Features | Self-Publishing Review

eBook Marketing: Is Buying a Great Book Review Your Cup of Tea?

With the huge controversy brewing in the Book Publishing Industry over book reviews and how they’re obtained and used, I thought I would jump in on this.

We have exposed a problem in the trust of one of the decision points buyers have. Is the ebook as good as the review says it is? How much do readers/buyers rely on reviews? Could this start the end of a time-old tradition? Are there professional reviewers still out there that have strong ethics and do the job honestly?

Reviews are Part of the Game

Indie authors are easy to point the finger […]

James Moushon2020-02-21T06:34:47+02:00September 18th, 2012|Categories: Features|Tags: Book Marketing Advice and Tips|

I Like Self-Publishing Again

It’s odd that the recent firestorm about paid reviews and unscrupulous self-publishers has actually rekindled my love of self-publishing. Ever since Amanda Hocking, the vibe around self-publishing has been money, money, money. On the one hand, I was grateful for this because it put self-publishing on the map: money talks. On the other hand: this is the worst determination of value and pretty much what’s wrong with the world, and publishing in general. The reason that I fled traditional publishing (after having a series of agents and traditional contracts) was because of the overemphasis on marketing and past sales. Publishing […]

Henry Baum2012-09-13T13:46:18+02:00September 13th, 2012|Categories: Features|

Epitaph: Paying for Reviews

Full disclosure: SPR charges for reviews. People hate this, and don’t necessarily differentiate between paid good reviews and paid reviews in general, especially with the current controversy of paying for 5-star reviews. Since SPR started charging, we’ve been able to review many more books than before, and pay reviewers for their time. So I do think there’s a difference between what Kirkus, or SPR, does, and guaranteeing a block of 5-star reviews without even reading the book. Even so, people are now decrying the entire paid review model. This may seem like self-protection, but I don’t think the paid […]

Henry Baum2012-08-27T13:29:00+02:00August 27th, 2012|Categories: Features|

Lendink: The Age of Knee-Jerk Vigilance

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

If you are new to the Lendink story, here’s the lowdown. A website that lends out ebooks was shut down by a gaggle of indie writers who thought this was an example of piracy no different than Napster. Really, it’s totally legitimate, as lending ebooks is part of publishing on the Kindle. Books aren’t downloaded, they’re lent for a set period and the writer gets paid. In short, it has nothing in common with Napster.

It’s understandable if writers are a little twitchy about piracy. It also makes sense that people like being […]

Henry Baum2012-08-10T19:22:13+02:00August 10th, 2012|Categories: Features|

Invaluable Reddit AMA from Author Hugh Howey

There’s a huge amount of self-publishing wisdom in this Reddit AMA from Hugh Howey, author of the Wool series (here’s the lowdown on a Reddit AMA). The main takeaway is that writers need to be patient. With all the overnight successes in self-publishing (Amanda Hocking), one might be led to think that’s the way you become successful as a self-publisher. But that’s not really the case. It’s not even the case for the heavyweight JA Konrath, who’s been writing and publishing for years.

Really, self-publishing isn’t much different than traditional publishing. Some people get lucky with a 6-figure book […]

Henry Baum2014-02-12T13:31:40+02:00March 17th, 2012|Categories: Features|Tags: Articles about Hugh Howey|

Should Authors Comment on Reviews?

Taleist has a nice posting asking the question: Should You Comment on Amazon Reviews?

My books’ pages on Amazon aren’t my pages, and readers don’t go there to find me. In my opinion readers should be able to browse a bookshop without bumping into authors fussing and preening next to their books; thanking kind reviewers and gently pointing out errors in less good reviews.

But sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder about my decision in the case of the factual errors. I’d hate to think someone wasn’t reading my book because they read something untrue.

Personally, I’ve come pretty close. […]

Henry Baum2017-03-24T07:40:13+02:00March 16th, 2012|Categories: Features|

How I Funded a $2,700 Kickstarter Project in 24 Hours

The Kickstarter “crowd-funding” site has taken off in popularity in the last year, with lots of independent artists, musicians, and authors (like myself) using the platform as a way to finance projects. You can post your project, and people can pledge money to help out and receive rewards (as an author, you might offer signed paperbacks, advanced reader copies, the ability to name a character, etc.).

In my case, I was looking to use Kickstarter to get a little help paying for the creation of the next audiobook in my Emperor’s Edge fantasy series.

I decided on a goal […]

Lindsay2012-03-08T13:44:06+02:00March 8th, 2012|Categories: Features|

Is a Self-Publishing Backlash On the Way?

It’s been a good run. 2011 was the year when self-publishing broke open with the successes of Amanda Hocking, John Locke, and JA Konrath. The stigma is gone. No one thinks a self-published book is bad just because it’s been self-published. But people are creative – there are some out there who actively want to dislike self-publishing, and will look for reasons to criticize. There are also plenty of people who still want to believe in the validation of a traditional publisher: if an agent and editor like it, I must be good. So now the stigma is not: self-published […]

Henry Baum2012-03-09T10:49:06+02:00March 3rd, 2012|Categories: Features, Lead Story|