Bookbub, Kicking Butt & Taking Names

Recently an author friend of mine signed up with Bookbub to help promote one of her books. She is an Independent, Indy, author and writes non-fiction. Her promotion is still in progress with great success. Bookbub should be of interest to readers as well as writers because they always promote good, highly discounted books. They have more than a million subscribers to their free discount notifications. When reviewing comments about their site and service I found a substantial number of grateful readers who mentioned the advantages of being steered toward outstanding, affordable books.

Let’s break this conversation down into a segment for readers and one for authors.

READERS:

Readers can go online to the Bookbub site, sign-up, and choose a genre of titles to receive, all for free. Bookbub’s editorial committee reviews every book that is submitted for promotion to ensure quality and an acceptable discount. They promote free books, 99 cent books, and even $2.99 books. The books can be available electronically from sites like Kindle, Barnes & Nobel, Apple, Smashwords etc. Print copies can also be obtained, although the deep discounts do not usually apply. As a reader, just imagine that an impartial third party will send you a brief e-mail every day with a list and short description of the kinds of books you like.

Indy authors work just as hard, if not harder than traditionally published authors. They are responsible for the writing, proofing, editing, publishing, and promoting. It is a daunting task with myriad variables and incredible competition. I try to read at least one Indy book per week. They are not all to my liking, but neither are all traditionally published authors and works. If I find no value in a particular book I may not finish. If I like a book I try to post a review and/or let the author know what I think. For my predilection the world is too full of negativity. If I don’t like a book I usually keep my opinion to myself. After all, it is just my opinion.

AUTHORS:

Let’s call my friend, the Indy author and subject of this post, Madame X. Her first book has been out for more than a year; she has had free KDP promotions, sales events, she blogs, posts everywhere online, and wins awards for her work. She receives ample good or excellent reviews and still her sales have been not great, until Bookbub.

Bookbub reviewed and approved her work, she agreed to lower the price to 99 cents and keep it there for at least a week. Within the first couple of days of the promotion X’s book made it to 53 on the Kindle paid bestseller’s list. As authors we all know how hard it is to improve your ranking on Kindle. The competition is fierce and on the more popular days with book buyers everyone’s sales increase.

I am not saying Bookbub is the do all and end all. There is a small cost involved with the process. However, it is working for X and we all need all of the help we can get. I wish you good writing and great selling. What we need is the opportunity to put our books in front of a mass audience. What good is the work if no one reads it?

Readers, please be kind. Writers, be diligent and persistent. Together we can improve the literary standards of our world.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Elizabeth’s Secrets http://amzn.to/IoXLgD
Dark Star http://amzn.to/KsXYOr

Fiction is Harder Than Truth

Before we begin, in keeping with my tracking of Dan Brown’s “Inferno” success (not infernal), he is still ranked at number 1 in Kindle books with 382 reviews, 36 of which are 1-star. As we noticed before the percentage of poor reviews to good is continually decreasing. I credit this trend to haters losing their momentum.

Fiction is harder to write and more subject to harsh criticism than non-fiction and memoirs. This is not to say that authors of non-fiction are any less skilled or work less. Fiction comes from the author’s imagination and although he has some freedom with facts, geography, and imagery, in the end it all has to, in some way, be believable. In non-fiction, if the facts are correct, if you have all the persons, places, things, and occurrences in the right place and in the right order there is nothing to criticize about the story itself. Critics can review grammar, spelling, punctuation, and the author’s choice of topics, but that’s all.

In fiction, the characters must seem real and be believable. If the reader’s perception of a character’s actions, dialogue, or situation is that it could never happen, the reader believes it poorly written. Needless to say, every reader has a different opinion and preference of what will pass as real. Thus we can explain the huge difference between Dan Brown’s euphoric fans and his adamant haters. It does not necessarily mean that Brown is a bad writer; it means that his work is not believable, and does not appeal to a particular reader. A fiction writer can cause a character to survive a 100 foot jump from a building. It only requires a few keystrokes. However, to make it believable the jumper must be able to justify his survival. We all know vampires, werewolves, and superheroes can easily jump from any height, right? The novelist must either create normally believable scenarios or some extraordinary justification/explanation that readers will accept.

Fiction writers are subjected to readers’ grammar, spelling, punctuation, and composition reviews along with plot, characterization, dialogue, and story. Fiction can be stranger than truth if the writer wants it to be, it just has to be believable.

The next novel you read, try to imagine the author’s perspective, and if the story is a good one, give him or her a break.

It is motorcycle season and signs everywhere caution us to watch out for bikers. Let’s do that and while we’re at it, let’s watch out for authors.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Elizabeth’s Secrets http://amzn.to/IoXLgD
Dark Star http://amzn.to/KsXYOr

A Novel’s All Important First Line

If other writers are anything like me, they struggle with the first line of every novel. It is the line that catches the readers’ attention and sets the tone for the entire story. The most notable first lines in history are well and widely known. Who can possibly forget lines such as?

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Perhaps we don’t all remember every word of this incredibly long sentence. Unless you are also prone to memorize poetry you probably do not get much past the first twelve words. In that one sentence Dickens gives us an overview of the story to be told. Memorable, poignant, and important, the elements we all strive to produce in our work and most importantly represent in our first line.

My first attempt at a first line is usually quite easy. Of course after I finish the prologue or first chapter I generally rewrite the first line. After the second chapter I do it again and I continue this process throughout the writing. What happens to me is, as we have discussed before, the characters influence their own stories and their personalities and by making these changes they alter the first line introduction to the story.
The process is fluid and self-settling, it requires the author to be open to the possibility that the opening line is not in his mind. Rather, it comes from the minds of his story’s characters. If the opening line does not touch the writer’s sensitivity, it most certainly will not touch the reader.

When you begin a new novel I encourage you to read the first line aloud. Allow it to roll off your tongue, savor the moment, and let it touch your heart. Remember how it makes you feel. You might even write those feelings on a slip of paper. When you finish the book bring that memory out and consider how the first line set the stage for the book you just read. See if that feeling matches your impression of the book. I hope you will find many first lines equivalent to the quality and creative uniqueness of the books you read.

There is so much to be discovered on the written page, we have only to look!

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Elizabeth’s Secrets http://amzn.to/IoXLgD
Dark Star http://amzn.to/KsXYOr

Gatsby’s Style and Pageantry, Fitzgerald Would be Proud

Today, I want to talk about the movie The Great Gatsby currently in its second week of Screening nationwide. However, before we get into that, in keeping with my last several posts, I checked in to see how Dan Brown’s Inferno is doing on the bestseller’s list. He is solidly holding the number 1 spot with an incredible 253 reviews of which only 26 are 1-star. The percentage of one star to total reviews is lessening. I think this means those people, who rush to write bad reviews for the attention, or feeling of superiority, or for whatever reason, have lost their initial momentum. It will be interesting to continue tracking this percentage over the coming weeks.

One other aside, my friend and fellow author Marlayna Glynn Brown is ranked number 61 on Kindle bestsellers with her memoir Overlay. Marlayna has several books out, of which Overlay was her first. It is a candid, uplifting story of overcoming the difficulties of an alcoholic, abusive family. Congratulations Marlayna, keep writing and selling those great books.

Now let’s examine our topic, The Great Gatsby. I am a huge F. Scott Fitzgerald fan. I have a leather bound copy of The Great Gatsby, which I reread before going to see the movie. Having done so I went to the theatre with great trepidation because my past experiences have typically resulted in disappointment in the way movies fail to capture the essence of books. However, in this case I was thrilled at the result. With very few minor variations the movie closely followed Fitzgerald’s story.

The cinematography was incredible. We have already discussed the importance of authors seeing their characters and surroundings in their minds’ eye as their stories play out. I think Fitzgerald’s mental image of Gatsby and his environment, the house, the parties, the people, and the cars must have been very close to what we saw on the big screen. In fact, the movie was shot and edited in such a way to make it feel as though you were reading a book. The scenes and point of view POV changed just as it must on the written page.

I left the theatre encouraged by the experience and proud because F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous book finally got the big screen treatment it deserves. If you have not seen the movie I encourage you to do so. Let me know what you think!

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Elizabeth’s Secrets http://amzn.to/IoXLgD
Dark Star http://amzn.to/KsXYOr

Are Kindle FREE Books A Good Deal For Writers or Readers?

I am still checking Dan Brown’s Inferno progress daily. Kudos, he is holding solid at number one in Kindle books. Mr. Brown’s reviews for this work have hit 90, 13 of which are 1-star. The price you pay for fame and financial success appears to be public criticism. Anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming rich and famous can look at the lives of those who are and decide for themselves if it is a fair exchange.

Kindle provides authors the opportunity to offer their books for free. Their primary requirement is that the authors give them exclusive digital rights to distribute the book for a minimum of 90 days. Within that 90 period an author can provide his book to readers completely free for a total of 5 days divided in any full day increments that the author chooses.

Authors who successfully promote their books for free do so by preparing the market for the upcoming giveaway by assaulting the Twitterverse, Facebook, LinkedIn, and every other social media. When the giveaway day arrives if the preparation has been well done the author is rewarded with massive downloads, which can number in the tens of thousands over a forty eight hour period. During that time the author can admire his ranking, his fifteen minutes of success, and feel like a bestselling author.

However, there is no such thing as a free lunch. So what happens with writers and readers post successful giveaway?
Authors generally experience greatly improved sales in the days and weeks following a giveaway. It would appear that a good rand in free books translates into being noticed by paying customers after the fact. This is good for the author.

The reader on the other hand may be a serial downloader who regularly hunts the free ranks in search of interesting titles or intriguing covers to add to their Kindle library. I suppose some number of those books eventually get read, but the fact remains, perceived value is everything and if it was free we tend not to value it. Therefore, those books go to the bottom of the reading list and often never get read. This is bad for the author and not good for the reader. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does it make a sound?

A recent study reveals that negative reviews are more likely to be written by readers who did not pay for a book. The assumption then would be that if readers do not respect the value they do not respect the work.

Are giveaways a good thing or bad? It is up to each of us to decide. I have promoted my books for free on Kindle and experienced some degree of success laced with a modicum of heartache. I would do it again. I have downloaded some number of free books to my Kindle. I try not to download anything I do not intend to read and I avoid downloading too many for my time constraints. I never think of those books as valueless, I choose to consider them a gift from the author for which I am thankful.

Download as many free books as you like, but please remember there is a hardworking author on the other end counting on you to appreciate the effort if not the work.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Elizabeth’s Secrets http://amzn.to/IoXLgD
Dark Star http://amzn.to/KsXYOr

What is the Right price, Fair price, for Kindle Books

Yesterday I discussed Dan Brown’s newly released Inferno and I had to check in today to make sure he was still ranked at number one, which of course he is. By the way, I also mentioned he had nineteen reviews, two of which were rather cruel one-stars. Today he has fifty seven, six of which are one-star. I understand someone not liking a particular book or writer, but I will never understand a reader’s need to write a mean spirited review. There are thousands of ways to deliver a critique without making it a personal assault.

Anyway, I digress. My theme today is e-book pricing because in a readers’ forum I read a rather spirited discussion about the excessiveness of Brown’s $14.99 price tag. I admit it is a lot of money for something you cannot hold in your hand. However, the value of something, perceived being more important than actual, is based upon what the buyer is willing to pay and the seller willing to accept. In this case Kindle readers are paying a premium to get an early look at the work of someone they like or a book that has incredible buzz. Given, the hardback is only a few dollars more and although I love my Kindle I would always rather have a bound copy of something I like for my shelf. There are still an incredible number of readers out there who only want books on their Kindle or Nook for the convenience.

Amanda Hocking is the perfect example of a young YA Indie author who made a huge success of her books at 99 cents. It was not until later, when she signed a traditional publishing agreement that her prices began to go up.

The point is this: Are Hocking’s books worth more now that she is with a publisher? Are Brown’s books worth more because everyone is talking about them? Is the true, fair price for an e-book .99 or $14.99? I think the answers depend upon you, the reader. If you like an author and want their book then $14.99 may be of little consequence. If you are shooting in the dark and guessing that you may or may not like a new book then you might be overpaying at .99.

The author’s perspective is quite different than the reader. The author spends countless hours writing, rewriting, editing, researching, and trying to ensure the highest quality book. There is a value for this work. If a writer can sell millions of copies at .99 and make .35 for each then perhaps that is a good deal. However, if his work is so popular that he can sell millions and charge $14.99 then he has established his own perceived value.

We make published authors’ books worth what they charge by what we are willing to pay. If you want Dan Brown to lower his price, stop buying his book.

To Mr. Brown I say again, congratulations, job well done!

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Elizabeth’s Secrets http://amzn.to/IoXLgD
Dark Star http://amzn.to/KsXYOr

Dan Brown, Burning It up with Inferno

Every man, woman, and child who has ever picked up a pen or switched on a computer, with a storyline in mind, has dreamed of the astronomic success enjoyed by Dan Brown. His newest Robert Langdon novel, Inferno, was released this week amid incredible fanfare and today is ranked number one on Kindle with nineteen reviews and a whopping $14.99 price tag. Achieving and maintaining this lofty spot on the best seller list quite possibly means dozens of downloads per minute. Dan Brown has certainly won the literary lottery.

Albeit two of the reviews are one star, today Dan Brown is king and his book is the law of the literary land. I am sure Brown does not like bad reviews, but he probably looks at his bank balance and finds very few number ones. The naysayers are undoubtedly soon forgotten in the comparison. If I were he, I would remind myself that the greatest artists and writers in our history also received some amount of negative feedback. After all, you cannot please everyone.

Doubleday seems pleased; they are reportedly printing an incredible four million copies of this, fourth in the series, tome. I am certain they have no worries that those volumes will gather dust on the store shelves.

It has been four years since Robert Langdon’s last symbology riddled adventure. This chapter in his story promises to continue pleasing Brown fans as it is replete with the requisite enigmatic characters, art, science, criminal enterprise and human angst. Aided in great detail by Dante’s Divine Comedy the hero races through the streets of Florence assisted by this version’s adhoc, platonic heroine.

Of course the story depends upon the threat of a global conspiracy. Fortunately, in this new millennium of conspiracy theories the thesis becomes even more believable than before.

I say if you don’t like it, don’t read it. I admire Brown for his work and his success. I would never consider myself qualified to negatively critique an author who draws readers like moths to the flame. Rather, I say thank you Mr. Brown for showing the rest of us what is possible.

Bravo!

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Elizabeth’s Secrets http://amzn.to/IoXLgD
Dark Star http://amzn.to/KsXYOr