Friday 27 June 2014

Is Amazon killing the publishing industry?

Just a quick thought.

I've been reading a lot lately about publishers saying that Amazon is killing the publishing industry.

For whom – I ask?

I have had two novels published by a USA publisher. I have also indie published, (for the uninitiated, read independently, for indie), apologies to my friends and readers who already know this.

So, back to the indie bit. I have earned more money as an indie published writer, for selling less books than I have through my publisher.

My royalty take is higher, for the same effort that I have put in, in marketing my other books.

One of my novels Half Blood, a vampire story with an original idea. My vamps are completely different to the usual sort of blood thirsty un-deads. Thanks to this originality the book recently won 2 awards, Paranormal Book of the year 2013 and Adventure Book of the year 2013 with Turning the Pages magazine.

I'm not saying this just to plug the book, though any opportunity is a good one. I'm saying it because I did all the hard work in putting my book forward for the awards, publicizing, and getting my wonderful readers to vote for me, without any help from my publisher.

When I wrote my first book, The Warlock's Woman, it was impossible for me to send the book to the big main-stream publishers. There are no submission guidelines on the 'big boys' websites.

In fact it is made quite plain by them that unsolicited manuscripts are unwelcome. You have to be invited or have an agent who can get you through the door.

I appreciate that a large publishing house needs some streaming of manuscripts but if a new writer can't get through the door, and does not want to risk going with the small press, there are a lot of really bad small publishers in this industry for the unwary to get snared with, then what is the alternative?

Hello - Amazon.

And of course – Smashwords.

I am using Amazon as my main example, as it is Amazon that the publishing houses are saying is going to destroy the industry.

Who's industry?

Not us the unknown, hungry for recognition, and sadly overlooked by the large publishing houses, industry.

Amazon has given us the chance to showcase our work to the world. They pay a fair rate for our efforts. Pay on time, and don't make us wait months between payments.

If the publishing establishment wants to fight back against Amazon, then it needs to get off it's high horse, and start actively seeking, and helping new writing talent.

My next novel is about to be finished. I am indie publishing and proud of it.

Good luck to all my fellow authors with your writing. I wish all of you -success.




thanks for reading this post
Josephine Sanchez Vanner



Half Blood – Turning the Pages Magazine, 2013 Adventure Book of the Year & 2013 Paranormal Book of the year.

Award winning novel about alien vampires from a distant galaxy, who are the good guys.


The Warlock's Woman. A beautiful psychic, an evil warlock and a sexy ghost. A love triangle with an unexpected twist at the end.








Get Slim Stay Slim – Permanently - shows you in an easy to follow way, the secret to reducing unwanted weight permanently and ending the misery of yo-yo dieting.



The blog, for the book, with on going help and ideas on how to maintain continuous weight reduction.















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