Barry Eisler’s Surprise
Well, it turns out that thriller author Barry Eisler has some exciting news! No, he’s not coming out as a warlock. And no, it has nothing to do with chloroform, or use of the phrase “I can explain this…” He is, however, WINNING. (That joke may never get old.)
Barry’s gone rogue (sorry, Palin). Sort of. He turned down an offer of $500,000 in order to self-publish. Or indie-publish, as the case may be. This was revealed, quite cleverly, on his blog The Heart of the Matter. Joe Konrath and Barry share a dialogue about the pros and cons of self-publishing vs. using a legacy house. The article, which was via live Google chat originally, details the factors that lead to Barry’s decision.
Personally, I think that this is a very exciting opportunity for Barry. I think it opens up a whole set of opportunity. For one thing, he’ll have complete control over his marketing. It’s no surprise that he’s good at that aspect of the publishing business, since he’s been doing it for years now (via his blog, his Twitter, his facebook, and at one point, his myspace page). Toss in there a slew of appearances, guest blog posts, interviews and the kitchen sink – and Barry’s rather adept at reaching out to his fans, his audience, and people who are potential readers. His perfect hair doesn’t hurt matters, either.
So, there you have, folks. Barry Eisler’s self-publishing. What say you?
If you’re so inclined, you can find Barry on Twitter as well as Joe Konrath. Also, Konrath’s blog can be found here.
I head Barry speak at a writer’s conference several years ago. I think his 4th or 5th John Rain novel was due to come out. He was SO savvy about marketing. And, of course, so good looking, we called him Barry McDreamy all weekend. Still, I’m surprised (but excited) about his move to indy-publishing. Who knew this would be happening to the publishing world?
I just spit out my coffee. Barry McDreamy!! Ha. Does he know that?
Barry is really smart about his marketing. He’s consistent, too, which is a huge bonus. I’m definitely excited for him, because I think (in his shoes) it’s a great idea. And you’re right — who knew? *grin*