Month: March 2015

FOULED! Part 4: Suing the Scammy Publisher – the Nuclear Option

Predatory Publisher Month at Indies UnlimitedYou’ve asked your publisher to edit and format your book correctly, and it hasn’t been done. You’ve asked for the rights to your book, and your publisher has either refused or told you you’d have to pay a fee to get them back. Now you’re just sick of the whole thing. You’ve paid these people a lot of money and you’ve gotten nothing in return but a lot of aggravation and ruined dreams. What can you do?

You can sue them. Unfortunately, even that may not get you very far. Continue reading “FOULED! Part 4: Suing the Scammy Publisher – the Nuclear Option”

Thrifty Thursday: eBook Deals for You

free ebooks and ebook dealsYes, that’s right, these super hot free and 99 cent eBook deals are just for you. So tell your friends to come on over to Thrifty Thursday and check ’em out!

Readers: look in the comment section below. If you see one you like, click over and buy it. How easy is that? (If you don’t see the book covers, adjust your browser’s adblock settings.)

Authors: if you have a book priced at 99¢ or less (that’s right, post your free eBooks here, too!), follow the instructions below and post it right in the comment section. Got more than one bargain book? Go ahead and post them all if you like, but only one book and ONE link per comment please!

We will convert your link to a clickable book cover. Do not attempt to insert an image in comments on your own. Just put the following information in the comment section:

1. Book title
2. Author name
3. A one sentence blurb (~140 characters – longer descriptions will be deleted)
4. ONE link to download the book (only secure retail sites – Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, Kobo, Apple/iStore, or Sony)
5. Whether your book is free or 99 cents (and for how long/what dates)

Then let your friends and fans know your book is available here today. Use the share buttons below, or copy the link in the address bar above and share the news on your favorite social media platforms. The more, the merrier, right?

So let’s give it a try, shall we? Please make sure to follow the RULES above. Now, go ahead and tell the world about your cheap read. IU is a safe-for-work site. PLEASE do not post links to erotica, religious, or political titles.

[Note: if the book cover images below do not display properly, please check your AdBlock settings.]

Which “To Die…” Flash Fiction Story Gets Your Vote?

Vote5It’s that time again…time to choose your favorite flash fiction story of the week! The judges have made their choices – their picks for the top entries are included below. Confused? Check out our rule change for 2015. The judges have whittled down the entries to a select few, and now it’s your turn: time for the public to have the final say. It’s super easy – we’ve even labeled the finalists to make them easier to spot. Now you just have to choose your favorite and cast your vote below for this week’s Flash Fiction champion.

Remember, the winning entries will all be included in the next edition of the IU Flash Fiction Anthology.

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

Voting polls close Thursday at 5 PM Pacific time.

Which "To Die and Not to Die" story do you think should win this week?

  • Richard Trisdale (29%, 20 Votes)
  • S.K.Fischer (26%, 18 Votes)
  • Christopher A. Cooke (9%, 6 Votes)
  • Kira Flynn (9%, 6 Votes)
  • A. L. Kaplan (7%, 5 Votes)
  • Tiffany Turner (7%, 5 Votes)
  • Jon Jefferson (6%, 4 Votes)
  • Vickie Johnstone (6%, 4 Votes)
  • Steven M. Stucko (1%, 1 Votes)
  • Travis Keys (1%, 1 Votes)
  • Maria Dormer (0%, 0 Votes)
  • Venkatesh Iyer (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 70

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NOTE: Entrants whose submissions are not relevant to the prompts and/or exceed the 250 word limit are eliminated from the poll. ONE VOTE PER PERSON, please. Duplicate votes will be deleted. The results displayed above are unofficial until verified by administration.

My Horrible Experience with FirstEditing

#PublishingFoul Logo Indies UnlimitedGuest Post
by Brenda Perlin

After my first book had been picked up by a publisher (not as good as it sounds), I figured my story needed to be cleaned up before I let it go to press. I was jazzed by the idea of my book getting some attention, but I didn’t want to use the publisher’s “paid editing” option. I had no idea where to turn. That was until, by coincidence, a radio ad for FirstEditing was broadcast while I was driving. Jotting down their number, I called as soon as I could. Continue reading “My Horrible Experience with FirstEditing”