Here We Go
UPDATE: We're less than 24 hours into the new Kickstarter project and only $475 short of the goal. That's remarkable, and I'm very grateful for your support. There will be no stretch goals or any additional drum beating, so let's just close this out quietly and be done with it. If you're planning to pledge, now is good. Thanks to you all. My goal going forward is to write you a novel worthy of your support.
I've been encouraged to try Kickstarter one more time, and so I'm doing just that. I'm trying to help cover the publication costs of a new novel -- working title Furnace Rock -- and I've cut the goal in half. I'll now pay all promotional costs myself.
So we're aiming for $6,000, and we raised more than that during the first, unfunded project. I hope those of you who backed me the first time around will see clear to back me again. I've tried to offer enticing rewards at an assortment of levels. I'm also open to suggestions. If you'd like something in return for your contribution that I haven't thought to mention, just let me know. I'm flexible.
In the past 10 days, I've given away nearly 8,000 electronic editions of my books at Amazon. 'Why don't you just tap into those people for Kickstarter?' I've been asked a few times over. The short answer is that I don't know how to reach them. The longer answer is that I'm doubtful people who will only download a book for free rather than pay 99cents -- as with Jerusalem Gap -- are good candidates for backing a Kickstarter project.
So I'm counting on you, my readers and friends, to help me along.
This is an 8-day project. Very brief. So if you plan to help, please help now. Today would be good.
Thank you all in advance.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1...
I've been encouraged to try Kickstarter one more time, and so I'm doing just that. I'm trying to help cover the publication costs of a new novel -- working title Furnace Rock -- and I've cut the goal in half. I'll now pay all promotional costs myself.
So we're aiming for $6,000, and we raised more than that during the first, unfunded project. I hope those of you who backed me the first time around will see clear to back me again. I've tried to offer enticing rewards at an assortment of levels. I'm also open to suggestions. If you'd like something in return for your contribution that I haven't thought to mention, just let me know. I'm flexible.
In the past 10 days, I've given away nearly 8,000 electronic editions of my books at Amazon. 'Why don't you just tap into those people for Kickstarter?' I've been asked a few times over. The short answer is that I don't know how to reach them. The longer answer is that I'm doubtful people who will only download a book for free rather than pay 99cents -- as with Jerusalem Gap -- are good candidates for backing a Kickstarter project.
So I'm counting on you, my readers and friends, to help me along.
This is an 8-day project. Very brief. So if you plan to help, please help now. Today would be good.
Thank you all in advance.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1...
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message 1:
by
Mike
(new)
Jul 15, 2013 05:23PM
Okay, I'm in for the combined amount of my past two pledges. I think we'll get it done this time out.
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Thank you, Mike. It's a very generous pledge, and I'm very grateful for it. As of right now (8:30ish), we're over halfway to the goal. That's fabulous.
Now that is how to respond to a kickstarter project! I won't speak too soon, but it is looking really good this time. Yay!
Paul wrote: "Now that is how to respond to a kickstarter project! I won't speak too soon, but it is looking really good this time. Yay!"Yes, certainly a far better start this time. But I don't want to speak too soon either.
Well; is it ok to be quietly confident? To cheer soto voce? To casually twirl a small baton?
Paul wrote: "Well; is it ok to be quietly confident? To cheer soto voce? To casually twirl a small baton?"Yes, quiet confidence.
Go go team Pearson, only $200 to go! The winning post is in sight.
Yes, and now it looks like the goal might have been a bit too modest? Can't win.
Cynthia wrote: "Yes, and now it looks like the goal might have been a bit too modest? Can't win."Precisely why I don't gamble.
Amazon is showing that Jerusalem Gap has been downloaded 15,000 times today! That can't be right, can it? It's #15 on the free Kindle list. What the hell happened?Dog on the cover?
Perhaps it's been taken for a catalogue of leisure clothing from the Holy Land by the unwary. With a dog on the cover.
Some lady on Amazon responded to my review of Jerusalem Gap, asking me if the dog died in the end because if it does she can't read it. I have failed so far to provide a response.
I just downloaded "Jerusalem Gap" and started reading. I didn't want to stop, but needed to see if you had written anything else. Surprise for me. Now I can't wait to read all the other books. And I donated to your kick start project. Had never heard of this before. I found out about "Jerusalem Gap" from Bookbub. Really happy I found you. Love dogs so love this book. Thanks for writing it. I will get back to reading it now, and look forward to many more of your books.
Cynthia wrote: "Some lady on Amazon responded to my review of Jerusalem Gap, asking me if the dog died in the end because if it does she can't read it. I have failed so far to provide a response."Ascended into heaven?
Imagine the possibilities suggested by a free novel with a kitten on the cover, maybe even one subtitled with a spelling of "has" as "haz." Boggles the mind.
Kay wrote: "I just downloaded "Jerusalem Gap" and started reading. I didn't want to stop, but needed to see if you had written anything else. Surprise for me. Now I can't wait to read all the other books. ..."Thank you, Kay. Both for reading the book and making the pledge. I'll check out Bookbub. Happy reading.
Cynthia wrote: "Imagine the possibilities suggested by a free novel with a kitten on the cover, maybe even one subtitled with a spelling of "has" as "haz." Boggles the mind."Haz Kitten in a Basket
Mystery solved: Bookbub. Jerusalem Gap was one of their featured titles today.
T. R. wrote: Haz Kitten in a Basket I suspect shelter, sustenance, and other necessities of daily living would cease to be a concern if you scratched that niche....
T.R. wrote: "Mystery solved: Bookbub. Jerusalem Gap was one of their featured titles today."There ya go--it's all about promotion. I never even heard of BookBub(?) until I saw this. But whatever works!
Are you willing to divulge if you've seen an uptick in sales on your other titles today? Right there at the bottom of the Jerusalem Gap page is "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought", which includes a bunch of your other novels. Just curious how much collateral clicking might be going on.
A slight uptick, but nothing compared to how JG is getting snatched up. It'll probably hit 20,000 downloads shortly -- that's 19,000 for the day. Cry Me A River is also free just now, and it's at around 1,000 copies downloaded.I'm delighted to bring new readers in, and if they're going to start with something, they should certainly start with JG. It's short, an easy reader, and not at all profane or violent. I've always thought of it as a YA novel at heart.
I did get 1 Kickstarter pledge from the Bookbub PR. That's 1 out of 19,000. I don't want to do that math.
T. R. wrote: "I'm delighted to bring new readers in, and if they're going to start with something, they should certainly start with JG."Agreed. There is a path to citizenship here that can't or shouldn't start with the most literary of your novels. Given my students' responses (as a barometer of average reader tenacity) that path would likely start with jg and head into Gavin or Tatum territory before landing at Louis Benfield's front stoop.
Yep. I've written books I don't even want to read. Just between us.
JG just hit #1 in Teen & Young Adult Ebooks, with One Night with a Rock Star a close second. What could be better than that?
Thanks for satisfying my curiosity.It's cool that so many people will be getting introduced to your work by way of Jerusalem Gap--it's a great story, well told, one of my favorites. Hey, I think it's time to read it again!
Yup, over the top! Let's see what happens over the next six days. I'm wondering if internet + free books + niche = open wallets / time?
Wool, anyone?
Yes, over the top! I like your equation, Cynthia, but I'm skeptical. We will see.
Okay, I had to use Explorer (v. Chrome) to comment on that 'bub site but I did it. Steered the newbies to the Blue Ridge mysteries for free on Amazon. Let's hope they have a sense of adventure.
Oh, very nice. I signed up at Bookbub this afternoon and look forward to getting buried in email. Maybe I'll find a bargain or two.
Paul wrote: "$25 to go! Hurrah!"Thanks, Paul. I think you made this work.
It snuck over the top when I was sunk in swinish slumber. Remember we're 5 hours ahead of you here. At least now I am spared the awful anxiety of last month's long slow torture.
Cards on the table ; I didn't enjoy "Red Scare". I found it difficult to glean much of TRP in it (unlike the Gavin books where the master's hand is evident to any one with a knowledge of the canon). I thought it read more like an expanded shooting script than an original work. That, and a native problem with present tense narrative meant that I found it (and I paraphrase again) troublesome and odd. Sorry.
It IS an expanded shooting script. Literally. No offense taken.
