Month: September 2015

Why Indies Unlimited No Longer Accepts Paid Advertising from Authors

no money from authors pixabay dollar-551932_640That’s right; IU no longer accepts paid advertising from authors. It was a decision that took a lot of consideration, and ultimately, it came down to one question: Do we really want to take money from authors? Sure, we’re drowning financially over here – operating for free means the money comes out of the admins’ pockets and from the occasional donation – but we want to stick to our guns.

Indies Unlimited has never been about taking money from authors. We go to a lot of trouble to offer all our resources for free – from tutorials, to breaking news, to resource pages, and more. The minions are most generous with their time and knowledge. Give them a round of applause.

It’s more complicated, but it basically comes down to the principle of the matter: We do not want to take money from authors. Continue reading “Why Indies Unlimited No Longer Accepts Paid Advertising from Authors”

“And Stay Down!”: Tweaking the DCMA

ebook piracyPirate websites are among the banes of the indie author – and of traditionally-published authors, as well. But the Authors Guild, of all organizations, has suggested a fix.

The move comes as the House Judiciary Committee is looking into a possible overhaul of U.S. copyright law. First, the basics: Copyright is different from publishing rights. In the United States, for works created after January 1, 1978, the creator of the work holds the copyright for his or her lifetime plus 70 years. You, as the copyright holder, may sell various types of publication rights – including film rights and foreign language rights – to others. But you’re not selling them your copyright. What you’re doing, in effect, is giving them a license to market the work you created and own. They then share the profits with you.

The difference with a pirate site is there’s no profit-sharing. Continue reading ““And Stay Down!”: Tweaking the DCMA”

Thrifty Thursday: Such Awesome eBook Deals!

used car ebooks dealsThat’s right, you have reached awesome eBook deals – with super hot free and 99 cent eBooks on Thrifty Thursday!

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, or Apple/iStore)
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 “Fruits of His Labors” 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 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 – 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 – we’ve even labeled the finalists to make them easier to spot. 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 "Fruit of His Labors" should win a spot in the anthology?

  • Zack Lester (51%, 24 Votes)
  • Doreen Strom (34%, 16 Votes)
  • A. L. Kaplan (15%, 7 Votes)

Total Voters: 47

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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.