Features

Articles, how-to’s, opinion and tips and tricks in the self-publishing arena

Amazon Book Reviews – “Allowed” and “Not Allowed”

There still seems to be some confusion around what Amazon calls its Editorial Review section. Despite there being very strong evidence that it is a good idea to have editorial reviews for your book, authors are still, yes, still, muddling these up with the dreaded “paid” review. As COO of one of the major services delivering editorial reviews and mailout services, it’s about time I made yet another attempt to clear up this misinformation.

Paid Reviews are NOT Editorial Reviews – May this be your mantra

When authors talk about “paid reviews”, they are talking about individuals who offer […]

2020-02-21T06:34:05+02:00September 12th, 2016|Categories: Features|Tags: , |

Why We Write About 9/11

9/11It was a balmy day in September. I was in London, working in a digital studio, churning out tabards and display signs on Photoshop for conferences. Standing next to me was a woman who was flying out that afternoon to present a new credit card to her colleagues at Morgan Stanley in New York, based in the South Tower of the World Trade Center, waiting for me to print her last display image.

A tiny TV on silent over the printer caught our eye. We couldn’t quite figure out what the image was, maybe a fire at a local school, […]

2024-09-10T11:15:18+02:00September 11th, 2016|Categories: Features|

SPR Awards 2016 Open For Submissions!

NOW CLOSED FOR SUBMISSIONS! WINNERS ANNOUNCED DEC 15, 2016

Click here for the latest contest

It’s time for our international book awards to kick off again! This year the prizes have got bigger and better with the first prize giving you over $2000 of book promotion, so we hope to see some strong competition! In its third year, the SPR Awards has been an exciting and diverse competition, with exposure for authors to thousands of readers and a real chance to gain some kudos for all your hard work!

This year we are awarding one overall prize and opening up […]

2019-04-16T07:39:10+02:00September 9th, 2016|Categories: Features|Tags: , |

Promoting Your Book 101: Google vs Amazon vs Facebook vs Twitter

Often we are faced with a daunting task of promoting our books. But how? What is the difference between promoting on Google and Amazon? Why does it matter what sort of promotion you do as an author?

Lately I have been surprised by the amount of clients missing the basics. Here’s a quick guide to fill in some gaps in knowledge.

First Things First – The Plan

Most authors buy promotion without having a plan. What is the goal? How many books do you aim to sell? Do you want reviews, ranking, or to build up your social media followers? […]

2016-09-05T11:14:41+02:00September 1st, 2016|Categories: Features|Tags: , |

Mostly, It’s Not a Choice – Indie Authorship

There are many articles that start “What should you choose: traditional or self-publishing?” This gives the wrong impression to writers. Why? Because it gives the impression that as an author you have the choice to be published by a publishing house if you like!

You probably don’t, and it’s high time this author forum myth is put to bed.

If you want to be traditionally published, you are facing several obstacles before even beginning your publishing journey. Here we discuss the issues with pursuing a traditional career in detail, and how hard it actually is.

Agents

Getting Solicited

You will […]

2016-08-16T11:25:23+02:00August 16th, 2016|Categories: Features|

Tips From A Brit For Fictional British Characters

Cate Baum, born in Cambridge, England, breaks down some myths about Brits.

It seems that British characters in fiction written from an American point of view have two forms: one, a James bond-style hunk with connections to monarchy or aristocracy, or a downright villain.

As kids in England, my sister and I used to joke that if there was an episode of “Murder She Wrote” with an English character, they would always be the murderer – we were right 9 times out out of 10! (Angela Lansbury is English too, by the way, and was a bridesmaid at my great […]

2016-07-20T08:26:10+02:00July 20th, 2016|Categories: Features|

WYSIWYG – Use This One Simple Concept To Vet Author Services (And Avoid Getting Ripped Off)

Buying onlineForget watchdogs and forums – this simple trick will protect authors when buying services online.

When online editors talk about client experience in meetings, we often use the term “WYSIWYG.” This stands for “What You See Is What You Get.”  WYSIWYG means a system of adding content whereby you can see what you will get at the end as you go along, with no hidden or difficult to navigate aspects. In this shaky climate of indie authorship, let’s start applying this one simple concept to product buying, to make sure indie authors are protected when purchasing author services.[…]

2016-07-12T13:40:36+02:00July 12th, 2016|Categories: Features|

Indie Author Gatekeeping Has To Stop

alliA misfire from ALLi at the community of British indie authors?

Lately it’s become a time of uncertainty for indie authors. Amazon has been making changes to their policies left, right, and center. Brexit happened, maybe affecting taxes for authors selling in Europe when the UK leaves the EU (whenever that will be). Many new mavericks have entered the arena, managing to rip off new authors unsure of their pitch.

But what really gets me, especially in this climate, is the surge of indie author services and groups who have started gatekeeping. Surely the point of being an indie author […]

2016-07-11T03:51:31+02:00July 11th, 2016|Categories: Features|
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