In the vanity press business, there are a few honorable exceptions to the belief that it's fraught with peril; for far too many authors, though, the experience mirrors that of the authors who filed more than 800 complaints against Tate Publishing and Music. Tate Publishing closed its doors some time ago amid economic woes and vocal outcry on social media from their victims, but … [Read more...] about Tate Publishing Execs Arrested for Fraud, Extortion
Indie Author News
Amazon Takes Legal Action Against Scammers Exploiting Authors
Amazon has approached the California Federal Court on Tuesday, 31st October 2023, to file a case against scammers in Pakistan and the US. They had been targeting authors on the pretext of promoting their books on Amazon and the Kindle Direct publishing platform. The group of scammers consists of around 20 individuals and a few entities posing as affiliated members of Amazon. … [Read more...] about Amazon Takes Legal Action Against Scammers Exploiting Authors
Building an Engaged Reader Base: Essential Strategies for Indie Authors in The Digital Age
Attention self-published authors: Successful business magnates such as Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Richard Branson have championed word-of-mouth marketing as the most effective and cost-efficient form of promotion. Why should we care about the opinions of three multibillionaires whose only published works are business manuals and autobiographies? You probably already know … [Read more...] about Building an Engaged Reader Base: Essential Strategies for Indie Authors in The Digital Age
Important Update on Kindle Direct Publishing Categories
Image credit: veronicalanebooks If you're a self-published author using Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), this news is for you. Until recently, authors could select multiple categories for their books. But the new changes limit authors to just three KDP book categories. So, there is a chance that your book may get lost among the ocean of titles. Since its … [Read more...] about Important Update on Kindle Direct Publishing Categories
Interview with Patrick Mork, Author of ‘Step Back and LEAP’
Patrick Mork is many things; savvy tech entrepreneur, writer, coach, public speaker, as well as a self proclaimed work-in-progress. “I absolutely believe in empowered change and the positive impact which comes when you choose to live a life in line with your core values.” Mork continues, chuckling, “On the other hand, I have a long history of doing everything I can to avoid … [Read more...] about Interview with Patrick Mork, Author of ‘Step Back and LEAP’
3 Reasons to Advertise Your eBook on TikTok
Writing and publishing an eBook is a monumental achievement, but it's even more satisfying with an audience. Tiktok is known as one of the most popular social media applications worldwide, and it's also one of the best social platforms out there for self-promotion and drumming up interest in an upcoming artistic release. Tiktok is not just a fad for Gen Z kids and teenagers … [Read more...] about 3 Reasons to Advertise Your eBook on TikTok
Kindle Vella Awards More than $10 million to Authors
Kindle Vella, serial stories in the Kindle app where authors publish one short episode at a time, has awarded more than $10 million to authors, since it launched last Summer. Vella is an underrated platform, however one of the downfalls is that it does not have integration with Kindle e-readers, only the Kindle apps for Android or iOS. You can also read the Vella stories right … [Read more...] about Kindle Vella Awards More than $10 million to Authors
B&N Press Just Sweetened Its Deal for Indie Authors
One of the most important things about self-publishing has always been that authors were finally in control. Without gatekeepers blocking the way, authors could sell where they wanted to, price their books how they wanted, write whatever genre and crossovers they wanted. Choice is a glorious thing when it comes to buying and selling, but that choice diminished somewhat with the … [Read more...] about B&N Press Just Sweetened Its Deal for Indie Authors
Self-Published authors are poor and can’t sell their books
Anyone with a word processor can write a book and submit it to a myriad of self-publishing avenues. On the digital side of things Kindle Direct Publishing, Kobo Writing Life, Nook Press or Smashwords are viable avenues. On the traditional side of things, there is a ton of print on demand solutions, vanity presses and rarely a traditional publishing deal. According to a new … [Read more...] about Self-Published authors are poor and can’t sell their books
Amazon and Kobo expand their print on demand programs
Amazon has launched their Kindle Direct Publishing program for print titles in Canada. Any author that publishes both digital and print titles in the US can now sell print on demand in Canada and establish their pricing in Canadian dollars. All of these print title qualify for free two day shipping and in bigger cities, 1 day shipping for Prime members. Kobo has also … [Read more...] about Amazon and Kobo expand their print on demand programs
Self-Publishing increased by 40% in 2018
Self-publishing grew by a rate of 40% in 2018 and it will not slow down anytime soon. The combined total of self-published print books and ebooks with registered ISBNs grew from almost 1.2 million in 2017 to more than 1.6 million in 2018. Digital books accounted for 8% of all self-published titles. The vast majority of those books came from the top three independent publishing … [Read more...] about Self-Publishing increased by 40% in 2018
Wattpad’s 10th Anniversary Watty Awards Now Open
Whatever your summer plans were, put them on hold. If you're an author or a reader and you're not using this platform, you're missing out... Crowd-based reading platform Wattpad enables authors and readers to connect over great content, something that many other platforms have tried (and failed) to do. With over 70 million users in its community who spend more than 22 … [Read more...] about Wattpad’s 10th Anniversary Watty Awards Now Open
IndieReader Announces Winners of 9th Annual IR Discovery Awards
Ever since the self-publishing revolution began, companies have come and gone that sought to capitalize on the "craze" by offering services and visibility to authors. Some companies, like Smashwords and Bibliocrunch, have withstood the changing publishing landscape by increasing what they can do for authors. Others faded away with little to show for their innovation and … [Read more...] about IndieReader Announces Winners of 9th Annual IR Discovery Awards
Move Over New Adult, There Are New Stories to Tell
"Against YA: Adults should be embarrassed to read children's books." --Slate, June 2014. "Adults Should Read Adult Books." --New York Times, May 23, 2012. "Why are so many adults reading YA and teen fiction?" --The Guardian, February 2015. The list goes on. Whatever you do, don't Google "adults reading YA fiction." The results are a cesspool of bookshaming and finger … [Read more...] about Move Over New Adult, There Are New Stories to Tell