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.…
Angela’s Desk
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,…
List of ALL PAST TOPICS and WINNERS of the WritersWeekly Quarterly 24-Hour Short Story Contest! By Angela Hoy
This year, 2016, marks our 15th year of hosting the quarterly WritersWeekly.com 24-Hour Short Story Contests! There are many copycats now but this is the home of the original...…
Complaints About Amazon’s CreateSpace (now named KDP Print) – Part V
BookLocker.com, a firm that competes with CreateSpace (and many others), is the parent company of this…
Because We Refuse to Buy Bad Articles, Now We’re RACISTS?! by Brian Whiddon, Managing Editor
Brian takes over Angie's Desk to respond to one reader's ridiculous accusations.…
World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For December, 2017!
Oh, yes! We know you’re excited!! Today, we’re going to share another installment of our popular…
BOOK MARKETING ESERIAL PART 4 – Days 12 thru 20: The Secret to Finding the Keywords Your Potential Readers Are REALLY Using Online AND Your Book Marketing Cheat Sheet!
You absolutely MUST have a book marketing cheat sheet!…
AUTHOR ALERT!! Is This HUGE Website Violating Your Book’s Copyright? YOU BETTER CHECK!!
I encourage all authors and publishers to check this site for their name (publisher or author), and their book title(s)!!…
What Options Do Authors of America Star Books Have for Getting Their Books Back on the Market?
Re-name? Re-write? Re-design? Use a pseudonym? Here are some options!…
CONSUMER OR CRIMINAL?! Did the (Alleged) Victims of America Star Books / ASB Promotions / PublishAmerica File Complaints with the WRONG DIVISION at the Maryland Attorney General’s Office?? (NOTE: It’s not too late to re-file!)
WHERE ARE THE AUTHORS' ROYALTIES?!?! The Maryland Attorney General apparently needs YOUR help understanding the complaints they've received about America Star Books / ABS / Publish America! …
CHANGING TIDE! Print Book Sales Increase While Ebook Sales Continue to Decline
Ebook sales are down. Ebook reading device sales are down. Print sales are up. What does this mean for the future of books?…
When Authors are Abusive…or Just Downright NUTS!
Stories about nutty and downright scary authors we've had to deal with!…
TIME TO GET YOUR SPOOK ON!!! Topic, Common Themes, and Winners of the WritersWeekly.com FALL, 2017 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
And the festive (creepy!) winners are...…
PUBLISHER PONZI SCHEMES! Are You Owed Past-due Royalties? Here’s Where They Spent Your Money! by Angela Hoy
(/'p?n.zi/; also a Ponzi game) is a fraudulent investment operation where the operator generates returns for older investors through revenue paid by new investors, rather than from legitimate business activities or profit of financial trading.…
BOOK MARKETING ESERIAL PART 3 – Days 1 – 11: Unique Website Content + Why an Ezine is a MUST for Repeat Traffic and More Book Sales
Having unique and frequently updated content on your website will help keep readers coming back! And, they'll buy your books!…
MORE Author Complaints About BookBaby
Read comments that BookBaby authors have sent directly to us!…
Employees (Allegedly) Reveal Behind-the-Scenes Info. about CreateSpace, Xlibris, Author Solutions, Infinity Publishing, Lulu, and Outskirts Press
Want to get the inside scoop on a publishing company? Look no further than their employees! (And, beware of false "positive" reviews posted online!)…
I’m Soooo Behind! Hurricane Irma Recovery
Trying to get caught up after evacuating, and then coming back to our floating home!…
Topic, Common Themes, and Winners of the WritersWeekly.com Summer, 2017 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
See the topic, and read the winning stories right here!…
Is Author Solutions Having Problems? – Pay Cuts, “Stagnant” Leads, and More…
"The base pay went from $15.41/hour to $11.41 per hour. (Commission-based) reps are estimating a $30,000 loss in pay annually. New leads have been stagnant for months..."…
A New Scam Targeting Authors – “Will you swap ebooks with me?”
An author found her book listed for free on a foreign website. How did it get there?…