by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue Apr 16, 2013
Occasionally an author will see a listing for her book on a website she's had no previous contact with. Of course, the immediate question is, "Why are they selling my book? I never engaged with them to do so."
Chances are, they're not really selling it. When an author registers an ISBN with Bowker, that information goes into Bowker's Books in Print database. Many booksellers license BIP, and list the entire contents of it on their websites. They probably haven't made vendor agreements with many of the publishers in Books in Print. They're not stocking the books in their warehouses. If they receive enough orders for the book, they'll track down the publisher and arrange a vendor agreement.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue Apr 16, 2013
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Thu Apr 4, 2013
The KDP Select program has now been around for nearly two years, and CJ Lyons has a well-thought post on Jane Friedman's blog:
The Select Program is just that: a program, a tool, a tactic.
In other words, it’s not a promise, a guarantee, or even a long term strategy—for authors or Amazon.
It’s a program. Subject to change. And it might not fit your needs now—or later—or ever. Or it might be the catalyst you need to engage new readers and propel sales.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Thu Apr 4, 2013
Hugh Howey, author of the Wool series (a self-published series of books, using Amazon's Kindle Direct Platform), has a piece in Salon on self-publishing and how it's a writer's best bet for income:
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue Apr 2, 2013
- Vook - In addition to ebook conversion, interactivity, and other services, Vook distributes ebook files to Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and their own Vook storefront.
- BookBaby - You can upload an EPUB file to Bookbaby, and they will distribute it to Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Sony, Copia, Gardner's, Baker & Taylor, eBookPie, and eSentral.
- PigeonLab - You can distribute your ebooks to Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
- Smashwords - Uploading your file to Smashwords means that your book can be distributed to Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, Baker & Taylor, Diesel eBooks, as well as Smashwords's own retail store.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Thu Mar 28, 2013
If you’re writing nonfiction, you may want to invest in the services of a fact-checker. Fact-checkers adhere to a rigorous standard, questioning assertions and asking for documentation and citations to support those assertions.
The self-publishing service Lulu has some good tips on fact-checking here. Probably the greatest portrayal of a fact-checking department was written by John McPhee about The New Yorker.
Magazines employ fact-checkers because their publication cycles are not as severe as newspapers, and magazine articles are shorter than book-length manuscripts and therefore not insurmountable for a staffer to fact-check.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Wed Mar 27, 2013
As a publisher, the bookstore is actually your customer. And of course you want to give your customer good service.
Customers respond well when they are treated well. They buy more of your product. So it's very much in your interest to treat booksellers the way they want to be treated, even if it means a little extra work and thought; bookstores are the portal to your readers.
Some general rules of thumb:
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Wed Mar 27, 2013
A developmental editor helps you shape your book. Rather than focusing on a line-by-line edit (though some developmental editors also do this), the goal is to focus on the structural organization of the book – does the narrative flow coherently? Are there plot holes? Are terms explained appropriately for the audience?
A developmental editor will help you trim areas of your book that are too long, and punch up details that need highlighting. They are sometimes called “book doctors”.
But do you really need a developmental editor?
Most books need another set of eyes to objectively review the content. It’s a rare author who can write a perfect book without feedback. A developmental editor doesn’t re-write the book, but helps its evolution, in the writer’s own voice.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Wed Mar 20, 2013
No publisher has an unlimited budget, and that is also true of self-publishers. Determining the format of your publication affects the overall cost of publishing, so it’s important to minimize your risk.
Ebooks and print books have different costs associated with them. While ebooks are cheaper to distribute because there are no physical shipments, professional-looking ebooks require additional investments that print books might not: in special formatting, adding multi-media (and clearing the rights for them), proofreading specifically for the digital product.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Mon Mar 18, 2013
Most of us, even English majors, make grammatical mistakes. The difference between a copy-edited book and one that has not been copy-edited is enormous. Copy-editing doesn’t change the substance of what you’re writing about. In fact, it enhances it – clarifying meaning, correcting distracting mistakes.
A good copy editor will adjust your punctuation and spelling, question whether or not you really want to use jargon, make sure you’re using the right terminology, and keep you from embarrassing errors of usage. He will keep your language consistent from page to page, and ensure that you capitalize names properly.
