Finding and publishing these links every week is an interesting discipline. Some weeks, I have to search far and wide to find five articles that feel right. Some weeks, like this one, there’s so much good writing on books, e-books, self-publishing, book design and other topics of interest that it’s a terrific challenge to get the list down to only five. But it’s on weeks like this that you, reader, get the best posts to fill your Sunday. And if you’re in the U.S. you’ll get a bonus day on Monday to finish any you didn’t get to today. Enjoy.
Chuck Wendig on Terribleminds
25 Things to Know About Self-Publishing (Or, ‘How to Sell a Bazillionty Books in 17 Minutes’)
“So much of self-publishing is doing what’s been done. (Another Twilight rip-off? Tell me more!) But the advantage of DIY publishing is that you are beholden to no one but an audience — so why not go big?”
Nathan Bransford on Nathan Bransford
By the Time A Self-Published Author Hits it Big, Do They Really Need a Publisher?
“This is an existential question for the traditional publishing industry. What value will they provide authors who already have made a name for themselves?”
Kristen Lamb on Kristen Lamb’s Blog
The Secret to Selling Books Part I–Let’s Get Sticky
“Nailing what I will call The Sticky Author Triumvirate is key to publishing success. We need to get sticky on all three to have the best odds of reaching the tipping point.”
Judith Briles on The Book Shepherd
Beware of the Self-Publishing Predators
“Your best defense: don’t get involved with anything that looks like, feels like, or acts like a vanity press.”
Dan Blank on We Grow Media
How to Record an Online Video Interview
“I have been sharing video interviews with authors and those in publishing and online media who inspire me… So today I wanted to share with you the “magic” of how this is done. I keep having people ask me about the tools I use, so I figured I would outline the entire process.”
Blog Notes
Monday is Labor Day in the U.S. and it also marks the end of summer. I will be adjusting my posting schedule accordingly, so watch for an announcement.
Photo by Editor B
I have published two books, but the latest by Xlibris was a nightmare. After receiving assurances from my initial contact person, I have experienced one problem after another. Once they received my money, I was met with extraordinary incompetence from editing, marketing, production and even mailing my already paid for books. No apologies, no email responses, no return phone calls were the norm and blame for not understanding their rules. As I understand it, Xlibris is part of a venture capitalist attempt to corner the self-publishing market which includes iUniverse. Please take note, you have been warned.
Gary, I’ve heard this story over and over again from this company and it’s brethren. A lot of us try to keep educating authors about this situation. Here’s my latest response:
The Subsidy Author’s Bill of Rights
Nice post. Thanks for the list. I’ll take some time reading them.
Lou