Wattpad: new opportunity or new time sink?

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UPDATED November 27, 2014 With all the hype around Wattpad with its 35 million users worldwide, it seems time to get on board. I had previously ignored the site, largely because it is built on the all-too-tedious model of authors providing free content while the site owners make a fortune off advertising revenue. (Dear Wattpad: why can’t you share ad revenue like YouTube? An author with thousands, sometimes millions, of reads is making you a LOT of money — don’t you think it’s time you shared? But I digress.) For Read More …

LSI ending their distribution relationship with Amazon

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The POD manufacturer Lightning Source International (LSI), owned by Ingram Content Group, announced on Friday (yes, a typical release-bad-news-on-Friday-and-hope-nobody-pays-attention move) that LSI will no longer be distributing directly to Amazon, B&N, Baker & Taylor, Espresso Book Machine, and NACSCORP, and to other wholesale distributors in the U.S. Instead, all titles will now be distributed only via Ingram Book Group, who in turn will resell to all retailers and other wholesale distributors. What this means is that Ingram, who previously did not earn a fee on LSI sales to the aforementioned Read More …

Warning: CreateSpace expand use of third-party printers with dire results

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Previously I blogged about print on demand’s dirty little secret: the use of third-party printers whose quality cannot be assured, and included this in the 2nd edition of The Global Indie Author. In particular I looked at the use of Lightning Source (“LSI”) to fulfill CreateSpace’s Expanded Distribution orders and the problems that can result. Unfortunately, CreateSpace have now expanded their use of third-party printers to fulfill “overflow” orders, and if my recent experience is anything to go by, authors need to be very concerned. With the recent release of Read More …

TGIA readers successfully self-publish

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Congratulations to Tellulah Darling on the self-publication of her first novel, Sam Cruz’s Infallible Guide to Getting Girls. Tellulah was a student of my self-publishing class at Capilano University and a reader of The Global Indie Author. If you like YA books this one is really well-written. Also a belated congratulations to another reader, Van Clayton Powel, on the successful publication of his first book, You Are NOT What You Eat (Better Digestive Help in 7 Simple Steps). With digestive problems so endemic in our culture, Powel’s book has been Read More …

The Global Indie Author, 2nd Edition chosen for promotion at Self-Publishing Book Expo, NY

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I am pleased to announce that the 2nd edition of The Global Indie Author, published this month, has been selected by Kobo for promotion at the Self-Publishing Book Expo in New York on October 27th. Visitors to the Kobo booth will receive a coupon for 50% off the book. If you’re going to the expo make sure you stop by the Kobo booth for this and other great deals! And with Baby Jane holding its own at #21 in its category on Kobo — in company with the likes of Ian Read More …

TGIA earns more 5-star reviews

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Over the past month The Global Indie Author has been kindly rewarded with four new 5-star reviews, one on Amazon.ca, two on Amazon.com, and one on the reader site Goodreads. Highlights include: “The good news is that by reading Demers’ book you can avoid a TON of regrets that could haunt you for years.” “M. A. Demers’ book is the authoritative guide to self-publishing.” “Best of Breed … I am already recommending this to my clients.” “I have read many books about self-publishing in the past few years and have Read More …

Is there a catch to Kindle’s new option to upload your ebook cover separately?

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Update: Kindle promised me an answer to this question by March 25. So far, all I’ve received is their assurances they are “researching” the matter. Considering this is not a difficult question, one has to wonder what, if anything, Amazon are hiding. Will keep you all posted. Recently, Kindle modified its system to allow authors to use their ebook’s product image, uploaded to Kindle upon entering one’s book details, optionally as also one’s cover inside the ebook itself. The Global Indie Author was updated to reflect this change. As written, Read More …

Swimming in Apple’s murky waters

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On his blog, venomousporridge, blogger Dan Wineman reveals the audacious contract that users of Apple’s new free ebook software, iBooks Author, are required to agree to if they wish to use the software, and he argues this means Apple will have control over content made with iBooks Author. Specifically, Wiseman points to the end-user license agreement (EULA) for the iBooks Author, accessible via the app’s About box: IMPORTANT NOTE: If you charge a fee for any book or other work you generate using this software (a “Work”), you may only Read More …