A Look at Ebooks 2014 - Marketing Considerations

By: Stephanie Burkhart

Ebooks have been on the rise since 2007 when Amazon introduced the Kindle. Other retailers followed suit with the Nook, Sony's ereaders, Kobo, and the Ipad. With easy to use readers, the ebook market took off.

There are several advantages to ebooks. They save on shelf space and ebook readers are light and easy to carry around. Novels now have a worldwide reach and readers have access to older novels since ebooks don't go out of print.

As an author, it's important to consider taping into the ebook market. Kids these days have access to ebook readers and the bulk of the books they buy are on ereaders.

Ebooks have changed several fundamental ways books are made available to consumers including: distribution, marketing, pricing, and contracts.

Ebooks have opened new, broader channels of distribution. Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords have worldwide audiences. In 2013, Smashwords reported it earned 20 million in profits as a distributor. It's a big plus for an author to have their books available to the widest audience possible and an ebook gives them that.

Marketing is all about discovery. An author may have a wide distribution, but now the challenge is being 'discovered.' How do readers find 'your' title? Consider with ebooks: your novel/story goes to print right away. It's an opportunity to meet demand for a certain topic. As an author, you also have an opportunity for longer promotion through electronic media like blog tours, facebook, twitter, yahoo groups, and other social media.

Ebooks generally have lower costs to create. There's no ink, paper or binding. Lower overhead allows for ebooks to drop prices, allowing for competition. When you can drop a price, there's an opportunity to sell more books.

When working with publishers, traditional and small, authors need to consider their ebook contracts. Since ebooks are generating more sales than ever, royalty clauses in contracts need to be fair for authors and publishers. Pricing and contracts are new considerations due to the popularity of ebooks.

Question: As an author, what's your biggest consideration regarding ebooks? How do ebooks benefit you? Do you find marketing ebooks challenging? Why or why not?

Reference for this blog: "What Writer's Need to Know about the Ebook Market," by Jeremy Greenfield, Writer's Digest, FEB 2014, pages 21-25.

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She loves chocolate, enjoys a good cup of coffee, and taking long walks. She's a cub scout den leader for her son's troop. Her books, "The Giving Meadow," and "First Flag of New Hampshire," are published with 4RV Publishing. Find her on the web at:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

5 Reasons to Love Ebooks - and Print Books

5 Reasons why I Love Ebooks (and print books, too!)
by Stephanie Burkhart

I bought my first ebook reader on 25 DEC 2009. It was a Kindle 2 and I loved how thin it was – that and the fact it could hold a ton of books, freeing up some of the space on my print book shelf. I can remember back in 2007, ebooks were gaining steam and since 2009 ebook readers have made great advances. The Kindle Fire, Barnes and Noble Color Nook, and iPad are all in color now allowing the reader to purchase magazines and save their favorite children's books on the reader.

I still have my Kindle 2 because I love the text to speech feature. I can listen to books in the car, but I love the versatility and color feature of the Kindle Fire. Not only that, most ebooks are very affordable.

I still love my print books, too. There's something about holding a book in your hand that brings you just that much closer to the story. Today, I thought I'd list my top 5 reasons for why I love ebooks and print books. Feel free to share your thoughts.

EBOOKS
1. Ebooks readers are thin and convenient. I put my Kindle in my purse and whip it out whenever I find myself in a line.
2. Most ebook readers are affordable. Sony, B&N, and Kindle all have models under $100.00.
3. My Kindle has text to speech. I get to read my book on the way to work and going home.
4. Ebooks are generally priced lower and are more affordable.
5. Ebook readers hold a lot of books, freeing up shelf space.


The following books are available from 4RV as ebooks:



Aldric and Annaliese,
If Wishes were Fishes
A Wish and A Prayer
In My Bath
Guardian
Lion in the Living Room
Prairie Dog Cowboy
Just Breeze

5 Reasons why I love print books:

1. There's nothing like holding a print book in your hand. It's an indefinable feeling that warms the soul.
2. I collect all my favorite authors in print. These are books that I'll cherish so I want a print copy.
3. You can have print books autographed.
4. I can underline and mark up my book all I want.
5. Print books make nice gifts.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on ebooks. Do you have a reader? If so, which one? What features do you like about it? Do you have your children's books on your reader? Why do you like print books?


Author Bio: Wanting a great adventure when she was 18, Stephanie Burkhart joined the US Army. After Basic and AIT, she shipped off to Germany. 25 years later, she's settled down in Castaic, CA and works for LAPD. She's married with 2 young sons. Her books with 4RV Publishing include: The Giving Meadow and First Flag of New Hampshire.