So the confusion with both print and digital rights is a legal issue in need of much clarification especially
for self published authors as well as traditional publishers.
While I prefer to go the agent, publisher route myself, I know many
self publishing authors who will now have a choice in self publication.
While
many self published authors work their fingers to the bone to make the perfect product, there is another handful that insists they went this route because of «creative control».
I've read these tips for
self published authors with absolutely no inside connections but it is quite refreshing to read it from an industry professional whose been at it for a while.
There is a bigger piece of the pie for
self published authors in terms of royalties, but there is a trade off in the amount of work the self publisher has to do.
You might be asking yourself how I can be so harsh
on self published authors, considering I am one, but there are many of us who remember the days before ebooks.
Most self published authors do not have that kind of money, equipment, talent, staging, video editing skills, and other resources to jump into the movie making pool.
After all they're probably getting dozens of requests a day
from self published authors that want them to review a book or do a shout out.
If self published authors knew the limited number of sales they could potentially make of their books, do you think many would go through with publishing?
This is why I suggest that
self published authors use as many no or low cost self publishing platforms, services and tools as possible.
Coming up with book launch ideas is not usually high on most first -
time self publishing authors, amidst the anxiety and excitement of publishing the book.
The downfall of traditional publishing would only
hurt self published authors along with readers because it would result in a huge contraction of the market for books.
Since
self published authors typically do not receive an advance, the publisher's (or in this case, the self publishing platform's) rights should be very limited or none.