Articles, how-to’s, opinion and tips and tricks in the self-publishing arena
How To Win A Book Contest – 7 Pitfalls To Avoid
This year’s SPR Awards has thrown up some points that we’d like to share with you to help you avoid the pitfalls when entering your book for a contest. You can take a look at the entrants here.
1. Book Covers
Time and time again we’ve said it, and time and time again, authors don’t listen. If you are selling a book, it needs to have a professional finish. If we are staking a reputation on a book by choosing it as a winner, it must have a well-designed book cover. That probably means not using a beloved drawing or […]
Why eBooks Are The Future
As we lock down this year, more and more of us are turning to books in their most hygienic form.
When Amazon (rightly) decided to prioritize deliveries of food and medical goods, the book industry was rather peeved. Authors who have released paperbacks this month worried that their readers wouldn’t be getting their books in a timely fashion, and that it would affect their sales.
But there’s more to worry about than just timing. Given that we now know that the Coronavirus can live on paper for up to five days, and that the molecule is so tiny[…]
Happy Things For Authors
Let’s not talk about the c-word. Here’s a list of happy literary stuff online to help you get writing indoors again. If you do all of these now, you’re going to be writing tonight, guaranteed.
Read how famous self-publishers hit the big time in our blog series. Be inspired!
Open Culture has curated a massive list of brilliant, properly taught courses for writers including videos and audio tracks on subjects such as Shakespeare, writing about the Civil War, fairies, Japanese culture, and Lord Of The Rings.
Zadie Smith on Writers Dancing
What […]
What Amazon’s Slowing of Book Deliveries Means For Authors
Amazon has announced via Seller Central that they will be slowing book delivery to prioritize medical and food delivery in the US and EU markets. Amazon says, “We are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and ship these products to customers.”
What does that mean for authors and book sales during the COVID-19 crisis?
1. Amazon Customers will be heading for Kindle eBooks instead of paperbacks
There are no health risks for digital downloads. So, many readers will prefer this method in the […]
The Coronavirus Pandemic = Your Chance To Finish Your Book!
A silver lining for all writers out there stuck without transport, concerts, sporting events, shopping malls, and parties?
We’re told to stay at home, not travel, stop seeing each other, and wait for the plague to pass over our roofs…so without all the distractions of weekend barbecues, Little League games, and the TV sports you were going to watch, why not bury those procrastinations you always use and open that Word file and crack on?
Why Now?
Without much else better to do, people are flocking to Amazon to dig into new reads. Take this opportunity and finally get around […]
What Do Amazon KDP Terms Mean For Self-Published Authors in 2020?
2020 sees a shake-up to the Amazon KDP Terms, so let’s take a look at the main clauses that affect both authors publishing on KDP and reviewers who leave reviews for Kindle Books. You can find the Terms here (link will geo-locate).
Here are the highlights that may affect you on your publishing and marketing journey:
Publishing Your Book
5.1.2 Content Requirements…”If you discover that content you have submitted does not comply [wth our Program], you must immediately withdraw the content by un-publishing it or by re-publishing content that complies through the Program procedures for Book withdrawal or re-publishing. […]
All About Book Reviews and Amazon – A Quick Guide and Rules
What reviews are allowed on Amazon?
There’s been some panic in the self-publishing streets about reviews being removed from Amazon and who is going to get sued for their reviews – and a lot of outrage blogging about Evil Amazon. Here’s a quick guide to why you should stop worrying too much and start understanding the different types of book reviews a little better.
There are three kinds of reviews on Amazon:
1. Customer Reviews
These are the reviews that Amazon is exercising their right, as a private company remember, to investigate more closely. What Amazon is trying to achieve […]