Q: Would you personally stop selling ebooks in order to get a print deal?
A: No. I'm making too much money on ebooks. But that doesn't mean you'll earn what I'm earning. There are many factors involved, including luck.
Q: Who should sell ebooks?
A: If you have an out of print backlist, you should sell those as ebooks. If you have a book your agent couldn't sell, you should sell those as ebooks.
If you're doing well selling books, you might want to consider publishing your next book yourself. I just published two original poetry books, 'Poetry for Children' and 'Glance at World through Lens of Poetry', and both had traditional publishing contracts. I chose instead to self publish, and I'll earn more on my own within 12-18 months than I would have with those deals.
Q: What if I can't get an agent?
A: Then maybe your book isn't good enough. Perhaps you should focus on writing better. If you're pretty sure your book is good enough, you can always self-publish. But be ready for negative reviews and poor sales if it isn't up to par.
Q: Is it true that the only people who are successful with ebooks are "name" authors?
A: No. I've blogged before about many other new authors who are doing as well, or better, than I am. This myth won't ever die, and is perpetuated by lazy thinkers who don't bother with five minutes of research.
Q: How will readers find good books when everyone is self published?
A: There are millions of books in print, yet readers seem to be able to find what they want. Adding a few million more won't change anything. There will always be ways to separate the good from the bad, and subjective taste always plays a part.
Q: Can I make a living by self publishing?
A: I don't know many people who make a living being traditionally published. Most of my peers have day jobs.
That said, I'm making a living self publishing. I'm sure others can and will. But whether you can or not involves a lot of factors, some within your control, some not.
But, in my humble opinion, a dedicated writer who turns out good material on a consistent basis will be able to, on average, earn more money self publishing than traditional publishing. I say this having done both.
