May
Epublishing Pros and Cons
Anyone who loves romance books and spends any time hopping around blogland is probably somewhat familiar with ebooks. Electronic books are bought online through a publishing company or store like Fictionwise.
The biggest complaint I hear about them from readers is they prefer reading paper to reading a computer or handheld device. (I can’t speak to those since I don’t have one!) The biggest complaint for writers is market reach. There are many epublishers and more joining the market every day, but not as many readers as we’d all like. Most people still buy their books in paper. The older established publishers (Ellora’s Cave, NCP, Loose ID, etc) get the lion’s share of the electronic business with a few up and comers poised to join the big guys like my publisher, Cobblestone Press. (Gotta get the plug in ya know? Lol)
The pluses are so much more fun to talk about. There are many things I love about ebooks both as a reader and a writer. As a lover of technology, they have real appeal. I’m fast running out of wall space for books, and ebooks take up no room obviously. I have about 200 on my computer right now!
Then there’s a matter of length and variety. If you check out that Fictionwise link above you’ll see there’s a huge range of books available electronically and many print publishers are beginning to offer them as an option. But the most interesting thing to me is what is happening in the romance genre. Anything and everything is available in subgenres from erotic romance (which is what I write) to mainstream levels of sensuality, from contemporary to science fiction to paranormal to suspense to western…well you see where I’m going lol. If you have an urge to read a western romance, you’ll probably have a hard time finding variety at your local Borders, but online you’ll find quite a bit. The things I love, sci fi, fantasy, and paranormal (which is currently the exception) are not easy to find in print romance either. So variety is a real selling point for ebook lovers.
Then there’s a matter of length and price. Don’t want to read a long book on a computer screen (or at all for that matter)? You don’t have to. You’ll find short stories, novellas, category length, and novels as the available option length with most publishers. I love ebooks for a quick romance fix. Where else can you find a 30 or 60 page romance story?
Which brings me to advantages for writers. There are a few I’ll run through very quickly since I’ve rambled on so long lol. Ebooks have really opened the market up for short story and novella length fiction. You’ll find many familiar names in the Ellora’s Cave author list who got their start writing shorter fiction for the electronic market and moved into print. My own publisher, Deanna Lee, started out as a Loose ID author who then landed an agent and a contract with Kensington. All as a result of her ebooks.
Even after getting picked up by a big New York publisher many ebook authors continue with their online publishers. I’ve heard there are two main reasons for this. The first is epublishers are more willing to take chances on content. Alternative genres are more welcomed and heat levels are all over the place. *g* The second reason is monetary. Most epublishers pay monthly and if you’re lucky enough to be with a big publisher like Ellora’s Cave (by far the most profitable at the moment) my understanding is those are very nice checks. (I’ve even heard some EC authors make more money in ebooks than print endeavors. Since most of us are not discussing our income, that’s impossible to verify of course lol.)
Whew! I feel like I need to take a deep breath now. *g* I obviously love this market and as a younger more plugged in generation comes of age, I think it’s really going to take off. That said, like most writers, my ultimate goal is print. I hope my ebook experience will help me get there. If nothing else, it’s taught me to write to a deadline and deal with edits and promotion. Good experience either way. 
Good luck, Loribelle!
I haven’t tried ebooks…Julia Quinn might just finally get me to crack one open. I do like to read paper, but it’s not fair for me to say I don’t like to read books on the pc because 1) I’ve never tried it 2) I read enough blogs during the day to negate a statement like that!
That said, thanks for blogging with us
I think your idea of a name list is awesome. I especially love the idea of using the white pages for surnames. Although, like Emily, I’m writing Regency so that won’t work 
But I DO know the importance of good name research. On my second pass-attempt naming my half Native American heroine, I chose Senna–a southeastern US wildflower. Until I was standing in the medical aisle at Target and what should I see but SENNA LAXATIVE in a bright yellow box. Uh, yeah…still laughing about that!
May 30th, 2006 at 7:19 amThanks for the info, Loribelle.
E-pub is so new to me though I’m more interested now in reading e-books. I’ve never had. Aside from excerpts from authors websites and blogs, I haven’t actually read an entire book online.
Lacey ~ LMAO on SENNA Laxative! That’s just too funny!
May 30th, 2006 at 8:24 amWow, I had this long response typed in yesterday’s comments and blogger ate it.
Lacey, too funny with the name! NA names are difficult. I’m 1/4 NA so every now and then one ends up in my stories lol. I just try to keep the last names accurate. The NA heroine in my next werewolf book is named Summer, but that’s more a result of having hippie parents lol.
I’ll have to look it up, but I keep hearing about some place on line that’s carry the out of print backstock of a lot of established authors. Is that the Julia Quinn you’re going after? Oh it’s going to drive me nuts now until I remember the place lol!
Isabel, I think I’ll use tomorrow’s blog to kind of do an ebook guide, which publisher has what kind of stuff.
May 30th, 2006 at 10:01 amActually I was referring to her “2nd Epilogue” concept, where she’s writing a 30-page “where are they now” kind of story for each Bridgerton novel. JQ’s been pretty good lately about drawing attention to other…places. For example, those draw attention to ebooks, and now she’s got a contest going on the Avon board to lure readers to new Avon authors. Very clever, IMO.
I did eventually compile a pretty reliable list of Shawnee names from Regency times (War of 1812!), once I started looking for actual NA names. At first, I was relying on the idea that her father would give her a white name, but as I researched their history I realized…no, he wouldn’t. Anyway, then the game was trying to pick one that could be simplified a bit for my readers (if I ever have some!). I’m thrilled with the names I have now…but it did make it more difficult. What is your heritage?
May 30th, 2006 at 10:15 amAh, good deal on the names. Now of course, you have to write something else to make use of it lol!
I’m a genealogy nut, so that’s helped me quite a bit with names. My grandmother is eastern band Cherokee. She’s from NC. And I have several Cherokee ancestors married into the family tree (this is Ga and Tn mostly, all the way back to the 1700s). They almost always have a Christian first and last name in the official records, but often went by another name. My gggrandmother is Mattie Jane in census, but the family lore and private writings call her Little Fawn. So it can be tricky, and I’d imagine customs varied widely by tribe, area, and timeframe. Are you a member of the WD bookclub? They have a book (name escapes me) that is supposed to cover many tribes over a lot of decades that I keep meaning to check out. Most of my NA characters are modern, but I have this Civil War idea floating around and I could use that research lol.
May 31st, 2006 at 8:30 pm