Publishing News Roundup Series: Nook Closes Hundreds of Indie Author Accounts
by Maureen Crisp • August 28, 2017 • Follow
Published in News • No comments
The whole point of self-publishing is to have your published work out for readers to find. But what happens when the ability to publish is taken away?
Nook just closed tons of indie author accounts and took published books off of their reading lists. This brings into question the ability of freedom to publish and makes many wonder if online distribution companies are trying to move authors back into the confines of traditional publishing.
Is The Sun Shining?
Pic: Flickr Creative Commons Andrew Napier
This week the sun disappeared in North America. In olden times… (pick your century) an eclipse was a portent of disaster or great change. Some might have decided that the eclipse came seven months too late. If you are an indie author publishing some romance fiction on Nook it came right on time. With no warning to the authors involved accounts have been closed. This is a great reminder about spreading your eggs among many baskets.
Kris Rusch wrote about the eclipse in a different way. Her little town prepared for an influx of visitors… and they didn’t come. Kris compares this to the book publishing industry. What happens to publishing if all the marketing goes on the books with the highest advance and they don’t sell?
Porter Anderson recently talked with Sophie de Closets, the CEO of French publishing house Fayard, about women in publishing. Sophie talked about what it was like as a young CEO walking in to manage such a venerablehouse but then she added something startling. Where are all the men in publishing? This potentially is a huge problem for identifying readers.
Amazon is on track to open their tenth brick and mortar bookstore this year. Their bookstores are small with books facing out and highly curated. Are they on to a sure thing? Their emphasis on data and buying habits suggest they are.
So is it the right time to be buying a bookstore? Dean Wesley Smith thinks so because he just bought one. However Dean has data of his own and lays out what a modern bookstore should be doing.
Hugh Howey is sailing the Pacific living the life on the boat his books bought. (Not jealous… really…) He finds time to write in between swimming with turtles and whales (not jealous….) Recently he wrote two really good posts on becoming a writer. ( and Part Two) They are thoughtful and insightful and a great pick me up when you are staring at your MS thinking about sailing in the pacific with turtles… on a dream boat…. (OK Jealous!)
A few years ago now a bunch of crazy writers got together to write a serial story for kids. It was hard work but creatively inspiring. The crazy writers are still writing for kids but we aren’t doing serials. Every now and then I read an interesting article on Serial Writing and think … hmm Crazy Fun. This article looks at 13 reasons why writing a serial is better than writing a book.
In The Craft Section.
How to hook a reader– Mary Kole- Bookmark
The ingredients of great series characters– James Scott Bell- Bookmark
3 reasons you don’t need a character arc– Janice Hardy
2 great articles from Now Novel- 7 examples of great plot twists and How famous characters teach characterisation. Bookmark
Zero Draft Thirty is the screenwriters NaNoWriMo It kicks off in September.
In The Marketing Section,
The reason book marketing is exhausting– Rachel Thompson- Bookmark
9 tips to clarify your target market– Lisa Tener
Using Canva for book marketing– Bookmark
Mailchimp alternatives- Ricardo Fayet – Bookmark
Book launch timeline– Shelley Hitz- Bookmark!
To Finish,
The New Yorker, venerable institution of prose and social comment has an article on…. Fan Fiction? Yes you did read that sentence right. It’s a good article too. Go on… dip your toe in….
Maureen
@craicer
About Maureen Crisp
Maureen Crisp has been writing her weekly publishing roundups for over seven years. She is a traditionally published children's author as well as indie-published. She lives in New Zealand and is heading the team organising the 4th National Conference of Children's Writers and Illustrators. She is currently trying her hand at writing a children’s book series if she can drag herself away from forever tweaking her Mars novel or obsessing over space.