Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The Future is Now

It's a new day for authors and publishers. Everything we've learned has been flipped upside down. Traditional publishing calls for months, maybe years, of querying agents and publishers. Living and learning from rejections, continue writing to improve until the big day when finally signing a publishing contract. Then it might take another two years before your book is released.

The publishing house was in control of it all, from cover art to title, and, of course, keeping most of the sales revenue. Contrast that with how things have changed with epublishing. Today's independent publisher/author uses epublishing platforms to add their books to digital library shelves within days, while controlling the creative and business processes. It is a new day.

Matanzas Bay was launched as an ebook for Kindle and Nook about two months ago. Sales have moved briskly, particularly for Amazon.com's Kindle, which controls about 70% of ebook sales. My alter ego, Parker Francis, has been helped by guest blog interviews, such as Jerome Parisse's Alive with Words, and Nancy Quatrano's, Faith, Hope and Grace. And I was a guest on First Coast Connect, an interview program hosted by Melissa Ross of WJCT-FM. Listen to the interview here:

The final bit of news is equally as exciting—the print books are now available. You may order them from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com or ask for them at your favorite bookstore. Or contact me for an autographed copy. If you're in the NE Florida area, Parker Francis is the featured author at the Ponte Vedra Beach Library on Monday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m. It's rumored that he will have books with him. Hope to see you there.