Singulus Books – Quality fiction, one title at a time.

A stroke of good luck courtesy of the NYC permit dept: “no permit required if you sell newspapers, periodicals, BOOKS, pamphlets, or other written matter.”

In the fall, stepping things up, starting a mobile, pop-up bookstore in Manhattan.

Strategically placed in front of high-traffic locations like Barnes & Noble’s flagship store in Union Square…

 

or the legendary Strand Bookstore.

 

Starting with mine, of course… http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNW967G

If this experiment goes well, other titles may follow, becoming a paid service offered to indie authors.

If you can’t get your book into mainstream bookstores, start your own…

Amazon vs. Hachette – Indie authors and lovers of Indie Lit. – take a stand against big publishing, sign the petition.

Some have called for a boycott of Amazon. Read the article excerpt below.

 

“Self-published authors responded to Preston’s open letter on Thursday with their own petition, which now boasts over 3,000 signatures.

Launched by Howey – author of the hit dystopian novel Wool – and others including the bestselling thriller writers JA Konrath and Barry Eisler – the letter urges readers not to boycott Amazon, arguing that the online giant has liberated authors and readers alike from the clutches of “New York Publishing”.

“Major publishers like Hachette have a long history of treating authors and readers poorly,” the petition states. “Amazon, on the other hand, has built its reputation on valuing authors and readers dearly. The two companies didn’t simultaneously change directions overnight.”

“Amazon has done more to liberate readers and writers than any other entity since Johannes Gutenberg refined the movable type printing press”, the petition continues, adding that “Amazon is growing overall readership while liberating the voices of countless writers, adding to the diversity of literature”.

“A large percentage of the ebooks sold on Amazon are from independent authors. You have validated our decision to write and to publish. Don’t let the wealthiest of writers convince you to turn away,” the authors write.”

Please take a moment to read and sign the petition.

Indie Hero thanks you…

https://www.change.org/petitions/hachette-stop-fighting-low-prices-and-fair-wages

The Indie Author Manifesto

Indie Authors.

Each and every one of us should post this on our websites, blogs, etc.

THE INDIE AUTHOR MANIFESTO by Mark Coker @ Smashwords:

 

THE INDIE AUTHOR MANIFESTO


We indie authors believe all writers are created equal, that all writers are endowed with natural creative potential, and that writers have an unalienable right to exercise, explore and realize their potential through the freedom of publication. 

I hold these truths to be self-evident:

1. I am an indie author
2. I have experienced the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from self-publishing
3. I have a right to publish
4. My creative control is important to me.  I decide when, where and how my writing graduates to become a published book.
5. Indie does not mean “alone.”  I choose my partners.
6. I shall not bow beholden or subservient to any publisher. In my business relationships, I seek partnership, fairness, equity and mutually aligned interests.
7. We indie authors comprise diverse writers unified by a common purpose to advance, empower and celebrate writers everywhere.
8. I am a professional.  I take pride in my work, and I strive to improve my craft to better serve my readers, myself, my fellow indie authors and the culture of books
9. My writing is valuable and important.  This value and importance cannot be measured by commercial sales alone.
10. I celebrate the success of my fellow indie authors, for their success is mine, and mine theirs. Together we are pioneering a better future for books marked by greater quality, creativity, diversity, choice, availability, affordability and accessibility.

 

Thank you, Mark. Agreed and well said.

Here’s the link to the original post:  http://blog.smashwords.com/2014/04/indie-author-manifesto.html

Agents. Qualified literary gatekeepers?

A few years ago, Samuel Moffie submitted The Perfect Martini to 100 literary agents. Actually, he submitted 90% of the first twenty pages of Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions disguised as The Perfect Martini. Any guesses on his success rate? 100 out of 100, right? No. Only one agent responded positively, but that’s because the agent recognized the original author. 99 agents declined. Just to be clear, yes, the critically acclaimed, award-winning, nationally revered Kurt Vonnegut. Rejected.

Agents are concerned with commercial viability, that’s first and foremost. Period. Literary quality is a secondary bonus, if present. Now, if Vonnegut wrote a novel where a dominant vampire becomes master to a naive, submissive, shape-shifting werewolf, I’m sure he would have fared better.

Here’s the point. Why spend months, or even years, writing and submitting queries to agents who are clearly looking the other way? If they passed on Kurt Vonnegut, what chance do you have?

Agent, defined: 1. a person who acts on behalf of another, in particular. Do agents really represent authors (unknown or established) or do they represent their own financial interests and those of Big Publishers? In terms of quality, perhaps the guards are sleeping at the gates. 2. a person or thing that takes an active role or produces a specified effect. Be that person, be your own agent of change. You, not someone else. You, the person that isn’t so concerned with profit. You, the person that cares about the future of literature, not the 15% commission.

During the course of one year, I queried over 300 agents, followed all their silly and varied submission requirements, I know, no attachments, got it, waited to hear back for weeks sometimes, other times, didn’t hear back at all, even with partial or full manuscript requests, read all their canned responses, I’m not taking on new authors at this time, the work doesn’t fit with my list. Blah, blah, blah.

Query tip: don’t send any more. Take your work straight to the reader.

Within one month, I built a platform, designed my cover, formatted my ebook, published, promoted, marketed, and advertised.

Made sales.

Your turn.