(cont'd)- I'm giving away
hundreds of listings on the Vault, and as a result
of doing so, won't see one thin dime
of income on the site until October or later - Given all the time and money I've already sunk into developing the site, I don't even expect to earn back my upfront investment until sometime next year - I'm already personally reaching out to publishers on behalf
of authors who are listed in the Vault, on my own time and my own long distance
bill, despite the fact that I don't stand to earn so much as a finder's fee if any
of those contacts result in an offer - I make my The IndieAuthor Guide available for free on my
author site and blog - I built Publetariat, a free resource for self - pubbing
authors and small imprints, by myself, and paid for its registration, software and hosting out
of my own pocket - I shoulder all the ongoing expense and the lion's share
of administration for the Publetariat site, which since its launch on 2/11
of this year, has only earned $ 36 in ad revenue; the site never has, and likely never will, earn its keep in ad revenue, but I keep it going because I know it's a valuable resource for
authors and publishers - I've given away far more copies
of my novels than I've sold, because I'm a pushover for anyone who emails me to say s / he can't afford to buy them - I paid my own travel expenses to speak at this year's O'Reilly Tools
of Change conference, nearly $ 1000, just to be part
of the Rise
of Ebooks panel and raise awareness about self - published
authors who are strategically leveraging ebooks - I judge in self - published book competitions, and I read the * entire * book in every case, despite the fact that the honorarium has never been more than $ 12 per book — a figure that works out to less than $.50 per hour
of my time spent reading and commenting In spite
of all this, you still come here and elsewhere to insinuate I'm greedy and only out to take advantage
of my fellow
authors.
Look, these fees, sales deals, and low quantities at bookstores will not have you light cigars with
hundred dollar
bills, and they are very labor intensive, but catering to brick and mortar stores is something an Indie
Author should do for several reasons — to build some local cache, get more experience pitching his or her art, and garnering that genuinely terrific feeling
of seeing your work on the shelf
of a reputable bookstore.