|
|
Joined: 1/31/2012
Posts: 8
|
Hi All,
Looking to start a conversation on this idea. It is partly fleshed out in my blog: http://goo.gl/FMkkY
I think publishing is harder than it needs to be. A large part of Crowdsourced publishing would be promoting sites like this one.
|
|
Joined: 1/16/2012
Posts: 7
|
I'm trying to learn more myself. For the one-and-only novel i'll probably ever write, but more for some other books/proposals I'm working on - one, a memoir; two, a book for a brewery. Either way, I (we) want control, but high quality and relative value. I'm researching this right now...for print, mostly, but also e-book. Any insight would be appreciated. I'll read more of your blog. thanks!
|
|
Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 412
|
The main things needed for crowdsourcing are A. a team of people who ensure quality, and B. a public following that already trusts you and will give you their money.
I have been looking more and more at this myself. In fact, a couple of good friends are funding a first print run of a wonderful children's book through Kickstarter right now (and since it's come up in conversation, I feel no guilt for linking it. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/289230880/lorelei-has-a-dream-i-want-to-show-it-to-you Please, go, look, toss them a fiver if you can afford it, and share it with your friends and networks!)
The problem is, to get B. you need A. You need someone , likely a team, with a single name behind them, that ensures quality. An art person, an editor, a marketing person, who work to put together and put out there for consumption good books. There are a lot of authors who do it all, Amanda Hocking, Konrath, and have a decent following, but to be able to pull the numbers to get a new book published from a crowdsourcing would take a few author's worth of audience, in my mind. And again, that takes a team who ensures quality, and only puts their name on books they believe in.
Shannon, book for a brewery? like, instruction manual? history book?
|
|
Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 412
|
Okay, so, I stand by my comments, but having just read the blog post...
Wow. that's ambitious. I like it.
I would suggest a small change, if you intend on dead tree publishing as well, not just e-book, I would put in a presale system, so that a certain number of sales would have to be made to then make the print run. Also, I would set a percentage to go to a fund that would be able to pre-pay team members with high ratings and a history of success to start work on a next book. an ability to give advances would be big, methinks.
|
|
Joined: 1/31/2012
Posts: 8
|
I think that is a great way to approach it. This is the cool thing about getting many people involved, you end up with something far bigger and better than you could do on your own.
For now, I'm going to keep beating on Libboo because they have a pretty decent start.
|
|
Joined: 11/17/2011
Posts: 1016
|
William,
I'd never heard about crowd-sourced publishing until you popped up here.
In what way does your current undertaking differ from an earlier model, and how might the earlier one have lacked quality?
I have to mull this over. I am thinking, for instance, that a group of people attached to a project, (too many cooks, etc. etc.) might result in a more successful effort but a diluted vision. Should this be a concern?
Getting involved with Bookkus would give me more insight into how the thing works. That's my next step, to try it on for size.
|
|
Joined: 11/17/2011
Posts: 1016
|
This is starting to look really interesting to me.
I am a graphic artist. I feel that my special strength is handling type, and I understand that type used as a design element is so far not possible in an e-pub file.
I also do a bit of illustration and plan to hone my skills with the aim of illustrating my own work. When the time comes that you are ready to assemble a team, I would be happy to produce samples for you. I expect that you would want to offer an author two or three or even four choices of cover art.
This starts to be very interesting indeed.
|
|
Joined: 1/31/2012
Posts: 8
|
Bookkus looks like a step in the right direction, but it's really just the standard publishing model with a twist. Instead of hiring professional editors, you are just asking for amateur volunteers. I don't see how this is a more scalable model than just business as usual.
Perhaps I'm not looking at it close enough?
|
|
Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 412
|
mimi, it IS possible to "desktop publish" with epub, its just a serious PAIN IN THE ASS. Anything you were trying to do in particular you got stuck on? I might have some pointers.
|
|
|
|