One reason to avoid CreateSpace's Expanded Distribution

When you publish your book on CreateSpace, you have the option to choose up to five distribution channels versus just using Amazon.

"Expanded Distribution offers you the opportunity to access a larger audience through more online retailers, bookstores, libraries, academic institutions, and distributors within the United States. Expanded Distribution will also improve discoverability of your book across all the channels. Regardless of whether or not you include your title in Expanded Distribution, all CreateSpace titles can be distributed through the Amazon.com and Amazon Europe channels."

This sounds great. Your book could be sold by Barnes and Nobles, or in independent bookstores. But there is one major downside to choosing this option. Create Space only provides the option to choose one overall price for all five channels. Listing your book at

$9.99 on Amazon may provide a couple of dollars in royalties but it may not be enough to cover costs on the Expanded Distribution channels. Which means you would have to raise the price of your paperback on Amazon to cover costs on other channels. 

When I published my book "Io Hunter and the Guardians of Aldernar," I chose to avoid Expanded Distribution. My reason for doing so was to ensure my paperback price was in line with similar titles. My book would attract a lot of the same types of readers who like the Harry Potter series. As I type this, the paperback version of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" is $8.29. Yet to appear on Expanded Distribution, I would have to price my book at $12.99, almost $5 more. By avoiding Expanded Distribution, I can list it for $9.99. And if I had chosen to list it at $12.99 for Expanded Distribution, I would have made a royalty of only $0.06 per book. This may not be a big concern for established indie authors who already have a reader base. But if you're publishing your first book, it is something to think about.

Should you limit your distribution options to have a lower list price, or choose to have more distribution options at a higher price? There are pros and cons to whichever option you choose. If your book is picked up by libraries and bookstores that could be great for your writing career. And it could make up for any lost sales on Amazon due to having a higher price. However, there's no guarantee your book will be picked up by these distribution channels. As is often the case, you have to make a decision without knowing what the future holds. You have to decide what's right for you. Think about who your audience is and how much they may be willing to pay. 

If net neutrality repeal worries you, ad-blockers should too

In 2015, App developer Marco Arment pulled his wildly popular ad-blocking app from the Apple app store for this reason.

"Ad blockers come with an important asterisk: while they do benefit a ton of people in major ways, they also hurt some, including many who don’t deserve the hit."

Many people who use ad-blockers may not even consider the fact that someone is getting hurt. They may just think ads are annoying, and possibly harmful, and here's a handy app or browser extension that will get rid of them. They may never consider the ramifications for content creators, especially smaller creators. When people put content, written or video, on the web whether that's news articles, educational tutorials, how-to's, or entertainment, they often do so with an expectation of being able to make money. Writing and researching an article, or making and editing a video, can take several hours. Creators put in time and money to provide something of value (and it is something of value if large numbers of people consume it) with the expectation they will get paid for their investment. Many, especially independent creators, get paid from ad revenue. When people use ad-blockers they are in a sense robbing a creator of potential income. 

Some compare it to music or movie pirating in the sense that people are trying to get something for nothing. And if people want content for nothing, we could reach a point where creators have no incentive to create. A counter-argument is that many people don't click on ads anyway. If someone wouldn't click on ads, how are they stealing from a creator? It's a little like the argument that a record label doesn't lose money if someone downloads an album they wouldn't have bought. Of course, a counter-argument to that argument is that many people who would have clicked ads will never see them if they're using ad-blockers. And ad revenue isn't always based on clicks. Many websites make revenue based on impressions. So even if someone doesn't click on an ad or even look at it, the creator is still getting paid just because the ad is there when the page loads. 

There are some valid criticisms of advertisers in this. Some use very intrusive methods like pop up ads to get people's attention. Or video ads that slow page loading times. Even worse, some ads engage in phishing or spoofing. Some may argue that it's not immoral to use an ad-blocker because intrusive ads are themselves immoral. An advertiser is opening up content on someone else's computer that they didn't ask for. Or an ad is trying to deceive them in some way. Still non-intrusive or legitimate ads can fall victim when these "immoral" or "unethical" ads are blocked by frustrated website users.

The Investopedia article "This Is How Adblocker Hurts Your Favorite Websites" points out some valid reasons to be wary of ad-blocking. 

"Ads are the bread and butter for websites. They pay for the website’s infrastructure, operations, content and the payments to associated staff."

The article states that there's an implicit deal between the website and the visitor. The website provides free content. The visitor sees ads in exchange for getting access to that free content. When a visitor uses an ad-blocker they aren't living up to their side of the deal. Just like if a customer at a restaurant doesn't pay their waiter or waitress a tip. Legally they don't have to but that's how the waitstaff make their living. They're hurt financially when customers refuse to live up to their side of the deal. Big businesses can afford to pay ad-blocking companies to ensure their ads continue to show up on the web. But smaller independent operations may have no choice but to shut down. Big companies can afford to beat the system, while smaller players get hurt.

Ad-blockers can go beyond harming creators. Take music blogs as an example. Indie artists or musicians trying to get their careers off the ground have a hard time getting into major publications like Rolling Stone and Billboard. They often depend on smaller websites or blogs that focus on the indie music scene to get exposure. If these sites can't afford to operate due to a lack of ad revenue, these lesser known musicians may have a difficult time reaching listeners.

Appealing to morality or ethics may not be the best way to get users of ad-blockers to reconsider their decision. Appealing to common sense and practicality might. Your favorite musicians will have no incentive to make music if fans don't buy their music in some form, your favorite authors will have no incentive to write books if readers aren't willing to pay for them, and movies studios will have little incentive to make the movies you watch if people won't buy movie theater tickets, DVDs, or digital movies. More people are becoming aware of this simple fact. Wanting something for nothing may lead to a situation where nothing they want will be available. The same could happen with the Internet. 

According to a 2017 survey by PageFair "US ad-blocking usage is 40 percent on laptops, 15 percent on mobile." Think about all the advertising revenue that is lost to creators. Some critics of ad-blockers fear that if they become too widespread, they could lead to creators finding other lines of work. Websites and forums may have no choice but to shut down or put their content behind paywalls. Bigger websites will likely survive by charging for access. Advertisers will also resort to deceptive methods like advertising “dressed up” as news content. People will think they are reading an objective news article when they are in fact reading an ad. Sure, some people who read this may respond by saying "It's my computer. I can do what I want with it. Websites need to change, not me." But the reality is any change will likely end up costing that user more money to access the content they want to see. Most people would prefer to deal with ads that cost them nothing than subscription fees. As consumers of content, we may at some point be forced to choose between seeing ads or paying to access our favorite websites.

Many Americans were riled up when the FCC repealed Net Neutrality, fearing that repeal could be the end of a free and open Internet. Yet many who protested that decision likely use ad-blockers, unaware that they could also lead to the end of a free and open Internet. So, what can be done about this? 

Creators should be making as much noise about this as the music industry did about piracy. Most users of ad-blockers have no idea this is a problem because no one is telling them. YouTube creators have been outspoken about YouTube ‘Adpocalypse’ and some of their fans have responded by supporting them through Patreon. Many people will try to help if they know there’s a problem. 

Websites can deal with this problem by using ad-blocker detection and only allow access to content if ad-blocker is disabled. Or they can ask visitors to white-list their site to gain access to it. If you're concerned about this issue but also feel there are legitimate reasons to keep your ad-blocker, consider white-listing sites you frequently visit and trust. If you find an article, tutorial, or video that you thought was useful, white-list it to support the creator.

The Black Panther movie character is not named after a political group

The Black Panther movie, set for release on February 16, 2018, has been receiving some backlash from people who complain that the character is named after a terrorist group. They're referring to the Black Panther Party, a group founded by Huey P. Newton in 1966. That was the same year the Black Panther character was published by Marvel Comics. But the character wasn't named after Newton's Black Panther Party. Vulture called it "one of those weird historical overlaps with zero real significance."

The Black Panther comic book character made his first appearance in July 1966 in the Fantastic Four #52. The creators originally considered calling him The Coal Tiger. Marvel attempted to distance the character from the Black Panther Party, which often engaged in violent confrontations with police. For a time, the character was just called The Panther and then renamed the Black Leopard to avoid association with the controversial group. However, neither name caught on. 

Easy and free ways to increase your Twitter followers

Starting out on Twitter can seem overwhelming. You have no followers, or just a few if you have some friends and relatives who follow you. So, how can you get your numbers up? These are a few free and easy things you can try.

Create a Good Bio
This is very important. People will be less likely to follow you if they have no idea what your account is about. I didn't put any focus on my bio when I first signed up with Twitter. I basically just said "I follow back." When I updated my bio to promote my book "Io Hunter and the Guardians of Aldernar" I experienced a sizable increase in followers.

Look for Relevant Hashtags
This can be challenging at first as you learn to find your way around Twitter. Hashtags can be a great way to find people to follow. For example, as a writer I often use the #amwriting hashtag to find tweets that are of interest to me. I check who likes or retweets those tweets. If someone has an about even number of followers and following, I'll follow them and see if they follow back. If they don't I unfollow. I've got a lot of new followers this way. But this is helpful in another way. A lot of other people are doing the same thing. If you retweet or like a tweet, your account bio will be visible to any who checks who is liking or retweeting that particular tweet. Some of those people may choose to follow you.

Always Follow Back*
Many people who follow you will unfollow if you don't follow them back. Your goal should be to get as much exposure for your tweets as possible. The more followers you have the more exposure you get. So, hold onto people who follow you by reciprocating. You can always unfollow people who stop following you or who become inactive on Twitter.

* Bots will follow you. Don't follow them back. It can sometimes be hard to distinguish bots from real people. Look for articles with tips on what to look for.

Tweet Relevant Content and Use Hashtags
If you would like to attract certain kinds of followers, tweet out content that would be interesting to them. And use hashtags to target them. For example, I love the Star Wars movies, so I'll often tweet Star Wars related articles or videos. I'll use hashtags like #StarWars and #TheLastJedi, so that people can find my tweets.

Interact with Others
Like tweets, retweet tweets, respond to tweets. Make yourself someone who is worth following.

Use Twitter Following Tools like Twiends
I have another post on the tool Twiends that goes into details on the pros and cons of this service. Check it out at A Review of the Twiends free Twitter followers tool. Be careful with these tools. Make sure they aren't violating Twitters Terms of Service (ToS) before you sign up.

A list of music streaming alternatives to Spotify and Apple Music

Apple Music and Spotify are by far the most popular music streaming services. Apple Music has 30 million subscribers, while Spotify has 70 million. But they aren't the only options available. Many other streaming services are smaller with perhaps a few million subscribers. Since they offer similar features for similar prices and most offer free trials, they're worth checking out.

Most music streaming options are similarly priced. An individual plan is usually $9.99 a month. Most offer family plans for up to six members for $14.99. Many also offer student accounts for $4.99.

Amazon Music Unlimited - Includes tens of millions of songs that are ad-free with unlimited skips and the ability to download for offline listening. This is an excellent value for Amazon Prime subscribers at just $7.99 a month. Most similar services are $9.99.

Deezer - Listen without limits, no ads, and download for offline listening. The family plan comes with a kids-only profile. Tidal is not the only option for HiFi. Deezer also offers lossless quality.

Google Play Music - 40 million songs on demand, ad-free radio with unlimited skips, download to listen offline, and upload up to 50,000 of your own songs. Google Play Music is an excellent value because it includes YouTube Red, which offers video downloads for offline viewing.

Microsoft Groove Music - Formerly Xbox Music and Zune Music. You can listen on PC, tablet, Xbox, the web, and mobile phones, and use OneDrive to bring tunes into Groove and then listen on Xbox, the web, tablet, and your smartphone.

Napster - Formerly Rhapsody. Millions of songs, no ads, download any song to listen offline, stream music from your phone, computer and home audio devices.

Pandora Premium - The radio streaming service has launched its own full service option that allows users to search and play any song, create playlists, download for offline listening, and enjoy unlimited skips and replays. Ad free.

Tidal - Offers both standard sound quality and Lossless High Fidelity sound quality. Also offers high definition music videos, and expertly curated editorial.

A Review of the Twiends free Twitter followers tool

When I first set up my Twitter account @io_tweeted to promote my book Io Hunter and the Guardians of Aldernar, I struggled to get followers. After two weeks I had maxed out at 11, gaining a couple, then losing a couple. So, I turned to Twiends, which offers to "Grow Your Twitter Followers Responsibly Free." It's easy to sign up for Twiends. Just sign up using your Twitter account. 

When I first signed up for Twiends, I expected to be able to follow people based on similar

interests. As a new indie author, I wanted to follow other self published authors, readers, and creators of all kinds. But the site isn't really laid out that way. I ended up following a lot of people with random interests and people with random interests followed me. But that was fine. All kinds of people read books, so it worked for me.

At first Twiends was great. For every person I followed, I tended to get a follower. That often wasn't the person I had followed though. Many people never followed me back. I didn't want to end up in a situation where I was following hundreds of people but only getting followed by dozens. To prevent that kind of imbalance, I started unfollowing people who never followed me back. I didn't realize at the time that Twiends was penalizing me for doing that.

"The more connections you drop the less reliable you are as a someone to connect with. We prioritise the twiends experience for those users who are the most reliable. You can of course unfollow whoever you want (especially if you don't like their tweets), but if your drop rate becomes high then your own exposure will decline." - https://twiends.com/chartinfo#ratio

When my ratio dropped, I no longer got followers. I followed new accounts but because I was getting less exposure for dropping people who didn't follow me back, I didn't get new follows. This ended up being a big downside of the service. If Twiends determined reliability by focusing on reciprocal followers, well I'm at 100%. I continue to follow everyone who follows me. I unfollow people who don't follow back, or who initially followed me but then unfollowed. That puts me at 46%, making me unreliable in the eyes of Twiends. For me, there's no longer any point in using the service because it's unlikely I'll be given any exposure.

Still, Twiends was good for building up my initial count, so I don't regret using it. I went from being stuck at 11 followers to reaching 45 in a week. That might not seem like much but it can help a new account get off the ground. And about 90% of those accounts still follow me. Twiends also has a paid service where you are guaranteed exposure. They have a one week free trial for $1.