They say breaking up is hard to do, and I know I’ve suffered many a bad relationship with books and movies. Rarely, if ever, do I quit before I’m finished. Because of that I try to be more discerning before I dig in. What about you?
Over at book-rating site Goodreads, they did a user poll and came up with some fun data. Check it out:
I honestly can’t think of the last book I quit. Actually, wait, I can. It was a self-published Iraq war memoir that shall remain nameless and was a chore to read. Movies, I’m getting better at dumping. I’ll sheepishly admit the last I turned off was Zombie Strippers. I was looking for camp well done and didn’t find it.
What about you? What books or movies have you abandoned? Why? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
PS — If you haven’t used Goodreads, it’s pretty useful and a fun way to find new books. I’m on there as an author, if you want to connect.
Please, leave me an Amazon review! It’s the best way you can help a writer succeed!”
See that? It’s the new battle cry of many an author, myself included. Amazon keeps its internal marketing algorithms a closely guarded secret, and thus many authors have tried cracking the code over the years. Somewhat of a ‘no-brainer’ has always been “The More Reviews The Better.” Well, there’s more to it than that, and I think I may have just figured part of it out.
And the primary beneficiary of this new knowledge is you, the reader.
What’s the breakthrough? What do you get by leaving Amazon reviews? Cheaper books. I believe that the more reviews a book has, the more Amazon discounts the price. And–this next part is huge–they’re only diluting their own cut. As in, the author keeps the same royalty and the savings are directly passed onto the reader.
Where’s the proof?
Here’s my book, which Amazon offers at a 10% cut. They only started doing so somewhere around the 30 review mark.
Here’s another self-published book written by a friend. You can see, more reviews, bigger discount.
This is a traditionally published book, but you can see that it follows the same pattern.
And lastly, a mega-hit book. Tons of reviews, tons of savings.
Note: This is merely a trend I have noticed. I do not have an inside connection at Amazon. But if you love books, leave a review.
Second Note: For whatever reason, this only applies to paperback editions.
So, how about it, penny for your thoughts? If you haven’t left a review yet, please do! It will discount the book for other buyers without hurting the author’s cut. It should go without saying, but I want nothing less than your honest opinion. If you thought the book was a 3-star book, tell me why. If you think it’s 5-stars, I’d love to hear what you loved about it too!
Click Here to leave a review for INFECTED and then go spread the word! More reviews; cheaper books.
One day I’m going to write a time travel Click Your Poison book (I’m thinking it’ll be “next” after I finish up the murder mystery I’m working on now) and it’s got me thinking. Time travel has always fascinated me and this book would be an awesome challenge. I’ve often thought if I have one “gift” as a writer it’s an overactive imagination. Well, this ought to put that gift to the test.
Credit: “Time Warp” by Chuck Brittenham
Time travel is a hell of a lot of fun, but it’s also a larger look into who we are as a collective species. We get to see where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going, all in the space of a single adventure. Or, as will most likely be the case with CYP#3, three unique adventures within one book. I’ve thought about time travel a lot over the years and it’s always inspired creative thoughts. What if this? Oooh, but what about that? Now it’s time to let some of those marinated thoughts back out and to contribute something to this story universe. Like the other books in the series it will still be titled toward entertainment on the entertainment-to-art scale, I have the opportunity to, you know… say something profound.
For the “early future” I have a lot of room for social criticism. So many books have already done the Distopian thing, and I wonder if it might be more poignant to do a Utopian vision, perhaps to inspire rather than scare into change. As my brilliant friend Damon says,
We’ve scared ourselves into pessimism with dystopian
stories. Now we just assume the future is going to suck.” – Damon, smartypants
Consider this as one example: We’re reaching a point in our society where efficiency is eliminating more jobs while population growth is expanding the need for them. Something has to give. But why can’t there be a solution? Why not robot servants to do our dirty work, and then a leisure economy composed of artists, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs? You could get a stipend for food and living expenses, then your earnings as an artisan are used strictly for relaxation-based consumerism.
Robot farming is already in development.
I’m saying the rules have changed. There has been a cultural revolution. Perhaps, without the inherent need for “work”, we turn inside. That’s historically where most thinkers, philosophers and authors have come from — they were people who didn’t need to, or chose not to, work for a living. Could there be, would there be, a shift inward toward enlightenment and education?
This is by no means a set-in-stone plot element to the book. I may very well change it completely as I delve into the research; I’m just thinking out loud here. What do you think? What positive changes might the future hold? I’d love to hear some outside thoughts.
Look out, internet. The world’s first cat font (umm, where the letters are… cats) is now unleashed upon you. As reported by Brian Ahscraft of Kotaku.com:
…the upper and lower case characters are called “Neko Font” (ねこフォント), which is Japanese for “Cat Font”. The two cats that appear in Cat Font are named “Raizou” and “Mondo”. They are adorable. The font is created from photos of these two furry friends.”
So, in order to increase the popularity of my books, the next one will be written in cat. Or maybe I should just release a cat version of INFECTED?
If you’re on facebook and love zombie fiction, today’s your lucky day.
Check out Zombie Fest Free ebook Bonanza, a facebook event open to the public and supported by numerous zombie writers, artists, and fanatics.
I’m giving away a few copies of INFECTED to lucky raffle winners, and countless others are doing the same. There’s even a free ebook you can download the day of the event (an anthology of short stories) to which I’ve submitted “Corporate Zombie“.
So, click the link, head on over to facebook, get some free gear, and meet some talented artists!
Aim for the head in the upcoming indie FPS, Deadly Walkers — due out Fall, 2013.
I’ve been following the progress of Deadly Walkers for a while now, ever since game developer Francesco Calvi contacted me to see if I’d be interested in some cross promotion.
Specifically, he asked if I’d be willing to create a series of ‘newspapers’ for the game detailing how a zombie outbreak might progress in London. It seemed like a neat project, and I’ve always wanted to work in video games, so I accepted.
The first two newspapers are out now:
2 Day Before Plague (Click to Enlarge)1 Day Before Plague (Click to Enlarge)
You can read the full story as it’s released (there should be a new edition today) by clicking HERE.
And now YOU can support indie gaming too. They just started their kickstarter campaign this week, and for only $10 you’ll get a full copy of the finished product. Check out their full list of pledge incentives at the Deadly Walkers Kickstarter.
The pros and cons are oft debated; which is better? An ebook or a physical book? Usually the list looks something like this:
Paperback -Infinite battery life
-Can take in bathtub
-Easier to lend/resell/buy used
-Can display as art
-Nostalgia for feel & smell
ebooks -Cheaper
-More portable
-Saves trees
Well, now you can add another pro to the ebook list. With interactivity, ebooks blow paperbacks out of the water. With my “Click Your Poison” series, I’m often asked how an interactive ebook works on the Kindle. So I made this video. Enjoy!
Okay, so last week I posted about my move over to Amazon. It’s currently in progress, but some of these sites take a couple of weeks from when you edit your book to respond. Which, really, is a major indicator that Amazon has their stuff together way more than the other retailers. If I make a change in price, or an edit to the manuscript, Amazon has posted the new information within a couple of hours, 24 hours max. The other retailers, I’ll remind you, take a couple of weeks. That’s ridiculous. If the other retailers moved as fast as Amazon, you could do your low-price promotions without going exclusive. But trying to wrangle them into appearing all at the same time (a pre-announced time) would be a bit like trying to herd cats. Good luck with that.
.
Now then, the results of my giveaway trial for “Corporate Zombie” using KDP Select. Prior to the giveaway, I had the story available for free on my website. Then I moved it to Amazon in August of 2012, to prepare for my future as a published author. I’ve sold a total of 27 copies at $0.99 since August. Last Tuesday-Friday, I gave away 128 copies for free in 6 different countries.
Three days after the end of the giveaway, I’ve not yet had any new paid sales. HOWEVER, you can see that my numbers are tiny. In a “real” giveaway, you need to give thousands of copies away in order to see a difference. I only spread the word on facebook and twitter, and even then using only casual posts. So — lesson learned #1 — you have to advertise your giveaway. Yes, you need to pay to spread the word about your free book. It’s counter intuitive, but it works. I’ve seen the numbers from other authors.
During the giveaway, I recieved a new 4-star review on the story entitled “Great short story”:
A great little short story that is a real page turner. A refreshing variation on a zombie story, from the corporate side. I don’t think a 6-page story is worth $0.99, but as a freebie, a very good read.”
First this, then lesson #2:
“Not worth a buck? What is worth a $1? A can of soda? A snickers bar? Let me guess, you assume I spent 10-minutes writing a perfectly edited, plotted out, final draft of the story, happened to have a cover already created, and spent another 5 minutes slapping it up on Amazon. Sound about right? Sheesh.
Alright, off my soap box. Lesson learned #2: Most readers don’t value individual short stories. I already knew this based on my previous sales, but the event & review confirms it. So, if you have short stories, go with an anthology. I hope to “replace” my individual shorts with an anthology some time around this summer.
I also haven’t seen any sort of boost in my other titles. Which, I realized a little too late, is lesson #3: Link your other titles at the end of your books. Don’t expect the reader to find them on their own.
Silver lining: There are 128 people out there who were introduced to my work. Though I love this story, I haven’t had a sale of “Corporate Zombie” since November. So I don’t really feel like I “lost” anything.
Recap: Advertise, Anthologize, Link-ize.
Now for the fanfic and pirates.
I imagine the mashup something like this.
While googling to see if INFECTED had disappeared from other e-tailers (see what I did there?), I found out that I’m much more on the cusp of “making it” than I realized. I’ve been content thus far with relative obscurity. People read my book, like it, tell me so, I feel good, and I write the occasisonal blog post that maybe 10-20 people read. But now, I’ve been noticed: someone wrote INFECTED fan fiction, and (unrelated) someone has pirated the book.
Gasp!
For the fan fiction, I don’t want to embarrass the author too much, but sufice it to say that it exists. I’m flattered. If you really want to see the link, I posted it on my facebook page.
The piracy, however, is a different matter altogether. There’s a website offering an INFECTED .doc, .pdf, and .epub rip at the low, low price of $Free-95.
Yes, I realize the irony that once I’ve considered book giveaways I discover that someone else has beat me to the punch.
But, obviously, there’s little benefit to me on the piracy site. According to the website, the book has been illegally downloaded almost 200 times since January 24th. Which is more than I’ve had in paid sales over those last two months. The wound is still a little fresh and has left me dazed. I’m unsure what I can or will do about it, but if there are any of you out there with experiences in this arena, I’d love to hear them. I’ll do some research and make another update in the next few days.
It is with bittersweet anticipation that I announce INFECTED will be only available on Amazon.com very soon. Some of you are nook users or buy using itunes, kobo, etc — if you’ve been waiting to get the book, do so now. I’ll leave it active for another week or so. If you already bought a copy from another site, don’t worry, you’ll still have your book on your ereader.
Why go exclusive? If you haven’t heard of KDP Select, allow me to sum it up for the layperson: Amazon offers benefits for those who go exclusive. Most notably, five promotional free-giveaway days per 90 days of exclusivity. What? Giving away your book for free is a benefit? It is — and I’ll explain that in a moment. You’re also allowed to lend the book to Amazon Prime members, which makes it free for them to read (Amazon still pays you) and that sounds like a real win-win for readers and authors.
I already have two short stories available through KDP Select, and this week I’m using all five of my giveaway days on “Corporate Zombie” a short story. Please, check it out and download it free:
Click me. I’m FREE this week only.
I’ll report back on the success of my “Corporate Zombie” giveaway later, but even now it’s being downloaded by new readers. I’ve already had half as many downloads this morning as I’ve had *total* sales, and that’s by just tweeting about it. Sure, it’d be nice if those were paying customers, but not many people buy short stories and I’m happy just to have it read. Plus, when you look at the short, it tells you that people who’ve purchased “Corporate Zombie” have also purchased INFECTED and the main benefit is that (I hope) people will like the story and want to check out my book. Cross some fingers for me.
It’s always seemed counter-intuitive to me to go exclusive with one platform, especially when the intended benefit from such an action is ease of giving your work away for free. Indie publishing, if you’re doing it right, can get expensive. I’ve spent money trying to make INFECTED a professional product, and if I’m paying a copyeditor, cover artist, formatter, etc — Don’t I want to try and earn some of that back? Aren’t you devaluing your own work by giving it away for free? Yes and no. I firmly believe that if you want something to be permanently free, the best place for it is your own website. But a free promotion gets… complicated.
After reading these two articles, I can no longer debate the power of a free promotion:
I’m planning a giveaway of INFECTED to coincide with the release of the next book in the series. Since I’m (hopefully) only 3-4 months away from releasing Click Your Poison #2, I need to go exclusive. Much like the second article I posted, I’ll be transparent about my success and share with you how it goes.
So… thoughts? Good idea? About time? Noooooooo? What do you think? I’d love to hear from you in the comments. And if you’re going to download “Corporate Zombie” — Enjoy!
Okay, so I hope no one went out and put money on my picks. I voted with my heart, not with my head–that is to say… I got crushed.
Sad Oscar
Here are this year’s winning filmmakers:
Best Picture (3 pts): Argo
Directing (2 pts): Life of Pi
Original Screenplay (2 pts): Django Unchained
Adapted Screenplay (2 pts): Argo
Leading Actor (2 pts): Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln”
Leading Actress (2 pts): Jennifer Lawrence in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Supporting Actor (2 pts): Christoph Waltz
Supporting Actress (2 pts): Anne Hathaway in “Les Misérables”
Production Design (1 pt): Lincoln
Documentary Feature (1 pt): SUGAR MAN
Documentary Short(1 pt): “Inocente”
Animated Short(1 pt): “Paperman”
Live Action Short Film (1 pt): CURFEW
Foreign Language Film (1 pt): “Amour” – Austria
Animated Feature (1 pt): BRAVE
Film Editing (1 pt): ARGO
Sound Editing (1 pt): SKYFALL & ZD30
Sound Mixing (1 pt): LES MIS
Cinematography (1 pt): “Life of Pi”
Visual Effects (1 pt): “Life of Pi”
Costume Design (1 pt): ANNA KARANINA
Makeup and Hairstyling (1 pt): LES MIS
Original Score (1 pt): LIFE OF PI
Original Song (1 pt): “Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
Out of a possible 32 points, our winning entrant earned 26. I earned 9.
This is how I looked after tallying the results.
I’d like to think this means there were a lot of excellent contenders this year. However, I promised a free e-copy of INFECTED to anyone who beat me… and just about everyone did.
Winners, expect a confirmation email soon. Thanks for playing, everyone!
Author James Schannep 