Update: Cutting Out Middlemen in ebook Sales

There’s been a lot of head scratching on the LinkedIn threads I frequent about  how exactly Konrath’s new deal is doing what he says it is doing – cutting out the middleman between the author and the reader (see my post from yesterday).

He’s signed up with a new service for an unspecified three figure amount, and will be selling through this service.

Since his blog is high traffic, no one is able to figure out how he benefits by not selling to his readers directly (and instead paying someone to sell it). If someone has knowledge about this, I would love to know.

Cutting Out Middlemen in ebook Sales

When it comes to ebooks and sales, Joe Konrath is up there with Amanda Hocking and John Locke. Now comes the news that he’s found a new way to cut out the middleman between the author and the reader. Click here for advice from the man himself.

How ebook buyers discover ebooks

Smashword’s Mark Coker has an interesting article on how readers discover ebooks. The most common way, according to his poll, is recommendation from fellow readers on various online forums and message boards. Click here for the entire article.

FaceBook On The Move

Each time I log into FaceBook, they’ve changed something – an attempt to keep their user base from switching to Google+. Here’s an article to help you keep pace with these changes yourself.  Click here for details.

I’ve been lax in posting lately. I’m trying to get my book out and the last minute details are driving me nuts. Hope to be more regular.

Contests for Novels: Quick Way To Fame and Glory

The 2012 Eric Hoffer Book Award

Some of the benefits it promises:

AWARDS/BENEFITS:
* $2,000 GRAND PRIZE (the Eric Hoffer Award for Books)
* Winner of the Montaigne Medal for most thought-provoking book
* Winner of the da Vinci Eye for best cover
* Winner and First Runner-Up awarded for every category
* Honorable Mentions for every category
* Individual Awards for Micro, Small, and Academic Presses, as well as Self-Published Books
* Coverage in The US Review of Books (www.theUSreview.com) and on www.HofferAward.com
* Gold Seal Certificates
* Worldwide Exposure

Does have a $50 entry fee.

Click here for details.

Guest Blog: Writers of Anthology

All Things Dark and Dastardly Anthology—Finding the Darkness Within

Murder, mystery, horror, and a splash of urban fantasy—that’s what makes up the anthology All Things Dark and Dastardly.  When the All Things Writing bloggers began creating this fun little book, we really weren’t sure how it would turn out.  After all, everyone in the group writes in completely different genres! However, we discovered a unifying link—darkness. If a story is dark, foreboding and just a bit twisted, it tends to get a solid thumbs up from our collective minds! It seemed only natural that we’d put our own stories together and create something that appealed to the darker side of humanity.

Dark stories stir readers on many different levels. They are an outlet for the wicked things we sometimes think about but would never actually do. Or would we? There’s always that possibility that one could lose control and take matters into their own hands, creating a dastardly outcome. A perfect example of this can be seen in Jeff Lindsay’s complex character, Dexter, who is brought to life on TV with eerie perfection by Anthony C. Hall on the Showtime series of the same name.  Dexter is a serial killer. However, he only kills other serial killers. He follows a very strict code of conduct taught to him by his cop father. Talk about darkness!  Dexter is appealing because even though a reader or viewer might despise his actions, it’s hard not to root for him, too. He’s doing what most people would never be brave enough to attempt, and in his own way, he serves justice to those who might never receive it in the legal system. You definitely are tapping in to your inner darkness when you find yourself hoping that Dexter is going to slice and dice the bad guy.

It’s this same kind of inner darkness that we’ve tried to capture in our book All Things Dark and Dastardly. We’ve taken ordinary situations—getting a tattoo, visiting a water park, or opening a can of soup—and given them a foreboding spin. The tattoo takes on a life of its own, taunting and tormenting its new owner until they face their sins or are consumed by them.  A dragon themed ride at the waterpark is “wished” to life, causing havoc for those looking for innocent summer fun.  And just what do you do when you open a can of soup only to find a hairy finger in it that you’re pretty sure belonged to your recently deceased mother?  Ah, life can be tough when you live in a dark and dastardly world…

Brought to you by award winning writers Kaye George, Steve Metze, and Mary Ann Loesch, All Things Dark and Dastardly will be available in October. For more information or to get writing tips sure to help channel your dark side, check out http://www.allthingswriting.blogspot.com.

CrowdFunding For Aspiring Authors

Crowdfunding is a new way for writers to be published. The idea is simple. Upload 10 pages of your book to the site PubSlush. Readers read through the submission. If something catches their fancy, they support it.

Self-Published Author’s Lament

A little long, but one of the best I’ve seen. Thanks to Linda on LinkedIn for bringing me to this.

 

 

Book Trailer How-To

 

 

Great article from Nancy J. Cohen on how to make a book trailer.

Book Trailer How-To.

Kindle and Sony Touchscreens

 

Amazon’s Kindle is preparing to launch out as a tablet, an Android based touchscreen, hitting stores (US) late November for $250.The cool thing is that buyers will receive a free subscription to Amazon Prime (unlimited two day shipping, and free access to instant video).

Sony’s new touchscreen will not tie you down to a particular store (unlike kindle). Some features – it’ll let you highlight with your finger, let you touch a word to bring up its meaning.  Click here for details on the Sony.