Tag: Publishers Weekly

The Authors Guild and Publishers Weekly for Self-Publishers

author guildAs the world of self-publishing continues to change the publishing landscape, two organizations that have traditionally been off-limits to self-published authors seem to have had a change of heart.

The Authors Guild

The Authors Guild bills itself as “the nation’s oldest and largest professional society of published authors, representing more than 9,000 writers,” and claims to have “achieved much for individual authors through the collective power and voice of their members,” including improving author contracts and royalty statements, and protecting authors’ rights under the First Amendment.

Members have access to various panels and programs as well as access to health insurance, legal services, media liability insurance, and low-cost website services. Continue reading “The Authors Guild and Publishers Weekly for Self-Publishers”

IU Named Among Six Great Blogs for Indie Authors

6 Great BlogsWe are very pleased to share the news that Indies Unlimited has been named in Publishers Weekly to a list of six great blogs for indie authors.

The article, by Betty Kelly Sargent, features blogs with “… passion on the part of the creator, extensive knowledge of all aspects of self-publishing, consistency, and clean, clear, entertaining prose.”

The other blogs honored include some of our perennial faves: The Book Designer, The Passive Voice, Jane Friedman, The Creative Penn, and No Rules Just Write.

Of course, Indies Unlimited is more than just the fevered dream of a lone evil mastermind brought to fruition. We would not be what we are today except for the talent and dedication of my partner, award-winning novelist and photographer, K.S. “Kat” Brooks, and the able assistance of our associate editor, Laurie Boris.

No blog can accomplish anything without a lot of high-quality content. Our staff contributors have given Indies Unlimited the certain je ne sais quoi we enjoy. Guest contributors also provide valuable and informative content.

Most importantly, we want to thank YOU. Thank you for making the occasional donation, for sharing our links around the internet, for engaging, and for spending part of your valuable time with all of us. Without you, our readers, none of this could happen.

Be sure to check out the whole article at Publisher’s Weekly.

Are Hardcover Books on Life Support?

One of the reasons writers give for wanting a real, live, honest-to-goodness contract with a traditional publisher is that they want to see their work in hardcover. Paperbacks are all very fine, but there’s nothing like the heft of a hardcover to make you feel like you’ve arrived. Or so I hear.

Anyway, the point is that it used to be a given: if you got an agent and signed on with one of the Big Five, you were guaranteed that your book would be in print in some form or fashion, usually hardcover followed by paperback. But Publishers Weekly reported this week that as the number of brick-and-mortar bookstores dwindle, and as e-books become more popular, agents are beginning to see this change – to the point that eventually, a dead-tree edition may not be guaranteed. Continue reading “Are Hardcover Books on Life Support?”

I Could Have Been a Contender!

Man, I was so sure I was going to win. I was so close to the semifinal circle in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards that I could taste it. My Tarot cards even said good news was coming! What could possibly go wrong?

Well, Seized could fail to be a semifinalist. That’s what could go wrong. And did, this past Tuesday.

If you’ve been playing this game of life for long enough, you’ve entered some contest or another, and unless you’re an extraordinary individual (and if so, I’d like to stand very close to you so the magic rubs off), you’ve lost at least once. So you know what it’s like: the sinking feeling in your gut; the denial; the rage; the desire to put the whole episode into your next novel and savage all those rotten writers whose books made the cut, because God knows nobody’s – NOBODY’S – was better than yours!

Oh, right. Sorry. Continue reading “I Could Have Been a Contender!”