Day: January 15, 2012

Press Releases – Free Publicity

Mr. Pish Press ReleaseThere’s always discussion amongst authors about ways to promote their books.  People get caught up in blogs, facebook author pages, twitter posts, forums, etc., etc.

Long before those methods, there were press releases.  Although the technology has changed to make disseminating press releases easier and faster, it’s still a valid way to promote your work.  And most writers/authors overlook it.

Got a new book coming out?  Press release.  Win an award?  Press release.  Doing a book event?  Press release.  Just like in the days of yore.

Only you can determine who should get your press release depending on your demographic, subject matter, location, etc.  That can be a lot of work, toiling over your laptop, emailing incessantly – as you should send these emails individually and not in a group blast.  Nonetheless, it’s necessary. Continue reading “Press Releases – Free Publicity”

Kingston University London’s Short Biography Competition

Kingston University in London is pleased to announce a new competition for short innovative biographical writing designed to lead to publication by Kingston University Press Ltd.

Closing Date: Post-marked by midnight Friday 10 February 2012

Entry Fee: £20 per item

Each entry to be a maximum 35,000 words (judges will favour those under 30,000 words)

You may submit multiple entries, provided the £20 entry fee is paid for each

The author of winning manuscript or manuscripts will be published by Kingston University Press *

For more information, please visit their website.

 *     *     *     *     *

Indies Unlimited is pleased to provide this contest information for the convenience of our readers.  We do not, however, endorse this or any contest/competition.  Entrants should always research a competition prior to entering.  [subscribe2]

Video Review/Trailer: Eat, Walk, Write, by Boyd Lemon

This is an interesting approach to a book video trailer for Boyd Lemon’s Eat, Walk, Write.  Boyd is sharing this video review by a reader, Kay Sauras (with her permission), in place of a book trailer for the time being, as he is currently uncertain if he will produce his own.  In the meanwhile, check this one out, and see what you think.

You can find out more about Boyd at his website. And you can find Eat, Walk, Write on Amazon.com.  [subscribe2]

The Why and How of E-Book Piracy by Arline Chase

Preface:  The other day a Google alert informed me that my first novel, Lust for Danger, was mentioned on a site called 4shared.com.  I clicked through to discover that they were offering my novel as a free download.  I immediately emailed my Indie Publisher, Write Words Inc., to notify them of this issue.  Within a couple of days they’d managed to get the site to take my book down.  Honestly, I never thought this would happen to me.  But it did.  Arline Chase – owner of Write Words, Inc. – will explain why, and how, pirates steal our titles.  

Without further ado, here is industry veteran Arline Chase:

I can’t speak to how pirates get hold of every title, but I can mention some of the ways they are able to “find” material to give away and why they do it.

Some publishers, not me, but some, put the PDF up at Bowker’s Books in Print when they register the ISBN. As a protection to our authors, Write Words does not send the whole PDF there, or to Google’s “search inside the book” or anywhere else except sales sites where we actively participate. Bowker’s security is good, but no Internet Security is infallible.

Authors get tons of spam all the time. One ploy is to offer “free advertising” to authors by e-mail and ask them for one free copy to use for promotional purposes. If the author sends them ONE PDF book file by e-mail attachment, they can then give it away hundreds of times and they can claim to have your permission to do so as it was sent willingly. I don’t know that this is how they got your book, but it DOES happen. A Lot. You would also get lots more “offers” from them to buy advertising on line. Continue reading “The Why and How of E-Book Piracy by Arline Chase”