Words by Chris Russell, photos by Howard Pugh.
February’s Byte The Book was an author-focussed affair, turning the spotlight on best-selling independent novelist Mark Dawson. Interviewed by Amazon’s Darren Hardy (UK Manager at Kindle Direct Publishing), Mark revealed to a rapt audience at the Groucho Club how he went from disillusioned traditionally-published writer to a veritable poster boy for the independent movement.
Mark was originally published by Pan Macmillan in 1999, and while he was impressed by the people, his response to the experience itself was anything but favourable. Specifically, he was shocked to find that, upon publication, the extent of the company’s marketing strategy was to hand him a box of copies and say “knock yourself out”. The novel didn’t sell especially well and, a little bruised, he ret
reated from the publishing spotlight.
Our fantastic sponsors ePub Direct at the front row of our inaugural Groucho Club event.
When he returned to the industry some years later with a novel called The Black Mile, Mark found himself receiving a litany of “very nice rejections” from mainstream publishers. Self-publishing was, in a sense, his only option, but he stresses now how pleased he is that things panned out in this way. He believes that he is in a far stronger position today as an independent author, and the evidence more than bears this out.
Mark Dawson answered questions with complete transparency, crediting social media and incessant writing for his success.
One of the secrets to Mark’s success is volume of output. A prolific author, following The Black Mile he went on to publish a total of 750,000 words in one year (across a series of novels and novellas) and, as each month passed, his profile blossomed. Reviews piled in, sales stacked up, and once he reached the point where his income from writing was matching his salary as a BBFC lawyer, he quit his job and went full time.
The Groucho Club's Gennaro Room was filled to capacity, it was very cool and quite cosy in our Soho venue.
As the floor opened up to Byte The Book’s audience, inevitably most questions were targeted at exactly how Mark has achieved this level of success. The over-arching message was this - being a best-selling self-published novelist takes serious work. Many writers fantasise about ‘giving up the day job’ in order to spend all day writing, but, at least for the self-published, this is something of a false aspiration. In order to maintain momentum, Mark splits his time equally between writing books and managing his business, the latter of which includes interacting with readers, analysing marketing data and coordinating with his team. This is vital because he wants every one of his books to be indistinguishable from traditionally published novels - a goal he achieves by working regularly with paid professionals, from editors and designers to social media experts.
The audience sought advice from Dawson and shared their own experiences with digital publishing.
As for promotional tricks, Mark engineered what might be considered his ‘big break’ when he included The Black Mile on one of Amazon’s free giveaway deals, and racked up 50,000 downloads in less than a day. When the book became paid again, he had natural velocity, an avalanche of glowing reviews and a whole community of readers telling their friends about him. He’s a keen advocate for free products (signing up to his mailing list gets you four free books in just a few clicks), even suggesting that writers make the first novel in a series perma-free so as to hook in new customers. He also recommends Facebook ads (“I might spend $1000, but I’ll make $4000”) and a healthy mailing list, which he builds with calls-to-action at the front and back of his books. Pivotally, he regularly surveys his fans, mining them for data and using the findings to target his output. If writers are willing to invest this level of time into understanding their customer base, he stresses, it will pay off.
Darren Hardy's invaluable knowledge proved to be a big attraction as the crowd mingled after the presentation.
Is Mark Dawson’s route to bestseller status applicable to everyone, or a guarantee of success? Far from it, he says - but the beauty of self-publishing is it allows you to tailor your career to your individual goals. Figure out what you want and, if you’re prepared to work for it, the rest will fall into place.
Click on this link to see more of the official photos of the event.
Everyone wants to make money from their backlist. Our February sponsors, ePub Direct have developed a a carefully formulated process to simply and efficiently digitise your books. Click on the infographic below to enlarge it.
What Can I Do With This Content?
In recent years there has been lively debate within the publishing industry around the potential of exciting, new digital formats: from iPad apps to Hybrid Books. There is no doubt this is a dynamic time for the industry and for content creators too. However, underlying the debate, a pivotal question remains: In the digital age, what steps can publishers take to protect their online content—and future-proof their businesses?
In this digital environment, ‘publishers’ are everywhere. The proliferation of ‘free’ digital content has dramatically affected the way in which users regard content in general and more specifically, the way in which it is used. The social ‘share’ widget has become symbolic of the way many perceive content online: users expect to be able to share information with their friends, family and colleagues at the click of a button.
Of course, sharing is not the same as copying and publishers have the right to protect their content against unwanted reuse of content from their online publications. However, users have difficulty understanding what they are permitted to do with content, because terms of use are sometimes hidden, copyright is seen to be complicated and it is often far easier to ignore the rules than to try to understand them. So, how can publishers clearly and simply communicate their copyright terms to users?
With their new digital copyright icon ‘What Can I Do With This Content?’ The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) may have found a solution.
PAUL ROLLINS, CLA’S MARKETING MANAGER spoke about the new icon.
First of all tell us about the concept of What Can I Do With This Content?
“Well, basically it provides a simple means for online publishers to communicate their copyright terms. It brings to users attention that the content is subject to copyright and that users can’t just copy content and reuse it elsewhere without permission. It’s like the copyright notice on the inside of a traditional print book only for digital use. After all, you can’t expect the public to abide by your terms if you don’t make them clear and easy to find. We hope that it will help to educate the digital generation about copyright.”
So how does the icon work, what does it do?
“It is similar to the common social share widgets seen on many websites. When a user clicks the icon, it will display a summary of the publisher’s terms for reuse of the content – what they do and don’t allow. For example, let’s say it is used on an online trade magazine. The icon lets a business user know if they are permitted to print the content multiple times, save a copy of it to their network, use extracts in internal communications or send it to share with clients. These are common uses which often require permission, and the icon helps to clarify what is permitted. It can be used across a whole website or a single article or page.
The icon is recognisable and user-friendly, allowing terms to be accessed directly on a page that is being browsed. That means there is no searching for terms in the small print.
And the fact that the icon brings the conditions of use to the reader, as opposed to them having to actively look for them, we think makes it more likely to be read. As a result there is more chance of people complying with those conditions.”
Is it really that difficult for users to find the terms of use already, after all, publishers do have copyright notices or terms published on their sites don’t they?
“Well, they are often hidden away in an obscure corner of the site or in the footer. They can be hidden in extensive small print, which is often part of a larger set of terms written in impenetrable legal language. So yes, it really can be difficult. How many people read small print when it is put in front of them, let alone if you have to seek it out?”
The icon has been promoted around the publishing trade fairs and exhibitions - how well has it been received?
“It has been very enthusiastically received so far, in particular by the business media, who often experience problems with content being copied and reused without permission. Copyright is an issue for them, or rather piracy and enforcement, which can be very costly and damaging. They recognise that, ultimately, education is part of that battle and they support our idea. This concept also supports our core licensing role which generates revenue for publishers so they are happy to help with that.”
How does it generate revenue? Finding new ways to earn revenue from online content is a challenge across the industry.
“Well, CLA makes money for publishers through the collective licensing of businesses and public sector organisations on behalf of publishers, authors and visual creators. Last year our licences generated £37.1m for publishers. The more licences that we issue, the more revenue is in the pot to be paid out; and by increasing awareness and driving prospective licensees back to CLA we can grow that amount. Uptake of ‘What Can I Do With This Content?’ will do both. It will educate users about copyright generally, and the display makes it clear that a CLA licence provides many of the most commonly needed permissions. They can then follow a link to apply for one. But publishers need to opt-in to the scheme to be eligible to receive payments. ”
OK, so how do they sign up to receive money from licensing?
“CLA represents both publishers and writers. Publishers are represented in the scheme by the Publishers Licensing Society (PLS), and if you are a publisher you simply contact them and they will explain what you need to do to sign up. Basically, all you need do is complete a mandate form and provide a list of your catalogue of titles and you will then be eligible to receive payments. There are no joining fees, and revenue paid to publishers goes straight to their bottom line.”
How do PLS know which publishers to pay?
“CLA captures and records what is being copied across all types of licensed organisation, from schools and colleges to business and government departments. They collect data from hundreds of them every year. This information allows CLA to work out which copyright owners should be paid and PLS distributes that revenue to those members that are signed up.”
So, are publishers using the icon now?
“Yes, we are slowly but steadily seeing publishers registering and installing the icon. Some are book publishers, some academic and some business media. We have some independent websites and blogs using it too.”
How easy is it to actually install and use?
“Very, providing you can access the site to add the html code. It takes a few minutes to complete the installation process – and it’s free. When publishers visit whatcanidowiththiscontent.com they register their user details and select the copyright terms that suit them. The website then generates a code to copy and install to their site. This installs the icon and displays their selected terms on their sites. The display can also be personalised, with publishers having the option to brand the display with their logo and insert their contact details. It is that easy.”
Finally, what is your ambition for the new icon?
“We want to encourage as many publishers, especially those that are signed up with PLS for the collective licensing scheme, that it not only benefits them, but it also benefits users of their online content. It should be considered part and parcel of the PLS scheme and it would be nice to think that in the longer term it might be regarded as an industry standard.”
Thanks for telling us about the new icon and explaining how publishers can take advantage of the benefits.
PREVIEW WHAT CAN I DO WITH THIS CONTENT and install the icon directly from www.whatcanidowiththiscontent.com
Contact PLS
Tel: 020 7079 5930; email: pls@pls.org.uk or visit: www.pls.org.uk
Contact Paul at CLA
Direct line: 020 7400 3140; email: paul.rollins@cla.co.uk or visit cla.co.uk
Are you wondering how best to price your books for international markets? Our February sponsors, ePubDirect, have produced some fascinating infographics highlighting international eBook statistics with pricing and genres across the regions of Australia, Germany and India. Just click on the images below to enlarge them.
Words by Chris Russell, photos by Daniel Solomons.
Byte The Book enjoyed a record attendance for its opening event of 2015, a debate on the controversial topic of Digital Rights Management (DRM). CEO of the Publishers Association Richard Mollett chaired the discussion, which pitted author and co-founder of Unbound John Mitchinson against Stephanie Duncan, Digital Media Director at Bloomsbury.
Host Justine Solomons thanks January sponsors, WhatCanIDoWithThisContent.
John, who had been asked to propose the motion that digital rights management is “killing the publishing industry”, began boldly by stating that the topic, quite possibly, didn’t actually need debating in the first place. “It’s over,” he said. “DRM is one of those things that everyone goes around blaming everyone else for, but there are far more important things for the industry to focus on”. He summed up DRM’s major issues in three steps: 1) it costs money, 2) it doesn’t increase sales and 3) it has failed to achieve what it was set up for (he then joked that the abbreviation might be better understood as “doomed, redundant, moribund”).
Debaters: Stephanie Duncan and John Mitchinson, with their chair Richard Mollet in the centre.
Stephanie countered with some of the specific ways in which DRM directly benefits publishing, such as facilitating subscription models (where the concept of content ownership is replaced with a fixed period of access) and the lending of library books. It doesn’t just lock up content, she stressed, but liberates it too. She argued that, while it could and should be better, DRM is nevertheless moving forward as fast as everything else in the industry and does have its part to play in the trafficking of content to consumers. Most readers don't actually want to break the law - they simply want to share content in a way that is straightforward, legitimate and sustainable.
Twitter wall were very active.
Some interesting comments floated in from the floor, including an observation from an audience member with a software background that, unlike gatekeepers in other industries, publishers are yet to figure out how to adequately put a price on content and reward writers accordingly. Stephanie conceded that, while this might be true, publishing is inevitably a hit-and-miss, risk-versus-reward business, where you’ll always find yourself staring down the barrel of a 90% miss rate.
The Club at the Ivy was filled to the brim, with 114 people in total attending
When it was suggested that DRM might actually be the retailers’ fault rather than the publishers’, although there was general agreement from the panel, Imola Unger of eBooks by Sainsbury’s raised an objection from the audience, revealing that Sainsbury’s would love to be able to bypass DRM (having to tell customers that this or that book isn’t available on Kindle is, she explained, deeply frustrating). She argued that the notion of readers being tied into one system was obsolete, especially as Sainsbury’s often outdo Amazon with their special offers.
Byte the Booker John Pettigrew Founder of Futureproofs asks a question to the panel
In a direct echo of previous events, the focus of the evening proved to be the importance of connecting writers with readers. “The future of publishing,” concluded John, “is in the space between the great writer and the intelligent reader”. Stephanie, meanwhile, was stoically optimistic about the role of publishers in facilitating that connection: “If everything goes to pot like it did in the music industry, we’ll just figure out another way to sell books… because that, at the end of the day, is what we do”.
Click here for some more official photos of the event.
You can buy this book here.
Review by Jantien Abma
The Rainbow follows the life of small farm-owner Tom Brangwen as he grapples with the frustrations of love, intellect and English tradition in the mid- 1800’s. At the start of the book, Brangwen, dissatisfied with the unchanging familiarity of his life, has his small world changed forever by a brief encounter with a foreign man. The man’s alien sophistication fills him with wonder and opens his mind to the world of possibility that lies beyond Nottinghamshire. Whether his dreams of experiencing the world’s complexities are truly realised, is left for the reader to decide.
Put simply, the book is divided into three stories. The first details Brangwen’s feelings of cultural disillusionment in the bounds of English country life and the tortured process of falling in love with his widowed Polish wife Lydia. This gives us our first taste of the meticulously outlined inner struggles of Lawrence’s characters that come to define all love relationships in the book. The second follows his wife’s child Anna into adulthood and a similarly troubled union with Brangwen’s nephew Will, reflecting subtle evolution in gender roles as the years flash by. The final, most extensive part of the book sees his second child Ursula in an increasingly modern setting as she embarks on an altogether different exploration of love and fulfillment.
During the year it was published in 1915, The Rainbow and its explicit descriptions of feelings of romantic passion were called to stand trial for allegations of obscenity. From a modern perspective the book is decidedly polite, with brief allusions to acts of intercourse along the lines of: ‘ …and then he took her and they were in love again.’ The thing really worth mentioning in this fervently written tome is the palpable fascination Lawrence possesses for human relationships. The flaws of each character are so masterfully developed that the countless lovers’ spats in the book never become repetitive, but rather build upon each other until the reader feels ready to burst with a resounding urge to yell ‘Just tell her how you feel!’
Thankfully, in each of the book’s stories there reliably comes a point where the two warring factions come to be at peace, often through very unexpected means. The profundity of each main character’s journey towards fulfillment increases as we move from generation to generation until we reach the culmination of Ursula’s plight framed by a rainbow, which to her sheds a timeless light on the state of humanity.
The Rainbow is a brilliant read for people interested in human behaviour but also for anyone who enjoys beautifully written prose and a deliberate, unrushed walk through a very different time.
We really excited to learn this week, that one of our members, Toby Fountaine, has just launched Blue Mark Books and he's really keen for Byte the Bookers to come along to their first title's launch.
Here's his invitation.....
After more than a year of preparation (Byte the Book being an important part!) Blue Mark Books are launching their first title Tisala at Daunt Books, Marylebone at 6.30 on Wednesday 21st January 2015. If any regulars of Byte the Book would like to go, please email info@bluemarkbooks.com to register your interest and ensure you get a glass of wine! The event is pretty busy so do be quick. Like Byte the Book, it will be a good occasion to meet like minded people, see some lovely books and enjoy a drink.
For further information see the Hub (here) and www.bluemarkbooks.com
Kingston University have been long standing supporters of Byte the Book and so we were delighted to be invited to speak at their Author Conference later this year.
Here are some details on the event:
Our one day course will give you:
- An update on the publishing and writing landscape. However long established or recent your writing career, this is information you need to know
- Practical guidance on how to think about preparing your material for publication – what to do and in what order, how much time and money to allocate
- The chance to make key connections and gather a support network that will be highly valuable to you in future – and help you sustain your creative practice
Right now the publishing landscape is awash with change. Publishers are buying less and more cautiously and self-publishing is now an established and effective option for managing the route from writer to reader. However they plan to reach their market, authors need to embrace new ways of thinking and working; choices have to be made.
We want authors to benefit from all the changes and new services available rather than feel overwhelmed or threatened by them. Our day course will look at the situation afresh; consider tactics that have worked in the publishing industry in the past, as well as the wealth of options available right now.
To this end, we have assembled a significant panel of thinkers and practitioners around the publishing industry and encourage anyone considering making content available to join us. Hosted at Kingston, home of the celebrated MA Publishing, our course offers an opportunity to engage with and understand the landscape – and on this basis to make plans for the future. Whatever your current stage in writing, this is an opportunity not to be missed.
Chaired by Dr Alison Baverstock of Kingston’s MA Publishing the course will offer you access to a wide range of experts in this area including Michael Bhaskar(publisher and author of The Content Machine); book historian Judith Watts on what we can learn from the past to help us understand the future; literary agentAndrew Lownie on how to choose between traditional and self-publishing options – and ride the changes; The Alliance of Independent Authors with practical advice on how to steer a path through the options on offer; a range of ebook hosting, print on demand providers and other publishing support networks (Diego Marano ofKobo, Gareth Howard of Authoright, Justine Solomons of Byte the Book, Anna Lewis of Completely Novel and Harriet Smart of Anthemion) with the opportunity to talk to them as a group about what to look for in publishing support; Laura Summers of BookMachine on branding, discoverability and ways to grow your author brand, and Course Leader for MA Publishing, Anna Faherty, on how to put together, plan and implement a publishing plan.
Cost:
- £130 standard ticket
- £90 for members of Kingston Writing School, Kingston staff and students
- £90 for Byte the Book subscribers until end of Feb 2015 , just select Special Discount and enter "Partner' when it asks for a code
The price includes an array of refreshments throughout the day (including lunch) and a free copy of The Naked Author (price £15)
Tickets can be booked via Eventbrite here
To be Indie or not is the question. I published my first novel the Indie way. My second novel The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer is being published through Books@Jacaranda on Amazon White Glove. It's an agent, assisted route. A hybrid model. The middle path is often the safest, so I am thinking just now.
For many it's very difficult to decide whether to go Indie or not. Based on my experiences I have complied a short quiz to help you decide if you should.
Answer the following truthfully (or as close to it as you can)
- Do you write to be read?
- Is your novel multi-genre? Is your novel difficult to slot into just one genre? The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer is YA thriller for example.
- At heart, are you an entrepreneur? Do you normally jump first and think of the consequences later?
- Are you pragmatic about failure? Able to pick yourself up and move on to the next opportunity?
- Do you like to experiment? Are you incapable of resisting a challenge?
- Do you thrive under pressure, and when the odds are stacked against you?
- Are you impatient and possibly a control freak?
- Are you a technophile? Do you secretly indulge your inner geek? On a practical level are you at least on Facebook and twitter?
- Are you social? Love debating with twitter-friends around the world? Do you adore your virtual home and obsess over getting your gravatar just right?
- Do you have the courage of conviction, the doggedness of determination? Is the power of persistence strong within you?
If you said yes to at least eight of the above ten, then I believe the force is strong in you. You may be among the fortunate few to take up the challenge.
But wait! Before you press that enter button and send the words skimming out over the electronic waves, you need to ask: Have you been true to your text—Really? If you are still standing upright, there is more to tell. Go back, revisit, revise, rewrite, until hand on heart, you can say you have stripped yourself bare. When you have died a few deaths getting the novel to that place where exhaustion weeps in the arms of elation, then, you know all has been said.
Now you have one last thing to do. Make sure your baby is perfect—every infinitesimal millimetre brushed to its Sunday best—once it’s out there you will be reborn, as your Author Avatar! People will actually read you. Many will love your prose. Some will hate it and tell you so. Can you deal with that too? If the answer is still yes, then what are you waiting for?
Are you one of those brave souls who has gone Indie? If so, what do you think of my criteria? Share your opinion and experiences!
---------------------------------------------------------
Laxmi Hariharan is an author, journalist and global marketer, her most recent book The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer: A Bombay Story published by Books@Jacaranda is available to buy here.
.
Words by Chris Russell, photos by Daniel Solomons.
Sparks flew at the final Byte The Book of 2014, as traditional publishing locked horns with self-publishing over the best route for authors. Representatives from both camps formed a lively panel, which comprised Hodder & Stoughton editor Suzie Doore, writer Dominic Selwood, Orna Ross of the Alliance Of Independent Authors (ALLi) and literary agent Juliet Mushens (The Agency Group).
Host and Chair, Justine Solomons thanks November sponsors, Ingrams
Juliet - who is widely known in the industry on account of her increasingly star-studded author stable and active presence on Twitter - opened the floor by outlining why authors still benefit hugely from professional representation. Chiefly, an agent acts as a middle-man and rights negotiator to secure the best deals on advances and royalties, and provides a level of support for authors that sits somewhere between agony aunt and psychiatrist (“I’m there for my writers when they have a wobble”, she explained). When the necessity of agents in the modern publishing climate was questioned, Juliet fiercely defended her turf. Do agents rip off authors? Not a bit of it. Like all agents, she doesn’t make money until her writers do, and in theory can work with a new signing for several years without any financial return. That said, so far in 2014 Juliet has grossed over £2million for her writers from countless domestic and international deals, proving that she and other agents continue to be very much worth their 15%.
The panel from left to right: Juliet Mushens, Suzie Doore, Orna Ross and Dominic Selwood.
Orna Ross, who runs the global self-publishers’ alliance ALLi, immediately offered a combative viewpoint. Following a less-than-ideal experience with Bloomsbury as a new author, Orna became passionate about self-publishing and soon came to see it as the preferable route. She stated that publishing is essentially about “two imaginations connecting, the author and the reader” and that, in the B2B world of traditional publishing, this is too often “lost amongst all the middle men”. She lamented the fact that “the writer is the last person publishers want around the table at a marketing meeting”
Despite conflict there were plenty of smiles
This was countered by editor Suzie Doore, who insisted that Hodder & Stoughton are “very much focussed on author care” and, while they do invite authors in on an individual basis to discuss their projects, involving them in every meeting would not only be impractical, but potentially counter-productive (many authors don’t even want to be consulted on marketing strategies, added Juliet, preferring to focus on the writing itself). Suzie also noted that traditionally published authors have a major leg-up when it comes to distribution, benefitting from existing publisher-distributor relationships that the vast majority of writers simply couldn’t match on their own.
Orna from ALLi speaking on behalf of Author Publishers everywhere
Dominic Selwood, who has experienced huge success as a self-published author, trod a diplomatic line during the discussion, explaining that while self-publishing and trade publishing are very different creatures, both models can be successful in the right circumstances. His first book was unusually long for a non-fiction release and, as a result, he struggled to attract mainstream industry interest and opted to strike out on his own. He also added, however, that while he really enjoyed being part of “the creation of a beautiful object”, this isn’t necessarily true for all writers.
Writer in Residence Chris Russell reporting from the frontline
The heated discussion reached its peak when someone in the audience asked whether JK Rowling would have enjoyed the same level of success if she’d had the option to self publish. After a loaded pause, Juliet delivered an emphatic “no”, and Orna an emphatic “yes”. An unanswerable question, perhaps, but the responses made one thing very clear: publishing certainly isn’t short of passion, and that’s as good a fuel as any.
Click here for some more official photos of the event.
