Plot Twist: Romance Writers of America

burning cityAuthors who write romance are required to include a few stumbling blocks in the path of their protagonists on the way to their happily-ever-after. But their largest professional organization, Romance Writers of America, has hit a stumbling block so high that the group’s survival is in doubt.

It all started back in August, when Continue reading “Plot Twist: Romance Writers of America”

IU News Bits April No Foolin’ Edition

Indies Unlimited NewspaperWell hello, folks. It’s the end of March, and there are some things you should know, whether you like it or not.

Indies Unlimited Author Survey

There are only two days left to take the IU #PublishingFoul survey. Please check this out: it’s short, fast, easy, anonymous, doesn’t require a log-in, and even if you’ve never been scammed, please answer the first two questions. And boom, you’re done.

Spiffy New Server

You may have noticed Indies Unlimited is now loading lightning fast. You’re welcome. In order to escape the server slowdown experienced by thousands of websites, we moved IU over to a new server. Now we can proudly say, “IU is all like BAM!” Because of those server troubles, some votes may not have registered in our #PublishingFoul survey. Please stop by the survey and check to make sure that yours have. If you see this:VOTED #PublisherFoul surveythen your vote registered. If you see this:NOT VOTED #PublishingFoul Surveythen it did not – and please do vote. We don’t ever ask for much, do we?

Subscriber Emails

Recently, some people have unsubscribed from the newsletter (blasphemy! how dare they?!), claiming that we send too many emails. The newsletter only goes out once per day (we even send it manually now to make sure it doesn’t misfire), so if you are receiving more than one, that means you’ve subscribed to posts via WordPress. If you want to stop receiving those each time a new post goes live, it’s easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the email, you will see:unsubscribe via wordpressJust click unsubscribe, and you’re good to go. Make sure to subscribe to the IU Newsletter, though!

New Resource Pages

We’re always trying to add resource pages to fill the needs of authors. This past quarter, we added one with a list of places to find Beta Readers as well as Legal Resources for Authors. You can find a list of all our resource pages listed at the top of the KnowledgeBase.

Just Ask Us

That’s right, we’re here nearly 24/7 – and all for free. (Crazy, isn’t it?) We work overtime to get the answers you need to those pressing questions, such as: What the heck is a meatgrinder? How do I format for Createspace? And, why has no one ever seen Big Al and Hugh Howey together at the same time? (Suspicious, isn’t it?) In any case, drop us a line via the contact form with what you need to know about writing and publishing and we’ll get back to you, either with a link to an article we’ve got on hand or, with a brand new article written by one of the expert minions on staff. If you wish to remain anonymous, we can do that. No one will get your name out of us. We’re plenty accustomed to torture. So don’t be shy! Ask away.

Flash Fiction Challenge/Anthology Update

Yes, we’re hard at work on the 2014 Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Anthology. That should be released soon. And don’t forget, the rules have changed for the 2015 Flash Fiction Challenges. We’ve implemented a panel of judges to select the top entries before public voting. Read more about the 2015 rule changes here, and don’t forget – you can’t win if you don’t enter!

Summer Schedule

As weekend traffic slows down for summer fun, IU will be going to a new schedule. Beginning in April, we will be running only two features on Friday through Monday, which means that some of your favorites may move. Make sure to subscribe to the IU newsletter so you don’t miss any!

Thanks again for being a part of Indies Unlimited. Don’t forget, you can show your support by sharing our articles, telling your friends about us, and if you’re feeling particularly generous, you can always make a donation. Happy Writing!

IU News Bits

Indies Unlimited NewspaperWell hello, folks. It’s the end of January, and there are some things you should know, whether you like it or not.

Indies Unlimited Excellence Awards

There are only five days left to nominate the sites of your choice for the IUEAs. Yes, this coveted award is almost to the voting stage. Will your favorite sites make it in? They won’t if you don’t nominate them! Please make sure to follow the rules when nominating. The admins are getting gray hairs. Don’t know where to nominate? Start here on nominations home page.

Have You Been Scammed?

Has a vanity press or other self-publishing service provider done you wrong? It’s happened to lots of people – and we want to hear your story. Just drop us a line through the contact form and we’ll shoot the guest post guidelines over to you.

New Vetting Procedure

As you may or may not be aware, Indies Unlimited puts each book through a rigorous vetting procedure before it can be featured on the site (self-service posts not included). As the number of queries has increased dramatically, we’ve found it necessary to streamline the vetting process. Starting in January 2015, we’ve split it into a two-phase process. First phase: books will be evaluated on the basis of their cover, categories, and linkage to the author’s Author Central page. Although the words inside are the most important, the book’s cover is the first thing a reader might use to drop the book from consideration, and the committee approaches each book as a prospective buyer might. If a book passes those criteria, it will move on to the second phase: reviews, book description, and book’s look inside feature. If it does not pass the first round, the author will have the opportunity to make adjustments and/or enhancements and then resubmit.

The vetting committee is comprised of volunteers who spend a lot of time evaluating books as well as providing thoughtful feedback to authors so they can produce a more professional product. They do this in hopes of dispelling the myth that indie author books are inferior. A big kudos to them for donating their time and energy to the cause.

Just Ask Us

That’s right, we’re here nearly 24/7 – and all for free. (Crazy, isn’t it?) We work overtime to get the answers you need to those pressing questions, such as: What the heck is a meatgrinder? How do I format for Createspace? And, why has no one ever seen Big Al and Hugh Howey together at the same time? (Suspicious, isn’t it?) In any case, drop us a line via the contact form with what you need to know about writing and publishing and we’ll get back to you, either with a link to an article we’ve got on hand or, with a brand new article written by one of the expert minions on staff. If you wish to remain anonymous, we can do that. No one will get your name out of us. We’re plenty accustomed to torture. So don’t be shy! Ask away.

Flash Fiction Challenge Rule Update

Don’t forget, the rules have changed for the 2015 Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenges. We’ve implemented a panel of judges to select the top entries before public voting. Read more about the 2015 rule changes here, and don’t forget – you can’t win if you don’t enter!

New Administrative Assistant

Last, but definitely not least, Kyle Phillips has joined the staff in an administrative capacity. Kyle is studying English and Marketing and, for some reason we can’t comprehend, will be donating his time to assist the Admins by fielding query emails and coordinating Vetting Committee input. Remember, everyone at IU is a volunteer – so please, don’t shoot the messenger. Let’s extend Kyle a warm welcome, and if you want in on the pool of how long he will last, squares are five dollars.

Thanks again for being a part of Indies Unlimited. Don’t forget, you can show your support by telling your friends about us, and if you’re feeling particularly generous, you can always make a donation. Happy Writing!

Indie News Beat with Chris James

NEWS FLASH: Mainstream Publisher opens its doors to Independent Authors

In what is believed to be a first, on 1 October a mainstream publisher will open its doors, for a limited period of two weeks, to unsolicited submissions of full-length manuscripts, including self-published novels.

This represents remarkable admission by a mainstream publisher that Independent Authors have something to offer. Voyager, which is the Science Fiction imprint of HaperCollins, is looking for “10 to 12 new authors”, one of which it will publish monthly over the course of next year. Continue reading “Indie News Beat with Chris James”
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