Features | Self-Publishing Review

Self-Publishing Success Story: E.L. James

Arguably the most well-known self-publishing successes, E.L. James’ 50 Shade of Grey trilogy started out as an erotic fan-fiction of the Twilight series. She posted it on fan-fiction sites while under the name “Snowqueen’s Icedragon” and her own website, and later developed it into an original trilogy. She then self-published the first book as an e-book and print-on-demand paperback through The Writers’ Coffee Shop, a virtual publisher based in Australia. The book spread quickly, emphasizing the growing popularity of erotica in women’s fiction. The trilogy was dubbed “Mommy P_rn” and became a worldwide sensation with a movie adaptation […]

James Grimsby2017-02-20T09:14:06+02:00October 5th, 2014|Categories: Features, Success Story|

Ten Reasons Why The Gatekeepers Of Self-Publishing Have Become… You

One of the biggest driving forces behind authors who self-publish has been the declaration that writing has become stifled by “the gatekeepers of the publishing world.” Many writers now go straight to self-publishing. Be self-published? Sounds great! Let’s do it! We can all help each other, right? Right? Guys?

The online self-publishing clique has become incredibly judgemental of its own kind. These didacts are scaring the heck out of those wanting a nice gentle, creative, inclusive experience. Simply, self-published authors have become dictators of their own industry. Here’s why.

1. Online Herdism
Thou shalt not pay for any kind […]

Cate Baum2014-09-30T11:39:05+02:00September 30th, 2014|Categories: Features|

Authors United May Have a Point

I’m a bit sick to death of the Amazon-Hachette dispute. Mainly because it’s a case of one corporate giant against another. Another thing that is troubling is the absolute cheerleading for Amazon that comes from the self-publishing side. While Authors United has made some egregiously overboard claims, Amazon isn’t entirely above reproach.

Today, literary heavyweights have joined the Authors United cause, including Philip Roth, Orhan Pamuk, Salman Rushdie, V. S. Naipaul and Milan Kundera.

Ursula K. Le Guin sounds a bit unhinged when she says,

“We’re talking about censorship: deliberately making a book hard or impossible to get, ‘disappearing’

[…]

Henry Baum2014-09-29T08:10:07+02:00September 29th, 2014|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips|

5 Reasons Why It Matters What Your Website Is Called

When you pick a domain name for your author or book website, does it matter what you call it? The simple answer is: Yes, it does. Here are five reasons why.

1. Google gives more props to .com branded sites for businesses and exact match brand names

You can’t just go with any . suffix because suffixes, while some may be cheaper than others, do have a meaning in search terms on Google etc. with .com being the overriding brand site taken into consideration by Google.

.com, .net, .org and other website suffixes such as .co.uk are known as […]

Cate Baum2014-09-27T02:32:35+02:00September 26th, 2014|Categories: Features|

Authors Must Be Marketers

Authors don’t like to promote their own works. Here are actual quotes from some of the authors we published:

“I’m a writer, not a marketer.”

“I’m uncomfortable asking people to buy my book.”

“I don’t really understand social media.”

“I’ve put a ton of effort into writing my book. Why do I have to sell it?”

On the one hand, I sympathize with these comments. It makes sense. You’ve written a book and it’s somebody else’s job to sell the books. Isn’t that the way the book business works? Plus, won’t your beautiful writing sell itself on its own merits?[…]

Neil Raphel2020-02-21T03:54:10+02:00September 16th, 2014|Categories: Features|Tags: Book Marketing Advice and Tips|

One Size Does Not Fit All for Self-Publishing

John Steinbeck famously said “In America…the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”

I would substitute “The poor” with “Self-Publishers.” As if every author self-publishing is automatically a Hugh Howey in the making. Self-publishing isn’t a get rich quick scheme. For some it is, for most it isn’t.

Which means what worked for Hugh Howey will not necessarily work for every single writer. Recently on iO9 there was a post Why This Bestselling Author Decided To Start Self-Publishing. Often these kinds of posts are rallying cries for self-publishing – see, even the big […]

Henry Baum2020-02-21T06:34:33+02:00August 31st, 2014|Categories: Features|

Ten Tips For Entering Writing Contests Online (With Links)

Have a look at our tips for entering writing contests online from SPR editor Cate Baum, with links to some of the best websites offering information on competitions.

Make sure you follow the rules carefully. When we run competitions, there is a 5% hit rate of entrants who are disqualified because they haven’t read the conditions of entry properly. Rules such as ” do not send a hard copy” and writing length, “unpublished/published only” have to be adhered to.
Is your book ready to compete? Be honest with yourself about your writing, and ensure you have

[…]

Cate Baum2014-08-31T01:15:35+02:00August 31st, 2014|Categories: Features|Tags: Competitions|

Most Common Self-Publishing Mistakes (And How To Fix Them)

When it comes to self-publishing your book, avoid the most common pitfalls to make the most of your opportunity to become a bestselling indie author!

Scrimping on the Book Cover

It may seem very easy to take a snap and use it as a cover, slotting it into one of the simple templates available on many of the book publishing platforms such as Createspace at Amazon. However, these templates should be used only as a very last resort. Why? Because these templates are truly only there for the most design illiterate of us all, and for those who don’t much […]

Cate Baum2014-08-26T07:13:06+02:00August 26th, 2014|Categories: Features, Resources|