Mercy Pilkington writes on Goodereader about author H.M. Ward’s recent post saying that the demand from authors such as Hugh Howey for more “transparency around sales data isn’t enough. Authors need to know highly detailed budgets and plans for marketing of any given book before agreeing to sign a contract, a fact that she stood her ground on despite the high-pressure sales pitches and ominous threats to her career that she experienced from some Big Five publishers. Without having clear information on how the publishing house intended to promote her book, Ward opted for the self-publishing and higher royalty route, a choice that has made her an incredibly high ranking author despite having turned down over $1.5 million in advances in the past year alone”
Tax-deductible expenses for authors
Useful post to help authors determine which of their expenses might be tax-deductible, though, obviously different rules will apply to different countries
Price promotions may be losing their effectiveness
The effectiveness of price promotions for eBooks may have run its course and they risk alienating loyal readers, says Jane Litte
Indicative freelance editing rates
For authors looking to get their work edited, the Editorial Freelancer Association has published a set of indicative rates for different types of editing.
Lower taxes on EU eBooks?
EU discussions to harmonise the rate of tax applied to eBook across the EU could result in lower prices (if the lower rate is chosen and the resellers choose to pass the savings on), according to The Bookseller
Indie authors need to be realistic about how much they can make
Indie authors need to have realistic expectations about the amount of money they are likely to make through writing alone. Rachel Thompson provides a helpful breakdown of her own achievements.