While critics may rightfully scoff at the writing quality of the 50 Shades of Grey series and jokes have flooded the internet about James' audacity at helping aspiring writers, no one can argue with the financial and popular success of her three one-time self-published books. Growing out of what she saw as a very real need based on face-to-face interaction with her readers, … [Read more...] about EL James to Publish Journal for Aspiring Writers
Indie Author News
ForeWord Reviews Names Its Book of the Year Finalists
As independently published authors continue to gain new ground with readers and retailers, they are also gaining new respect from the publishing industry as a whole. ForeWord Reviews, one of the premier entities for national reviews of independent works since 1998, has now announced its shortlist of finalists for its Book of the Year awards. Spanning sixty-two categories, the … [Read more...] about ForeWord Reviews Names Its Book of the Year Finalists
Authors Warned Away from eBook-Only Imprints
A number of blogs and news sites posted uncharacteristically wary responses to this week's announcements coming out in the world of self-publishing and ebook-only imprints. On the first front, a press release stated that self-publishing solutions provider Lulu has teamed up with vanity press Author Solutions (ASI) to promote high-priced packages to would-be authors; at the same … [Read more...] about Authors Warned Away from eBook-Only Imprints
eBook Review: Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
Verdict: 5 STarsFinally. FINALLY. A romance title for the rest of us, one with the right blend of emotion and raw physicality but whose female main character isn't a spineless self-doubter who falls down a lot. Move over, 50 Shades of Grey, there's a sexy new power couple for readers to swoon over.Chloe Mills is only months away from finishing her MBA from a prestigious … [Read more...] about eBook Review: Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
HP and Mass-Market Print-On-Demand
The early predictions for almost every facet of digital publishing have proven to be as beneficial as once believed, especially in the areas of digital textbooks, widespread access to self-publishing possibilities, and even the gains made in ebook library lending. But one of the earlier promises for digital publishing was the concept of the stand-alone kiosk-based book printer, … [Read more...] about HP and Mass-Market Print-On-Demand
The Hybrid Publisher
So much industry attention has been given to a concept that first became widespread at this year's Digital Book World conference in January: the hybrid author. While the term refers to an author who has worked in both the traditional and self-publishing models, there are actually a number of ways that an author could be considered a hybrid. Some authors began in self-publishing … [Read more...] about The Hybrid Publisher
Little, Brown UK Creates Digital-Only Imprint
A far cry from the days when ebooks were denounced as a flash in the pan and the dire predictions rang out for the fad of digital reading, more and more publishers are finally coming on board with dedicated digital imprints of their own. While Harlequin, a pioneer in the concept of ebook-only was scoffed for its unheard of turn around time and royalty rate, was one of the first … [Read more...] about Little, Brown UK Creates Digital-Only Imprint
David Gaughran on Why Search is More Accessible via Amazon
While Amazon has its rabid critics, no one can argue that the online retailer didn't sweep through the publishing industry and turn a few things on their respective heads. Access to a nearly limitless catalog of books available overnight, a platform to enable undiscovered authors to publish their work, even a traditional imprint that lures some of the most exciting names in … [Read more...] about David Gaughran on Why Search is More Accessible via Amazon
Book Review: Gia & Lincoln’s Aggravating Allergies by Rowena Cala
Verdict: 4 StarsIt might seem easy to review a children's a book. After all, it's only twenty pages and it's mostly pictures, right? Wrong. In some ways, a children's author has a more difficult task in the writing due to that limited space. Unless the author is also the illustrator, there is another creative professional with a hand in the story whose effort is equally … [Read more...] about Book Review: Gia & Lincoln’s Aggravating Allergies by Rowena Cala
Korean Digital Publishing Platform KakaoPage Taking Over
What began as a simple Korean-made app that quickly grew to 70 million users across Asia has now bloomed into a mobile digital publishing platform, according to TechInAsia.com. KakaoTalk, a free one-to-one or group messaging and gaming app, has now launched KakaoPage, which allows users to publish content directly to mobile devices, much in the same way that companies already … [Read more...] about Korean Digital Publishing Platform KakaoPage Taking Over
#IndieReCon Virtual Indie Author Conference – Day Two
Yesterday's kickoff of the first IndieReCon online authors' conference brought some huge names to the virtual table, offering advice, dos-and-don'ts, tips, and more. The format varied greatly, with most of the content being delivered in timed posts by well-known professionals connected to indie authors. There were also video chats (available for replay) and Twitter chats using … [Read more...] about #IndieReCon Virtual Indie Author Conference – Day Two
IndieRecon Online Event Invites All Attendees
While many of the major events within the publishing industry are held in the far-flung centers of business, most indie authors find it difficult to attend due to travel and cost. Fortunately, forward thinking organizations are able to intervene using available technology in order to reach a broader audience of indie authors. IndieRecon, which will take place at the end of this … [Read more...] about IndieRecon Online Event Invites All Attendees
Net Minds Looks at Revitalizing Self-Publishing
There's no doubt that the face of the publishing industry is changing, and quite possibly that it has changed more in the last five years than over the entire course of its history. As digital publishing and self-publishing became more the norm rather than an arena relegated to tech geeks or authors who couldn't find publishing deals, the industry in every facet has had to race … [Read more...] about Net Minds Looks at Revitalizing Self-Publishing
Flipick and Solutions for ePub, InDesign
Flipick, part of the Mediawide group of companies, allows publishers to create fixed layout ebooks directly from InDesign in the ePub3 standard. Those InDesign files can incorporate interactivity for publication that are embedded in the ebook."The software is in a beta stage," said Flipick's representative at this year's Tools of Change conference when talking to … [Read more...] about Flipick and Solutions for ePub, InDesign