Tag Archives: self-publishing

Self Publishing, Writing

Writers Union of Canada to vote on admitting self-published authors

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The CBC is reporting that the Writers’ Union of Canada is expected to vote on a measure to accept self-published authors as members at the end of May. From the article:

“…The Writers Union of Canada represents over 1,900 authors from across the country. For the past year, an ad hoc membership committee has been gathering feedback from chapters across the country on whether the organization should revoke its long-standing policy of not admitting self-published authors. Members will vote on the issue at TWUC’s AGM in Ottawa at the end of May…”

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eBook, Self Publishing, Writing

FINALLY! A Publisher Figures Out That DRM Is Useless!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

c|net Australia has just put up an article “Tor Books: piracy not an issue despite lacking ebook DRM” that state what I and others have been preaching for years.

From the article:

“One year after Tor launched its DRM-free store, the publisher has said that there has been “no discernible increase” in piracy.”

On April 25, 2012, Tor Books UK removed DRM from all of their ebooks.  According to a blog post by Julie Crisp on the Tor Books site, “We made this decision in conjunction with our sister company in the US, for our shared brand imprint. It was something that we’d been exploring for quite a while and a move that we felt committed to for our particular area.”

DRM is copy protection added to ebooks and other media by publishers and retailers supposedly to prevent piracy.  It assumes that the person legitimately buying the media from the retailer is a thief.  As a purchaser, I find this kinda insulting; if I was a thief, I wouldn’t be buying the work in the first place.  Duh!

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Writing

Createspace’s Secret Hardover Option

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Much like the secret menu at In-N-Out Burger (an INCREDIBLE California fast food burger chain), Createspace also has a secret menu. One of the more awesome items is the hardcover book option.

As of the date of this post, the current pricing is:

$99.00 – One-Time Setup Fee
$6.50 – Cost per book
$0.015 – B&W per page cost
$0.15 – Color per page cost
$2.00 – Dust Jacket (optional)

Now, there are some caveats to the Createspace book:

  • The hardcover is set up as a separate title in the author’s account, and gets a separate ISBN number.
  • The conversion takes a ridiculously long time to get done (about 10 days).
  • If there are ANY color images (or text) the ENTIRE book is subject to the color cost per page charge.
  • The book isn’t eligible for any of Createspace’s distribution channels. Really. Only the author can order the book to sell or distribute.

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Self Publishing, Writing

Question: What is the hardest thing about publishing an ebook?

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

This question was recently asked in a group I’m part of.  Here’s the whole question:

Question: What is the hardest thing about publishing an ebook?  I’m curious what problems here people have had with publishing ebooks themselves. i’m currently working on two books that I want to release as ebooks, but I’d like to avoid some of the common mistakes and problems if at all possible. I’ll be making enough of my own as it is! 🙂 Thanks!

Answer: The hardest part about publishing an ebook is marketing. It’s exactly the same problem authors have with publishing through a traditional publisher. Marketing will always be the most difficult part; it’s the actual sale to the consumer. In order to get your book to the person who has the least resistance to buying your book, you have to let them know it exists, and that – even for the Big Six … or Big Five … or Big … well, Big However Many Publishers There Are Still Left Dragging Their Dinosaur Tails Behind Them Out There – is a problem. At least with a publisher there’s a possibility that you might – maybe – get spot on a shelf without you having to personally intercede or promise sexual favors (at least initially) for awhile. Continue reading →