The clamour among authors and publishers for a mechanism that prevents ebooks from being pirated (illegally downloaded, copied and shared), particularly for DRM (Digital Rights Management, an umbrella term for technologies that prevent ‘piracy’), hasn’t quite disappeared. Before we get into a discussion around piracy and DRM, let us examine…
Category: Publishing
Applying for an ISBN in India
If you are a publisher based in India, or even an author applying for an ISBN, chances are you have encountered a rather long-drawn, tedious process to apply for an ISBN through an online portal provided by the Ministry of HRD (MoHRD), Government of India. While a step in the…
The Colour Conundrum
Quite often, after you have received the printed copies of your book, you will notice that the colours in it (or on the cover) are quite different from those you saw on the screen while the book was being developed. This is because the colour schemes used in each case…
Deciphering author royalty
Authors often ask how much they will get paid per sale. That’s a fair question. They want to know right from the start, and naturally expect the process to be transparent. They also see what other websites offer. In many cases it is a percentage. Sometimes 30%, sometimes 70%. So…
Crowdfunding for Authors
While the concept has been around for quite some time, crowdfunding hasn’t been taken quite seriously as a means to fund self-published books. This article examines various crowd-funding options that an author could consider while gathering the money required to self-publish a book. Some terms to watch for: All or…
Why should people do business with us?
We have often wondered if we really provide value to our customers. With so many other firms offering services similar to ours, it would be foolish to still stay around if we did not make a difference. We have therefore asked ourselves: Why should people do business with us? What…
Self-publishing myths that hinder a good publishing experience
Many author, unaware of the potential of self-publishing, as also of its demands, harbour notions that may render the entire self-publishing experience an unpleasant one for them. This post is to dispel some of those notions. a. Self-publishing is a free-for-all platform where rules do not apply. Nothing could be…
“Free Images” at a price!
Quite often, we find ourselves in situations where the author has “borrowed” images from the internet, assuming innocently that they are free to use. More often than not, such use is prohibited. Here are some things that you need to know before you use the “free images” available on the…
Understanding the ISBN
An ISBN serves the same purpose for a book as your name does for you- assigning an identity. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. This 13 digit number makes your book easily accessible in libraries and makes distribution hassle free. All you need to do is contact the ISBN…
The Cost of Self Publishing – II
One frequent question that authors ask us concerns the cost of self-publishing. It is a fair question given that the authors foot the bill themselves and that many self-publishing companies advertise packages that indeed cost a lot. We have illustrated two books below that might give you a fair idea…