Re: Kindle and its peers

**D* G* <g*@gmail.com>**

Lois - let me apologize for getting back to you so slowly on this note -
I've been on the road to our Southern location and tied up with some other
pressing projects.

>Unlike Doug, webbing is a lot of work for me>>. - Don't misunderstand -
it's a lot of work for anybody.  :-)   I've been on a steep, expensive, and
continual learning curve since I re-launched my writing career in 05.

I think your point about "retail vs wholesale" is a great analogy.  (and
with your permission I might indeed "steal" it when talking to friends)
:-)     And I'll make this point before heading back to my "easy" coding. :)

>>What's the ROI?>>   I'm laughing at this line today because I got my
agent-statements yesterday.   I'm not at liberty to tell you the terms of
the contract but let me simply say that at the current levels of discounting
to that market - it's going to take between 6-8 books sold to afford my
venti regular and apple fritter (depending on where you buy it - north or
south).  So much for gross retail. LOL!

On the other hand, I've worked hard for 5 years to build a business (true -
a "retail" business not a wholesale one) that now delivers a million
pageviews a month (give or take depending on the month), is increasing at
60%+ per year, has me invited to the Google Canada Adsense Partner programme
where I'm learning from the really big boys, allows me to sell and make
almost as much money from my own ebooks as I would make on a dead-tree book
and the freedom to work my own hours.  But it took 5 years of 60+ hour weeks
and some steep learning curves to carve out this niche.

Let me say that my preference would have been to keep the old system as
well.  And my book collection will stand to almost anyone's here - given
that I've specialized in collecting 19th century and early 20th century
writers (don't own a Kindle or Nook yet and heaven help anybody who takes
one of them to the bathroom) :-)  I liked being able to sit in my sunny
office and write books about gardening.  Fire off my column, head out to the
radio station etc. etc with little concern about marketing.   But my
skillset isn't up to the challenge of succeeding in the freelance world
today (wholesale) and I don't have that mindset.  And I want to be a full
time writer so....  I get to wrestle code to the ground.;-)

There's a major difference between those who want to earn their living from
writing and those who do it to supplement their income or promote another
business. I'm not writing to see my name in print other than on a cheque.
:-)  So I do require a serious ROI and I do track it on every project.

So, I found having to create my own channel and talk directly to
readers/gardeners worked for me.  It may indeed not work for everybody nor
need it. I suspect there's a channel to suit everybody's own skills and
inclination.

My .02 and I have to return to a particularly balky bit of code now.  :-)

Doug

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 8:35 AM, <loisdan@juno.com> wrote:

>  I reluctantly agree with Doug that this may be our future and I don't
> look forward to it. Unlike Doug, webbing is a lot of work for me. Print
> books, mags, and papers all have tactile and portability advantages that
> I prefer. For example, a print gardening magazine won't give you a shock
> if you drop it in the bathtub. And what would you be out --- $5? You
> don't have to take your book out of your carryon luggage at airport
> security.  Hardware readers are just another piece of equipment to lug
> around, together with overloaded purse, and laptop :-).
>
> The pieces that we don't have are distribution and price. I'll give you
> that we don't get much by way of price now, but what Doug is talking
> about seems to me to be spending a ton of time marketing your publishing
> business. That's a horse of a very different color than marketing
> yourself as a freelance writer --- and to an entirely different audience
> (retail vs. wholesale). Like self-publishing in print, the process is fun
> and seeing your name on a book in a bookstore is a great ego boost, but
> what's your ROI --- on your time.
>
> You pay your money and you take your choice.
>
> Regards,
> Lois
> Visit: http://cultivatingtheinnergardener.blogspot.com
> Visit: http://loisdevries.blogspot.com
>
> On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:05:48 -0400 Doug Green <gardeningemail@gmail.com>
> writes:
> >> The fun thing from a content creators point of view is that the same
> > thing
> > holds true for garden magazines.  There are now no barriers to
> > starting your
> > own garden magazine.   If you can deliver it via e-reader, then the
> > entire
> > notion of  traditional printing/distribution etc disappears (just as
> > it does
> > for books).
> > As always - my .02
> >
> > Doug
> >
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 11:16 AM, Lorraine Flanigan <
> > lorraine.flanigan@sympatico.ca> wrote:
> >
> > > I love Betty's concept of a netbook for reading magazines.
> > Portability
> > > is a big issue with magazines -- don't we all read them while
> > we're on
> > > the s
> > >
> > --
> > Doug Green
> > Editor-in-Chief,
> > SGF Publishing
> > http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com
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-- 
Doug Green
Editor-in-Chief,
SGF Publishing
http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com
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