Day: March 16, 2015

How to Get Started on Instagram

Is Instagram for Authors?Ever since our post about Instagram for authors a couple of weeks ago, we’ve had numerous requests for a tutorial on using this social media platform. You can view that post here and decide for yourself if this is the right platform for you. It apparently is the right platform for Facebook, because they purchased Instagram for a BILLION dollars a couple of years ago.

As we discussed previously, Instagram is designed to run almost exclusively as a mobile app. You can find details on how to convert your desktop into a mobile app in our previous post. From there, the process is the same to use Instagram. Continue reading “How to Get Started on Instagram”

#PublishingFoul Mid-Month Update

Predatory Publisher Month at Indies UnlimitedIt’s March 16th and we’re halfway into Indies Unlimited’s #PublishingFoul month – a series dedicated to those who have been taken by publishing predators. We’re hoping that by telling their stories, we can spread the word about industry scammers and prevent others from being taken in. Please share these articles far and wide. The more people who know, the better.

At any time during this month, just go ahead and click on the referee in the right-hand sidebar. That will take you to an index of all the #PublishingFoul features.

Here are some other handy links:

How to Spot a Scam

Indies Unlimited Authors’ Legal Resource Page

And don’t forget to take our Publishing Predator survey, even if you have not been scammed! Help us to get a good sampling of what’s going on out there. Please share!

So check those pages out, and make sure to stay tuned for more of #PublishingFoul month. Thanks for being a part of IU.

iUniverse – My “Assisted” Self-Publishing Experience

Predatory Publisher Month at Indies UnlimitedIn keeping with our theme for March, “What To Do When Your Publisher Scams You”, let me share my experience with iUniverse. I have singled out iUniverse because that is where my story happened. iUniverse is a subsidiary of AuthorSolutions, an umbrella company with many others under its wing, all equally out to fleece unwitting authors.

In 2008 I did what I thought was good research on the internet to see how self-publishers, or assisted self-publishers as some call themselves, were rated. I also checked out which ones offered the services I felt I needed at the time, and what the costs would be for those services. I did my homework – I thought. At the time I had no contact with other writers or authors and did not know where to find them. I think many new writers finds themselves in similar positions. Continue reading “iUniverse – My “Assisted” Self-Publishing Experience”