#kindle publishing income

[gilsonlawfirm]

Unlocking the Secrets of Kindle Publishing Income

Introduction

Are you searching for a way to turn your passion for writing into how to unlock your financial success? Kindle publishing income through affiliate marketing might be the perfect solution for you. This innovative approach allows writers and content creators to monetize their work while promoting products and services they genuinely believe in.

In this article, we will delve deep into the world of Kindle publishing income through affiliate marketing. We will provide you with valuable insights, practical tips, and effective strategies to succeed in this dynamic field. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting, this guide will equip you with the tools you need to thrive.

What is Kindle Publishing Income?

Kindle publishing income offer comprehensive truth behind the revenue generated by self-publishing eBooks on Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing platform. As an author, you can earn royalties from the sales of your eBooks to readers worldwide. Kindles massive user base and global reach offer unparalleled opportunities for aspiring writers.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where individuals or businesses promote products or services and earn a commission for every sale or action made through their unique affiliate link. It is a win-win scenario, benefiting both the affiliate marketer and the product/service provider.

Understanding the Synergy: Kindle Publishing and Affiliate Marketing

Now, let's explore how Kindle publishing income review and affiliate marketing come together to create a powerful revenue-generating model.

Leveraging Your eBooks for Affiliate Marketing

When you self-publish eBooks on Kindle, you establish yourself as an authority in your niche. This credibility can be leveraged to promote products or services related to your eBook's subject matter. By strategically placing affiliate links within your eBooks, you can drive traffic and potential buyers to your affiliate partner's website.

Selecting the Right Affiliate Programs

To maximize your earnings, it's crucial to choose affiliate programs that align with your eBook's theme and resonate with your target audience. Research and select reputable affiliate programs that offer high-quality products or services and attractive commission rates.

Building a Targeted Audience

Success in Kindle publishing income - affiliate marketing heavily relies on building a loyal and targeted audience. Utilize social media, email marketing, and content marketing to reach your potential readers and convert them into affiliate customers.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Kindle Publishing Income - Affiliate Marketing

In this section, we will provide a comprehensive step-by-step guide to help you kick start your journey in Kindle publishing income through affiliate marketing.

Step 1: Identify Your Niche and Passion

Before you embark on your publishing journey, identify a niche that aligns with your passion and expertise. Writing about a subject you genuinely care about will reflect in your work and resonate with your readers.

Step 2: Conduct Market Research

Thorough market research is essential to understand your target audience, analyze competitors, and identify potential affiliate partnerships. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner and Amazon Best Sellers Rank to uncover lucrative opportunities.

Step 3: Create Engaging and Valuable Content

Craft compelling eBooks that offer value to your readers. Focus on solving problems, providing insights, and delivering unique perspectives that set your work apart from others.

Step 4: Optimize Your eBooks for Kindle

Ensure your eBooks are professionally formatted and visually appealing. Pay attention to book covers, formatting, and typography to make your eBooks stand out and attract more readers.

Step 5: Publish and Promote Your eBooks

Publish your eBooks on Kindle Direct Publishing and promote them through various channels, such as social media, author websites, and book promotion websites. Use platforms like Good reads and Book Bub to reach a broader audience.

Step 6: Select and Join Affiliate Programs

Research and join reputable affiliate programs that align with your eBook's content. Choose programs that offer products or services relevant to your readers and complement your writing.

Step 7: Integrate Affiliate Links Strategically

Carefully place affiliate links within your eBooks and promotional content. Avoid being overly promotional; instead, focus on providing value and genuinely recommending products or services.

Step 8: Monitor Performance and Optimize

Regularly monitor the performance of your eBooks and affiliate marketing efforts. Analyze data to identify what works best and optimize your strategies accordingly.

Conclusion

Kindle publishing income through affiliate marketing is a rewarding endeavor for aspiring writers looking to monetize their passion. By combining self-publishing with affiliate marketing, you can establish a profitable and sustainable source of passive income.

FAQs

Can I participate in multiple affiliate programs simultaneously?

Yes, you can join and promote multiple affiliate programs simultaneously, but ensure they are relevant to your eBook's theme and don't overwhelm your readers with excessive promotions.

How much commission can I earn from affiliate marketing?

Affiliate commission rates vary depending on the product or service. Commissions can range from a few percent to upwards of 50% or more.

Do I need a blog or website for affiliate marketing?

While having a blog or website can enhance your affiliate marketing efforts, it's not mandatory. You can also use social media platforms, email marketing, and other channels to promote your eBooks and affiliate links.

Is Kindle Direct Publishing free to use?

Yes, Kindle Direct Publishing is a free platform to publish and distribute eBooks. You only pay when readers purchase your eBooks.

Can I promote physical products as an affiliate marketer?

Absolutely! Many affiliate programs offer physical products, and promoting them can be just as lucrative as promoting digital products.

[editcrafttech]

Kindle Publishing Income: The Path to Financial Freedom

Introduction

Do you dream of becoming a successful author and earning a substantial income from your writing? The world of publishing has undergone a significant transformation with the advent of digital platforms, providing aspiring writers with new opportunities to generate income. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the realm of Kindle publishing income review and explore the potential it holds for authors looking to make a mark in the literary world. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting on your writing journey, this article will equip you with the knowledge and strategies needed to maximize your earnings through Kindle publishing.

What is Kindle Publishing Income?

At its core, Kindle publishing income refers to the revenue generated by authors through self-publishing their works on Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform. With the rise in popularity of e-books and the widespread use of e-readers, authors now have the ability to publish their books directly to a global audience without the need for traditional publishing contracts. By tapping into the immense potential of Kindle publishing, authors can not only gain creative control over their works but also enjoy the financial rewards that come with it.

The Advantages of Kindle Publishing Income

Before we delve further into the intricacies of KPI, let's take a closer look at the advantages that make it an attractive option for aspiring authors:

Greater Royalties: Unlike traditional publishing contracts that often offer authors a modest percentage of the book's sales, KPI allows authors to earn royalties of up to 70% on every sale. This significantly increases the earning potential and incentivizes authors to pursue self-publishing.

Global Reach: Amazon's Kindle publishing detail review has a vast international presence, enabling authors to reach readers from all corners of the globe. With a few clicks, authors can make their books available to millions of readers worldwide, thereby expanding their potential customer base.

Control over Content: Self-publishing empowers authors to retain complete control over their creative works. From cover design to pricing and marketing strategies, authors have the freedom to make important decisions and shape their book according to their vision.

Quick Publishing Process: Unlike the lengthy process involved in traditional publishing, Kindle publishing offers a streamlined and efficient publishing process. Authors can upload their manuscripts, set up their book details, and publish their work in a matter of hours.

Low Barriers to Entry: Kindle publishing eliminates many of the barriers that authors traditionally faced when trying to get their books published. With minimal upfront costs and no requirement for literary agents or publishers, authors can now easily enter the publishing world and showcase their talent to a global audience.

Flexible Pricing: Kindle Direct Publishing allows authors to experiment with pricing strategies, offering them the ability to adjust their book prices at any time. This flexibility enables authors to optimize their earnings by testing different price points and promotional offers.

Now that we have explored the advantages for your business, let's delve into the strategies and steps authors can take to maximize their earnings on this platform.

Strategies to Maximize Kindle Publishing Income

Choose the Right Genre: Selecting the right genre for your book plays a crucial role in determining its success. Research popular genres on the Kindle platform and identify the ones that align with your writing style and interests. By understanding the market demand, you can position your book for maximum visibility and sales potential.

Craft an Engaging Book Cover: They say, "Don't judge a book by its cover," but in the world of publishing, first impressions matter. Invest in a professionally designed book cover that captures the essence of your story and appeals to your target audience. A visually striking cover can entice potential readers and increase the likelihood of sales.

Polish Your Manuscript: Quality writing is the backbone of any successful book. Before publishing, ensure that your manuscript is professionally edited and proofread. Typos, grammatical errors, and poor writing can significantly impact reader satisfaction and hinder the success of your book. Consider hiring a professional editor or utilizing editing tools to refine your work.

Implement Effective Marketing Strategies: Writing a great book is only half the battle; promoting it effectively is equally important. digital marketing tactics to increase the visibility of your book, such as running targeted advertisements, utilizing social media platforms, engaging with book bloggers and influencers, and leveraging your existing network of readers and friends.

Optimize Book Metadata: When uploading your book to Kindle Direct Publishing, pay close attention to the metadata, including the book title, subtitle, keywords, and book description. These elements influence your book's discoverability and search engine rankings. Conduct keyword research to identify relevant terms and incorporate them strategically into your metadata.

Leverage Kindle Select Program: Consider enrolling your book in the Kindle Select program, which provides exclusive benefits such as access to Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners' Lending Library. This program allows readers to borrow your book for free, increasing exposure and potential royalties through page reads.

Seek Reviews and Testimonials: Positive reviews and testimonials can go a long way in building business. Encourage your readers to leave reviews on your book's Amazon page and seek testimonials from influential figures in your niche. These endorsements can help establish your reputation as an author and entice potential readers to give your book a chance.

Engage with Your Readers: Building a loyal readership is crucial for long-term success as an author. Engage with your readers by responding to their comments and messages, offering exclusive content or bonuses, and nurturing a sense of community through newsletters or social media groups. By fostering a connection with your readers, you can cultivate a fan base that eagerly anticipates your future releases.

Experiment with Pricing and Promotions: Kindle Direct Publishing allows authors to run price promotions and discount campaigns to attract new readers. Experiment with different pricing strategies, such as temporarily reducing the price of your book or offering it for free, to stimulate sales and gain visibility. Monitor the impact of these promotions on your book's sales service and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Harness the Power of Keywords: Keywords play a vital role in helping readers discover your book. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant terms that align with your book's content and genre. Incorporate these keywords organically throughout your book's description, title, and subtitle to improve its visibility in Amazon's search results.

With these strategies in place, you can optimize your KPI and create a solid foundation for your writing career. Kindle Direct Publishing offers an abundance of opportunities for authors willing to put in the effort and explore creative marketing approaches.

Conclusion

Kindle publishing income has revolutionized the way authors bring their works to the world. With its global reach, attractive royalties, and creative control, self-publishing through Kindle Direct Publishing offers a lucrative opportunity for aspiring authors to showcase their talent and generate substantial income. By implementing effective marketing strategies, leveraging the power of keywords, and engaging with readers, authors can maximize their earnings and establish a successful writing career. Embrace the digital age of publishing, tap into the potential of Kindle publishing, and embark on a journey of literary success.

FAQs

Yes, Kindle Direct Publishing allows authors to publish both new and existing books. If you hold the rights to your previously published works, you can re-publish them on the Kindle platform and reach a broader audience.

No, there are no upfront costs to publish your book on Kindle Direct Publishing. Amazon operates on a revenue-sharing model, deducting a percentage of royalties based on the sale of each book.

Yes, Kindle Direct Publishing supports books in multiple languages. You can publish your book in various languages to cater to a global audience and expand your readership.

[chaunaleatricia]

Are you looking for a publishing job?

Are you looking for a publishing job?

==== Are you looking for a publishing job? Have you got a degree in journalism, media, or publishing? Perhaps you are someone who loves to read and are looking for a job in the publishing industry. Regardless of your background, finding a publishing job can be a daunting task, but here is a guide to help you get started. 1. Get your resume ready: Before you start applying for any jobs in…

[timothy-kang]

Road to Rich— Keys for Passive Income from Mike

1. Selling e-books is like real estate investments. 2. Leverage the exited business. 3. Use a ChatGPT for making a book. 4. Create ebook by Kindle Direct Publishing. 5. Start a ClickBank and earn money via commission. 6. Find trendy products on Etsy. 7. Visit the site, “printful.com” to find the customized goods.

[thebibliosphere]

I love how transparent you are about what its like to be a self published author in this day and age, and i was just wondering if there was a difference on your side between amazon ebook/paperback and audible - and also if Scribd is any better, because i use it as an alternative to amazon whenever possible (and whenever the library doesnt own a copy of whatever im looking for) is it functionally all the same? What is best for you?

Thank you!

I actually did a huge long post a while back when I got the audiobooks produced and uploaded to various platforms. I included Scribd in the breakdown after people falsely claim that Scrib is better for authors than Amazon/Libraries.

A lot of people were not happy when I burst that particular bubble by showing that Scribd paid me 97 cents out of the 19.99 price tag. Which is less than what Audible paid me.

Now, obviously, Scribd is different because it's a subscription service, and you’re paying for access to multiple things with that subscription. But saying it is better than libraries is just false because I also showed the numbers for that, and my income from libraries was several times higher than both Scribd and Amazon combined (for audio), which is why authors are always begging people to request their work in libraries.

Libraries pay us better and are usually free. Not always. I know it depends heavily on the country, but for most of my English-speaking audience, that is the case.

Now, this is not to say people shouldn’t use services like Scribd. If Scribd is what you can afford and it gives you access to things your library can’t fantastic. Please continue to access our work through that legal option. I would much rather earn 97 cents than zero.

But uh, yeah, Amazon pays me more than Scrib for digital stuff and I really don’t like when people who aren’t on the author side spread misinformation and frame it as some more “gotcha.”

The sad truth is Most retailers pay us the same or within the same royalty range. The difference I earn between Kobo vs Kindle is literal pennies with Amazon coming out on top. I make my work available on multiple platforms to give people options, but unless you’re buying directly from my personal storefront, it's all roughly the same.

I do actually earn more from Amazon paperbacks than I do any other retailers (for self-pub, paperbacks are a flat rate regardless of how much a retailer is charging), but the difference is about ten cents, so I always tell people to buy from wherever is best for them.

I like bookshop.org because they give some of the profit on their end to indie bookstores. Same with libro.fm for audio.

Audiobooks are just a whole fucking nightmare. Audible sets your price point for you and takes 80% of your royalties. And because Audible does that, I have to then use that price tag on all other platforms or risk being fucked by the algorithm gods. Other audio retailers take about 60-70% in royalties, most of them veering toward 70%.

As we say in radical acceptance therapy, it is what it is—fucking end-stage monopoly driven capitalism.

Now, speaking personally, when it comes to digital media, I earn the most royalties from my Payhip store where I keep 90% of my income.

That's the best place for me.

It's also why it's worth looking up an author you like to see if they have their own storefront. It doesn't help our sales rankings or put us on any bestseller lists, but frankly after launch week, who cares. I’ll take being able to feed me and my dog.

I hope that helps!

[writingquestionsanswered]

I apologize if this has already been asked, but how does someone go about getting their novel published? Let’s say you’re got your story wrapped up in a nice pretty bow. But you don’t know the first steps to take in order to get it out into the world.

Publishing: Story's Done... Now What?

First, congratulations on finishing your novel! That, in and of itself, is a huge accomplishment!

If you want to get your book out into the world, the next step is to decide which publishing route you want to follow. There are three potential options, each with their own benefits, drawbacks, and pitfalls:

Online Publishing: Sites like Wattpad and Inkitt are online publishing platforms that allow writers to upload their novel and book cover so that it's available for readers to read online or via an app. Depending on what you write, this can be a great way to find readers and start building an audience. Both Wattpad and Inkitt offer the ability for the author to get paid.

Self-Publishing: Many writers choose to self-publish their books as e-books (and sometimes print books) using platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing, Draft2Digital, Barnes and Noble Press, Kobo Writing Life, Smashwords, and others. The benefit to self-publishing is that you maintain 100% control of everything, from rights to design to publishing timeline. You also get to keep a higher percentage of royalties and can get books out faster than you can with traditional publishing. The drawback to self-publishing is getting out a quality, polished book can take a lot of time and effort, and to do it really well you should hire a professional editor and cover designer.

Traditional Publishing: This is the route most people think of when they think of being a published author. Via this route, authors first query their manuscript to literary agents open to submissions. If in agent offers to represent you, they will find a publisher who is a good fit for your book. The interested publisher will offer you a book deal, and the agent helps with the whole process. Less often, writers query publishers directly, though few legitimate publishers accept manuscripts that aren't represented by an agent.

The main benefit of traditional publishing is there is no out-of-pocket cost to the writer, Everyone gets paid out of your book's sales. There's also a fairly good chance you'll receive an advance on royalties, meaning you'll get paid a small sum of money upfront, before your book is even published. You also have a whole team dedicated to helping you make your book the best it can be, and you're much more likely to see your book on bookstore shelves.

The drawbacks of pursuing traditional publishing are numerous. For one thing, it's a time consuming and often frustrating process. Most writers spend anywhere from a few months to a year "in the query trenches" before they find representation, if they ever do at all. The general estimate is that 1% to 2% of writers who pursue traditional publishing will end up with a book deal. Even if you do get a book deal, that doesn't mean your book will definitely be on bookstore shelves or that it will sell really well. There's a lot of competition for shelf space in bookstores, so many traditionally published books never see the inside of a bookstore. Regardless of whether or not a book is on bookstore shelves, only about 25% of traditionally published books sell well enough to earn out their advance, which means the advance is the only profit the author receives from the book. You will also still be responsible for doing the majority of your own marketing and promotion, so just as with self-publishing, how well your book sells can depend partly on how well you market it.

One thing that's true across the board... regardless of whether you choose online publishing, self-publishing, or traditional publishing, is that it's very unlikely to make you a living income. Most writers, whether they're self-published or traditionally published, have a "day job," a writing-related "side hustle" (like book editing, ghost writing, or hosting craft workshops), or they have an independent income such as being retired or having a spouse who supports them. So, don't choose a route because you think it's a fast-path to income or a surefire route to one.

How do you choose between the three? Before you choose a path, it's worth sitting down to take stock of what you want to get out of your publishing career. If you want full control over rights, content, cover design, and publishing timeline, self-publishing may be the best route for you. If you would prefer not to do anything other than write and revise, query, and some marketing, traditional publishing might be a good path. If you want full control over everything but don't want to do much other than write and revise, online publishing may be a good choice. Either way, there's tons of information out there about each option, so make sure to do more research into whichever paths interest you.

Older posts with added info:

Guide: A Quick Rundown on Publishing To Self-Publish or Traditionally Publish? 12 Sites for Sharing Original Fiction

Best wishes on whichever path you choose!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[mitigatedchaos]

"Writing? In 2024?"

Monday, April 29, 2024

(~2,400 words, 12 minutes)

@northshorewave Re: this publishing post:

I've read through the post that was linked, and an earlier related post by the same author that preceded it.

Her position is that the traditional publishing industry is essentially buying books as lottery tickets, paying for most of them using the few big winners they can't predict.

NorthShoreWave - The personal qualities of NSW specifically.

LLMs - Is AI a threat right now? Mostly as spam.

How Many Readers? - One famous book had 3,000 readers on an email list before its Amazon e-book debut, and went on to traditional publishing.

Funding Options - Many authors and artists are currently using subscription services. Some reasoning and numbers are provided.

Illustrations - Should you use illustrations? This lengthy section does a bit of fundamentals analysis of posting to suggest that maybe, you should.

Interaction - Reader replies are one method by which a post will spread.

Search - The people who want to read your story can't read it if they don't know about it. Writing a good book is essential, but only half the battle.

Some thoughts for you:

1 - NorthShoreWave

You implicitly asked if we had discussed your story in detail before, but the answer is that we hadn't. I have a sense of what you're trying to accomplish based on what I've observed of your character. While you think of yourself as seething, I think you're actually wise, compassionate, self-aware, and able to view things from multiple perspectives. A significant number of people are much worse at practicing at least one of these virtues. On its own, that's not enough to write a best-seller, but I think it does provide you with an advantage.

2 - LLMs

Based on my experiments (see @mitigatedai for some logs), I wouldn't worry about competition from AI. For you, the chief issue caused by AI will be spam. AI moves sideways (different text) and downwards (less meaning). I may tell LLMs to "combine Inspector Gadget and Death Note," but...

Do I actually use the information provided? No.

3 - How many readers do you need?

From one of those publishing posts, to get a sense of the number of readers you need...

Andy Weir first published The Martian as a serial for his own blog, then as a self-published novel on Amazon, then as a traditionally published novel with Random House. “I had an email list with about 3,000 people on it, so, initially, the audience was roughly that much,” he tells me. “When I first posted it to Amazon, I didn’t do anything to market or publicize it. All I did was tell my readers it was available there.” The book was on Amazon for five months, at a price point of 99 cents, and he sold 35,000 copies before Random House bought the rights in February of 2014.

Note that being a provocative firebrand doesn't necessarily mean you'll sell copies. Some politicians with tremendous name recognition failed to move copies of their books.

4 - Funding Options

I don't recommend using a Kickstarter to publish your book at this time or in the near future. You just don't have the name recognition, but also, Slashdotter Caimlas (who I don't know, so I don't know how trustworthy he is) wrote:

I'm personal friends with a number of authors who publish books in one of several subgenres. Mostly, they rely on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited: some of them are prolific enough that their book sales account for most of their income, simply based on peoples' reading of their works. Mostly, unless people want a piece of history or something they can reference, folks seem to hate having clutter. Fiction that sells isn't usually, primarily sold as a hardcopy book anymore, I don't believe - short of the kinds of books that end up at the end of the grocery store isle or in an airport novelty store.

A lot of publishing is done online these days, often through subscription services such as Substack (for essays) or Patreon. (Kindle Unlimited is also a subscription service, costing $12/mo.) As an example, the webcomic Spinnerette has a Patreon (bringing down $3.3k/mo), and then runs Kickstarter campaigns for print runs (volume 8 raised $27k).

To give you an estimate, Spinnerette's Patreon has only 536 subscribers, and pulls down $3.3k/mo, but you probably haven't heard of it. El Goonish Shive, which I'm confident you have heard of, brings in $3.6k/mo on 2.4k subscribers. The famous Kill Six Billion Demons has ~5.4k subscribers, bringing down ~$8.4k.

In Patreon terms, a good foothold to try for might be 100 subscribers at $3/mo each, with an initial focus on getting to 50.

5 - Illustrations

You've posted some drawings. They have some character, showing that you have the basic aptitude to develop the skill if you applied yourself to regular practice. However, the proportions are too far off to attract much attention (except as a stylistic choice, which, I can tell, it is not).

This blog tends to break things down into their abstract fundamentals for analysis. I promised myself I wasn't going to do that here, but eh, we'll do just a bit.

To quote one of the publishing articles...

“People tend to buy the books that are already really popular,” Deahl says. “They look at the bestseller list to see what they want to buy and that reinforces this tiny amount of books at the top. It’s a very top-heavy system. The tricky thing in publishing is success begets success. But it’s really hard to create that spark.”

Let's stop to think about this.

a. Banter - Fame

There is one layer to this that you can't do much of anything about, which is that people will watch the same shows their friends watch in order to have something to talk about with their friends.

b. Investment - Background

However, there is another layer over which you have more influence. It's very easy to make a quick judgment of a movie based on its visuals, or a short trailer. It's also relatively easy to judge short songs, since they're only a few minutes long (but I don't find myself doing this often).

In order to judge a book, you have to read the text and process it. You can't make a snap judgment off a single picture, because you have to read the text first to produce the mental picture.

This website does have viral text posts, but they're like...

You seem to have fundamentally misunderstood me, Anon.  Go read all 5,640 posts again.

Some of these posts can get a bit long, but it's usually a back-and-forth where each individual post is short. Often, they'll mix in images, or memes.

People supposedly read at 200 words per minute. Based on that estimate, this blog's most viral post of all time can be read in 5 seconds. That's about the same amount of time someone would spend looking at a jpeg.

That doesn't mean people don't enjoy effortposts. They will follow a blog upon encountering a good effortpost! They just don't like or reblog them.

I think you already know this part, but for "acceptable" length for reblogging, it's usually best to keep it under one "Tumblr page," meaning around one screen length on desktop, or around 200-300 words. I've talked about this part before, but if the reader can see the end of the post, it feels like less of an investment to read the post, and reblogging it won't fill up a friend's Tumblr dash.

Obviously that's tough for long-form fiction, because it has to load more context about the characters in order to establish the stakes. (Unless it's fan fiction, where the audience already knows the characters.)

c. Investment - Strategy

As you know, this blog will sometimes post political cartoons and other illustrations as part of its general stream of content.

The obvious strategy is just to have some nice-looking character images or images of scenes from the story. It can be "read" faster, so it's more shareable.

I think that strategy suffers from a weakness in that it's easy to just look at the image and disregard the text. This would reduce your fiction blog to an art blog - and it is not an art blog.

Therefore, I would like to gently suggest - and keep in mind, I do not have any published novels - a different potential approach. This proposal is speculative, and this technique is not widely used.

Do you know that famous Rockwell painting, Breaking Home Ties? Rockwell is a master of telling a story with just a single still-frame painting.

Rockwell has to tell the whole story in one picture, because that's the medium he's got to work with. This limits how much story he can tell. As an author, you don't have to limit yourself to what can be told in just one image, because you have the text.

This strategy would involve a two-step maneuver.

First, the image at the top of the post communicates the essentials that the reader needs to know about the characters through the composition of the scene (so that they don't need to read background material), as well as various subtle details, while raising questions, also through the use of details/etc, to increase the viewer's curiosity.

Fortunately for the viewer, second, the questions raised by the image are answered in the text right below it.

The post would form an entry point into a network of related posts; tags for particular characters could be linked at the bottom, or links to other posts in the sequence.

Secondary characters would be ideal for this, because you can manipulate their scenarios/context/character to fit the short format, while your overall project will focus on the main characters and thus have a greater, long-term narrative investment for appropriately larger payoff.

As I wrote in my post on 'text wall memes,' people will read text in an image, and they'll even reblog it, but it's contextual. So again, this is speculative, but it should be feasible. It's a matter of creating the appropriate context.

d. Investment - AI Art

I don't think you should use AI-generated art. Yes, people will be able to tell, but the even bigger problem...

Compare this AI knockoff to Norman Rockwell's original Girl with Black Eye.

The expression is wrong. The pose is different. This is a completely different story from the one Rockwell was telling! The prompteur 'borrows' the right 25% of the image from Norman's original because he can't reproduce it. And what is that random white cloth on the left side of the image?

There is a significant reduction in the amount of intention in the image. Putting it back in involves working over the image, repeatedly, usually with inpainting, and often working against what's in the AI's training data, forcing it to pull from more and more improbable parts of the distribution (until eventually, there's no matching data in the training at all; you have to get out and draw it yourself).

I'm going to borrow a post of my own here from 2019.

This isn't oriented towards the strategy I've described, and it only got 21 notes, but note the teacup with steam and tea bag tag, the obscured flag in the background, and the Youtube-style video tracker on the bottom. The combination of the special effect, text that looks like a subtitle, and video tracker imply that the image is a screenshot from a streaming anime.

The character is casually (as indicated by the cup of tea) sitting at a computer desk (as indicated by the faintly sketched keyboard and hand position for a mouse). What's that flag in the background? It certainly doesn't belong to any extant country. (In fact, as the artist, I'll tell you - it's based on an O'Neill Cylinder.)

Obviously this art is very much just a sketch in quality terms. An AI rendering usually looks much fancier. However, an AI would not put that detail in.

e. Investment - Technical Skills

However, I will suggest the use of software if you go this route. (Or the hiring of an artist, but that could get expensive.)

Your issue is with proportions. Lots of people have trouble with proportions. (You also have trouble with hands. Lots of people have trouble with hands.)

One way to deal with this is to just train. You'd be surprised at how fast you improve if you draw from realistic sources such as photographs an hour a day for a year, even if it's just a quick sketch. You probably aren't willing to do so. You have other things to worry about, including writing.

However, you could use posing software. You could save the proportions of several characters and position them throughout the scene, as well as having a grid for the ground and potentially other props to help with positioning of items like lamp posts or the edges of buildings. (I've experimented with posing software a bit myself.)

Dan Shive (of El Goonish Shive) does not use posing software as far as I know, but he has used 3D software. Although his style is cartoonish, one thing people like about him is that he does put effort in at improvement, and the quality of his work has improved substantially. (That was actually the inspiration for the second part of the "in 2028, Hollywood runs out of ideas and adapts El Goonish Shive" post.)

6 - Interaction

Though shorter posts tend to go more viral, I find that posts which someone can reblog and share their opinion tend to show up a lot in my top posts (as long as they're only about one tumblr page long). The MOON PRISON poll is a good example of something that's approachable and neutral, but fits heavily with the themes of my blog, but other posts may take a political position that invites disagreement, resulting in discourse, and get reblogged that way. (You may also remember the silly Swift Pill poll.)

I don't recommend courting disagreement on purpose. Not only is this bad for the social environment, but it tends to make people go crazy.

7 - Search

I think you've probably noticed some of this already and are working with it (posting short excerpts, initial art). Most of this is, again, speculative. This is all just information for your consideration.

Writing a good book is the first problem. Getting the readers who would enjoy the book to find it in such a noisy environment is the second problem. I think you can do it, but if your trajectory isn't currently looking as good as you want (e.g. # followers on your story's sideblog), I would recommend expanding your strategy so that you're in a good position when the book itself is ready to launch.

[untilyouremember]

Where can I read and request manga?

Turns out that finding answers to this can be really daunting for anyone just finding manga. I know that most of it exists, online, for free. However, that can cause a lot of harm to the industry and more importantly, the mangaka who work hard to bring you the content you crave.

Check under the cut for surveys I've found and ways to access officially licensed manga.

You can use regular retailers to buy digital and print: Amazon/Kindle, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Bookwalker, Google Play, Apple Books, Nook

There are apps available for buying volumes, chapters, using ticket systems to access free content, or with subscriptions.

Mangamo - $4.99/mo for 200+ titles; titles available for purchases with in-app library

Viz manga - $1.99/mo; titles available to purchase with in-app library (carries titles from Viz, but not their SJ series)

Shonen Jump - $2.99/mo; titles available to purchase with in-app library (carries specifically SJ titles, which are often popular shounen)

Comikey - uses a key system; ability to read for free with ads and patience

Kmanga - app maintained by Kodansha; chapters are often available to read for free through a ticket system and able to purchase

Kodansha - a website where you can create a free reading account. They offer 3 free chapters on all their manga, occasionally feature several free volumes, and run sales on their content somewhat regularly.

MangaPlus - [info incoming, subscription service available?]

MangaPlaza - 7 day free trial; $6.99/mo; [info incoming, seems to have more mature licenses]

INKR - 3 ways to access content; free, coins & 'Extra Membership'. Extra can cost $4.99/mo or $44.99/year and gives you access to content, extra savings and "free ink" that can be traded for their coin system. (Used to be Manga Rock and that was a fun read from them)

MangaPlanet - $1.99/week -> $47.99/year depending on which tier you pay for.

MangaUP - Hosted by Shueisha, has new subscription service available, more information incoming

Renta! - point system; 1 point = 1 cent; regular bonus points for higher purchases

Mangacat - [currently researching; seems to allow people to independently upload and set prices for viewing; people can also do translations for work. Acts as somewhat of a 'by fans for fans' site. Coin system where 20 coins=1$ with no discounts for larger purchases]

Irodori Comics - hosts 18+, specializes in doujinshi, more info incoming

ComiXology - $4.99/month; a service through amazon that allows you access to comics, manga and graphic novels. Specifically boasts {2400} manga titles.

Animeplanet - has a library of completely free comics and anime through partnerships; seems to host less manga styled comics but free is free.

Manta, Comicle, Webtoon, Tappytoon, Tapas, WebComics, Bilibili will be looked into but they host mostly webtoon style comics

Seven seas has a (mostly) monthly survey that is linked on their homepage at all times.

If you have a bookwalker account, I found a Google doc that you fill out requests and they send them to publishers.

To send suggestions to Viz, use this survey that is listed through their Contact Us page (you select the "Series Suggestion" and will be redirected)

Please try to support official English releases, because it shows it is a lucrative business decision to continue the manga. Nothing is worse than starting something and being unable to finish it because it stopped getting translated and published. If you like it, do whatever you can to prove it to the mangaka and the translation/publishing industry.

I will update this post as needed, enjoy your manga! ♡

[theharddeck]

today's delusion is knowing that i've written 70k of smut (not including chapter fics) in the last year and change, which is a full length romance novel. i've also been working on my actual novel, but that's a ways away from being publishable, and i keep being tempted by the thought of just writing smut for kindle to try to generate passive income, but i feel like everything's been done?? and that's why i like fanfic, because everyone knows the tropes, everyone knows the characters, and there's no pretense of originality/it's just a fun time so yeah i guess open to ideas/thought here, if anyone has any

[chaunaleatricia]

OWN Voices

The concept of “OWN Voices” has become increasingly popular in the past several years, especially in the literary world. OWN Voices is a term used to describe literature, stories, or pieces of art that are written or created by people who are a part of the same culture, community, or identity portrayed in the work itself. In a world where so many stories are created by outsiders, the presence…

[sukirichi]

OKAY I don’t normally leave out comments on fics BUT I just gotta to let you know even if it’s through an anon ask. Long message incoming I just love your writing so much ahh ok so I know Reckless is discontinued but I just want to say that it’s one of my favorite fics.. like I’m not even kidding it makes me sad to know that it’s discontinued but also it’s one of the best ones I’ve read. I only recently got into jjk so that explains why I’m a little late. But – your writing *chefs kiss* (I’m a sucker for fics with really good writing and formatting lolol and yours is perfect) and your storytelling techniques *chefs kiss* and the slow burn *chefs kiss* I’m living for it all. Even though I won’t get to read it in its entirety I’m still looking forward to reading the chapters I got left.

PS. I originally found them on ao3 some months ago, downloaded them onto my Kindle for full reading experience lmao, and only got around to reading it a few days ago. I’ll have to read some chapters here on tumblr instead but I don’t really mind. Just how did I let it sit around on my shelf for so long ahh please keep writing <3 I’ll pick up more of your work once I’m done with this

hi anon and omg a reckless fic ask? so nostalgic, its been forever 😭 and ah this makes me so giddy, you have no idea. i’m sad to see reckless discontinued too bcos i remember spending a lot of time working on it, but it was exhausting and i felt more stressed than happy to write it :(

(but i’m easily swayed so when i read this i almost thought ‘hey maybe i can pick it up again like i did with dtd, lmao.’) but again, thank you so much, anon, forever grateful for the love you guys have for my works 🥺

also, i didn’t know fics could be downloaded on kindle?? i thought only published works could be dl’ed there but this sounds great HAHAHA. and again, thank you so much, i hope you enjoy my other works as well!

[ebookporn]

The Fiske Reading Machine: The 1920s Precursor to the Kindle

The Sony Librie, the first e-reader to use a modern electronic-paper screen, came out in 2004. Old as that is in tech years, the basic idea of a handheld device that can store large amounts of text stretches at least eight decades farther back in history. Witness the Fiske Reading Machine, an invention first profiled in a 1922 issue of Scientific American. “The instrument, consisting of a tiny lens and a small roller for operating this eyepiece up and down a vertical column of reading-matter, is a means by which ordinary typewritten copy, when photographically reduced to one-hundredth of the space originally occupied, can be read with quite the facility that the impression of conventional printing type is now revealed to the unaided eye,” writes author S. R. Winters.

Making books compatible with the Fiske Reading Machine involved not digitization, of course, but miniaturization. According to the patents filed by inventor Bradley Allen Fiske (eleven in all, between 1920 and 1935), the text of any book could be photo-engraved onto a copper block, reduced ten times in the process, and then printed onto strips of paper for use in the machine, which would make them readable again through a magnifying lens. A single magnifying lens, that is: “A blinder, attached to the machine, can be operated in obstructing the view of the unused eye.” (Winters adds that “the use of both eyes will doubtless involve the construction of a unit of the reading machine more elaborate than the present design.”)

“Fiske believed he had single-handedly revolutionized the publishing industry,” writes Engadget’s J. Rigg. “Thanks to his ingenuity, books and magazines could be produced for a fraction of their current price. The cost of materials, presses, shipping and the burden of storage could also be slashed. He imagined magazines could be distributed by post for next to nothing, and most powerfully, that publishing in his format would allow everyone access to educational material and entertainment no matter their level of income.” Considering how the relationship between readers and reading material ultimately evolved, thanks not to copper blocks and magnifiers and tiny strips of paper but to computers and the internet, it seems that Fiske was a man ahead of his time.

Alas, the Fiske Reading Machine itself was just on the wrong side of technological history. 

READ MORE

More like a hand microfiche. ~ eP

[monsterrae1]

I need some void space to vent so ya'll look away if you don't want to read a rant about rapid publishing of books and AI books.

Last chance to look away.

I've been doing some research on kindle unlimited publishing the last few weeks cause I need a second income to make meets end and due to chronic illness I can't take on a second full time job, so I figured you know maybe if I can get the ball rolling now on some short novellas I can have some passive income in the future from there, solid idea.

I went to youtube today to see some vlogs of people who have also gone into this, and man, I've been a little angry all afternoon, because i ran into this guys page that gives you a "tutorial," on how to make 6 figures through kindle publishing, at first everything was more focused on the pros of it, and how he grew an old account that he ended up selling at 850k, and that was my first red flag.

why would he want to sell an account with his authored books?

Well, it would turn out that he didn't write any of the books, one of the advices was "get someone to write the books for cheap for you," and then his next video - or the one youtube had on the top of the list of recommendations - was "How to write a good book through ChatGPT." I closed his videos and had to take a walk after that.

Ever since I have a memory I've wanted to become a published author. That was always my dream, ever since I was a kid i just wanted to tell stories and have some people enjoy them, and I was told that it was a foolish dream and that I was going to starve if I did that.

So i went to school, I got a nine to five corporate job and was content enough writing my silly fics while slowly chipping away at my novels that I was never planning on publishing. And then today i find out that there's people treating it like its a business without a soul? You're making a living off of books and stories you don't care about, you only went into it for the money? You're living off other people's work, that you paid for cheap while you're making six figures a year? Fucking shameful imo

[writingquestionsanswered]

Do you have anything related to publishing, especially places to publish? Maybe a site like ao3 but for original content?

Thank you so much! I hope this isn't a fool question!

Guide: A Quick Rundown on Publishing

The Four Types of Publishing

Online Publishing is when you publish your story on a blog, web site, social media site, or fiction sharing site. My post 12 Sites for Sharing Original Fiction is a little out of date, but it covers the still active options for publishing your story online. Also, don't discount AO3 for original fiction as its original fiction tag is growing. PROS: free; good way to build platform. CONS: no income.

Traditional Publishing is when a publishing house acquires and publishes your manuscript. The "Big Five" publishers (and many others) do not accept unsolicited manuscripts, so you need to find ones that do or seek representation by a literary agent. The publisher (including author services like editing, formatting, cover, production, distribution, and promotion) and agent cost you nothing upfront/out-of-pocket. They will get paid out of the proceeds from your book once it's on sale. Some publishers pay an advance on royalties upon acquisition of your book, though these are increasingly low or nonexistent for debut authors these days. Then, you will periodically (every six months, usually) receive a royalties check with the percent of sales your publisher agreed to pay you. PROS: no upfront fees; all the author services are taken care of for you; you have a publishing team and plenty of guidance; income! CONS: querying can be a long and stressful rejection-filled process; landing an agent doesn't guarantee you'll get a publisher; you're working with a team so you're not the only one making decisions about your book; it generally takes a year to publication after manuscript is acquired; there's no guarantee your book will make a lot of money once it's on sale.

Self-Publishing/Indie Publishing is when you publish your novel yourself on a platform like Kindle Direct Publishing, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Press, Draft2Digital, IngramSpark, Kobo, etc. Since these platforms deal with e-books and Print On Demand, you don't pay for the cost of production. You do need to self-arrange and potentially pay for editing, formatting, cover, and promotion. I say "potentially" because it's possible to do your own editing, formatting, and cover, but it's best to hire professionals when you can afford to. Once your book is live, you will periodically receive whatever percent of royalties the platform pays. PROS: you are in control of everything from author services to publishing timeline; there's some flexibility in how much you pay for author services; typically higher royalties than traditionally published authors receive. CONS: paying out-of-pocket for author services; no advance; no guarantee book will sell or sell well enough to cover what you put into it.

Subsidy Publishing is when you pay a publishing press to publish your novel for you, which includes author services like editing, cover design, formatting, distribution, and promotion. Many subsidy presses publish via existing e-book and Print On Demand services like KDP and IngramSpark. Since they're a third-party between you and these services, and since their author services are in-house, publishing via a subsidy press is a lot more expensive than arranging and paying for these services directly. However, for people who can afford it, this is often the best route to publication with some caveats. And I want to say here: since subsidy publishing was the first type of self-publishing, it's often frowned upon and seen as illegitimate, even being called "vanity presses" by some (I've been guilty of this myself.) But it's important to note that for people with disabilities and other circumstances that make self-publishing challenging or impossible, this might be the best way for them to publish. The caveat is there's a lot of predatory practice in the subsidy press industry, so if you choose to go that route, do your research (look for online "Watch Dog" lists calling out predatory businesses) and make sure your bases are covered. PROS: everything is handled for you. CONS: extremely expensive and cost-prohibitive for many; risk of predatory practice; no guarantee you'll make back what you put in.

Additional Notes on Publishing

No Publishing Route is Better or Worse - Every writer chooses the route they think will work best for them. Some succeed on their chosen route, some fail and try a different route, some use one route for one book and a different route for the next book. No route is superior to any other. No type of publishing produces categorically better or worse books than any other. All types of publishing produce lots of good and lots of bad books.

Being Traditionally Published Doesn't Validate You As a Writer - Traditional publishing is run by gatekeepers whose number one interest is in making money. They make publishing choices primarily based on trends and industry data, meaning that a bad book that's on trend will make more money before people realize it's terrible than a really good book that isn't trendy enough to turn heads. That means a lot of really good books are passed up in favor of not-so-great books. Being traditionally published doesn't mean your book is good. Failing to be traditionally published doesn't mean your book is bad. Sometimes it's the luck of the draw. Validation comes from readers who enjoy and even love your work, whether you find them through your web site, fiction sharing sites, self-published books, or traditionally published books.

There's Room For EVERYONE in Publishing - People still love to read. They love to read on a rainy day. They love to read by the beach or pool. They love to read on the bus. They love to read while on the treadmill. They love to read on long drives. Goodreads logged 320 million books pledged to be read in the 2022 reading challenge. And people love to read EVERYTHING! Whatever you want to write, I guarantee there's an audience for it. You just have to do the work of finding it. So, FFS, let's stop turning up our noses at certain genres, categories, tropes, and publishing routes. Bragging about what you won't read or won't write doesn't make people sound intelligent, it makes them sound like snobs. And we just don't need that sh*t anymore. We can be supportive of other writers and other authors and other readers without losing anything ourselves.

So... whether you choose to publish fan-fiction or original fiction on AO3, or YA through a Big Five publisher, or self-publish a romance, or subsidy publish a memoir, or e-mail an original short story to your best friend... YOU ARE VALID, YOU ARE A WRITER, YOU ARE AN AUTHOR.

You know where to find me if you need tips and advice. ♥

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I've been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I've learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[sweetfirebird]

Kind of thinking of... not publishing this book now. There are constant delays with the cover (some of which were my fault, or at least, gmail's fault, some of which... my curse when it comes to cover artists maybe), I can't schedule promo or a release or anything because no idea when/if I will get a cover, and there doesn't seem to be much excitement about it anyway, and I already suspected it wouldn't sell much because of subject matter and stuff, so... I can make a crappy cover myself on like, Canva, if need be. But I just... do not feel motivated rn to promote it or talk about it. It would be a loss of income, but not much of a loss probably since, again, no audience for it. It kind of gives me like, Wicklow or Delf vibes and idk if I can go through that right now.

It means I'll have to rush something out before the end of the year, and probably put something else up on Kindle Unlimited (ugh) but... Yeah whatever excitement I felt about it is gone.