Authors and readers alike have been following the saga of #cockygate, the internet-blowup surrounding one author's attempt to bully other authors into changing the names of their books. Author Faleena Hopkins first wordmarked her romance series title as it appears in a logo, but then may or may not have trademarked the word "cocky." As such, she began reaching out to authors … [Read more...] about #CockyGate Continues With Cringeworthy Victim-Blaming
Indie Author News
SelfPubbed Romance Author Ignites Rage With Cocky Trademark
In the world of self-publishing, authors have to do whatever it takes to get their books in front of readers. For some authors, that means splitting their time between writing and promotion. For others, it means investing in social media managers and publicity packages. For other authors, though, the best way to become a household name is to pull a stunt so vile that it causes … [Read more...] about SelfPubbed Romance Author Ignites Rage With Cocky Trademark
Authors Can Take Advantage of eBook Piracy via YouTube Videos
There are millions of authors who find that some of their ebooks are available on pirate sites and they are resulting in lost sales. Once your book is out in the wild, it is impossible to make any money on it and some authors have even lost their book deals with major publishers. One of the ways authors can combat piracy is to upload half of their book to a torrent site in a … [Read more...] about Authors Can Take Advantage of eBook Piracy via YouTube Videos
Is Amazon Destroying Indie Authors Careers?
Ask any self-published author about their thoughts on Amazon, and you're likely to get one hundred opinions from one hundred writers. For some, the retail giant represents the gateway to opportunity, options for publishing that were never before available in history. For others, Amazon is symbolic of everything wrong with corporations: arbitrary rules, hoops to jump through, … [Read more...] about Is Amazon Destroying Indie Authors Careers?
Publishing Suicide: Indie Authors Turn into the Bullies
Over the years, this news site has covered far more news of author bullying than any site should ever have to. The articles on bullies who turn on authors--especially indie authors--never fail to draw the trolls and naysayers out of the woodwork, and this article will most assuredly be no different. This time, it's different, though. Rather than the poor creative who's faced … [Read more...] about Publishing Suicide: Indie Authors Turn into the Bullies
Traditionally Published Authors Want What Indies Have
When self-published authors like Amanda Hocking became book industry names, it was for reaching incredible sales figures on the fairly new Kindle e-reading platform. After reaching newsworthy levels of success, Hocking and others like her attracted the attention of literary agents and publishers looking to reach consumers. Experts would often question why an author who was … [Read more...] about Traditionally Published Authors Want What Indies Have
Is Audible Romance Ripping Off Authors?
When Amazon launched ACX, its KDP or CreateSpace-style self-publishing platform for audiobooks, it was seen as a great equalizer for both authors and readers. Audiobooks can be prohibitively expensive, so much so that only a fraction of books (even traditionally published books) makes its way into audio. With the ability to record your own audiobook file, hire a narrator … [Read more...] about Is Audible Romance Ripping Off Authors?
Amazon Review Fraud Hits New Categories
Authors have been accused of buying reviews of their books for years. At the very least, there have been accusations hurled of authors building up lists of people to pad their review counts, a practice that is not at all in violation of Amazon's terms so long as the reviews are genuine and mention is made of the free book the reviewer received. But one couple has come forward … [Read more...] about Amazon Review Fraud Hits New Categories
New Amazon Scam Hits Authors and Consumers
It's tax filing season for US consumers, so all across America, paperwork has filtered into households with the residents' income statement. These documents reflect their total amount of wage earnings, as well as the amounts that are withheld or are still taxable. Unfortunately, one security researcher has uncovered a scam that has increased the reported amount of income that … [Read more...] about New Amazon Scam Hits Authors and Consumers
Ingram Spark vs CreateSpace vs KDP Paperback
With the signs and portents in self-publishing pointing to the eventual closure of CreateSpace, there's a lot of concern and discussion about what alternatives authors have for their print-on-demand titles. The early warning signs, namely the beta launch of a paperback option in KDP as well as the closure of the CreateSpace e-store which sent all sales over to Amazon, have left … [Read more...] about Ingram Spark vs CreateSpace vs KDP Paperback