It’s still early days on the re-launch of The Spring Ghazals, but so far the response to the re-publication in terms of actual sales has been very slow. That being the case, I thought I’d approach the readership here with a few practical questions. These questions will, I hope, draw on your experience both as self-published authors & as folks who actually buy books of poetry.
My wife, Eberle, offered the opinion recently that “no one buys a book of poetry unless there’s a compelling reason to do so.” While I can think of times that I’ve bought a poetry book on an impulse, there’s probably some truth in this. & it probably becomes more true when we’re talking about the book published by an unknown author. After all, we all have budget limitations on entertainment purchases, & there are films & music & live theater, etc., all competing with books for the entertainment buck.
So any insight on the following questions—or any additional practical tips—would be much appreciated. Thanks!
- Do you think that $12.00 US is a reasonable price for an 80-page book of poetry?
- Would the option of purchasing a signed copy directly from the poet make you more apt to buy the book?
- Do you find that live events like readings add significantly to sales? (admittedly, where I live this is a marginal option, but I’m sure I could get something put together)
- Would background material about the poems (on a blog such as this for instance!) make you more likely to purchase a book?
- Would you be more likely to purchase the book if some or all of the content was also available for free online? In that case, you’d be paying not for the content per se, but for “the content in a convenient, highly readable form.” (to borrow a phrase from Dave Bonta of the excellent Via Negativa blog.)
That last question is a particular poser for me. Mr Bonta noted in a very helpful Twitter discussion that posting the poems in his collection Ode to Tools hasn’t hurt the books’ sales. On the other hand, I’ve had the experience of making content available for free & having virtually no sales: in its original incarnation, The Spring Ghazals was available as a pdf download, & as I’ve mentioned here, most of the poems have been posted (tho not in any sequential manner) on Robert Frost’s Banjo, where they were greeted with quite an enthusiastic response. Also, The Days of Wine & Roses continues to be available as a free pdf in addition to being available as a book for purchase, & at this point, practically all the poems in the collection have been posted sequentially on the dedicated blog of the same name. These things being the case, I’ve been reluctant to post poems from The Spring Ghazals, especially en masse—after all, while I think of gone into this publishing process aware that there’s a limited market for self-published poetry, I’d like the book to be in as many hands as possible & to at least recoup my modest investment.
So these are my questions—no doubt I haven’t thought of several that are at least as relevant! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated—thanks so much.
John
ReplyDeleteI agree that live readings will generate sales, perhaps in places like McCall & the Wood River Valley areas. (trips are write-offs, too)
I think in today's economy it's difficult to calculate book values. The 'printed word' is tangible, easily referenced later, changes meaning through time...but not all feel like I do. Good luck with your business (ad)venture!
Rusti Schilling
Hi Rusti: Thanks! Yes, McCall is definitely a possibility--Wood River Valley is an interesting thought, & of course there's Boise too. I know what you mean about book values--there's a certain randomness about it. Once again, thanks for the feedback.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJohn, would there be any way to expand the preview on Lulu to include a few of the actual poems? I felt frustrated the other day when I tried to get a flavor of the poems. I don't think you need to post the full content anywhere, but samples would definitely help sell it -- at least to me! I think this is especially helpful for self-published authors. $12 is a very reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteI do think most poetry books are sold at readings except for a few dozen of the very most popular poets. Blurbs and impressive pulication credits may help a little -- I've heard that blurbs are especially helpful for bookstore sales.
I personally don't care about author-signed copies, but that's a big deal for some folks.
One way in which I've gotten copies of my chap into readers' hands is by offering to do barters, which makes economic sense because I spend most of my disposable income on poetry anyway (though barter items included a CD of original music and a self-publsihed novel).
(My second attempt to comment. I must have messed up the first time.)
ReplyDeleteFirst, just to let you know that Lulu is finally behaving and I ordered your book.
Second, thanks so much for putting “Meet Me in Nuthatch” as a badge on your RFB sidebar.
As to the questions above, I’m not sure I can add much except to refer you to this link for author Joe Konrath’s blog, “A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing” (http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/). He’s a crime novelist, published traditionally for many years, who’s chucked it all for self-publishing through ebooks. Quite successfully: his sales stats will likely blow off the top of your head.
His blog attracts scores of commenters who write in all genres, fiction and nonfiction, and perhaps you can find a tidbit of marketing information you can use.
As for the reasons I would buy a book of poetry, all of the above: because I knew the poet, or was intrigued by background info I’d read, or sometimes even an impulse buy.
I don’t know if the $12 price is right or not, but the Konrath blog is particularly intriguing for discussions on what the market will bear. Sometimes it’s not about what a book is worth, but how low you can go and still make a living. We are forced to become salesmen nowadays, and for many of us, our best abilities lay elsewhere.
Perhaps you might try giving a “reading” on your blog the way you perform your music. Just a poem or two to demonstrate your style and to help the reader connect with the poet. Then at the end, hold the book up, flash a big, cheesy smile, and tell everyone where to buy your book. Put it on your blogs, and on YouTube.
Hi Jacqueline & Dave
ReplyDeleteJacqueline: I've gotten your comments in my email--not sure why they're not showing up here, but I really appreciate them. Yes, I've thought of at least posting some recordings; I think that's a good suggestion, & I will check out the site your recommended--I'll also post that here in the comments in case others are interested. You're welcome about the sidebar! BTW, this blog has a much larger links list of independent artists--the RFBanjo sidebar is getting kinda full. If you'd like your site included on the "Support Independent Artists" links list, just let me know. & of course, most importantly, thanks for buying The Spring Ghazals.
Dave: Great suggestion on the preview--a detail that had completely slipped my mind. It appears that I can rectify this--I say appears because although Lulu seems of offer the mechanism for doing it, my attempts to edit the preview pages have so far proved futile. But I'll keep trying. & yes, I do need to get going on the reading thing locally--as I said to Rusti, a bit challenging in this locale, but I do have options. Jacqueline--whose great comments have been swallowed by cyberspace, also suggested "virtual readings," a poem or 2 at a time, which I think is smart. Thanks for the feedback on the price, too btw. The barter idea is interesting.
Dave: Update: I've created a better preview--at least one poem from each section. Caveat: on my PC, this preview works fine in Google Chrome & in evil IE, but not in my usual Firefox browser. This could just "be me," as I have quite a few blocking add-ons in Firefox. Anyway, thanks for the tip--very helpful.
ReplyDeleteHi folks: I think certain parts of Jacqueline's very helpful comment may be of interest to others so--in case her comment is lost in cyberspace--I'm posting a section of it here. Thanks again, Jacqueline!
ReplyDelete"As to the questions above, I’m not sure I can add much except to refer you to this link for author Joe Konrath’s blog, “A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing” here. He’s a crime novelist, published traditionally for many years, who’s chucked it all for self-publishing through ebooks. Quite successfully: his sales stats will likely blow off the top of your head.
His blog attracts scores of commenters who write in all genres, fiction and nonfiction, and perhaps you can find a tidbit of marketing information you can use.
I don’t know if the $12 price is right or not, but the Konrath blog is particularly intriguing for discussions on what the market will bear."
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteI will endeavour to address your questions below:
# Do you think that $12.00 US is a reasonable price for an 80-page book of poetry?
I think this is a perfectly acceptable price for the book - not too high, but not to low as to sell yourself short.
# Would the option of purchasing a signed copy directly from the poet make you more apt to buy the book?
While, I did offer this with "shadowstalking", I don't think it made too much difference. For myself, it would be nice to have a signed copy, but I don't really mind not having one either.
# Do you find that live events like readings add significantly to sales? (admittedly, where I live this is a marginal option, but I’m sure I could get something put together)
I've only done a few readings and they were before publishing, but I've not put myself out there at all since having done so. I would have to say it could only help to draw attention to the work and I do think the seeing the poet in person would incline someone to be more interested to the point of purchasing.
# Would background material about the poems (on a blog such as this for instance!) make you more likely to purchase a book?
I would be most interested in background material and it might make me more inclined to buy the book if I didn't have it already. Would people in general feel that way? I don't know. If they know you through your blog, perhaps; if they didn't know you at all, then background would probably be very helpful.
# Would you be more likely to purchase the book if some or all of the content was also available for free online?
This does not really interest me. As a writer, I like to have a tangible representation of other people's work. I might read poetry on a blog, but having access to an online book (at least at this point) holds no appeal for me, personally.
I hope this is helpful. By the way, I've got a "re-release" notice for your book at the top of Keepsakes.
Kat
Hi Kat: First, thanks for your continued, consistent support of my poetry--I truly value that! Second, thanks for all the great feedback on the questions. It seems $12 is fine, & I do think I need to start booking readings locally--of course, will need to lay in a supply of the book first.
ReplyDeleteThanks again!