Saturday, September 04, 2010

Scott Nicholson on the Never-Ending Book

This should have ran yesterday, but I'm in New Orleans at a conference and sobriety has eluded me.

I met Scott a few years ago, on the horror circuit, and found him to be smart and likeable. He's also a great writer, and if you like thrillers you shouldn't even hesitate; buy everything he's written.

It's my pleasure to host him here, and I apologize for the delay in getting this up. Here's Scott:

Scott: If not for Joe, I’d be getting a lot more sleep.

No, there’s not some secret man-crush thing going on (unless it’s so secret I don’t know about it yet), nor is it his enthralling and sometimes disturbing fiction—though that has added plenty of adrenaline to my system.

Joe just happened to be at the right place at the right time when I was at a big crossroads in my writing career. I’ve known Joe a little bit for years, though mostly through passing in the Internet night. By late 2009, I’d left my agent and was a couple of years removed from the paperback midlist, and despite staying busy with comics and screenplays, I really wanted to meet fiction readers again.

I’d spent a few months exploring how to get my first novel The Red Church back out there. Trying to get it into bookstores on my own just seemed so troublesome and expensive, and not likely to bring me many new readers unless I sent them there in the first place—which clearly is the dilemma of the major publishing industry as well.

I’d cruised by Joe’s blog fairly regularly and started noticing this “e-book thing” he kept raving about. I’d tried e-books five or six years back and came away with the notion that nobody was going to sit there and read a book on the computer. Silly me, I hadn’t kept up with the changing world. I live in an Appalachian Mountain hollow without television and with chickens as my primary entertainment. I didn’t even own a cell phone until last year, so how could I know people were now carrying their libraries with them and reading books on credit cards and gum wrappers?

Then Christmas 2009 came and the Gold Rush was on. I launched The Red Church for Kindle on Jan. 1, figuring I’d get a few dozen readers and I’d be happy with that, since all it cost was a few days to learn formatting. Sales were slow for a bit, but in the spring the book found an audience and hit #1 in both the “Ghosts” category and “Christian science fiction & fantasy” on Amazon. My daughter was mightily impressed to see me ranked ahead of Stephen King and C.S. Lewis.

The siren’s lure of simplicity had me quickly formatting an original title, The Skull Ring, which my agent once loved but for some reason we never shopped. Bingo, shopping days were done. Click, click, upload, and now readers do the shopping, not the agents. Because it is a crime and suspense novel, I am especially pleased to see it has become the best-reviewed of my books, since I’m mostly known for paranormal thrillers.

Well, a bunch of books later, and here I am right where Joe planted a seed that has now become my digital tree. This is Act II of my career, and I work pretty much nonstop on writing, promoting, exploring the online reading community, and meeting cool new people. Coffee and keyboards collide in my happy place.

This has by far been the most satisfying and rewarding part of my 14-year career, because you are just a mouse click away from me. In fact, I feel like we’re pretty much connected through these wires and pixels. You’re in my head. Play all you want.

I don’t expect to be a bestseller, and I know my stories don’t appeal to everyone, though the books coming out during the tour vary widely in scope. A beta reader told me he’d never read anything like As I Die Lying, which is exactly the kind of reception I hope for. I’ve never read anything like it either. I am not even sure it is a book, or who wrote it. And I’m marketing it as “The Worst Novel Ever Written.”

I have Gateway Drug: Mystery Stories coming (with a bonus Konrath tale), and also the “author’s preferred edition” of an older book now with the “author’s preferred title” of Forever Never Ends. A book co-written with J.R. Rain will be out in November. And there’s some other stuff I am working on that you may never know I’ve written. And one project that’s so weird even As I Die Lying will seem normal, because it’s a never-ending book in a constant state of evolution.

I don’t know about you or Joe, but I am incredibly grateful that this digital era has allowed me to be as bold as I dare to be, grow wings as big as the sky, and swim an ocean as deep as our combined imagination.

This is the greatest era since Gutenberg pressed some wood pulp. Let it flow.

----------------

Scott Nicholson is author of Speed Dating with the Dead, Drummer Boy, and 10 other novels, five story collections, four comics series, and six screenplays. A journalist and freelance editor in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, he often uses local legends in his work. This tour is sponsored by Amazon, Kindle Nation Daily, and Dellaster Design.

To be eligible for the Kindle DX, simply post a comment below with contact info. Feel free to debate and discuss the topic, but you will only be entered once per blog. Visit all the blogs on the tour and increase your odds. I’m also giving away a Kindle 3 through the tour newsletter and a Pandora’s Box of free ebooks to a follower of “hauntedcomputer” on Twitter. And, hey, buy my books and put me in the Top 100 and I’ll throw in another random Kindle 3 giveaway. Thanks for playing. Complete details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm

158 comments:

wannabuy said...

Scott,

More on collaboration! Do you feel 'more productive' being able to chose any writing partner you wish?

Has the 'quick feedback' on Kindle books helped you steer your writing towards what the market wants? I'm been thinking about that with the big six. If a certain book is selling well, you should know to hurry up the (quality) sequel! I'd think that would motivate an author (if for no other reason than knowing the work was well received).

Contact info... hmmm... Is there a way to do that without posting in the comments?

Stay bold. When you find a niche, you will own it. Hopefully it is a niche that provides a 'full time income.' Heck, I'd rather see authors get rich than New York executives. I don't need free books, but there should be better value than the big6 generally provide.

Neil

M.J.A. Ware said...

It seems like ebooks are opening up a lot of options to writers. Not just self publishing, but things like, Chose Your Own Adventure and Never Ending Books.

I think most of these will be short lived gimmicks (maybe with a few noteworthy exceptions). But ebooks in general, they're here to stay.

Scott Daniel said...

My work in progress is a memoir. I'm debating about trying the traditional publishing method or simply go straight to Kindle/digital. I think my story has the potential to reach a wide audience, so I'm leaning towards traditional. I do work full-time and have three children under the age of 10, so self-promoting, at least in the style Joe does it, would be very difficult.


Any thoughts, Scott or Joe?

Thanks!

L.J. Sellers said...

Congratulations on your success, Scott! I'm moving in the same direction, and I'm often inspired by Joe too. I just wish I'd got on board sooner.

Thomas Brookside said...

I wondered if I was crazy or didn't understand the blog tour schedule when nothing went up here yesterday!

WDGagliani said...

Hey Scott,

Congratulations on your success! You are an inspiration, just like Joe.

Wishing you continued and even greater success as you roll out all those new projects! (I rolled out a new one myself, today, a massive 18-story collection...)

If it wasn't for Joe, neither of us would be here, wherever "here" is. Thanks for your advice and perseverance, man!

Bill

David Ebright said...

I'm a little more than halfway through Drummer Boy &, so far, it's an excellent read. The characters work, the pace is crisp & I like the way the humor is sprinkled throughout without interrupting the flow of the story. Assuming I'm not disappointed at the end, I'll post a thumbs up review on Amazon.

Still fence sitting - Kindle or iBooks. Can't just pull everything back from the POD company - I sell a fair number of printed books locally & I need to keep the supply source open. They (the POD folks) WON'T work wth Kindle, so I'm debatin'. Good luck with the tour.

Dave
http://jaxpop.blogspot.com/
"JaxPop Haunted City Writer"

Jude Hardin said...

I wish you much success with this, Scott, but I have to say I think anyone who self-publishes should at least invest in a competent line editor. I downloaded the sample for Speed Dating with the Dead (which I think is a great title, btw), and I found half a dozen editing mistakes on the first page. I suppose an argument could be made that it doesn't matter as long as you're making money (and that the average reader never notices anyway), but as professional writers it should matter to us, IMO. And as a reader, it is distracting to me and takes me out of the story right away.

So don't give the naysayers any more ammunition than they already have. Get your line edits done, and make your work as professional as possible.

Joshua James said...

Kindle DX? Sign me up ... joshuajames99ATyahooDOTcom ...

And great interview, myself I've never under-estimated the entertainment value of watching chickens ...

arbraun said...

Kindle DX or 3? Hell yeah, sign me up: abraun1@comcast.net.

Congratulations, Scott! When I think of all the hard-working horror/thriller authors out there with tons of talent making little money, it makes me sick. I'm trying to decide whether to go the agent/publisher route or just sign with Kindle. This is the year I'm finishing my first novel, and it turns out to be the best year for writers ever! I hope you finally earn the money you deserved all along, Scott. The Red Church looks like a must-read.

Douglas Dorow said...

Scott. Enjoying the tour and reading Drummer Boy this holiday weekend. Really liking it! How am I going to finish writing my own novel when I find myself reading stories like yours and Joe's "The List"?

I''m learning from both of you. I plan to write a good story (almost done), (and yes Jude) hire an editor - besides my critique group, and get a good cover artist. Then you'll find me on kindle.

Good luck
Doug
dwdorowATgmailDOTcom
http://thrillersrus.blogspot.com/

Edie Ramer said...

This is the greatest era since Gutenberg pressed some wood pulp.

I agree! I'm so excited about all the opportunities. I recently published on Amazon and Smashwords. I feel as if I was walking in fog for years, and now the fog has dispersed and the sun is shining down on me. It's all good.

edieramerATgmailDOTcom

burning brightly.

Moses Siregar III said...

Jude, I'd like to hear what you think the errors are, because I checked the free sample and I don't see them (the only thing I see on my Kindle is that the first line isn't indented). I was also lucky to read an early version of Speed Dating and it was a very clean manuscript even then. You can contact me privately at mosesmerlin /at/ hotmail.com if you're interested in letting me know.

Admin said...

I just want to say that I love this blog. It's timely, it's important, it inspires me and so many others like me. Thank you, Joe, and to all of your contributors. Your books entertain, but this blog just might be the best and most lasting gift you leave behind. It's that good. Helping people as you have can't go unnoticed.

Chris
http://www.weekinrewind.com

Jude Hardin said...

1)nameplate is one word.

2)makeup, when you're talking about cosmetics, is one word.

3)No single quotes needed for Digger.

4)If the single quotes for Digger were needed (which they were not), one of them is backwards.

5) No single quotes needed for supernatural experiences.

6) Room doesn't need to be capitalized in Room 318.

All on the first page. These are basic, basic, basic concerns that any professional line editor would spot in a heartbeat.

I wouldn't even mention the failure to indent the first paragraph, Moses, because that's stylistic issue.

Archangel said...

dont know Jude, single quotes might be stylistic use intended by author. Y'd have to ask. Use them myself. And make-up is hyphenated, and as you sd, is also sometimes written as 1 word.

Capitalization of Room 318 or not, is also a stylistic call. Depends on which style, including the author's one-of-a-kind style, is being used.

Name plate is currently one word as are other formerly two word phrases, making this trend look rather Germanic. l also insist in my ink pub w/ big 6 to separate compound words if I choose, to avoid the absurd length of this 'who the h made this cr-- up?!' so-called 'style'.

I appreciate your gallant effort to hold old style ways. And, suspect Jude, many things changing, including style manuals, and no-style whatsoever other than the author's sense. We all know masterpieces that had no line editor. My own publ. contracts have clauses in them to protect my own idiosyncratic style that line editors have innocently tried to change, and I'd change it right back, wasting my time and theirs.

For some formality of precision line editing is their cup of tea. For many, it is not, or out of reach financially. Just my personal .02... I'd rather have the story than the lysol-ed line. Having a 528pp nyt bestseller with over one-hundred typographer's errors line editor and proofreader didnt catch at big 6 publisher, says to me, story reigns. Ever.

Just my .o2

and Scott, terrific story. We are all proud of you. And Joe. Keep going.

dr.cpe

Ty said...

Scott, I'm also discovering the freedom of digital writing (not just the publishing aspects). Projects that would never see the light of day through a print publisher can now get a chance online. A lot of projects I'd shelved in the past, now I'm re-considering.

Moses Siregar III said...

5) No single quotes needed for supernatural experiences.

See above.

Also, it fits Wayne's character for him to not be able to say "supernatural experiences" in a straight-forward fashion. He's leading a paranormal conference, but doesn't believe much in paranormal experiences. It's ironic.

6) Room doesn't need to be capitalized in Room 318.

Maybe, but he's consistent throughout the text in treating the room numbers like proper nouns. For example, "The Psychic's Room" and "The Trophy Room." All room numbers are reported as Room 318, Room 306, etc.

One reason why this makes sense is that it's a haunted hotel where different rooms have special histories. Room 316 is where x person killed herself, Room 202 is where something else happened, and so on.

All on the first page. These are basic, basic, basic concerns that any professional line editor would spot in a heartbeat.

I don't know, Jude. None of them seem like clear mistakes to me other than one backward single quotation mark, and none of them would pull me out of the story, but your mileage varies.

I wouldn't even mention the failure to indent the first paragraph, Moses, because that's stylistic issue.

True. I thought about that after I posted that comment.

Moses Siregar III said...

(this post got broken up)

Jude, I thought I was picky.

1)nameplate is one word.

"Name plate" works just as well. If the Google Adsense results or general Google results are any indication, there are more business sites selling "name plates" than "nameplates."

2)makeup, when you're talking about cosmetics, is one word.

Like the above case, this one seems to be commonly used both as "makeup" and as "make-up." Makeup is more common, but for example, the first online dictionary I checked lists both makeup and make-up under the same listing.

3)No single quotes needed for Digger.

They aren't "needed," but they are being used for emphasis. When Wayne says, "Call me 'Digger,'" it indicates an unusual emphasis that he puts on his nickname, as if he's either embarrassed or a cheeseball. Violet then questions his name, and Wayne tries to justify it. I would've probably used italics for the same effect, but I don't think this can be called an editing mistake.

If the character isn't just saying, "Call me Digger," in an even voice, then I think it's fine to call attention to the way he's saying the word. Scott obviously wanted to do that here.

4)If the single quotes for Digger were needed (which they were not), one of them is backwards.

True, though it's a single quotation mark inside and right next to a double quotation mark, which makes it pretty innocuous for me, at least.

Alexa said...

Make-up with a dash, while not the most common usage, IS acceptable.

Room 318, with a capital R, is correct, room is capitalized when used when there's a number or name, such as Room 222 or The Blue Room.

Single quotation marks versus italics is a matter of style, while italics is the most common usage (of all the 'irony').

Wouldn't a more respectful approach have been to touch base regarding this issue one-to-one, off-line with Scott? When posting a public critique, shouldn't accuracy in comments be paramount?

Signed: A Reformed Technical Editor

The Daring Novelist said...

Never-Ending....

Yeah, that's the thing that resonates with me about the whole ebook experience. I have a huge stack of projects to write, and for the first time, I feel as though I don't need to figure out which ones are more relevant. I don't have to set less marketable ideas aside.

I don't know if I'll ever catch up with all the writing I should have been doing all along. At last it doesn't matter that I wrote a cozy romantic mystery shoot-em-up about gunslingers who play with dolls - or whether such a story can possibly make enough money to support the costs of publishing and distribution. I can just write.

Endlessly.

Jude Hardin said...

Wouldn't a more respectful approach have been to touch base regarding this issue one-to-one, off-line with Scott? When posting a public critique, shouldn't accuracy in comments be paramount?

True, and that's why I kept it to a minimum, just the one page.

The point is, almost all writers need editors. My intention isn't to pick on Scott. I found a bunch of mistakes in one of Joe's self-pubbed titles I read recently, and there was plenty of red ink on my manuscript when I got it back from the line editor.

We all need editors, or at least a trusted peer with an eye for such things.

Unknown said...

I feel like I'm following a band tour across Europe or something. You're doing a great job Scott.

michaellmartinjr[at]gmail[dot]com

John R. Platt said...

Kinda reminds me of the enthusiasm of the early zine movement. Only with fewer photocopier fumes!

The Remembrance Tree said...

...nice work Scott. And thanks Joe for your aid.

Monster A Go-Go said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Author Scott Nicholson said...

Wannabuy, it's interesting that the writers benefiting the most from the indie movement are the ones who had lots of books available that were either rejected or could be released in a series. They have no artificial reason to wait or space the books out the way publishers do, who often want "a book a year." For THEIR reasons, not the reasons of the author, who should be releasing as many books as possible.

You DON'T have to leave your email the post if I can find you through the click there. If I can't find you in a week I will have to choose another winner.

Scott, try trad if you want but when all but the bestsellers are being shown the door, the crowd leaving is likely to trample the crowd coming in.

Jude, thank you for your attentive reading. Here's a story: An English grad student once "edited" my international Hubbard Gold Award-winning story from the Writers of the Future contest, probably the most fairly judged contest (all names removed and the work blindly judged by a panel of professional SF/fantasy writers) and best-paying writing contest in the world. The grad student suggested 144 "corrections." Algis Budrys, long-time fiction editor for Playboy back when Playboy was a respected fiction outlet, made exactly one change for the published anthology.

Good luck with the Kindles, everyone. I am cooking up some ideas to multiply your chances of winning.

Scott

Author Scott Nicholson said...

One other note before I head off for a blues festival: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Smashing Pumpkins, Paul Westerberg, Grateful Dead, Bjork, and pretty much every musician I and group I love 9with the exception of the beatles and The Cure, who are mostly on target), pretty much most of what they do is slightly out of tune. Art is human and imperfect. Perhaps it is only the imperfections that make it human.

Scott

Monster A Go-Go said...

"I’d cruised by Joe’s blog fairly regularly..."

Oh my stars! Have you NO SHAME, Scott! It's NOT that kind of a blog! No wonder people have such a strange and shocking opinion of you. And to just openly state that you frequently cruise this blog--OH MY STARS! YOU are a MARRIED man (what was your wife thinking when she said 'Yes?' Was she drugged? Were you blackmailing her? Jeepers!). How scandalous that you admit to such unseemly activities. But I'm sure someone as loathsome and disgusting as yourself would never get any action.

"...and here I am right where Joe planted a seed..."

Oh my stars! I stand corrected! Thank god there wasn't video to go along with the unsavory mental image. EEEW! I hope you two are happy (or was it just a one-time thing?). No wonder Newbie, the blog host, commented that "sobriety has eluded me." I'd be drinking heavily too if I'd planted my "seed" in you, Scott! Eeew! What an unsavory thing to bring up in a public blog (save it for the pay-pper-view sites or the freak show next time!)

Best wishes!

Vincent Zandri said...

I'd leave a real comment, but here's what I have to say "What Scott said!"
Right on Scott and congrats....I'm following pretty much the identical model, even if my new novels are agented deals with new indie presses...Authors finally have legs to stand on again and it feels great being a bestseller for The Remains in hardboiled and Romantic Suspense, and for my digie shorts in True Crime, Drama, etc....When have you ever been able to refer to bestseller lists and end a sentence with, etc.?????
You guys are real inspirations.
Cheers
Vin
www.vincentzandri.com

Rebecca Stroud said...

Speaking of line editors: As a published newspaper columnist, I had "fighting fits" over some of the so-called editing done to my work. I.e., I write in my own style, one that frequently uses abbreviated sentences. Example: I had an editor tell me he'd be doing a lot of "article additions" as I didn't preface each statement with a "the" or an "a" or whatever. I told him I meant for it to appear that way. His response? Well, I'm the editor so, basically, tough shit.

Anyway, I'm less than a month away from getting my non-fiction work (The Animal Advocate) up on Kindle and, honestly, I'm extremely grateful and excited that I can publish it as I want without the interference of an editor who would like it to read like a monotonous, bland, boring piece of "correct" grammar.

Kudos to you, Scott. And to Joe, And to all who are braving this new world of publishing. Liberating, isn't it?

Sheryl Nantus said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
author Christa Polkinhorn said...

I was following the interesting exchange on spelling errors. I have yet to read a book, whether independently or traditionally published, which doesn't contain the occasional blunder. However, the one great thing about the English language is that there really is no single official authority on spelling. The German speaking world has the Duden, the French the Académie française. Of course, there are rules in the English language as well. However, spelling changes over time and new words are constantly created and become acceptable. That's one of the wonderful things of English: It's alive.
Having said that, I, too, feel it is very important to have one's work edited. But: Is it "stonemason" or "stone mason"? You can find both spellings, so ultimately, it is up to the author to decide. Happy rest of the tour, Scott. Love your books and I am glad J. A. Konrath finally woke up!
Cheers, Christa
cpolkinhorn@msn.com

Unknown said...

Is it just me, or is Jude one amazingly annoying putz?

That said, love the new book Scott, and believe it or not, I was able to read it, hyphens not withstanding!

Keep it up!

The Daring Novelist said...

"Is it just me, or is Jude one amazingly annoying putz?"

I won't go that far, but I will say that we now have a good idea why he's so worried about a world without gatekeepers.

I am glad he DID give specific examples, though, because imho, it's more respectful to put your own standards on the line and say what's bugging you. If you just say "it was full of errors" it's like saying "it's all crap you idiot."

And by listing the errors he found, he gave us a chance to discuss it and decide what is hyperbole and what isn't.

In this case, each one of the "errors" turned out to be a style issue (and I'm not talking about touchy-feely style, but rather "style book" and "house style" type issues) - and I've had editors correct things in the opposite direction.

So maybe he's crying wolf, or maybe he's doing us a favor by bringing things out in the open, but he's not a putz.

Jude Hardin said...

Scott, thanks for you gracious response to my amazingly annoying ass. It's true a lot of line editing is a matter of opinion, and I can see where everyone wouldn't want to follow my minimalist approach. Still, I think nearly every manuscript could benefit from a set of eyes geared toward such concerns.

And thanks, Camille.

JA Konrath said...

Let's all play nice.

A Recipe Collector said...

Day #3 on the tour, and you're still producing high quality content! Aren't you afraid of running out of things to talk about before the end of the loop?!

Good luck and keep the momentum rolling!

twitter: @jerrygilreath

David Ebright said...

"Is it just me, or is Jude one amazingly annoying putz?"

That might be a bit harsh.

When we put our work out there, opinions are, for better or worse, gonna fly. Maybe posting an unsolicited critique in the early stages of a blog tour would also seem harsh - but it generated discussion & probably more than a few sample checks of Scott's work. Besides, we are a tough bunch of amazingly annoying putzes here in NE Florida.

Inanna said...

Hope you're not too hungover ;)

Love your books!

Chris said...

Ahh, was it the potty mouth, Joe?!! :)

Victorine said...

Scott,

Great post. I agree, this is a fantastic era. Open your wings and sour! You're an inspiration to us all.

Vicki

P.J. Alderman, author said...

Hey, Scott--

Way to go, climbing to the top of the bestseller lists so quickly! I'm curious--do you attribute your rapid success with the first book mostly to word-of-mouth, or to the self-promo you did in the early months? Any way to tell?

Thanks, and keep 'em coming!

P.J.

Author Scott Nicholson said...

Heck, Jude, I appreciate the comments, because my standards are higher than what I expect from New York and I can and will revise my books at ANY TIME. I do collect all reader comments that point out concerns and if they make sense I will make a change. That's one of the advantages of this era. Not a single one of my books is the same as originally published, whether eight years ago or two weeks ago. So I welcome all critiques.

In fact, I am revising all my NY-published novels for the UK market where I still hold rights. And I am cutting 10-20 percent from each of them, because I am harder on myself than NY was. If I had tough editing, the books probably would have been more successful. Now I can be tough, partly because of experience and partly because I absolutely hold myself to a high standard. I won't use "it's only indie" as an excuse, nor do I accept it in anyone else.

And since I believe books are open-ended, then I am open to changing them forever.

Scott

Chris said...

You have a good attitude, Scott. Nice and open.

All the power to you.

byonge said...

Scott,

A day late, but worth the wait. You're starting to inspire me.

byonge@lonepinetv.com

Unknown said...

You've had a few interesting ideas for promoting Drummer Boy, Scott. I'd be interested in seeing if those ideas would help you sell more copies of The Red Church if you applied them to that novel.

Guy Anthony De Marco
(Contact through the HWA board)

Pamela S. Beason said...

I'm a mystery and romance writer and so far I've gone the self-published ebook and POD route, the sell-to-an-ebook-publisher route, and I also have a contract with a major print publisher for 3 mysteries. At this point, I have no idea which route will be most successful, but as a relatively unknown author, the challenge with any route seems to be how to achieve name recognition. I have to work at other things to pay my bills; I can't work at self-promotion 8 hours a day. It's all a huge challenge, but I'm hopeful that ebooks may be the breakthru that authors need to actually make a living.

Pam Beason
psbeason@comcast.net
www.pamelasbeason.com

Stefanie said...

Ebooks are amazing. For the first time, independent authors can publish their own work without the headache of a publisher, and without plunking down a small fortune.

The major publishing houses will have no choice but to get on board if they want to stay competative.

Good luck Scott, and thanks for the message!

stefanie647@msn.com

Phillip Thomas Duck said...

Congrats Scott. Love the blog tour idea. Hope you sell a ton of books!

Moses Siregar III said...

Scott is one among the relatively few indie writers (though I still have MANY more to read) who have proven to me that indie books can be of excellent quality. He is a massively talented guy.

I also love that he's a Taoist hillbilly. My kind of guy.

dreamsgate said...

....allowed me to be as bold as I dare to be, grow wings as big as the sky, and swim an ocean as deep as our combined imagination.

What a wonderful statement. One that everyone should try at least once in their life.

Sandra
dreamsgate at clearwire dot net

Jeff said...

Very interesting discussions and I especially appreciate those who made their comments briefly yet powerfully. I'll work on that. I want to learn more. I have read that J.R.R Tolkein had many things changed from his original when an American edition of his "Rings" was published here. His son spent a lot of time fixng the problems in later years caused by editors or proofreaders. I would like to get the writng straight from the author with the little mistakes that I have noticed than from a person who does not know the author's intention. That changes can be made and I can get updated material through Amazon on my Kindle is fantastic!!

wannabuy said...

I'm really enjoying the author comments.

I just decided to add contact info:
scubaskidavis /at/ yahoo /dot/ com.

2nd child just born (two days ago)!
(Hospital has free wi-fi.) And yes, I'm helping (wifey hasn't changed a diaper on #2 yet).

Neil

Terri said...

Here's to Ebooks and continued success to Author Scott Nicholson.

Lynda Hilburn said...

Wonderful post, Scott. Thanks for being so supportive and inclusive with other authors. I appreciate your pro-active attitude.

Lynda
http://www.lyndahilburnauthor.com

Literary Winner said...

Yay for placing ahead of Stephen King - that is a MAJOR accomplishment!

Maggie at tethered mommy dot com

Brenda Wallace said...

Wow! I'm so happy to hear that you are enjoying the most rewarding time in your writing career, yet! I think it must be fun to write without hearing that inner agent whispering "no, no" in your ear. I appreciate you and Joe Konrath for all the trailblazing. I would love for readers to be the true gatekeepers. Plus, as a reader, I enjoy reading the off-beat, unique, and unpredictable book. Brenda Wallace
varbonoff22@cox.net

Unknown said...

It's so interesting to see things migrating into the e-book world. It's intriguing to be able to carry 1,000 books with you at all times. I think I have to step up and finally get an e-reader :)

kaitlynkline[at]gmail[dot]com

Cathy M said...

Hi Scott,

The blues festival sounds just perfect for a long weekend, hope you had a blast.


caity_mack at yahoo dot com

Michelle @Flying Giggles said...

Congratulations on your success. It is great that writers can get their work out there without having to jump through hoops. Of course, it will be up to use to filter which author's work are worth reading.

Gigglesandlollipops at gmail dot com

sailorwind said...

Thanks!

sailorwind@gmail.com

Candace said...

I'm really looking forward to reading Scott's stuff and each post makes me a bit more excited. I think maybe one of his books may have to be my next read.

candace_redinger at yahoo dot com

wannabuy said...

I’d cruised by Joe’s blog fairly regularly and started noticing this “e-book thing” he kept raving about.

As I thought about this thread, I realize a large number of authors are still in that space. They have not yet embraced putting the back catalog onto e-books!

I really do think 20% market share will be the tipping point. At that point *every* author with rights to out of print books will put them up for sale.

The big6 thrived by being the gatekeepers of shelf-space. The tyranny of shelf space is (almost) over. Now they need to figure out how to add value to authors. They have 18 months (tops).

Neil

katsrus said...

Hi Scott. Continued success to you. I think ebooks really are helping authors whom are having hard time getting published the traditional way. And I am finding a lot of new to me authors and books.
Sue B
katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

Estella said...

I find myself purchasing more and more ebooks lately. Instant gratification!

kissinoak at verizon dot net

Unknown said...

ashleysbookshelf@gmail.com

Ashley's Bookshelf

Unknown said...

Thanks for another good post Scott. It's good to read how you started to embrace ebooks, and I hope it helps others do the same.

Tom
tztomfromcali _ at _ gmail _ com

Anonymous said...

Great blog of course!

Here's my entry:
lorraine_lanning[at]yahoo[dot]com

Unknown said...

I believe Joe's ebooks were the first indie author books I read in quantity since purchasing my kindle. Scott's soon followed. Then many others too. With each new author I happen upon, it's like finding a new friend and I can't wait for their next visit.

k00lhandster@gmail.com

Mayara Arend said...

Oh interestingly I skipped this day...
Commenting now \o/

I, personally, really take ebooks seriously. The brazilian market thinks it's a "wave" that's not going to stick. Poor them, really...
Hopefully when I publish my book, ebooks will be a major thing here - either that or I'll publish abroad, nothing will stop me since, you know, internet \o/

Making my Kindle stop ;)
mayarend -at- yahoo.com.br

Moses Siregar III said...

One time I was with Scott in the back of a pickup truck, along with a live deer. Nicholson goes up to the deer and says, "I'm Scott Nicholson! SAY IT!" Then he manipulates the deer's lips in such a way as to make it say, "ScottNicholson."

It wasn't exactly like it, but it was pretty good for a deer!

He once punched a hole in a cow just to see who was coming up the road.

He taught me how to make love to a woman, and how to scold a child.

We once had a bachelor party for Nicholson. He ate the entire cake before we could tell him there was a stripper in it.

He did 3 tours in 'Nam ... I was in Corpus Christi on business a month ago. I had this eight foot tall Asian waiter, which made me curious. I asked him his name. Sure enough it's Ho Tran Nicholson!

P.J. Alderman, author said...

Excellent post on Shatzkin today, regarding e-book royalties versus what publishers are offering, including a discussion of the arguments publishers give as to why an author should stay with them (er, not!):

http://www.idealog.com/blog/the-other-comparison-ebook-royalties-versus-ebook-self-publishing

Cheers!
P.J.

contact info: pj@pjalderman.com

Stacy said...

What a wonderful look into Act II of your life.
stacypilot at yahoo dot com

Jason Fedelem said...

I want a kindle.

Not Everyones Mama said...

Scott! Loving hearing more and more about your life as we blog stalk you across the blogsphere. :)

Unknown said...

I cannot read a book on the computer, I've tried. My little ereader though is a different story. I don't know what I ever did without it.
canadell@bellsouth.net

Unknown said...

Congrats Scott and here is to many many sales.

Kippoe said...

eBooks are a great thing for writers and readers

Unknown said...

Looking forward to the next blog. This is fun.

randymir@gmail.com

Jo said...

Stopping by
Jo Ann Jackson
jajjmj (at) quixnet (dot) net

Kayla said...

Congratulations on your success!

disneykayla(at)gmail(dot)com

Author Scott Nicholson said...

Brenda, Neil, PJ,
I do have an agent and slamming NY was fun for me around April/May but now I have sympathy and a deeper understanding of how hard they have it. They need books "like the last one but different, but not too different" hitting the right editor on the right day. The moment I realized I was no longer in the "publishing industry," I stopped putting energy into that. I wish them the best but the scythe has swept through the journalism field, too. I am still standing but plenty lost their jobs, to change, through no fault of their own.

Please keep following the tour because I have some cool stuff coming up, and on Sept I will be at Debbi mack's doing a Konrath special and making predicitions about the future of the writing industry. (I don't think the "publishing industry" has a future long enough to predict).

BTW thanks Joe for hosting me--for those who were here when Joe gave me the platform for the Drummer Boy experiemnt, targeting asingle hour for sales, I am trying the experiment again on Oct. 1, backed up by a Kindle Nation Daily sponsorship. So stay tuned and let's double your odds of winning a Kindle!

There is also a Kindle giveaway going on over at Simply Stacie's blog.

Scott

Scott Nicholson

Bookhound78 said...

Another great post, Scott. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I like this new bolder, freer Scott Nicholson. I discovered your work via The Red Church a year and a half ago. Found an autographed copy in a used bookstore for a couple of bucks. You were the first "horror" writer I had read that wasn't named Stephen King. I immediately fell in love with your work and hunted down copies of all your MMPB books (which was a bit of a chore since most weren't in print at the time). After I finished reading all of them, I eagerly awaited more work from you. But it seemed all I could hear were the crickets chirping.

Thankfully you came to your own personal crossroads and chose to try out this whole ebook thing. Now I'm reading some great books by one of my favorite authors, and you seem to be just getting started. Keep it up!

-Neal, nealhock78@hotmail.com

Moses Siregar III said...

This is almost topical. There's a quote from Scott atop my excerpt on the awesome Kindle Nation Daily blog today.

If you check it out, please forgive the grammatical error that slipped into the *second frickin' paragraph* with a last-minute edit.

I went through the whole thing with a copyeditor and improved the text in many places, then left a ghastly, misplaced comma in the second paragraph.

Thanks, Irony!

chey said...

Things sure are changing.
chey127 at hotmail dot com

booklover0226 said...

I enjoyed the post and look forward in reading your works.

Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com

Kell said...

So excited about this blog tour. I'm finding so many fun new blogs and have found a great new author!

kelly.r.morin(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Enjoying your posts on the blog tour.

Gail said...

Hi Scott and Joe, posting here reminded me that I bought "The List" but haven't read it yet. I did read "Origins" and loved it -- super scary. You guys are two of my new 'favorite' authors and it's interesting to see that you two know each other. Hope I don't have too many 'inappropriate quotes' in this post. (smile)
Gail, following the tour from Florida
cowgirl3000 at gmail dot com

wannabuy said...

Scott said:
Brenda, Neil, PJ,
I do have an agent and slamming NY was fun for me around April/May but now I have sympathy and a deeper understanding of how hard they have it.

I do not mean to 'slam NY.' Instead, I'm excited about what e-books and in particular indie e-books have to offer.

Book readers want more variety than TV viewers. While there will still be best sellers, I see enough demand for variety that e-book sales will trend to fewer dollars per book. So 8% to 25% to the author just will not work going forward.

For idie authors, this will be a better income (dollars shift to new authors). NY has to adapt. I do not wish pain or unemployment upon anyone. What I meant by 'they have 18 months' is that that is how long they have to adapt. Some will. (It seems like Random House is adapting just fast enough.)

There are certain items we just only buy online. Books have become one of those items.

Neil

linz said...

Thanks for the contest!

dancer_girl76(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

P.J. Alderman, author said...

Hey, Scott--

Likewise, I'm not slamming NY. Heck, I'm still writing for them, and I'm glad to be doing it! Er, I was asking about your self-promo efforts for your first e-book, and whether you thought self-promo had had a significant effect on your ability to climb the bestseller list so quickly. Or whether you attributed that climb to word-of-mouth.

If you're referring to my post about the Shatzkin blog, I was pointing it out because he presented a number of statistical reasons why NY will have to adjust to the new publishing reality (and I actually believe they will). Also because he gave some precise royalty numbers for Indies considering Smashwords.

--P.J.

Scooter said...

I don't know if I've just became more aware of them or editing by publishing just sucks these days, but I don't think I've read a main-stream novel in the past few years that hasn't had several spelling and/or grammar errors in them. I'm one of the last people on earth that should be making comments on grammar and spelling, but these have been really obvious errors. I'm sure there were some that I missed.

With paperbacks hitting close to $10, I just don't get it.

Scott - The Stalker from Lenoir

Regge Ridgway said...

What he said.

Pink Panther said...

I am a traditional book lover and love the smell of pages and the thrill of turning pages. But now, I absolutely love ebooks! They are convenient (easy to organize!), environmentally friendly, not to mention it's totally the saviour of my crammed, brimming bookshelf. Seriously. Anyway, I love Scott's books! :)
You can reach me at luvpinkpanther@gmail.com

HODGEPODGESPV said...

one of the things i like about ebooks besides being able to carry my library around (without getting a hernia) is that it stops the "i never have time to read" (which i always thought was stupid). we spend soooo much time waiting! for the doc or what ever...with a light weight kindle and my library, if i should finish the book i am carrying while waiting for ..., i still have lots of books to go to next and if the 'next' turns out to be something i am not ready for, i have lots of other choices in my hand (on my kindle)

rbooth43 said...

I would love to win a Kindle as E-books seem to be the new way of receiving books.

rbooth43(at)yahoo(dot)com

bluefrog said...

Still following you around the net. :)

bluefrog62@yahoo.com

Reading "Speed Dating with the Dead" right now. I really like Kendra.

Deepali said...

My blog focuses on ebooks, so its great to see this discussion going on! Also loving your last post on the late adopter :)
Contact me at my blog below, or at deepalipratap @ gmail.com
e-Volving Books

Sheree said...

still blog hopping for a chance at that kindle...discovering interesting blogs in the process

neednspace at aol dot com

Anonymous said...

Scott: "This has by far been the most satisfying and rewarding part of my 14-year career, because you are just a mouse click away from me."

My favorite thing about being a writer. Great post, Scott.

Devon said...

Scooter said:

I don't think I've read a main-stream novel in the past few years that hasn't had several spelling and/or grammar errors in them.

Give some examples.

How about listing three spelling errors from, say... three books from the big 6. Page number, paragraph and format.

I hear this complaint all the time, but no one can come up with examples. I'm honestly curious because I can't think of many books published by a real publisher that have "several spelling errors".

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

While I can't imagine using an Ereader for all my reading it would give me the opportunity to check out some ebooks that up to now I read as PDF files.

(\___/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com

Rabid Fox said...

Well, I'll throw my name in the hat yet again for this contest.

Concerning Scott's guest blog, I'm glad to see his ventures in the e-publishing realm are working out so well thus far. Having had the chance to read and review a couple of his works this summer, he's certainly a guy to watch out for--again.

I'm also curious if Scott will be experimenting with another flash e-mob like he did earlier in the year.

Peter Smythe said...

Nice blog and chance to win a Kindle.

Bibliophile said...

Scott, I had never heard of your work until I chanced to read about the blog tour, but it definitely sounds like something I would read.

Anonymous said...

This truly is a wonderful time to be a writer. Thanks to both Scott and Joe for showing us the possibilities!

brik said...

Nice little story about your trip to the dark side!

briank68{at}gmail{dot}com

William J. Thomas said...

I really think the most beautiful thing about e-book self-publishing is the freedom it gives authors like Scott and Joe to write exactly what they want.

They can come up with some wildly creative, different, and interesting books...stuff NY publishing wouldn't touch but we would find very entertaining to read.

Unknown said...

I've set my own deadline to squeeze the e-book trigger. Inspiration for this abounds. Karen McQuestion’s A Scattered Life is #6 at Amazon. Joe’s success rattles keyboards across the planet. Scott's story makes my trigger finger twitch.

Congratulations, sir!

I discussed the migrating nature of spelling with my editor friend this week. When a phrase comes into the lexicon, it typically begins as separate words. Publishers then add the hyphen to bind the words within the sentence. After that, to save space/ink within a work, they drop the hyphen, and we have a fighting-trim compound word ready to take the page.

As for collaborative e-books, the possibilities are exciting!

Regge Ridgway said...

All this blogging is keeping me from writing. Oh well having a good time. Sleep is over rated. Reg

Kristie said...

Being an ebook only is certainly intriguing. Being a librarian though, this trend makes me nervous. I love ink and paper. I realize that ebook readers are the new direction. I think that so far the Kindle is the best. I would love to have one. I almost ran out of books on my last vacation and was very nervous.

kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com

Devon said...

Karen McQuestion’s A Scattered Life is #6 at Amazon. Joe’s success rattles keyboards across the planet. Scott's story makes my trigger finger twitch.


I think most people look at these writers as what is possible, but if you look a little closer you'll see that Karen McQuestion is at #6 only after the book was picked up and published and promoted by Amazon Encore. Joe, well, he's Joe. And once upon a time, Scott Nicholson was billed as the next Stephen King, a career ending curse for anyone unfortunate enough to draw that hideously innacurate comparison.

The other kindle success stories, like Boyd Morrison, all happened long before the current flood of self published writers uploaded every amateurish manuscript they had to the Kindle in the hopes of making a few bucks despite the consequences to their development as writers.

In other words, if anyone is thinking about publishing their manuscript on the kindle, and you're letting the above examples color your expectations, you will be disappointed.

I can't help but think the ship has sailed for 99% of all new kindle authors.

I could be wrong, but you used to not be able to swing a proverbial dead cat over your head without hitting someone who was selling five or ten thousand copies of their ebooks.

Not anymore.

It looks like the writing is on the wall.

Moses Siregar III said...

I can't help but think the ship has sailed for 99% of all new kindle authors.

My gut says that's too pessimistic. I think it comes down to two main things. 1) Writing a good book. 2) Having a good plan to promote it and doing the hard work.

I think there will continue to be successful writers now and in the future, just as always. They will be the ones who do #1 and #2, especially in the ebook era. In fact, now there are no barriers and so much promotion can be done for free online.

My novella has been on Amazon for 28 days. It's currently #438 in the Kindle store and #5 in Kindle > Fantasy > Epic. I have, however, been busting my butt getting the word out. But I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Archangel said...

@ Devon "Give some examples.
How about listing three spelling errors from, say... three books from the big 6. Page number, paragraph and format.
I hear this complaint all the time, but no one can come up with examples. I'm honestly curious because I can't think of many books published by a real publisher that have "several spelling errors"."

Ok, if you will, I'ld like to take you up on your challenge. Give me your email addy and I will dig out the two pages a wondrous elderly English teacher sent me re my 500+page book from Big 6 publisher. Over one hundred errors of various kinds, including spacing, typographical errors and one grammar error that was stupendously obvious.

These were corrected in next printings and second edition, but...

sad but true, Devon.

dr.cpe

Archangel said...

@Devon
along with my own typo in my own note to you, caused not by the Big 6, but by the unequipped army of one. lol

dr.cpe

Andrea I said...

I think e books are great and let me read new authors.


andrea.infinger@gmail.com

Thomas Brookside said...

Devon:

There simply is no flood of self-published material at Amazon.

It doesn't exist. It's not there.

The rate of title growth for Kindle titles is barely keeping pace with the number of traditionally-published books published each year. And that includes all the backlist material being posted.

I actively seek out venues where self-published authors are marketing ebooks, and it's always the same old names. The "salon" of self-publishers is really quite small. Relative to the predictions out there of imminent slush pile apocalypse, it's positively minute.

At least when we're talking about fiction. On the non-fiction side, there is in fact a problem with people gathering random Wikipedia content and putting it into a book and stuffing it into an Amazon non-fiction category.

Maybe we're all about to be buried in slush, but it hasn't happened yet.

Mark Asher said...

This blog is so enthusiastic about self-publishing that it reminds me of Writer's Digest, where every article paints a rosier picture than what is possible.

Does anyone have any real information about the average number of ebooks each title sells on Amazon? Joe is an outlier, I think, and this blog exists not so much to promote self-publishing in general but to promote his own works. Nothing wrong with that, of course.

My guess is the floodgates are opening and the self-publishing authors will multiply and competition will drive down prices and reduce revenues. I think even Joe will be affected at some point. Why pay $2.99 for one of his ebooks when others are giving away ebooks in hopes you'll download and enjoy them enough to then pay $0.99 for their other works?

James Lewis said...

Scott, your story is inspiring, thanks for sharing it. People like you and Joe have made a pretty big impact in my life, as it pertains to publishing. Keep up the amazing work.

Lady_Graeye said...

Congrats on your new book and continuing success! I can't wait to read these books on my new kindle! He He!

JA Konrath said...

Why pay $2.99 for one of his ebooks...

Because people want to read my ebooks. Which is why they're selling. Out of 700,000 ebooks on Amazon, I continue to sell well.

Readers browse, find what they like, and buy it. Just like with print books.

A low price makes it easier, and more attractive. But if the book doesn't look good, it won't sell well, even at 99 cents.

Eric Christopherson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
A.P. Fuchs said...

I’d spent a few months exploring how to get my first novel The Red Church back out there. Trying to get it into bookstores on my own just seemed so troublesome and expensive...

Thus is the kicker with those wishing to self-publish in print. I can’t help but wonder what you mean by “so troublesome and expensive”? Everybody’s version of work varies wildly, likewise their own personal budgets to invest in themselves. This is one of the reasons I always warn against the “upload and go” mentality so prevalent in this eBook movement. There is more to self-publishing than that.

Not pointing a finger at Scott by any means, but it seems artists are just plain cheap and don’t want to spend any money. Is it not the first rule of business you got to spend money to make money? It’s been true for me. I spend money on printing my books and taking them to stores. They stock them. They sell. What doesn’t I take home and sell those copies to libraries or direct to readers at conventions and, yes, they’re all in perfect condition. In the end, I make my money back and profit very nicely.

I understand if Scott meant getting his book into stores everywhere. That’s a tough one for fiction. Non-fiction, not so much. But what about locally? Surely you can get a half dozen or more stores to stock you so you can doing signings, etc.

Don’t have the capital? How about reinvesting some of your eBook earnings into manufacturing print versions of your books? That’s how companies--and true self-publishing--works. Some money is kept for living on, some is put back into the company to grow it.

It strikes me that artists/writers really live in that “starving artist” mentality even before they get their stuff out there. Why is beyond me other than some bizarre brainwashing from their contemporaries who are also brainwashed. I’m all for looking for the cheapest way to do things and saving cash. That’s smart business. Why spend money if you don’t have to? But to deliberately cut important corners to grow one’s self-publishing career seems very short sighted. Part of self-publishing is laying the foundation for future success. Big picture thinking is critical if you want to have the groundwork in place for a well-functioning company.

This is also why I say self-publishing isn’t for everybody. There’s a business side to it that demands work and money. That’s just how it is. Until paperbacks are gone--which I doubt will ever happen completely--print and eBook formats should be at the fore of every self-publisher’s business plan.

Hope the business side of this didn’t scare anyone away, he says with a wink.

Margay Leah Justice said...

Scott, I must say I'm learning a lot from Joe's blog myself - and now from you!

Margay1122(at)aol(dot)com

Unknown said...

Every day that I read indie blogs is another day that I feel I made the right decisions to both buy a Kindle and to publish independently.

Thanks for the giveaway sweepstakes, Scott!

wannabuy said...

Scott,

Yes, thanks for the post.

And Kindle giveaway. ;)

AP Fuchs:
While Indie authors need to 'invest,' investing always comes with a ROI calculation. There is a reason Dorchester left print.

POD seems to have far more reward for most indie authors. Good to hear you're doing well with print.

Neil

Hank Brown said...

That is too cool that you and Joe Konrath are cyber-buddies. You guys are an inspiration.

Twitter: MachineTrooper

machinetrooper at gmail dot com

jellybelly82158 said...

It seems ebooks are making it easier for the authors to get books out to the readers.

jellybelly82158 at gmail dot com

Doreen said...

Yah!! Thanks for the chance to win a Kindle! I've been wanting one since DAY 1. Woooot! :) purposedrivenlife4you at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Ok, two great authors here on the same blog. How can one be so lucky? I love J.A. Konrath and I've recently discovered Scott Nicholson and loved what I read. Yay!

lauralynnelliott@yahoo.com

EVA SB said...

I love the way electronic media is allowing me to hear about, and read, books I never would have know about before.

eva.s.black[@]gmail[.]com

Michelle Stockard Miller said...

I think it's great that the digital e-reader age is getting authors more exposure. As a reader, I wasn't so sure about e-readers, but as a writer, I'm starting to see the light and view them as a good thing!

truebookaddict(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

I've never used a Kindle (or any other type of e-book reader) partially because of the cost. I wonder what kind of impact the increasing reliance of our society on electronic media is going to have on those without a lot of disposable income to spend on "gadgets".

The Undead Rat said...

I've known about J. A. Konrath for a little while now. The first book I read by him was Afraid -- and I liked it so much I also listened to the book on MP3. I've gone on to listen to all but one of the Jack Daniels series on MP3 -- great readings all.

I didn't know about his passion for ebooks until . . . well, now. His post, next to this one "Journey of the Late Adopter" is must reading if you're interested in the future of ebooks.

--Greg the Undead Rat

theundeadrat (@) gmail (.) com

Author Scott Nicholson said...

I don't have room to go into a complete analysis of the future, but if you want to read my predictions for publishing they are post at http://midlistlife.wordpress.com (and there's still time to enter there for the Kindle Giveaway!)

I do have POD books in paper through Amazon but here's what's weird--I can sell signed copies a lot cheaper myself from my own site, even in paper. So in the future, instead of sending customers to Amazon or a bookstore, if I am having to escort you anyway, why not just come to my site and let's share the savings? THAT'S a good model I see. But obviously 10 million writers aren't going to live off that.

BTW I am doing a blitz for The Red Church right now, price lowered to 99 cents for a limited time.
( http://amzn.to/d0Lsa6 )
At #287 last I checked so some nudging and telling friends might be enough to DOUBLE your chances for a Kindle! Thanks and I will be back on Sept 12 to collect entries and make a wrap-up. Thanks again everyone and now go sample Draculas!

I'll have another blitz on Oct 1 with a sale so please follow the tour.

Scott Nicholson
http://www.hauntedcomputer.com

Stacey said...

As long as your coffee and your keyboard remain in their respective areas, it's all good.

geekgirlunveiled at gmail dot com

Carol said...

Another blogstop!

Carol
crljqs1@gmail.com

Unknown said...

You are a lucky man to be able to love your 'workday".

Please enter me for the giveaway.
~Chrizette
baychriz[at]gmail[dot]com

Adam Smith said...

I actually have The Red Church in dead tree format, but I'm really happy to see how well it's done in its new format, as well.

Contact info: alipkin(at)gmail(dot)com

mischievousmaya said...

Another great post! I'm learning so much!

-mm
mischievousmaya@gmail.com

Maria Romana said...

...the “author’s preferred edition” of an older book now with the “author’s preferred title”...

Oh yeah, this is what it's all about—the freedom to publish it the way you see it as an artist and not the way your publisher feels it will sell best. Imagine if painters and sculptors had their creations "sanitized" the way traditionally published authors do...

--Maria

Julie said...

I enjoyed your commentary. I have downloaded some eBooks, but really don't like being tied to my computer screen to read them, since I also am fairly in the dark ages and don't have a laptop. I AM, however, fascinated by Kindles, ever since a friend showed me hers. I don't think I'll EVER get over wanting to have a hardback (or even paperback) copy of a 'keeper' sitting on my shelves, BUT, being able to carry around a number of good reads without the weight of carrying the actual book is more and more appealing. If I don't WIN a Kindle, one will be my Christmas present to myself, wrapped in Santa paper in front of the Christmas tree to be 'surprised' by on Christmas morning!

knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com

Author Scott Nicholson said...

Thanks everyone for commenting--please continue, though contest entries are now capped at 146.

Please join me for other tour stops (schedule at http://hauntedcomputer.blogspot.com) and don't forget the Red Church redlight special, 99 cents, now with smellavision. It's poised within reach of the Top 100 and doubling the Kindle giveaway.

I'll be back later today to read all the comments and respond. Thanks again, Joe. Don't forget to get your Draculas review copy at draculasthebook@gmail.com.

Scott

Tina12312 said...

I have read and enjoyed several of your books Scott and look forward to more. Would love a Kindle to take them around with me! Thank you!

Tina12312 said...

I have read and enjoyed several of your books Scott and look forward to more. Would love a Kindle to take them around with me! Thank you!

Weston Kincade said...

Great post Scott. I'm glad to hear more about your journey into digital books. Still considering it myself. I will probably make the leap after I have a couple more finished and give the old school publication network a bit more time to come around to my way of thinking.

wakincade@gmail.com

joyh82 said...

I would love to win a kindle and
love mystery and paranormal genre.
My son just got a new kindle and I have to tell him about Scott's books.
Joy at Books and Life
jhoorm01atyahoodotcom

monapete said...

great contest and great author!

monacart32 at hotmail dot com

Cori Westphal said...

I've never heard of Scott Nicholson, or his books before. This is a great way to get your name out there!

coriwestphal at msn dot com
@coriwestphal

doreen lamoureux said...

I love books but would open myself up to a Kindle. It holds so much.
Thanks for the giveaway.

dorcontest at gmail dot com

Maidenveil said...

good luck with the blog tour, scott! this is awesome.

-Len-
maidenveil(at)gmail(dot)com

vindel said...

Wonderful idea!

ivechosendarkness[@]gmail[.]com

Miellyn said...

Jeannine D
wuzzum(at)gmail(dot)com

LaQ said...

Awesome giveaway! I'd love to have a Kindle! :D
LaQ

LaQuiet(at)gmil(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I'd love to read this book (and the rest of the books he's written) on a new Kindle!

Anonymous said...

hufflepuffgrl13@yahoo.com