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Chip MacGregor is the president of MacGregorLiterary, a full-service literary agency on the Oregon Coast. A former publisher with Time Warner, he has worked with authors as a literary agent for more than a dozen years, and was previously a senior editor at two publishing houses. An Oregon native, Chip lives in a small town on the Oregon coast. Chip is also the author of a couple dozen books and a popular teacher on the craft of writing and marketing. Connect with him through his blog and on Twitter.
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Which e-book publishers should a
hybrid author consider?
I've been one of those agents encouraging writers to consider becoming hybrid authors (that is, publishing with traditional publishers, as well as self-publishing some titles). That has brought me this question from several people: Which e-book publishers do I need to consider?
There are a number of choices for authors who want to indie-publish a book. Everybody tends to immediately think, "I'll just post it myself on Amazon," but we've seen countless error-filled books done on Amazon, so if you want to take a step forward, there are some options to consider. Of course, you need to know what you want in a publisher. For example, do you want to pay extra for marketing help? Does your non-fiction book need photos or maps in the text? Will you want the capability of adding an audio version of your novel? There are a bunch of choices, so let me suggest some places to consider checking out.
1. Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (you'll find them at kdp.amazon.com). This can be a great choice, since it's quick, easy, and fast. KDP will make sure your book is available on every Kindle and every computer or phone with the Kindle app, it allows you to be part of their unlimited lending program, and has some special features such as their "countdown" deal and their free book program. KDP pays you a royalty of 35% of the list price on most sales, with the opportunity of a 70% royalty if you follow some pricing guidelines. They pay monthly, and can do direct deposits. It's a great way to go for many authors... but the big drawback is that they will have some Amazon-only restrictions. That means people who don't own a Kindle won't even be seeing your book. Still, KDP is great for reaching the Kindle crowd, which is roughly 60% of all ebook readers.
2. Smashwords (www.smashwords.com). This is who we almost always recommend to authors who want to reach beyond Amazon. Kindle is great, but Smashwords will get you into the iBookstore (for readers with iPads), the Nook bookstore (for Barnes & Noble devotees), the Kobo bookstore (which works with indie bookstores in this country, but is a big deal overseas), and Scribd. So instead of having to upload your titles to every company independently, Smashwords takes care of all the non-Amazon e-tailers, and converts your text into the various formats you'll need. They also have nice extras such as free marketing help, and they'll even suggest who can help you with the required formatting. They pay 70%, will send you checks quarterly, and we've never had a problem with the accounting at Smashwords. This is a company we trust, and if you do both Smashwords and self-publish a book on Amazon, you're reaching all the major markets.
Stay informed about what's out there.
3. BookBaby (www.bookbaby.com). This is a fast-growing company that makes it easy for authors. They offer three packages, charge you a flat fee, and take care of everything -- formatting, distributing to all the e-tailers, and even helping with marketing. They have some great extra features (like an author bookstore page, or good cover design assistance) that cost more, but the authors I've spoken with have been very happy with their experiences at BookBaby. This is more of a one-stop shopping -- so while posting your book on Amazon is free, the convenience of using BookBaby will cost you, but it might be worth it to you. They pay 85% of net. BookBaby isn't as fast as the others, but they have good customer service, and offer some really nice extra features (that you'll have to pay for, of course). We think they're a good option for the right authors.
4. Kobo's Writing Life (www.kobo.com). This one might be new to you, but I mention it because it's huge in other countries. Kobo currently says they are the world's second-largest e-bookstore, and that they're doing book in nearly 70 languages, reaching into almost 200 countries (that's from their website, so I'm taking their word for it). I've known authors who have worked with them, and they rave about how easy it is -- you upload a file, Kobo converts it, they pay you 70%, and they're now starting to offer some marketing helps. But the big news is that they're working closely with ABA bookstores, which means all those indie bookstores will be helping you to sell your titles. This is one of those companies you might be overlooking, so make sure to check them out.
There are lots of options out there—it's our job to
stay informed.
There are certainly others. Apple has iBook Author (which people have complained is cumbersome to use, but can be great for children's books, cookbooks, and projects with a lot of photos), NookPress (which replaced PubIt, and is easy to use, but only for those who own the floundering Nook), Vook (which can work with all the e-tailers, but works on a different economic model than the others), eBookIt (the competitor to BookBaby in terms of being a one-stop shop), and BookTango, iUniverse, Trafford, and Lulu, who are all owned or in partnership with the folks at AuthorSolutions. To anyone looking at an AuthorSolutions company, I always say, "Do your research." There are good programs and bad programs, but understand that AuthorSolutions is too often accused of being there to sell services to you, as the author, not to necessarily sell books to consumers.
My question to you: Which of these have you worked with, and what are your impressions? Leave a note in the "comments" section for who you liked and why (or who you didn't, and why not).
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Chip MacGregor