20BooksTo50KVegas Day 0.5
I’m one day back from a writer’s conference in Vegas and want to share some wisdom and tips from Day 1. Or, 20BooksTo50KVegas Day 0.5, because so much happened on Tuesday. I can’t begin to relay the excitement, comraderie, and spirit present.
20BooksTo50K is a Facebook group, currently 26K strong, dedicated to indie writers. Helping; advising; a safe place to ask; celebration, and so much more. A frequent saying is “A rising tide lifts all boats”, and I saw this so many times since I arrived in Vegas on Monday. The indie writers of 20Books are phenomenal.
Highlights from the welcoming speech by Craig Martelle, the conference organizer
- There are other authors sharing the same burden of writing
- Don’t be discouraged by poor-selling books.
- A good story will carry the day.
- The only one who counts is the reader.
- Get the barrier of what you can’t do out of your mind.
- Believe in what you’re capable of.
- Don’t compare. Don’t feel less.
Highlights from a panel of high-power authors
Izzy Shows, Michelle Madow, Martha Carr, Jasmine Walt, and Lindsay Buroker spoke on the pros and cons of being a high power indie author (mostly pros)
- Having fun.
- Getting to market faster than traditional publishing.
- Flexibility
- Control over your career. Keeping your backlist alive.
- No one will care about your book as much as you.
- Lots of pressure.
- Learn what you’re doing wrong.
- People don’t know what your challenges are.
- They make mistakes just like everyone else.
Amazon Data Overview
Alex Niehues clued us in about Amazon data (where science meets the arts)
- Amazon sells $5.25 Billion a year in books
- 30M buyers own a Kindle
- 85% of Kindle sales are in the US book market
- Audio books are squeezing out market share of print books
- Amazon carries 6M book titles
- 87% of those 6M titles rank #1-#5,000
- The top 50 indie authors have >15 books published
And these are the highlights of just Monday morning!
I’ll be back with more tips and the unique vibe that’s 20BooksTo50KVegas.
Blessings,
Cheryl
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