The ebook distribution site Smashwords, spearheaded by founder Mark Coker, is often at the forefront of what is shaping digital publishing. Whether it's making a free platform available to self-published authors or helping writers find industry professionals to work with them, the site is much more than just a portal for purchasing inexpensive digital books.Today, the … [Read more...] about Smashwords Releases Data from eBook Sales Study
Indie Author News
Indie Authors Help Each Other with Book Promotion
One of the great struggles in the current climate of digital and self-publishing has been making a book stand out in the crowd. Of course, the great paradox is that even traditionally published authors now have to put in some measure of leg work to ensure that readers find and purchase their books. But more than ever, authors are banding together to help one another promote … [Read more...] about Indie Authors Help Each Other with Book Promotion
Penguin’s Vanity Press Still Under Fire
Ask an indie author about self-publishing platform Author Solutions, and you'd better have some time to listen to the ranting. The company name has become synonymous with all that's wrong with the current publishing revolution, namely, accusations that they take authors' money and provide little in return.Purchased by Big Six publisher Penguin last summer for a reported … [Read more...] about Penguin’s Vanity Press Still Under Fire
Partnerships Help Self-Published Authors
One of the great paradoxes in the recent growth in digital and self-publishing is that as more and more authors take advantage of the opportunities for publication that come about, it becomes even harder for one's work to get the attention of readers. Titles can become lost in the sea of retailers' sales pages, especially without the support of what limited promotion budgets … [Read more...] about Partnerships Help Self-Published Authors
Too Famous to Write: Patti Davis on her Self-Publishing Journey
As the digital publishing revolution continues to turn the publishing world on its collective head, new changes to the existing models come every day. Ebooks made headlines around the world when they finally began accounting for sizeable chunks of publishers' profits, and entire publishing houses were launched that focused on ebook-only or digital-first releases. More recently, … [Read more...] about Too Famous to Write: Patti Davis on her Self-Publishing Journey
Authors Suing Penguin’s Self-Publishing Platform
As if Penguin's legal battles in the Department of Justice anti-trust lawsuit involving several major publishing houses and Apple wasn't bothersome enough, a whole new litigation has cropped up. Three self-published authors are suing the publisher over the business practices of its self-publishing platform Author Solutions.According to an article in Courthouse News Service, … [Read more...] about Authors Suing Penguin’s Self-Publishing Platform
A Little Competition for Smashwords?
When the free ebook distribution platform Smashwords was created, critics claimed that it was nothing more than a portal for lousy ebooks to flood the market while supporters countered that it was the first genuine concept in stripping away the artificial barriers to publication. The founder, Mark Coker, stated quite freely that if a horrible ebook--horrible in terms of the … [Read more...] about A Little Competition for Smashwords?
Independent Booksellers Pick Year’s Top Books
With all of the prestigious accolades an author can earn for his writing, some of the more meaningful ones come from the lesser known judges. One such award is the Indies Choice Award, as the judges are none other than the member booksellers of the American Booksellers' Association, the individuals who hand sell the titles to loyal bookshop patrons and have firsthand knowledge … [Read more...] about Independent Booksellers Pick Year’s Top Books
Ganxy Updates Features to Steamline Sales, Promotion for Authors and Publishers
A number of companies will be piggybacking off the buzz and attention of this year's London Book Fair to make important announcements of their own. One such company, Ganxy, will release information on how its unilateral sales platform can help authors and publishers not only with the streamlining that comes from compartmentalizing all of their potential sales channels into one … [Read more...] about Ganxy Updates Features to Steamline Sales, Promotion for Authors and Publishers
BiblioCrunch, Wattpad Connect Authors with Readers
There is so much that goes into creating a book, regardless of whether it is traditionally or indie published. Cover designers, editors, proofreaders, public relations and marketers... the list goes on. While the work of writing the book is only the first step, a behind-the-scenes team of professionals takes over to bring the book to readers. One site, BiblioCrunch, serves as a … [Read more...] about BiblioCrunch, Wattpad Connect Authors with Readers
Amazon Owns Goodreads… What Now?
So far, the official press releases and arranged interviews about Amazon's purchase of Goodreads have had a chance to make their way to the news front. An equal number of readers, if not more, have taken to social media to share their concerns and criticisms. But one surprising response has come from industry insider Mark Coker, the CEO and founder of Smashwords. Coker … [Read more...] about Amazon Owns Goodreads… What Now?
Tensions Between Barnes and Noble, Simon and Schuster Hurt Authors
The publishing industry is full of surprises, and the latest conflict is certainly surprising. In an attempt to negotiate the terms of its relationship with a publisher, book retailer Barnes and Noble has reportedly slashed its order from Simon and Schuster in what some feel may be nothing more than retaliation.According to an article by Leslie Kaufman for the New York … [Read more...] about Tensions Between Barnes and Noble, Simon and Schuster Hurt Authors
Random House Revamps the Unpopular Model of Its eBook-Only Imprints
News circulated this week on Random House's digital imprints Hydra, Flirt, Alibi, and Loveswept, and unfortunately for the publisher, the news was not positive. Following the recent firestorm of rage directed at Random House over its terms for publication on any of its ebook-first imprints, the company issued a press release today addressing some of the angry concerns, mostly … [Read more...] about Random House Revamps the Unpopular Model of Its eBook-Only Imprints
Short List for the ABNA Awards Announced
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards, which opened to the maximum 10,000 entries in late January, has gone through two rounds of judging to announce today's Quarter-Finalists. The awards, open to authors of any ilk, incorporated several more categories this year as the contest grew in participation.In previous years, authors were invited to submit manuscripts in either the … [Read more...] about Short List for the ABNA Awards Announced