tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post116485823987001551..comments2024-03-28T02:00:11.260-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Ebooks!JA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-17774460126689368682011-09-25T06:21:35.650-05:002011-09-25T06:21:35.650-05:00I just posted an article about this article you wr...I just posted an article about this article you wrote 5 years ago (set to drip tomorrow). Wow... great stuff, even from back then. Obviously your life - your daily marketing of yourself - prepared you for wild success once ebooks gained some traction. It's only going to get better. Glad to be on-board with you - though behind you by a good deal. I think anyone that starts now - can be enjoying success five years down the line.Mike Fookhttp://www.mikefook.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-72477492343042120082011-08-02T06:07:14.903-05:002011-08-02T06:07:14.903-05:00Hi Joe,
Firstly as a very newcomer to the world o...Hi Joe,<br /><br />Firstly as a very newcomer to the world of helpful authors on the internet, thank you for your generous help for us newbies (MJ also was a great help with her Buzz-your-Book.<br /><br />Having decided just two weeks ago to update my book projects website and join the interactive idea with possible fans <br /><br />I have been researching (And still am) facebook, blog & twitter to decide what suits my books best.<br />I started with British Society of Authors old Journal articles, then Author websites which have proved a great source...<br /><br />But alas I am not a author of the popular and readable Thrillers, but a writer of specialised dry old and dusty reference books on mainly military medal (Numismatic) subjects with many images.<br /><br /> A small niche market but I am known in my subject so maybe that will help boost sales as well.<br /><br />its time to try to put my old titles on ebooks but again not sure if possible as average of 500 to 1000 images in each work.<br /><br />Joe I am of course deeply engrossed in your great book The Newbie's Guide to Publishing and right now looking at chapter on ebooks hence this response again thanks for Free download.<br /><br />I have loved books since I was a boy, still surrounded by them, but think ebooks suitable for travelling, coffee shop visits , researching in Libraries or reading in bed, as well as the new younger generations so familiar with the world of modern devices...<br /><br />Adrian Forman Devon EnglandAdrian Formanhttp://adrianforman4bks@aol.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-29786797705597331272007-02-02T21:35:00.000-06:002007-02-02T21:35:00.000-06:00Hi,
I think you're right about eBooks gaining mar...Hi,<br /><br />I think you're right about eBooks gaining market share over the next few years. A longtime user of eBooks myself, I have noticed a significant increase in the quality, compatibility, and downloadability of eBooks. As a teacher, I now buy all my teaching materials at http://www.dedicatedteacher.com since I think they've gotten it right. Being able to read the sample chapters that they supply is a big help, and they charge much less than the specialty bookstores that usually sell these books. I think you're on the right track giving away a sample of your books, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the success.JMcIntyrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02085240391088072974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1169366112089606272007-01-21T01:55:00.000-06:002007-01-21T01:55:00.000-06:00I'll give it a try, I linked to your article from ...I'll give it a try, I linked to your article from <A HREF="http://plancksconstant.org/blog1/2007/01/ebooks_ibooks_gbooks.html" REL="nofollow">ebooks, ibooks, gbooks</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1166143599026311422006-12-14T18:46:00.000-06:002006-12-14T18:46:00.000-06:00Just adding my opinion after reading all these:I w...Just adding my opinion after reading all these:<BR/><BR/>I will read ebooks quite happily if they are cheaper than a paperback. I go for the cheapest quite often and I don't mind reading on the screen, barely notice it. <BR/><BR/>Yes, it's nice to hold a book. Save me 3 bucks? I'll take the ebook. Same price? I'll take the book or I won't buy at all if I have doubts about liking it.<BR/><BR/>Joe, if you had done a serialization of a novel, I would not have read it. I HATE books where I'm expected to wait and read on someone else's schedule. I won't read short stories that come out in two parts unless both parts are already out and available at the same time.<BR/><BR/>Ebooks will catch on if they offer something the hardcopy doesn't--like a cheaper price. <BR/><BR/>Oh-one other thing I thought...I would associate The List, not with Michael Connelly and other "thriller" writers, but publishers like Baen and Tor. <BR/><BR/>And I totally agree with whoever wrote that they like to read fresh stuff from an author, rather than series. I rarely read more than 2 or 3 books in a "series" or 3 books with the same characters. I know the publishers think series are great and all, but I'm much more likely to buy a book by an author whose work I liked when it ISN'T a series. Just a personal preference and nothing to do with any particular author.Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1166049516186861562006-12-13T16:38:00.000-06:002006-12-13T16:38:00.000-06:00my trackbackmy <A HREF="http://meika.loofs-samorzewski.com#traction" REL="nofollow">trackback</A>meikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05890962242664851062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1165501038902623282006-12-07T08:17:00.000-06:002006-12-07T08:17:00.000-06:00I read Origin last year sometime... I guess I was ...I read Origin last year sometime... I guess I was lucky enough to catch it when you had it up then. <BR/><BR/>It was really good and I was surprised cause I hate the idea of ebooks and didn't think I'd really read it. I ended up spending over an hour at work just reading the book cause I couldn't stop!<BR/><BR/>So I want a sequel now! I'd buy it. I just sent you email about a possible way to POD... I've been out of touch with your blog lately but hopefully I didn't miss you talking about it already.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1165457438487229432006-12-06T20:10:00.000-06:002006-12-06T20:10:00.000-06:00All good points MJ, as usual. :)All good points MJ, as usual. :)JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1165378253912323812006-12-05T22:10:00.000-06:002006-12-05T22:10:00.000-06:00Change is a very important part of basic marketin...Change is a very important part of basic marketing. You have to keep refreshing the message. <BR/><BR/>I’m not saying your traffic isn’t going up Joe – or that more and more people aren’t buying your shorts. I’m saying if you want to get the most people buying or downloading then use what we know about how people respond to visual stimuli.<BR/><BR/> They respond when the picture changes. It’s simple -- If you go on a business trip and come home to your beloved spouse after not seeing her for 10 days, chances you’re going to see her different – with a fresher eye—than if you came down to breakfast for the 789th day I a row of having breakfast with her.<BR/><BR/>That’s why people run different versions of ads within a campaign. Or stop running them after a month, skip a month and start again. <BR/><BR/>We get used to what is in front of us.<BR/><BR/>So if you post a new segment every week for four weeks with a different cover each time you should get more people to notice each one than if you left the one cover up for the whole four weeks.<BR/><BR/>I’m not suggesting serializing – but cutting it into four pieces- have more fun with it. It’s not a traditional book – so don’t treat it like one. Don’t force it into a format just because that’s the old format.<BR/><BR/>And yes, if I had the material, I’d do a free e-book. But I’d try to play with it. I wouldn’t do a 300 page novel. I’d rather do something that would be different in some way. (The problem for me is that for the last 18 months and for the foreseeable future I’m working on novels that are more complicated than what I used to write and I don’t have any extra time.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1165091358027448942006-12-02T14:29:00.000-06:002006-12-02T14:29:00.000-06:00I love books on tape. I used to listen to them all...I love books on tape. I used to listen to them all the time while commuting to and from work. But with the kids? Nope, can't do it anymore. Before kids, my hubby and I used to day day trips a lot or weekend overnighters and listened as well.Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02872860080644987843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1165068114846088582006-12-02T08:01:00.000-06:002006-12-02T08:01:00.000-06:00I think you're right about audio. Audio is defini...I think you're right about audio. Audio is definitely the lazy -- or busy -- person's way to read. It's about the only way I get anything read these days (when I'm driving).<BR/><BR/>But I don't think ebooks will ever really work. As promotion? Sure. As long as you stick to short form.<BR/><BR/>But, like you said, there's something about the feel of a book.Rob Gregory Brownehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11952008139132652259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1165017817365803432006-12-01T18:03:00.000-06:002006-12-01T18:03:00.000-06:00This is great!And I love the WAY you're doing it. ...This is great!<BR/><BR/>And I love the WAY you're doing it. 1998 was a very long time ago. A complete download is more modern than serialisation (people don't like to wait). And do keep it on the site as long as it's receiving interest - to a brand new visitor it will be a brand new feature.<BR/><BR/>Thank you, Joe!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1165010494087148942006-12-01T16:01:00.000-06:002006-12-01T16:01:00.000-06:00Thanks, Joe!The baby is doing well. There are phot...Thanks, Joe!<BR/><BR/>The baby is doing well. There are photos and videos at <A HREF="http://staceycochran.com/_wsn/page5.html" REL="nofollow">StaceyCochran.com</A>.<BR/><BR/>Incidentally, my novel <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141165448X/103-4066764-6879843?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance" REL="nofollow">Amber Page is paired with Lemony Snicket</A> for the month of December. I could sure use some good reviews. That would be an awesome gift, everybody!Stacey Cochranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14128613653591282474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164993664123664122006-12-01T11:21:00.000-06:002006-12-01T11:21:00.000-06:00Congrats, Stacey! He's adorable!Congrats, Stacey! He's adorable!JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164993145908736282006-12-01T11:12:00.000-06:002006-12-01T11:12:00.000-06:00Congratulations to Stacey - I just checked his blo...Congratulations to Stacey - I just checked his blog and they have a baby boy!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164987265728261552006-12-01T09:34:00.000-06:002006-12-01T09:34:00.000-06:00Thanks for the free books, Joe. I've loved this s...Thanks for the free books, Joe. I've loved this subgenre since I read Michael Connelly's "Chasing the Dime." <BR/><BR/>I'm putting up my "backlist" of short stories on my web site to help promote the launch of my first novel next August. I've got six that were published in the science fiction digest magazines over the past few years. I just wanted to add some content to my web site to keep people tuning in. <BR/><BR/>By the way, this web site has been an invaluable resources for me in planning my publicity efforts. I'm plowing all of my advance into promotion, and none of it will go towards postcards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164984794812698842006-12-01T08:53:00.000-06:002006-12-01T08:53:00.000-06:00Did the Internet exist in '98? :)I should have gue...Did the Internet exist in '98? :)<BR/><BR/>I should have guessed MJ did this before. She's set the bar for everything. <BR/><BR/>Would you give away a free ebook again MJ? Why or why not?<BR/><BR/>I see your point about leaving it up too long, but I've had some short story and article downloads on my homepage for three years now, and each year has more downloads than the previous year. I have to add extra bandwith to my site every few months. My data transfer rate is between 7 and 8 gigs a month right now. In 2003 it was less than 1 gig.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164975955880261662006-12-01T06:25:00.000-06:002006-12-01T06:25:00.000-06:00A couple of my Amazon Shorts hit number one and th...A couple of my Amazon Shorts hit number one and the other peaked at Number Two but was listed as an Editor's Pick.<BR/><BR/>I'm thrilled and I printed out the list to show all the girls who wouldn't go out with me in college but I have no idea how many people these stories are reaching.<BR/><BR/>My goal is to develop a fan base that will follow me when my novel comes out in September.<BR/><BR/>We'll see. Till then I'll keep hanging around with Joe Konrath for attention.Tom Schreckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01050914130524851863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164958422488787752006-12-01T01:33:00.000-06:002006-12-01T01:33:00.000-06:00Found you from somebody's writing blog:: blushes a...Found you from somebody's writing blog<BR/>:: blushes and mumbles :: hadn't heard of you before and can't remember which one it was because I just added 40-something feeds to my To Read list in the last week or two...<BR/><BR/>Anyway!<BR/><BR/>1. Absolutely true. I actually don't mind reading onscreen (usually Fanfiction;) so I considered buying ebooks in a favorite series (okay, yes, it's Star Trek), but when I saw that the ebook was exactly the same price as the paperback, I decided I'd rather have the paperback. I ended up not buying either one, and have forgotten which title in the series it was.<BR/><BR/>2, 3 & 4. Definitely. Standardization has benefits for consumers as well as for businesses.<BR/><BR/>It's a good list, but you forgot:<BR/><BR/>5. You can't sell a used ebook like you can a used hardcopy. With paperbacks, if you didn't like it, you can give it to a friend/relative or sell it to a used bookstore. With ebooks, all you can do is delete it. I'm not arguing for the right to resell ebooks, mind, but it is a factor.<BR/><BR/>6. With the copy-protection and DMCA, you often can't make a reliable backup (in some cases, I got the impression you couldn't even use a single ebook on more than one computer) which means if something happens to your reader, you have to re-buy all your books. Yes, catastrophe can happen even to hardcopy books, but it's a lot easier to destroy a huge library of ebooks.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, haven't read your Jack Daniels stuff (not really into alcohol, so I didn't quite get the whole theme of the titles at first) but I'm going to give your free ebooks a try.Chrystallinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00413402638704025510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164945414056994252006-11-30T21:56:00.000-06:002006-11-30T21:56:00.000-06:00Its so funny on the internet - things we did in 19...Its so funny on the internet - things we did in 1998 happened so long ago that when someone does it now it seems brand new. Doug Clegg did start doing it back then, me too. Lots of people did. And to some degree it helped some of us build up our fan base.<BR/><BR/>Shorter is better though, most of us found out. Segment the book into four parts and give away a part a week for four weeks and make it an exclusive event. Then wait a few months and do the next book the same way. Don't just leave them up there forever - people stop seeing what is in front of their nose.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164944051622570712006-11-30T21:34:00.000-06:002006-11-30T21:34:00.000-06:00Forgot to mention I'm in the UK it's 3.30am here a...Forgot to mention I'm in the UK it's 3.30am here and way past my bedtime.:)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164943818652575152006-11-30T21:30:00.000-06:002006-11-30T21:30:00.000-06:00Hi Joe,I was anon 5.41 (sometimes I hate blogger's...Hi Joe,<BR/><BR/>I was anon 5.41 (sometimes I hate blogger's comment system.)<BR/><BR/>Downloaded Origins and read it (fast) in one go. See what people mean about your gory imagination.<BR/><BR/>I loved it, had to finish it and will re-read it later to really appreciate it properly.<BR/><BR/>The publishers were wrong it's a brilliant concept and would also make a great film, easily match Alien for suspense, horror, gore and most of all humour. Try selling the film rights.<BR/><BR/>I'm off to bed though I hope I don't dream tonight, if I manage to sleep at all. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164943356777527192006-11-30T21:22:00.000-06:002006-11-30T21:22:00.000-06:00Hey, thanks! I get to read them on my palm pilot,...Hey, thanks! I get to read them on my palm pilot, too!<BR/><BR/>I think if the iPod ever allows for ebooks, they'll be more of a hit, especially among the younger set. The thought of carrying around all your books with you--like all our music--is a great one. I believe (but who really knows) that if iPod made a big deal out of it, then ebook sales would shoot up. Just my thoughts, though.<BR/><BR/>Right now, ebooks are most effective in the niche audiences. Not exactly career-making unless you write a ton of them, though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164930955598178172006-11-30T17:55:00.000-06:002006-11-30T17:55:00.000-06:00thanks for the compliment on the layout! I spent a...thanks for the compliment on the layout! I spent a lot of time on it because the punctuation is weird and so has to be better than the average to support it<BR/><BR/>ditto the suggestion to rename your filenames, I suggest, <BR/><BR/>Konrath, Ja - Bookname.filetype<BR/><BR/>Its what I immediately did when I downloaded yours.<BR/><BR/>Which I should do too I guess!!<BR/><BR/>I read ebooks on a ten year old Apple Newton PDA, except they are heavy they have the largest screen still of any PDA, and a good community support<BR/><BR/>I still reckon ebook readers should have 300 pagesmeikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05890962242664851062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1164930105239784102006-11-30T17:41:00.000-06:002006-11-30T17:41:00.000-06:00Hi Joe.This sounds like an interesting experiment,...Hi Joe.<BR/><BR/>This sounds like an interesting experiment, I doubt you'll be the only one monitoring the results.:)<BR/><BR/>Have downloaded both (HTML) and will read them although I find reading on a PC hard. Can't afford to buy any of these newfangled reading gadgets anyway but I must admit a preference for books in traditional printed form.<BR/><BR/>I was impressed with the download speed. I'm on dial up and it makes a big difference when someone has allocated generous bandwidth to the download. It also makes sense from a marketing perspective.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the freebies. Maybe one day I'll be in a position to reciprocate, in the meantime I will spread your name as best I can.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com