Resources | Self-Publishing Review

Feedbooks: A Primer

Amid all of the discussion about the multiple ‘walled gardens’ being set up to push DRM-ed ebooks to devices, a Paris-based team have been steadily building a system to push books anywhere and shipping more books than Apple in the process.

Of course, the books are free so the comparison is dodgy, but let’s put the figures out there: in the first 28 days of iBooks, Apple distributed 1.5 million ebooks while Feedbooks distributed out 2.6 million ebooks to iPads, iPhones, PCs and Android devices.

They describe themselves as “a cloud service for digital publishing/distribution” and if you are interested […]

mrchrn2011-10-08T18:35:31+02:00May 26th, 2010|Categories: Lead Story, Resources|

Reminder: You Can Post Here

Just wanted to remind people that you’re open to publish posts here. The site gets a lot of requests for book reviews, but far fewer submissions for new posts, even though a post will have a similar impact to a book review. Sure, it’s nice to put in your promo material – “This book rules.” Self-Publishing Review – but the other main point of a book review is to increase awareness of a book. And it’ll cost you nothing to cross-post something from your own blog about your self-publishing experience, or to write something original.

That, or you could fill […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T18:26:49+02:00May 24th, 2010|Categories: Resources|

A New Indie Distribution Model

An interesting development out of Boulder, Colorado that is both a good and bad sign. Self-published writers can now pay for being stocked on the shelves or more:

The store charges its consignment authors according to a tiered fee structure: $25 simply to stock a book (five copies at a time, replenished as needed by the author for no additional fee); $75 to feature a book for at least two weeks in the “Recommended” section; and $125 to, in addition to everything else, mention the book in the store’s email newsletter, feature it on the Local Favorites page of

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Henry Baum2011-10-08T18:17:10+02:00May 18th, 2010|Categories: Lead Story, Resources|

Thoughts on the Editing Process

Since I have been doing a lot of this lately, including Beta reads and formatting, I thought I would discuss the various stages of the editorial process. This is by no means specific to self-publishing; all authors go through an editorial process of some sort, and for some, the process is much deeper than it is for others, and for some it could be a whole lot deeper.

First Reader(s) is normally the person(s) you trust the most. The Person(s) who will give you honest feedback straight out of the gate, understanding that this craptacular mess of paper you […]

Cheryl Anne Gardner2020-02-21T06:46:32+02:00April 29th, 2010|Categories: Resources|Tags: Book Editing|

10 Ways to Promote Your Book in Your Own Backyard

Online marketing is a wonderful way to reach a worldwide audience, but sometimes authors overlook book marketing opportunities in their own backyard.

In your local area and region, you have the opportunity to stand out as a bigger fish in a smaller pond. Here are ten tips for promoting locally:

1. Always carry books and literature with you. Keep a case of books and some flyers in the trunk of your car, and business cards in your wallet. You never know when you will run across a potential customer or marketing contact.

2. Look for opportunities across your area. Headed […]

Dana Lynn Smith2011-10-08T18:29:28+02:00April 16th, 2010|Categories: Resources|

Got it Covered? Avoid Common Mistakes in Designing Your Book’s Cover

by CATHI STEVENSON

Studying good book covers is not difficult. What’s difficult – at least for many novice publishers and project managers, is to discern what constitutes a bad cover and to avoid those things. Most poor cover designs can be explained by a simple lack of knowledge.

One of the most common errors is using the wrong image, particular for non-fiction. Remember, your non-fiction book is selling the solution, not the problem. If you’ve written a diet book, you’re selling fitness and slimness, so do not put an obese person on the cover. If your book is about raising […]

Cathi Stevenson2011-10-08T18:29:59+02:00April 15th, 2010|Categories: Resources|

The Independent Self-Publishers Alliance

The newly-discovered Independent Self-Publishers Alliance looks promising:

The Independent Self-Publishers Alliance is an organization for writers who publish their own books. There is no charge to use the website or forum or to join the Alliance.

This website exists to encourage and help writers to become truly independent self-publishers, so they can avoid using vanity publishers. We’d also like to help self-publishers produce better books, get more respect and sell more books.

Many vanity publishers call themselves “self-publishing companies.” They’re not. Just as no one can eat lunch for you, no other person or company can self-publish for you. The

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Henry Baum2011-10-08T18:30:18+02:00April 14th, 2010|Categories: Resources|

Ten Secrets of Professional Book Cover Designers

by CATHI STEVENSON

BOOK REVIEWERS notice it. Bookstore owners notice it. Distributors pick right up on it. Online bookstores avoid it. Customers shun it and don’t even know why. What is it? Bad book cover design. Nothing says “amateur” faster and more effectively than a poorly designed book cover.

Even well-chosen fonts and high quality images can’t guarantee a good cover and that’s because there are dozens of little details no one outside the industry is likely to share with you. Well, today I spill the beans, or at least a bowl full.

First of all, I’m going to tell […]

Cathi Stevenson2011-10-08T19:37:04+02:00April 12th, 2010|Categories: Resources|