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newts posted:I have made almost $40 on my book this month If that was the case, no one would be on KU lol. If you've got more than like 10 reviews on Amazon, someone has probably uploaded it to multiple pirate sites already.
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Jul 14, 2023 10:58
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Which is only exciting because I haven’t really advertised it at all. Most of the money comes from KU reads.
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I don't mind getting kicked off KU as long as I don't get kicked off KDP entirely. I assume that there is no risk of that? I think it was a mistake to enroll in KDP Select, but there is no way to unenroll before the three months are up, and I am certainly not going to contact Support and draw attention to myself. I will just do the three months and see what happens.
SimonChris fucked around with this message at 14:14 on Jul 14, 2023 |
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Jul 14, 2023 11:01
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Megazver posted:If that was the case, no one would be on KU lol. If you've got more than like 10 reviews on Amazon, someone has probably uploaded it to multiple pirate sites already. I mean this literally happened to Raven Kennedy who got her KDP account closed earlier this year due to pirated copies of her Plated Prisoner series and Raven Kennedy is MASSIVE. Like, her stuff has been optioned massive. The only way she got it reopened was because she was so big and made a huge fuss on social media and eventually a human high up in KDP saw it and got it fixed.
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Jul 14, 2023 12:07
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Leng posted:I mean this literally happened to Raven Kennedy who got her KDP account closed earlier this year due to pirated copies of her Plated Prisoner series and Raven Kennedy is MASSIVE. Like, her stuff has been optioned massive. The only way she got it reopened was because she was so big and made a huge fuss on social media and eventually a human high up in KDP saw it and got it fixed. Yes, that can happen but there's a difference between "this is the official policy - even if your work is pirated without your consent (so pretty much everyone), you're breaking the contract and will be banned from Amazon" and "sometimes the automated systems gently caress you over and it's really hard to get someone to unfuck you, but you're not actually legally responsible for someone pirating you". The latter sucks, but Amazon can randomly gently caress you over regardless and there's little point in avoiding KDP because of that.
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Jul 14, 2023 12:38
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I mean, yes, it’s an incredibly stupid policy and managed terribly and haphazardly. But I’m going to do anything I can to avoid the bots’ attention. I know both huge and teeny-tiny authors who’ve been kicked out of KU because of pirated stuff. There isn’t much you can do about that besides trying to whack them as they pop up, but I don’t think I’d put something on KU that was intentionally published somewhere else by me.
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Jul 14, 2023 14:08
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beep-beep car is go posted:My writing is more old school Sci-Fi (think like 1970s Larry Niven without the weird sex stuff or Robert Heinlein without the weird sex stuff) and there doesn't seem to be much of a market for that with traditional publishing. Not trying to talk you out of self publishing, but I don't think this is true at all. Search for markets that publish Sci-Fi on Submission Grinder or Duotrope. Unless you're using stilted 1970s prose, there are markets for it.
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Jul 18, 2023 20:30
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Doctor Zero posted:Not trying to talk you out of self publishing, but I don't think this is true at all. Search for markets that publish Sci-Fi on Submission Grinder or Duotrope. Unless you're using stilted 1970s prose, there are markets for it. That's legitimately good to hear! I have an account on QueryTracker and most everyone I looked up there basically said they weren't buying what I was selling. I'm glad to be proven wrong.
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Jul 18, 2023 22:09
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Me and my wife have made a children's board book. The sample from the printer is coming this weekend and then after we bask in its glow we will have to make decisions. I want to print 500 copies and just run through that before pursuing this any further than a hobby-grade vanity project. This link goes to the Thumbnail File (CLICK). If anyone wants to give it a 2 minute read please I would love feedback. First and foremost: fuk kdp, suck my dick from the back never needed you anyways. They will never print a board book because that technology is lost to american printers. I took a look at the resources thread and I might nudge wife to hook up with Serendipity Lit as an agent for this book. Edit: fixed share link KirbyKhan fucked around with this message at 16:36 on Jul 20, 2023 |
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Jul 20, 2023 16:19
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KirbyKhan posted:Me and my wife have made a children's board book. The sample from the printer is coming this weekend and then after we bask in its glow we will have to make decisions. I want to print 500 copies and just run through that before pursuing this any further than a hobby-grade vanity project. Artwork is really good. Dad disappears while Mommy does all the comforting and calming, so that gives me a hmm; could at least have his head pop in the frame and wouldn't be a big alteration to the art layouts, but I dunno. If the gimmick is the song, maybe instead of counting to ten it's the song within the text of the book? It's not mentioned as a calming technique, just thrown in on the last page. Likewise, I think the "How do you feel today" graphic would be a good thing to be on the back cover instead of the lyrics. I'm just a trouble making uncle, though, so maybe it's fine as is.
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Jul 20, 2023 17:45
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Covers are the first thing that gets torn off by toddlers, so it was conscious decision to put that in. But I get it, and that is valid, I will mention. Dad (me) being in at all was something I wasn't really feeling. The focus is very much on mom. Has, been, currently is, and will always be a mommy book. Dad in a panel was mostly to solve the imaginary pre-feedback of "why she gotta be a single mom" wife had when we got the artist thumbnails. . I want to say good things about Qin Publishing and Round Color Printing. Been so much easier working out with folks overseas over the local print shops. I asked both what their printers mark is so I can put it in the file submission but they were all "don't worry dude, just put 'Printed in China' and we cool" So I need to find out what info is supposed to go on those publisher bits, which will be on back cover, because that gets ripped off by toddler hands first.
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Jul 20, 2023 17:59
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I checked out Qin Publishing's site and the prices seem pretty good. If they're nice to deal with, then fantastic. I hope you update with how you market/distribute hard copies once you get there. Successes and failures and unconsidered hurdles especially when starting out; (mis)adventures in picture book publishing is interesting and beyond the usual KDP garbo. Anyway, good luck.
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Jul 21, 2023 02:44
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KirbyKhan posted:First and foremost: fuk kdp, suck my dick from the back never needed you anyways. They will never print a board book because that technology is lost to american printers. No POD printer will do it, because it requires a different machine. (Which, according to my local printer, is the same machine needed to do physical boxsets with the cardboard case.) Board books are on my list of "things I'd like to do" for my kids books but mine are the standard 32 page picture book length so it might actually not work in board book! Will be watching your progress with interest, especially on how you handle fulfilment and shipping. Do you plan on trying Amazon FBA or are you going to do direct sales?
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Jul 22, 2023 02:44
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Direct sales for the first run of 500. We have a convention/festival table in November and we'll probably do one or two more after that. Secured ISBN number and I'll find out what kinda children's e-book library we can submit this to. Book of CSPAM is my inspiration. If twoday was able to wrangle the shipping on my own order when I moved across the country two years after giving him money... Then I should be able to do just as well.
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Jul 22, 2023 13:24
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Books! Writing them! Just finished an 80k + page novel! Dead End's! How do I publish it? Can someone be my agent? Once it sell's, it'll be a paid role! I need representatives, too! And an editor! Zack said he had the same problem! The dream isn't real! They don't do the work! Maybe someone will? Blurb! In the old west, there is a dying tribe! Three colonel's go off to fetch it! Col. Sam Wilkinson, a six-shooter and a garrison commander like his friend's! Jean Claude Vanderbilt, another Colonel and one in the dark throes of his life! And Nightingale Fellows, a creepy sort! Could he shoot? The Dark Tower looms in the distance! We can get there if we try! And the sunset is lit! Train's, automobiles and World War 2! This is the action-thriller I wrote a blurb for! This blurb is for SA! It's not the real one! That's in my notepad .txt! LOL! I'll go get it! Three colonels attack a town together But The Spire awakens and swallows them all! Now they're stranded in a desert hell from which there is no escape! Dark Tower This is the blurb! The title image will be, too! I have it designed, but need an artist to do it! No fund's! It'll sell for $49.99 Basic Softcover, 59.99 Hardcover, 69.99 One Pre-Order/Special Edition Version with Bookmark, 79.99 for Autograph (First Edition) and 3 bookmark's version for 100 flat! That one's the come in and get it autographed version! It's good! I don't have a sample, no spoilers! I need it in a book! I'd like an editor, but it's fine to go! The editor can't spoil it and must be good to work with, of course! How do I go about publishing, getting an agent and more? Thanks!
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Jul 22, 2023 15:05
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Exclamation Points! Sentence Fragments! We love them! 
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Jul 22, 2023 15:24
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please have your editor check your apostrophe usage EDIT: in case anyone else wondered, this user PMed me to assure me they get laid. Fate Accomplice fucked around with this message at 07:07 on Jul 23, 2023 |
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Jul 22, 2023 16:42
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cpmaoa1990 posted:Books! Not sure what's going on here but I would like to read this book, not for $49.99 though.
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Jul 24, 2023 04:45
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Lol that poster’s been perma’d. From the look of their posts, seems like they were either a very dumb gimmick or completely nutsrap sheet posted:Sending people private messages asking for their home addresses
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Jul 24, 2023 13:55
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 Look at these gorgeous author's copies I just received from Amazon! Can you really live without such a beautiful book in your life? I now intend to apply for a mobile street vending permit, so I can sell my works on the streets of Copenhagen and use my contact juggling skills for promotion. Thus, solving two monetization problems at once.
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Jul 27, 2023 10:47
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Anyone else having issues with Amazon's search? When I search in "All Departments", my book doesn't show up. I have to explicitly select "Books" in the dropdown to find it. The book has been out for more than a month, so surely it should have been indexed properly by now?
SimonChris fucked around with this message at 09:07 on Aug 13, 2023 |
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Aug 13, 2023 09:01
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SimonChris posted:
I don't think I've ever seen the phrase "Xyzzy award-winning" before. 
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Aug 15, 2023 04:11
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Fuschia tude posted:I don't think I've ever seen the phrase "Xyzzy award-winning" before. I am counting on people not looking up what a Xyzzy award is and just assuming it must be important  . Like you say, it does make the blurb stand out.https://www.cityartsmagazine.com/issues-eastside-2010-07-ted-chiang-vs-tor-publishing/ Slightly off-topic, perhaps, but I stumbled across this interview with Ted Chiang about his cover art struggles with his publisher, which have led him to exclusively publish with small boutique presses that give him full control. It is an interesting illustration of the dynamics that lead successful authors to chose self-publishing (even though Chiang didn't go quite that far). Ted Chiang posted:“Most science fiction cover art falls into a very specific mode,” he says, “which is a highly finished realistic rendering of a specific scene in the novel or something. But there is all sorts of other art out there. I like the idea of having the art reflect the story without being a literal illustration of the story, so that the art would act as a parallel storytelling medium. I am trying to use a style of representation, a style of rendering that is not usually seen in science fiction books.”  drat, that is a lovely cover. What the hell, Tor? I thought you were cool. SimonChris fucked around with this message at 08:21 on Aug 15, 2023 |
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Aug 15, 2023 08:04
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Fuschia tude posted:I don't think I've ever seen the phrase "Xyzzy award-winning" before. I have, but I used to play text adventure games and other interactive fiction and I think you should be proud of it.
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Aug 15, 2023 08:30
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Fuschia tude posted:I don't think I've ever seen the phrase "Xyzzy award-winning" before. Winning a Xyzzy is a big deal, heck anyone who suggests otherwise.
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Aug 15, 2023 08:47
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it's a puzzle that people buy books by their covers
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Aug 15, 2023 12:16
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Fat Jesus posted:it's a puzzle that people buy books by their covers I feel like I need to beat this horse a little more but people buy books because they like the authors previous work is the sense I get. That and the author has built a following.
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Aug 17, 2023 01:02
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Dream Weaver posted:I feel like I need to beat this horse a little more but people buy books because they like the authors previous work is the sense I get. That and the author has built a following. What if their favorite author, Lovey Banh, hasn't put out anything new, so they're wandering about barnes and noble? I think the covers come in to play there, but what would i know.
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Aug 17, 2023 03:21
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the curse of the self-published author is that about 100% of readers judge a book by its cover (hence my continuing envy of Mr Bertocci of this parish and that he's a graphic designer as well as a writer)
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Aug 17, 2023 14:02
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"Winner: 2023 King Award for Speculative Fiction" (awarded by Lucinda King, friend of the author)
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Aug 17, 2023 16:22
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Probably about time to post that we have a goon books thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=4039078 A few of us have started posting books from this thread over but this is a very long thread and so we're bound to have missed stuff. So anyone who's published anything, hop on over and  about your book/s.
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Aug 18, 2023 06:44
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Oh hey! Just found this thread, I also self publish!
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Aug 19, 2023 20:20
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I have been looking into budget cover options, and Goonwrite is worth browsing just for the incredible placeholder texts he sometimes writes.    I am tempted to buy a random cover and write a story to fit the text.
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Aug 20, 2023 12:18
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Don't those AI generated images creep you out?
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Aug 21, 2023 07:36
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pidan posted:Don't those AI generated images creep you out? Are they AI-generated? I thought he just did stock image collages like everyone else, and his "How It Works" page has no mention of AI. Now that you mention it, those hands do look pretty weird... Gah, it's annoying that you have to be on guard for this stuff all the time.
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Aug 21, 2023 08:47
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Yes, Goonwrite has transitioned to using AI it seems. quote:https://www.goonwrite.com/faq.htm TBH his AI stuff looks better than the photo stock collage premades, even if he did miss the hands on Jumper. Megazver fucked around with this message at 09:51 on Aug 21, 2023 |
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Aug 21, 2023 09:16
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Megazver posted:Yes, Goonwrite has transitioned to using AI it seems. Goonwrite and Damonza both have, though Damonza allows you to opt out (I don't know if Goonwrite does) but even with opt out, you still run the risk of them grabbing an untagged genAI image off of Shutterstock. Miblart (and I'm guessing by extension, GetCovers, their budget arm) so far has said no to AI but still no guarantees that the stock they grab will be AI free because the platforms are flooded with it. Probably worth updating the OP to reflect that TBH.
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Aug 21, 2023 09:41
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I didn't follow it particularly closely but there was a scandal around an award-winning sci-fi cover this year that was accused of being AI, and then the artist came forward and provided all their draft work that proved it wasn't AI, but then it turned out he had used AI for the final product, I think...? The point being that from this point forward anything that looks even vaguely AI is going to be scrutinised as potentially AI, whether it is or not.
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Aug 21, 2023 12:21
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freebooter posted:I didn't follow it particularly closely but there was a scandal around an award-winning sci-fi cover this year that was accused of being AI, and then the artist came forward and provided all their draft work that proved it wasn't AI, but then it turned out he had used AI for the final product, I think...? It was this: Leng posted:Self-published fantasy blog-off has cover art controversy this year. I've been caught up in this over the weekend given my YouTube channel AND that I'm an entrant in this year's contest. Full tweet thread summarizing all the things: I covered it a bit further when I had Damonza on my YT channel for a live Q&A and his take on it was interesting. The replay is still up if anyone wants to watch it though the connection did cut in and out a bit so we lose some of his answers. But yeah, I'm worried not just about the covers but also about the contest itself. We're just over 2.5 months in at this point and I can honestly say it's the best networking/visibility opportunity for anyone self pubbing fantasy. Trad pub watches the contest and picks up past contestants from it and it's made many more newcomers self pub titans. Since the contest kick off, I've gotten so much more publicity than I otherwise would have plugging along on my own, including: blog spotlight interviews, an author panel, a podcast episode appearance, three people live tweeting first chapter reads saying good things about my book, and at least two book bloggers have actually bought copies of my book because they liked the sound of what they were hearing and I'm currently in a sale with a whole bunch of other authors predominantly connected through this contest. It's a max of 300 entries each year and there were like 200 sign ups in the first 6 mins this year so next year was already gonna be difficult for people entering. With AI in the mix and the cover contest withdrawn for good because trying to figure out a way to weed out the AI stuff is too much to manage, I don't know how they're gonna manage the possibility of being flooded with AI submissions or where they might draw the line at AI usage.
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Aug 21, 2023 12:48
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Just for the record in case it's not clear from the tweets,it was pure AI, since they supplied the raw file with layers still named midjourneysoandso.png.
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Aug 21, 2023 13:28
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ravenkult posted:Just for the record in case it's not clear from the tweets,it was pure AI, since they supplied the raw file with layers still named midjourneysoandso.png. I thought only some of the lawyers were AI generated and had been mixed in with hand drawn art?
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Aug 21, 2023 13:50
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