If you're a self-published author or independent micro-press, these are very interesting times we're living in as Amazon officially announced the new Kindle, major publishing companies are in meltdown mode, and the entire industry is scrambling to figure out what's next. While following the Tools of Change Conference on Twitter, I came across an intriguing tweet from @indieauthor: #TOC … Continue reading Rise of the Publetariat
Tag: Self-Publishing
The Problem With Self-Publishing
HarperStudio -- one of a handful of publishers who really seems to understand how to use the internet and social media -- is running a web poll on their home page right now that asks: "Are you less likely to read a book if it is self published?" As I write this, there have been … Continue reading The Problem With Self-Publishing
Free Chapbook: Crazy White Devil
It's been years since I created a chapbook. Six, to be exact. I released Selected Squares of Concrete -- a de facto "best of" poetry collection of new, revised, never-before-released and old favorites -- back in March of 2003, smack in the middle of the razor-thin slice of time between my return to the NYC … Continue reading Free Chapbook: Crazy White Devil
Review: TRIBES by Seth Godin
Just do it. Or, as Gandhi put it, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." That, in a nutshell, is the primary message of Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, Seth Godin's masterful mini-manifesto on what it takes to be a leader and why YOU should be the one to take … Continue reading Review: TRIBES by Seth Godin
Goodbye Borders, Hello Kindle?
Things are looking shakier by the day for Borders, with GalleyCat now reporting that a Major Distributor Raises Concerns about their financial situation: GalleyCat has received a copy of a "special alert" sent from a major book distributor specializing in independent publishers to its clients, warning them that Borders, whose financial difficulties are widely recognized, … Continue reading Goodbye Borders, Hello Kindle?
Why Your Book Will Never Be in Borders
The odds are pretty slim, and not just because they're on the verge of going out of business: "I market books for a living, so I can tell you an unpleasant truth: the order for any book, from any account, starts at zero," [Andrew Wheeler, a marketing manager at Wiley] warns. "The publisher's sales rep … Continue reading Why Your Book Will Never Be in Borders
COMMENT: Men of Tomorrow, Today?
I've had Gerard Jones' enthralling must-read, MEN OF TOMORROW, on my mind a lot the past few days, thanks as much to the Speakeasy fiasco as my general feelings about the comics industry lately. So much of what I see happening with seemingly naive creators getting screwed over by inept publishers with big plans and … Continue reading COMMENT: Men of Tomorrow, Today?
COMMENT: Dawson Ditches Speakeasy
After ending 2005 with a flurry of bad press, fledgling indie publisher, Speakeasy Comics, kicked off 2006 with the first of what was presumably going to be a string of big announcements which would reposition them as a player to be reckoned with in the industry: Rosario Dawson's Occult Crimes Taskforce (O.C.T.)"Rosario Dawson is an … Continue reading COMMENT: Dawson Ditches Speakeasy
In the Scope: Speakeasy Shakes Things Up
[This post was retrieved via the Wayback Machine and archived here on 11/4/15. No edits were made beyond the removal of images that were no longer accessible.] Diamond’s stricter policy on pre-orders causing ripples throughout the industry Back in September, Diamond Comics Distributors made some waves with their announcement of a stricter policy regarding minimum … Continue reading In the Scope: Speakeasy Shakes Things Up
Retro: Runners #1-5
Atari Force was one of my favorite comics as a kid, and of course Star Wars remains one of the most influential movies I've ever seen, and Sean Wang's Runners evokes fond memories of both, with a welcome dose of humor thrown in the mix. Clever scripting and nice, clean artwork, I will be seeking out the other four issues to this series as soon as possible.