Boyhood interests in trains and electronics fostered Mark's career as an electrical engineer, designing and commissioning signal and communications systems for railroads and rail transit agencies across the United States. Along the way Mark indulged his writing desire by authoring articles for rail and transit industry trade magazines. Coupled with Mark's long-time membership in anime, manga and anthropomorphic fandoms, he took up writing genre fiction. Growing up in Michigan, never far from his beloved Great Lakes, Mark and his wife today make their home in Wisconsin with their son and a dog who naps beside him as he writes.  He is a member of Allied Authors of Wisconsin and the Furry Writers' Guild.
CONNECT ONLINE:

Website(s): https://www.mark-engels.com/  

Twitter handle(s): @mj_engels  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.engels.39 

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Mark-J.-Engels/e/B074Q51T9R/

THIS WEEK’S INDIE PUBLISHING NEWS:

Author Earnings Report is out - Data Guy is back after a year-long hiatus, and he does not disappoint. The latest Author Earnings Report gives us some incredible insights into the industry, including a final confirmation that ebooks are, in fact, not going away. According to the report, 55% of online book purchase in 2017 were ebooks, and there’s every indication that climb will continue. The report has generated a bit of controversy, however, as it had initially named certain authors and publishers, giving their sales ranking and other information. Some authors complained this was a breech of privacy. What do you think? Does it impact privacy to aggregate and report publicly available data?  http://authorearnings.com/report/january-2018-report-us-online-book-sales-q2-q4-2017/
Google Play now offers audiobooks. — Google Play has had a turbulent time trying to enter and keep a foothold in the content marketplace, with it’s Google Play Store being difficult to navigate and, largely, devoid of content beyond what you could find at an airport bookstore. As they continue to work on those challenges, it looks like they’re making a bid to go toe to toe with Audible and iTunes for the audiobook market. This week, Google announced it will start carrying audiobooks in the Google Play Store, specifying that there is no subscription, and that many popular books will be sold at a discount. Could this be a true contender for knocking Audible off of the hill, giving both consumers and authors a better shot? I’d love to hear what you think, in the comments. https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/23/16921176/audiobooks-google-play-android-ios-home-speakers
Apple takes another swing at Amazon over ebooks. — After a slap-down from the U.S. Department of Justice, back in 2012, Apple was forced to back off of some of its more aggressive plans for the ebook business. Now, they’re up for another run, with a revamped ebook store and mobile app, and a new name—switching from the familiar iBooks to simply “Books,” in a move that mirrors similar name changes across their product line. It’s good to see someone rise to take a swing at Amazon, who has dominated ebooks for years now, but it remains to be seen whether we’re all in better hands within Apple’s walled garden. How do you see this battle of the book giants turning out? Is it a turning point for the industry, or just more of the same? https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-25/apple-is-said-to-ready-revamped-e-books-push-against-amazon
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