For Readers (and Authors, too)
This blog is for anyone that reads my books, as well as for anyone else who is self-publishing, thinking about self-publishing, or just curious about what it’s like to be an author during rapidly changing times. Whenever you visit here, I hope you’ll share your own comments and thoughts. If you’d like to know whenever I post a new entry, please type your email address into the box in the right-hand column and check the appropriate box (and the newsletter one, too, while you’re at it).
Why GoodReads is even Better for Authors than Readers
I was pleased to learn today that my book, The Alexandria Project, was chosen as a September Book of the Month by the GoodReads “A Good Thriller” group, which currently has 1,262 readers. Many thanks to those GoodReads members who voted for it, and I hope that those that give it a try enjoy it. read more…
Book Review: The Peace of Maine, by Steven Bennett (Fiction)
The Peace of Maine takes place in a post-apocalyptic not so distant future, and one that’s set up with a chillingly conceivable series of events. Successive acts of terrorism invoke increasingly xenophobic reactions that resonate as being uncomfortably possible in light of recent actions by the US and other world powers. The ultimate outcome is one that leaves only a smattering of isolated communities recovering not so much from the nuclear holocaust, but from the devastatingly effective bio-attack that coincides with the kinetic assault. read more…
The Yin and Yang of Book Reviews
In a rational world of publishing, nothing should be more persuasive than great reviews. Strangely, though, they often don’t seem to move the sales needle very much. Should you care?
The Book Promoter Wears No Clothes
It’s time authors began to call book promoters’ bluff. Yes, some types of marketing are necessary, and yes, some of them can work. But please – stop selling us a bill of useless goods and claiming that it will all turn out all right if we just keep spinning our promotional hamster wheels.
Book Review: The Bomb Makers (Thriller; Marcus Case)
The Bomb Makers, by Marcus Case (a pseudonym), is not only a taut, gripping thriller, but an example of a first time indie author doing everything right. The result? It’s not only a great read, but an inspiration for any aspiring author that may be looking for reassurance that a self-published author can put out just as compelling and polished a product as those that are supported by traditional editing and production teams. read more…
What’s Next for Self-Publishing? The Marketing Agent
New and disruptive (often technology-based) business models have wreaked havoc on a host of traditional businesses over the last several decades. One of those is publishing, with the Internet providing the technology, and Amazon providing the disruption. Much of this disruption has been a boon for authors. But what about the rest? read more…
Self Publishing is Real! (Now what?)
At some point in the last two years self-publishing became accepted as a real, and even preferable, route over the traditional path. That’s great news, but it’s only the first step. What we need now is for a self-publishing ecosystem to evolve that makes self-publishing a more efficient, enjoyable and effective route for authors of all types.
There may be Hope for Johnny (the Book Formatter) Yet
Earlier this year I wrote one of the more successful entries I’ve posted at this site thus far. It’s received over 1600 reads to date, and is titled Why Johnny Can’t Format (a book). In it, I recount the tale of how Microsoft came to wipe out competition on the desktop, with the result that word processing innovation came to a screeching halt over 20 years ago. Today, that long period of stagnation may have come to an end. read more…
A Reader of Reviews of your Own Books: To be or not to be?
All authors can be divided into three categories: those who read reviews of their books, those who don’t, and those that do and claim they don’t. It would be fair to say that all authors can also be divided into those that are successful enough to ignore reviews, and, well, all the others (like me). read more…
The Future of Competition in Publishing: Be Very Afraid
If you were to count up all of the earnest articles, blog entries, and even Colbert Report routines that have been dedicated to the Amazon vs. Hatchette dispute, well, you wouldn’t have an accurate number, because more would have been written while you were counting. Curiously enough, almost 100% of them miss the point of greatest concern to authors. The real issue isn’t whether the on-line retailer or the publishers win the current battle, but whether there will be any real competition in the marketplace in the future regardless of who wins. Right now, it’s very hard for me to see how there can be. Here’s why. read more…
Follow Us!