by Matt Cavnar
Bowker | Mon Jun 17, 2013
Ebooks have revolutionized self publishing; opening the door to authorial success for anyone with a keyboard and an Internet connection. A myriad of marketplaces, each with their own special requirements, can raise some complications for the first-time digital author. So when first putting a title up for sale, it’s critical to make sure your ebook renders well across all devices. Save yourself from nasty comments criticizing poor formatting by easily avoiding these three big errors (learned through Vook’s own experience creating thousands of ebooks):
Error #1: Only designing an ebook for a specific device
by Bowker Publishe...
Bowker | Thu Jun 13, 2013
SelfPublishedAuthor.com will periodically present articles on metadata aimed to give the novice publisher helpful tips on crafting metadata for that very first title.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue Jun 11, 2013
Suw Charman-Anderson writes in Forbes about how tools and processes in self-publishing are becoming cheaper and easier:
[T]here is a growing repository of advice about the fine detail of self-publishing, from guides to how to format your Word document for Smashwords to how to pick a print-on-demand supplier to marketing and promotional strategies. True, there’s a lot of hot air written about self-publishing, especially the marketing and promotion end, but there’s also a lot of incredibly useful advice out there too.
by Nick Ruffilo
Bowker | Mon Jun 10, 2013
We all have a few tools that we use on a daily basis - such as our cellphones, a specific document (or code) editor, or even our e-mail client that we have used long enough to consider ourselves masters.
The truth is, there is probably 25-50% of that tool that you have never explored. Today, take the time to stop and explore the advanced settings tab, or a menu button you rarely press. You may just find something that can make your life much easier.
As a reminder that things aren't always what they seem, enjoy this short video.
by Matt Cavnar
Bowker | Wed Jun 5, 2013
Some of the most crucial meetings at BEA aren’t those where you pitch new business, but the opportunities where you build existing relationships; particularly with retailers. It’s a BEA tradition of ours – and many publishers – to sit down with the account managers at our retail partners. We update them on our plans for the coming year and they tell us about their latest technology developments and sales recommendations. Frequently, these meetings offer tantalizing glimpses into new features and storefront and device capabilities. Here are three of the biggest takeaways for authors that we noticed from this year’s meetings with Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Samsung and others at BEA.
by Nick Ruffilo
Bowker | Tue Jun 4, 2013
Nick Ruffilo is CTO of Aerbook, a cloud-publishing venture that specializes in creation, conversion, marketing and sales of digital books. At his personal website, he offers what he calls "The Zen of Technology", a portion of which we're occasionally running at SelfPublishedAuthor.com.
Today's Zen of Technology is... Focus.
Focus is they key to getting things done. Like the rays of sun lighting up a piece of paper on a beach in the middle of the summer - focus helps to define purpose. Left for the entire day, the paper will simply have been illuminated and will remain warm. But, with the right focus, the sun can turn that piece of paper into a blazing fire in a matter of seconds. Sometimes you can achieve the type of focus you need on your own, and sometimes - like in the case of the sun - you need the help of the right tool.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue May 28, 2013
Last week, we gave some advice for authors who will be attending BEA for the first time. We also want to give a comprehensive listing of where we'll be at BEA 2013:
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue May 28, 2013
Bowker announced today that it is partnering with Digi-Rights® (warning - sound on the site is automatically enabled). From the press release:
Digi-Rights® Direct [is] a patented suite of automated rights solutions and services for authors and publishers. This cloud-based service is designed to enable users to optimize their rights so that revenues are maximized and risks from copyright liability issues are minimized. The link to Digi-Rights® Direct is part of Bowker’s larger program to identify high-quality providers of key services for authors and small publishers, connecting them through MyIdentifiers.com....
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Fri May 24, 2013
It’s a question I get asked a lot: “Why isn’t my book selling?” This question isn’t reserved for the author who is clueless about marketing. I’ve been asked this by savvy authors, even business people who can’t seem to figure out the system for selling.
Sometimes the reasons why a book isn’t selling are easy: the cover is poor, the content is not edited or the topic is unappealing. But in most cases that I’ve seen, you need to dig deeper. So, overlooking the obvious, let’s go a step further because the mysteries of selling might be a lot easier to fix than you think.
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Thu May 23, 2013
Over the years I’ve heard this phrase thousands of times. Authors getting great reviews, getting awards, even local media and still, book sales aren’t happening. When you have external validation, it’s hard to really understand where the disconnect is, isn’t it? Sometimes though, it may be just a matter of taking a closer look and analyzing your marketing using a different lens. Let’s take a look at some things that you may want to consider:
Leverage: First and foremost is leverage. How are you leveraging all of these other things? If you’re not, you might consider it. It’s easy enough to slap an award sticker on your book, but what else have you done to promote this? Consider:
Announce it locally: Especially if you won the award. Honorable mentions are great, but not as appealing to local media.
