With the glut of surveys, polls, and studies of all kinds on the mechanics and economics of self-publishing, it’s no surprise to see another one released, especially when that one is backed by an entity with a strong interest in the business area surveyed. As recounted by a press release with the modest title “New Survey Reveals Best Practices in eBook Self-Publishing,” this report, “based on a survey of over 300 independent authors … identifies trends and best practices around planning, executing and measuring a successful promotion of an eBook.” The survey was conducted by Sellbox, which “specializes in helping publishers, businesses and organizations develop and market their content in eBook and print-on-demand formats,” on behalf of KindleBookReview, which “enables authors to boost sales and improve their visibility in the market by providing book reviews.”
KindleBookReview, incidentally, works on a reviewer-get-reviewer basis, where authors submit their books for free reviews in return for agreeing to review someone else’s book. All the reviews are then posted up on Amazon, and need not be positive (though obviously, chances are they will be.) The platform also offers paid reviews – again, to be posted up on Amazon.
Given this pedigree, it’s no surprise that the survey finds that “nearly half of the self-publishers surveyed report hiring a professional editor (46%), whereas only a minority hire professionals to market their books,” and “Most indie authors do not have a clear idea on the best ways to promote their book.” The entire survey, for anyone interested, is available here.
Than you for this article. I found the details in the survey to be quite impressive and your summary very helpful. It’s good to see surveys like this done on the self-publishing industry.