Self-Publishing

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New service company for self-published authors

BeRead is headed up by two people with backgrounds in the publishing industry. Both have worked in marketing positions for the big houses.
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Does using IngramSpark affect pre-orders or availability at Amazon?

Ingram said Amazon is not suppressing pre-orders to their knowledge.
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IngramSpark increases printing prices, including its “global distribution fee”

Anyone with an IngramSpark account has likely seen the news: The distributor will increase POD pricing in April of this year.
Image: the pages of an open book, showing a variety of design elements such as standard and italicized text, pagination, and special insets.

Should You Hire a Professional Designer for Your Book Interior?

Even if you decide to design and format your own book, it’s important to be aware of fundamental elements of book composition.
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What If You’re Writing Novellas? Now What?

When publishers and agents show no interest in novellas, contests might be a more reliable path to publication.
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Sourcebooks signs deal with self-publishing author for Hear Your Story series

Sourcebooks just announced a partnership with author Jeffrey Mason for world rights and audio rights.
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Self-publishing output increases

Bowker, the US agency that sells ISBN numbers, reported that the number of self-published titles with ISBNs increased in 2023 over 2022.
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IMHO: Taylor Swift Self-Publishes. How Much Does It Matter?

TL;DR: It doesn’t.
Image: headshot of Christine M. Larson with pull-quote, "If you are a creative or independent worker, you need a community if to be treated fairly. But if you want community, you and your group have to treat everyone in it fairly."

Romance Authors Thrive in the Self-Publishing Era​

Christine Larson, author of Love in the Time of Self-Publishing, talks about the genre’s struggle with diversity, and how writers earn a living.
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Draft2Digital surveys authors about AI training and releases results

When D2D surveyed its authors, some were worried a licensing deal with an AI company was imminent.
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My First Novel Was a New York Times Bestseller. I’m Self-Publishing My Third Novel Today.

With an optioned NYT bestseller under her belt, one author assumed she was on easy street—but every writing career has bumps in the road.
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Amazon and OverDrive now limit book summaries and workbooks

Publishers Lunch reported that Amazon and ebook distributor OverDrive are limiting summary titles in their online catalogs.
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IMHO: The Self-Publishing Scene Includes Agents All Around

Agents have become ever more involved in indie author careers, especially as traditional publishers increasingly accept print-only deals.
Image: a Buddha statue in a Japanese garden. In front of him, atop his head, and in his hands are large piles of coins left by visitors.

Crowdfunding for Writers Who Need First-Time Guidance

An experienced crowdfunding author offers an overview of the current landscape and tips for how a novice can plan a successful campaign.
Image: photo of Matthew Bounds with the quote, "Social media is what you make it. And if you are determined to have a positive experience, you will attract a positive audience."

Cooking Up Success: The TikTok Personality Behind a Bestselling Self-Published Book

A Q&A with Matthew Bounds, who within two years went from no social media at all to millions of followers and best-in-class cookbook sales.
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Amazon adds identify verification to KDP (finally)

As of this month, some authors who publish via Amazon’s KDP will be prompted to complete an identity verification process.
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Authors complain of glitch in Amazon rankings

Word has spread of a glitch on Amazon that affects not just Amazon sales rank but also Amazon ad impressions for authors running ads.
Image: AI-generated illustration of a cozy sunlit home which is decorated for a party. On the dining room table is a sheet cake decorated with Denise Massar's name and the title of her book Matched: A Memoir.

How I Went From “Big 5 or Die!” to Ecstatic Self-Published Author

One author reflects on the journey that caused her to embrace self-publishing not as a last resort but as a victory.
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Former NFL player launches AI self-publishing platform

Colin Kaepernick, who founded his own publishing company in 2020, has now launched Lumi.
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Barnes & Noble says it “cannot maintain availability for all books” at BN.com

Self-publishing authors were shocked to find that B&N had removed some, and sometimes all, of their print editions for sale through BN.com.
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Entangled Publishing signs a dozen self-published romance authors

In our 2024 outlook, we said we’d be watching for a larger trend of traditional publishers partnering with successful self-published authors.
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Direct sales return through IngramSpark

While the functionality is welcome, it basically replaces what Ingram took away in January 2023 when it shut down Aerio.
Covers of Jami Fairleigh's The Elemental Artist series, in a row. On the left, Book One: Oil and Dust; in the center, Book Two: Graphite and Turbulence; on the right, Book Three: Charcoal and Smoke.

Going After the Widest Audience Possible: Q&A with Award-Winning Author Jami Fairleigh

The self-publishing author of cozy post-apocalypic fantasy was crowned 2023 Indie Author of the Year by the Indie Author Project.
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Bestselling author David Goggins sues Amazon over counterfeit sales

Self-publishing author David Goggins—who has sold millions of copies of his books—has filed a lawsuit against Amazon to recoup damages.
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Hybrid Publishers and Paid Publishing Services: Red Flags to Watch For

If you’re an author seeking a hybrid publisher or self-publishing assistance, it’s important to know what to look out for.