Well-Covered

I’d get more into the topic, but I haven’t got time to plumb the depths of Amazon. Instead I recommend that you do. Look at the genre you picked for your story, and see what the bestsellers are (taking out authors like RR Martin and mega-bestsellers, who can sell on the author’s name alone) and look at their covers. Keep in mind that most ebooks will be viewed at a very small size of image initially, and design yours to look good at thumbnail, then full-size. Stick to the recommended proportions. A square cover image will scream amateur in the bookshop, unless it’s a children’s picture book…

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Some Thoughts About Free Ebooks

Ever since Amazon announced it’s Amazon Select program (December 2011) the plethora of free books has significantly decreased the effectiveness of this type of promotion.

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From Locks to Freedom

The problem with the internet is that anyone can write something down, publish it, and present it as fact when it’s not. I have ten titles on Amazon, and another one coming out later this week. Every single one, the default is no DRM, although there is a check-box I can click if I decided I wanted it on my work. Which I don’t. Unlike Big Music and Big Publishing, I don’t think all people are thieves. I also know better than to think that DRM is anything but a challenge to hacker twits who break stuff just for jollies.

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Epic Fantasy Analysis September 27, 2013

Sorry, I ran this data a few days ago but didn’t have time to finish the analysis.  Once again it’s time to take a closer look at the Amazon’s Epic Fantasy Bestseller list for the Kindle. […]

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The Power of Free

Face it, no-one needs to buy a fiction book. It’s not like underwear, or food, or a roof over their heads. It’s entertainment.

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Epic Fantasy Analysis August 18, 2013

Traditional publishing continues to dominate with 56% of the books published through that route. Self-publishing still is doing well with nearly 40%. Small press and Amazon titles makes up very few of the overall list.

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Eric Gustafson Cover

Part Two of the Art of Covers

This is part two of Eric Gustafson’s guest post for me on covers. It’s a huge topic, and even if you aren’t responsible for your own covers, you should understand how a bad cover can […]

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A Fan’s History — Fanzines, Continued….

Fanzines, continued: Okay, Mr. Smartypants, what’s a “sercon” zine? Actually, I’m glad you asked that question. It’s another of those annoying (well, to an outsider) fannish neologisms and acronyms. In this case, we have “serious” […]

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Love Thine Enemy: A Review of Interrupt by Jeff Carlson

Let’s get one thing out of the way up front. I am crazy about Jeff Carlson’s writing. I even tipped him as my favorite lesser-known SF author in a recent interview here on Amazing Stories. Tying that hangman’s noose a bit tighter, I stated at the time that I thought Carlson’s best work was still ahead of him.

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Self-publishing – Four Months In

I pushed the ‘publish’ button on my first e-book way back in March. Other e-books followed in June and since then I’ve branched out from Kindle into iBooks and also the Kobo with the Nook […]

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Doujinshi: Distinctly Japanese

There are many expressions of fandom that cross genres and cultures – fan fiction, fan art, even cosplay.  But there is one form in particular that is distinctly Japanese, both in its origin and in […]

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An Interview with Hugh Howey

Hugh Howey wasn’t a name many were familiar with until his self-published book Wool went viral. Now on the best-seller charts across the planet, we sit down to find out what’s next for the Silo and find […]

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