Please Support:

HTTP//WWW.ANTHOCON.COM

Friday, September 18, 2009

Shroud Flash Fiction Contest #7 Semifinalists Announced

I sincerely apologize for the delay in getting these results out. Among a number of other competing issues, this contest had a record number of entrants, the preponderance of which were thoroughly entertaining. There were a few entries that, although well-written, did not meet the submission guidelines.

I want to thank you all for taking the time to write such imaginative pieces for this contest. The following stories resonated with me a little bit more than the others. This is not to say that those not mentioned here lacked quality. Many submission were very similar and I had weed out some to avoid repetition.

Shroud Flash Fiction Contest #7 Semifinalists, in no particular order:

Sarah Adams
Emily Leverett
Robert Swartwood
Laura Langford
Andrew Wolter
Carrie Harris
Anthony Klancar
Mary Daley
Peggy McFarland
Jamie Eyberg
Juston Pilon
Brian Hatcher
Gay Degani

I hope to have final results by Monday!
Thank you and congratulations.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Can Indie publishers take on the giants?

Can an independent publisher survive in an environment seemingly dominated by massive corporate publishing houses? I believe so. Not only can independent publishers survive, they can thrive. In a research report published by BML data, independent publishers gained overall market share from their larger competitors by five percentage points over the last five years, increasing sales through all channels except the internet, which was essentially flat. The report revealed that Independent publisher market share had grown from 26% in 2004 to 31% in 2008. Furthermore, independent publishers saw purchases through independent booksellers grow from 38% of the total to 49%.