In the vanity press business, there are a few honorable exceptions to the belief that it's fraught with peril; for far too many authors, though, the experience mirrors that of the authors who filed more than 800 complaints against Tate Publishing and Music. Tate Publishing closed its doors some time ago amid economic woes and vocal outcry on social media from their victims, but … [Read more...] about Tate Publishing Execs Arrested for Fraud, Extortion
indie author
Should You Start an Author Podcast?
Podcasts are nothing new, but it may have taken a devastating global pandemic to breathe some new life into the medium. While a number of widely-consumed podcasts have been around for years, the need for new content and new ways to enjoy it have brought about a new wave of podcast popularity. First, some numbers. This article from Passive Voice highlights the findings of the … [Read more...] about Should You Start an Author Podcast?
B&N Press Just Sweetened Its Deal for Indie Authors
One of the most important things about self-publishing has always been that authors were finally in control. Without gatekeepers blocking the way, authors could sell where they wanted to, price their books how they wanted, write whatever genre and crossovers they wanted. Choice is a glorious thing when it comes to buying and selling, but that choice diminished somewhat with the … [Read more...] about B&N Press Just Sweetened Its Deal for Indie Authors
Wattpad’s 10th Anniversary Watty Awards Now Open
Whatever your summer plans were, put them on hold. If you're an author or a reader and you're not using this platform, you're missing out... Crowd-based reading platform Wattpad enables authors and readers to connect over great content, something that many other platforms have tried (and failed) to do. With over 70 million users in its community who spend more than 22 … [Read more...] about Wattpad’s 10th Anniversary Watty Awards Now Open
Big Changes at BookBaby
In the world of self-publishing companies, there are more than a few scam outlets that steal not just authors' hard-earned money, but also their hopes, aspirations, and even their reputations. Many of these companies have thankfully been thrown on the trash heap due to shady business practices, while some have even spent a good deal of time in court desperately trying to defend … [Read more...] about Big Changes at BookBaby
Predators Ripping Off Authors Are Worse than Ever
Imagine building a company slowly, one that is intended to give authors a place to sell and distribute their own ebooks. You grow that company into a household name in the publishing industry and enjoy a measure of success that goes with it. You even publish a few very helpful ebooks on your site--Smashwords, incidentally--so authors can benefit from years of industry insight … [Read more...] about Predators Ripping Off Authors Are Worse than Ever
Reedsy Launches Book Discovery Platform for Indie Authors
Since the the dawn of the current indie publishing revolution, startups across every aspect of the publishing process have come and gone. Some of these offered formatting, cover design, and editing; others promised to garner much-needed book reviews--legitimate ones or not. Other companies took authors' money and promised beautiful print and ebook editions, while other … [Read more...] about Reedsy Launches Book Discovery Platform for Indie Authors
Is the Dream of a Traditional Book Deal Dead?
There was a time when self-publishing your book through a vanity press was the kiss of death for any hope of a writing career. It was considered tacky and desperate, and not something any worthwhile author would ever consider. Then, with the self-publishing and digital publishing revolution, the notion of having more control over your work trumped much of the negativity … [Read more...] about Is the Dream of a Traditional Book Deal Dead?
Indie Bookshops Are Back from the Brink
The meteoric rise of Amazon into a global retail empire has hit a number of industries hard, but perhaps none more so than the publishing industry. Along with the dramatic shift in producing books, obviously Amazon, other online retailers, and even the invention of the ebook had a huge impact on booksellers. Sadly, it wasn't in a good way. While major brick-and-mortar chains … [Read more...] about Indie Bookshops Are Back from the Brink
Authors Don’t Make As Much Money, AG Report Finds
"According to the survey, literary authors suffered the largest decline in income (down 15% over the last four years) they received from book publishing, followed by authors of general nonfiction, whose income from books declined by 8%. Roughly 25% of all published authors surveyed earned no money at all from book publishing in 2017; while 18% of full-time book … [Read more...] about Authors Don’t Make As Much Money, AG Report Finds