Okay Kindle, I’m sorry!

Happy Valentine's Day!

A while back, I wrote how upset and disappointed I was with Amazon Kindle for posting a poor review based on the page layout of one of my books. As many of you know, it’s hard to prepare your file for Kindle upload, and the first time I tried, I loaded the file without locking in the fonts. Like a dingbat, I didn’t check it after uploading. Well sure enough, before I could correct this, someone downloaded a “sample” of the book and saw the mess this creates in viewing. The uppercase are changed to lower, comas become little square blocks, and so on. Rather than assuming, in a book on writing, this was an obvious mistake, the man posted a very negative review of the book, i.e., “This writer can’t even use capitol letters, she shouldn’t be writing a book on writing.” Of course, after repairing the file, I wrote to Kindle and requested they remove the poor review—they declined—that’s why I was angry with them.

Since that time, my audience has grown and the reviews are good. Kindle sales are back up where they should be. The bad review is still there, but I think most now realize it was an error (and an idiot who wrote it). So I’m here to say, “I’m sorry Kindle.”

Kindle is hot, and authors need to make sure they have their books listed. But beware, if you do not lock in your fonts, they will appear tangled and unreadable. Here’s how to do it in a Word Doc:

*Open your book file.
*Go to “Print” or any of your file buttons in your option bar.
*At the bottom of the box, click on “Word Options.”
*Click on “Save” in the menu bar.
*Check the box “Embed Fonts in The File.”
*Check both boxes’ below that one as well.

So I am proud to say, I have now uploaded all my books into Kindle. I have also converted all my e-books into paperbacks. So I’m covered. On the left column of this Blog page, you will see a list of all my books and the links for each of them in all formats—celebrate!—I think I’ve made the big time! Now I’ve been told I need to go over to B & N and upload again in some reader called the “Nook???” What the hey? When will this end?

In addition, when I converted my e-books to Kindle as well as paperbacks, I changed my e-book cover images. I would love you opinions on them—be kind, I’m fragile!

What is a Fair Royalty Percentage?

When a new author sees the seemingly low royalty they might receive from their publisher, it is often shocking to them to say the least. Why are these numbers so low? In this post, I’ll attempt to break it down for you and make sense of it all.

Five percent, seven percent, ten percent; not much money when you add it up. But consider the following expenses that go into simple production of the book alone.

Editing; even if the book submitted has been previously edited, it must still be reviewed.

Layout; another very time-consuming process which also requires significant hours of labor.

Cover design; again, a special talent and time invested.

ISBN’s and other costly insertions and necessities to publish for distribution.

Printing; a publisher rarely prints their books; they are sent to an outside source. Cost? 30 or more percent of the cover price (which is based on page count, size, cover, etc.).

Promoting your book can be costly as well. So when you add it all up, the publisher has a significant investment in your book. Considering the average author sells only 120 copies, the publisher is taking a huge gamble on you.

Publishers are becoming more and more like brick and mortar book stores; they’re closing down faster than ever before. There is just too much competition out there and they are overwhelmed.

When a writer makes a decision to self-publish, they are taking on the same risk a traditional publisher does. They will make the timely and financial investment in their book and gamble that it will sell. Yes, they will make more profit on the book, but will first need to recoup their investment; something more than 90 percent never succeed in doing.

When I self-published my first book, Are You Ready to be Your Own Boss? in 2006, I did it all myself from start to finish. I thought, “Who wouldn’t want to read this book?” So I printed 2,000 copies. Well truth is, many people did want the book, and still do. But what is “many?” Unfortunately, it wasn’t 2,000. So now I still have about 700 books sitting in my closet. The good news is, I’ve finally broke even. My initial investment was well over $5,000.00. I’ve learned a lot since then and that mistake has never re-occurred.

Remember that five, seven, or ten percent royalty? Maybe it doesn’t sound too bad after all. If it’s pure profit, whether you sell 120 copies or ten thousand copies, you won’t show a loss, and there is a lot to be gained by that.

For “author assisted” free book publishing, visit Plain & Simple Books at http://www.plainandsimplebooks.com.

Racy Romance Novels See Rebirth On Kindle and Nook

Call it a match made in literary heaven: E-readers and the romance novel. They have fallen in love. It's a Romance Renaissance.

Romance is the fastest growing segment of e-reading, ahead of other categories such as mystery, general fiction, and science fiction.

The reason, according to one industry expert, is simple. It kind of goes back to some of our basic human nature: the quest for romance and escape," said Kelly Gallagher. He is the vice-president of publishing services at Bowker, a research organization for the publishing industry. "You want to pick it up and find out who that Fabio-looking character is and what he does."

The appetite for romance is so big, publishers are racing to meet readers' demand. "Last year, we estimated that the e-book market compromised 9 to 12 percent of most general trade publishing houses," Gallagher said. "It continues to grow; it's got a shot to close to doubling this year."

The allure to some racy romance novels is the cover with the hunky guy and gorgeous lovelorn woman. With the Nook or Kindle, not everyone has to see what you are reading. "It does allow the veil of secrecy," said romance author Michelle Monkou. "If [readers] are embarrassed on the commute to work or something," she said, people can think you're reading some important non-fiction.

Readers of romance are mostly women who are in their 30s and 40s and in a relationship. However, 10% of the market is made up of men.  Source:  WUSA/CNN)

And in This Corner: The e-Reader War

So... both Kindle and Barnes and Noble's nook have slashed their prices, and just in time for my birthday this week. I've been dying for an e-reader, but now I'm more confused than ever. Many of you must be in the same boat as I am: trying to figure out which is the better e-reader for my needs.

Love the fact that nook has a replaceable battery and allows for extra memory. But when I went to play with one in the store, I wasn't sure if I liked the way the screen flashes when you turn the page. Maybe I'd get used to it, though, but I've never seen a Kindle (which is about an ounce lighter, and thinner) in person, so I'm not sure if its page turn function is any clearer.

Then there's nook's touch-screen versus Kindle's buttons, but I was able to figure out how to navigate nook pretty quickly. Of course, it's this touch-screen that limits battery life.

I like how the non-glare screen looks, so I don't think eye-strain will be a problem, and I'm pretty sure that's the same for both brands.

I'd be interested in the 3G+WiFi nook, and I hear that the selection of books is actually greater through B+N than Amazon. But the Kindle, having been around for longer, is probably less buggy, right? But do you have to send the thing back into amazon if the battery dies? Is B+N support any better than theirs? Do I REALLY need more than 2G of storage? And what about transferring pdf files from my pc?

These are the questions I've been mulling over all weekend. I'd love to hear from anyone who has either, or any other e-book.

Bring it!

DINGDINGDING!


~Be sure to tune in tomorrow, when I'll announce a Special Birthday Giveaway!~

"Spread the Love, Win a Kindle" Giveaway at Lisa and Laura Write

As some of you may know, the fabulous sister-sister writing duo of Lisa and Laura Roecker have sold their manuscript, The Haunting of Pemberly Brown, to Sourcebooks, available Spring 2011. Way to get that book out there before the Mayan Apocalypse, ladies! ;)

To celebrate, and to spread Good Vibes, the writing team collectively known as LiLa will be giving away a Kindle that mysteriously came into their possession. Now I don't know about you, but there are only two things better than a Kindle:
1. A free Kindle
2. A free MYSTERY KINDLE!!

Oh, wait, there's one thing better. That's spreading the word about LiLa's upcoming publication!

To enter the contest, see their post at Lisa and Laura Write here.

I love to hear about blogger friends getting published, and Lisa and Laura couldn't be more modest about their own hard work and talent. Or more generous with their good fortune!
Congratulations again, LiLa!

Good luck, everyone.

Amazon Kindle Version BEWARE! A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story…Fair?

Wow, authors, beware of submitting your title as an Amazon.com Kindle title! I’ve just received a poor review of my book A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story based on guess what? POOR EDITING and a “sample” page! I am shocked to say the least.

Apparently, through the download of my “perfectly edited” book, the text changes radically and the book appears completely juvenile! The “reviewer” downloaded a sample page (which one I don’t know)and wrote a negative review based on that one page and the poor editing as it appeared through Kindle’s version. As most authors know, one poor review such as this can destroy a promising writing career. Authors, don’t let this happen to you. If you have submitted your book for Kindle—get out now and save yourself!

Please let me know if you have had a similar experience as I would like to inform other authors of Kindle associated issues before they unintentionally and permanently sway their writing future.

Also, if you HAVE read my book and DID enjoy and learn from it, PLEASE leave a positive review on Amazon.com for me; it would be much appreciated!

As always, thank you for visiting my Blog!

Oprah Loves the Kindle

Thanks to posts today from Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, if you're' asking Santa this year for a Kindle, here's a discount:

The Kindle is $50 off through November 1, for a total of $309.00. \

From Oprah's website:

This summer, Oprah received a gift that she says changed her life. "I'm telling you, it is absolutely my new favorite thing in the world," she says.

Meet the Amazon Kindle™, a wireless portable reading device with instant access to more than 190,000 books, blogs, newspapers and magazines. Whether you're in bed or on the train, Kindle lets you think of a book and get it in less than a minute.

As a special offer for Oprah viewers, Amazon.com is giving $50 off the price of Kindle. Enter the promotional code OPRAHWINFREY during the checkout process at Amazon.com to receive the discount. This offer is valid through November 1, 2008.

Code for $50 off the price of Kindle: OPRAHWINFREY

Go to Amazon.com to learn more and order your Kindle today!

Kindle - Amazon's Reading Device

Are you asking Santa for one? I went on Amazon's website and most people are rating it 3 stars. It seems that most people feel it's over-priced but I would be interested to hear if you have one and what you think?


Product Overview

Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper. Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing. Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle—whether you’re in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed. Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute.

More than 90,000 books available, including more than 95 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers.

New York Times® Best Sellers and all New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise.

Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.

Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes—all auto-delivered wirelessly.

Top international newspapers from France, Germany, and Ireland; Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and The Irish Times—all auto-delivered wirelessly.

More than 250 top blogs from the worlds of business, technology, sports, entertainment, and politics, including BoingBoing, Slashdot, TechCrunch, ESPN's Bill Simmons, The Onion, Michelle Malkin, and The Huffington Post—all updated wirelessly throughout the day.

Lighter and thinner than a typical paperback; weighs only 10.3 ounces.

Holds over 200 titles.

Long battery life. Leave wireless on and recharge approximately every other day. Turn wireless off and read for a week or more before recharging. Fully recharges in 2 hours.

Unlike WiFi, Kindle utilizes the same high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones—so you never have to locate a hotspot.

No monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments—we take care of the wireless delivery so you can simply click, buy, and read.

Includes free wireless access to the planet's most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia—Wikipedia.org. Email your Word documents and pictures (.JPG, .GIF, .BMP, .PNG) to Kindle for easy on-the-go viewing.