With the end of a pretty rough year behind us and the first few weeks of 2017 under our belts, it's a good time to take a deep breathe and take stock of the state of publishing. There's perhaps no more comprehensive analysis of the current trends than the annual Smashwords Book Industry Predictions, written each year by founder and CEO Mark Coker. Before looking at Coker's … [Read more...] about Does Publishing Have a Future without Amazon?
indie authors
Clock Is Ticking on Goodreads Choice Awards
There are a number of prestigious book awards--and that number is exponentially dwarfed by the number of "fly by night" book awards that earn a profit off of the entry fees--that can do amazing things for increasing an author's credibility and a specific title's sales figures. The inherent promotion of the contest itself can increase a book's visibility, while the resulting … [Read more...] about Clock Is Ticking on Goodreads Choice Awards
Indie Author eBook Sales Are in a State of Decline
Over the course of the past two years major publishers revenue has been in a state of decline, but indie author sales have been strong. I have written extensively about this and how indies are eventually going to reach a tipping point. Authors Earnings has now proclaimed that the indie eBook market share has shrunk significantly. During the five short months since May, it … [Read more...] about Indie Author eBook Sales Are in a State of Decline
Melania Trump and the New Outrage over Plagiarism
If you've had the good fortune to spend even a passing few moments near the internet in the last couple of days, you've no doubt heard about new scandal rocking the circus that is the Trump presidential campaign. Melania Trump, the upgraded 3.0 wife of the businessman-turned-entertainer-turned-policitian, gave what was to be her first major speech in support of her husband's … [Read more...] about Melania Trump and the New Outrage over Plagiarism
Indie Authors Are Forcing E-Book Stores To Close
The e-book landscape used to be bright and vibrant. All over the world online retailers sold digital books that were compatible with e-readers, smartphones and tablets. In a few short years most stores have now closed and Amazon gets most of the blame. Sadly, the issue is not Amazon, but indie authors. The Sony Reader Store was the first digital bookstore that was … [Read more...] about Indie Authors Are Forcing E-Book Stores To Close
Indie Authors Can Now Develop An Audiobook via ListenUp Audiobooks
The global audiobook industry is currently worth over two billion dollars and digital is the fastest growing segment. Major publishes have a tremendous amount of infrastructure to create audio editions of their bestselling novels, but indie authors don't have many alternatives. ListenUp Audiobooks is a new company that is exclusively focusing on indie authors who want to … [Read more...] about Indie Authors Can Now Develop An Audiobook via ListenUp Audiobooks
Authors Guild Study Shows Most Live Under the Poverty Line
The Authors Guild is poised to release their first author earnings study since 2009. What they found should be a cause for concern in regards to how much the average writer is generating solely from their writing. It is dramatically apparent that most of them live below the Federal Poverty line, which is less than $11,670 per year. The survey, was conducted earlier in the … [Read more...] about Authors Guild Study Shows Most Live Under the Poverty Line
Major Publishers Are Not Listening to Authors
The dream for many aspiring writers is to be picked up by a major publisher. This is often seen as the key to international distribution and being able to attain a fat advance in order to write a single or series of books. According to a recent report, there are many problems with traditional publishing and is driving authors to self-publish instead. One of the big problems … [Read more...] about Major Publishers Are Not Listening to Authors
Google Encouraging Authors and Publishers to Use Adwords
Google is planning on launching a new mobile feature for smartphones that will allow publishers and authors to instantly sell e-books at the click of a button. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google is allegedly planning to launch a buy button that will accompany search results, but only on sponsored links that others have paid to put in front of Google's natural … [Read more...] about Google Encouraging Authors and Publishers to Use Adwords