E-publishing turns a page

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For most debutant authors, after going through the harrowing period of writing the book, comes the part where they have to send manuscripts to editors and wait for a favourable response. Now, they no longer need to go knocking on the doors of numerous publishers or have piles of paper languishing in the attics of dusty offices.

New-age writers have found a faster, smarter and more economical way: To self-publish their works online. E-booking, as it is called, is the latest sensation among writers and readers and it has opened up a gamut of opportunities for all.
International self-publishers like Amanda Hocking, who are millionaire authors in the e-world, are the source of inspiration for young e-authors of today. And the urge to make quick money is their driving force.
Arjun T., a 24-year-old MNC professional, shares, “When I read about Amanda’s success story about how she made millions by self-publishing Kindle eBooks, (which she claims have sold over 900,000 copies since April 15 last year), I was motivated to get published online. I think the key is to keep your pricing at the minimum. Due to online stores like Amazon’s seemingly generous policies, one can get to keep 70 per cent of the profit.”
The global reach has helped many aspiring Indian writers make a mark internationally. Bengaluru-based Anita Saran is one such example. The ace web content writer, whose works have also been published, says, “I don’t self-publish but love writing online. In a reverse trend of sorts, my new novella, The Choosing, which will start out as an e-Book, will also be a paperback later and will appear in major bookstores across the US. I’ve just got a contract for another e-Book (a novella) from another US publisher, Solstice Publishing.”
Egged on by the success, Saran is now toying with the idea of offering her own PLR (Private Label Rights) products as it is big business.
The “free, fast and easy” model is the big draw for many others. Deepti Lamba had been blogging for five years before she decided to publish two full-length novels, Prime Cuts and Bronze Gods, online. “I am so comfortable with the online world that my first choice was to publish online,” says Lamba, who chose the Amazon and Sony eReader platforms. “The response has been good. Sales are steady and I have been in the top 50,000 list of Amazon a few times,” she adds.
And of course there are those win-win moneymaking tips and tricks. “One can also set one’s own prices and ask for a greater share of the royalty. The best part is that they’re available beyond the Kindle reader for PCs and the iPhones. There is no fear of rejection the E way, and readers can provide feedback directly to the writers,” explains Lamba whose third eBook Half Brained will also be published soon. “It is a supernatural thriller set in a post-apocalyptic Delhi, where demi gods and super-naturals fight for supremacy over humans,” she avers.
The market is huge, as one can make money doing even just the bare-minimum. Kolkata-based Arijit Karmakar, who is a partner at the site ContentWrit-ers.Org, which provides ePublishing solutions, says, “We help writers as we do the research, writing, and complete formatting to make the e-Book ‘ready to be sold.’ Our e-Book clientele has grown nearly three times in recent years. Four to five clients approach us every month on average for technical help and research work. The demand is soaring. The world’s largest online bookstore Amazon has sold 143 e-Books for every 100 hardcover books in the second quarter of 2010.”
As a result, online portals are now witnessing a soaring group of eAuthors signing up. Deepa Thomas, senior manager, pop culture of eBay, India, says, “We have around 30,000 e-Books on our online store and they’re fast moving. So are the eBook readers. As people are constantly on the move now, they prefer digital books. Moreover, the major advantage for authors who sell their works online is that they can register and market for free on our portal and they have to pay a six per cent final value fee only if the book sells. So it’s hardly a gamble as there’s nothing to lose.”
Help is just a click away as websites double up as critics and friends. If one’s struggling to write a book, there is technology to help you there too. For instance, the website,www.readwriteweb.com, has designed all the tools one would need when faced with that fashionable literary disease: Writer’s block. Arjun adds, “I recently discovered that there are sites like behindthename.com where you can select the nationality, gender and era of the setting you are looking for. And what’s more, there is a specific character generator too, where you can get help on narration. And www.plotshot.com [2] takes the cake. It is a handy Web 2.0 plot-generation tool which ideates with you on the plot. For everything else, there’s always your imagination.”
Becoming a published author was never this easy, as technology can guide one through every step of the way. And people of all age groups are taking to it. It was the excitement of keeping up with the digital age that made 59-year-old, Kolkata-based teacher, Elizabeth Gupta write an e-Book on her biggest passion — travel. “My e-Book is titled A Guide to Spiritual Tourism. It was a very exciting journey. At every stage, people in Chillibreeze.com (an ePublishing services provider) guided me along, and I learnt so much.”
“Digitalisation is a huge step forward in saving trees so I’m glad that I did my bit. What sells the most is attractively-done covers with succinct summaries,” says Elizabeth who is also a ghostwriter for e-Books.
And they’re not short of readers either. Every time someone clicks to buy their book, they get the money. Tech-lovers devour book after book on their neat reading devices and swear by them. Effie D’Costa, a 24-year-old working professional, says, “I prefer e-Books because they are portable, flexible. Even an elderly person can ‘zoom in’ and read them, and they’re durable. I can never travel without something to read, but I hate the added weight of books. That’s when e-Books come as a blessing. However, there’s one thing, e-Reader manufacturers will have to focus more on the sensory experience of reading, rather than on simply the visual experience.”
The digital books are catching everyone’s attention, thanks to their newfound popularity. Filmmaker Mahesh Dattani feels e-Books can be a boon to the world of cinema too. “If there are enough eyeballs on e-Books, it can be a very effective tool to promote films. One can have a whole package along with sneak previews of trailers etc. I feel young people take to technology quicker than anyone else. So it is no surprise that e-Books are a rage among them. As for celebrities, I guess it probably is an opportunity they don’t want to miss out on.”
Mahesh is open to exploring the digital medium to pen down his thoughts. “I would simply have to write like I normally do and let the publishers worry about the rest. I don’t even know what the new designation for the old-fashioned publisher would be in the future. Uploader?” he concludes with a smile.