Henry Baum | Self-Publishing Review

About Henry Baum

Author of three self-published novels and one traditionally published (Soft Skull Press, Canongate, and Hachette Littératures). Recipient of Best Fiction at the DIY Book Festival, the Gold IPPY Award for Visionary Fiction, and the Hollywood Book Festival Grand Prize. He lives with his wife Cate Baum in Spain. He's the founder of SPR.

The Hidden Layer by Chris Nordberg

Guest Reviewed by The Podler.

A digital oracle meant to predict the movements of the stock market, a man obsessed with finding why his brother had been killed in China in the 1980s, and a computer wizard cross paths when the system malfunctions and starts spitting out predictions of terrorist attacks. Such are the the basic ingredients of Chris Nordberg’s gripping if somewhat uneven thriller, The Hidden Layer.

The story begins in the summer of 1980 in China with the death of Robert Asher and another British teenager Emma Taylor. The unexplained death of his brother becomes the […]

Henry Baum2009-12-31T21:18:04+02:00January 14th, 2009|Categories: Book Reviews|

Book Marketing and Search Engine Optimization

One of the better principles of Mill City Press is that its marketing program treats a book no differently than a website – i.e. the book needs links and traffic. Unless you pay for a print run of a book, you’re not likely going to be able to get a book into bookstores. If you can afford the cost of printing up boxes of print on demand books then you may as well do your own print run and pay for a marketing team – which could likely amount to the same as printing up costly POD books.

So if […]

Henry Baum2010-01-01T00:03:13+02:00January 14th, 2009|Categories: Resources|

Heroes' Day by Jesse Gordon

For anyone who thinks that self-published novels are a jumble of poor language and half-thought ideas should take a look at this novel. It’s professionally-written, professionally designed. The cover is sharp, and proof that you don’t need an expensive illustration to have a pro-quality cover. Jesse Gordon knows his way around a design program because all of his books and promotional materials are well done. He’s also got some amusing Youtube spots for the book.

The novel itself is just as professionally written. The problem with this novel is not necessarily in the quality of the prose, but the […]

Henry Baum2009-12-31T21:24:00+02:00January 14th, 2009|Categories: Book Reviews|

Book Editors and Journalists on Self-Publishing

This link is making the rounds in the self-publishing blogosphere. It contains a long list of quotes that are alternately heartening and maddening.

The heartening includes:

Self published books are a positive step towards allowing talented writers with little resources to print and market their own talents and we encourage writers from all publishers to submit their work. As an independent publication we enjoy seeking out local and independent self-published books.

Lynette Rowland, Executive Editor, Midwest Parenting Publications

To the disheartening:

If it’s not good enough to be real-published, it’s not good enough to be published at all. Most self-published

[…]

Henry Baum2009-12-31T21:24:22+02:00January 13th, 2009|Categories: Features|

Author Solutions Buys Xlibris Creating a Self-Publishing Triumvirate

In a story from the Wall Street Journal, Author Solutions, Inc. has bought Xlibris, furthering the consolidation of the print on demand industry. Author Solutions now runs three of the most popular print on demand houses – AuthorHouse, iUniverse, and Xlibris. Eyebrows were raised when AuthorHouse joined forces with iUniverse, and this acquisition will have people raising the specter of “monopoly” and the potential for the three POD outlets to corner the market on print on demand publishing.

Generally, the three companies offer the same types of services. Unlike Lulu.com, which lets authors print up books one at a […]

Henry Baum2009-12-31T21:24:37+02:00January 13th, 2009|Categories: News|

Lulu.com Cuts Staff Due to Economic Slowdown

This news is from last October, but it’s important for anyone considering using the Lulu service. Lulu has showed some ill effects due to the faltering economy – as a result it is cutting its workforce in order to make up for lost revenue.

On the one hand, this is surprising. Lulu has a fairly good business model. Given that books are only printed when they’re bought, Lulu does not lose money on books that are printed but not sold, as is the case with a traditional publisher. Every Lulu author will likely print up at least one book – […]

Henry Baum2009-12-31T21:25:00+02:00January 13th, 2009|Categories: News|

How to Get Book Distribution for a Self-Published Book

Book distribution is the main dividing line between self-publishing and publishing with a traditional publisher. The Self-Publishing Review can talk all it wants about the merits of self-publishing – complete creative control, higher profits – but bookstore distribution is the main argument for publishing with a traditional press. If you think about it, even small traditional presses cannot get into major chains, or even small independents, so self-published novels are even a further step behind. While people are increasingly buying books online, having a book in a brick and mortar store is a great advertisement – a customer may buy […]

Henry Baum2017-04-25T08:54:14+02:00January 12th, 2009|Categories: Resources|

Self-Publishing Mistakes

Running a site devoted to self-publishing, for however short a period, I’ve gotten a quick sense into some of the mistakes self-publishers make when sending out a book. I don’t want to single anyone out here by linking to anyone, but I wanted to point these things out. It occurs to me as well that scathingly attacking a self-published writer makes little sense. After all, the writer is self-releasing the book at his or her own expense, and will struggle to find readers. Why bother attacking someone who’s already struggling to be read? That said, I wanted to point some […]

Henry Baum2009-12-31T21:25:45+02:00January 10th, 2009|Categories: Features|