Dana Beth Weinberg

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Can So Many Authors Be Earning Big Money?

July 28, 2014 by Dana Beth Weinberg 7 Comments

On my way home from the Romance Writers of America National Conference in San Antonio, Texas, I met a fellow writer in the airport. She was so dazzled by the success stories spotlighted at the conference, the growing number of indie and hybrid romance authors who reported earning substantial and even impressive income from their writing by taking advantage of self-publishing. After attending workshops with titles like “How to Make Six Figures Quietly as an Indie Author,” she was ready to jump in with both feet and try her luck. She planned to quit her day job to focus on her writing, even though she had not yet completed a manuscript. My stomach sank as I considered her prospects and the incredible risk she was taking based on the undeniable success of several select authors. Had she been given false hope, or were her chances as good as the hype suggested?

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: author earnings, authors, consumer expenditures, consumer spending, digital age, earnings, income, indie publishing, market, reading, reprints, RWA Nationals, self-publishing, traditional publishing, writers

Separating Self-Publishing Facts from Fiction

December 4, 2013 by Dana Beth Weinberg Leave a Comment

Am I selling myself short if I self-publish, or will I make my own writing dreams come true? If I take years trying to win a traditional contract instead of putting my work out now to sell, am I being wise or foolish? I’m one of a multitude of writers grappling with these vexing questions, but as a social scientist, I also have the knowledge and skills to turn off the emotion and critically analyze the data.

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: authors, self-publishng, social science, writers, writing

Are Self-Published Books Flooding the Book Market?

November 27, 2013 by Dana Beth Weinberg 4 Comments

Discoverability is a matter of life and death for book sales, and despite the promise of social networking and online advertising, it is increasingly difficult to compete in the crowded book market. Common sense in the publishing world blames self-publishing for the tidal wave of books that has made discoverability such a challenge. But common sense is merely what a lot of people think, and sometimes it is wrong.

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: authors, digital age, digital publishing, out-of-copyright, reprints, self-publishng, writers

Author Meets Social Scientist

November 1, 2013 by Dana Beth Weinberg Leave a Comment

When I started writing novels, I had no intention of conducting research on the book industry. Like many authors, I found myself turning to writing during an emotionally difficult period in my life. Unlike my rigorous and exacting research work, fiction writing gave me an amazing sense of freedom and creativity. I didn’t have to struggle with the complexities of analyzing data. I didn’t need any interview subjects or survey respondents. I didn’t have to spend hours pouring through archives and documenting sources. I could make it all up, say whatever I wanted. My first novel poured out of me in a cathartic rush. I read it over, decided it wasn’t bad, and thought as many new writers do, Wow, maybe I could make some money at this.BrainSketchDBW

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: authors, digital age, digital publishing, self-publishng, social science, sociology, writers, writing

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Recent Posts

  • Can So Many Authors Be Earning Big Money?
  • In-Person Social Networking: The Art of Working the Room
  • Gap Between Publishing Dreams and Market Reality
  • Should Traditional Publishers Feel Threatened by the Potential of Self-Publishing? Summary of My Presentation at Digital Book World 2014
  • Separating Self-Publishing Facts from Fiction

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