In the nearly ten years or so since the recent self-publishing revolution began, the most trying aspect is still discoverability. Whether or not we agree that the online retail shelves are filled with dreck isn't even the issue; the fact that those virtual shelves are filled to overflowing--even with great content and talented authors--is the problem. Two mainstays of the … [Read more...] about New Collaboration Brings Indie Authors Much-Needed Attention
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Thinking of Scamming Amazon? Think Again.
For years, the members of both the reading and writing public have been vehemently outspoken about abuse of the ebook sales and rankings systems, especially on Amazon. Claims of fake reviews, plots to buy your own book in bulk to manipulate the sales numbers, and an overgrowth of companies that sell guaranteed increases in rankings have basically spoiled the system for … [Read more...] about Thinking of Scamming Amazon? Think Again.
Books and Scandal: Gaming the Bestseller System
Indie authors have had to get pretty creative over the years in order to put their books in front of an audience of readers. Some of the tactics are just smart business, and come recommended by experts at author branding and book promotion. Others, however, are just shy of fraud and should be avoided; even if the effort isn't illegal, it can still come back to haunt you in the … [Read more...] about Books and Scandal: Gaming the Bestseller System
Smashwords Announces New eBook Promotion Tool
In the ongoing debate about whether or not to list your indie book exclusively with one retailer, there are a few things that authors have to consider. Chief among the concerns usually falls back on sales: where are your books selling? If readers only come to your book via Amazon, for example, and you literally post zero sales on other platforms, it would make sense to then go … [Read more...] about Smashwords Announces New eBook Promotion Tool
Driving Down the Price of Publishing
Not too long ago, self-published authors were collectively admonished about the need to invest in their work. Hiring quality editors, proofreaders, cover designers, and formatters before attempting to sell a book was the constant mantra of industry experts. While some hapless writers continued to slap their Word docs up on Amazon and hope to snare a few readers, authors who … [Read more...] about Driving Down the Price of Publishing
Bookselling 2017: What’s Amazon Up To?
Digital publishing and ebook retailing are still quite the numbers game, as ongoing reports on book sales can clearly demonstrate. But what is less obvious in this topsy-turvy industry is just how much of the game is being manipulated behind the scenes by artificial factors. Case in point: earlier this summer, author David Gaughran highlighted an ongoing scam in which … [Read more...] about Bookselling 2017: What’s Amazon Up To?
KDP Offers Authors a New Sales Dashboard
There's little doubt that Amazon has been the driving force behind the digital publishing revolution, including its impact on self-publishing. The once-daunting process of being an author meant navigating some treacherous waters on both the creative side and the business side of things. But with the Kindle Direct Publishing platform, authors have enjoyed a fairly … [Read more...] about KDP Offers Authors a New Sales Dashboard
When Authors Have to “Resort” to Self-Publishing
Yes, that's a mildly click-baitish headline, but that's absolutely the ironic sentiment floating around about Milo "Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen" Yiannopoulos and his as-of-yet unpublished masterpiece. The unlikely alt-right posterboy, as many industry followers will recall, was slated for publication via a Simon & Schuster imprint--complete with a $250,000 advance--despite … [Read more...] about When Authors Have to “Resort” to Self-Publishing
Reedsy, Blurb Collaborate for Author Services
With the rise of the print-on-demand, digital publishing, and self-publishing age, authors have more choices than ever before to meet their book needs. Unfortunately, that can mean navigating some treacherous waters with nothing more than word of mouth recommendations for solid platforms. As the current climate of publishing services companies closing their doors or facing … [Read more...] about Reedsy, Blurb Collaborate for Author Services
IndieReader Announces Discovery Award Winners
For years, IndieReader has been hard at work, helping self-published and independently published authors take their books to readers. As such, IR has hosted its own IndieReader Discovery Awards, which highlights the top three books in a wide variety of genres and eighteen different categories. Sponsored by the Association of Independent Authors, CreateSpace/KDP, Ingram … [Read more...] about IndieReader Announces Discovery Award Winners