News

One of the things that’s not talked about enough is that self-publishing is no different than starting your own publishing company – if it were couched in these terms, perhaps it would get more respect.  How can there not be respect for someone who’s in charge of every facet of the publishing process?  The trouble is this isn’t always the case.  When you publish with Lulu, it’s possible to have a book printed in ten minutes using one of their cover templates.  It’s no more difficult than signing up with Blogger.  This is great, but it’s a different animal than […]

In a major development for self-publishers, Smashwords has reached an agreement with Barnes & Noble to have B&N distribute select titles on the site. From an email sent out to Smashwords members:

Smashwords is evolving to become a full service ebook distributor.  Smashwords will soon begin distributing ebooks to major online retailers, the first of which is Barnes & Noble and their various properties including Barnesandnoble.com, Fictionwise and their eReader app. We’re thrilled about this development, because these new distribution relationships will dramatically expand your digital shelf space.

Not all Smashwords books will automatically qualify for distribution.  To qualify, the

Cross-posted at Mick Rooney’s blog.

One of the biggest criticisms of the self-publishing service model of business is the distinct lack of direct sales representation to high street stores for these kinds of books, rendering few self-published books real shelf space. While the stigmas of self-publishing may be gradually lifting over the past few years, book retailers are more comfortable with the tried and trusted method of dealing on a weekly basis with a sales representative. Their purpose is to ‘sell in’ the latest new releases and back catalogue listings to the retail trade’s book buyers from the largest […]

The new paradigm has come to Vermont – and no, SPR is not tired of the term new paradigm.  For publishing it is very apt.  The news from Vermont:

Two authors who have previously been mentioned on the Self-Publishing Review have appearences coming up.  Rosie Sorenson, author of They Had Me at Meow, will be appearing at Book Passage in Corte Madera, California.  Info:

Rosie Sorenson, author of They Had Me at Meow:  Tails of Love from the Homeless Cats of Buster Hollow, is giving a free benefit reading at Book Passage in Corte Madera on Saturday, June 27 at 4:00 p.m.  Appearing with her are representatives from The Humane Society of the United States, Fix Our Ferals of Berkeley, the Marin Cat Connection and the Marin

Here is a fascinating study about today’s book-buying habits. For fiction – mystery and detective novels comprise the greatest percentage of book purchases, and the internet is gaining as a place where people buy books exclusively, especially for older readers:

On a completely unrelated note, the Self-Publishing Review is now the fifth listing in Google for the term self-publishing, above Xlibris and below Lulu.  In my other life, I’m an SEO writer so I pay attention to these things and Google just did a […]

Book Expo America has come and gone and the mood you come away with is that publishing in a state of limbo.  A lot of talk of how publishing is changing, but no clear answer about where it’s going to go.  In fact, the panels about publishing’s future were not as well attended as the panels lamenting publishing’s problems.  In other words, people are still sifting through the problems of the old paradigm without necessarily embracing the future.  The L.A. Times Jacket Copy had this report:

Starting at 2:30 p.m., two visionaries shared their ideas of a new kind of

Smashwords is quickly becoming one of the central portals in the e-revolution. This week Smashwords.com unveiled an affiliate marketing program, available to anyone who signs up with the site (check the sponsors button in the upper right). Mark Coker describes the affiliate program on the Smashwords blog:

[Affiliate revenue] comes out of the author’s percentage. As we mention in the documentation at https://www.smashwords.com/about/smashwords_affiliate_documentation this service offering was designed in careful consultation with Smashwords authors and publishers. We surveyed all our publishers a couple months back and asked them to provide input on the proposed program. We asked: 1. Are