THE PUBLICIOUS BLOG ...

  Some novels are easily forgotten, almost before the cover is closed. Others stay in our memories for days, months and years to come. Naturally, these memorable novels are often shared and discussed. Due to the explosive element of social media, those discussions can turn a struggling novelist into an overnight success. What's the secret? One of the key factors to a memorable novel is credible characterisation. Character vs Plot It is the age-old question: Is plot the most important element in fiction writing? Or is the character the most important element? Frankly, this should not even be a debatable question. Of course, it is essential to have an interesting plot. If nothing happens in a story, why should the reader bother turning the page? Plot is crucial. However. . . Imagine if Ron Weasley were the main character at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, instead of Harry Potter. I think it's fair to state that Ron is a bit of a fol...

Should you protect your ebook or not? I wanted to spend a little time this month discussing ebook protection, because it seems to be a hot topic. Concerned authors often ask me how they can be sure their work will be protected from unauthorised copying and redistribution. Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a system available to prevent just that problem. Normally it is offered as an option when submitting your ebook title to certain online stores and distributors, and can be as simple as ticking the appropriate box at the time of submission. 'So if it's that simple, what's all the fuss about?' I hear you say, rolling your eyes to the sky. There are a couple of things to consider when choosing DRM in your distribution model. The obvious advantage is the one I've already mentioned above: protection with just a few easy steps. There are a few disadvantages, however, and they are outlined as follows: Book buyers can be put off from purchasi...

Are you frustrated and perhaps a little angry at your lack of book sales? This month's blog may seem a little different at first but I'm sure you'll soon get the gist of the message: Bobby, Robert and Bob are self-employed plumbers who also sell their own (plumbing) products. Each man is around the same age, but each steers their plumbing career differently. Bobby is a motivated man who loves being a plumber and is open minded - especially when it comes to learning new ways to promote his plumbing service and his products. Bobby learned early in his plumbing career that being a good plumber wasn't enough, and that to be successful he would need to build a brand and take control of the sale of his products. Nobody was going to do it for him and there was no 'Magic System' that would market his products. Bobby invested in an impressive website and hired a team of experts to assist him with his Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to make sure that...

Self-published books gaining global success An interview with Publicious Director Andy McDermott for the Sydney Writers Festival Magazine 2015 "There's never been a better time to do it," says Andy McDermott, Director of Publicious, a self-publishing service provider. Self-publishing is indeed flourishing. A July 2014 report by Author Earnings indicated that 13 per cent of books on the Amazon e-book bestseller list were self-published, with self-published books comprising 31 per cent of all Amazon e-book sales. "Because of the internet and the online stores, authors can distribute their books worldwide, quite inexpensively and quite easily," Mr McDermott says. The self-publishing tsunami is occurring at a time when the profits of traditional publishing houses are dwindling exponentially as they struggle to compete with cheaper online publishers. Penguin and Random House trimmed expenses with a 2013 merger in an attempt to rival online books...