New Lower Kindle Price $114, With a Catch

I went to Amazon's site this morning and noticed they are selling the $139 Kindle for $114, if you agree to automatically receive ads on it. Apparently this offer has been up for at least a few days (I'm not sure how I missed it, as I order from Amazon a couple times a week for business supplies).

So, for $25 off, you get the WiFi only Kindle, but you agree that Amazon can automatically display ads on it. The good news is that, at least for now, the ads only show up on your homepage and your screensaver. I haven't taken the time to read the fine-print, but I wonder how much leeway they've left themselves in changing when and where the ads display.

There's all sort of neat things you can do with ads in ebooks: Ads that appear when you turn the page. Links that appear right in your book, transporting you to an advertiser's webpage if you click on them. Ads inserted between paragraphs. Wait, did I say, 'neat things'? I meant, horrible things. There's few more devastating ways to mess-up the reading experience than break the reader away from the story with an ad.

Yes, Amazon is known for being very consumer friendly. I've had great customer service almost every time I've had an issue. But still, I don't trust any corporation with power over my valuable reading time. I know many of you are like me, so busy, that it's hard to find even 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to read. Is it really worth $25 to risk those few golden minutes?

Honestly, I'm really surprised Amazon didn't lower the price below $100, the magic price point that really would drive sales. It seems like a big misstep on their part. If you've never worked in marketing, sales or retail, you may not know that $99 is one of the biggest sociological price points.

Now, I'm not 100% against the idea of a few ads in between books. If the terms are clearly spelled out (which they might be) and they have some sort of expiration date; even, say three years (which they don't appear to); then I might be willing to sign myself up for something like $50 off.

But indefinitely giving away a portion (no matter how tiny) of my valuable reading time for a lousy $25 bucks? No, I don't think so.

E-book Sales Top Paperbacks--Just Not Mine

cc-Triehut

I imagine, most everyone has seen this, but just in case, the Association of American Publishers just announced that E-book sales have topped paperback sales for the first time. I suspect it will not be long before ebook sales top both hardcover and paperback sales combined.

But that doesn't mean there's a bonanza just waiting to be made self-publishing ebooks. I've been giving out free e-books and even selling two (one at 99¢ one at $1.79) and I can tell you it's not as easy as putting them out and waiting for the dough to come rolling it. That's not to say you can't make big bucks by publishing your own works as ebook, but it takes lots of work and the market isn't ripe for kidlit yet.

In a couple months, I'll have had my e-books out for a year and I plan to post my results as well as lessons I've learned. In the mean time, my advice is play around with indie publishing, if you want to give it a try. Maybe publish a few shorts or a drawer novel, but don't dump your agent (or agent search) just yet!

New Review of Hide-n-Go Coffin

My newest short story, Hide-n-Go Coffin and Other Short Stories was just reviewed by E & K Family Book Reviews. Overall, it was a very nice review. The cool thing is that one of the reviewers is 8 years old, so she's just at beginning reading age for these stories. So, this is the first review I've had from a target reader:

"I really liked these scary stories. They are short and easy to read. I didn't know what was going to happen until it did. It wasn't TOO scary though, so I didn't end up having nightmares. They were more suspenseful then scary. They reminded me of the Goosebumps stories that I really like."

 Her mother enjoyed them as well, though I don't think as much:

"These would definitely be good camp fire stories, short enough to remember- but scary enough to make you uneasy in the dark. My favorite story was probably the first one, I wasn't expecting the outcome.
Overall, whether you are 8 or an adult and like scary stories- These would be a good quick read for you. Maybe even fun to read with your kids!" 

She also mentioned she found a couple grammatical errors in the last story. I did have these shorts both edited and proofread, but I'm sure I slipped an error or two in after editing. So, now I'm off to hunt down these little buggers. A process that will probably take me all day =-)

Timeless Wisdom from Buffy, “Books Smell”

Last night, I was watching Buffy, The Vampire Slayer—hey, everyone’s entitled to a guilty pleasure or two. The episode first aired in 1997, but its message is even more relevant today. What is this timeless pearl of Wisdom?

Books Smell.

Here’s the setup: Giles, the high school librarian and Buffy's Watcher (if you aren’t familiar with the show—besides really missing out—you need to know he fills the role of her the older, wiser mentor type) falls for the school's computer lab instructor. Just one problem (besides the fact that there’s a monstrous demon hiding out in the computer system): Giles hates computers. He explains his aversion to reading information on a screen as follows:

“Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences... long forgotten. Books smell. Musty and—and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer, is, uh, it... it has no, no texture, no, no context. It's, it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then, then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um... smelly.”

I think this quote is timely today, as we experience the dawn of the ebook revolution. A time when so many are predicting the death of the printed book.

If I love a book, truly love it (1984, The Martian Chronicles, Danny Champion of the World), then I want to touch its pages, see how the words linger in print, and yes, I want to smell it.

Will we ever stop printing books? Maybe paperbacks. But they’ll always be books, and not just as collector’s items gathering dust in some old eccentric's private library. At least in our lifetime, too many people have a love for the printed word and will be willing to pay a premium to hold their lovers in all her hardbound glory (kinda gives new meaning to the word stacked, doesn't it)?

So, when we talk about the death of books, let's not forget: Books smell. 

Thank You's and Another Free ebook Offer

First, I wanted to say thank you to the people who've helped get the word out about Hide-n-Go Coffin. First, Sparksy Dash for putting up a 5-star review on Smashwords. Also, to Dodge, at BookBarista.com for offering me free advertising space. And last but not least, fellow blogger and author Sheila Deeth for posting a great review of not only Hide-n-go Coffin, but also Monster in the Mirror on both Amazon's and B&N's sites.
And I don't want to forget everyone else who has a copy and just hasn't gotten around to reading or reviewing it. I know these things take time to get to, so I'll just say thanks in advance.

Also, I wanted to let everyone know I have a novelette coming out, The Little Wooden Chair. It's the first adult work I've published and it's 100% guaranteed to make you cry. If anyone is in the mood for a short, sweet story, just let me know and I'll forward you an advanced copy.

A whole Weekend of Writing and a New eBook of Shorts

Cover by my good friend
Ronnell D. Porter.

One of my kids was out of town this weekend, leaving just the baby for my wife and I to watch. As a result I got almost a whole weekend of writing done. Wow, it was great. Of course, I paid for it this week and have been swamped ever since.

Still, I was able to get a new little collection of shorts published. Hide-n-Go Coffin has three MG/early YA short stories. I've put it up at both Amazon, and Barnes & Noble (Apple coming soon). At 6,000 words it's a fairly quick read. If anyone would like a free review copy just e-mail or send me a message and I'll be glad to send it to you (also let me know what format, Kindle, Nook, PDF, MS Word).

 Book Description

Includes two three 'terrorific' short stories.

Playing hide-and-seek in a cemetery is disrespectful. When it happens to be cursed, the results can be deadly. Or even worse, as Jason finds out when he takes a bet to play an ill-fated game on Halloween.

Includes the bonus short story: Brother's Keeper – Zack would be wise to spend less time looking for his missing sled and more time worrying about what is lurking outside. But he's not the only one who'll have to pay for his single-mindedness.

Also includes the bonus short story: Grandpa's suits – A game of spin-the-bottle with the school pervert isn't a bright idea. Fortunately for Zoey, she's not quite alone.

These stories are not recommended for kids under 8. 

Ditching the Super Bowl to Write

I've been swamped at work and haven't been able to write any night before 11pm or later. So, when Grandpa offered to watch the kids on Sunday, I jumped at the chance. I figured I could watch Green Bay squash The Steelers (The 49'er's are my favorite team, but Green Bay is my backup). There's just something about the intensity of the championship game that makes it so exciting to watch. Then last night, inspiration hit, I found the missing piece to my current WIP.

I wrote down a bunch of notes and had trouble sleeping because I kept thinking about how it would all fit together. So, as I'm writing this I can hear the coin toss in the other room (I'm going to have to close the door), but I'm just about to lay pencil to paper (or rather fingers to keys) and knock out the final pieces of my manuscript.

Make no mistake about it, I'll take a few breaks to check the game, but this is the first time I remember missing the Super Bowl since I was 12.

I know in the scheme of things, missing one Super Bowl isn't such a big deal. But when I think of all the hours I've spent trying to master the craft, it really adds up.

What's the biggest thing you've given up to pursue your writing?