Greetings, cybercitizens and all ships at sea. Gather ’round your computational devices. It is time once again for NewsBites, your leading source for stuff other people have already reported about.
With all the things going on, something is bound to happen. When it does, we’ll be there to tell you what someone said about it.
Chances are, it may be something of interest to YOU. If not, it may still be on the test, so keep reading…First up, we’d like to thank IU reader and oft-times guest contributor, Shaun McLaughlin, for a highly laudatory article about Indies Unlimited. It’s always nice to know our efforts are appreciated. In an unrelated story, Shaun’s rare albino Moldavian ferrets were returned unharmed, despite his protestations that he never owned any such animals.
IU received another nice plaudit as we were included in a list of six great blogs for indie authors in an article in Publishers Weekly. Many thanks to K.S. “Kat” Brooks, who worked to provide information to Betty Kelly Sargent, the author of the piece. In an unrelated story, Ms. Sargent reported someone had taken her rare albino Moldavian ferrets. Hmm… we have to get a better filing system around here.
As we are on the subject of great blogs, I’d like to remind everyone that voting has begun for the Indies Unlimited Excellence Awards. Three top awards will be presented this year: Best Review Site, Best Resource Site, and Best Watchdog Site. If you haven’t voted, go vote. If you have voted, go get other people to vote.
It’s not all fun and games out there. Leopard, meet spots. According to Writer Beware, Publish America has changed its name to America Star Books. Will they also change the practices that have generated so many complaints by authors unfortunate enough to have been pulled into their snares? Color me skeptical. This is why it is more important to know what to look out for than who to look out for. Bad actors very often change their names and open up shop under shiny new logos. When considering any offers, remember the advice of IU commenter, Massimo Marino:
“Follow the money… and it has to come toward you”
Sony has given up on the North American market where its e-books and e-readers are concerned. Of course, this could spell trouble for the dozens of North Americans who received Sony e-readers as gifts from well-intended relatives who thought they were buying them a Kindle. Nevertheless, Sony is scraping off what little business they got on their shoes onto Kobo. I’m sure more will be forthcoming. Eventually.
To close things out and cleanse the palate, let’s take a look at the thorough fact-spanking indie champ J.A. Konrath delivers to literary agent Donald Maas. Oh, you know that’s gonna leave a mark. Go, Joe!
That’s all for this time around. Tune in next time when we discuss how it is that so many people who have become discombobulated never even knew they were combobulated in the first place.
Darn! Now I’m hungry for a cookie. In addition to being discombobulated.
LOL.
Good article especially mentioning about the leopard changing its spots. No matter what name they go under, PublishAmerica will always be a leopard. I think I will drop all the books published by them of mine from my blog site and anywhere else they are mentioned. I have enjoyed being an Indie. The mistakes people make in life will sometimes haunt them forever. A.G.
not much to say than this brought me a smile, a thought, and the impulse to say so 😉 thank you much
Thanks Felipe. 🙂
Love the Konrath/Maas piece. Thanks for directing me to it.
You are very welcome, Katy. It is a hoot, isn’t it?
Thanks Stephen, you always give such good snark… 😀
Thanks, Dv. 😉
Love the news bites; just enough to make me want more. And a cookie. Or two. Or ten.
Note to self: buy stock in cookie dough.
The ferrets are holding my dog hostage. Bloody Moldavians!
Don’t worry, Shaun. We have just acquired some badgers. That’ll take care of it. 😉 Thanks for that great write-up. We are honored.
Great commentary, Stephen. Things must be going rough in Sony’s house. They also sold their PC department, the Sony Vaio PC is now a relic.
Thanks for the citation, too. To me, the money flow is an Occam Razor and makes it easier to come to any decision on any contract. It is a good filter.
You put it very well, Massimo!
Nice roundup, EM, as always.
Note to self: read the Konrath piece. And buy cookies.
Thank you, Lynne. 🙂
Snarkelicious!