Scammers have been targeting creative types for a long time – maybe even since the first time somebody drew a pictograph on a rock. For the past few decades at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America’s website, Writer Beware has been fighting the good fight against scammers on behalf of authors. Author Victoria Strauss, who co-founded Writer Beware, has agreed to climb into the hot seat for this month’s LynneQuisition. Continue reading “LynneQuisition: Victoria Strauss”
Tag: Writer Beware
What’s Under That Rock?
We’re not quite sure how we missed it back in March (although it might have been that one night when Rich Meyer spiked the gruel). But it came to our attention this week that Lulu, the print-on-demand company that many indies use instead of CreateSpace for their hard-copy books, began offering bundles of book publishing and marketing services a few months ago. Ranging in price from $999 to $3,199, the packages include such services as a custom cover, interior layout and design, e-book formatting, and an ISBN. At the $1,999 level, your book receives an “editorial review” and a “cover copy polish.” At the $2,999 level, you also get a website.
I bet you hadn’t noticed yet that you can get all this stuff on your own for significantly less – and in many cases, for free. So it probably won’t surprise you to learn that Lulu has contracted out these services to our old friend Author Solutions.
You remember Author Solutions, right? The vanity publisher that’s now calling itself “the world leader in indie book publishing”? The company that Random Penguin bought last year?
Why is it that every time you kick over a rock in the indie publishing world these days, Author Solutions comes crawling out from under it? Continue reading “What’s Under That Rock?”
Indie News Beat: Bye-Bye Apple Pie
Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, friends & neighbors, cherished colleagues & valued frienemies, it is time once again for the Indie News Beat.
That’s right, we do the heavy lifting so you don’t have to. We scour the internet, sometimes for 15-20 minutes, finding all the news that’s worthy of your attention.
Chris James is still at large. If you see him, call our hotline. Do not attempt to apprehend him yourself. He’s very disarming and will not only escape from you, but will have you making him tea and knitting him sweaters. Perhaps I’ve said too much. Continue reading “Indie News Beat: Bye-Bye Apple Pie”
Ganxy and Riffle and SPBRA, Oh My!
Thank you for finding Indies Unlimited.
Here at IU, we do our best to provide helpful information to indie authors of all levels. Our goal is to provide the knowledge they need to make intelligent decisions about writing and publishing. We are not, however, a watchdog site, nor do we try to be. There are other sites out there, such as Writer Beware and Preditors and Editors, which dedicate their resources to identifying scammers.
Despite all the efforts to make authors aware of predators looking to make money off of them, the best tool is actually knowing how to spot a scam. That knowledge will enable authors, no matter how often the scammer changes its name, to avoid being taken advantage of.
Thank you again for finding Indies Unlimited.
– The Admins