Amazon.com

Amazon.com has played a big part in this process.  There are other on-line book stores, BarnesandNoble.com, for one, and many smaller sites, but Amazon.com is the big gorilla. I don't know how the sales break down in terms of percentages, but Amazon definitely seems to be the place most people have heard of.  I have found that they shoulder that responsibility admirably.

My novel, that would be Cutting Through the Knot, in case it slipped your mind, is in its second edition, the second version being similar to the first but re-edited and with the minor mistakes cleaned up.  Amazon has handled the shift from the first to the second editions well.  They kept the first one up and moved the comments seamlessly to the second edition's page.  I have also found that they have handled all sales cleanly and without foul up.  My page lists new as well as used copies of the novel, the used copies at a lower price.  I have no idea where the used copies have come from as it is not very likely that any one who has purchased the book has already sold it back. I also give them credit for keeping books like mine, which to date have not shown many sales, on public display right in there with every one else.

This brings us to one of the key features of the Amazon.com listing, the sales ranking number.  The sales ranking number has been the subject of some popular discussion.  There are a number of web sites devoted to its proper interpretation.  One key feature of this number is that it can fluctuate widely.  I've been under 100,000 and over 3,000,000, depending on how aggressively I've been marketing my novel.  The number may reach a more constant level if the book is receiving a consistent level of exposure.  Still, it is a number, a series of digits quantifying your books place in the world, and it is easy to become enthralled by it.

I entered the world of Amazon.com, through my self-publishing site, Lulu.com.  For one hundred dollars, they got me an ISBN number and a listing on Amazon and other on-line book sellers around the world.  I find this to be a remarkable thing.  I was just listening to Don McLean sing, "I knew if I had the chance, I could make those people dance," in his classic song "American Pie."  Well here it is.  The chance is here.  If you have something to show off, you can go right ahead and do it.  I concede that the ease of publication can be problematic.  The first edition of my book was in some ways not professional, and I paid a price for that in the blog notice already mentioned.  At the same time, that first edition got me an agent and an editor and made the second edition possible.  The positive feedback I received also encouraged me to push ahead.

The world of publishing is changing very quickly.  It is easier than ever to get a book in the public market place.  The tricky part is getting any one to notice it.