Ebooks? How About Epublishers?

Good day, everyone.

I’m new to Wicked Writers. I apologize for this post being late, I didn’t realize I was scheduled for the first day of the month. C.J. and I are working on setting up my bio and everything, but for now I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself.

My name is Jenn, but everything writing related goes under my pen name, J.D. Brown. I’m 25 years old and I live smack dab in the middle of Wisconsin and Illinois. I grew up near the ‘urbs of Chicago and will always be a city girl at heart, but I enjoy the quiet Wisconsin country side too. I write … you guessed it … urban fantasy! More about that when my bio is complete. This is, obviously, my first post for Wicked Writers. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you didn’t like it, or if it wasn’t to your standards … or if you love it, I’d like to know that too! Okay, on to today’s post.



This week’s topic is: Where do you think the future of books / ebooks will be in five years?

That’s such vital question since it affects every aspect of the writing industry, and one I have pondered before myself. Ebooks are quickly gaining popularity. What does this mean for hard cover and paperback sales? What does this mean for the author trying to sell their book?

Since ebooks is a rising trend, I’m positive they’re not going away any time soon. Simply put, the word has gone digital. The writing industry is not the first to make the adjustment from paper to electronic, and it certainly won’t be the last. However, I doubt books will become obsolete within the next five years.  We’re not talking about Blue-ray vs. VHS here. Yes, ebooks are more convenient in many ways, but there is still something special about being able to hold the actual book copy in your hands. Feeling the cover, turning the pages, the image in your head when you hear the phrase “curl up with a book”. No, ebooks can’t replace that.

However, as a writer trying to break into the biz – or even as a published author! – one must always look ahead and be wary of the trends. When you finaly get that contract in your hands, make sure it includes ebook rights before you sign it! (*Ahem* I have no idea how publishing contracts work! All I know is you’re selling yourself short and missing out on great sales opportunities if your publisher doesn’t do ebooks!)

Let’s talk about something related to ebooks – epublishers! When I think about ebooks, I think about “jumping on the bandwagon” and riding into Publication Town. Epublishing houses are easier to be accepted into than the big NY houses. Basically, epublishers are at about the same level as small-press. You don’t need an agent and you have a better chance of getting your foot in the door.

Now personally, I want nothing more than to see a hard-cover copy of my book on a display shelf in a Barnes & Nobel. But as a first-time writer, when the cursor on my Word Document gets to the portion of the query letter that is supposed to include my credentials, I sit there and stare with dread. The thought that runs through my mind during times like that is what if I wrote a novel or two for an epublisher so I can use those titles as credentials later?

Temping idea, isn’t it? Of course there is a down-side. There is no guarantee I’ll get a deal with an epublisher. Also, many epublishers have very specific details for the content of their books. They have a reputation to uphold and they are still growing in the industry as well. In fact, one epublishing house I was interested in had exact instructions for the main hero and heroine!

It all comes down to how badly you want to be a published author and what your personal career goals are. I know quite a few authors who make a cushy living by writing strictly for their epublishing house, and that’s awesome! Personally, I’m still undecided if I want to go that route. Of course, I could do both. But for now I’d like to see how my manuscript does with the bigger fish.

What do you think? Are you epublished and/or prefer ebooks?