Please welcome today’s guest author Tracy Sumner to the blog. Tracy, like a growing number of authors has begun re-releasing her backlist in ebook format. I asked her a few questions about the process and what is involved for authors who are already published but please step up and ask YOUR questions as well.
Kindle Giveaway
Tracy will be giving away a Kindle to one randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour. Leave your questions and comments for her for a chance to win.
What are some of the advantages to re-releasing titles from your backlist?
Easy one! Imagine, in the previous world of publishing, these books we loved (and you love them like children when you create them, at least I do), well, these books were sent out in print form…and had about a two-month shelf life, then they died. There were some bookstores that, if you had a good relationship with them, would stock the books longer, etc. However, they just entered this nether region. And only the A-list authors really got a lot of run from their backlist. Think Nora Roberts! J Now, with the e-publishing revolution – whether an author is with a publisher or not – these books have a chance to gain new readership! I don’t really care about anything but these guys (my books J) having the chance to be read by someone who will care about the characters for even an hour or two. Preferably on the beach!
What do you legally need to do to ensure you can re-release backlist titles?
Well, I covered my bases very well. I closely reviewed the contracts – and I used an intellectual property lawyer in NYC so that all was laid out appropriately. I have a good relationship with my former publisher – and this is business only.
Do you see this as a trend among authors and, if so, of all or for certain genres?
YES. Perhaps in romance especially, because we are a very loyal genre and devoted to our authors, but why not? It’s a win-win for authors and readers.
Do re-release backlist books usually come out as eBooks?
Mine are. In fact, I have not, as yet, decided on even going the print route. You see, I had a very personal revelation when I received my first Kindle (I killed it and am on the second!) in Sept 2010. I was so into actual books in my hand. I am not an early adopter. And guess what? My first Kindle died in the middle of Julie Anne Long book at the beach this summer. And I finished the entire book on my phone!!!! If this is happening to me – it’s coming. No joke.
What else does it take to successfully re-release a backlist book?
I think you must keep writing. That is the most important element for any writer. I also think social media is crucial (in some manner, we could debate the details for months). So, promotion – which authors were consumed with before ebooks anyway.
How might sales figures differ from an original vs. a re-released book?
Well, I’ve just released my first backlist title about three weeks ago, so I’m really new to this process! But I’ve seen sales figures already (which would be laughable in the old system) and the income is coming directly to me. I have CONTROL. Which we never had before.
What are some tips for increasing backlist sales?
Connect with readers: Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook. The norm. I also am blogging and trying to connect. Like my teamwork with the WG2E crew!
I love the genre. I’m a HUGE reader, too, so this isn’t terribly difficult.
Tracy’s Books – Current & Upcoming
TIDES OF PASSION, the National Reader’s Choice for Best Long Historical, debuted in October 2011. The second novel in the Tides series, TIDES OF LOVE, arrived in November. Tracy’s holiday novella, which begins the new Southern Heat series, TO DESIRE A SCOUNDREL: A Christmas Seduction, released mid-December 2012. The next in the Heat series, TO SEDUCE A ROGUE, released in February. Next on the agenda? The start of the True series, about the True men. TRUE FATE arrives mid-May!
Readers can find me at:
Website: www.tracysumner.com
Twitter: @SumnerTracy
Facebook.com/TracySumnerRomanceAuthor
Goodreads
Seaswept Seduction Series Blurbs
Tides of Passion:
She is his greatest temptation.
He is her forbidden desire.
A battle of wills leads to love.
Spirited Savannah Conner is passionately committed to stamping out social injustice. Yet when she arrives in the seaside town of Pilot Isle, North Carolina, ready to take up a new cause, she quickly finds herself on the outs with the town constable. Zachariah Garrett is the most arrogant, infuriating, maddeningly attractive man it’s ever been her misfortune to meet. And suddenly, Savannah is fighting a whole new battle – this one against her own yearning for a man who is impossible to resist.
Ever since his wife’s death two years ago, Zachariah Garrett has dedicated his life to keeping the peace. So when he sees the pretty newcomer atop a wobbly wooden crate stirring up the crowd, he doesn’t hesitate to haul her off to jail. But Savannah Connor isn’t any ordinary law-breaker. She’s a beguiling beauty with the power to awaken emotions he thought he’s never feel again, and the tenderness to help him forget his fears…and risk his heart once more.
Tides of Love
He left all he loved behind…
Will he be able to return and win her heart?
A SPURNED WOMAN
Elle Beaumont has learned life’s lessons the hard way–by foolishly exposing her youthful heart to love, only to have it broken when her true love fled Pilot Island, North Carolina. Now Noah Garrett is back, rekindling dreams she’d given up for lost, and turning her world upside down. Elle’s girlish yearning for him has become something more powerful than she’d ever imagined.
AN HONORABLE MAN
A man dedicated to science and rational judgment, Noah rejects all notions of romance…until the girl who used to cling to him like a shadow begins haunting his every thought. But even as he struggles to resist Elle’s sensuous beauty and the wildfire attraction erupting between them, Noah cannot deny that their passion is as irresistible and endless as the tides of love.
Reviews
“I picked up Tides of Love…just to give the book a quick peak. That quick peak turned into four hours of reading that didn’t stop until I finished the book!”
—The Romance Reader
“A powerful relationship novel that explores the heartache and triumph of love.”
—Romantic Times
About Tracy
Tracy’s story telling career began when she picked up a copy of LaVyrle Spencer’s Vows on a college beach trip. A journalism degree and a thousand romance novels later, she decided to try her hand at writing a southern version of the perfect love story. With a great deal of luck and more than a bit of perseverance, she sold her first novel to Kensington Publishing.
When not writing sensual stories featuring complex characters and lush settings, Tracy can be found reading romance, snowboarding, watching college football and figuring out how she can get to 100 countries before she kicks (which is a more difficult endeavor than it used to be with her four-year-old son in tow). After stops in France, Switzerland and Taiwan, she now lives in the south. However, after spending a few years in “the city”, she considers herself a New Yorker at heart.
Tracy has been awarded the National Reader’s Choice, the Write Touch and the Beacon – with finalist nominations in the HOLT Medallion, Heart of Romance, Rising Stars and Reader’s Choice. Her books have been translated into German, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish. She loves hearing from readers about why she tends to pit her hero and heroine against each other and that great novel she simply must order in five seconds on her Kindle.
Great post. I had wondered about re-releasing. I have so many favorite books in my bookshelves that I’d love to carry around electronically. It’s great to see authors doing this. I love the book covers on the Tides series and can’t wait to read them all.
jlhmass@yahoo.com
I love the idea of being able to catch up on books we may have missed! And the author having control.
I love when I find anew author and they re-release books. I get to find new reads that I may not have known about. My only pet peeve is when I already own a book and it is released again with new or extra content and I have to rebuy the book just for the extra content.
Very informative post. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Yes, the covers are new! I’m a graphic designer by trade…and wanted new covers. I worked with Kim Killion @ HOtDamn Designs. She is excellent. I love the covers.
And, regarding changes, yes, if a writer published a contemporary novel before cell phones and released again, I think they may want to modernize. I would. Though mine have all been historical releases so far.
All of my books have in the copyright information the original title (if it changed — which Tides of Love and Tides of Passion did NOT) and also the dates. I don’t think they were in terribly wide release, though in B&N, etc., however, Kensington sent most of them through the Zebra Books/Kensington book club. I have not had one reader comment that they purchased and had already read.
I think it is great to re-release your books. It gives me a chance to find new reading material from someone I think is a great author.
I like the idea of rereleases if I’ve missed the original release but I hate it if I buy it only to find I’ve got/read it already.
I think it helps if the rerelease actually says somewhere in the blurb or on the cover that it’s been out before.
Great post! Re-releases are great. Will they keep the same covers or have new ones?
Very interesting post. Re-releases are okay, but sometimes I get excited about a new book only to find out I’ve read it before.
What I don’t like is buying one thinking it is new and then finding it is not. That’s true of the print re-releases as well as the ebook re-releases.
I think it’s a great idea to re-release books. This way, they can find a new audience. Originally, maybe they were too expensive, or people didn’t know the author. Now they get a chance to see what they missed.
e.balinski(at)att(dot)net
I really like the idea of re-releasing books. There are so many the I’ve missed out on the first time around.
Thank you for hosting Tracy today.
You are welcome. It is always my pleasure.
Re-releasing a book makes perfect sense to me.
For me it also means I find writers & their books that were under my radar before.
I’m wondering what changes you may make to a book before a re-release? For example, do you give it a new cover? Re-classify it? – The genres are blurred more than ever now which I love.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Great question Mary!
I’m curious about that too. Some books that are re-released were first written before cell phones, before computers became home devices, before satellite navigation systems in cars. I wouldn’t think these changes would matter to historical re-releases…but it sure would with contemporary releases.
I noticed when Stephen King’s BAG OF BONES was on TV a few months ago that they had updated it a lot to incorporate things like cell phones. It was a bit of a surprise how much it had been updated.
I’d expect that other contemporary releases would need equal updating…maybe especially romantic suspenses. Have you found this to be an issue with your re-releases Tracy?