Something that really gets my goat is when people pretend to be stupid in order to take advantage of me in some way. After being in business for 23 years, I've seen my share of Faux Ignoramuses...…
I was very interested in one podcast series but the narrator's voice had a twangy tone that reminded me of a screechingly bad note on my guitar...…
Will the topic feature include some suspense, some humor, some mystery, or something else? You'll soon find out! We are super excited about this topic!! Grab a fresh cup of coffee, open a window, turn on your laptop, crack your knuckles, and get those creative juices flowing!…
Sadly, some authors will fall for this type of scam.…
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. We've been savings these for a few weeks now so there are a LOT to entertain you! …
You can bet that the minute you post something that Facebook (or any of your readers for that matter) doesn't like, you're going to...…
Before you think that, by being white, I've never been a "victim" myself, read this...…
Elderly authors are easy marks for scammers and thieves. Today, I'll share the stories of several (semi-)fictional victims. These represent a combination of horror stories we've heard over the years.…
Some bloggers are News Rewriters and they, too, can be held liable if they distribute incorrect information (libel, defamation, and invasion of privacy)...…
Author Andy was so excited! His new book was finished and he'd just approved his print galley. It was time to start selling books! His publishing company put his book up for sale on their website and sent him the URL where he could send people who wanted to purchase his book. Andy didn't have his own website or blog, but he didn't think that would be a problem. Unfortunately, it was, on several fronts. And, while Andy and the other authors below are fictitious, the scenarios are based on real complaints we've received from authors over the years. In every case, had the author had their own website or blog, he or she would have lost few, if any, sales. …
A wedding ring? A mysterious map?? A severed finger???…
I was always a weird (um, naughty) kid. I never aligned myself with social norms. I recognized when something was ridiculous, even if "everyone else" was doing it. I would do things differently, despite the fact that...…
Aside from the copyright infringement implications, I have a moral problem with this as well...…
If I had a nickel for all of the authors who have told me they didn't think readers would mind a few typos.…
Sales of print books are still higher than sales of ebooks. …
While I won't get into the politics of it all (Heaven knows we're all drowning in that stuff right now), this all serves as an important reminder that what we buy electronically may not always belong to us...…
An author recently asked his webmaster to complete a publishing contract on his behalf (which was, of course, not legally binding). What the author learned later, however, was quite disturbing...…
As with every Winter contest, you can expect some chill (brrrr!) and maybe some thrill! Or, maybe some suspense, some humor, some mystery? You'll soon find out! We are super excited about this topic!!…
Bookstores have a long history of ordering too many books, and then returning them for credit or a refund, often damaged, bent, and/or dirty, and at the expense of the publisher (or self-published author). At other times, the books are simply destroyed (or sold to a big salvage bookstore), again, at the expense of the publisher or self-published author. Bookstores, like other retailers, should be financially responsible for their own sales forecasts. Period. I just can't find anything in the "returns" equation where the publisher or author should be financially responsible for a bookstore's poor estimation of sales... …
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.…
Read what the Alliance of Independent Authors has to say about Booksniffer. …
Why in the world would Amazon let people who'd completely used and benefitted from a product "return" it for a full refund? I know why!…
When Microsoft, Adobe, and other firms starting offering their software in download-only format, and for a monthly or annual fee, I got really, REALLY mad!…
Is Submittable a good deal for writers? We don't think so. Here why...…
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!…
PLUS: The Oklahoma Attorney General's files about Tate Publishing have "mysteriously" vanished in the past week! Why?!…
It's our FAVORITE contest of the year and you do NOT want to miss the top three winning stories! Are you scared? You should be!! ;)…
We were recently contacted by an author who wants to move his book from BookBaby to BookLocker. He says it takes them too long to print and ship a book. We took a look at their current "terms of service" and this is what we found...…
One author wrote to me this week saying her book was ready but that she wanted to "hold" the book until December 1st to get more people interested in it. I told her, "That type of product hype only works for iPhones and celebrity authors like Stephen King..."…
I asked you guys and gals to weigh in with your opinions on this topic and we received more comments than any other article we've published this year!…
the vocabulary was extremely advanced for a picture book. Now, I don't have a problem with that but...…
Entire sections of the book contained information taken from websites but no websites or writers were given credit. So, is this copyright infringement or plagiarism? In this case...…
As we all know, positive reviews mean better exposure on Amazon! However, did you know that some people aren't allowed to leave reviews on Amazon?…
As with every Fall contest, you can expect some colored leaves, some chilly air, and maybe something creepy....or not! You''ll soon find out! We are super excited about this topic!! …
She's on her way back to the car with popcorn, candy, and a soda when all the lights go out at the drive-in. Then, the screen lights back up with... YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THE WINNING STORIES!!…
Holy Moly! There are some FURIOUS authors posting complaints online about AuthorHouse and their parent company, Author Solutions!…