Publishing Scammers Are Everywhere

That's right. It's sad, but true. There are people out there trying to suck authors dry of their hard-earned money. These predators include publishers, editors, agents, and more. It's hard to know who the good guys are sometimes, especially for newbie authors.

Indies Unlimited is running a special during the month of March (yeah, I know, I'm late), featuring articles and guest posts about scammers and their victims. Make sure to check it out, and please share and spread the word, so we can hopefully prevent others from being scammed. You can find a running update of everything in the #PublishingFoul series here: http://www.indiesunlimited.com/tag/publishingfoul/

And please, even if you have NOT been a victim, please take a moment to complete and share our #PublishingFoul Scammer Survey. It's fast, easy, anonymous, and free - and you don't have to log in to anything to take it. We're hoping to get a big response on this so we can take it to the media. Raising awareness is the only way we can stop these scammers. Thanks for your help.

Wordlovers by Melissa Bowersock: Author Interview: Mr. Pish

VERY fun interview! Don't miss it. :)



Wordlovers by Melissa Bowersock: Author Interview: Mr. Pish: It’s not often that I get to interview a four-legged rock star. Although I am a huge dog-lover, most of the dogs that come into my life are...

Wordlovers by Melissa Bowersock: Author Interview - K.S. Brooks

Taking a coffee break? Have a read, too. I can't remember the last time I gave an interview. Will I do another one anytime soon? Probably not. I'm kind of a pain that way.



Wordlovers by Melissa Bowersock: Author Interview - K.S. Brooks

Fantastic Review of The Kiss of Night.

I'm thrilled to share this spectacular review of The Kiss of Night.  Ms. Speight is a tough cookie and I am just absolutely happy-dancing at her review. What a great way to start a Monday!



Cath 'n' Kindle Book Reviews: Kiss of Night by K. S. Brooks: AMAZON UK AMAZON US Kathrin Night is a special agent. Or rather…she was. She is reluctantly…and a little resentfully…forced to relinq...

Just for You: Author Glossary

So many words! Aargh! And acronyms, and slang, and I have no idea what they're saying. Have you been there? I have. Don't you just hate it?

Well, at Indies Unlimited, we're always trying to make life easier for authors. Here's just one more present we've made for you. I know, we rock, right?

New Resource: Glossary for Authors

Don’t you hate it when someone uses terminology you just don’t understand? How about that time someone said to you: “Man, today I ran my MS through the meatgrinder and when I uploaded it to KDP I changed my mind about SW and decided to go Select. I was thinking about going with LS for POD but went with CS instead. I’m going to hop on over to IU and read the tutorial about making a ToC, then I’m going to grab my MOBI and sideload it.”

 

Allrighty then.

As part of our continued effort to provide authors of all levels with helpful resources, without further ado, here is a Glossary for Authors. We will continue to add to it as we come across more terms, and we know we will.

Click on through to Indies Unlimited for the full glossary. Let us know if we left anything off!
http://www.indiesunlimited.com/glossary-for-authors/

 

A Table of Contents that Will Survive Anything

That's right. You betcha. I don't mess around.

It'll withstand KDP, the dreaded Smashwords Meatgrinder, and even MobiPocket Creator. Amazing, isn't it? Well, have a seat and I will show you how to do it!

A Grindable, Clickable eBook Table of Contents

There’s been a lot of confusion and debate over how to create a table of contents in an eBook that will survive KDP and Smashwords conversions. Some say you have to do it all manually, and some say you can use MS Word automation. Lynne Cantwell wrote a post about the manual method, and Dick Waters just recently wrote about a more sophisticated style.

 

Personally, I go with a completely manual method, because I run all my eBooks through MobiPocket Creator and convert them to a prc before I upload to KDP – and that will for certain strip out any coding MS Word has graciously conjured up. The lovely Laura Clark (author LB Clark) showed me how to do this way back in 2011 when I self-published my first collection of short works with fellow author Newton Love. (The prc method was one of the ways KDP recommended for conversion back in 2011 – but you don’t have to do it this way. It’s just my method of choice because it’s what I’m used to.)
You can use this table of contents method on an existing document or a new document, that’s not a gating factor. I usually do it in an “assembly line” fashion, as that’s faster, but I’m going to do it one “chapter” at a time so the sequence is clear.

Keep reading at http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/12/10/a-grindable-clickable-ebook-table-of-contents/

 

Author Humor: Hermit Writer’s Life Magazine

Is this you: You really, really want to write that novel, but you can’t manage to do it while working for the man. Your writing is calling you, and you feel tormented. You want to sell everything and move to the middle of nowhere to answer your authorial calling. You’d make the move to writing full-time in a heartbeat if you just knew how.

Well, look no further! Hermit Writer’s Life Magazine has just launched, providing authors just like you with the information needed to make that move. Each monthly issue is packed with tips for the novice hermit-in-training to the old pros who are looking for new and interesting ways to keep things comfy.

Our staff of successful and experienced hermit authors will provide you with the tools you need to:

Want to read more? Of course you do! It's funny! Just go to http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2014/03/22/hermit-writers-life-magazine/

The Case for Legible Titles

As you are aware, the most common issue we see with books during the vetting process is an unclear or confusing book description. The second most common issue: unreadable titles on book covers in thumbnail size.

Who cares? Right? It’s just a tiny book cover. No one expects to read it in that size.

Um, wrong.

Just last week, our Lynne Cantwell wrote about the Marketing Rule of 7 – that it takes at least seven instances of someone seeing your book before they actually purchase it. Well – what if those seven instances are in thumbnail size? Do you think they will remember to purchase a book when they can’t read the title? Moreover, will they even notice it to begin with? Probably not. Don’t waste a chance to get in front of someone and make an impression.

Here at Indies Unlimited, thumbnails are generally 120×177 pixels, which on my laptop ends up being around 1.75 inches high by just under 1.25 wide. There is no specific industry standard for thumbnails, (on WordPress it’s 150×150) and the size varies from site to site. Then, add to it people viewing sites on their tablets and cell phones – and you can end up with some mighty small thumbnails. Can you read your title under those circumstances? You may want to check.

Want to read more? Of course you do! It's riveting! You can find the rest of the article here: http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2014/03/18/the-case-for-legible-titles/#more-52481

I’ve Written a Book, What Do I Do Now?

Since my first novel was published in 2001, many people have asked me that question. Once, many years ago, an author read a news story about one of my books, talked the newspaper into giving him my street address, then came to my home and banged on my door until I answered...begging me to tell him how to get a publishing contract. That was creepy.

Today, of course, times have changed and you no longer need to rely on a publisher to get your book out there. But it is a big ocean full of decisions and it can be daunting and confusing. There are scammers out there filling first-time authors' heads full of fake dollar signs, and then stealing real dollars right out from under them.

And, there is the stigma that indie authors and/or self-published books are awful. This is not true, and the only way to overcome this blemish is to educate new authors in the RIGHT way to produce a quality book: one that's free of grammatical errors, typos, formatting errors, and poor presentation. Anyone who truly wants to be a writer wants that anyway.

At Indies Unlimited, my blog partner, Stephen Hise, and I work hard to get the information out there in a way that will be helpful to authors at all stages of their careers. We've just published a resource page for "newbie" authors in hopes of guiding them through the process to putting out a quality first book.

Please feel free share this resource with anyone asking you for advice on where to go or what to do. It'll be a lot easier on you, and they'll have one convenient place to find everything they need.

I’ve Written a Book, How Do I Publish It?

Authors - Feeling Alone? Don't Feel Bad.

Writers Are Not Normal to Normal People

I learned some hard lessons in 2013, but hopefully I learned them well. One of the things I realized is: people really don’t get what a writer’s life is like. I’ll expound on that in a moment. First, let me tell you what else I learned:

- Sometimes, the people you meet online will have your back when the people you’ve known all your life, or at least met in person, are the ones stabbing you there. Sometimes your true friends are really your virtual ones. I’m so very thankful for my online Indie Author family.

- Of course, that’s not to say you should trust everyone you meet online. And sometimes the people you think you can trust turn out not to have your best interests at heart. There will always be cliques, and I will always be on the outside of them. But that’s nothing new to a loner like me, really. Sometimes it is surprising (not to mention sad) to discover who’s in the clique, though.

We're not to the good part yet - please keep reading at http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2014/01/08/writers-are-not-normal-to-normal-people/

Generating a Discount Coupon on CreateSpace

Well, I guess this week is Createspace week! Yesterday we have a post by our Dick Waters showing us how easy it is to create your own print title with CreateSpace.

Authors know that selling a book directly through CreateSpace (CS) yields a much higher royalty than selling through Amazon.com. So then, how do you entice readers to purchase your book through CreateSpace? Offer them a discount coupon. Maybe that sounds crazy, BUT, usually the difference in royalties is large enough that you have at least a couple dollar’s worth of room to move, so a discount code could help sell print books and make you a better profit!

Now, keep in mind that some people are going to be reluctant to set up a new account just to buy a book. (I’m not certain, but they may be able to just use their Amazon log-in to access CS.) Also keep in mind that now that Amazon is discounting print books – so, depending on how deep they’ve marked down your book – whatever discount you offer on CS may not end up being worth it. (Not to mention that we don’t know whether purchasing a book directly through CreateSpace will show as a verified purchase when the reader reviews it.) Then, of course, Amazon also offers free Super Saver shipping. So why issue a coupon? Because this way, beta readers, advanced copy review readers, friends, and family, can all get themselves a print copy at reduced cost – and, it’s a nice gesture, even if they don’t take you up on it.

Want to know more? The rest of the article is here on Indies Unlimited.

My Birthday Wishlist

A few too many candles...

I may or may not have had a birthday a few weeks ago. I’ll never tell. But if I did have a birthday, I might be inclined to put a wishlist together. Since my life revolves around being a writer – you guessed it – my wishlist is pretty much writerly dominated. Here’s what I want – and what I shall stomp my feet in a fitting tantrum until I get – in no particular order.

Part rant, part satire, part me just being me... If you'd like to read more, you can check out the rest of the article at Indies Unlimited.

Claiming Your Book to Your Author Central Page Part 2

Last week, we showed you the shortcut method to claim a book to your Amazon.com Author Central page. If you missed that article, you can read it here. If you want to do it the more reliable way, we’ll show you that method today.

In order to claim a book to your Author Central page using this method, you must log in to your Author Central account. You can do that here: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/. Once you’re logged in, your home page will look like this:

Click on “to your bibliography” which I’ve highlighted in yellow above. That is where you will see...

Want to see more? You can, for free, over at Indies Unlimited here.

When Is a Book Not a Book?

When people ask me how many books I have written, that’s a tough question to answer. It may seem cut and dry to many, but I’ve not only created novels, non-fiction books, children’s books, and workbooks, but also calendars.

Is a calendar actually considered a book? A title? I don’t know. One would think the answer would vary depending on who I ask, but no – everyone says yes – the calendar counts.

So, why do I have such a hard time counting it?

To read the rest of this article and to cast your vote as to whether a calendar should be considered a book, click to Indies Unlimited here.

Tutorial: How to Embed a Link in WordPress (with a footnote for Blogger)

Some folks have asked me how to make words into a link on a WordPress blog – you know, so when you click on the words, you go to a web page? This may sound silly to some of you, but it’s not intuitive to everyone. So here is a step-by-step tutorial for those who want to be in the know. The logic is the same for MS Word and for Blogger (blogspot) blogs, although the little buttons are a little different. (I've included a screen capture for Blogger at the bottom of this article.)

I’m going to use our own Mr. Dick Waters’ recent post on Createspace as an example.

Dick wanted to refer to Lynne Cantwell’s post about Createspace in the body of his post. So, when he sent it in to me, he sent me his text along with the link to her article. I added the title of her article in between the reference and the link. Since it’s a title, I italicized it. It’s still highlighted in blue. See the screen below.

To see the screen below and read the rest of this article, please click through to Indies Unlimited here.

Who Knew: Creating a Book’s Sell Sheet Headed for Internet Stardom

Sounds good, right? I had no idea when I wrote this article that so many people would go nuts over it. That's put a smile on this curmudgeonly face for certain. Since it has had such a great response, I wanted to post it here right away so everyone on my list would have timely access to it as well. So, without further ado, here is...

Creating a Book’s Sell Sheet

Many, many years ago, back when we were still using stone tablets and chisels to write, my first novel was published. The year was 2001. That was also when I created my first “sell sheet.”

A book sell sheet (or book one-sheet, as some people call it) is designed to provide the necessary information to people who would buy your book. This is not for consumers, however, it targets buyers at book stores, libraries, other retailers, and wholesalers. These people want quick facts about your book, without schmaltz. Save that dazzling salesy stuff for consumers.
The main things these buyers want to know are:

• What the book is about
• Who the book’s audience is
• How/where to buy the book
• Why the book is appropriate for them
• Who the author is
• How you will be marketing the book (libraries don’t care so much about this)
• What your book looks like

Use whatever program you’d like to create this sheet – MS Word, Publisher, whatever you happen to use. You don’t need fancy software to do it.

To read the rest of this article, please go here: http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/10/01/creating-a-books-sell-sheet/

 

 

Triple Dog Dare Is Now Available!

My new chick-lit/comedy novel, co-written with five-star author and humorist Stephen Hise, is now available! Triple Dog Dare is for sale on Amazon.com at the introductory price of 99 cents through September 9th. Grab your copy now, because after that, it will be retailing for $3.99.

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon Canada

You can read the book description and watch the video trailer here: http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/08/31/now-available-triple-dog-dare/

According to the 19 reviewers who have already left comments on Amazon, it's a fun, light, fast read. I hope you'll give it a try!

Thank you, and have a great holiday!

A Wild Ride – Book Promotion

On August 3rd, 2013, I did my first ever promotion. I was nudged to do this by the wise and benevolent bestselling author Martin Crosbie. He really is a super swell dude. I decided to try to keep the momentum going for my latest book, Mr. Pish Goes to the Farm, which was released back in June. The planning for this promo started in June, in fact. After the book was out for two weeks, I raised the price of the book from the introductory offer of 99 cents to $2.99. This way, when the promo sale price dropped back to 99 cents, people would feel like they were getting a deal, indeed!

Despite hitting the top of three different “Amazon.com Hot New Releases” lists in June, there were ZERO sales in July. ZERO! We’re talking an internationally-known traveling terrier spreading knowledge and joy! Oh, the humanity! In any case, I was glad I’d plotted with Martin back in June to set up my promo. Here’s what I did.

Want to know more? Please click here to read the rest of the article: http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/08/14/a-wild-ride/

Mr. Pish Goes to the Farm One Day Sale!

Mr. Pish Goes to the Farm is featured today on Kindle Books & Tips!

Mr. Pish Goes to the Farm, by K.S. Brooks, is regularly $2.99 but has been discounted 67% to just $0.99 today in the Amazon Kindle store, and this book has received an average user rating of 5 out of 5 stars based on 29 customer reviews.

See the post here: http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/2013/08/03/7-discounted-free-kindle-book-offers-11/

Or go directly to the book on Amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Pish-Goes-Farm-Educational/dp/1484802489/

Martin Crosbie is on the Money

Martin Crosbie's words to live by - and it doesn't matter what you do for a living. If you're human, this post is for you.

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/07/02/for-the-love-of-the-book/