Offering something for nothing is a really dumb business model. While working with a "free" company may seem tempting to some authors, these firms typically go belly-up pretty quickly. And, some end up ripping their former authors off for years after the firm's demise...while holding those authors' books hostage.…
We received the following FAKE copyright infringement accusation this week via email...…
If you own a professional writing or editing company, or if you're a freelance journalist or book author, or if your company serves writers, or if you're simply in business at all, there are 10 customer service blunders that can be fatal to your reputation and, ultimately, your bottom line. …
Here are some tricks publishers use to lure good writers to bad publications.…
Read advice from a librarian about the common mistakes new authors make when approaching libraries. …
After shimmying his way up the tree, Tommy called out, "Oh my gosh! You guys won't believe this!"…
Here at WritersWeekly and Booklocker, we honor those who answered the call of their country…
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! …
Whether you like social media influencers or not (I do not), the allure of their numbers of followers has not been ignored by marketing firms...…
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!! ;)…
