Welcome to my weekly roundup of publishing news and marketing tips for authors.
Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner, recently published a new book, Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition. So far, I have only read the first chapter, but the book looks terrific. I encourage all authors to study Michael's book promotion website—it's one of the best ones that I have seen.
Virtual Reader Communities
Several social networks are designed for readers and authors to interact. The largest of these sites are Goodreads and LibraryThing and I recommend that authors join one or both sites. See this article for tips on using Goodreads. I'll be writing more about LibraryThing later.
I read primarily mysteries and marketing/business books, and I welcome connections on my Goodreads page.
News from the Publishing World
- Google announced that they will begin selling a new ebook reading device in Target stores. See this article for more details.
- USA TODAY has created a new online destination for book lovers at http://books.usatoday.com allowing readers to discover, discuss, preview and purchase books. Learn more here.
- Amazon continues to battle with several states over whether they have to collect sales tax. This has implications for authors and publishers because Amazon has dropped their Associates (affiliates) in several states that have passed laws making the presence of affiliates a requirement for collecting sales tax. This article has the best analysis I have seen of the issue and outlines the status state by state.
- Reuters reported that Barnes & Noble seems close to accepting a buyout offer from Liberty Media, the only bidder since the company put itself up for sale nearly a year ago. Despite the popularity of the Nook and NookColor, the company still depends on shrinking book sales at its 717 stores, and analysts feel that investing in the Nook could strain financial performance for years.
Recent Comments