by Richard Smith
Bowker | Tue May 27, 2014
This week you may read about various events related to the happenings around Book Expo America in New York City. Some of you may have been to the event. Some of you may wonder what it is about. Others may think, why bother?
What is Book Expo America?
Book Expo is a Trade Show:
Companies who provide publisher services (our booth location is DZ2156).
This means that a lot of people are doing business. People are exchanging business cards, engaging in business development conversations, perhaps trying to sell each other “stuff.”
Book Expo is a Circus:
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Fri May 9, 2014
DCL & Bowker are interested in your digital publishing plans for 2014! As the demand increases for materials of all types to be available on mobile devices, publishers and authors are challenged with providing a quality eBook experience while managing costs and standards.
We'd be delighted if you'd answer the survey we've created, just to explore what we might be able to do for you. Enter to win a $100 American Express Gift Card!
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Thu May 8, 2014
In conjunction with Digital Conversion Labs, Bowker's SelfPublishedAuthor.com is presenting a webinar on the editorial process with expert independent editor Ann Moller. Join us on Thursday, May 15th from 1-2 Eastern as we discuss the different types of editing, the value that good editorial brings to your book, and tactics for accepting constructive criticism!
Register here!
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Wed May 7, 2014
Use of ISNIs among authors is growing, according to a press release published today by ProQuest (Bowker - and by extension SelfPublishedAuthor.com - is a ProQuest affiliate).
A new analysis of Bowker® Books In Print shows that a full 33 percent of its contributors have the ISO-certified International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) connected with their names and in use in the database. ISNI was created just over two years ago and has topped 8 million assignments, 2.33 million of which are represented in Books In Print, showing rapid uptake by authors and other contributors.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue May 6, 2014
At SelfPublishedAuthor.com, we want to know why you're publishing your own work! What do you write about? What has been your biggest workflow hurdle? Do you network with other authors, and if so, where?
Download our questionnaire, fill it out, email it to selfpublishedauthor@bowker.com, and we'll post your responses right here on SelfPublishedAuthor.com! Share your self-publishing story with us!
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Sun Apr 13, 2014
Did you know that if you are a professional author, your professional activities can be tax deductible?
The following factors, although not all inclusive, may help you to determine whether your activity is an activity engaged in for profit or a hobby:
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Wed Apr 9, 2014
DCL & Bowker are interested in your digital publishing plans for 2014! As the demand increases for materials of all types to be available on mobile devices, publishers and authors are challenged with providing a quality eBook experience while managing costs and standards.
We'd be delighted if you'd answer the survey we've created, just to explore what we might be able to do for you. Enter to win a $100 American Express Gift Card!
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue Feb 18, 2014
On Tuesday, February 18, Bowker and DCL co-presented a webinar called Assuming the Risk for Your Own eBook. The white paper that accompanies this webinar is available here, or at the DCL website here.
Topics covered included:
- Types of editorial processes - developmental, fact-checking, copy-editing
- Designing your eBook - for different devices and platforms
- Marketing best practices - courtesy of Sandra Poirier-Diaz of Smith Publicity
- Distributing your ebook to different vendors
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Mon Feb 17, 2014
In the world of self-publishing, one critical component that's been missing has been reliable data about how self-published books are selling. Last week, the self-published author Hugh Howey released some data on 7,000 ebooks on the Amazon bestseller list, from the mystery/thriller, romance, and science fiction genres. He posts his report here:
The other eye-popper here is that indie authors are outselling the Big Five. That’s the entire Big Five. Combined. Indie and small-press books account for half of the e-book sales in the most popular and bestselling genres on Amazon.
Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller's Futurebook blog, provides the following caution here:
by Laura Shabott
Bowker | Tue Feb 4, 2014
A wonderful example of a word count marathon is November’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I plunged in this past go-a-round and produced 50,024 words in 30 days. The title of the work-in-progress is FISH, a story about love, loss, betrayal and redemption set in the beautiful but cruel seaside resort Provincetown. Would this budding novel have even happened without the pressure cooker of 1667 words a day? No.
The experts say that 500 to 1500 is an average daily word count for novelists and authors. A person who is starting from scratch is at zero. How do you go from nothing to a sizable output of writing a day? Here are some tips:
