I
ndependentauthors are a growing breed but there are perilous pitfalls as well as plenty of opportunities they increasingly have to navigate.
Independent authors are changing the face of publishing with figures suggesting they now make up around a third of ebook sales in the largest English-language markets. According to recent statistics, there are more than 750,000 self-published books in the UK and the last five years saw a 68% growth in self-published ebooks.
While this offers unparalleled opportunities for authors, there are also many pitfalls along the way when it comes to writers protecting their intellectual property rights and potential revenues. According to the recent report from WGGB and the Society of Authors, which examined the practices of hybrid/vanity publishers, 94% of writers who had paid to have their book published lost money, typically in the thousands, with many authors experiencing aggressive marketing tactics, manipulative sales approaches, unclear contracts, and publishing processes and services that fell far short of expectations
