SELF-PUBLISH BOOKS! Self publishing at a fraction of the cost of conventional methods.


================================================================

        "U-Pdate" for April 2001
        e-RIGHTS GRAB THE SPOTLIGHT
        (includes reports *exclusive* to U-Publish.com)

This is your free monthly newsletter from "U-Publish.com," the
website named for the revolutionary guide to new methods for
publishing and promoting books by Dan Poynter and Danny O. Snow.

You may subscribe or unsubscribe at any time.  Simply notify
us by e-mail at: subs@u-publish.com.

We do not endorse specific products or services, and we do not
accept advertising.  We will not sell your address elsewhere.

Please visit http://www.u-publish.com at least once each month,
for periodic updates of interest to writers and publishers.

Please feel free to forward copies of this message to fellow
authors and publishers.  This is a free service, available to
to all publishing professionals upon request.

================================================================

PLEASE EXCUSE US if you sent a message to U-Publish.com in the
last month that bounced, or if you were unable to use the
automatic subscription form.  Our Internet Service Provider has
corrected the problem, and apologizes for any inconvenience.

================================================================

        RANDOM HOUSE SUES ROSETTA BOOKS
        Claims that e-rights are owned by the publisher,
        even when they were not included in contracts

As reported by Publishers Weekly on March 5, Random House Inc.
"filed a lawsuit last week against Rosetta Books, charging
the e-book publisher startup with copyright infringement by
publishing e-book editions of several books to which Random
claims it holds the e-book rights.

"Both the National Writers Union and the Authors Guild said
they will support Rosetta's position in any way they can.
NWU president Jonathan Tasini called the suit "a brazen grab
to control rights that Random doesn't own."  The guild's
executive director, Paul Aiken, observed that "contracts are
specific in what rights are granted.  You can't suddenly
expand the definition because new ways to deliver texts are
developed."

For more detailed information, please visit:

        http://www.u-publish.com/monthly.htm

The link above includes commentary EXCLUSIVE to U-Publish.com
from the National Writers Union and legal experts.  Get the
latest info today, and invite others who may be interested.

================================================================

In a related story, writers are striking back at publishers,
using similar arguments.  In a report aired by "Marketplace"
on March 28, the door swings both ways:

"Some freelance writers ... say it's not fair that publishers
can put their work online or in other digital forms without
paying again.  Publishers say they ow[n] what they paid for.
The stakes in this dispute are rising as technology creates
new and interesting ways to repackage what had once been just
old newspaper fishwrap." 

For details, see:

        http://marketplace.org/shows/2001/03/28_mpp.html

================================================================

        * Books dropped by MightyWords and iUniverse

If you, or someone you know, will soon need a new outlet for an
independently published book that has been distributed through the
by one of companies above, make sure you ask the right questions
before you sign or send money elsewhere.

Before you select a new self-publishing service, be sure to read
these important warnings:

        http://www.u-publish.com/beware.htm

Thousands of writers have been effected by recent changes in the
policies of these services.  U-Publish.com will continue to
cover new developments at our website.

================================================================

        * BookZone Chosen By OverDrive
        * To Deliver Microsoft e-Book Solutions

BookZone, a leader in development of websites for publishers,
book promotion and e-Book publishing services, has signed the
first partnership of its kind in the U.S. with OverDrive.
Through this new alliance, BookZone will be the first U.S.
application service partner to offer publishers the opportunity
to sell books directly from their sites utilizing Microsoft
Reader, a leading software application for reading e-Book
documents, manuscripts and other digital materials.

BookZone already offers e-Books in the popular PDF format.
The combination of both PDF and Microsoft Reader formats will
give e-books from its clients much wider public availability.

For more information about e-publishing with BookZone, call
800-536-6162 or e-mail epub@bookzone.com, and please mention
that you learned about them through U-Publish.com, thanks.

================================================================

        * Poynter/Snow sites selected by Writer's Digest

Both U-Publish.com and ParaPublishing.com have been chosen for
the "Selected Web Sites" guide in the May 2001 issue of
"Publishing Success" Magazine from WD.  (See page 60.)  This
special issue of PS covers a wealth of useful information for
authors and publishers.  To preview, see:

        http://www.writersdigest.com/publishingsuccess

THANKS to our subscribers for making the "U-Publish.com" site
popular, for your positive feedback, and for telling fellow
authors and publishers about this free resource.  We will work
hard to bring you current, no-nonsense info about the latest
developments in independent publishing and promotion every month.

================================================================

        * Snow's Comments Featured in Debut Issue
        * of "Internet Publishing" Magazine

"U-Publish.com" co-author Dan Snow is quoted about the leading
formats for e-books in the premiere issue of "Internet Publish-
ing" Magazine.  To read Snow's comments online, please visit:

http://www.ipubmag.com/cgi-bin/LiveIQue.acgi$rec=3079?ipm

================================================================

        * Free Legal Advice on Publishing

As the news items above demonstrate clearly, new technologies
are raising huge questions about the ownership of intellectual
property.  The field of copyright law is rapidly changing, and
it is VERY important for authors and publishers to stay informed.

Keino Cambell is a publishing attorney located in Atlanta.  He
offers a free legal chat session every 2nd and 4th Friday of
each month from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.  For details, see:

        http://www.keinolaw.com/?u-pub

If you have a question about copyrights, publishing contracts,
or other legal issues related to a book, get qualified legal
advice before you act.

If you participate in a chat session, please mention that you
learned about it at U-Publish.com, thanks.

================================================================

        * Quotation of the Month:

"There are no dull subjects. There are only dull writers." 

-- H.L. Mencken, writer and editor

================================================================

Don't forget to visit the U-Publish.com website at least once
a month, for new info of interest to authors and publishers.
Never before has the publishing industry changed so rapidly.
Poynter & Snow work hard to keep our readers up to date.

Feel free to forward copies of this message to others who may
be interested.  Subscriptions are available free upon request
to all authors, publishers and professionals in related fields.

================================================================