Hackers Are Targeting Createspace Author Accounts – Written By Nate Hoffelder On The Book Designer Blog

Thank you so very much The Book Designer Blog Joel Friedlander and Nate Hoffelder for this very informative blog post about our CreateSpace Author Accounts being endangered!

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By Nate Hoffelder

We’ve been contacted by a couple of our readers who have, unfortunately, had their Createspace accounts hacked, and we felt this was something you all needed to be aware of. We are pleased to provide this guest post by Nate Hoffelder on the topic. If you have a Createspace account, you will definitely want to read this.

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Authors who have an account on Createspace should go change their passwords immediately — and while they’re at it, they should also double check their payment details.

Reports of Hacking

This story has for the most part been ignored by the press, but starting sometime in March or April 2018, hackers began to target author accounts on Createspace.

I have read multiple independent reports in several closed Facebook groups, Reddit, and on Kbaords dated in April, June, July, August, and as late as the first week of November from authors who say that someone hacked their CS account.

 

To continue reading this blog post go to:

https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2018/11/hackers-are-targeting-createspace-author-accounts/

The CreateSpace to KDP Print Migration: Issues to Watch for – Written By Melinda Clayton

Melinda Clayton gives us an insight on the CreateSpace to KDP Print Migration and what we need to keep an eye on. Thank you very much, Melinda.

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The indie publishing world has been abuzz since authors received an email from CreateSpace stating CreateSpace would be closing and KDP Print would take its place.

Some authors have been greeted with a pop-up on CreateSpace that tells them they can move their entire catalog with one click. Other authors haven’t yet received the pop-up but should soon, since CreateSpace said the option would be rolled out slowly over the next few weeks. If you don’t yet have the pop-up, don’t worry; CreateSpace has said within a few weeks, if an author hasn’t moved books from one account to the other, CreateSpace will do it for us.

To read the full article, click here:

https://www.indiesunlimited.com/2018/11/06/the-createspace-to-kdp-print-migration-issues-to-watch-for/

KDP Print ISBN Options: How to Choose and Converting from CreateSpace-2018 – by David Wogahn

David Wogahn on AuthorImprints provides us with an excellent article about the switch from CreateSpace to KDP print. Thank you for the insight David. We really appreciate it!

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TL;DR: KDP Print ISBN options are the same as they were with CreateSpace. If you choose the free ISBN option, be aware of its limitations. As always with ISBNs, the devil is in the details and usage depends on your goals. Details below.

KDP Print ISBN options are the same as CreateSpace

1. CreateSpace has offered 3 ISBN options since 2016 and those are:
   A free ISBN. The name of your publishing imprint is CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
2. Purchase 1 ISBN for $99 in the name of your imprint. CreateSpace (and KDP Print) are authorized resellers of ISBNs (as is IngramSpark). This is a discounted price from the usual $125 if you buy direct from Bowker’s MyIdentifiers
3. Use your own ISBN.

To continue reading go to:

https://www.authorimprints.com/kdp-print-isbn-options/

KDP Print Just Got A Whole Lot More Attractive

Nicholas C. Rossis writes about KDP Print. Thank you for the information Nicholas!

Nicholas C. Rossis

I’m sure most of you have heard the news by now, but if you haven’t, Amazon has announced some major changes to its KDP Print program. Only two days after I was telling people in this blog’s comments that I wouldn’t even consider moving to KDP Print from CreateSpace until Amazon addressed its two most glaring issues, the company announced it had. On top of that, it addressed my major problem with CreateSpace, thus making it a whole lot more likely that I will soon be moving over.

Problem #1: No Physical Proofs (Solved)

The first problem with KDP Print concerned its means of proofing your manuscript. Well, you can now order printed proofs from KDP. Proofs allow you to review a physical copy of your draft paperback prior to publication.

Note, however, that the process is a bit more cumbersome than the one CreateSpace uses. Specifically, here’s how you…

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CreateSpace Discontinues Paid Author Services

Thank you very much for this valuable information on CreateSpace, Nicholas Rossis!

Nicholas C. Rossis

Following the closure of CreateSpace’s eStore, Amazon has now delivered a further blow to the company. This makes it all more likely that all of CreateSpace operations will eventually be rolled into KDP Print.

In a surprising statement, Amazon announced its decision to move CreateSpace out of paid author services such as professional design and editing:

After a thorough review of our service offerings, we’ve made the decision to discontinue Createspace’s paid professional editing, design, and marketing services. We will work closely with impacted employees through this transition to help them find new roles within the company or assist them with pursuing opportunities outside the company.

Amazon Statement

Even though most Indie authors I know prefer to use their own resources for such services, CreateSpace’s design and editing services were in direct competition to book publishers such as BookBaby and IngramSparks. Still, Amazon says the latest round of layoffs…

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CreateSpace eStore is Closing Effective October 31, 2017

Chris Mullen informs us about CreateSpace closing their e-store. Thank you very much for sharing the news!

chrismcmullen

Image from ShutterStock.

CREATESPACE ESTORE IS CLOSING

Beginning October 31, 2017, customers will no longer be able to purchase paperbacks directly from the CreateSpace eStore.

If you have a link to your CreateSpace eStore and a customer clicks on it, the customer will be redirected to the corresponding page at Amazon.com.

According to CreateSpace, the reasons behind the change include:

• It’s much easier to search for books across Amazon’s site than it is to search for books on CreateSpace.
• Amazon offers a much better checkout process than CreateSpace does.
• Amazon offers better shipping options, including Amazon Prime.
• Amazon sends out tracking notifications for orders placed through Amazon.
• Amazon’s storefront is a much more familiar interface for customers.
• Several customers have requested the features described above.

Unfortunately, when a customer clicks on a link to a CreateSpace eStore and is redirected to Amazon, authors will earn Amazon.com royalties (not eStore…

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Self-Publishing and Formatting Quick Tips

Jo Robinson provides us with a fantastic article about self publishing and formatting. Thank you so much Jo. I’m more than convinced these are a gift to us Newbies. (Even though I personally think you might hear from me, once I’m there).

Lit World Interviews

One of the biggest challenges to Indies is getting a professionally published looking book when up against the costs of editing, proofreading, formatting and cover designs. If you can afford these services then foregoing them is not a good idea, but when you really can’t afford them they can mean the death of some really great literature. There are a couple of things that can help though.

Editing or Proofreading Swopsies

Rather than simply asking for Beta readers, offer to swop proofreading services. Writers have a different kind of eyeball when reading. I’ve just finished a Joanna Trollope book, professionally published by one of the big houses, professionally edited and put together, but so far I’ve found a couple of typos and instances of poorly strung together sentences. As far as the cover design is concerned, if it wasn’t for the fact that I was specifically looking for and wanting…

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CreateSpace vs. Ingram Sparks: Choosing The Best Printer Service For Your Books

Nicholas S. Rossis compares two printer-services for us. Thank you very much Nicholas!

Nicholas C. Rossis

As you know, most of my books are available in print format as well. I use Createspace for this but have often flirted with the idea of using Ingram Sparks. How can one choose?

I recently stumbled on a great post by Giacomo Giammatteo on the Self-publishing advice blog. Giammatteo has posted a great comparison that details the pros and cons of each choice.

What To Compare

The following table compares various features to explain the difference between the two services. Two important factors emerge right away: Ingram Sparks has a setup fee of $49, while the book ends up 41c more expensive. So, price-wise, Createspace is a winner. However, the book’s quality is somewhat lower, and distribution depends on Amazon.

Distribution is an important point: if you’re planning on distributing into brick-and-mortar stores, you’ll earn the same profit everywhere. With Createspace, you may be looking at a $4.55 profit if selling on…

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Embedding Your Fonts for Paperback Books

Jo Robinson from LitWorldInterviews posted a very useful articles on how to use different fonts for paperback books on Create Space. Thank you very much Jo!

Lit World Interviews

There are lots of fabulous fonts around these days for us to use in our paperback books, and I think that making them visually attractive as well as wonderful to read is a great idea. Using a plain font for most of the body text is best, but there is no reason not to create great looking chapter headings, or using old typewriter fonts to make letters or notes stand out in your stories. Some fonts are made by hobbyists and offered online free for use commercially so it’s always necessary to check that they are embedded in your manuscript when you load it up to CreateSpace or any other POD system.

CreateSpace says,

“In order to print your book, our printing presses need information about how to properly render the fonts used in your file. Information about fonts is not always included in documents by default, and you may…

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CreateSpace – Final Things to Check

Jo Robinson of LitWorldInterview provides us with a useful and informative article about the final things to check on Createspace. Thank you, Jo!

Lit World Interviews

So you’ve finally got your page numbers right. Check that you’ve Justified your text for your CreateSpace book. I know that some authors choose not to justify text in their eBooks (not me), but a paper book really must be justified or it’s going to look messy. Choose your font and font size. You have lots of fonts that you can use in your paperback, but it’s a good idea to stick with something plain, other than for dropcaps or chapter headings.

Decide what trim size your book is going to be and set your manuscript’s size accordingly. From the Page Layout tab, click on the little arrow to the right of Page Setup, then select Paper from the three tabs at the top of the page setup box. Change the Width and Height settings to 6” x 9” or 5” x 8” or whatever size your book will be…

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