Angela’s Desk

We Just Hired An Ex-cop And Veteran…Who Lives On A Boat – By Angela Hoy

Published on July 13, 2016

We Just Hired An Ex-cop And Veteran…Who Lives On A Boat – By Angela Hoy

Our one-on-one, owner-to-customer service isn't changing. Richard and I will still have direct contact with our WritersWeekly and BookLocker families. But, we are shifting things around a bit. Richard has always performed the majority of the back-end computer work, which can be taught to someone else. He really wants to get more books on the market under his own name. I haven't released a new book in two years myself and I finally realized that I might never release another one if we didn't hire someone to help with some of my activities. For example...accounting. Like many writers, I DETEST accounting and anything even remotely related to math. (Ug! Why didn't I hire someone to do that years ago?!)…

OUCH! Some So-Called “Authors” Should NOT Be Writing Books! By Angela Hoy

Published on June 29, 2016

OUCH! Some So-Called “Authors” Should NOT Be Writing Books! By Angela Hoy

If I was truly honest, and told them to give up the craft, or to go to back to school (some of these folks literally need to start all over at the Kindergarten level), I would be harassed for eternity. Most people simply can't accept or comprehend the truth and, no matter how reasonable or gentle your message to them is, they will never believe it and they will hate you for delivering it. They may even try to destroy your reputation online through libelous, anonymous posts.…

World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For June, 2016!

Published on June 18, 2016

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.…

Topic, Common Themes, and Winners of the WritersWeekly.com Spring, 2016 24-Hour Short Story Contest! By Angela Hoy

Published on June 2, 2016

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

Published on May 26, 2016

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

Published on May 21, 2016

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. …

“Special Event Signings” Sell Far More Books Than Bookstore Signings! (Or “Why Should I Order Copies Of My Own Book?”)

Published on May 6, 2016

“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!

Published on April 29, 2016

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!)

Published on April 21, 2016

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? …

What to Do When Your Book Event Organizer FAILS TO ORDER YOUR BOOKS! By Angela Hoy

Published on February 25, 2016

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!

Published on February 11, 2016

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.…

Was Author Solutions Sold at a Loss? We Think So! By Angela Hoy, WritersWeekly.com, BookLocker.com, Abuzz Press and PubPreppers.com

Published on January 14, 2016

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.…

Profitable New Year’s Resolution? A Daily Word-Count Writing Goal = More Money!! By Angela Hoy

Published on December 31, 2015

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!

Published on December 23, 2015

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.…

The Ebook Trend is Definitely WANING! NOW WHAT?! By Angela Hoy

Published on December 4, 2015

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.…

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