me to get off my butt, and try it.

Q: If we don't have an e-reader, is there anyway we can read these novels?

A: One of the great misconceptions about ebooks is that you need an e-reader to buy and read them. This is not the case. Anyone can go to the Amazon site, and download a Kindle app for their PC, laptop, Droid, or tablet. The Kindle app is free, and is on your computer in 30 seconds. Nearly 50% of ebooks are being read on PCs and laptops, the rest on e-readers.

Q: What about the independent bookstores: Many writers owe their careers to indie recommendations. Do you think the Google reader, which is available to independent stores, will help?

A: How much the Google bookstore will help the indies compete in the digital market remains to be seen. It was just launched last week, and I’ve not seen any numbers indicating how well it’s doing. As a customer, I found the site confusing. As an author, I still have not been able to decode their platform to self-publish my ebooks. Google has unlimited resources, so hopefully, they will keep improving and streamlining the site.

Q: Any final thoughts you’d care to share?

A: My passion is, and always will be, telling stories. Why I like ebooks is because they’ve allowed me to publish some of my best work which might never have been published otherwise. For that reason alone, it was worth doing.

 

　Jim Swain's books are available in paper at many stores, including www.mysterylovers.com.

His ebooks are available here:  

The Program http://tinyurl.com/38pg4pa



Wild Card http://tinyurl.com/33amy3h



Jackpot ,http://tinyurl.com/29xhu7q

The Man Who Cheated Death, http://tinyurl.com/24b2s66 

 

 

 

Comments

[William]

After fighting, resisting, and refusing, I broke down and got an iPad two months ago.

Personal opinion only, eBooks are today's equivalent of the Paperback Originals from the 60's and 70's; Fawcett Gold Medal, Dell Mysteries, Avon Suspense, etc. etc etc. FYI, first purchases were indeed WILD CARD and THE PROGRAM, and I have come to believe this is indeed the wave of the future.....

[Alan P.]

This is what I get for waking up early on a Sunday, first post! Ebooks should be to the writers advantage. The publishers need to wake up. Author to Amazon to Reader. Did I see Random House in there anywhere? I have both the Kindle and Borders reader on my phone, although, the hoops Borders requires coupled with a terrible store and ebooks the same price (or more, are you guys on drugs) as paperbacks, means the two books on the border reader will probably be my first and last. I see book stores leaving malls left and right. Like movie theaters and gas stations (movie theaters make almost no money from the movie. Less than a dollar per person. Gas stations make less than 10 cents a gallon on gas and about 50 cents a gallon on soda.) Book stores are stocking fewer and fewer titles. The whole ship a bunch to the store, ship the non sellers back thing is a deal breaker.

I have eclectic tastes in books. Some places are less than truthful about ordering books for customers. Great way to make me an Amazon man. Ebooks and print to order may be better for authors and the independents than people think.

I'm getting long but, I sent a link to this to a friend who lives a pretty far distance from everything. I am curious how far it is to her closest book store. I am guessing it is over 100 miles each way.

And as the Apple apstore has proved, it is easier to try something for $3.00 than for $20.00.

[Harley]

All right, James, after hearing and hearing and hearing about it, from my blog sisters, from William, from Joe Konrath, your post was the 100th Monkey for me. I'm going to ask for an iPad (Nook? Kindle?) for Christmas, and if no one gives me one, I'll buy it for myself. And after that, I'll seriously consider everything you've said about self-publishing.

The only reason self-publishing doesn't (yet) make sense for me is that I don't have a lot of well-written, unpublished stuff lying around. Okay, I have none. But still, I have to do think about this, if only as an antidote to the dismay I feel watching my local Borders go out of business and B&N holding on by its fingernails.

[Harley]

Oh, and p.s. What is it I want? Nook? Kindle? iPad?

[Kaye Barley]

Harley - iPad!!!

I love love love my iPad for a number of reasons that I won't get into here so as not to hijack James' wonderful blog. But that's the route I recommend. (Diane Chamberlain - are you here? iPad, right?!) I have the iBooks application on there, along with the Kindle and Nook apps.

Keeping on topic though, as one of those people who once said "eBooks?! Pafooey - Not Me!" I'm now eating my words. I'll still buy "real" books - but not as many. I'm still buying those real books I know I'll want to keep, and continuing buying those books in series I love and tend to re-read (such as Margaret Maron's Deborah Knott series).

I'm buying eBooks to catch up with the backlist of some writers I like a lot but don't feel the need to own.

I'm also buying a LOT of eBooks as impulse buys. Loads easier on my pocketbook (and my conscience) to spend less than $10.00 (or even less than $5.00) than $27.00 or $30.00 for a book. I just can't do that any more. So, when I hear about, or read about, a book that sounds interesting I just pick up my iPad and get it. Right then! Ha! I love that!

And then there's the space thing. We live in a small house and while I do love being surrounded by books, there comes a point when it's just too much. I've reached that point and am now in the process of sorting and culling and giving away.

And there's the fact of trees. How many trees should we continue cutting down for books when there's another option?

Finally. When I have to move into the old folks' home, they probably aren't going to allow me to bring all my books. Hopefully bringing my iPad (or whatever the sexy technology will be then) with me, and I'll forever be able to have my much loved favorite books with me - along with the ability to get a new one in seconds from the comfort of my own room.

I think there's tons of room in our world for both real and electronic books to live happily side by side.

Sorry I went on so long!!! I seem to not understand the term "concise."

GREAT blog, James - thank you!

[William]

An iPad, Miss H, for many reasons. While it's not quite a laptop replacement, it's much more than en eReader. And one is not limited to one store: there are iPad apps for Kindle AND Nook AND Borders AND Books-A-Million. As such, I (we? All of us iPad owners?) can purchase and read any thing from any where.

[William]

Okay. As mentioned above, my first iPad/Kindle purchases were WILD CARD and THE PROGRAM. (I left out JACKPOT, Jim; sorry about that, but all three were bought at the same time.)

THE MAN WHO CHEATED DEATH is being sent to my iPad as I type this. Ironically, this past week has been a marathon of THE MAGICIAN with Bill Bixby. (Which I wish someone would just release on DVD, as the VHS tapes are wearing a little thin.)

Those of us who grew up in libraries and bookstores continue to obsessively read into adulthood.....

[Karen in Ohio]

As much as I want an e-reader of some kind, I'm so thoroughly confused that I think I will wait until after the first of the year. Prices will be lower then, and there are several new devices coming out.

One such device is the Samsung Galaxy Tab. When we were checking out at the computer store yesterday the nice young man who waited on us was raving about his!

[KarinNH]

Harley, I love my Kindle, particularly because its size means I can take it to the gym with me and rest it on the shelf on either the treadmill or the elliptical machine.

As an aside (and for what it is worth), a recent study said the Kindle, which is not backlit, does not interfere with sleep patterns the way laptops and Ipads do. So if you like to climb into bed and read, that may be another factor to consider. However, it does make it hard to sit in the car and read while waiting, unless you can find a street light!

If I were looking at buying one now, I think I would try to find friends who owned the various ones and try each of them before I chose. I suspect the choice is very individual and depends on what you are looking for the device to do.

[JA Konrath]

Great interview.

Something else to consider, Jim. When we last spoke, my self-pubbed books were strictly ebooks.

Since then, I've used Amazon's program Createspace to release nine of my ebooks as POD trade paperbacks.

I'm making an extra $100 on these print sales.

The person who helped me turn my ebooks into print versions, doing the interior formatting and creating a spine and back cover art, is Cheryl Perez. She just started a blog at http://yourepubliched.blogspot.com

[Karen in Ohio]

The link for Cheryl Perez should be

http://yourepublished.blogspot.com/

Very cool, thanks!

[Elaine Viets]

Thanks for starting this discussion, Jim. I'll always love the feel and smell of printed books, but I know that e-readers have their place, especially with people who didn't grow up with books.
Disadvantage of an e-reader: I don't have to turn off my PB when the plane is taking off and landing. But I am old school.
For those of you who love independent bookstores, many now have links to ebooks on their websites. Left Bank Books has ebooks and so does Mysterious Galaxy. So if you have a favorite indie, check its Website for their ebooks.

[Jim Swain]

Good morning, everyone.

I'm thrilled that my interview has caused such an interesting discussion, and would like to pass along a couple of things.

First, the question of which ereader to own comes up constantly among my friends. The answer is, there is no "right" answer. Each device appeals to people for different reasons. Some people love their Kindles and the Kindle app because it's so easy to use. Others are passionate about Nook because they can download free books from the library (which you cannot do with a Kindle). Others are married to iPads because of their versatility, and the fact that you can also go onto the Internet, and send emails. It all comes down to personal preference, and of course, cost. My advice would be to find a friend who has an ereader, and ask them if you can play with it, and see if you like it. Then make your decision.

There is another advantage to self-publishing ebooks which I failed to mention -- exposure. By self-publishing ebooks, you are showcasing your work to millions of people who might not otherwise know you. I have seen a 50% increase in traffic on my web site since launching my ebooks, and have to believe that many of these viewers are new readers.

[marie]

I have studied the Kindle specs for years. I was not able to get my hands on one but I went to the Barnes and Noble and played with the Nook.
My husband bought be the whole kit and caboodle, a dichotomy phrase when we are being hurled into the techno space world. I have the e-ink version with a cover and a neat swing out lamp attached to the cover so I can read anywhere, anytime. I can also change the battery myself if I choose to and there is a memory card slot if I want to get more titles.
I do not read magazines on my nook but my daughter is able to on her color nook.
The iPad has many apps available..even Martha Stewart has her Fine Living Magazine and her cookie ccokbook for all to purchase. Her first cover of a flower opening up in time lapse photography is beautiful.

The font size variations is what sold me on the Nook. I can finally see the print without squinting with my old eyes.
My daughters have an iPad and a color nook respectively. I can lend books to my nook daughter for two weeks if we like the same book.
Early this year, people were on the fence about ereaders but the market has convinced us to attain these because there seems to be a glut of androids and other platform types.
I still like clutching to my print books but I have convinced a few people that saw my nook to buy one for Christmas presents. As a matter of fact, I think I could be a sales rep I am so into all the reading choices.

[Carol R]

I bought my husband a Kindle last year for Xmas because we live 120 miles from the nearest bookstore. All in all he is very happy with it, but we can't buy new books for it unless we take a trip to a city. We live in a rural mountainous area close to where Oregon, California, and Nevada meet Kindle cannot communicate with Amazon. Last year I would look for books on line, download them to my computer, and transfer them to the kindle. It was very complicated and I hated it. My husband doesn't compute so he was no help.

Since my purpose in buying him a kindle was that he could shop for new reading material anytime he wished, the gift was a failure. But, when we do travel to a city, he loads up on books. It's never enough to last until the next trip.

My small home holds too many books and soon I will have to make the hard decisions required to cull the stacks. It would be comforting to have the stories still available on a reader. I just wish it was easier out here.

[marie]

I am unable to convince my DH to read on an ereader.
He worked with documents on computers for work related jobs and has an aversion to these ereaders.
I am surprising him with the new Tom Clancy novel for Christmas. This book is very large and heavy so I imagine him wondering about my Nook...Hmm?

[Karen in Ohio]

One consideration when choosing an ereader is that all of those that allow downloading books out of the ether include built-in antennas (antennae? Kerry?).

The antenna sends loads of information back to the publishing company about all sorts of things you'd never expect, in addition to what you would expect, like what types of media you like to purchase. For instance, your device keeps track of how long you lingered on a single page, or how many times you accessed said page, and that information goes back to the publisher, Amazon, in the case of the Kindle. To me, that's more than a little creepy.

I heard this on NPR the other day:

http://www.npr.org/2010/12/15/132058735/is-your-e-book-reading-up-on-you

[marie]

Something else that I like about my ereader is that I can download an author's backlist and not pay exorbitant amounts for classic books on e-bay.

[Laraine]

James, I suspect you and others are right that the future will include both print and electronic editions. For my money, if I were to buy right now, I'd probably head to iPad land, given the bigger screen, brighter images, and greater versatility; although, the google-based Nook is pretty appealling, as I'm currently on a Chrome and Droid happy track, and generally impressed with Google.
I downloaded Google's Reader for Android to my Droid last night, and now have immediate access to TLC on my phone, whenever I want it!
But, I much prefer the easier-on-the-eyes experience of reading a 'real' paper-based book, so I'm not giving up on that aspect of the publishing industry just yet.

I'm curious, James (and others), as to what you think the e-publishing world is going to do to our standards for grammar, story coherence, editing, etc.?
Let me make it clear that I've not read your e-books yet, so they're not the focus of my comments, but:

I've been concerned at times that the various electronic media encourage sloppiness, and I know that some of the self-published books I've read, or ones published by houses that do not employ strong editors, have proven to be disappointing and/or sloppy, careless or just not as good as they could have been if they'd been past an expert editor.

For myself, I love the inspiration of a truly well-crafted and beautifully refined story/essay/book, so I'm not eager to be afloat in a river of casually thrown-out-there books.

What say ye??

[Barbara]

I read ebooks on an iPod touch. Right now I'm reading The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins but have read a bunch of contemporary ones too, such as Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah and A Date You Can't Refuse by Harley Jane Kozak. The iPod is with me always and there are so many reading opportunities I hadn't expected or places I just don't want to carry a book that it's been great. I never knew when I got the IPod that it would be possible to read ebooks on it.

[nancy martin]

I do want an iPad, but I fear I'll end up using it for all the other stuff besdies books. (Magazines! I have piles of magazines around here! Would I read them more efficiently on an iPad?)

The only e-book I've read, though, was so full of typos and lousy writing that I gave up in disgust. That was a year ago, though. Are there more safeguards in place now?

[Jim Swain]

There is no question that many self-published ebooks are not up to snuff, and are poor reads. But there are so many safeguards in place for both writers and readers that I can't see how this should deter someone from trying the ebook experience.

Both Amazon & B&N allow customers to return ebooks with full refunds (I don't know what Apple's policy is, but I suspect it's the same). Amazon and B&N also have links that allow customers to report if an ebook is poorly formatted or carries inappropriate content.

For the author, there are other benefits to ebooks which are not always apparent. After releasing Wild Card, I received an email from a reader pointing out about a dozen typos and mistakes in the story. I sent them to my formatter, who corrected them in a few days, and I reloaded the book with the corrections. There is no charge for this service, and an author can do it as many times as they choose. It's a wonderful feature of digital books.

One last comment, and this is not meant as a swipe, but simply an observation. How many times have you read a paper book filled with errors? Last year, I was given The Girl Who Played with Fire (UK edition) as a gift. There were so many errors that I eventually stopped reading. And since I was flying home from England, I couldn't take it back.

[Karen in Ohio]

Jim, you're so right about errors in printed books. And it's gotten so much worse in the last three or four years.

My first electronic publishing effort showed me the very big difference between both my first self-published work and my first regularly published work, neither of which were easy to change when errors were found.

Some good friends have a software company, and a great deal of the programs they sell are purchased online and downloaded directly from their site. When their customers report bugs they are able to immediately fix them, allowing new customers to buy the most up-to-date software. There's absolutely no reason that can't happen in fiction and non-fiction e-books, as well.

[Marie]

Thank you Jim, for the insightful blog today.
Many readers as recently as six months ago were reluctant to investigate ereaders. It seemed that these new innovations loomed like scary monsters waiting to overpower the human race. But I believe that just as you have stated the print media and the electronic sources will coexist. But I am thankful for the choices. It is truly a brave new world. Thank you.

[Nancy Pickard]

My 94-year-old mom and I both have the Kindle app downloaded onto our laptops, and we LOVE it. She loves being able to enlarge the print and also not having to hold a book with her arthritic fingers.

I'm finding, over time, that there are certain kinds of books I want in physical form. Gothics, for instance, seem to cry out to be held in one's hands, maybe because they are a kind of old-fashioned read, themselves.

Jim, thanks so much for bringing your knowledge here--and for bringing J.A. here, too.

p.s. Pocket put thirteen books of mine in Print on Demand, and they're so cheaply done and so appallingly expensive that I feel embarrassed by them. I would rather have had the rights, myself, and thus some control over the process.