World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For October, 2018!
You do NOT want to miss these gems!!! ;)…
Angela’s Desk
How BookLocker Has Remained Profitable for More Than 20 Years…when so many others have failed by Angela Hoy, WritersWeekly.com, BookLocker.com, Abuzz Press and PubPreppers.com
BookLocker.com has been in the business for 20 years, and has published more than 10,000 titles in that time. We've seen many competitors rise and fall but we're still going strong. We are a lean organization. We keep our costs down while only working with a limited number of authors each year. This enables me (one of the two owners) to work with every single author one-on-one. We break even on setup fees, and earn our profits on book sales so we and each author have a vested interest in the success of their book.…
Despite a Few Readers’ Accusations, WritersWeekly is NOT a Political E-Rag! by Brian Whiddon, Managing Editor
Since 2016, there's been a noticeable uptick in readers criticizing us for posting items that they feel are politically biased. The crazy thing is that we've been accused of being both left-wing, liberal Democrats and bible-thumping, right-wing Republicans...…
Is WattPad a Great Opportunity to Promote Your Writing – Or a Toilet to Flush Your Work For Free??
I have to admit. When I first heard about this business model, my B.S. antenna went up. So, I did some further research, and here is what I found...…
LAST CHANCE! THIS SATURDAY!! What will the Fall, 2018 24-Hour Short Story Contest topic be?!?!
Snapped cornstalks, a fortune teller’s wagon, fiery red braids flying through a cold autumn wind, colorful leaves racing across worn shoes, a hideous, bald doll, a pumpkin contest at the county fair, a fiery cast iron pot, a painting that sucks the living into its canvas, and so much more! See all 18 years of our Fall contest topics!…
10 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW about CreateSpace’s Death / “Merger” with KDP Print, and Why Some Authors are FURIOUS!
Amazon has killed CreateSpace, and renamed it/merged it/replaced it (same thing, no matter which way you wash it!) with "KDP Print." We all knew that was coming. And, between you and me, with all the complaints about CreateSpace posted online, it’s no surprise they wanted to get rid of the name...…
AUTHOR ALERT! HIGHER BOOK PRICES ON AMAZON and NO PRIME SHIPPING! Has Amazon Given Your Book’s “Buy Button” to a Third-party Seller?
Has your book's listing on Amazon recently changed? Have you noticed the following? High list price; No Prime availability; Some unknown firm selling your book instead of Amazon?…
AUTHOR ALERT! Can Your Book’s REVIEWS Get You Sued? Yep!
Authors often think they can use emails from readers for marketing purposes without asking permission.…
AUTHOR ALERT! How Amazon Can Instantly (Poof!) Make Your Book Sales DISAPPEAR!
Authors, consider this scenario: With the click of a button, Amazon has killed your entire, successful career as an author. Your books have all been removed from their site, your unpaid royalties may be frozen, and you can't get any specific details from Amazon... THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING!!…
How to Publish a Book to Boost Your Fundraising Efforts
Instead of collecting money thru donation jars for your charity, consider publishing and selling a book.…
When Drunk Authors Email Potential Publishers (Sigh…) by Ali Hibberts, Director of Publishing Services, BookLocker.com, Inc.
"How do we know when someone is under the influence? It's pretty obvious..."…
SAY CHEESE! Your Photo is as Important as Your Writing! By Brian Whiddon
You spend hours crafting your writing product. How much do you invest in your photo image?…
World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For July, 2018!
Oh, yes! We know you’re excited!! Today, we’re going to share another installment of our popular…
THIS SATURDAY! Sit in the Nice, Cool Air Conditioning, and Write with Us! 1st Place Gets $300!!
Would your rather write...or sweat? LET'S WRITE!!!…
How to Lose Ongoing Freelance Work with Just One Snippy Email
We were recently soliciting a new contractor to handle overflow ebook conversions at BookLocker.com...…
AUTHORS, PLEASE DO THE MATH! How Much Does it REALLY Cost to Sell to Bookstores?
After deducting your time and expense to sell copies to a bookstore, you can be pretty far in the hole.…
Topic, Common Themes, and Winners of the WritersWeekly.com SPRING, 2018 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
Cell phones simultaneously ring in town while a camping family is blissfully unaware of the impending tragedy! Read the top three winning stories!…
“Since they’re public figures, I can’t be sued.” YES, YOU CAN GET SUED!
Authors should NOT use real politicians or any other public figures in their fiction without permission.…
17-Year-Old Author Falls Victim to Green Ivy Publishing, Yet Another Defunct Publisher by Angela Hoy
How do you determine if a firm is likely to go belly-up? It's EASY! …
World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For May, 2018!
Oh, yes! We know you’re excited!! Today, we’re going to share another installment of our popular column, World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals.…
Are You UNDERcharging Your Clients to be “Nice?” Don’t Sell Yourself Short! by Angela Hoy
When you undercharge a client for estimated work or, worse, give away your services for free, you can make yourself appear meek and, to be completely honest, unprofessional...…
BookLocker Author Det. Richard Shelby’s Relentless Pursuit of the East Area Rapist Has Finally Paid Off with An Arrest! by Angela Hoy
Three emails in a row about the East Area Rapist and THEN....…
“Can Archive.org legally scan and then post my book online since they call themselves a ‘library?'” NO!!!
Archive.org has scanned printed books, and made them available online...without permission from the copyright holders. Does that sound like a "library" to you?!…
ON SATURDAY, APRIL 21st – Join Us for the Spring, 2018 24-Hour Short Story Contest – 1st Place Gets $300!!
HURRY AND SIGN UP! 1st Place $300; 2nd Place $250; 3rd Place $200; + 85 other prizes!…
“When someone buys my self-published book from Amazon (or elsewhere), do I have to pay to print that copy?” by Angela Hoy
This assumption harkens back to the time when self-published authors had to purchase thousands of copies, keep them in their garage, and...…
What?! New Authors Are Being Solicited by “Free” Publishers? How to Avoid This Common Scam…
"I received two phone calls from a publisher offering to republish my book. A quick Internet search revealed the firm’s reputation is not too good (to put it mildly!)..."…
SOUR GRAPES FROM COMPETING BLOGGERS! Can You Believe This?!
This individual had a personal beef with someone who wrote an article for us, and was trying to not only ruin her reputation, but to make her lose paying work as well...…
When Authors Don’t Understand Copyright Law, the Law Might Come After THEM!
An author thinks it's okay to steal cartoons and an entire magazine article? What?!…
Topic, Common Themes, and Winners of the WritersWeekly.com WINTER, 2018 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
You MUST read the first place winner! It's awesome!!…
World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For March, 2018!
Oh, yes! We know you’re excited!! Today, we’re going to share another installment of our popular column, World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals.…
Are Money Launderers Using CreateSpace to Victimize Authors? And, is CreateSpace to Blame for Not Vetting Books?
CreateSpace (which is owned by Amazon) was recently criticized for publishing fraudulent books under a real author's name in what stinks to high heaven of a money laundering scheme. Here's how it it appears to work...…
Attn: Authors and Their Ex-spouses – Please Keep Your Publisher OUT of Your Marital Problems! by Angela Hoy
I received an email from a woman this week who claimed to be the ex-wife of one of our authors. Here's what she accused him of...…
Bottom Feeders Scouring Author Obituaries?! A New Low in the Industry!!!
A stranger demanded to know "who was profiting" from the sale of a deceased author's book!…
Top 10 Signs a POD Publisher Charges Too Much By Angela Hoy
It's pretty easy to tell if a POD publisher is milking authors for too much money. They give a little and take a LOT. Here are the top 11 signs a POD publisher is charging authors too much money... …
BOOK MARKETING ESERIAL PART 5 – Days 21 – 23: The Perfect Signature is IMPERATIVE for Book Sales!
Take advantage of this FREE guide to SELL MORE BOOKS! …
THIS SATURDAY!! – Curl Up by the Fire and Join Us for the Winter, 2018 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
The Fall, 2018 Short Story Contest will start at 12:00 p.m. (noon) central time THIS SATURDAY,…