Angela’s Desk

Is Your Client Feigning Ignorance? Don’t Be a Dummy!!

Is Your Client Feigning Ignorance? Don’t Be a Dummy!!

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...…

Should You Pay to Appear on a Podcast?

Should You Pay to Appear on a Podcast?

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...…

World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For March, 2021!

World’s Worst Query Letters and Book Proposals For March, 2021!

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! …

Promote Your OWN Website, Not Your Publisher’s

Promote Your OWN Website, Not Your Publisher’s

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. …

STOP GLUTTONOUS PURCHASING PRACTICES BY BOOKSTORES! Why ALL Books Should be Non-Returnable!! By Angela Hoy

STOP GLUTTONOUS PURCHASING PRACTICES BY BOOKSTORES! Why ALL Books Should be Non-Returnable!! By Angela Hoy

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... …

9 Reasons NOT to Use BookBaby to Publish Your Book

9 Reasons NOT to Use BookBaby to Publish Your Book

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...…

Copyright Infringement or Plagiarism…or BOTH?

Copyright Infringement or Plagiarism…or BOTH?

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...…

MORE COMPLAINTS about AuthorHouse!

MORE COMPLAINTS about AuthorHouse!

Holy Moly! There are some FURIOUS authors posting complaints online about AuthorHouse and their parent company, Author Solutions!…

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