If it’s good enough for Taylor Swift 🤔 ... Plus, should you self-publish? And how to social proof your book
One of my clients has a first edition copy of Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich worth thousands of dollars. Recently, a collection of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone first editions sold for over a HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars. 💸
I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I read or heard that ANYONE paid anything as much for a Tweet, Facebook post or even YouTube video.
Today, content is cheap, even though the time, energy and resources we all put into creating it is quite an investment. Few people are actually willing to pay anything for it—which is why most of the newspapers and magazines we used to subscribe to have fallen away. Instead of buying records, CDs and even theatre tickets, must of us pay a token subscription fee to Spotify and Netflix, and if artists and creators don’t play along, we’ll simply move on to the next one because we have a world of entertainment to choose from and never enough time to consume it all.
But books? Books may be one of the few things in life that continue to increase in value. Like the Bible, they endure. Through book burnings and censorship, library purges and exile. (As you can tell, I have a thing for rebel authors.) Through the rise of the Internet and social media and everyone everywhere having access to everything all the time. Through Kindle and audiobooks, Amazon and even AI.
I can’t tell the future, but by looking at the past, I’d say books are not going anywhere soon. And if Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is any indication, their value will only continue to rise. As will any author who endeavours to contribute to our collective canon.
Cat xo
Should you self-publish your book?
Last week, Taylor Swift set the internet on fire by announcing she would self-publish her next book, through her own imprint.
Self-publishing under her new Taylor Swift Publications, Swift’s 256-page Eras Tour book is scheduled to be released on Black Friday as a Target exclusive.
Should I self-publish my book is a question I get a lot from authors. And here’s my long answer:
By self-publishing, Swift can expect to keep more of the revenue than typical celebrity memoir deals and traditional published authors. She is also able to control the creative content of her book and release it sooner.
On the other hand, self-published authors don’t have the same access to distribution, media, promotion and staff who are often part of the engine that helps traditional published authors succeed in the marketplace.
As a traditional published author myself, who helps self-published authors write, publish and market their books, my short answer to that question is it really depends on what YOU want out of publishing your book.
Do you want control over every aspect of it? Do you want to publish it sooner, and keep more of the profits?
Or would you gladly hand over a cut of your book sales for help with editing, publishing and marketing your book? Do you seek in-store and wider distribution? (Book store representation is an uphill battle for self-published authors.)
Today most of us are our own distribution channels. 🤩 Like Swift, many of us have Facebook friends, Linkedin and Instagram followers, and YouTube and Substack subscribers. We may have a substantial email and newsletter list (if not, start building one!). We may even have events—talks, workshops, conferences—we can sell our book at.
It’s quite possible we don’t need bookstores in order to sell our books. And if our pockets are deep enough, we can still pay to have our book stocked in select stores and bookshelves.
So do you need a fairy godmother literary agent and publisher to grant your wish of getting published? Not anymore. But do you still want one? That’s a question only you can answer.
PS: If you have more questions about publishing paths and writing a book, feel free to reach out and schedule a discovery call with me. I’ve opened some times in November, so grab them before they’re gone!
Who will endorse your book?
As many of us know, a big part of marketing your book is social proofing: Getting others to review, like and share your book on Amazon, Goodreads, social media and more.
Something traditional publishers do well that self-published authors often overlook is the power of a good blurb: When someone who is well-known/well-respected endorses your book on your front or back cover, or inside your book. 👏
As you begin to finalize your manuscript, you might find yourself ready to reach out to potential book blurbers, but building those relationships and goodwill well before then is essential.
When thinking about WHO would make for a great book blurb, consider:
-Who has an audience that you want to call to you for your book?
-Who is well respected in the genre/industry/space you want to see your book in?
Sometimes, that can lead to two very different groups, and that’s okay too. But don’t leave it until the last minute, when you’re ready to hit publish, because reachouts can take time. Finding people to say yes can take time. And reading your book to review it also takes time.