Guest Nicolas Cole, an expert in self-publishing and legacy publishing, discusses the downsides of traditional book deals, the intersection of art and business, flaws in the bestseller list, the taboo of talking about money, and the challenges and advantages of self-publishing.
Self-publishing provides writers with the opportunity to retain control, maximize profits, and build their own publishing empire.
Consistent daily writing sharpens skills, enhances thinking abilities, and fosters continuous growth in the craft of writing.
Traditional publishing often offers unfair contracts and limited control, making self-publishing a more lucrative and empowering alternative.
Deep dives
The power of self-publishing and its advantages over traditional publishing
Self-publishing offers writers the opportunity to take control of their work without giving up a significant portion of their profits or compromising creative control. By using platforms like Amazon, writers can upload their manuscripts, design book covers, and have their books printed on demand. This allows for greater flexibility and eliminates the need for costly printing and warehousing. With self-publishing, writers have the potential to earn higher royalties and build their own publishing empire.
The importance of writing every day
The podcast episode emphasizes the value of writing every day. Writing consistently sharpens one's skills and improves thinking abilities. The speaker believes that good writers are great thinkers and that writing daily helps to keep writers sharp and continuously develop their craft.
The pitfalls of traditional publishing
The podcast sheds light on the pitfalls of traditional publishing. It discusses unfair contracts, low advances, and the limited control authors have over their own work. Traditional publishing often prioritizes status over financial success, and many writers end up earning less than they anticipated. The episode advocates for self-publishing as a more lucrative and empowering alternative.
The potential of genre fiction in self-publishing
The podcast reveals that genre fiction has the highest earning potential among writer career paths. While other paths, such as literary fiction or nonfiction, cap at tens of millions in earnings, genre fiction allows writers to reach hundreds of millions. This realization has led the speaker to venture into genre fiction as a means to tap into the higher ceiling of earning potential.
The personal journey of the speaker and the importance of patience and perseverance
The speaker shares their personal journey as a writer, from studying creative fiction in college to self-publishing their first book. They emphasize the need for patience, perseverance, and a willingness to invest time and effort into honing one's craft and building a writing career. The podcast encourages aspiring writers to pursue their passion and navigate the self-publishing landscape for greater control and potential success.
In this episode of the Copyblogger podcast, Tim sits down with Nicolas Cole. They discuss Cole's ability to write and publish content, even as his business expands.
Cole also goes deep into self-publishing and legacy publishing and what he wishes writers knew about the differences.
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