tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post6579329714771749199..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: The Great Ebook ExperimentJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-19942890929208772932009-09-14T12:22:31.327-05:002009-09-14T12:22:31.327-05:00I would totally do this if I thought we had simila...I would totally do this if I thought we had similar audiences...CKHBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-15835601418546258232009-09-14T06:10:11.569-05:002009-09-14T06:10:11.569-05:00I very like this detailed article on ebook publish...I very like this detailed article on ebook publishing. I think ebook publishing is getting popular in current market.ebook publishinghttp://www.isnetc.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-56194860933468507312009-09-13T19:37:58.421-05:002009-09-13T19:37:58.421-05:00Are you still doing this? Because if you are, I...Are you still doing this? Because if you are, I'm very interested.<br /><br />I only have one book out right now - it's gritty urban fantasy - but I also have a series of thrillers coming out soon.<br /><br />I shall drop you an official line. :-)s.w. vaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102544611773720262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-45775641123551274952009-09-12T01:56:00.444-05:002009-09-12T01:56:00.444-05:00I have to say, I think that your idea is ingenious...I have to say, I think that your idea is ingenious, and I think that it has great potential. <br /><br />For example, I recently got a Kindle for my birthday. As I was looking around on Amazon's Kindle store, I happened to stumble across a handful of free ebooks. One of these books was Serial. I read the description, and it sounded like a pretty interesting read, so I downloaded it. I read the book, in its entirety, and, much to my surprise, found out that, after the last page, an excerpt from your book Afraid was included. Well, I figured, "what the heck, might as well read it" seeing as I had just read Serial in one sitting and really enjoyed it. So I read the excerpt. As it turns out, I loved the excerpt even more than I loved the book that I had found it in, and immediately signed onto Amazon to buy the novel in its entirety. <br /><br />Now, I know that this is but one single story, but I do believe that it shows that this idea really could be very successful. After all, as you said in your post, the author's writing is, in the end, what is going to sell the author's writing. No trailer, description, or magazine ad will ever match the advertising power of allowing someone to read the actual writing of a product, and get a feel for what the book is all about.<br /><br />Think of it this way; we see lots of ads, day in and day out, for different types of cars. Whether its a commercial on TV, an ad bar on a website, or a full page spread in a magazine, we find ourselves surrounded by automobile ads. But no matter how many of these ads we see, we never know how much we really love a car until we have test driven it.<br /><br />So why don't we take some ebooks for a spin, and see if we really do love them.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02080573671340720876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-12836006054947946242009-09-10T22:04:18.754-05:002009-09-10T22:04:18.754-05:00The idea is genius, if not exactly original. You&#...The idea is genius, if not exactly original. You're basically selling ad space and there's nothing wrong with that. <br /><br />Your argument predicting the demise of the ebook industry, however, completely ignores the existence of ePublishers who, by and large, <i>do not</i> charge as much for ebooks as they do for the same title in print--and that really pisses me off. <br /><br />Yes, selling an ebook for the same price as a hardcover book is short sighted and would be really stupid on the part of print publishers, if I didn't think it was part of an industry wide plan to undermine the ebook industry.<br /><br />They should know better. In point of fact, they clearly <i>do</i> know better since the practice is roughly analogous to charging the same price for a mass-market paperback as they do for a hardcover: i.e. kind of moronic...which is why <i>no one does it</i>.<br /><br />I think the music industry is a much better model to emulate. You can download a single song for .99, or the whole album for approx. $10. You can buy the album on CD for approx $15 - $16. Or, you can wait and buy it used for under a buck. As long as the artist is getting paid for the initial sale, where's the bad? <br /><br />How many $1 downloads (be they singles or short stories) have led to listeners/readers discovering new auto-buys? I'm guessing it's a healthy percentage.<br /><br />Just because you can steal something doesn't mean everyone is going to. For that matter, just because you can legally borrow a book for free at your local library (or illegally run off a copy of it at Kinkos, while you're at it, and share it with everyone you know) doesn't mean you (or they) will never buy a book again.PG Fortehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00819909187492632526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-72323386603071097352009-09-07T22:21:54.596-05:002009-09-07T22:21:54.596-05:00I really like the idea. I'd use it, but I writ...I really like the idea. I'd use it, but I write YA fantasy, and I don't see it transferring. Plus, I'm still waiting on publisher to make up their minds (does it really take a year!).amberargylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05058327741777322247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-83068427908308971472009-09-05T19:55:54.212-05:002009-09-05T19:55:54.212-05:00Correct me if I'm wrong, but I had the impress...<i>Correct me if I'm wrong, but I had the impression Joe was talking about putting the excerpts at the back of the book (with mention of their existence in the book description.) Thus readers wouldn't even have to read them.</i><br /><br />Any advertiser knows that many of their ads are ignored. <br /><br />The more targeting and interesting an ad is, the more likely it is to be tolerated.<br /><br />But we're not talking about ads here. We're talking about content.<br /><br />A book trailer, or newspaper book ad, is an announcement that informs an audience content exists, and gives a bit about the type of content it is.<br /><br />An excerpt IS content. It isn't a picture of diet cola, or a page of blurbs about a movie. It's a sample of the writing.<br /><br />People tend to ignore ads. But they seek out content. That's why the Internet is so popular. It is several billion people all looking for content.<br /><br />Have you've ever picked up a music sample CD, or discovered a new band while listening to the radio? Same concept here. Excerts are a taste of the complete work.<br /><br />Will some people ignore them? Sure. All types of advertising get ignored.<br /><br />But this is a new format, an original presentation, and I believe both curiosity and the same willingness readers have to browse for good books to read will lead people to the writers who give this a try.<br /><br />At least, that's my intent for this experiment.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-83934547239398246142009-09-05T18:01:03.391-05:002009-09-05T18:01:03.391-05:00As someone pointed out, you don't have to do a...As someone pointed out, you don't have to do ads "outside" the writing. You can pay a writer to have their character drink "pepsi" nine times per chapter. You can pay them to smoke x or eat at x or drive an x.<br /><br />Or you could be Joe and come up with an idea to charge writers to put an excerpt of their book in the back of yours.Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-74063952241220595662009-09-05T15:32:00.784-05:002009-09-05T15:32:00.784-05:00I wouldn't think anyone would pay much of anyt...<i>I wouldn't think anyone would pay much of anything to have ads at the back of a book that would easily be dismissed/avoided.</i><br /><br />Bingo.<br /><br />And if they start placing the ads between chapters, I think most people will either fast-forward through them or stick with good old fashioned commercial-free paper.Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-32641711234074329622009-09-05T12:18:41.455-05:002009-09-05T12:18:41.455-05:00I am not in the advertising business but I would i...I am not in the advertising business but I would imagine ads between chapters/scenes would be the only way they would want to do it. I wouldn't think anyone would pay much of anything to have ads at the back of a book that would easily be dismissed/avoided. <br /><br />I also didn't mind book catalogs at the back of books but if they are all supported by ads then other books can not be the sole ad type. Where would the money enter the chain?Thomas Edgarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-88316149868323360712009-09-05T08:31:16.324-05:002009-09-05T08:31:16.324-05:00I actually like ads about books in books. Not ads...I actually like ads about books in books. Not ads about cars, cigarettes, beer, or whatever.<br /><br />You always used to get lists of other books in the sub-genre, or by the author in paperbacks.<br /><br />Often if you bought say, a Konrath book you'd get an excerpt for another one if there was one, or for something similar.<br /><br />Some sensible smaller publishers put their title lists in at the end of the books.<br /><br />The fact that there are no excerpts or catalogues etc. in books I think is because when it comes to digital a bunch of publishers are something that rhymes very closely with stupid.<br /><br />Even if they did have a beer ad in the middle, and ads for handbags and televisions at the end, wouldn't care much if that made things cheaper.<br /><br />After every chapter would be overdoing it, though.Blue Tysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01090584083476832111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-36831527770018000482009-09-04T22:05:20.586-05:002009-09-04T22:05:20.586-05:00Correct me if I'm wrong, but I had the impress...<i>Correct me if I'm wrong, but I had the impression Joe was talking about putting the excerpts at the back of the book (with mention of their existence in the book description.) Thus readers wouldn't even have to read them.</i><br /><br />I think that the excerpt idea is great regardless of how the writing is funded. I am just arguing his statement that the future of ebooks will be based on advertising dollars.Thomas Edgarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-21944825548267659562009-09-04T17:57:52.732-05:002009-09-04T17:57:52.732-05:00Correct me if I'm wrong, but I had the impress...Correct me if I'm wrong, but I had the impression Joe was talking about putting the excerpts at the back of the book (with mention of their existence in the book description.) Thus readers wouldn't even have to read them. <br /><br />I agree that interrupting Joe's story to say, 'And now here is an excerpt from" would be pretty awful.<br /><br />But to say that ads don't exist in books today isn't correct either. There was a big hubbaloo over some author or other putting in some sort of makeup mention (she was paid to include mention and I believe it was a teen book). It has been done before even though everyone raises a stink when it happens (or even when they think it happens.)<br /><br />I'm sure it would be great fun for Joe to try and work in the titles or author names into his story, but he didn't say he was going that far. Yet. :>)Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-71377158980126196882009-09-04T16:32:30.723-05:002009-09-04T16:32:30.723-05:00I am sure you have visited sites that break up an ...<i>I am sure you have visited sites that break up an article into multiple pages to inject more adds. Those are intolerable and I try to avoid those sites as much as I can.</i><br /><br />You may find them intolerable, but there's you model. This already exists on the web.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-8696235369563910102009-09-04T14:47:16.815-05:002009-09-04T14:47:16.815-05:00Ads are in everything. Why are books sacred?
Book...<i>Ads are in everything. Why are books sacred?</i><br /><br />Books are not sacred; at least in this context :). However, I just haven't seen any advertising models that would fit into books that would not detract from them. Ads work in magazines and internet articles because they are interspersed between short logically separated text. When the ads inject into the stream of text is when it fails. I am sure you have visited sites that break up an article into multiple pages to inject more adds. Those are intolerable and I try to avoid those sites as much as I can.<br /><br />This is also the problem with television ads. Thank the heavens for DVRs and the ability to save all of that wasted time.<br /><br />You could also argue for the way ads are being integrated into movies and games; product placement. I think this is much more viable but it takes some serious effort for it not to be a horrible failure. In almost every movie these days is the groan inducing flash to a phone close up showing a incoming phone # or SMS as well as the brand of the phone and manufacturer. I just don't want great authors like you to have to "fit in" a quota of five Pepsi scenes to support your work.<br /><br />Of course I am saying this all from my perspective. I am have not done any research to back up my opinions. <br /><br /><i>How often do you have a chance to read without being interrupted?<br /><br />I love getting lost in a good book, but there are always interruptions. The phone rings, I need to pee, I make a sandwich, I get tired and go to sleep, my kid wants something, etc. Bookmarks exist because reading is never uninterrupted.</i><br /><br />I think there is a big difference between external interruptions and interruptions in the text. I blame the external interruptions on whatever it is but I blame the internal interruptions on the author/publisher.Thomas Edgarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-68758656508434686892009-09-04T07:42:37.888-05:002009-09-04T07:42:37.888-05:00Christy,
Why can't you put your technical boo...Christy,<br /><br />Why can't you put your technical books up on Kindle for DX? (assuming you have ebook rights?)Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-16754957785537174532009-09-04T00:48:49.209-05:002009-09-04T00:48:49.209-05:00This is probably the most interesting thread of co...This is probably the most interesting thread of comments I've ever read. In fact, I'm going to post a link to it in my blog. <br /><br />I had a similar argument with some guy on Amazon who was in love with The Bell Curve. I'd been secretly in love with Stephen J. Gould since high school so I wasn't havin' it!! I ended up just giving up and deleting all my comments so people wouldn't read me arguing back and forth with some nut job.<br /><br />You know, Joe-- I agree with you on almost every point. But I still have hope for the future, and I don't know how is going to manifest exactly. <br /><br />Sorry, but I can't resist this analogy...It's the same way I like the old Star Trek vs. the darker, more pessimistic new Star Trek(s). <br /><br />I'm a non-fiction writer and I make a lot of money on a very small number of high-priced technical books. If I sold ebooks, I would be sunk. Just losing 30 book sales is like losing $2,000.<br /><br />But I know it's a very real possibility. I'll just have to learn to make money some other way. Seminars, I guess. <br /><br />I like your idea, though. I want to do it-- buying the advertising, I mean. So I sent you an e-mail. Check your junk folder if you don't see it in your inbox.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-36085795869151772302009-09-03T21:45:26.533-05:002009-09-03T21:45:26.533-05:00An interesting concept garnered from previous comm...An interesting concept garnered from previous comments, based on internet sites I've seen...<br /><br />Reader can receive ad-infused e-books for free...<br /><br />OR<br /><br />Reader pays $ for ad-free e-book of the same title...<br /><br />Personally I could see that as a big boon for small e-presses. Readers would be able to try a title for free, and if they like the book but the ads annoy them, they'd be more likely to go back and pay for an ad-free book next time.T. M. Hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04315726033990784930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-77002890729938923102009-09-03T11:26:34.763-05:002009-09-03T11:26:34.763-05:00Been doing some more thinking on this. I have two...Been doing some more thinking on this. I have two books out on Kindle. One sells for 1.00 and the other for 1.99. Assuming I went with the 1.99 book as an excerpt...I'd have to average two copies sold per day to have the ad idea pay for itself (for a month). If I went with the 1.00 a day book (which is fantasy so it wouldn't make sense) I'd have to average 3 per day.<br /><br /><br />Now, I've been as surprised as anyone with the positive feedback and sales from Kindle users...but...well, I'll be very interested to see how this works out (assuming people provide feedback). <br /><br />I also think that 5 excerpts may be too many. Two is probably more realistic from an attention span. But that's a guess. If I owned a kindle, I might read excerpts because instant gratification is seconds away. I avoid excerpts in real life because if I like the book, I have to wait for delivery. <br /><br />MariaMariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-34035208524585119742009-09-02T21:38:42.125-05:002009-09-02T21:38:42.125-05:00And since we seem to be getting off topic here, le...And since we seem to be getting off topic here, let's recap.<br /><br />1. Pirating is wrong, but people are doing it anyway.<br /><br />2. Ads in books might be a way for the author to make money, even if their ebooks are pirated.<br /><br />3. Here's an opportunity to put your book except in my ebooks for a dollar a day.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-33646058522975815542009-09-02T20:13:43.366-05:002009-09-02T20:13:43.366-05:00What if you trade it for an ebook?
It depends on ...<i>What if you trade it for an ebook?</i><br /><br />It depends on how many ads are in the ebook. :PJA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-10874700750573947242009-09-02T20:02:37.050-05:002009-09-02T20:02:37.050-05:00If you sell the gas you've stolen, you earn $2...<i>If you sell the gas you've stolen, you earn $2.50.</i><br /><br />What if you trade it for an ebook? ;)Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-53529530760140284332009-09-02T19:12:44.570-05:002009-09-02T19:12:44.570-05:00If you acquire a gallon of gasoline without spendi...<i>If you acquire a gallon of gasoline without spending any money (i.e. by stealing it), it's the same as earning $2.50.</i><br /><br />If you sell the gas you've stolen, you earn $2.50. If you use the gas you've stolen, you earn the gas. But in neither case does saving = earning.<br /><br />Stealing IP may save you money, if you were planning on buying the IP and stole it instead.<br /><br />But it doesn't earn you money. You don't profit from file-sharing. You can save money by file sharing, but then it becomes a question of if you would have bought it anyway.<br /><br />It gets even more complicated. What constitutes possession in media? Is it owning a hard copy? Owning a duplicate? Or is it simply experiencing the media?<br /><br />Movies and pay-per-view cable isn't about owning the media--you pay to see it. Like a museum. Or the zoo.<br /><br />If you sneak into the zoo, is it stealing? Is it the same as file sharing?<br /><br />What if you download a song, listen to it once, then delete it? Is that stealing? What's the difference between doing that and recording it off the radio? <br /><br />I'm not advocating stealing. I'm not even trying to defend it. But I do understand why so many people do it, and I think publishers should keep it in mind.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-54131318437661012312009-09-02T18:15:51.479-05:002009-09-02T18:15:51.479-05:00Money only has value in relation to the goods and ...Money only has value in relation to the goods and services it can buy. Goods and services have value based on supply and demand. If $2.50 buys a gallon of gasoline today, then today a gallon of gasoline is worth $2.50. If you acquire a gallon of gasoline without spending any money (i.e. by stealing it), it's the same as earning $2.50. One gallon of gasoline=$2.50. There is no difference. You have profited, because you now have a $2.50 gallon of gasoline that you would not have had if you hadn't stolen it.<br /><br />Why is IP any different? Or are you saying IP is valueless, and therefore should be free for all?Jude Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994813046526310594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-44574162740653498492009-09-02T18:00:30.641-05:002009-09-02T18:00:30.641-05:00hello... hapi blogging... have a nice day! just vi...hello... hapi blogging... have a nice day! just visiting here....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com