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publishing

Publisher warning: Authors complain of non-payment from Cool Dudes Publishing

printers wood blocks

A number of authors have complained in private Facebook groups and pages about not receiving scheduled payments for books published through Cool Dudes Publishing. … Read more

How to Publish Ebooks on Smashwords

Learn how to publish a formatted ebook to Smashwords, the world’s largest independent ebook distributor. In this illustrated tutorial, I walk you through the steps I used to publish my preformatted ebook Chance & Possibility: Seven Fantastical Tales of Gay Desire. … Read more

Low-cost marketing opportunity for authors: The Dark & Grim LGBT Book Giveaway

Dark & Grim LGBT giveaway logo

One of my favorite fantasy authors, Olivia Helling, is looking for authors of LGBTQ fiction who enjoy spinning grim yarns to participate in a giveaway on BookFunnel. Whether yours is a fantastical story falling into the grimdark or horror genres, or a novel that’s simply heartbreaking, this could be your opportunity to reach new readers. … Read more

What to Look for in a Small Publisher, Part 2: Contract Terms

Infographic with the following text: What to Look for in a Small Publisher Contract Terms Advice from M Pepper Langlinais more info: dalecameronlowry.com/contract-terms/ For how long does the publisher plan to hold the rights? There should always be an end date with the opportunity for the publisher to renew. Is there something in the contract for rights reversion? Is there a way to get your rights back if the publisher closes or you want to try a new publisher? Will your book appear in print? Does the publisher guarantee your title will have a print version? If not, how important is that to you? Does the publisher have distribution and marketing? Are they going to actively market your book? Will they distribute your book to stores and libraries? How and when do you get paid? Do you get paid monthly, quarterly, or yearly? Are royalties based on cover price ("gross"), or what the publisher gets after expenses ("net")? Do they own your next book(s)? If things don’t go well with your first book, you don’t want to owe the publisher all your manuscripts.

It’s important not to sign any offer that a publisher sends you. M Pepper Langlinais was here on Tuesday talking about how to evaluate a small publisher based on its books, online presence, and marketing efforts. Now she’s back to talk about the legal stuff: contract terms.
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Piracy Alert: Seller Stealing Books on KissLibrary.com

KissLibrary.com users have been using the site to sell pirated ebooks, including romance and erotica titles. Fortunately, KissLibrary.com’s owners have been good about getting infringing content removed. Authors and publishers, read on to learn how to make sure your books aren’t being pirated on the site. … Read more

Pen to Pen: Write Blurbs that Sell More Books with Clare London

I’ve been working on blurbs for some upcoming releases these past couple weeks, so the topic of this week’s Pen to Pen post by gay-romance writer Clare London has been fresh on my mind. She’s got some great tips for luring in new readers with the power of your words. And since you’re a writer, isn’t that what you were born to do? … Read more

Pen to Pen: Marketing Your Audiobook with Isobel Starling

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Gay romance author walks you through options for marketing audio novels via audiobook sites, blogs, and giveaways. … Read more

Pen to Pen: Audiobook Creation for Indie Authors with Isobel Starling

black man speaking into microphone

This week in Pen to Pen, romance author Isobel Starling stops by to advise independent authors on publishing and marketing audiobooks using ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange), a platform developed by Amazon and Audible.com. She’s got a lot of information, so she’ll have two columns this week. Today’s, “Using ACX: Audiobook Creation for Indie Authors” is on creating your audiobook and paying for a narrator. On Thursday, she’ll be back with some great promotional tips in “Marketing Your Audiobook.” … Read more

Pen to Pen: ’Nathan Burgoine on Befriending Your Local Bookseller

Person standing behind sales counter of bookstore, with shelves of books in the background

For this week’s Pen to Pen, author ’Nathan Burgoine offers six tips on approaching your local bookstores to carry your book. Having managed bookstores for twenty years before turning to writing full-time, he knows this topic well from both sides. … Read more