Authors, Check Your Ego at the Door…and You Just Might Sell Some Books! By Angela Hoy
Oh, if I had a nickel for every time my honest, professional words "hurt" an author's feelings...…
Angela’s Desk
World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For June, 2016!
Oh, yes! We know you’re excited!! Today, I’m going to share another installment of our popular column, World’s Worst Book Proposals and Query Letters. Featured below are real quotes from query letters and book proposals submitted to us over the past few weeks.…
Needlessly Splitting One Book Into Three? Publisher Finds Yet ANOTHER Way To Drain Authors’ Wallets!
Their cheapest publishing package is more than $1,000. If they can convince an author to split one book into three, that author will then pay $3,000 instead of $1,000! Of course, that salesperson will triple their commission as well.…
Topic, Common Themes, and Winners of the WritersWeekly.com Spring, 2016 24-Hour Short Story Contest! By Angela Hoy
For the past six weeks, we've spent every spare moment judging the hundreds of entries submitted for the WritersWeekly Spring, 2016 24-Hour Short Story Contest. In case you're not familiar with our quarterly contest, this is how it works. On the date of the contest, at start-time, we send out the topic for that specific contest to all registered entrants, while also posting it on WritersWeekly.com.…
BookBaby’s Unfair Contract Clause! By Angela Hoy
We were recently contacted by an author who was unhappy with BookBaby, and wanted to move his book to BookLocker. But, after sending us his files, and discussing formatting, etc., he asked about how to terminate his contract with BookBaby. I told him to read his BookBaby contract, find the termination clause, and follow the instructions there. He found his contract, read it, and wrote me back, not at all happy with what he discovered...…
22 Signs That So-Called “Publisher” is an AUTHOR MILL! By Angela Hoy
What is an Author Mill? The term was originally coined by Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware. It described publishers that focus on quantity, not quality. However, she limited the term to describing "publishers" that didn't charge authors up-front fees, but that still published anything and everything, quickly pushing large volumes of sub-standard books onto the market. Unfortunately, many authors later learned that this type of publishing isn't really "free" at all. …
POD SECRETS REVEALED: Book Contests for a Publisher’s Authors? Pppfffttt!!! By Angela Hoy
Playing on an author's vanity is one of the most common marketing ploys used in the publishing services industry. From promises of wealth and fame to ridiculous "your book can be a movie!" promotions, there is seemingly nothing these clowns won't do to dig deeper into their authors' pockets. …
“Special Event Signings” Sell Far More Books Than Bookstore Signings! (Or “Why Should I Order Copies Of My Own Book?”)
I received the following question from an author last week: Why would any author buy copies of their book instead of referring people to Amazon or another store? His email went on to say that he knows we don't usually recommend book signings at bookstores and he was curious why an author would need copies for any reason other than a bookstore signing. …
A Funny And FREE Book About The Public Domain!
I'm absolutely buried after taking four days off to go on a cruise...that ended up having horrid wifi capabilities. Luckily, my friend, attorney Harvey Randall, sent me this goody to share...…
Marketing Your Book to Conference Attendees (when you’re not even there!)
Have you ever been to a business conference or workshop and received a bag of goodies as you walked in the door? Have you ever won a door prize at one of these conferences or workshops? Wouldn't it be great to be able to market your book to people attending a conference that complements your books topic...even if you're not there? …
P.O.D. PRICE COMPARISON – Updated 04/15/16 – How much are these publishers charging authors?
Here is our annually updated POD Price Comparison!…
PRINT ON DEMAND (POD) PRICE COMPARISON
UPDATED: 04/15/2016 SUMMARY (see details about each firm below) BookLocker: $675 (Deduct $200 if submitting your…
START-TIME IS SATURDAY! Last Chance to Sign Up for Spring, 2016 24-Hour Short Story Contest!!
Saturday (tomorrow), at 12:00 p.m. (noon) Central Time, the topic of the WritersWeekly Spring, 2016 24-Hour Short Story Contest will be sent out via email to all registered participants, as well as posted to the WritersWeekly.com website...…
Has Your Book Been Displayed At A Large Book Fair? How Many Copies Did You Sell?
At the last book fair I attended, there were countless lonely authors sitting behind tables, offering to autograph their books...…
World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For March, 2016!
Oh, yes! We know you're excited!! Today, I'm going to share another installment of our popular column, World's Worst Book Proposals and Query Letters.…
Topic, Common Themes, and Winners of the WritersWeekly.com Winter, 2016 24-Hour Short Story Contest! By Angela Hoy
After reading the entries for each contest, we can see how difficult it is to come up with a unique plot when working with an assigned topic. But, inevitably, a few writers do manage to successfully break away from the pack...…
There Are Really Only 2 Ways To Accurately Estimate Your Book Sales By Angela Hoy
Last week, on a publisher's list, someone wrote in asking about NovelRank.com. He wanted to know if their numbers only came from Amazon, or if they counted third party sellers as well. He said NovelRank was reporting more sales than his printer. That was not at all surprising!…
What to Do When Your Book Event Organizer FAILS TO ORDER YOUR BOOKS! By Angela Hoy
It happened again this week. And, unfortunately, it happens ALL the time. Conference organizers/coordinators and their employees (and even bookstores!) drop the ball. After hiring you (or charging you!) to appear at their event, and after promising to order dozens or even hundreds of your books for their attendees, they fail to do so. The author, after making plans to attend, to present, or just to sell, and perhaps even after buying a plane ticket, and reserving a rental car and hotel room, is stuck at a table (or in front of a podium) with no books for their eager, book-buying audience.…
Hey, Everybody! We Need Your Help!
Send us a quick note, and GET A FREE ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO THE WRITE MARKETS REPORT for participating in our Self-publishing/Print on Demand Author Survey.…
POD SECRETS REVEALED: “Free Publishing Guides” Are Used To Harvest Your Email Address, Phone Number, And More!
When I see the words "free publishing guide," I think somebody is going to send me a free ebook that is an actual, factual, non-biased guide about the publishing industry, and/or the publishing process. I don't think, "Wow, I'm just going to get a big, boring advertisement in exchange for all my contact information!"…
If This Article Offends You, You’re Not a Professional Writer By Angela Hoy
I am SO fed up! And, I fully expect this article to get slammed by the faint of heart, the political correctness police, and anybody else who can't accept a good, honest rant! …
START-TIME IS THIS SATURDAY! Last Chance to Sign Up for Winter, 2016 24-Hour Short Story Contest!!
This Saturday, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) Central Time, the topic of the WritersWeekly Winter, 2016 24-Hour…
Was Author Solutions Sold at a Loss? We Think So! By Angela Hoy, WritersWeekly.com, BookLocker.com, Abuzz Press and PubPreppers.com
Ah, Author Solutions has been sold once again. It reminds me of a rickety boat. One guy buys it and realizes it has a hole or two so he doesn't want it anymore. So, he polishes it up and sells it to another guy, who does the same thing. Each owner may get more or less than they originally paid but, in the end, each subsequent owner is likely happy to be rid of it.…
Is Amazon REALLY Giving Authors Accurate Sales Numbers?? Read This!
Authors who see these incorrect sales numbers on Amazon.com naturally assume those numbers are real, and even underestimated. And, where's the first place they're likely to send a complaint? To their publisher!…
Profitable New Year’s Resolution? A Daily Word-Count Writing Goal = More Money!! By Angela Hoy
Years ago, I decided that New Year's resolutions dealing with productivity and, thus, increased future revenues, were far more fun than those of the weight loss variety. So, I switched to resolutions that would, quite simply, end up increasing my bottom line. The more books I write and release, the more money I make. It's that simple. The problem? Finding the time to be that productive!…
World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For December 2015!
Oh, yes! We know you're excited!! Today, I'm going to share another installment of our popular column, World's Worst Book Proposals and Query Letters. Featured below are real quotes from query letters and book proposals submitted to us over the past few weeks.…
2015 BEST OF WRITERSWEEKLY! Paying Book Review Markets, CreateSpace Complaints, Make $10K+ Selling Erotica, Print on Demand Price Comparison, Firms That Hire Freelancers for Homeschoolers, and So Much More!
This week, I'm sharing our 20 "most clicked on" articles for 2015. Enjoy!…
Writing Santa Letters For Money, Earning Extra Cash During The Holidays, And So Much More! By Angela Hoy
This week, I'm sharing some holiday cheer, history, and other artistic goodies from WritersWeekly. Enjoy!…
The Ebook Trend is Definitely WANING! NOW WHAT?! By Angela Hoy
Way back in 1998, we predicted ebooks would become a successful revenue model for authors after I wrote and self-published one of the very first ebooks, before "ebook" was even a known term, and before Stephen King made the term famous. But, even while we promoted and sold ebooks for authors, we also said that print books would never become obsolete.…
“Here an article for you! like?” – More World’s Worst Book Proposals and Query Letters! By Angela Hoy
Oh, yes! We know you're excited!! Today, I'm going to share another installment of our popular column, World's Worst Book Proposals and Query Letters. Featured are real quotes from query letters and book proposals submitted to us over the past few weeks.…
Busted! I Caught a Writer Trying to Sell a Stolen Article!! By Angela Hoy
Not often does a scammer try to bamboozle me but it does happen on occasion. Luckily, after so many years, I can usually easily spot the scum. …
Topic, Common Themes, and Winners of the WritersWeekly.com Fall, 2015 24-Hour Short Story Contest! By Angela Hoy
After reading the entries for each contest, we can see how difficult it is to come up with a unique plot when working with an assigned topic. But, inevitably, a few writers do manage to successfully break away from the pack...…
The Winners of the Fall, 2015 24-Hour Short Story Contest are About to Be Announced!
The Winners of the Fall, 2015 24-Hour Short Story Contest...…
Amazon Posts Rebuttal…but Does Not Mention Cancer/Miscarriage Employee Accusations!?
Back in August, the New York Times published an eye-opening article, alleging disturbing treatment of some employees at Amazon. Amazon refuted many of the allegations in the article (of course)...but what did they leave out of their rebuttal?…
Just Published? Great! Now, Get Ready for an Onslaught of Scammers! By Angela Hoy
Scammers and spammers don't need to pay for your contact info. They can very easily find you online, with just a few clicks, and often within just a minute or two.…
RIDICULOUS RED TAPE!! When POD Publishers Charge WAY Too Much to Make Changes, and Take WAY Too Long to Make Them! by Angela Hoy
During BookLocker's quick publishing process (we usually get a book on the market within a month), a former AuthorHouse author expressed amazement at how simple it was compared to AuthorHouse's ridiculous, time-wasting process. The author calls their system, "inefficient, and unfair to the author..."…