Amazon Advantage vs Amazon Seller Central: Sell Your Own Print Books
by Jason Hamilton, reprinted with permission
So let’s assume that you have printed multiple copies of your book and have them stacked in your house, maybe from a boutique printer, or they were shipped to your house some other way. If this is the case, how can you have these books sold on Amazon?
PW Close-Up: James Patterson’s “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians”
“The book takes us inside the lives, and livelihoods, of the everyday heroes surrounding us in the literary trenches: booksellers and librarians.”
New and forthcoming books by Indigenous authors, from both here in the U.S. and in postcolonial countries.
7 Indigenous Bookstagrammers and Booktokkers to Follow What started as a fun project turned into more than 18,000 Instagram followers, well-attended in-person workshops and readings, sold-out merchandise in bedazzled pops of pink, and ongoing donations to fund more than 500 free book care packages sent out to Indigenous youth in 2023.
Indigenous Children’s Book Authors Band Together
21 Popular Romance Tropes for Writers
Glasgow Worldcon Chair Vows Transparency Following Chengdu Hugos Censorship
Esther MacCallum-Stewart, chair of Glasgow Worldcon 2024, has enacted concrete steps “to ensure transparency and to attempt to redress the grievous loss of trust in the administration of the Awards.” She also announced the resignation of Hugos administrator Kat Jones, who participated in “eligibility research” during Chengdu Worldcon.
Abrams Announces New Kids Graphic Novel Imprint
Abrams Childrens Group launches a graphic novel imprint for young readers, called Abrams Fanfare, which will include graphic novels for early, middle-grade, and YA readers. Look for it this fall.
Author J.D Barker Apologizes, Dropped by Agent After ‘Creepy’ BookTok Request
A campaign went out to BookTok influencers asking them to promote an author’s racy book and suggested their promotions should be racy as well. The author says it was sent out by mistake (yes!) and without his approval (?) and he’s apologized. Influencers were to be paid to promote pre-orders based on how many followers they had. The author was dropped by his agent after complaints surfaced about the campaign. No word from the publisher if the book will still go ahead in May, but Barker’s website says it’s soon to become a major motion picture. There are links where readers can preorder the hardcover or audio version.
Resignations, Censures Follow in Wake of Hugo Awards Controversy
Two leaders of the World Science Fiction Society reportedly stepped down from their posts after accusations of censorship in the voting process for the 2023 Hugo Awards.
Tieshena Davis, publisher of Publish Your Gift®, will serve as IBPA Board Chair beginning July 1.
From Writer Beware: New Terms of Use at Findaway Voices Forces Change, i.e. AI training
Court Trims Authors’ Copyright Lawsuit Against Open AI
Four of six claims made by authors in a now consolidated lawsuit alleging that Open AI infringes their copyrights were dismissed, although authors have a month to amend the complaint.
Amazon Turns $2.7 Billion Loss in 2022 to a Profit of $30 Billion in 2023
Amazon eliminated approximately 27,000 jobs last year, reorganized fulfillment, and are testing Rufus, a user-friendly, conversational shopping assistant—that is AI. It’s not clear how Rufus will help authors sell books. Rufus is in beta testing, but will be available soon.
Ready for a new computer? Recycle the old one!
Recycling one million laptops saves enough energy to power 3,500 U.S. homes for an entire year, according to the EPA. There are also precious metals inside the computer, and they should be reused to save resources. The article, first written in 2016, has been updated in 2024 with tips on where to go, how to remove your information, and more. Save your work, save the planet.
