Happy Monday, WG2E-Land!!!
Here’s a must-read Self-Publishing Survey and really the only scoop of its kind…
On Amazon
I mentioned in late February 2012 that the wonderful peeps at The Taleist Blog were conducting this survey…and now, the results are in and have been published for us all to digest.
This survey was a 60+ question online survey that I participated in, along with over 1,000 other Self-Published/Indie Epublished Authors.
Dave Cornford and Steven Lewis did a great job with the questions, and I’m enjoying diving into the analysis of what all the respondents’ answers reveal about our Indie Epublishing careers.
For example, the survey showed that those of us using professional cover designers, format professionals and freelance editors are making, on average, over 30% more than Indie Epub Authors who are doing these things on their own.
Another interesting tidbit…
The title of the report itself “Not a Gold Rush” is significant in that we’re not part of an “Ebook gold rush” or, in other words, most of us using the Indie Epub Route are what Cornford and Lewis call “old hands”, meaning over 40% of us have been writing-for-publication for 10+ years (60% for more than 5 years; only 1 in 10 for less than a year).
We’re pursuing the Indie Epub Route to “side-step the old gatekeepers.” We’ve been there, done that…suffered the rejections of agents and publishers.
SO…
We’re building golden empires by now taking our work straight to readers!
It’s Your Turn, WG2E-Land: Have any of you read The Taleist Survey and if so, what are your thoughts? And if you haven’t read it, will it be something you’ll take a peek at?
The Best of Indie Epublishing Wishes — D. D. Scott
P.S. Here another finding that was very interesting in the survey results: 31% of the Indie Epubbed participants self-published first without even trying the TradiPub Route. This group was composed of peeps who’d been writing for less than 6 years. New and upcoming writers then are definitely realizing they don’t even have to waste their time trying the TradiPub Route first! 
Great info, DD, I’ll head on over and check it out! I also participated in the questions and thought it was a very comprehensive survey.
This is pretty amazing: “31% of the Indie Epubbed participants self-published first without even trying the TradiPub Route. This group was composed of peeps who’d been writing for less than 6 years”
I’m not surprised. The opportunities out there now for indies are amazing. What’s the point in waiting years querying when you get your book out there as soon as it’s ready?
Their questions were really spot-on, Sibel!
I sooo hear ya on the “what’s the point in waiting” for the TradiPub Query Process!
Total waste of time and money (money…because you could be making money each day on Amazon, Nook, Sony, iTunes, Kobo, etc. as an Indie Epubbed Author)
This is the first I heard of the survey. I’ll certainly check it out. I’ve been on the indie trail as a freelance novelist for two years. This was after ten years of submitting fiction and never getting the ‘yes’ but receiving lots of positive feedback, and twelve years of publishing nonfiction. So I guess I fit into that 40%.
You definitely fit that 40%, Diane! And thanks bunches for sharing your journey with us!!!
I think that self publishing as we know it today is still so knew that I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the results are outdated. I know of some authors who were just starting out so their figures were low but now they’re much higher with time.
What I find the most interesting that people from both sides are using the survey to prove their own theories about publishing.
I sooo agree that already some of these results are outdated, Laura! That’s how fast our Indie Epub World is growing!
I can give you just my personal example in that when I participated in the survey, I reported I was making between $35,000 – $50,000 per year as an Indie Epubbed Author.
A few short months later, and I’m now on track to make over $100,000 this year alone!!!
And yes, as in any type of survey, the results can certainly be massaged to form solid arguments on both sides.
I find it interesting that the indies/self-published who are doing better are the ones who hire out work eg cover design etc instead of doing it on their own. It goes to show that being professional that way works and has its benefits.
Indeed, Julie!!!
One piece of The Taleist Survey analysis I thought was spot-on was when the authors said that those reporting the most success as Indie Epublished Authors treated their business as if they were their own “Publishing House”, meaning, just like the TradiPubs, we’re hiring professional editors, cover designers and format peeps!!!
LOL… my demographic is in there! (I know I responded to this poll way back when)…
Location 185: “There was, however, a similarly sized group (31%) [similar in size the group that had scars from seeking a trad pub deal : 40%] who had self-published without first trying the traditional route. This latter group was younger (about 38 years old, as compared to 43 years old) [I'm 30] and the members had been taking their writing seriously for a shorter period of time (six years, as compared to more than ten years)”
I’ve been writing commercially (first non-fiction) since October 2007.
I also liked the stat that only 10% of respondents had been writing seriously for less than 1 year. Granted this is self-reported, and my guess is that number is low because those writing less than 1 year might not be entrenched enough in the online writing communities to have seen the survey.
Great point you made right here, Elizabeth, and one the survey authors brought out too:
“…my guess is that number is low because those writing less than 1 year might not be entrenched enough in the online writing communities to have seen the survey.”
This survey only had around 1,007 Indie Epub Authors responding. So, all the numbers are low if you consider how many Indie Epub Authors there are.
But, the results are still significant in that those 1,000 Authors are definitely authors in touch enough with the business side of this to know about and complete the survey and thus, the results can be extrapolated and used to generalize across the industry to a certain degree.
Your last bit of information in the P. S. really makes me think. Traditional publishing’s biggest problem, in the future, may well be a lack of authors willing to work with them. That would be a huge reversal from the present where publishers feel they have to turn away the vast majority of writers, and set up a system to make it as hard as possible for authors to even get the chance to be seen by them.
You nailed it, D. Robert:
“Traditional publishing’s biggest problem, in the future, may well be a lack of authors willing to work with them.”
Exactly the conclusion I drew too!!!
Although I haven’t read the survey yet, according to “Writer Beware”, the survey reveals that 10% of indie published writers earn 75% of the money. They point out that the percentage is similar to what traditionally published writers earn. (60% of a thousand responses in the survey)
But what “Writer Beware” is not saying, is that if we all had to go the traditional route the remaining 90% of us might never have had the chance to partake of the remaining 25% piece of the pie, we would likely have been rejected.
It also points out that 53% of the responders published their first books in 2011. So the economies aren’t quite established in my mind.
I think the most telling information comes in the “earning out” where most indie authors spend $1,000 or less bringing a book to market and 75% earn out or on target to earn out with in 12 months.
Oh “Top Earners” also had more titles, 8 on average. So certainly no need to panic.
And yes, the more cyber shelf space each author has, the better shot they have at making that Top 10%!!!
Yep…the Earn Out figures in the survey were very, very revealing, Elizabeth!
Excellent point!
Thanks Bunches for mentioning it!!!
Right on, Doug!!!
Any business has that Top 10% who make the most money and make the biggest impact in their industry.
But, at least with the Indie Epublishing Route, we all have a chance to be in that Top 10%! In the TradiPub World, the industry even picks who has a shot at that!!!
Wow. What a great resource.
Thanks so much for sharing!
U betchya, David!
It really is a must-read.
I don’t know that I agree with all their analyses, but the data itself can’t be found anywhere else right now.
Thanks for the info.
I’ve tried through Smashwords which then sells through B/N and many others. Kobo sells the most for me, although very little. I’ve also published it on Amazon (createspace) which do a paper version. I was wondering how you managed to do well on Amazon as I haven’t sold anything. Is it marketing? Also, does having Smashwords as the publisher repel potential clients?
I’m just curious to know.
Thanks a lot.
Tough questions for sure, Alex!
Let me see if I can get you started…
Speaking from my own experience, the key is what many of us call “Long Tail Sales”…in other words, none of the channels you’re selling on will more than likely be overnight successes, but, in time, you’ll begin to build up your sales.
And each Ebook you publish helps too because that begins to grow your cyber shelf space. The more Ebooks you have out, the more chances readers have to find you.
Also, keep in mind, that even those of us who are now bestsellers started just like you are with only a few sales for several months before we began to see large gains.
It wasn’t until my third book came out and I then made the first one FREE and the other two 99 Cents each that I saw huge momentum began to build.
Browse through the WG2E and perhaps begin with our E-Experiments Page where you’ll find great tips for beginners:
http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/e-experiments-were-watching
We’re all here to help you anyway we can!!!
Thanks for the advice. It’s true – sales are slow. I’ll look at your tips about selling the first for free when my third comes out.
Thannks again.
Perhaps you should do a grammar check before expressing your lofty opinions. The word is new not knew. Shame on you!
I think that self publishing as we know it today is still so knew that I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the results are outdated. I know of some authors who were …
Please refer to our Comments Policy, David:
The WG2E’s Comment Policy:
Please feel free to tell us what you think about each post in our daily Comments Section. We welcome both assenting and dissenting opinions. In fact, we recognize that it’s often the case that we learn more from opposing views and experiences. Here at The WG2E, it’s all about sharing The Good, The Bad and The Ugly too of our Indie Epub Journeys. That said, however, we do so in a constructive manner. We reserve the right to remove any comments that we deem to be inappropriate or deconstructive as well as suspend commenting privileges for those commenters who act in any way against the constructive purposes of The WG2E.
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I will not tolerate deconstructive comments, especially when they’re aimed at fellow WG2E-Land Participants. If this happens again, you will be blocked from commenting here as per our policy.
In addition, I do find it rather interesting that you’re using a professional business “Petrade” Pet Products as your email address for sending these inappropriate remarks.