It's literally been years since self-publishing took off in a major way and brought some measure of credibility with it. The days of keeping the publishing method a secret and having to purchase hundreds of copies of your book to sell from the trunk of your car are long behind us, but with every new milestone, achievement, or tool that comes along for indie authors, other … [Read more...] about Why Are There Still Issues Facing Self-Published Authors?
Amazon
Kindle e-books get more expensive in Ohio
If you live in Ohio, the next e-book purchase you make is going to cost more. Amazon has announced they have started tacking on an extra sales tax on anything they directly sells.Ohio has different tax rates, depending on what county you live in and Amazon will have to abide by them all, including the 5.75% statewide tax.Amazon did not have to charge sales tax in the … [Read more...] about Kindle e-books get more expensive in Ohio
Amazon Starts Advertising on Shipping Boxes
Amazon ships out 3,300,000 products a day to customers all over the world. In the past, you simply got a cardboard box with the ubiquitous Amazon logo, this is going to change. Amazon has just ironed out a new partnership with Universal Pictures to ship customer orders in bright yellow delivery boxes featuring cartoon characters from the upcoming “Minions” movie. The … [Read more...] about Amazon Starts Advertising on Shipping Boxes
Data Demonstrates Most Well-Read Cities in the US
In a move that's sure to tick off... well, everyone... Amazon has released another list of cities that purport to have the most well-read populations. There are a few flaws in their data, such as the fact that the list was determined by book sales, not by some factor that actually demonstrates book reading as opposed to book shopping, but overall it was an interesting peek into … [Read more...] about Data Demonstrates Most Well-Read Cities in the US
Amazon’s Tax Woes Hit EU
The past few years have not been kind to Amazon in terms of sales tax. Once various states around the country discovered a veritable cash cow in trying to force Amazon to collect and submit sales taxes, lawsuits sprung up from every corner of the country, with states' attorneys general filing lawsuits to recover back taxes and state governments introducing new legislation aimed … [Read more...] about Amazon’s Tax Woes Hit EU
The New Self-Publishing: Amazon Takes on Etsy
What Amazon has done to reshape the publishing industry as a whole is nothing short of miraculous. The launch of the Kindle line of e-readers sparked a revolution in reading, just as the launch of KDP self-publishing completely revamped how books even come into being. Of course, Amazon has branched out in countless ways, offering everything from toilet paper to original content … [Read more...] about The New Self-Publishing: Amazon Takes on Etsy
Apple has failed the e-Book reader
Apple has quickly become a major player in the smartphone and tablet business. Their devices are everywhere and their constant marketing campaigns always generate buzz. One of the big reasons why people have gravitated towards Apple products was the sheer amount of apps available. Amazon, B&N, Kobo and Sony were all early adopters and generated a lot of money with in-app … [Read more...] about Apple has failed the e-Book reader
e-Book Revenue Increased by 11% in the UK
The e-book market in the United States has been fairly stable in the last two years, but in the United Kingdom it is a different story. The UK Publishers Association is reporting that print revenues dropped 5% to £2.7 billion and e-book revenues rose by 11% to £563 million. This means that e-books now account for 35% of the overall book market, which is staggering.How many … [Read more...] about e-Book Revenue Increased by 11% in the UK
People are Losing their Trust in e-books
The primary benefit of a print book is the clear path of ownership. Once you procure it from your favorite online or brick and motor store, its yours. There is no problem with loaning it out to a friend or rereading it for the hundredth time. e-books on the other hand is a convoluted nightmare.When you purchase an e-book from a retailer like Apple or Amazon, you don't own … [Read more...] about People are Losing their Trust in e-books
Amazon Doubling Down on their Advertising Network
Amazon has been slowly growing their internal advertising network, which allows companies to showcase their products and services on Kindle e-readers and tablets. The company also has the ability to run advertisements on their extended network of websites, such as IMDB. Lately, Amazon has been establishing ties with new companies to advertise in non-conventional ways.When … [Read more...] about Amazon Doubling Down on their Advertising Network
Amazon’s Whispercast Update Meets the Needs of K12 Classrooms
FULL DISCLOSURE: I was a classroom teacher for almost twenty years, the last seven of which were spent using a classroom set of Kindle e-readers. My classroom had more than 200 ebooks for the students to choose from, and it was a nightmare trying to make that innovation work.But nightmares no more! Amazon has released an update for its Whispercast feature that will make … [Read more...] about Amazon’s Whispercast Update Meets the Needs of K12 Classrooms
Amazon’s Newest Delivery Option: the Trunk of Your Car
Amazon became the retail giant it is today based on a few factors, including deep discounts and customer service. But one of the chief ways the online retailer became a consumer mainstay is in its shipping options. Whether taking advantage of the free or low-cost three-to-five day ground shipping or reaping the free two-day shipping benefits of an Amazon Prime Membership, … [Read more...] about Amazon’s Newest Delivery Option: the Trunk of Your Car
New Kindle Direct Publishing Dashboard to Help Indie Authors
Amazon is famous for surprising its authors with new features, new offers, and newly revamped designs, all while keeping quiet about it. Past moves have included adding whole new sales territories in foreign countries, and only revealing to authors that their books were available in Mexico, for example, when they found the country listed on their sales dashboards. It's akin to … [Read more...] about New Kindle Direct Publishing Dashboard to Help Indie Authors