Peg Herring's Blog - Posts Tagged "amazon"
Book Shopping
There are big arguments about Kindle versus real books and indie bookstores versus chains versus Amazon. All I know is that when I get near a lot of books, I want some of them. Okay, a lot of them.
Yesterday a friend and I hit a bookstore where the manager (who knows real customers when she sees them) engaged us in conversation. Soon we were trading authors and titles. There's nothing like, "Have you read..." for lovers of reading.
I bought. My friend bought. The manager added a couple of titles to her TBR list. And everyone got happier, despite life's buffets.
Bookstores, online lists, fliers in the library, even Amazon's "People who read this also liked..." offer possibilities for reading, and it's like picking flowers in a huge garden. You can't pick them all. You don't know which are the perfect ones for you, but standing in the midst of it all, you don't care. It's just fun to have all those choices, all those possibilities for satisfaction.
Yesterday a friend and I hit a bookstore where the manager (who knows real customers when she sees them) engaged us in conversation. Soon we were trading authors and titles. There's nothing like, "Have you read..." for lovers of reading.
I bought. My friend bought. The manager added a couple of titles to her TBR list. And everyone got happier, despite life's buffets.
Bookstores, online lists, fliers in the library, even Amazon's "People who read this also liked..." offer possibilities for reading, and it's like picking flowers in a huge garden. You can't pick them all. You don't know which are the perfect ones for you, but standing in the midst of it all, you don't care. It's just fun to have all those choices, all those possibilities for satisfaction.
Real Books, E-books, and My Books
A woman I've known for months said to me yesterday, "I hear you wrote a book!"
Yup. And another, and another, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
I have to stop and think when someone asks me how many books I have out, because there are different versions, different publishers, and different formats. Oh, and different prices!
Here's how it goes:
***MACBETH'S NIECE is out of print in regular, still out in large print and on Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/Macbeths-Niece-... ($2.99)
***GO HOME AND DIE is only on Kindle and doesn't seem destined to be anywhere else.
http://www.amazon.com/Go-Home-and-Die... ($5.99)
***HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER is available in hardcover, large print, and on Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/Highness-First-... ($24.79 or $7.99)
***The sequel, POISON, YOUR GRACE, is recently out in hardcover, soon to be in large print, and should be made available on Kindle soon, but the publisher hasn't made that decision yet.
http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Your-Gra... ($25.95)
***THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY is available in paperback and for all e-readers.
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Detective-... ($11.32 or $3.99) SEQUEL, DEAD FOR THE MONEY, is due out in the spring, just finished the final edit!
***SHAKESPEARE'S BLOOD is available for Kindle and Nook.
http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeares-Bl... ($2.99)
***SOMEBODY DOESN'T LIKE SARAH LEIGH is on Kindle but not available for Nook until March.
http://tinyurl.com/88eph4s (Currently on sale at 99 cents)
Crazy, isn't it?
Why? It boils down to decisions that are usually out of my hands. Some publishers market primarily to libraries, so they create sturdy (expensive) books. Some market mostly or completely on the Net. Some do both.
It seems the most available book format is e-books, and Amazon leads the pack with 70% of sales. When a publisher decides on a direction, I'm pretty sure that has a huge impact. So when you ask me how many of my books you can get, the answer will vary. It depends on how you're going to get them!
If you missed one or want to know what a particular book is about, I've just redone my website, http://pegherring.com, and all the info is there. (It's wonderful, and I can say that because I didn't do it!)
Yup. And another, and another, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
I have to stop and think when someone asks me how many books I have out, because there are different versions, different publishers, and different formats. Oh, and different prices!
Here's how it goes:
***MACBETH'S NIECE is out of print in regular, still out in large print and on Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/Macbeths-Niece-... ($2.99)
***GO HOME AND DIE is only on Kindle and doesn't seem destined to be anywhere else.
http://www.amazon.com/Go-Home-and-Die... ($5.99)
***HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER is available in hardcover, large print, and on Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/Highness-First-... ($24.79 or $7.99)
***The sequel, POISON, YOUR GRACE, is recently out in hardcover, soon to be in large print, and should be made available on Kindle soon, but the publisher hasn't made that decision yet.
http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Your-Gra... ($25.95)
***THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY is available in paperback and for all e-readers.
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Detective-... ($11.32 or $3.99) SEQUEL, DEAD FOR THE MONEY, is due out in the spring, just finished the final edit!
***SHAKESPEARE'S BLOOD is available for Kindle and Nook.
http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeares-Bl... ($2.99)
***SOMEBODY DOESN'T LIKE SARAH LEIGH is on Kindle but not available for Nook until March.
http://tinyurl.com/88eph4s (Currently on sale at 99 cents)
Crazy, isn't it?
Why? It boils down to decisions that are usually out of my hands. Some publishers market primarily to libraries, so they create sturdy (expensive) books. Some market mostly or completely on the Net. Some do both.
It seems the most available book format is e-books, and Amazon leads the pack with 70% of sales. When a publisher decides on a direction, I'm pretty sure that has a huge impact. So when you ask me how many of my books you can get, the answer will vary. It depends on how you're going to get them!
If you missed one or want to know what a particular book is about, I've just redone my website, http://pegherring.com, and all the info is there. (It's wonderful, and I can say that because I didn't do it!)
Getting a Kindle for Christmas
If the gifts under your tree include a Kindle, or even if you already have one, this story is for you, because I'm giving away my book, GO HOME AND DIE, at the Kindle store from December 25-29th.
People sometimes ask why authors would do such a thing (and why Amazon would let them!). Here are my two reasons, one of which Amazon shares.
The big reason is exposure. If someone reads a book and likes it, the hope is they'll read more by that author making both Amazon and the author money. You might have noticed that a lot of freebie books are the first of a series. We clever authors get you hooked and then charge you for the next installment. Hey, all's fair in apparently everything these days.
The other reason I'm giving away GO HOME AND DIE (and my big one) is that it's a second edition. I didn't like the way it was done the first time, so I got the rights back and had it re-edited, re-formatted, and even re-covered. I'm very happy, and I felt I owed those who bought the original version a chance to see what it should have been like to begin with.
So what is GO HOME AND DIE about? It's a '60s era mystery set in Flint, Michigan. I have a fondness for the story because I lived in Flint in the late '60s, because Carrie is a lot like I was then--naive, and because John helped with the flashbacks to Vietnam.
If you have a Kindle, give it a try. (If you have a different e-reader, it will take a while, but it will eventually appear there, too.)
http://www.amazon.com/Go-Home-and-Die...
People sometimes ask why authors would do such a thing (and why Amazon would let them!). Here are my two reasons, one of which Amazon shares.
The big reason is exposure. If someone reads a book and likes it, the hope is they'll read more by that author making both Amazon and the author money. You might have noticed that a lot of freebie books are the first of a series. We clever authors get you hooked and then charge you for the next installment. Hey, all's fair in apparently everything these days.
The other reason I'm giving away GO HOME AND DIE (and my big one) is that it's a second edition. I didn't like the way it was done the first time, so I got the rights back and had it re-edited, re-formatted, and even re-covered. I'm very happy, and I felt I owed those who bought the original version a chance to see what it should have been like to begin with.
So what is GO HOME AND DIE about? It's a '60s era mystery set in Flint, Michigan. I have a fondness for the story because I lived in Flint in the late '60s, because Carrie is a lot like I was then--naive, and because John helped with the flashbacks to Vietnam.
If you have a Kindle, give it a try. (If you have a different e-reader, it will take a while, but it will eventually appear there, too.)
http://www.amazon.com/Go-Home-and-Die...
When Reviews Help
I saw an article recently that made me giggle, a mathematical system to see if a review on Amazon was legitimate. It began with “find all that reviewer’s other reviews and note how many stars he gave. Now add those up…”
Yeah, right. How about using common sense?
Authors hate bad reviews, and some go to great lengths to neutralize them. Authors love good reviews, and some go to great lengths to create them. (It‘s not just an ego trip; good reviews help with sales, rankings, and where a book appears in the catalog.)
I want readers with intelligence. If you’re smart enough to appreciate my books, you’ll detect a review that’s hinky. But you might not know about trolls (who give bad reviews for grins and giggles) and sock puppets (who write rave reviews for friends and family).
The Bad Reviews: Writers I know have gotten one-star reviews with comments like these:
I haven’t read this book, but…
When the book arrived in the mail, it was damaged.
It was a good book, but there’s an error on page 87.
Creators of such reviews are misguided at best. A review should be an honest opinion on the quality of the story and the writing. A friend who reviews books always lists good and bad points and admits it might be her taste in reading when she doesn’t like a book.
The Good Reviews: When a book has only a few reviews saying things like, “Everyone should read this book,” or “This is the best book I ever read,” you might suspect that reviewer and author are related or at least very good friends. (In fact, I can’t think of a single book that EVERYONE should read!)
I’m not sure why I’m telling you this. If you’re a reader, you probably have a feel for the written word and can figure it out. The sad part is that sellers like Amazon have to use some system, and those five-star and one-star reviews present a false impression of a book.
Recently a group of readers discussed the idea of what 5 stars (or whatever the rating system) means. If I give a mystery 5 stars, am I comparing it to great literature like To Kill a Mockingbird? To classic mysteries by Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler? To current bestsellers like Michael Connelly or Laura Lippman? There are a lot of levels of good, so it’s hard to say what a 5-star book is.
When I shop for a book, I don’t just go by the rating. I read the reviews. Sometimes what the reviewer liked (“a steamy romance”) doesn’t do a thing for me. Sometimes their objections (“too much historical detail”) make me want to read the book. Only by seeing what they liked and disliked can I really tell.
If I found a review that trashed a book the person hadn’t read, I’d tell Amazon the review wasn’t helpful. (It’s just a checkmark.) If I thought the reviewer was a sock puppet, I’d do the same. It’s a way to help make the system fair, and a way to let the reviewer know someone noticed the unfair post.
These days I don’t finish books I dislike. (Past middle age = no time to waste.) When I enjoy a book, I write a review. My personal practice is to not write bad reviews, even with terrible best-sellers that make me cringe at the bad writing. Telling someone you hated her book is like telling a mother her little girl is ugly. You can do it, but where’s the good in it?
Yeah, right. How about using common sense?
Authors hate bad reviews, and some go to great lengths to neutralize them. Authors love good reviews, and some go to great lengths to create them. (It‘s not just an ego trip; good reviews help with sales, rankings, and where a book appears in the catalog.)
I want readers with intelligence. If you’re smart enough to appreciate my books, you’ll detect a review that’s hinky. But you might not know about trolls (who give bad reviews for grins and giggles) and sock puppets (who write rave reviews for friends and family).
The Bad Reviews: Writers I know have gotten one-star reviews with comments like these:
I haven’t read this book, but…
When the book arrived in the mail, it was damaged.
It was a good book, but there’s an error on page 87.
Creators of such reviews are misguided at best. A review should be an honest opinion on the quality of the story and the writing. A friend who reviews books always lists good and bad points and admits it might be her taste in reading when she doesn’t like a book.
The Good Reviews: When a book has only a few reviews saying things like, “Everyone should read this book,” or “This is the best book I ever read,” you might suspect that reviewer and author are related or at least very good friends. (In fact, I can’t think of a single book that EVERYONE should read!)
I’m not sure why I’m telling you this. If you’re a reader, you probably have a feel for the written word and can figure it out. The sad part is that sellers like Amazon have to use some system, and those five-star and one-star reviews present a false impression of a book.
Recently a group of readers discussed the idea of what 5 stars (or whatever the rating system) means. If I give a mystery 5 stars, am I comparing it to great literature like To Kill a Mockingbird? To classic mysteries by Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler? To current bestsellers like Michael Connelly or Laura Lippman? There are a lot of levels of good, so it’s hard to say what a 5-star book is.
When I shop for a book, I don’t just go by the rating. I read the reviews. Sometimes what the reviewer liked (“a steamy romance”) doesn’t do a thing for me. Sometimes their objections (“too much historical detail”) make me want to read the book. Only by seeing what they liked and disliked can I really tell.
If I found a review that trashed a book the person hadn’t read, I’d tell Amazon the review wasn’t helpful. (It’s just a checkmark.) If I thought the reviewer was a sock puppet, I’d do the same. It’s a way to help make the system fair, and a way to let the reviewer know someone noticed the unfair post.
These days I don’t finish books I dislike. (Past middle age = no time to waste.) When I enjoy a book, I write a review. My personal practice is to not write bad reviews, even with terrible best-sellers that make me cringe at the bad writing. Telling someone you hated her book is like telling a mother her little girl is ugly. You can do it, but where’s the good in it?
