Story posting social media site Wattpad has garnered a tremendous following in a short amount of time for its notably unique offers for both authors and publishers. Apart from the ability for writers to post excerpts for readers to enjoy and comment on--a feedback process that Wattpad staunchly guards from trolling--the platform has worked with a number of different … [Read more...] about Wattpad Contest Winners Receive Publishing Contracts with Harlequin
Indie Author News
Publishers, Take Note: YA Genre Growing at Faster Rate
Some surprising information from Nielsen Book Scan has showed that, not only has the young adult genre grown by 24% in the last year, but that 80% of the market for young adult fiction is actually made up of adult readers. So while the publishing industry slowly starts to take notice of that trend, what does that mean for indie authors? Why are adults suddenly so interested in … [Read more...] about Publishers, Take Note: YA Genre Growing at Faster Rate
New Journaling App Can Prove Handy for Authors
A new app, Heyday, that joins a growing list of mobile apps that help users keep track of their days in a journal format. Heyday, along with apps like Saga, use the user's stored photos, status updates, physical locations, and more, to create a journal of that person's daily life.But where this app can really come in handy is for authors who need a record of their daily … [Read more...] about New Journaling App Can Prove Handy for Authors
Amazon Australia a Source of Concern to Booksellers, Publishers
Every time Amazon branches out into a new territory, concerned booksellers, publishers, and industry watchers voice their opinions on how the online retail giant is going to impact books in the area. This should be nothing new to locals, but with last month's launch of Amazon Australia, the same criticisms that have been thrown about for several years resurfaced.Certainly, … [Read more...] about Amazon Australia a Source of Concern to Booksellers, Publishers
More Exciting Book Opportunities for Reading Shoppers
With the holiday shopping weekend still in full swing in the US, two exciting opportunities still await readers. Today marks the local-business oriented Small Business Saturday across the country, when shoppers who didn't complete their discount buying during yesterday's Black Friday sales are reminded to support their locally-owned independent shops. This year, that show of … [Read more...] about More Exciting Book Opportunities for Reading Shoppers
Self-Published Bestsellers Available for Holiday Reading
Just in time for the holidays, GalleyCat has released its weekly bestseller list of self-published titles, compiled from sales data from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. The list, which crosses a variety of genres, includes separate sales data from the three major ebook distributors, but does not include specific sales figures.For romance fans, the top three titles … [Read more...] about Self-Published Bestsellers Available for Holiday Reading
Amazon Cracks Down on Bogus Keywords
A growing number of self-published authors are receiving ominous emails from ebook distributor Amazon, warning them that their books are about to be removed from the website if action isn't taken immediately. The warning--which some authors claim they did not actually receive before their titles were removed from sale--pertains to authors who've used titles of other books in … [Read more...] about Amazon Cracks Down on Bogus Keywords
Smashwords Adds Dropbox Delivery for eBook Reading
Along with the incredibly wide variety of devices that ebook distribution platform Smashwords' customers can choose from is a new offering, Dropbox. By selecting the "Send to Dropbox" feature when they buy ebooks, readers can access their ebooks on any compatible device, including iPad and most smartphones.Interestingly, this new feature will be compatible with ebooks that … [Read more...] about Smashwords Adds Dropbox Delivery for eBook Reading
Pubslush Takes Crowdfunding to Books, Launches New Blog
Crowdfunding has become a widely popular method for startups to secure the funding they need to launch their conceptual services or products while generating much-needed buzz about their pending product. A small number of diverse platforms have begun bringing the same support structure to books, including Pubslush, whose founder Amanda Barbara spoke to Good e-Reader about the … [Read more...] about Pubslush Takes Crowdfunding to Books, Launches New Blog
Small Business Saturday Sees Authors Pitching In at Indie Bookstores
Consumer reaction in the US to the complete gluttony of shopping following Thanksgiving is often mixed. With some cities seeing shoppers literally camping out on the sidewalks in order to be there when the doors open on Black Friday, other parties take a more reserved stance, opting to shop online to take advantage of the steep discounts, and still others boycotting the … [Read more...] about Small Business Saturday Sees Authors Pitching In at Indie Bookstores
Bowker: Smashwords Is Top Producer of eBooks
Self-publishing and distribution platform Smashwords released the news that Bowker has declared the site to be the top producer of ebooks in 2012, and the second largest producer of self-published titles following CreateSpace. The data, based on Bowker's records of ISBN registrations, was part of its larger analysis of the year's titles.These numbers, according to Bowker's … [Read more...] about Bowker: Smashwords Is Top Producer of eBooks
Two New Features for CreateSpace Authors
CreateSpace, the print-on-demand self-publishing platform owned by Amazon, announced two exciting new features for authors today, both of which stand to give indie authors a more professional experience.The first announcement is the introduction of matte laminate covers as an option to choose from for their books. While not typically a deal breaker for most authors, until … [Read more...] about Two New Features for CreateSpace Authors
Wattpad Helps Veteran Give Voice to Combat Story
As many veterans have discovered, the brutality of serving in wartime is only half of the ordeal of service; coming home and readjusting to life as a stateside service member or civilian requires a whole other level of focus and commitment, but it is a stage of military service that far too many veterans are unprepared for. For Bob Tanner (www.wattpad.com/user/BobTanner), a … [Read more...] about Wattpad Helps Veteran Give Voice to Combat Story
eBook Review: After Action by Dan Sheehan
Verdict: 5 StarsThere is no shortage of reads--good, bad, and ugly--that offer readers either fictional stories in the military genre or completely honest, raw, non-fiction accounts of actual war. But Dan Sheehan's self-published title After Action offers readers something that not many well-known books present, which is an amazingly well-written open look at what happens … [Read more...] about eBook Review: After Action by Dan Sheehan