Scam Alert: Scammers Impersonating Acorn TV - Writer Beware

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere today and decided to make a stop at the Writer Beware site. There he found a post about scammers and Acorn TV.

 

You think I'll believe that?

According to Victoria Strauss' post, there's a scam going around in the writing community on Twitter. Writers are contacted by people claiming to be recruiters for Acorn TV. The scammers claim Acorn TV needs writers and will pay $5000 for two stories per week. Apparently, this scam has been around in another form since 2021.

 

Panzer says, "This little kitty is glad he went to the Writer Beware site today."

 

Note: Because this post contains samples of the bogus tweets sent by the scammers, this is a long post. Bring whatever you want to eat and drink while you read the selection.

 

To read the post tootle over to Scam Alert

Twitter Tutorial - Zero to 12K - Kill Zone

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to the Kill Zone site. There our traveling kitty boy found a post about Twitter success.

 

The post by thriller author Debbie Burke is an interview with Ben Lucas about his Twitter account. Ben Lucas has 12,000 Twitter followers. In the interview he explains what he's done and why he's done it to get that many followers.

 

12,000 Twitter followers. How?

Panzer says, "This little kitty needs to try some of his suggestions."

 

Note: This is a huge post. Bring a thermos of tea, two muffins, a brownie, and a chocolate chip cookie (biscuit) for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Twitter Tutorial

The Six Online Bios Every Author Needs - Anne R. Allen's Blog

 Today Panzer decided to make a stop at Anne R. Allen's Blog. With a little digging in the posts our traveling kitty boy found one about the online bios authors need.

 

According to the post by Nate Hoffelder, an author needs six online bios. In the post he describes each of the six as Twitter, Facebook, Podcast/Speaker, Amazon/Goodreads, and Memberships. He dissects and rewrites his own bios as examples of what to do with your author bios.

 

I'm on Amazon/Goodreads & Twitter.

Panzer says, "How does he find the time for all those places?"

Note: This is a long, long post. Bring a thermos of cocoa, two muffins, two brownies and a chocolate chip cookie (biscuit).

 

To read the post tootle over to online bios

#Audiblegate: How Audible-ACX Returns Policy Penalizes Authors - Writer Beware

As Panzer entered the Catosphere today the Panzermobile was suddenly violently shaken about by the crying and gnashing of teeth outside. Following all the chaos, took our brave kitty boy to the Writer Beware site. There he found a post about Audible's ebook return policy. Panzer told you about this situation in a post last week.

 

According to the post by Victoria Strauss, Audible has been using an audio books return policy without alerting authors to it. While some authors suspected their audio book sales didn't make sense, it wasn't until a computer glitch a couple of months ago brought Audible's return program to light. Audible members can listen to an audio book (either partially or totally) and then return it and exchange it for another audio book for no extra charge. The author, meanwhile, loses the royalty for the sale because it was returned. In Audible-ACX's Premium Plus program this is actively promoted as a benefit of the program. Since learning about the returns policy, some authors have gone so far as to get Audible memberships to test the program. They did this to see if there is any number of returns at which point a member will lose this return benefit. The answer: No. And it's not just the authors' losing out on the royalties. Narrators who didn't get paid up front, are losing on the returns to. There are several links to other sites, YouTube and Twitter for more information by authors about this return policy.

 

It really stinks over there.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Author sites? ... YouTube? ... Twitter? ... That is one big steaming pile of you-know-what Audible stepped in."

 

Note: This is a h-u-g-e post. Bring a thermos of tea and twelve muffins for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow all the links in the post, bring another thermos of tea, a thermos of hot cocoa, another twelve muffins, ten chocolate chip cookies (biscuits), and six brownies. Oh, you will also want to bring your sleeping bag for a nap in the middle of all your reading.

 

To read the post tootle over to #Audiblegate

To read Panzer previous post about #Audiblegate (although, if you follow all the links in the Writer Beware post you don't need to) tootle over to Audible exchange policy

 

Edgars Go Electronic - The Rap Sheet

Why not? That other human uses it all the time.

Today, Panzer found a short post at The Rap Sheet site about the Mystery Writers of America's annual Edgar Awards.

According to the post by j. Kingston Pierce, the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) plans to announce the Edgar Awards winners April 30 on Twitter. There are links in the post to the earlier announcement of the cancellation of the in-person Edgar Awards presentation and the newest announcement about the Edgars Twitter presentation.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... That virus thingy is ruining everybody's fun."

Note: This is a very short post. You won't need anything to eat or drink for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Edgars onTwitter

Man and the Prize: Reactions to the Booker Losing a Sponsor - Publishing Perspectives

Panzer had hardly entered the Catosphere today when the Panzermobile was buffeted and shaken by crying and shouting. Following all the noise took our brave kitty to the Publishing Perspectives site. There he found a post about the Man Booker Prize.

According to the Publishing Perspectives Editor-in-Chief Porter Anderson, there's a lot of consternation caused by the Man Group's withdrawal of their sponsorship of the Man Booker Prize(s). There is speculation about what caused the Man Group to withdraw it's sponsorship. Some believe it was due to opening the Prize to American authors. There is also speculation about who might become a new sponsor and, then, what the new name for the Prize would be. There are several Twitter tweets included in the post.

Bring a sleeping bag too.

Panzer says, "It will be interesting to see who steps in to replace the Man Group."

Note:This is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s post. Bring a thermos of tea, a dozen muffins and three chocolate chip cookies (biscuits) for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Booker Prize

The prince of punching up: why Stephen King rules Twitter - The Guardian

Panzer was tootling around in the Panzermobile in the Catosphere when he suddenly heard chuckling and clapped ahead. Following all the noise took our inquisitive kitty to The Guardian site. With no digging at all he discovered a post about Stephen King was causing all the hoopla.

I've been on Twitter longer than he has.

According to Sian Cain, bestselling horror author Stephen King now rules Twitter. He used his over 5 million Twitter followers to save the book review column in the Portland Press Herald (Maine) newspaper. That's not all. He tweets about what he's watching on TV and movies that he likes and what he's reading that he likes. He says he doesn't tweet about what he doesn't like. He does make one exception mentioned in the post, but you'll have to read the post to find out about it.

Panzer says, "Mom and I follow him on Twitter. He's pretty funny sometimes."

Note: This is a long-short post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Stephen King

J.K. Rowling Reveals Her Patronus on Twitter - GalleyCat

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard ooohing and aaahing outside the Panzermobile. Following all the noise took our intrepid traveling kitty to the GalleyCAT site. There he found news about Pottermore.

Mom's Protector and Guardian.

According to a post by Maryann Yin, J.K. Rowling announced her Patronus on Twitter. Using the quiz at Pottermore, she discovered her Patronus is the heron. Found in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the Patronus is a guardian that protects against the Dementors. In a separate GalleyCAT post announcing the Patronus quiz going live, there is a link to Pottermore. At Pottermore you either have to already be a member or signup there to take the quiz and get your Patronus.

Panzer says, "Mom doesn't need a Patronus. She has me to protect her."

Note: These are both short posts, but together they make a medium read. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for both of today's reading selections.

To read the post about J.K. Rowlings's Twitter announcement, tootle over to J.K. Rowling Patronus

To read the post about the Patronus and the link to Pottermore, tootle over to Pottermore

Amazon CEO says a brand-new flagship Kindle is coming next week - engadget

Hmm ... A new Kindle.

Panzer headed over to the engadget site today. There our intrepid kitty traveler found a small post with some interesting information about Amazon.

According to the post by Nathan Ingraham, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced yesterday that the company will be releasing a new Kindle next week.

Panzer says, "I wish there was more to report; but he announced it in a tweet on Twitter. We'll just have to wait until next week."

Note: The post is very short. You'll only need half a cup of tea for today's reading.

To read the post, tootle over to new Kindle

J.K. Rowling under fire for writing about "Native American wizards" - The Guardian

I'm staying out of it.

Panzer didn't make it very far in his trip into the Catosphere today. Our traveling kitty had barely started when he heard shouting and snarling. He followed all the noise to The Guardian site.

According to a post by Alison Flood, it turns out all the hubbub was caused by one of J.K. Rowling's posts at Pottermore. Panzer told you last week about Ms. Rowling's posts about wizardry in America. Some members of the Navajo Native American culture found her post about their legend of the skinwalkers disrespectful. Apparently, there has been quite a few Tweets on Twitter about it. The post also includes a link to the post about skinwalkers.

Panzer says, "One of the first things this little kitty learned was don't use real people, places or things in a story. It's just safer that way."

Note: This is a longish, involved post. You'll need a cup of tea and a muffin.

To read The Guardian post, tootle over to J.K. Rowling

To read Panzer's original post, tootle over to new story

Anne R. Allen's Blog: Disappearing Amazon Reviews: The Facts Behind Amaz...

Panzer is still getting caught up on the news and posts from when he was sick. Today, he stopped in at Anne R. Allen's Blog site. It only took a little digging by our kitty explorer to find an interesting post about Amazon's review policy.

According to the post, Amazon is removing reviews from ebooks again. The post opens with several quotes from writers about problems they're having with Amazon's review policies. Then comes a section on what constitutes a "Paid Review." This is followed by a section on what constitutes "knowing the author." Next is a section on Amazon's enforcement policy of their rules. Then comes a section about "proper" review policies. These sections are followed by information about Amazon's lack of addressing the troll/hate/political non-review reviews. There is a lot of good information included in this post about the Amazon "don't do this" policy for authors working to get reviews for their books.

I want my kitty treats back!

Panzer says, "Hmm ... So, according to Amazon, all those followers Mom has on Twitter know her. I didn't realize she had so many friends. Mom showed me that little birdie thing there and she's always talking about tweeting and peeps. I just thought she was collecting birds for my kitty treats."

Note: You'll need a thermos of tea and a dozen muffins for your reading this time. (Before the body of the post is information about the blog's move to Wordpress. The part about "lost reviews" begins after that.)

To read the post, tootle over to Anne R. Allen's Blog: Disappearing Amazon Reviews: The Facts Behind Amaz...

No Harry Potter TV Series According To J. K. Rowling

Stop! I can't take any more.

Panzer brings you sad news for all Harry Potter fans from the GalleyCAT site today.

According to a post by Maryann Yin, J. K. Rowling tweeted on Twitter that there won't be a Harry Potter TV series.

Also ...

There won't be an opera ...

or ...

an ice show.

No Panzer says today. He was laughing so hard he fell off my lap when he was telling me about the opera and the ice show. Now, he's just laying there giggling.

To read the post, tootle over to J.K. Rowling

Amazon's Book Review Policy

Rules are rules.

Panzer was taking a nap when he got woken up by a bunch of hissing and yowling coming from the Catosphere. Our sleepy little kitty hopped in the Panzermobile to see what all the ruckus was about.

Panzer didn't have any trouble following all the noise to the Consumer Affairs site. According to a post by Jennifer Abel, blogger Imy Santiago is up in arms because Amazon wouldn't post a review by her. Amazon said she violated their review policy. Back and forth emails are quoted in the post to show Amazon's "lack of transparency" in regard to why they wouldn't post the review. Basically, it come down to the fact Amazon believes she "knows" the author of the book she was reviewing and, therefore, it couldn't be an honest review. There's a link in the post to Santiago's original post at her blog.

Panzer says "Amazon knows everything about authors, including who your friends are. Have a link to your blog at Author Central (Hi, Amazon!)? They have not only your posts, but the comments. Put a link to your Twitter account (Hi!) and same thing. Have a Goodreads account with a link to your blog? Same thing (Hi, again!). And on it goes.  Everything is tied together. And ... You do know about Amazon and Goodreads, right? There's no place to hide."

To read the post, tootle over to book reviews

Buying Books Through Your Twitter Account?

It had to happen sooner or later.

Panzer was out in the Catosphere today when he heard a strange little chirping noise. Afraid there might be a problem with the Panzermobile he stopped at the closest site he could find.

Our kitty mechanic discovered the noise he heard wasn't coming from the Panzermobile, but from the GoodEReader site where he parked. It turned out he wasn't hearing chirping, but tweeting instead.

According to Michael Kozlowski, Twitter and Penguin Random House are partnering in an initiative that began on June 18. Twitter users can now view information and purchase PRH books through their Twitter accounts. Instead of being restricted to the standard tweet length, buyers will be directed to a page listing the current available PRH books.

Panzer says, "Now, when can indie authors sell their books on Twitter?"

To read the full post, tootle over to Penguin Random House

Using Twitter Hashtags for Book Promotion

Who knew?

Panzer was out looking for marketing ideas today. My bad boy found a site he'd never been to before called the Readers+Writers Journal. He read a post there about using Twitter for book promotions.

Twitter?

With only 140 character?

Guess what the promotion tool at Twitter is.

It's hashtags.

The post includes examples of the hashtags you want to use with samples of how to use them. It has where to upload your cover; how to promote a sale; and, even has a link to 200 more promotional hashtags.

Panzer says, "I never knew there were all those hashtags for writing."

If you're looking for information on book promotion on Twitter, tootle over to twitter for book promotion

How Writers Can Use Twitter - GalleyCat

Dogs? Dragons? Putey!

Panzer and I have been learning how to use Twitter for the past three months, so when we saw this post at GalleyCAT we stopped the Panzermobile over there.

We have almost 500 followers at Twitter. Panzer told all his relatives and some of his cousins signed up as followers.

Panzer says, "Hi Tiny Pearl!"

We even have ... Grrr ... dogs as followers! And dragons!

Oh, yeah, and some humans, too. ( Hint: You can follow us too as @FionaLeeWoods )

We're still learning all the hashtags. Whew! There are hundreds!

But, we have been having fun over there.

If you want to learn more about Twitter and writers who use it, tootle over to How Writers Can Use Twitter - GalleyCat

How Has Twitter Shaped Storytelling? - GalleyCat

140 characters? How?

Panzer couldn't believe it when I read him this post at GalleyCAT.

Authors are writing fiction on Twitter!

Twitter where your tweets can only be 140 characters!

How can they do that?

Read about it at How Has Twitter Shaped Storytelling? - GalleyCat

Goodreads: Where readers and authors battle it out in an online “Lord of the Flies”

This is not what I wanted!

There's still a lot of yowling about Goodreads going on in the Catosphere. So, Panzer stopped in at Salon to check out the latest.

I want to admit Panzer and I are not on Goodreads. We'd heard that authors should open an account there and interact with readers. We were thinking about doing it, so we did some investigating. Then all this yowling and CATerwauling started. Authors arguing with reviewers. Reviewers arguing with reviewers. Tweets. Blogs. It just keeps getting bigger.

If you want to read about what's going on at Goodreads, tootle over to Goodreads: Where readers and authors battle it out in an online “Lord of the Flies”

Anne R. Allen's Blog: 7 Ways Authors Waste Time "Building Platform" on S...

Whew!

Panzer was out in the Catosphere today looking for something besides marketing ideas. He has spent so much time over the last few months trying to build his author platform!

Well guess what he found. The ultimate anti-platform guide by Anne R. Allen. He read it over and then insisted I read it. Now he wants you to read it.

Whew! Facebook? Twitter? Tumblr? Nah. Now we can rest and get back to writing our next book.

If you want to know if building your platform is worth it, tootle over to Anne R. Allen's Blog: 7 Ways Authors Waste Time "Building Platform" on S...: Authors are getting hammered with more and more demands on our time. We get escalating pressure to blog more! tweet more!! send more newsl...

Cats and Marketing

Introvert? Not this cat!

Panzer was out in the Catosphere looking for some marketing tips. He happened to find an oldie but goodie from last year. Jane Friedman interviewed Bob Tarte about marketing. Bob is the author Kitty Cornered.

Turns out Bob is a huge introvert and does his marketing with Twitter, Facebook, and podcasting. Now, we all know that being an introvert is not a word anyone would use to describe my bad boy. But, we all need some online marketing advice now and then.

If you need a refresher course on using online sources for you ebook marketing, tootle on over to Introverts and Successful Marketing