Why self-publication and promotion for writers?

Traditional publishing isn't dead but it's faltering. 

Even for established authors, the traditional path to publication is tortuous and frustrating. 

Often, it's not very lucrative either.

However, writers now have the power to be the publishers, promoters and sellers of their own books - through the web and new technologies like print on demand, iPads, Android tablets and phones,and e-book readers.

Writers need an on-line presence to begin the effective publishing, promotion, distribution sale of their books. Central to this process is an author website or blog. Or both.

Most writers would like to at least explore the potential of web technologies. They can't because they don't have the skills (or confidence) to create their own websites or blogs. It all seems too difficult, complicated and expensive to even contemplate.

Seth Godin, permission marketing guru par excellence has decided not to self-publish any more. If he's quit, what hope for the rest of us who don't have his tireless zeal for self promotion? 
It's a question Kevin Murphy, digital media marketing manager of Melville House ponders: "The only question left to ask is why, if interest in his forthcoming books is so strong, did Godin choose to return to Portfolio now, rather than ride this wave of momentum into the self-publishing sunset? One reasonable answer might be that while selling directly to consumers certainly has its advantages, bookstores are still vital to selling books, and publishers have spent years building relationships with as many bookstores and booksellers as possible. In the end, it means selling more books." http://mhpbooks.com/seth-godins-self-publishing-experiment-is-over/

Today I took the first step in an experiment. 

Here are its goals . . .

1. To make myself an expert on how New Zealand writers can use the new technologies to publish, promote and sell their work. I'm going to record my journey in this BLOG.

2. To hare my growing expertise with other writers in New Zealand on my WEBSITE.

3. To develop a supportive on-line community of writers who share accessible, down-to-earth  information, advice and tips about self-publication and promotion.

I shouldn't admit to any doubt, any trepidation about the experiment. I should be resolute, imperturbable, bristling with self-confidence and bravado. 

But I'm none of these things: I'm simply a writer with curiosity, some techie skills and a background in marketing and arts management which involved lots of design and print projects. 


THE FIRST STEP

I approach local self-published writers with a proposal. I offer to build their author websites absolutely free in return for helping me trial a method for creating websites which are:-

• Stylish
  
• Functional
  
• Very low-cost to set up 
  
• Very low-cost to run
  

And Best of all

• So easy to operate that even a techno-klutz can do it