One of the more crowded panels at the recent PubSmartCon was the Bowker-sponsored panel, Discoverability in the Digital Age, a session which addressed the increasingly difficult task authors face--both traditionally published and self-published--in finding an audience for their works. With independent bookstores closing at an alarming rate and even libraries facing … [Read more...] about Overcoming the Scarcity of Attention for Books
Hugh Howey
Hugh Howey and the Road Map to Publishing
Despite the successes Hugh Howey has enjoyed as an author, he began his keynote at today's PubSmartCon event by stating that his is not a road map to success that anyone should follow, largely because he doesn't know where he's going. The tongue-in-cheek opening to his presentation is only partly humorous; part of Howey's charm and allure as a writer and a publishing industry … [Read more...] about Hugh Howey and the Road Map to Publishing
PubSmartCon Kicks Off Tomorrow in Charleston
A revolution in writing and publishing conferences will kick off tomorrow in Charleston, South Carolina, one that is working to bridge all aspects of the publishing industries to better enable professionals of every kind. Alongside self-publishing mainstays like Hugh Howey, Nook Press, and Bibliocrunch will be speakers like Stephanie Bowen of Sourcebooks and Tracey Adams of … [Read more...] about PubSmartCon Kicks Off Tomorrow in Charleston
Hugh Howey Explains the Need for Authors to Give Away Their Books
On last week's IndieChat event, hosted every Tuesday night on Twitter by publishing solutions company BiblioCrunch, the guest speaker was from a new tool, InstaFreebie. This platform allows authors to easily create a free version of their books--with or without DRM and reader watermarking, as they choose--in order to share them with readers. I happened to mention that I used … [Read more...] about Hugh Howey Explains the Need for Authors to Give Away Their Books
PubSmartcon: Reenvisioning the Writer’s Conference
Writers' conferences have long been a source of networking and support for authors looking to hone their crafts and develop their business acumen for life in the publishing industry. One of the biggest lures to attract writers to conferences has always been well-known keynote speakers selected from top literary agents and publishers. Even better, many conferences offer authors … [Read more...] about PubSmartcon: Reenvisioning the Writer’s Conference
Hugh Howey Gives Toxic Advice for Self-Publishers
Hugh Howey is a self-published author who leveraged Kindle Direct Publishing to distribute his Silo Saga about a post-apocalyptic wasteland. They have sold over 300,000 copies in the US and have been optioned for a movie to be directed by Ridley Scott. You might say that Howey is a self-published professional author whot did well for himself. Lately, he has transcended from … [Read more...] about Hugh Howey Gives Toxic Advice for Self-Publishers
What Does It Take to Sell 100M eBooks? Smut and Marketing
It still makes headlines whenever a self-published author manages to sell one million copies, or makes a major bestseller list. for some self-published authors, that level of success is actually a cumulative total of all of their titles, but it's still quite a big deal. EL James might disagree. News came out this week that the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy--admittedly all three … [Read more...] about What Does It Take to Sell 100M eBooks? Smut and Marketing
New AuthorEarnings Report Highlights B&N Sales
Massive change is being sparked in the publishing industry, thanks to the enterprising--and exhausting--work of authors who've taken it upon themselves to share sales information with the intention of helping authors make informed decisions where publishing opportunities are involved. Authors like HM Ward and Hugh Howey have been as transparent as they can be about their own … [Read more...] about New AuthorEarnings Report Highlights B&N Sales
Anti-Transparency: Why Are Book Sales a Secret?
The book industry has certainly been overwhelmed since the beginning of 2014 with information gleaned from author surveys on their satisfaction with publishing, in all of its forms. The first survey, conducted by Digital Book World and Writer's Digest magazine, already contained a mild slant given that the thousands of survey respondents were subscribers to a decidedly … [Read more...] about Anti-Transparency: Why Are Book Sales a Secret?
Transparency: Author HM Ward Discusses eBook Sales and Pricing
A number of authors, including JA Konrath and Hugh Howey, made international headlines this week with their open discussions of what is wrong with ebook pricing and sales data. The lack of open access to the information, guarded like a state a secret by the online retailers, presumably don't help authors know which publishing decisions are right for them. Without accurate data, … [Read more...] about Transparency: Author HM Ward Discusses eBook Sales and Pricing