Aaron M. Patterson's Blog, page 14
October 19, 2010
CHAPTER TEN: Back Baby!
Holy cow! What in the world have you been doing Aaron? I follow your blog and after you send down some cool posts you drop off the face of the map! What up?
"You know, I am as busy as a fly on day three. I mean I get up and it is go, go, go and crash at night and hope to get a chance to read something before I fall dead to the world in my huge bed."
Whatever... you just think you are all that with your books and the new Nook B&N so gave you and now you are all like cool and junk.
"Deal I got to go to a slam the other night and filter out the smoke with my body so what more do you want? I really think you need a life and quit jibing the poor blogger who needs rest in a bad way."
Sure, you just want to leave us all in the dark. eBook are going crazy and we all want to know how to take it to the streets but you wont tell us the secret. Just sit up there on your high hill...
"-Hold it... back up now. You want something? You want something I think is a must, a event you must attend? Give you a shred of hope? Fine. The Idaho Book Extravaganza, in Meridian Idaho this weekend. Be there and don't bother me."
Dude... you rock!
"Peace out man."
http://idahobookextravaganza.com/
October 8, 2010
CHAPTER TEN: eBooks and Bookstores
I am at the PNBA trade show here in Portland and most of the vendors here are publishers and book sellers and the attendees are bookstores. I attended some classes and watching this interaction between bookstores and the fear that is shown toward eBooks is something I wanted to touch on here for a minute.
I am a author first and a publisher second. Bookstores are way down on the chain and with the eBook world taking over the bookstores are left to wonder the future. Here is the facts and some thoughts and predictions.
The local bookstore will become what we now know as a record store. They will exist for used books and the rare books or signed copies. This will drive up the cost and we could see in the future books selling for 50+ dollars per book just because they will not be printed any more.
This future may scare some but some bookstore that get this future are doing the things needed now to stay in the game. Books are a way to get content into peoples hands. eBooks are just the new way to do this same thing.
Here are some ideas to hang in there and move the local bookstore to a local e-Bookstore.
Author events and community events. This is your link, what you have to offer to people that a online store cannot. You can bring in the author and connect them to the readers. This is powerful. But doing this needs to be 3 times a week or more and the involvement in book clubs and things like that are what will keep the business in your store.
Social media. Facebook, Twitter ect are the future. If you are not using these forms of advertising and reaching out into your world you are already behind the game. All i can say is this is a from of interaction that you MUST take advantage of... MUST.
Online stores. There are many ways to do this. Have a store where you can sell books and eBooks. This takes you from a small store to a worldwide store and you can talk and sell to people all over instead of just to buyers who come in to your store. Use the social media as your new way to talk and recommend books and all the things that make you special as a store. You can do the same thing and sometimes a better job online.
The key is REACH OUT! Be the place to hang out and the place to meet the local and national authors. But in the middle of this do not forget the local starting author. You are never to big or cool to have a local signing or help one person out. If you do you will be able to be around in the future even if it is online.
I am a author first and a publisher second. Bookstores are way down on the chain and with the eBook world taking over the bookstores are left to wonder the future. Here is the facts and some thoughts and predictions.
The local bookstore will become what we now know as a record store. They will exist for used books and the rare books or signed copies. This will drive up the cost and we could see in the future books selling for 50+ dollars per book just because they will not be printed any more.
This future may scare some but some bookstore that get this future are doing the things needed now to stay in the game. Books are a way to get content into peoples hands. eBooks are just the new way to do this same thing.
Here are some ideas to hang in there and move the local bookstore to a local e-Bookstore.
Author events and community events. This is your link, what you have to offer to people that a online store cannot. You can bring in the author and connect them to the readers. This is powerful. But doing this needs to be 3 times a week or more and the involvement in book clubs and things like that are what will keep the business in your store.
Social media. Facebook, Twitter ect are the future. If you are not using these forms of advertising and reaching out into your world you are already behind the game. All i can say is this is a from of interaction that you MUST take advantage of... MUST.
Online stores. There are many ways to do this. Have a store where you can sell books and eBooks. This takes you from a small store to a worldwide store and you can talk and sell to people all over instead of just to buyers who come in to your store. Use the social media as your new way to talk and recommend books and all the things that make you special as a store. You can do the same thing and sometimes a better job online.
The key is REACH OUT! Be the place to hang out and the place to meet the local and national authors. But in the middle of this do not forget the local starting author. You are never to big or cool to have a local signing or help one person out. If you do you will be able to be around in the future even if it is online.
CHAPTER NINE: eBooks and Bookstores
I am at the PNBA trade show here in Portland and most of the vendors here are publishers and book sellers and the attendees are bookstores. I attended some classes and watching this interaction between bookstores and the fear that is shown toward eBooks is something I wanted to touch on here for a minute.
I am a author first and a publisher second. Bookstores are way down on the chain and with the eBook world taking over the bookstores are left to wonder the future. Here is the facts and some thoughts and predictions.
The local bookstore will become what we now know as a record store. They will exist for used books and the rare books or signed copies. This will drive up the cost and we could see in the future books selling for 50+ dollars per book just because they will not be printed any more.
This future may scare some but some bookstore that get this future are doing the things needed now to stay in the game. Books are a way to get content into peoples hands. eBooks are just the new way to do this same thing.
Here are some ideas to hang in there and move the local bookstore to a local e-Bookstore.
Author events and community events. This is your link, what you have to offer to people that a online store cannot. You can bring in the author and connect them to the readers. This is powerful. But doing this needs to be 3 times a week or more and the involvement in book clubs and things like that are what will keep the business in your store.
Social media. Facebook, Twitter ect are the future. If you are not using these forms of advertising and reaching out into your world you are already behind the game. All i can say is this is a from of interaction that you MUST take advantage of... MUST.
Online stores. There are many ways to do this. Have a store where you can sell books and eBooks. This takes you from a small store to a worldwide store and you can talk and sell to people all over instead of just to buyers who come in to your store. Use the social media as your new way to talk and recommend books and all the things that make you special as a store. You can do the same thing and sometimes a better job online.
The key is REACH OUT! Be the place to hang out and the place to meet the local and national authors. But in the middle of this do not forget the local starting author. You are never to big or cool to have a local signing or help one person out. If you do you will be able to be around in the future even if it is online.
I am a author first and a publisher second. Bookstores are way down on the chain and with the eBook world taking over the bookstores are left to wonder the future. Here is the facts and some thoughts and predictions.
The local bookstore will become what we now know as a record store. They will exist for used books and the rare books or signed copies. This will drive up the cost and we could see in the future books selling for 50+ dollars per book just because they will not be printed any more.
This future may scare some but some bookstore that get this future are doing the things needed now to stay in the game. Books are a way to get content into peoples hands. eBooks are just the new way to do this same thing.
Here are some ideas to hang in there and move the local bookstore to a local e-Bookstore.
Author events and community events. This is your link, what you have to offer to people that a online store cannot. You can bring in the author and connect them to the readers. This is powerful. But doing this needs to be 3 times a week or more and the involvement in book clubs and things like that are what will keep the business in your store.
Social media. Facebook, Twitter ect are the future. If you are not using these forms of advertising and reaching out into your world you are already behind the game. All i can say is this is a from of interaction that you MUST take advantage of... MUST.
Online stores. There are many ways to do this. Have a store where you can sell books and eBooks. This takes you from a small store to a worldwide store and you can talk and sell to people all over instead of just to buyers who come in to your store. Use the social media as your new way to talk and recommend books and all the things that make you special as a store. You can do the same thing and sometimes a better job online.
The key is REACH OUT! Be the place to hang out and the place to meet the local and national authors. But in the middle of this do not forget the local starting author. You are never to big or cool to have a local signing or help one person out. If you do you will be able to be around in the future even if it is online.
October 1, 2010
CHAPTER TEN: Book Extravaganza... accept no substitute...
I wanted to take a minute to let everyone know about THE event coming to Boise Idaho October 22-23. It is called "Idaho Book Extravaganza." This event will be the first for Boise and we have needed one for a long time now. We have all kinds of art in the park and Shakespeare festival type stuff but not much of anything for books.
Maryanna Young started years ago the "Woman's Fitness Celebration" and is not new to big events or books. She is a great person to boot. She is leading the charge and backed by Aloha Publishing, B&N, Hastings, Starbucks, StoneHouse Ink and Ampelon Publishing it will be the event to be at in October.
There will be vendor booths with local authors, agents, publishers, cover artists, web designers, marketers and more. Every half hour there will be classes with a wide range of subjects from some of the best speakers in the country.
Friday October 22, 2010
SESSION 1 Out of the Box Writing and Marketing 4:00 – 6:00
1. Vincent Zandri, (Best Selling Author and innovative book marketer) Out of the Box Marketing. 4:00-4:30
2. Donna Fletcher Crow (Author of 28 books) How to write a Realistic Novel. 4:40-5:10
3. Speaker to be announced 5:20-5:50
SESSION 2 Future of Publishing 6:00 – 7:30
1. Panel Discussion- Cutting Edge Trends in Writing and Publishing. Caxton Press, Stonehouse Ink and others. Facilitated by Aloha Publishing 6:00-6:30
2. Aaron Patterson (Best Selling Amazon Author) New Ways of Publishing and Selling: E-books, Social Media and More. 6:40-7:05
3. Rick Carns (E Commerce and Non Profit Consultant) How One Non Profit Took Their Book Sales from $15,000 to $470,000 in ONE year. 7:10-7:30
Saturday October 23, 2010
SESSION 1 Authors 10:00 – 12:00
1. Shira Heikkola, (Community Relations Director, Barnes and Noble) How to get my books placed in Barnes and Noble stores and BN.com. 10:00-10:30
2. Ron Benrey, (Author of Writing Christian Fiction for Dummies, speaker, attorney) The Paradigm Shift in Publishing. 10:40-11:10
3. Aaron Patterson, (Best Selling Amazon Author) The E World is Coming, Are You Ready? 11:20-11:50
SESSION 2 Fiction Writers 12:00 – 2:30
1. Janet Benrey, (Author and nationally known literary agent) How to approach an agent. 12:00-12:30
2. Andrew Garcia (CEO of CustomBook Trailers.Net) Creating Hollywood Quality Book Trailers on a Budget. 12:40-1:10
3. Robin Lee Hatcher (Best Seller Author, writer of over 60 published novels) Staying Organized in the Chaos of Writing to Publish. 1:20-2:10
SESSION 3 Non-Fiction Writers 2:20 – 4:10
1. Maryanna Young (Author and CEO of Aloha Publishing) Writing the Book You've Always Wanted in Thirty Days or Less! 2:20-2:45
2. Nick Zelinger (World Class Book Designer) Your Book Cover … Create That 'Love at First Sight' Look … And Grab Your Target Market's Attention.2:55-3:20
3. Tom Roy founder of international sports ministry UPI/Jason Chatraw, former sports writer and CEO of Ampelon Publishing. Writing for the sports industry. 3:30-4:00
SESSION 4 Its All About Selling 4:10 – 6:00
1. Peggy Jordan, (Editor and Full Time Writer) Your Ideal Reader—the Key to Writing a Book that Sells. 4:10-4:40
2. Justin Foster, Personal Branding for Authors 4:50-5:20
3. Jon Colson, You're Done Writing, Time to Start Speaking: Sell You Book to Any Audience With Confidence. 5:30-6:00
You can sign up for the classes online at their website.
Now that you know a little about what this event is all about I ask you to mark your calender and do not miss this event. It will be held at the Silverstone plaza in Meridian. Come and meet the people in the Bizz, and say no to cheap imitations!
See you there!
http://idahobookextravaganza.com/
CHAPTER TEN: Book Extravaganza... except no substitute...
I wanted to take a minute to let everyone know about THE event coming to Boise Idaho October 22-23. It is called "Idaho Book Extravaganza." This event will be the first for Boise and we have needed one for a long time now. We have all kinds of art in the park and Shakespeare festival type stuff but not much of anything for books.
Maryanna Young started years ago the "Woman's Fitness Celebration" and is not new to big events or books. She is a great person to boot. She is leading the charge and backed by Aloha Publishing, B&N, Hastings, Starbucks, StoneHouse Ink and Ampelon Publishing it will be the event to be at in October.
There will be vendor booths with local authors, agents, publishers, cover artists, web designers, marketers and more. Every half hour there will be classes with a wide range of subjects from some of the best speakers in the country.
Friday October 22, 2010
SESSION 1 Out of the Box Writing and Marketing 4:00 – 6:00
1. Vincent Zandri, (Best Selling Author and innovative book marketer) Out of the Box Marketing. 4:00-4:30
2. Donna Fletcher Crow (Author of 28 books) How to write a Realistic Novel. 4:40-5:10
3. Speaker to be announced 5:20-5:50
SESSION 2 Future of Publishing 6:00 – 7:30
1. Panel Discussion- Cutting Edge Trends in Writing and Publishing. Caxton Press, Stonehouse Ink and others. Facilitated by Aloha Publishing 6:00-6:30
2. Aaron Patterson (Best Selling Amazon Author) New Ways of Publishing and Selling: E-books, Social Media and More. 6:40-7:05
3. Rick Carns (E Commerce and Non Profit Consultant) How One Non Profit Took Their Book Sales from $15,000 to $470,000 in ONE year. 7:10-7:30
Saturday October 23, 2010
SESSION 1 Authors 10:00 – 12:00
1. Shira Heikkola, (Community Relations Director, Barnes and Noble) How to get my books placed in Barnes and Noble stores and BN.com. 10:00-10:30
2. Ron Benrey, (Author of Writing Christian Fiction for Dummies, speaker, attorney) The Paradigm Shift in Publishing. 10:40-11:10
3. Aaron Patterson, (Best Selling Amazon Author) The E World is Coming, Are You Ready? 11:20-11:50
SESSION 2 Fiction Writers 12:00 – 2:30
1. Janet Benrey, (Author and nationally known literary agent) How to approach an agent. 12:00-12:30
2. Andrew Garcia (CEO of CustomBook Trailers.Net) Creating Hollywood Quality Book Trailers on a Budget. 12:40-1:10
3. Robin Lee Hatcher (Best Seller Author, writer of over 60 published novels) Staying Organized in the Chaos of Writing to Publish. 1:20-2:10
SESSION 3 Non-Fiction Writers 2:20 – 4:10
1. Maryanna Young (Author and CEO of Aloha Publishing) Writing the Book You've Always Wanted in Thirty Days or Less! 2:20-2:45
2. Nick Zelinger (World Class Book Designer) Your Book Cover … Create That 'Love at First Sight' Look … And Grab Your Target Market's Attention.2:55-3:20
3. Tom Roy founder of international sports ministry UPI/Jason Chatraw, former sports writer and CEO of Ampelon Publishing. Writing for the sports industry. 3:30-4:00
SESSION 4 Its All About Selling 4:10 – 6:00
1. Peggy Jordan, (Editor and Full Time Writer) Your Ideal Reader—the Key to Writing a Book that Sells. 4:10-4:40
2. Justin Foster, Personal Branding for Authors 4:50-5:20
3. Jon Colson, You're Done Writing, Time to Start Speaking: Sell You Book to Any Audience With Confidence. 5:30-6:00
You can sign up for the classes online at their website.
Now that you know a little about what this event is all about I ask you to mark your calender and do not miss this event. It will be held at the Silverstone plaza in Meridian. Come and meet the people in the Bizz, and say no to cheap imitations!
See you there!
http://idahobookextravaganza.com/
September 28, 2010
CHAPTER NINE: The Papers back the Publishers... what a shocker!
New York Times... Wall Street Journal... Big Newspapers and the big publishers all have one thing in common these days. Can you guess?
They are on the underside of a run a way bus and attached to said bus is about ten pounds of C4. The Paper Bus is about to hit the "Bridge Out" sign and burst into a ball of flames.
I read this WSJ article that was passed on from Vincent Zandri and I did try... really I did but this is just so stupid and I had to say something. They must not allow comments for a reason online because this article is not only a head in the sand deal but had little to no research.
You can read it if you like but to sum it up, eBooks are killing the market and making it hard for authors to make a living. Royalties are going down or away and the big publishing dream is taking flight like so many birds. Blah and more blah...
This is not only the .2% of the truth but the writer missed the elephant in the living room.
The publishers have a world built around print. Newspapers do as well but they can change a little easier. This world is about to go bye, bye and they are freaked out! Not like I can't believe you are a guy now kind of freaked out but a you married your dog freaked out!
I am to irked to respond in a long detailed manner and most of you know by now what I think of all this. So to the point here it is.
eBooks are not going away. By 2012 they will have the strong chance of out selling print books. eReaders will pop up in every store including Wal Mart. Heck... they might just open up their own eBook-store and give Amazon a run for their money.
Publishers will downsize and go out of business and small advanced publishers that are not afraid of change but embrace it will take over and work with authors to build the bridge between marketing and connections. Author royalties will shoot to 50% across the board and agents will be no more unless they are eBook experts and help authors self publish.
Big time Bestsellers like King and Patterson will self publish back list titles and begin to publish with smaller presses and some will do it all themselves. Amazon will buy someone like B&N and try to make a run for world domination and force Apple or a new boy on scene to stop them and the battle will begin.
eBooks will be in every home like a iPod and soon schools will have them and all textbooks in a "e" format. A new wavy of eBook conversion company's will crop up and authors will have the pick and frustration of weeding through the good and the bad.
Experts like J.A. Konrath will lead the way and take a huge share of the market to the envy of New York publishers. Battles in court over eRights will begin and after 5-10 years things will calm down and the new line of eReaders will emerge blowing up the thing we all know and love...
Books.
This is a end of the world situation to some and a rebirth to others... Just depends on the side of the fence you are on. IO suggest that you come to my side... we have cookies.
September 27, 2010
CHAPTER NINE: Dating all over again!
Remember going out with a someone new or if you liked someone and wanted to get to know them. You asked their favorite color and what soda they liked. Wanted to know about their life, family, loves hates and all the worthless info in the beginning needed to be told before getting to the good stuff.
I used to feel like I was doing the same thing over and over again with new people and after a bit I didn't care if they like Pepsi or Coke. It was this dance that seemed to be done with the care of a new car going through the car wash for the first time.
But talk to someone who dated a lot and had to go through this same routine over and over and see what they think. It can be a pain... Really... you like blue, cool... you I like red. No I don't like potato's... i know how un-American.
Ii find that the hardest thing about writing a book is this same dull lifeless thing I want to get to the good stuff... the action, the romance and the plot. I feel like what the main toon looks like or his hair and eye color is just to darn boring. Who cares if he is fat or tall or had bad breath? I know what he looks like and sounds like, why can't you just read my mind!? (said the woman)
But alas... it seems I have no choice... I wonder if I can just leave it out and let the reader make up their mind on who he or she is...
Reading book like a starving kid on the backside of the Africa, I know something of this process. I find that even reading it is a drag... the introduction is the same every time... "He was tall and had a thick jaw with close cropped salt and pepper hair." come on! And as the author goes through every person in the room in this manner after the 15th person I want to throw the book in the trash.
It is like dating all over again... Maybe that is why I like to write series... I can skip so much of the first date... blow past all the description and get the the meat of the story not to worry if the reader knows why so in so hates clowns.
some creative ideas is to introduce someone and just give one detail. Add in the missing info as you write dialogue... Simple and it spares me and you from this aggregating first date every time we open up a new book. But that is just me... and we all know I run a little off the clock.
Here is to the first date...
I used to feel like I was doing the same thing over and over again with new people and after a bit I didn't care if they like Pepsi or Coke. It was this dance that seemed to be done with the care of a new car going through the car wash for the first time.
But talk to someone who dated a lot and had to go through this same routine over and over and see what they think. It can be a pain... Really... you like blue, cool... you I like red. No I don't like potato's... i know how un-American.
Ii find that the hardest thing about writing a book is this same dull lifeless thing I want to get to the good stuff... the action, the romance and the plot. I feel like what the main toon looks like or his hair and eye color is just to darn boring. Who cares if he is fat or tall or had bad breath? I know what he looks like and sounds like, why can't you just read my mind!? (said the woman)
But alas... it seems I have no choice... I wonder if I can just leave it out and let the reader make up their mind on who he or she is...
Reading book like a starving kid on the backside of the Africa, I know something of this process. I find that even reading it is a drag... the introduction is the same every time... "He was tall and had a thick jaw with close cropped salt and pepper hair." come on! And as the author goes through every person in the room in this manner after the 15th person I want to throw the book in the trash.
It is like dating all over again... Maybe that is why I like to write series... I can skip so much of the first date... blow past all the description and get the the meat of the story not to worry if the reader knows why so in so hates clowns.
some creative ideas is to introduce someone and just give one detail. Add in the missing info as you write dialogue... Simple and it spares me and you from this aggregating first date every time we open up a new book. But that is just me... and we all know I run a little off the clock.
Here is to the first date...
September 24, 2010
CHAPTER NINE: Face to face with Facebook
If you live in 2010 the internet and social media is a part of your life. We have gone from a phone on the corner in a booth to cell phones to kids having phones and clubbing together on sites like Myspace and facebook. Twitter and Digg and others are all forms of what we call social media.
Now the question comes up about the use and what this new way of getting in contact with other humans is doing to us long term. It is good or bad? Are we killing real people to people or face to face conta...
September 21, 2010
CHAPTER NINE: The Business of Writing
I talk to writers all the time and one thing I notice is that most of us are full of desire and inspiration and passion. Art in all its forms is from the soul and like standing naked on a busy street. Our heart and soul is out there for all to see and it is scary.
Because of this most artists are not business men/women. We tend to be a bit introverted and care more ab out hiding away with a book or a paint brush in hand instead of in front of lots of people.
This fact is not a good mix to sell...
September 14, 2010
CHAPTER NINE: The Publishing lie.
There are all sorts of lies out there. One I love is the real-estate lie. This is where you talk to an agent and no matter what the market is doing, "It is a great time to buy!" These people are so involved that they can't see past their own hands. They tell themselves the lie so much that they now believe it.
A lie that is going around now is the eBook lie. Publishers, bookstores and authors are all telling themselves that the eBook craze is just a fad, we will always have paper books and so...
