#1 New York Times Bestselling Author & TV Producer
The publishing industry is still trying to figure out how to deal with the self-publishing revolution that Amazon sparked with the Kindle and their KDP Publishing format. Old guard publishers need to adapt and evolve, not dig in and try to protect the way things have “always” been done, or they risk becoming irrelevant to … Read more
Authors Brett Battles and Robert Gregory Browne have been friends for years. They are among the savviest authors I know and both have enjoyed considerable success and critical acclaim with their thrillers (Rob’s novel KISS HER GOODBYE was even adapted as a pilot for CBS starring Dylan Walsh). Now they have ventured into self-publishing, on … Read more
Amanda Hocking's astonishing success with her self-published ebooks, which made big news after USA Today started tracking ebook sales on their bestseller list, is getting her noticed by the media all over the world. Now the media, suddenly aware of what's happening with ebooks, is turning their spotlight on other authors who have also scored … Read more
Writer Beware has an excellent overview on PW Select and other "pay-for-review" scams that prey on self-published authors. They write, in part: […]no matter what altruistic motive the service offers to justify its fees, paid reviews are less an effort to expand review coverage to worthy books than an opportunity to make some extra cash … Read more
I've been engaged in a discussion about the pros and cons of self-publishing over at The Kindle Boards and thought I'd share some of my comments here. One person wrote a message talking about the reasons he self-published with a POD press. One reason he did it, he said, was because publishing companies are turning … Read more
Karen Opas-Lanouette, a freelance editor and ghostwriter, believes it only makes sense to self-publish if you meet three criteria, which she's posted on LinkedIn. I think her list is great: 1) You have written a memoir or cookbook that you want to share with family and friends. Professional editing and cover design/interior layout are not … Read more
Chicago Sun-Times book critic David Montgomery explains why he doesn't review self-published books. In my experience the overall quality level of self-published fiction is not sufficiently high for the books to be given serious consideration. This is not to say that all self-published fiction is bad. The law of probability alone would indicate that at … Read more
Mark Levine has just published the third edition of THE FINE PRINT OF SELF-PUBLISHING. I was a fan of the first edition and this one is even better. Particularly useful are the updated and expanded examinations of the various self-publishing companies, their services and their contracts. Anybody who is thinking about self-publishing must read this … Read more
Earlier this month, I told you about a scam called "Beneaththecover.com," which purports to offer authors inside news and expert advice about the publishing industry when, in fact, it’s just a front for a bunch of vanity press and book promotion hucksters selling their wares. This point was driven home the other day when one … Read more
The Mystery Writers of America has revised the language of their definition of "self-publication" for membership application, publisher approval, and Edgar eligibility. The changes were made for greater clarity and specificity. “Self-published” or “cooperatively published” works include, but are not limited to: a) Those works for which the author has paid all or part of the … Read more