[Note from Steve: Readers and writers here have the opportunity to meet Jim Kukral.  He has written eight books and his Author Marketing Club (AMC)  is a free resource for authors and readers to learn about book marketing and discover new books. Over 7500 people have connected with the club. You can join for free.  There are many ways his website can help you find your way around the complicated landscape of digital publishing.  I don’t usually write posts that might be construed as commercial, but Jim is also an author, so he knows a lot about the writing business.  Enjoy!]

Author’s bio: Jim Kukral is a 16-year Internet marketing professional who was recently named by Dun & Bradstreet as one of “The Most Influential Small Business People on Twitter.” Jim also serves as a Program Faculty Member for the University of San Francisco’s Internet Marketing Program where he teaches classes to students around the globe on the topics of internet marketing, web monetization and social media. In addition, SmallBizTrends.com chose Jim as one of 100 top small business influencers online.

Steve: Where do you think publishing is going?  Is traditional publishing doomed?  Are eBooks here to stay?

Jim: Traditional publishing will survive, but in a new form. The business model of “paper” is obviously going to go away. Not completely, but let’s be honest, the world is going digital. Yes, there will still be paper books, but far fewer than in the past. Traditional publishers will focus on books they know will sell and stop taking any chances on new authors. New authors will come from the indie crowd. They’ll prove themselves first, then the big publishers will try to swoop in and buy them up.

S: What about bookstores?  Libraries?  Can they keep up with the changing times?

J: I love the line from the Social Network movie. I’m paraphrasing here, where the character Shawn, played by Justin Timberlake, who was the Napster guy, says something like, “Are you interested in buying a Tower Records franchise today?” Same point here. Are you interested in buying a Barnes and Noble franchise today? Paper is on the way out. Libraries are already exploring e-lending programs and it’s great!

S: What about eBook pricing?  Are traditional publishers justified in maintaining high prices for their eBooks?  Are indie authors and publishers making their product look cheap with low prices and give-aways?

J: Amazon is controlling the market. They’re setting the price. By 2014, everyone will expect a book to cost between $2.99 and $9.99. Only best-sellers with huge fans will be able to charge more. And textbooks. Are we making ourselves look cheap? Tell you what. I’ll take looking cheap and give-aways with the real opportunity to reach millions of new readers over a controlling, unfair traditional publishing contract that offers me no real opportunity besides the now gone advantage of bookstore placement.

S: Many people in your business push for a three-tiered approach—writing, editing, and marketing and PR.  Should the last two be done by pros instead of indie authors?

J: No, everyone is a marketer now. Sorry, you can’t just write anymore. You have to learn how to do your own promotion. If not, hire it out, but expect to pay for results. It’s smarter just to learn how to do it yourself. Actually, I would job out the editing and proofing and cover, but the rest you can really do yourself. Oh, and write a great book, or just waste your money on everything else.

S: You’re a marketing and PR man.  For an author who prefers just to write, what can marketing and PR do for me?  What’s the difference between them?

J: Marketing is tactics. PR is getting the word out. The truth is that PR rarely works that well in book promotion. Everything has changed. We need to measure directly from marketing tactics likes social media ads and email signups and free book downloads and you name it. How much did you spend, and how many books did you sell in return? What’s your ROI? Did you lose money? If so, try something else. Did you make more money than you spent? Then keep going. Don’t blow your money on a big PR campaign. I’ve never met one author ever who told me that was worth it. Sorry, PR people.

S: I see the marketing and PR pros writing about authors finding their niche.  Doesn’t this work only for non-fiction authors?  If I write fiction in genre X, my niche is comprised of readers of genre X.  How do I find them?

J: In non-fiction you write a book for your audience, yes. In my view, those should be the people who could potentially buy from you. A book is your best business card, ever. In fiction, it’s all about writing where the readers are. That’s why erotica is so huge right now. People are buying it. Remember, you’re creating a product. Sure, it’s a book, but it’s a product. You don’t go to the streets of Dubai where it’s 120 degrees during the day and sell hot chocolate, do you? Nobody wants it. Quit being stubborn. If you truly believe you can create a market of readers if “they would only just read your first book they’d be hooked,” then you’re dreaming. People know what they want and will buy that. Want to make money in fiction? Write in genres where people buy a ton of books. Erotica, romance, sci-fi, etc….

S: Do you believe traditional marketing and PR works well with indie publishing?  I’ve been pushing a pro bono system where the marketer receives a small stipend to get started (I emphasize “small”) and then shares royalties with the author for a period of time.  Wouldn’t this be a better match for indie authors who self-publish?

J:  The problem with partnerships like that is that when the marketer doesn’t get paid enough, they don’t work as hard promoting the book. They work hard for the books that are selling, but not for everyone else’s book. Why? Because they’re getting paid. Same with traditional publishers. They have a small staple of their top-sellers. The rest are mid-listers who they could care less about. They put their resources behind the ones that sell and forget about everyone else. I get it; it’s business. Just don’t be fooled into thinking if you don’t sell that anyone is going to be actively pushing your book without direct payment. They won’t. It’s business. Do it yourself.

S: I’ve always felt that being a huge success as an indie author is a bit like winning the lottery because the competition is so intense nowadays.  What five things can an indie author do to maximize his chances in that lottery?

J: 1. Write in genres that people buy a lot of books in. 2. Write a lot of books. 3. Great covers. 4. Write more books. 5. Wash, rinse, repeat.

S: You’re an author yourself.  Is your niche comprised of indie authors?  Or, do you think any author interested in marketing their own books can benefit by reading them?

J: Actually, my niche of marketing and motivation and online business stuff is pretty much dominated by people who get traditional publishing contracts. My first book was done by Wiley. I’ve self-published since. Didn’t see the point in working with a publisher anymore. They move too slow and offer really nothing much more than I could do on my own. Oh, and about 100 other reasons. I could go on for days about why to self-publish.

S: Any new self-help books of yours on the horizon for indie authors interested in marketing?

J: It’s funny to say this after I just bashed traditional publishing, but my one and only book, my first book, put out by a traditional publisher, is my magnum opus of my thoughts on marketing. It’s called Attention! This Book Will Make You Money. It’s a great book. Everyone who reads it loves it. If you want to learn how to stand out and market your own book, give it a read. I guarantee you’ll love it. If you want to start your own business using the power of the internet, you’ll want to read my Business Around a Lifestyle series of books.

S: You’re also quite the blogger.  Should authors have a blog?  What kind of blog?

J: Yes, every author should have a blog and website, or combo. Talk about your characters in your book. Heck, write a blog using the voice of your characters. Fun. Great to help build your email list and keep readers engaged.

S: What is AMC?  Why did you create it?

J: It’s a free resource for authors and readers. For authors, it’s free book marketing advice and tools and promotion and all kinds of stuff. For readers, it’s a way to help them discover new books. I built the site because, as an author, I realized the biggest issue with new, and existing authors, is that they don’t know how to do their own marketing, and they need to find new readers. So naturally, I built them something that helps them do that.

S: Is AMC more oriented to indie publishing (self-publishing), or do traditional publishers also use it?

J: The site is mostly for people who self-publish, but anyone can use it. The tips and tools work for all books and authors.

S: Beyond AMC, is there any other service that writers should know about?  Readers?

J: My firm, Digital Book Launch, is an author service company that focuses on helping people with covers and book conversions and editing and all of that stuff. We mostly also help people decide what books to write and then how to use them for more sales and leads for their business. You know, how to use a book as a big business card so you never have to pay for advertising again.

S: What’s your day like?  Do you live an author’s life, or do you live a marketer’s life?  Does an indie author have to be both?

J: I run a lifestyle business. So I’m working when I want mostly. I work hard, but on my own terms. That means I could spend a day in the coffee shop, or a day fishing at the river, or working at home. But I have set up my business to work around my life, not the other way around. I would say I spend about 30% of my work time doing actually work, and the rest creating content and writing books and that sort of thing. I like that formula.

S: Your business is internet dependent.  My brother lived in Ohio and I had business trips there.  I.U. was also one of my universities.  Some say that the Midwest is the fly-over zone.  Others say that it’s the center of everything.  Ignoring politics, can you comment on doing business in Ohio, especially internet business.

J:  Go ahead, fly over. I love it here in Cleveland. You’re right. I am a Web-based business. 95% of my clients come from outside of Ohio and around the world. It doesn’t matter where I live. That’s what’s so great about the internet and building a lifestyle business.

S: Along the same lines, they used to say that authors should be on one of the coasts to be close to agents and publishers.  Does this matter anymore?

J: No. The entire world has changed. Agents and publishers are no longer needed. They’re middlemen who take too big of a cut and don’t have the leverage to provide anything really that much more useful anymore.

S: Along the same lines, where do you think is the best place to live if you’re an indie author?

J: Wherever you write best. 🙂

S: Here are two extremes: (1) Write one good book and then market it extensively.  (2) Write many good books and let someone else do the marketing.  Which extreme is best for an indie author?

J: For non-fiction, like a business book, #1 works great. For fiction, my opinion, based upon watching successful indie authors, is that you write, write, write, more, more, more. No marketing needed if your books catch on and you have a lot of them.

S: Traditional publishers are not supporting new authors like they used to.  What’s the best way for readers to find them?

J: Amazon makes discovery helpful with the Prime program and KDP program. That’s a huge boost. Of course, with more and more authors coming into the game, discovery gets harder and harder. I suggest you learn how to become a content marketer. Create content to help support the books. Guest posts on other blogs, videos, podcasts, etc….  Create amazing content that people share.  [Note from Steve: Jim is a bit modest–AMC is also a great place to find new authors.  Smashwords and other online sites are also good places to look.  If you’re worried about cost, pick an Amazon genre and order by price.  You’ll be surprised at the number of books that sound intriguing.]

S: Behind every successful man stands a woman who supports him in his endeavors, or so they say.  Anything personal you can share here?

J: My wife edits all of my books, and she tells me if they make sense or not. 🙂

S: Any exciting plans for the future?

J: More books! Different genres. Writing as much as I can!

S: Thanks, Jim, for your candid answers.  Many successes in 2013!

In libris libertas….

[If you enjoyed this post, support this blog: buy, read, and review some of my books.]

This entry was posted on Monday, January 7th, 2013 at 4:00 am and is filed under Interviews, Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.