Self-Published Computer Books—Problem is to Convince Buyers They’re Worth Buying

We have been talking about self-publishing computer books in recent posts (see my post on Self-publishing Computer Books and Joe Wikert on Self-Publishing). In a recent post in his ePublishing blog, Brad talks about the lack of literary quality of eBooks when compared to books published by mainstream publishers and he thinks reviewers will become essential as filters for quality. Brad talked in general about eBooks; my thoughts are about self-published computer books. I have not studied enough eBooks to comment on their quality, but Brad’s conclusion seems plausible considering that the editorial process at mainstream publishers tend to improve the quality of books, but self-published books may lack the editing steps.

When it comes to self-published computer books—whether eBook or print format, the hurdle is to convince the buyer that the self-published title is of good quality and worth buying. As it is, a prospective computer book buyer already faces lots of choices when buying computer books published by mainstream publishers.  Each major publisher has at least one book, and sometimes several, covering each technical subject that has enough interest (see Joe Wikert’s post on When Is a Topic “Big” Enough to Warrant a Book?). Throw in self-published titles into the mix and the choices can get really confusing. For computer books from mainstream publishers, a buyer can at least rely on a publisher’s reputation when selecting a suitable book. Besides, the mainstream publishers’ books are more likely to be at local bookstores where potential buyers can actually thumb through the books and pick one they like.

In the end, the success of a self-published computer book seems to depend on the author’s name recognition and reputation, the word-of-mouth buzz from an established online presence, and the book’s focus on a niche subject area that the mainstream publishers have ignored. I don’t have the recipe for success with self-publishing, but I think it makes sense for aspiring self-publishers to build an online presence and focus on niche topics that are underserved by mainstream publishers. For topics that merit the attention of mainstream publishers, authors can as well approach a mainstream publisher and avail themselves of the editing services and distribution channels. The only problem is that the market may be already saturated with computer books covering those mainstream topics :-)

Note: Read Tim O'Reilly on: What do you think about self-published books?

Tags: self publishing epublishing ebooks books trends

Comments

[Joe Wikert]

Good points, Naba. Whether it's self-published or not, I think the e-content solution is viable...we just haven't hit upon the right formula yet. For example, what if e-content consists exclusively of short pieces, 5-10 pages max. and each component focuses on one small topic at a time? Further, assume that the content is fully indexed by Google, so that when you search for "pivot table" the results include a link to the e-content piece covering this Excel feature. However, rather than showing the content in its entirety, either a summary is displayed or a scrambled version, with every few words x'd out, is displayed; in order to see the full contents, you click on one button, are charged $.xx and it's yours to use. Rather than wondering if the material has been technically edited and reviewed, you take comfort knowing that your micro-purchase has been throughly edited by a professional staff. I don't know about you, but I'd be tempted to buy small pieces like this for some of my searches. I'd be buying just the information I need, not spending $30 or $40 on a big book, 80% of which I might never use...

[JP Morgenthal]

Naba,

There's self-publishing and then there "SELF PUBLISHING." I'm using Lulu.com, which is a publisher, but allows the rights to stay with me and still get the book out through the popular channels via Ingram and Bowker. Is this self-publishing? Or, is this just sticking up your middle finger to the tech publishers that haven't a clue what's really important to the tech community. The amount of titles they've cut in the name of profits over the past three years is insane. There are very few books for IT practitioners now being printed, but a ton on C#. Go into the book section of Barnes & Noble and check out what's on the shelf these days. It's all for the masses and very little for the real IT practitioner. Besides, how many people actually look at the publisher anyway when buying a book on Amazon?

[Naba Barkakati]

JP,

I have to admit that I don't look at the publisher when I browse at bookstores or buy a book from Amazon, which means that if the book appears to have what I need, I won't worry whether it's self-published or not. In that sense, self-published titles are on an even footing. By the way, I noticed that David St Lawrence is documenting his experience with self-publishing at his blog (http://ripples.typepad.com/ripples/selfpublishing/index.html). He is already giving away his book in a PDF file, but he'll also print and sell copies. Thought I'd mention, in case you want to check out David's approach. I'm going to search your blog to see if you wrote about your Lulu.com experince :-)

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