Should Authors Pay for Reviews?
Should Authors Pay for Reviews?
Indie-publishing news, education, and resources from 1106Design.com
Should Authors Pay for Reviews?
This question plagues many authors, and those who ask often find that they’ve struck a nerve in the writing community. Paying for reviews used to be considered taboo, and in many circles, it still is. However, thanks to Kirkus, BookLife, and other services that promise honest, unbiased reviews, paid reviews have become more acceptable and, in some cases, even sought-after for the extra credibility they can provide….
Click here to find out whether paid reviews are worthwhile and what to consider when selecting a review service.
In case you missed it…
Author Story: Samuel Halpern
Click here to read about Samuel Halpern’s publishing journey and author insights.
The Importance of Developing a Joy of Reading at a Young Age
"According to Elizabeth Barnes, Executive Director of the Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia, reading a minimum of 20 minutes a day, enables a child’s vocabulary to develop, potentially ‘exposing them to 1.8 million vocabulary words a year.’"
Writer Beware: Scam Alert
"If you’re a fan of British TV shows, you’ve probably heard of (or maybe even subscribed to) Acorn TV, a streaming service that offers a wide variety of commercial-free UK-made mysteries, dramas, comedies, and documentaries. Scammers have heard of it too."
The Barnes & Noble Book Club
"The B&N National Book Club where you get expert book recommendations and meet with bestselling authors."
Alliance of Independent Authors: How to Choose the Best Self-Publishing Company
“#Authors, if you're wondering what #selfpublishing options are available, what their pros and cons are, and what questions you should ask to help you make a wise decision, this post is for you…”
Publish with Purpose
You're invited!
The Publish with Purpose virtual summit begins on October 10, and Tara Alemany is proud to be part of this great lineup of experts, who are all stepping up to share their knowledge and expertise with you.
If you're an author, publisher, or book marketer, you're not going to want to miss this! The summit includes 20+ presentations plus 8 live sessions that cover topics like:
• Working with writers' critique groups
• Learning how to build a long-term author career
• Avoiding blunders that will sink your book
• Legal tips for authors
• Conquering mailer's block
• Making the most of Facebook and Instagram advertising
• Boosting book sales and platform growth with author collaborations
• Getting others to pay for your book marketing
• Leveraging the power of product bundles
• Becoming a podcast guest insider
• And so much more!
There are even great opportunities to meet the speakers and other attendees to get your questions answered and possibly find your next collaboration partner!
For the price of admission ($67 after Sept 15!), you have access to the replays for three full months. So, even if you can't commit to attending live, you'll have all these great resources to learn from in the coming months.
Brian Jud’s Bookselling University: The Essentials of Book Design by Michele DeFilippo
Authors are bombarded with “what-to-do” advice about indie publishing, most centered around do-it-yourself systems or other cheap solutions. But will these tempting offers deliver a book that meets traditional industry standards or something less? This presentation explores the “why,” the thought process, methods, and standards followed by trained book designers to create best-seller covers and interior pages that buyers expect. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of the craft and why it takes so much time. You’ll also learn how to hire the right designer and judge the work they present.
On September 28 at 7:00 - 8:00 pm ET, Michele will discuss these topics:
Book Cover Design
1. What is a book cover?
2. How should it look?
3. What makes it work?
4. How to choose the right designer.
Book Page Design
1. Why does book page design matter?
2. Beautiful design helps your buyer.
3. Beautiful typesetting helps your reader.
4. Beautiful design and typesetting help YOU.
Call for Entries: 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
If you’d like to receive greater recognition, monetary prizes, awards, and exposure for your book, this is one opportunity you’ll want to check into.
This opportunity is for all indie book authors and publishers—including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors who have a book written in English and released in 2021, 2022, or 2023 or with a 2021, 2022, or 2023 copyright date.
Presented by Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group (IBPPG) in conjunction with Marilyn Allen (formerly of Allen O'Shea Literary Agency), the Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the top independently published books of the year. IBPPG was formed to provide support and recognition for the independent book publishing profession, and they encourage all independent authors and publishers to enter their books in the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards so that they too can earn recognition and receive other benefits from having an award-winning book!
Offering more than 80 categories and over 80 monetary prizes, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers and the only book awards program of its kind offering more monetary prizes, more awards, more recognition, and more exposure—including exposure to a leading literary agent for possible representation in areas such as distribution, foreign rights, film rights, and other rights!
Awards given to the Finalists and Winners of the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards are:
$1,500 cash prize and trophy for the best Fiction Book
$1,500 cash prize and trophy for the best Non-Fiction Book
$750 cash prize and trophy for the second best Fiction Book
$750 cash prize and trophy for the second best Non-Fiction Book
$500 cash prize and trophy for the third best Fiction Book
$500 cash prize and trophy for the third best Non-Fiction Book
$100 Cash Prize & Gold Medal for all 80+ category Winners
Medals for each finalist in the 80+ categories
Early Bird Discount: Enter online by September 30, 2022 and your second category is free!
The final entry date for the 2023 awards program is February 10, 2023.
First Call for Entries: 2023 Eric Hoffer Award
Calling small presses, academic presses, micro presses, and self-publishers!
Each year, independent publishers release extraordinary books with little or no recognition. The Eric Hoffer Book Award recognizes excellence in publishing. Not only is The Eric Hoffer Book Award one of the most recognized awards for independent and small presses, but it’s also the most economical way to achieve publicity and recognition.
A single registration gives you seven ways to win by genre, press, the Montaigne Medal, the da Vince Eye, the First Horizon Award, the Medal Provocateur (for poetry), and the Hoffer grand prize. There is a category for every book.
Low entrance fee: $60 for early registration by Dec. 14, $70 after
Chapbooks and eBooks welcome—chapbooks at a reduced rate of $45
Legacy categories for books older than 2 years
New MEDAL PROVOCATEUR for the best on the frontier of poetry
Their categories cover the entire spectrum of publishing: Art, Poetry, Chapbook, General Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Children, Middle Reader, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery/Crime, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Short Story/Anthology, Spiritual Fiction, Culture, Memoir, Business, Reference, Home, Health, Self-Help, Spiritual Nonfiction, Legacy Fiction, Legacy Nonfiction, e-Book Fiction, and e-Book Nonfiction
Awards/Benefits:
$2,500 GRAND PRIZE (the Eric Hoffer Award for Books)
Winner of the Montaigne Medal for most thought-provoking books
Winner of the da Vinci Eye for best covers
Winner of the First Horizon Award for debut authors
Winner of the Medal Provocateur for experimental poetry
Winner and First Runner-Up awarded for every category
Honorable Mentions for every category
Individual Awards for Micro, Small, and Academic Presses, as well as Self-Published Books
Coverage in The US Review of Books and on www.HofferAward.com
Gold Seal Certificates
Worldwide Exposure
You can read Hoffer Award success stories here, read previous contest coverage in the US Review of Books, and view past winners and press releases here.
Check Out Our Services
Market Analysis & Positioning Bundle
Who is your target audience? How does your book stack up to the competition? Is your book competitively priced? These are just a few of the questions we answer through our Market Analysis and Positioning Bundle, in which we provide a comprehensive survey of competitive titles on the market. Through this service, we…
Research competitive titles to compare book cover design styles
Offer title and subtitle review and recommendations
Offer copywriting of back cover/Amazon text
Suggest Amazon categories and keywords
Assist in target audience identification
Suggest retail pricing
To learn more about this bundle, please visit this link or contact us here.
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