PW Self-Publishing
It seems that Publishers Weekly is now getting into the self-publishing forum. It’s a collaboration with another tech firm that has a more complicated name that no one really needs to know to live a happy life. The new self-publishing site will be called BookLife. And, of course, it will go live at BEA (Book Expo America) in a quasi dramatic move that completely ignores the fact that self-publishing isn’t all that new anymore…as you can see from the last part of this post about bestsellers.
As a blogger I follow a lot of these things and this is one I normally wouldn’t even bother publishing because there’s so little about it yet. And frankly, I’m not fond of the things I’m reading.
BookLife, which will go live on May 29, 2014 at BookExpo America, will focus on three main subject areas: book creation which includes editing and cover design; publishing which is all about the physical manufacturing of a book; and book marketing, which will include information on distribution, publicity and sales.
“Self-published books and authors are having more and more impact on readers and the publishing industry,” stated Carl Pritzkat, the president of BookLife and VP of business development for PWxyz LLC.
First, there’s no mention at all about e-books. And while I’m sure there are some indie authors out there doing something with physical print books, from what I read and hear the majority who are doing the best are all finding their sales through digital publishing.
Second, it’s not inexpensive to self-publish a print book. It is in expensive to indie publish an e-book.
Third, the book marketing thing is way too ambiguous for me, especially since so many brick and mortar bookshops are shuttering their doors because they can’t compete with online retailers anymore…not to mention the fact that so many indie authors have already cornered the market, so to speak, with book promotion in many ways that often fall short of being duplicitous.
Indie authors have been having an impact on readers for a while now, especially in genre fiction. So I honestly don’t know why this is supposed to get us all excited, and I think it’s a good reason why I hear so many negatives about BEA off the record, from industry professionals.
In any event, here’s the link. There’s also a link to the PW site for indie authors.
I’m not against anything new that’s going to help indie authors. But I would just like to see one company complete against the leading vultures in a more pragmatic way.
I’ll follow up on this after the site is launched. My biggest question is how much will this baby cost indie authors.
Porneia
I learned a new word and thought I would pass it along. Once again, you’ll live a happy life without knowing it, but I thought it was interesting from a purely technical POV as an erotic romance writer.
Porneia is a word about which not everyone agrees. But it is sexual in nature. Here are a few basic definitions.
From wiki, which is really the definition of fornication. I was redirected there from porneia:
Fornication is generally consensual sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other.[1][2] For many people, the term carries an overtone of moral or religious disapproval, but the significance of sexual acts to which the term is applied varies between religions, societies and cultures. The definition is often disputed. In modern usage, the term is often replaced with a more judgment-neutral term like extramarital sex.
From Urban Dictionary, my go to source for most of these terms:
Porneia is sexual behaviour that is thought to be ‘wrong’, ‘bad’.
Porneia -Noun pawnia The discourse of manipulation of reproductive organs ,in a natural or perverted way, via hands, mouth, anus or any bodily extremity by said person or an accomplice.
“Taint“ NOT Taint
I’m not talking about the “taint” area now. I’m talking about a new self-published bestseller I read about over at GalleyCat that’s titled, Taint. I once got slammed a little for stating on a comment forum that I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using the taint area in an erotic romance. Other authors preferred a more technical term. I don’t do it often. In fact, maybe just once in over 100 books and stories. But I like knowing that I can without judgment.
This is the definition of “taint” as many of us already know it. For those who don’t, here’s the Urban Dictionary definition…I’m linking so you don’t think I make this stuff up.
The area between the nutsack and asshole that prevent a man from shitting on his nuts. See durf.
UD has such a way with words.
In any event, “Taint” is now extremely popular with readers…the book, not the body part. This is from the Amazon list of self-published bestsellers this week:
1. Taint by S.L. Jennings: “If you enrolled yourself in this program then you are wholly aware that you’re a lousy lay. Good for you. Admitting it is half the battle. For those of you that have been sent here by your husband or significant other, dry your tears and get over it. You’ve been given a gift, ladies. The gift of mind-blowing, wall-climbing, multiple-orgasm-inducing sex. You have the opportunity to f*ck like a porn star. And I guarantee, you will when I’m done with you.”
Well, there you are.
You can read more about Taint (the book) here.
I feel a short story coming on now.