Book Reviews
David Gaughran
Simon & Schuster Joins Forces With Author Solutions To Rip Off Writers
Columns, David Gaughran, Homepage Sub •
David Gaughran •
Nov 28, 2012
Simon & Schuster has launched a self-publishing operation, Archway Publishing, contracting one of the most disreputable players in the business to run the show: Author Solutions. Read On
Penguin’s New Business Model: Exploiting Writers
Columns, David Gaughran, Homepage Sub, Latest, News •
David Gaughran •
Jul 20, 2012
The performance of Author Solutions is so poor that the press release announcing the purchase by Penguin can’t even tout their own customers’ success, and instead lists self-publishing stars such as “Lisa Genova, John Locke, Darcie Chan, Amanda Hocking, Bronnie Ware and E.L. James” – none of whom used Author Solutions to publish their work. Read On
Kindle Singles & The Little Goat That Could
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David Gaughran •
Jul 04, 2012
George couldn’t quite believe what was happening. Midnight’s Tale raced up the charts. He was appearing on bestseller lists for short fiction, he was topping the Hot New Releases chart for shorter work. But what happened the following week was even more unbelievable. Read On
Writers, James Bond, and the Perils of Product Placement
Columns, David Gaughran, Homepage Sub •
David Gaughran •
Apr 18, 2012
In 2001, Fay Weldon was commissioned by Bulgari to write a novel, in which she was contractually obliged to mention the brand at least twelve times. A 2006 novel by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman replaced generic reference to make-up to specific mentions of Cover Girl products, in exchange for free advertising on a site owned by the parent company, Proctor & Gamble. Read On
Inside the E-book Price-Fixing Case
Columns, David Gaughran, Homepage Sub, News •
David Gaughran •
Apr 12, 2012
The respective CEOs were alleged to have met in secret in the private dining rooms of upscale Manhattan restaurants, talking about how to deal with Amazon. Read On
Franzen, E-books & Bathtubs
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David Gaughran •
Feb 16, 2012
It seems it has become fashionable in certain circles to have a pop at e-books and e-readers. I’ve been noting the trend with some amusement, but had decided it wasn’t worth responding. That is, until Jonathan Franzen’s recent comments. Read On
Stories Don’t Need “Enhancements”
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David Gaughran •
Feb 02, 2012
Readers want to lose themselves in a novel, not be dragged out of the story by superfluous bells-and-whistles which can only detract from that immersive experience they crave. Read On
The Sharks Are Circling
Columns, David Gaughran, Homepage Sub •
David Gaughran •
Jan 11, 2012
All the indications are that this is going to be another bumper year for self-publishing. However, the ever-increasing viability of this path, and its popularity with writers, is also attracting those seeking to make money from self-publishers. Read On
The Future is Indie
Columns, David Gaughran, Homepage Sub •
David Gaughran •
Nov 02, 2011
If you really want to see where the large publishers are headed, don’t look at the performance of the titles they are putting out, look at the stuff they aren’t. Read On
Crowdfunding: The Indie Advance
Columns, David Gaughran, Homepage Sub •
David Gaughran •
Oct 24, 2011
Crowdfunding allows artists to receive financial backing for their projects without sacrificing their rights or royalties and enables them to work without commercial interference. Read On
