Online Writing Tips: Over 1Million E-books Sold!

Online Writing Tips

I was at Walgreens a while back and I saw JohnLocke’s ‘Wish List’ for sale.  I had read a little about Locke online, and how he had sold over a million eBooks in 5 months.  Astounding record! I figured I’d give his book a try.

Usually I’m into urban fantasy book series, and not so much into pop culture books with ridiculous plotlines, but I read Locke’s book anyway.  I spent $4.99 on it, so I immediately had buyer’s remorse knowing that I could have only spent $0.99 on the book at Amazon, and that got me thinking.

The Internet Publishing Approach

Internet publishing really has changed things.  I didn’t particularly like Locke’s book, but it wasn’t because the editing was poor, it was just because it wasn’t my kind of book.  I was able to read through quickly, at 215 pages I read in just a few hours.  I really did enjoy the pace of it.  When I finished reading it, however, instead of thinking about the book’s content I was thinking about the $0.99 book phenomenon. 

Regardless whether someone is looking to publish their own book or be a ghostwriter for someone else, the $0.99 pricing model is a great way for readers to discover new authors they might not otherwise try.   Of course this brings up a number of concerns for readers.

Unlike ghostwriting, where another person will likely edit the book before publishing it, people looking to quickly write a book to publish it online may not put a lot of effort in the editing stages, especially if they plan to sell it for $0.99.  This is unfortunate for everyone involved.

Great Novels Require Great Editing!

Instead of simply write publish, one must always write, EDIT, and then publish.  Even if a person plans to sell their book for $0.99, authors must understand that their name and their writings compose the brand they are developing. When a reader purchases a $0.99 novel and it turns out to be an unedited piece of garbage, this reader is highly deterred from ever going this route again.  All this does is work to deteriorate a market.   

When authors write to publish in this fashion they hurt the market for the unknown talented authors looking to get noticed.   What I would like to see is a list of $0.99 authors that are extremely talented, as well as a list of $0.99 authors who aren’t.  If anyone knows of a list like this, please let me know.  

I would also like to see any publications on ‘how to write and publish’ specifically for the internet.  There seems to be a number of options for digital publishing novelists, and I would be curious to know the success for people, comparatively, regarding all the multiple platforms that exist for people.

Talented creative writing fiction authors, who haven’t yet been discovered, should have an opportunity to provide readers with their work for a low cost to readers, without giving it away for free.  This brings up another interesting point.  Do authors who provide their novels for free find success in increasing their readership compared to those who sell their novels for $0.99?  If you have any information regarding this I’d really like to know.