Recently I participated in the annual Non-fiction Writers Conference.  I attended last year and thought I would never make the grueling teleconference calls from noon to 6:00 pm for 3 solid days.  I managed quite nicely.  This group has it organized where you dial in at the top of the hour, listen in, ask questions, take notes, etc., and when 45-50 minutes are up… you hang up… take a break and dial back in at the top of the hour for the next call/speaker.  And the topics and speakers were excellent.  This year, there was a mystery keynote speaker that was a surprise until we were on the call.  It was Seth Godin!  What a wonderful surprise.  The 3 days went by quickly, and the material, handouts, and knowledge shared with us was extremely valuable.

As an author, if you are not a member already, please consider joining this group – Non-Fiction Authors Association.  They sponsor the annual conference and provide valuable information in between.  You should also consider joining your local author or publishing association.  Here in Florida, I belong to Florida Authors and Publishers Association.  In addition, I belong to the national group Independent Book Publishers Association.  Such organizations offer a wealth of information for the soon to be and/or seasoned author.  Navigating the business of publishing can be tricky with all the constant changes, not to mention overwhelming.

Talk about constant changes?  I learned recently that Create Space (which is the Print on Demand arm of Amazon for DIY authors and Indie Publishers) will be merging into Kindle… why you ask?  Well, the way it was presented at the Non-Fiction Writers Conference, it had to do with brand recognition.  More than 80% of ebooks purchased in the United States are purchased on a Kindle reader.  I take it that Kindle is more streamlined than Create Space probably in all aspects of publishing.  Having books on both Create Space and Kindle, I find both are very competent when I have a question.  However, I don’t believe I’ve ever had a live conversation with anyone at Kindle (except for my 1099 royalty inquiries at tax time).  I find Create Space customer service easy to reach, talk to and glean information to assist me, and often at midnight.  I only hope that continues with the merger.  I don’t know any more than that, and will keep you apprised as this change over takes place.

The other update that was shared at the Non-fiction Writers Conference was this: publish your book on both Create Space AND Ingram Spark.  Well, you know my feeling about Ingram Spark (and if not, read the posts prior to this one).  I just may have to revisit them and attempt again for the umpteenth time.  The coverage that both platforms offer becomes extremely valuable from a distribution standpoint – worldwide.  OK! You know with that comment, I’ll have to try it again – just to help all of you reading this.

Meanwhile, don’t hesitate to consider my monthly group that I facilitate – The Self Publishing Group.  I am looking to change the name at some point, since really the world has moved on from the term “self publishing” since so many well known authors are using the platform, thereby moving away from the very few New York publishers that are left.  Higher royalties, and editorial control are often the biggest reasons authors consider the independent publishing route.  Join us the first Saturday of each month – check the schedule for those months with holidays – and get your questions answered, plus learn the ins and outs that will dispel the myths of publishing independently.  Learn more at: The Self Publishing Group.

Wishing you great topics to write about and plenty of ISBNs!

Happy Publishing,

Rosemary Augustine, Author and Publisher

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