According to a report from a local newspaper, Amazon is the latest major company to plan ahead for an uncertain economic front by laying off employees. Unlike major corporations like Walmart/Sams's Club, Carrier, AT&T, and Comcast, Amazon's layoffs were very specific in nature and could be more a sign of the times than an economic struggle. Amazon-owned Createspace is laying … [Read more...] about Amazon Layoffs in SelfPub Division
KDP
Kindle Create Available to All Authors
Back in the spring, Amazon launched a beta test of a new conversion tool that aimed to be "push of a button" easy when it comes to generating a polished, formatted ebook. Called Kindle Create, it works much in the same way that Microsoft Word does, offering authors a comfortable, familiar system for adding touches like formatting themes and tables of contents. Now, Kindle … [Read more...] about Kindle Create Available to All Authors
Amazon has Changed Kindle Edition Normalized Pages to Calculate Royalties
Amazon has just unveiled KENPC v3.0 today and it will dramatically change the way authors are paid when their books are enrolled in Kindle Select or Kindle Unlimited. Authors are able to earn a maximum of 3,000 Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENPs) read per title per customer. This means that each time your book is borrowed and read, you will receive credit for up to 3,000 … [Read more...] about Amazon has Changed Kindle Edition Normalized Pages to Calculate Royalties
Amazon KDP Unveils Kindle Create Word Doc Conversion Tool
If you're a self-published author, writing your book is only half the battle. Some might even argue that it's the easy part of being an author. Indies have been beaten over the head for years now about the need to hire professionals to take the manuscript and turn it into a book, with costs associated with editing, proofreading, cover design, formatting, and marketing. The … [Read more...] about Amazon KDP Unveils Kindle Create Word Doc Conversion Tool
New Prime Reading Offer Asks Authors to Give Up Royalties. Here’s Why They Should.
As if Amazon didn't already have enough critics, the company has unleashed a new invitation-only offer that is going to raise some author ire. It's new Prime Reading membership, a free benefit of having an Amazon Prime membership which is not to be confused with the monthly fee-based Kindle Unlimited, lets customers read pre-selected books at no additional cost. It can easily … [Read more...] about New Prime Reading Offer Asks Authors to Give Up Royalties. Here’s Why They Should.
Does KDP Paperback Publishing Really Solve Anything?
Never one to be a naysayer, we at GoodEReader ordinarily go fan-girl level crazy over a new startup that innovates anything to do with digital publishing. But a new beta program from Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing seems to solve a problem that no one has. Until now, authors who wished to create an ebook for sale on Amazon went through a fairly straightforward upload … [Read more...] about Does KDP Paperback Publishing Really Solve Anything?
eBook Catfishing Scam Netted Over One Million Dollars
Amazon has come under fire in public perception for the little tricks and scams that unscrupulous "authors" use. It might be manipulating the rankings through free downloads, paying armies of reviewers or hiring out to a company that can produce hundreds of reviews, and even the outright theft of content and publishing ridiculous ebooks to make a quick few cents. But ZDNet has … [Read more...] about eBook Catfishing Scam Netted Over One Million Dollars
Why is Amazon removing Thousands of Kindle eBooks?
Amazon has begun a quiet campaign of removing Kindle e-books that have the table of contents at the end of the book, instead of the front. Amazon has a new algorithm that is automatically emailing authors and telling them they have five days to make the changes or the BUY button will disappear. In some cases authors aren't even getting the emails and their e-books have just … [Read more...] about Why is Amazon removing Thousands of Kindle eBooks?
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
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