February, 2009 | Self-Publishing Review

Completely Novel Review

CompletelyNovel.com is a new self-publishing service that is, well, completely novel. It’s also completely new so there are some features of the site that are not yet in full working condition. The basic premise of Completely Novel is that users can publish books using a variant on the Lulu system:

Upload a document and covert it to PDF.
Use a cover creator – surprisingly good for an online creator. The covers don’t necessarily look self-published
Set price.

Where Completely Novel is more unique is that instead of using one printer to print up a book, users will have a choice […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T19:30:39+02:00February 10th, 2009|Categories: Publisher Reviews|

The Business of Self-Publishing

The reality is that self publishing can be boiled down to two avenues. They both have a common denominator – business. You can attach all the labels you want on to self publishing, but when the mist has settled, and for whatever set of reasons a writer has chosen to pursue self publishing, they must understand that they are entering a form of business.

If you believe writing is a deeply held and personal passion, and simply want to see your book in print for family and friends and be a record of preservation, then there are many reputable Subsidy […]

Mick Rooney2011-10-08T19:30:54+02:00February 10th, 2009|Categories: Resources|

Kindle 2 Released Today

The Kindle 2 was released today to some fanfare and one very major problem: it costs the same as the first generation kindle – $359. Last week, it was rumored to go down by $100. Though the Kindle has made significant improvements on the first generation Kindle, the main criticism of the device is its cost. And because Kindle books can now be accessed on other devices, such as the iPhone, this will likely not signify a new revolution in e-books.

It is a case of two steps forward, one step back. While the Kindle is an attractive device, it […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T19:31:13+02:00February 9th, 2009|Categories: News|

The Types of Self-Publishing – Peeling Away the Layers of Confusion

When I first started researching the area of Self Publishing about two years ago, I was struck by the multitude of terms used both writers and publishers to define their own business. We can easily review many self publishing companies and rattle off terms like Vanity Publishing, Subsidy Publishing, POD (Print-on-demand) Publishing, Partnership Publishing and Independent Publishing. I’m sure many readers of Selfpublishingreview can list off a few others.

In the development of Self Publishing over many years, the above terms have not only merged, but indeed, the waters of distinction have become pretty muddied. I also have been guilty […]

Mick Rooney2011-10-08T19:31:28+02:00February 7th, 2009|Categories: Resources|

Google and Kindle Ebooks to be Available on Cellphones

What could improve the widespread use of ebooks could also increase the perception that ebooks are not readable. Google is allowing its huge library of 1.5 million public domain books to be available on mobile phones, such as the iPhone and the T-Mobile G1.

Proponents say this is a step in the right direction but hardly the end of the line. More so, it’s the beginning of a process where ebook reader, phone, computer, and even TV set will all be on the same device, possibly the same size as a Kindle is today – with a removable handset […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T19:31:50+02:00February 6th, 2009|Categories: News|

SPR Interviewed on Tuesday Shorts

I was interviewed by Tuesday Shorts, a great flash fiction (100 words or less) site. I’d like to thank Kristen Tsetsi, one of the site’s editors, for putting this together.

This interview gives me a reason to write about something I’ve wanted to touch on: the idea that self-publishing will hurt your future chances in publishing. Saying that self-publishing will ruin your career prospects is almost like saying that the only reason to write is to make money – i.e. that career is the only worthwhile ambition.

How does this apply to the interview? Because it shows things […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T19:32:08+02:00February 5th, 2009|Categories: Interviews|

Interview: Eddie Wright, author of Broken Bulbs

Eddie Wright’s excellent Broken Bulbs is a science fictional take on addiction – but what makes the novel so good is that it is not classifiable. Here he talks about writing a hybrid screenplay/novel and the ups and downs of self-publishing.

Self-Publishing Review: How did you come to self-publish? I mention in the review that it would be hard for Broken Bulbs to get published based on its length alone. Did you consider submitting to chapbook publishers?

Eddie Wright: Self-publishing seemed to be the only real option for me because of the length and unorthodox style of Broken Bulbs. […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T19:32:30+02:00February 5th, 2009|Categories: Interviews, Lead Story|

Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Contest Swings into Gear

The subject of some amount of controversy, this week signals the beginning of submissions for Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award. People have accused Amazon of creating the contest merely to get people to publish via CreateSpace and BookSurge. This may well be true, but Amazon fires back saying that 4 out of the 10 finalist from last year’s contest were offered publishing contracts. Last year’s winner, Fresh Kills, has a hardcover out on Putnam.

Additionally, Amazon has cut down the number of submissions this year, as it has also been criticized for a sort of factory-line approach to reading submissions, […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T19:32:47+02:00February 4th, 2009|Categories: News|