Amanda Hocking

Amanda's Blog Post

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March 8th, 2011 by
This post currently has 25 comments

Something I just wanted to clear up – a lot of people seemed to think that m last post “Some Things That Need to Be Said” was directed at people sayid negative things about me. It wasn’t. I actually wrote it for all the people telling me that I’m an inspiration & that they were completely sold on the self publishing idea.

I don’t mind so much if people read something about & decide I suck. It bothers me more if somebody reads something about & gets the wrong idea & makes a major life decision based on that. I want people to research & be careful. That’s all I’m really saying.

Tonight was the season finale of SouthLAnd. I haven’t it yet because I’m tired & in bed, but everybody should watch it & do everything they can to keep it on the air because I love SouthLAnd lots. And since NBC took Law & Order away from me, I needs crime drama that I enjoy. And no, Law & Order: LA does NOT count.

At any rate, I wrote this blog on my iPhone, so I’m sorry if it ends up weird.

And I’ll be in the Wednesday issue of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, if you want to check that out.

And don’t do drugs. RIP Mike Starr.

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  • I got the message from your blog, and I agree — we should all make our own decisions, based on our own research. If we run in blind, then we have no idea what to realistically expect.

    I happen to think that e-books are the way to go.

    But to anyone else:

    Your mileage may vary.

    Best,

    Nicholas La Salla
    One More Day: A Modern Ghost Story

  • JaxPop says:

    “I want people to research & be careful.”

    Very good advice – & this is the message I took from the previous post. The ‘us against them’ mentality & the rants (regardless of publishing path) are a waste of time & energy.

    I applaud your success & appreciate your attitude.

  • P.J. Hafner says:

    Kudos, Amanda, on your success and the mark you’re making in the fiction and self-publishing worlds. I saw the article on you and the interview in the St. Paul Pioneer Press; pretty cool.

    Some mention has been made here re: Lightning Source as an option for the self-publisher, and that’s sound advice. I just launched my 4th book through LSI; they’re very professional, the distribution is literally worldwide, and the profit margin for the self-publisher is very healthy. BUT! No hand-holding is provided by LSI; self-publishers should be aware of that. The files you upload, both book and cover, must be perfect, or hefty fees apply. You can also submit a printed-out copy of the book, and they’ll scan it in for you.

    Anyway, keep up the good work, Amanda!

  • Lida Quillen says:

    I’ve been reading articles about you for a few days. I want to congratulate you on your epublishing success story.

    I also want to mention that Marion Gropen has a good point regarding LSI. Bookstores, libraries, library jobbers, wholesalers and distributers are more likely to order your books via LSI than they would via CreateSpace.

  • Souhtland is indeed fantastic. I love love love that show and I felt they ended this season perfectly with last nights episode. I can’t wait till next season.

    I’m self-publishing, but I know I have a long way to go before my craft is up to par. In the meantime, I’m just writing, writing, writing and learning from my mistakes. I just popped in on your blog because of all the press you have been getting but when you mentioned your love for Southland, I felt I had to say something. lol

    And congrats on all your hard work finally paying off!

    Peace!

  • I have some issues posting from the Iphone too. Ever have pictures show up but no text?

  • Nice to meet you Amanda. I’ve been hearing about you as well as some other success. I guess all of us wish success could be bottled. I for one think that paying attention to what works and what doesn’t goes a long way to making us successful.
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium, Special .99 through April 30

  • Congratulations on both your success and your efforts to educate those who are considering an attempt to emulate you. I work with a large number of small and indie publishers, and most start-ups are much less “together” than you are.

    Some odd thoughts, that you may already have considered.

    First, have you tried LSI, in order to get into Ingram and jumpstart your sales through bricks and mortar stores? LSI’s prices are, as I’m sure you know, comparable with CreateSpace’s publisher-only prices, but the distribution will extend your reach.

    Then again, like all of publishing, there are complicating factors to consider. (And if you have considered this, a discussion of the issue in your blog might be very enlightening for the publishing and writing section of your burgeoning audience.)

    Second, have you considered evaluating the way you run your business, in order to tame the inevitable, ever-increasing demands of being a publisher?

  • Thanks for your blogs about self-publishing. I am also a self-published author, and it ain’t all smiles and sunshine. I’ve published a Las Vegas travel guide for Kindle and Nook.

    You have to continually promote your books, and as you mention it means taking time away from writing, which is why we self-publish in the first place! After all of the hard work, you never know how it’s going to turn out.

    Thanks again for your insight and best wishes with your books —
    Mike

  • Great blog. Sorry if I missed something, but what do you have going on in the St. Paul Pioneer Press? Keep up the steam; it’s well-needed in this business.