More Free Ebooks and Thoughts on a Kickstarter Blitz

So. Polar, Blue Ridge, True Cross, & Warwolf have all been free ebooks for the past five days at Amazon. The promotion is over now, and at last count, just shy of 5,000 copies were downloaded. I find that shocking, chiefly because I know how few copies I actually sell.

I guess I'll take my eyeballs where I can find them. Starting at midnight, Jerusalem Gap, Red Scare, & Cry Me A River will also be free electronic downloads for five days. Dig in.

In other news, I'm reloading at Kickstarter. The goal will be $7,000 dollars (ish), which was the amount of my first publishing advance -- for A Short History of a Small Place(in 1984). This will be a brief two-week project for the same purpose as the first unfunded one -- to help with the cost of printing and promoting a new novel. Author DIY is surely the future of publishing. Help if you can.

I'm hoping those of you who pledged the first time will pledge again (I'll send you emails when the project goes live), and I would like to think I'm generating some degree of positive karma by giving so many books away.

Foolish, I know.
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Published on July 12, 2013 16:24
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message 1: by Brian (new)

Brian T. R. - Great news! I'm certainly happy to participate. I will also insist that my daughter download Cry Me A River. She's listened to me brag about you - Now she's old enough to enjoy your work herself! Best - Brian


message 2: by Cynthia (new)

Cynthia Lou Grant was wrong on the spunk thing.

Because you're giving Kickstarter another chance, I have a perfect excuse to set aside the latest on public school reform and pick up instead tonight Blue Ridge and do my readerly duty.

Thrilled. Let me know when live.


message 3: by Mike (new)

Mike Outstanding! I'm in for the redux.


message 4: by T.R. (new)

T.R. Pearson Thanks, all. I'm counting on you. I'm just waiting on clearance from Kickstarter. You can be sure I'll put up a post once I get it.

Jerusalem Gap is currently going nuts on Amazon. Can free be that much better than 99 cents?


message 5: by Carl (new)

Carl Guess so. I thought I got a good deal a few years back when I got Red Scare on Kindle, and think maybe paid 2.99?, although I knew nothing about it except the author.

And 2.99 for the e-Bald Jeeter was worth it, even though the Hardcover is on my shelf. (It was a lot easier to re-read it that way while on a trip).
I hope the new eyeballs find their way to some of your other works, even (and especially) if they have to pay something for their pleasure. (Although, as I bought the physical editions of JG and Cry, I feel ok about downloading the e-books for free).

I'll be in again with Kickstarter.

And some day I'd like to ask you about Crozet (which KS says is your locale), whose environs I visited frequently in the mid 70's--one particular Holler is my mental image of all such places when the term is used in your and others' books.

Good Karma to you.


message 6: by Paul (new)

Paul Milligan You ought to know it by now; I'm in as soon as we go live.


message 7: by T.R. (new)

T.R. Pearson Thank you, Paul. I'm counting on you.


message 8: by Paul (new)

Paul Milligan I'm not sure how it works, but is there a way in which people who downloaded free ebooks can be alerted to the kickstarter project?


message 9: by T.R. (new)

T.R. Pearson I'm happy to give the books away. Anything to encourage reading. As to Crozet, the town is the same, but the surrounding orchards have given way to a few fairly unlovely housing developments. My house is for sale. I'm looking to get out.


message 10: by Mark (new)

Mark Glad to hear that you are giving Kickstarter another try. Maybe with the bountiful downloads more readers will join in. I'm hoping the incentives will be offered again with the pledges. If you are looking for a rural relaxing environment to relocate to, Floyd County is still a nice place. I have many fond memories there of visiting my grandparent's farm when I was a child. I also purchased Call and Response a couple of days ago for my Kindle. It didn't fell right downloading your books for free without actually buying one. Good Luck with your next project.


message 11: by T.R. (new)

T.R. Pearson Mark wrote: "Glad to hear that you are giving Kickstarter another try. Maybe with the bountiful downloads more readers will join in. I'm hoping the incentives will be offered again with the pledges. If you are ..."

I'm not really counting on the Amazon folks and don't know how to reach them. I'll depend on my Goodreads friends and just aim for a more modest goal. This one, we should be able to hit (he said).

I used to have a house very near Floyd County. It is a nice spot, but I've kind of been there/done that. Who knows where I'll end up.


message 12: by Cynthia (new)

Cynthia Well, how about New England? There are certainly plenty of colorful folks up here whose eccentricities could act as fodder short of something more meaningful to write about. At a minimum, we could teach you how to properly pronounce your Rs.


message 13: by T.R. (new)

T.R. Pearson Properly? I think not.

Too cold up there. I've been living on a mountaintop for a great while. I need some place warmer with no chance of thigh-deep snow.


message 14: by Andrew (new)

Andrew Sorry I missed the first round of ebooks, but no great loss as I have real copies.

I'm in for another round of Kickstarter, and very glad to hear you're doing it again. I think we can do this. Come on fellow Pearson fans!


message 15: by T.R. (new)

T.R. Pearson Andrew wrote: "Sorry I missed the first round of ebooks, but no great loss as I have real copies.

I'm in for another round of Kickstarter, and very glad to hear you're doing it again. I think we can do this. Co..."


Thanks, Andrew. I'm sure hoping we can do it. I'm still waiting on Kickstarter approval. It should come today or tomorrow.


message 16: by Mark (new)

Mark If New England is too cold, there is always the Mississippi Delta from your Rick Gavin books, but I gather from the descriptions that the heat and humidity might be extreme. Speaking of which, when does the next Gavin novel come out? Your home town is still nice but has expanded greatly since you lived there. Saw an interesting story about Kickstarter on the Fox national news today. I truly believe your next attempt will be successful.


message 17: by T.R. (new)

T.R. Pearson From your mouth, as they say.

The next -- and possibly final -- Rick Gavin novel will be published on November 19th. I guess they're aiming for that Thanksgiving lull, when nobody buys anything. Clever that.

The novel is called Nowhere Nice , in which Nick, Desmond, and crew travel to the wilds of Alabama and live to tell about it. Fstick, from Ranchero, makes a return appearance. It's awfully hard to keep a crazy Cajun in Parchman.


message 18: by Paul (new)

Paul Milligan Done and done. I suppose I'll have to drag my tattered pom-poms out of storage, unless somebody else wants to lead the cheers this time.


message 19: by T.R. (new)

T.R. Pearson Paul wrote: "Done and done. I suppose I'll have to drag my tattered pom-poms out of storage, unless somebody else wants to lead the cheers this time."

Nope. You're the cheerleader. Thank you, Paul.


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