Author: Big Al

Big Al (who insists he only has one name, like Cher, Sting, and Madonna) spends his days writing computer programs that are full of typos, homonym errors, and incorrect verb usage. During his evenings, he writes reviews of indie books for BigAl’s Books and Pals and has recently taken over The IndieView, a website founded by indie author Simon Royle as a resource for indie authors, indie reviewers, and those who read either.

Should Readers Be Able to Modify Book Content?

A company in Utah is developing an app that will selectively edit what the reader of an ebook sees, removing from their sight words or descriptions of actions deemed unacceptable.

I read the article and started ranting at the walls. As usual, the walls ignored me, so I decided if I self-censored the non-Indies Unlimited allowed words, that maybe I could turn my rant into a post. Continue reading “Should Readers Be Able to Modify Book Content?”

And I Did it All in My Pajamas

The stereotypical story of a fledgling or wannabe author from ten or more years ago had several consistent elements. Besides the countless queries, submissions, and rejections virtually all of them experienced, many would mention attending writing conferences. It was a great way to network, socialize, and learn from those more experienced on issues of importance to writers, both writing craft and other skills to help them succeed. But these conferences were also money pits. The cost of plane tickets, restaurant meals, and hotel rooms add up fast. There ought to be a better way.

Several weeks ago I was approached by an IU reader (thanks Tasha) who was looking for people willing to act as moderators for WanaCon, an online writing conference put on by WANA International, Kristen Lamb’s organization with which many of you are probably familiar. The quid pro quo was free “admittance” to the conference. Continue reading “And I Did it All in My Pajamas”

Poor Misunderstood Sturgeon and BigAl’s Rebuttal

I’ve never been a big science fiction reader, so the name Theodore Sturgeon meant nothing to me. But he’s been inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, so I guess as an author he might be a big deal. Regardless of whether you’re familiar with his books, you’ve probably heard or read his words.

Often paraphrased as “90% of everything is crap,” Sturgeon’s Revelation (sometimes called Sturgeon’s Law) is one you’ll see bandied about in various contexts. In my experience the most common situation will be coming from the mouth of an elitist of some kind, one of those people who look down on everyone and everything. Needless to say, I’ve read or heard this many times in reference to indie publishing  from both sides of the discussion. Continue reading “Poor Misunderstood Sturgeon and BigAl’s Rebuttal”

Going on a Witch Hunt

A friend called my attention to this post at a site called Amazon Alert: Your Guide to Unethical Authors. I read the article which largely focuses on a specific author who they allege to have purchased a large number of ‘fake’ reviews. The post ends with a list of authors who they claim have each purchased in excess of 500 fake reviews using the site fiverr.com. As I scanned the list I saw a bunch of names that meant nothing to me (I’m constantly amazed at how many indie authors are out there) along with a few I did know, a couple that should be recognizable to most of you.

But none of this is surprising or new. In the first (and thus far biggest) scandal over “fake reviews” a little over a year ago, the Fiverr site was one that got mentioned time and again as one source for getting these reviews. And there is no doubt in my mind that authors are using this site to get paid reviews. I was able to easily find authors who had done so and identify accounts on Amazon that were being used to post the reviews. Continue reading “Going on a Witch Hunt”