Category: Publishing

Amazon Past Prime: Why Major Retailers & Publishers are Going it Alone

The Penguin Random House site is a perfect illustration of businesses defecting from Amazon because they no longer NEED them. This is a laudable example of what I’ve been begging the publishing industry to do.

No Sales or Lackluster Sales: It Isn’t the Reader, It’s the Book…Really

sales, book sales, publishing, Kristen Lamb

Agents predicted market changes and trends. They looked at what was already out, what was slated to be released, what was already selling, what wasn’t, what was saturated, etc. Then, they used that data to maneuver their authors around the sales minefield. Still do to the best of their abilities. Yet, there often are REAL reasons a book isn’t selling and it isn’t the reader’s fault. It’s all on the book and the author.

Penguin SOLD: Publishing, Change & Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Oh MY!

Penguin visionary, Sir Allen, wanted to offer books to the public for the same price as a package of ten cigarettes so consumers could afford to read.

Unplugged Book Sales: Is It Possible to Sell Books Off-Line?

hacking, Bayard & Holmes, writing tips, Kristen Lamb, thrillers, how to write thrillers

The only remaining way to sell books off the Internet (unplugged) is through the quality of the story. Problem is, when I began as an editor almost twenty years ago, the samples I received were trying to pass a NY gatekeeper. Now? Most wouldn’t pass 7th grade English.

The Winning Edge: In a Glutted Market, How Can Authors Stand Apart?

We are wanting them to READ. If we want them to read, the we need to make sure we’re valuing their limited time by offering them an escape…not a migraine. I hate saying this, and honestly never believed I ever would. But if writers would do these three things, you would outpace probably 95% of what is for sale.