Day: December 4, 2013

Indie Publishing Platforms: Xin Xii

Somewhere around December of 2011, I discovered the eBook site Xin Xii. Not sure where, maybe it was Facebook. I decided what the heck; I’ll post a few of my short stories up there and see what happens. I’d never heard of the site, and frankly, I’m not even sure how to pronounce the name. Maybe like “Zin Zii” or “Hin Hii”- who knows! Anyone want to take a stab at that?

I believe they’re based in Germany. Because of that, if you want to publish with them I highly recommend reading the Xin Xii FAQ page. It will answer questions you might have about a foreign business and their practices. Continue reading “Indie Publishing Platforms: Xin Xii”

Flash Fiction Vote: Chill Out and Vote

Getting cold outside. Might as well stay inside and vote in the flash fiction challenge. It’s time for IU readers to choose  this week’s winner.

Check out this week’s entries here. Vote for your favorite, then use those share buttons at the bottom of the post to spread the word.

All our winners will be included in the next edition of the IU Flash Fiction Anthology. Participate in this week’s voting, then  share the link to let everyone know the vote is on.

Polls close tomorrow at 5 PM.

 

Who penned the best flash fiction entry this week?

  • Jon Jefferson (50%, 14 Votes)
  • Kathy Steinemann (32%, 9 Votes)
  • Annette Hatton (14%, 4 Votes)
  • John Shirley (4%, 1 Votes)
  • Richard Gregorcyk (0%, 0 Votes)
  • William C. Busch (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 28

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NOTE: Entrants whose submissions exceed the 250 word limit are eliminated from the poll.

A Screed on Copyright

Let’s imagine I’ve bought a CD and ripped it to my computer to get MP3s of each track. (You kids can imagine I bought the album from Amazon and downloaded it straight to my computer, if that makes it easier to picture.) Then I copy one of the MP3s to my smartphone and set it as the ringtone for when the Evil Mastermind calls. I copy them all to my Kindle Fire and my MP3 player, each of which I’ll use to play the songs in different situations. I also leave them on my desktop computer where I’ll listen to them at times like now when I’m working at my desk.

Next I post a review on my blog where I quote a few lines (maybe a full paragraph) from your book and post it a few days later (okay, maybe weeks) to Amazon. It’s a five star review and you especially like one line (the one where I call it “the best book ever written”). You add a quote of that line (with proper attribution) to the book description on Amazon (and every other retailer), in large red letters across the top of every page on your website, and tweet it every hour on the hour with a bit.ly link to the book’s Amazon page.

Have either of us done anything wrong here? We’ve both copied something for which we don’t have the copyright. We didn’t ask for or obtain permission from the copyright holder. Continue reading “A Screed on Copyright”