One of the benefits of self-publishing is that I get to experiment. I’m not talking glass beakers & hazardous chemicals. Yikes. I was definitely not a science geek in my high school days, and that’s still true. (Unfortunately.) I’m speaking of how my books, shorts, & novelettes make their way into the hands of readers. One of those paths is direct sales. In other words, me selling to you.
“No middleman,” you yell gleefully. <Dejected writer shakes head.> Not exactly. Less of a middleman, with all the advantages and disadvantages that creates. So if I’m not eliminating the middleman, why am I bothering at all? A few reasons, including the following:
1. Cash. Writing is one of the ways I pay my bills. Shocking, I know, but it’s true – I have an electric bill. And a mortgage. And doggie dependents who demand twice daily kibble rations. Direct sales equal more of the cash paid by the reader entering the author’s bank account. (A little oversimplified, but you get the gist.)
2. Flexibility. I can do whatever the heck I want, when I control the distribution channel.
Which leads into the real reason I’m experimenting with direct sales. I have a new episodic series of novelettes/novellas coming out in the foreseeable future. Since the format is a little different from what I’ve done in the past, I wanted to offer it for sale in a new way. So over the next few weeks, I’ll be experimenting with Gumroad, the vendor I’ve chosen to deliver my direct sale books.
My first experiment is a book link embedded into a blog post…’cause, um, maybe that has something to do with how I’m planning to release my episodic novellas. Maybe. =) I’m using Defensive Magic as my guinea pig. So here goes!
