This week in publishing (February 7–February 13)
Posted By Sue Collier on February 14, 2011
Here’s some of what’s happening in publishing right now:
From Inside the Writers Studio: Interview with April Hamilton and Zoe Winters
“Once looked down on as a path for the untalented, self-publishing (or independent/indie publishing) is becoming an increasingly more respectable way for authors to get their work into the public eye. Some have used it as a stepping stone to a “traditional” publishing deal, while others are content, even happy, to do-it-themselves. Some authors have even found self-publishing to be a viable way to make a living.”
From Kindle Daily Post: Early preview of free software update for Kindle
“We’re excited to tell you about some new features coming to the latest generation Kindle and Kindle 3G:
“Public Notes – This feature lets Kindle users choose to make their book notes and highlights available for others to see. Any Kindle user – including authors, their fans, book reviewers, professors and passionate readers everywhere – can opt-in to share their thoughts on book passages and ideas with friends, family members, colleagues, and the greater Kindle community of people who love to read. This is a new way for readers to share their excitement and knowledge about books and get more from the books they read.”
From Book Buzzr: How to become a top-ranked book on Amazon’s Kindle store
“It is our great pleasure and honor today to interview Ellen C. Maze—BookBuzzr Author Pro subscriber and bestselling author of Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider. This book has risen to the top of the charts on Amazon in the Mysteries and Thrillers section with over 89 reviews. On to the interview…”
From Chuck Wendig: Why your self-published book sucks a bag of dicks
“Dear Self-Published Word Badgers: I’d like to take a little time out to commend you for your intrepid publishing spirit! And by ‘commend you,’ I mean, ‘slap you about the head and neck with your own bludgeoning shame.’
“No, I’m not talking to all of you. A good lot of you are doing as you should. I have in the past week alone been exposed to a wondrous number of self-published goodies, whether by excellent writers seeking an avenue for their unpublished (or presently unpublishable) works or by tried-and-true DIY storytellers who have been honing their own punk-publishing endeavors to an icepick’s point.”
From USA Today: Authors catch fire with self-published e-books; Amanda Hocking sells 450,000 e-books in January
“You may not know her name, but Amanda Hocking and others like her are riding the comet of digital publishing. Fed up with attempts to find a traditional publisher for her young-adult paranormal novels, Hocking self-published last March and began selling her novels on online bookstores like Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.”
From Publishers Weekly: Digital World and Publishers Weekly to present self-publishing webcast
“On February 22, Digital Book World and Publishers Weekly will present a free webcast titled ‘The Evolution of Self-Publishing”’at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The webcast will discuss how self-publishing is empowering authors and disintermediating publishers, and the impact it is having on the marketplace, especially where e-books are concerned. Panelists are Louisa Ermelino, reviews director, PW; Jason Pinter, novelist and literary agent at Waxman Literary; Phil Sexton, publisher and community leader of Writer’s Digest; and Victoria Strauss, novelist and co-founder of Writer Beware. Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, chief executive optimist, Digital Book World, will moderate.”
From The Portland Mercury: Powell’s is losing sales to e-books & e-readers and has laid off 31 workers
“After we published, Powell’s sent out a press release about the layoffs. It doesn’t delve into the specific numbers, but says that the market downturn forced the layoffs. ‘Consumer behavior—how, where, and what people read—has changed dramatically over the past several years,’ it says.”
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