You think the economy was hurting before it began to rebound. Guess what? Predictions are saying things will get much worse. It's not only going to affect the rising gas prices, but groceries, too. Here in my area, businesses are closing left and right.
How will this affect authors?
Budget cuts will have to come from somewhere. I know for my husband alone, it's costing him twice as much in gas as it did this time last year and he has to fork it out. He's a computer tech who is outsourced to OSF and they often require him to travel which in turn requires him to fill his little S10 tank twice a week and often three times. It once cost him $30 to fill up, right now it's $50. That extra $240 a pay period has to come from somewhere.
Cuts have to be made to accomodate the necessary.
Last night, I ran to the store for bread and bunny greens. I stopped by the books and well, walked away when I normally would buy one or two or maybe a magazine. At the checkout counters where they sell those recipe booklets - I love buying those, too. Books, magazines, booklets all add up and can provide a couple of meals for a small family. This is how my mind works.
You're probably thinking, so what. You shouldn't be buying paperbacks anyway, you're an ebook author. Um, so! My favorite passion is to read in the bathtub - can't with an ebook.
This business of cutting costs is going to affect the sales of ebooks as well. Entertainment is often the first place looked at to make budget cuts. People are going to be going out to eat less, or at least not hitting their favorite restaurant as often. A little $30 dinner out for my husband and myself can provide meat for a week.
Movie goers are going to buy or rent movies rather than going to a theatre to save a few dollars. Every dollar amount is going to be viewed with stricter responsibility.
Readers are going to be more selective about the books they purchase. Most will be less apt to take a chance on authors they don't know. More are apt to purchase only the authors they really like. Some are going for the most they can get for the money allowed which means the $2 and less books have more of a chance of selling than a 5.99 book.
A few weeks ago, one of my muscian friends sent me a message. He was going to have to turn off his internet. Even though his wife had returned to work, things were still so tight it wasn't an option. If this is something readers are going to have to let go of as well, they aren't going to be able to purchase ebooks.
Last night, I got a message from a dear friend and mother of two awesome daughters. Things have gotten so tight for them they are having to move into a trailer and camp on land they own and have been clearing. They will have to depend on their closest neighbors to allow them to share electric as their land has no utilities as yet. Both of them work, but it's not enough.
You don't think about how bad it can really get until it starts to affect people you know.
I always thought there'd come a day when we'd have to do away with cable/satellite and so that's always behind my splurges on movies. I buy from the $5 bin at Walmart and pick up $1 movies at the dollar stores. I buy cartoons, dramas, westerns, horror, mystery/suspense, comedys, actions and even b-movies. I have old tv shows of Red Skelton, Blondie, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Adams Family, I Love Lucy, etc. Things we love watching over and over. In my mind when the day would come and we'd have to pull the plug, I always thought it'd be because we'd be retired and living on a fixed income - not because the gas grubbers wanted to pad their pockets at the expense of the American people's livelihoods.
So, is all this going to affect my writing or how I promote it. Of course not though I fear sales will become much tougher to get.
Is there a solution? There is always a solution. Though I think James Patterson writes like a fourth grader, but his books sell. Why? It's in the manner of the way he sells them. He believes so much in his books that he does a small little commercial for each new one he puts out. And quite frankly, he's a man. Nora tried the commercials and stopped - I don't think they saw an increase in sales from her bits. Why? People have this inherrent need to give to a man who is in relm typically thought of as to belong to a woman. I've seen this in waiting tables - the guys always get bigger tips. Sexist, yes, but reality. Mmm, wonder if I should enlist one of my handsome sons to do a spot for me?
I realise the content of most e-authors prevents the books from being advertised on television, but there are ways of doing it. Sell yourself, the author. If a few went in together to do a paid programming show explaining digital publishing, various ereaders and their books - after all there are shows on late at night that show and sell sex toys. All it'd take is one show which would be repeated. Or a talk show format could be done with different genre authors discussing their books. There are ways to follow FCC regulations and sell your erotic books as well as non-erotic.
We need to hit the general public rather than constantly selling to the same groups and readers day in and day out. All this will do is provide a stagnant market for your books.
What do you think?
Bekki
http://bekkilynn.net/
How will this affect authors?
Budget cuts will have to come from somewhere. I know for my husband alone, it's costing him twice as much in gas as it did this time last year and he has to fork it out. He's a computer tech who is outsourced to OSF and they often require him to travel which in turn requires him to fill his little S10 tank twice a week and often three times. It once cost him $30 to fill up, right now it's $50. That extra $240 a pay period has to come from somewhere.
Cuts have to be made to accomodate the necessary.
Last night, I ran to the store for bread and bunny greens. I stopped by the books and well, walked away when I normally would buy one or two or maybe a magazine. At the checkout counters where they sell those recipe booklets - I love buying those, too. Books, magazines, booklets all add up and can provide a couple of meals for a small family. This is how my mind works.
You're probably thinking, so what. You shouldn't be buying paperbacks anyway, you're an ebook author. Um, so! My favorite passion is to read in the bathtub - can't with an ebook.
This business of cutting costs is going to affect the sales of ebooks as well. Entertainment is often the first place looked at to make budget cuts. People are going to be going out to eat less, or at least not hitting their favorite restaurant as often. A little $30 dinner out for my husband and myself can provide meat for a week.
Movie goers are going to buy or rent movies rather than going to a theatre to save a few dollars. Every dollar amount is going to be viewed with stricter responsibility.
Readers are going to be more selective about the books they purchase. Most will be less apt to take a chance on authors they don't know. More are apt to purchase only the authors they really like. Some are going for the most they can get for the money allowed which means the $2 and less books have more of a chance of selling than a 5.99 book.
A few weeks ago, one of my muscian friends sent me a message. He was going to have to turn off his internet. Even though his wife had returned to work, things were still so tight it wasn't an option. If this is something readers are going to have to let go of as well, they aren't going to be able to purchase ebooks.
Last night, I got a message from a dear friend and mother of two awesome daughters. Things have gotten so tight for them they are having to move into a trailer and camp on land they own and have been clearing. They will have to depend on their closest neighbors to allow them to share electric as their land has no utilities as yet. Both of them work, but it's not enough.
You don't think about how bad it can really get until it starts to affect people you know.
I always thought there'd come a day when we'd have to do away with cable/satellite and so that's always behind my splurges on movies. I buy from the $5 bin at Walmart and pick up $1 movies at the dollar stores. I buy cartoons, dramas, westerns, horror, mystery/suspense, comedys, actions and even b-movies. I have old tv shows of Red Skelton, Blondie, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Adams Family, I Love Lucy, etc. Things we love watching over and over. In my mind when the day would come and we'd have to pull the plug, I always thought it'd be because we'd be retired and living on a fixed income - not because the gas grubbers wanted to pad their pockets at the expense of the American people's livelihoods.
So, is all this going to affect my writing or how I promote it. Of course not though I fear sales will become much tougher to get.
Is there a solution? There is always a solution. Though I think James Patterson writes like a fourth grader, but his books sell. Why? It's in the manner of the way he sells them. He believes so much in his books that he does a small little commercial for each new one he puts out. And quite frankly, he's a man. Nora tried the commercials and stopped - I don't think they saw an increase in sales from her bits. Why? People have this inherrent need to give to a man who is in relm typically thought of as to belong to a woman. I've seen this in waiting tables - the guys always get bigger tips. Sexist, yes, but reality. Mmm, wonder if I should enlist one of my handsome sons to do a spot for me?
I realise the content of most e-authors prevents the books from being advertised on television, but there are ways of doing it. Sell yourself, the author. If a few went in together to do a paid programming show explaining digital publishing, various ereaders and their books - after all there are shows on late at night that show and sell sex toys. All it'd take is one show which would be repeated. Or a talk show format could be done with different genre authors discussing their books. There are ways to follow FCC regulations and sell your erotic books as well as non-erotic.
We need to hit the general public rather than constantly selling to the same groups and readers day in and day out. All this will do is provide a stagnant market for your books.
What do you think?
Bekki
http://bekkilynn.net/
