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
Indie Author News
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
Big Changes at BookBaby
In the world of self-publishing companies, there are more than a few scam outlets that steal not just authors' hard-earned money, but also their hopes, aspirations, and even their reputations. Many of these companies have thankfully been thrown on the trash heap due to shady business practices, while some have even spent a good deal of time in court desperately trying to defend … [Read more...] about Big Changes at BookBaby
Predators Ripping Off Authors Are Worse than Ever
Imagine building a company slowly, one that is intended to give authors a place to sell and distribute their own ebooks. You grow that company into a household name in the publishing industry and enjoy a measure of success that goes with it. You even publish a few very helpful ebooks on your site--Smashwords, incidentally--so authors can benefit from years of industry insight … [Read more...] about Predators Ripping Off Authors Are Worse than Ever
Reedsy Launches Book Discovery Platform for Indie Authors
Since the the dawn of the current indie publishing revolution, startups across every aspect of the publishing process have come and gone. Some of these offered formatting, cover design, and editing; others promised to garner much-needed book reviews--legitimate ones or not. Other companies took authors' money and promised beautiful print and ebook editions, while other … [Read more...] about Reedsy Launches Book Discovery Platform for Indie Authors
Is the Dream of a Traditional Book Deal Dead?
There was a time when self-publishing your book through a vanity press was the kiss of death for any hope of a writing career. It was considered tacky and desperate, and not something any worthwhile author would ever consider. Then, with the self-publishing and digital publishing revolution, the notion of having more control over your work trumped much of the negativity … [Read more...] about Is the Dream of a Traditional Book Deal Dead?
New Allegations of Romance Plagiarism
To the outsider, the publishing world might not seem like a hotbed of intrigue, manipulation, and outright lies, but recent events--okay fine, since the dawn of time and the written word--prove that's not the case. From price fixing to review faking to author bullying to Cockygate, half the entertainment value of a book happens in the making of it, not the reading. Social … [Read more...] about New Allegations of Romance Plagiarism
Authors Don’t Make As Much Money, AG Report Finds
"According to the survey, literary authors suffered the largest decline in income (down 15% over the last four years) they received from book publishing, followed by authors of general nonfiction, whose income from books declined by 8%. Roughly 25% of all published authors surveyed earned no money at all from book publishing in 2017; while 18% of full-time book … [Read more...] about Authors Don’t Make As Much Money, AG Report Finds