Wool/Hugh Howey

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324678604578340752088305668.html

Did anyone read this WSJ article? It's about how a self-published author wrote a series of short stories on Amazon that became a viral internet sensation. Says he earns $120K/mo on it. He ended up w/ multiple publishers bidding for the book and sold the print rights to Simon and Schuster but kept the digital rights for himself. It's a great read.

Bookmarked it for later. Tnanks, LC.

Great news! Thanks!

Everyone raved about Wool on the Amazon forums. Yet they still slam indie authors and say that they are a waste of space even though there are currently seven indie authors on the NYT bestsellers list.

In any business there is the 20/80 rule but in some it's the 10/90 rule - 10 % rise to the top while the other talented 90% struggle to make a living.

These "exception" stories point out that there's a lot of talent in the world and only a few will rise to the top and they may come from anywhere.

There's not one road to the top, there are as many roads to the top as there are rejection letters.

That's why the talented continue to sing in churches, play in bands that perform at the park for free, travel in RV's to the next art festival and just keep on truckin' .

We just had a real estate award ceremony here for those who sold over $5 million this year. There were around 70 recipients. One sold $41 million in closed sales - in bad times. Every one wished they had closed $41 million.

A lot has to do with focus. Does one genuinely see oneself as an exception, or merely involved in wishful thinking. Our limitations (mine included) are often based one what we believe we can accomplish.

About a year ago, Hugh got into a discussion about some typical controversial subject related to self-publishing on the AW site. The moderator with whom he disagreed had him banned. Then he hit it big.

Well, the road to success has many twists and turns. He found a few.

Al Stevens wrote:

About a year ago, Hugh got into a discussion about some typical controversial subject related to self-publishing on the AW site. The moderator with whom he disagreed had him banned. Then he hit it big.

Good for him. I demanded to be banned from that place. Lane W Rogers and I were both thrown and glad to be.

Al Stevens wrote:

About a year ago, Hugh got into a discussion about some typical controversial subject related to self-publishing on the AW site. The moderator with whom he disagreed had him banned. Then he hit it big.

This is good news. I'll expect to hit it big any day now. Only the best are banned from AW.

alj wrote:

A lot has to do with focus. Does one genuinely see oneself as an exception, or merely involved in wishful thinking. Our limitations (mine included) are often based one what we believe we can accomplish.

Hugh didn't expect to have such an impact. He wrote something readers wanted to read. Most authors don't; they write what they want to write.

The key to success in the self-publishing world is to be aware of current trends (I know, LC, I've mentioned this before). Readers are keen to buy stuff in the same genre/style as books they are reading or have just finished reading. The surprise Hugh expressed in the article was because he was unaware of what readers wanted and unwittingly supplied it. If you want to be a successful writer, do as E. L. James and Amanda Hocking did -- write a series of books that are similar to the current bestsellers.

The first in the Wool series is free on Amazon now.
http://www.amazon.com/Wool-Part-One-ebook/dp/B005FC52L0/

Got it, Thanks for the info, Al.

Quote :

About a year ago, Hugh got into a discussion about some typical
controversial subject related to self-publishing on the AW site. The
moderator with whom he disagreed had him banned. Then he hit it big.

I haven't clicked on AW in probably 2 years. I recall them being very fast on the ban button with people who disagreed with their mods or whom they just didn't seem to like. I remember an agent, one of the few interesting posters there, was asked about a snippet from a query he posted on his blog. The query-er happened to be a poster on AW (unpublished, young, really new to the game), and demanded he take the snippet off, saying it invaded her privacy. There was zero identification of who wrote it. He wouldn't, other chimed in that he should, he still refused, and the owner publicly banned him. Unreal.

They are a pompous bunch. They hate PA authors..

3/11/2013
What are the hot topics that sell ? Politics, Sex, Aliens, Biographies, The Vatican, What ?????????? I do have an imagination..

Cheers..Joe..

Seems like the current hot topics are books set in dysfunctional worlds (dystopias, they call them).

3/11/2013
What the hell is that ? I was thinking of writing a
book on the Vatican,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Cheers..Joe...

One of the customers on the Amazon UK forums suggested this:

"Shelagh why not write some porn? Even specialist publishers of such put out books with numerous typos, and things that are not even anatomically possible. When such rubbish is put out by publishers you can understand why there is such dross when self-publishing. Women seem to end up with four boobs, a pair on their back, as well as their chest, and men seem to grow another arm to compensate for this. : )"

Go to it, Joe; women with two extra appendages and men with three arms is nothing extraordinary when it comes to porn, apparently.

3/11/2013
I was thinking of writing a book on " The Vatican"
I thought it would make a great story?
Cheers..Joe..

Vatican porn? They have that there, too, apparently.

3/11/2013
It would be about the last pope in history, meaning he
would be the last pope, NO P:ORN ! Either that or one of
you will have a biography coming soon and boy do I have an
imagination !
Cheers..Joe..

The last pope would be a good one.

joefrank wrote:

3/11/2013
It would be about the last pope in history, meaning he
would be the last pope, NO P:ORN ! Either that or one of
you will have a biography coming soon and boy do I have an
imagination !
Cheers..Joe..

imaginative biography? sounds like an oxymoron, Joe.

Annie

3/12/2013
alj..
Are you calling me a MORON ? Shame, Shame..
I do have a brain .....Cheers..Joe..Watch out, it
may be your famous biography, " Ann Of San Antonio"