Showing posts with label self-publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self-publishing. Show all posts
Thoughts On DRM
First off, a quick explanation. DRM stands for digital rights management, which is encoding placed on a digital file that locks it for use on certain platforms or a certain number of accesses. So for a more specific industry example, a Nook book I buy could probably not be loaded to my Kindle. I can only read it on registered Nook apps and devices. In some cases, I might only be able to access the item on a certain number of devices.
The frustrations and impracticalities of this should be apparent from the start. When you purchase a DRMed ebook, you're not really buying the book in the traditional sense - you're buying the license to use the book. This means you don't actually own that book - the company you purchased it from does. This means you can't take a book you legally purchased and read it on another device. I recently moved from using a Kindle to a Nook, and I was faced with the choice of either breaking the law by stripping the DRM from the Kindle books I'd bought or abandoning my bought-and-paid-for Kindle library. It also means that if your Amazon account gets banned, your Kindle becomes an expensive paperweight. And what about that one time Amazon actually removed books customers had legitimately purchased from their libraries (fortunately, that move was for legitimate reasons and Amazon claims to have learned their lesson, but it doesn't stop the possibility of something similar happening again)? Here's another consideration: what if the company from which you've purchased the ebook goes under, like when Sony closed their (sizable) ebook store? Fortunately, companies realize this and have so far made deals to migrate user libraries to other retailers.
So you're probably thinking, "But I don't want people to pirate my books!" And that's a good point. No author doesn't want to receive payment for his or her work. But here's the problem: DRM only punishes customers. For so long the media industry has counted every illegal download as a lost sale, when in reality many of those downloads were by people who were never going to buy it in the first place. And there are more legitimate ways to combat the try-before-they-buy people, such as offering the first book of a series for free or generous sampling. Indie authors especially have more to worry about from lack of exposure than from digital piracy. Even big publishers, like TOR, have gone DRM-free - and the move has been hailed as a step forward.
But does DRM fight piracy? I'm pretty sure it doesn't. Hackers strip DRM from files with relative ease and sometimes just because they can. Unfortunately I can't find a link to it anymore, but I distinctly remember reading about an indie developer who released two versions of their game as an experiment: one with DRM and the other without. Apparently, it was the one locked with DRM that appeared on torrent sites.
As an historian, I also feel for future historians, who might not be able to access certain files because the devices that can read them are long gone. Another reason I think DRM is losing its worth is the continued globalization of our society - it no longer makes much sense to restrict media to one region alone.
So I encourage all of you to think twice before selecting the "Enable DRM" option when publishing your next book on Amazon. Do what you think is best, but I can assure you, all of my works have been and will continue to be published sans DRM.
On the Editorial Process
After finishing the first draft, the first thing I do is absolutely nothing. You heard right. Nothing. I sit on the piece for as long as I can - ideally at least a month. If I can't do that, I still give it as much time as I can.
I then read through it again, start to finish, in Word, making changes and notes. Here are some simple things I look for that all writers should at this stage:
- Remove as many occurrences of "that" as possible.
- Check for long, wordy, stringy sentences.
- Also check for short, choppy sentences (especially if they're close together).
- If need be, read dialogue aloud to make sure it sounds natural.
- Check for incomplete sentences and run-ons.
- Revise passive writing if at all possible.
- Try and notice repeated words/phrases and awkward/clunky sentences or phrasing.
- Watch for any inserted exposition that could grind the narrative to a halt.
Bonus Tip: If you have to stop and reread a sentence, it likely needs to be revised.
It's exceptionally hard for authors to notice potential issues with characterization or logical fallacies in their own stories because we're so close to our writing, so while I keep an eye out for those, I also address them in the next step.
I then send the story to both my editor and a close friend. My editor checks the story with a professional eye and my close friend reads the book and tells me what she thinks as a casual reader. Both viewpoints, in my opinion, are of equal value. Their edits are considered and implemented or not.
(As an aside, I also offer editing services, if anyone is interested.)
The last step is the final read. To do this, I convert and load the story onto my ereader. I then read through and highlight words, phrases, or even scenes I still think might need edits. Once done, I then get back into the main document and make those edits.
After that, I begin the formatting process for the ebook and print versions of the piece, and release them on the date they're due out.
So that's my process. Is yours different? Discuss in the comments!
Why I Raised the Prices On My Ebooks
Here's the problem: it didn't work for me, and I'm starting to think it's not an approach that will work well for other authors either, in the long run.
A quick story, and raise your hand if you've had a similar experience: When I got my new NOOK, I started looking at the free ebooks on Smashwords to buff up my library. I also purchased a few books by traditionally published authors as well. Can you guess which ones I actually got around to reading?
I think readers are running into this problem more and more these days, because there is such a glut of low-cost ebooks available that by pricing our books low or free, we are having to fight harder and harder to gain an audience and, more importantly, keep their attention. I think we, as authors, would do better to price our books more as if they were released by a traditional publisher (that being said, I wouldn't ever exceed $10 for an ebook). This is especially important for self-published authors who do view themselves as professionals and desire their peers and their audience to do so as well.
The major advantage of this pricing method (besides more money per sale, obviously) is the fact that it doesn't scream self-published author. I love self-publishing and I think it is one of the best things to happen to the publishing industry, but the negative stigma is still very visible and very much there. A higher price tag sends your readers a message: that you are a professional, that you expect them to spend this kind of money on your product because it is worth it. It also makes your book look as though it was professionally published, which might help it catch the attention of readers who avoid self-published books for the aforementioned reasons. And, readers are more likely to invest the time to read your book after they have spent money on it.
The jury is still out on whether or not this new pricing model will work for my books, but I personally feel a lot better about it. I feel more professional, and I think my books seem that way too. What better message can you send to your readers to help them gain trust in how serious you are about your craft?
Agree? Disagree? Where has your "sweet spot" price been for ebooks, as both a reader and a writer? I look forward to hearing from you!
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