I just love it when I come to the conclusion that something is stupid. Today’s realization is about blog comments. I just looked through a queue of twenty or so and they were all 100%, unequivocally spam. Now, I wish I could say that I liked spam or that I even cared but the fact is that I have wondered how people make more time in their life and now I realize that it is ignoring bullshit. Just sayin’
Just learned (was the victim of) a new spamming technique–posting fake Amazon reviews with a hyperlink to another book. You know it’s fake because it’s not an Amazon verified purchase and the comments have nothing to do with the book being reviewed, just pointing readers to a book with similar tags. Damn, it seems so much work to spam that they’d just be better off writing another book or something productive. I could use a couple of other people to click on report abuse on that link–perhaps you might click it? I’d certainly appreciate it. http://www.amazon.com/review/R3TPQQLV43SWNM/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0020HRW8E&nodeID=&tag=&linkCode=
When I became aware of Amazon allowing indie authors to promote their titles for free I wondered if that was wise. I decided to make it an experiment. I have three titles currently (the fourth coming very soon): The Tao of Poo (a short story), From Garage Sale to Financial Freedom, my first book and Winning Storage Auction Strategies that I co-authored with my wife (and has extremely poor sales thanks to some douchebag rating it 1 star right off the bat with an incomprehensible review–whatever.)
The Tao of Poo had 258 free downloads and no subsequent reviews. Hmm..that’s fair, I thought it is a short story and one centered around crap so it’s not as if it has great commercial appeal.
By the mid of day 2 on From Garage Sale, it was #1 in three categories of free kindles and had 1500 downloads. That raised my eyebrows considerably.
My wife is betting that the storage auction book will do very well as a free download but I’m skeptical, particularly with the negative review but I’ll hold judgment until the course is run.
I’m working feverishly on the final draft of my new book Endgame 2012, a philosophical/spiritual book as Papa has to go back to work but I hope to be offering it free as well. It seems to me that Amazon has just given indie writers the chance opportunity to leave obscurity. I may be ahead of myself but that’s at least the way it is appearing midstream this campaign.
I’ve been too engrossed in my latest manuscript to post a highku but recent changes at Amazon prompted me to consider. I imagine the recent KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) changes are, in part, due to the flurry of advertising by Barnes and Noble’s Nook. Here’s what has happened, in a nutshell. KDP announced earlier this month that publishers in the KDP program may select any of their titles to participate in the KDP Select program. In exchange for making the digital rights exclusive to Amazon for six months, Prime Members may “borrow” one kindle per month for free. Authors with titles borrowed will share in a large pool ($500,000 this December) of royalty money. As an added incentive for publishers, they may promote their title for free for five days during the six month period. Ordinarily, the minimum price option for independent authors of their kindle is .99 cents.
What, Readers Like Free Books?! Big Deal, you say. Just cruise on over http://us.kinlib.com/ and you can see every free kindle available and there’s several hundred of them at any time. I loaded my library with plenty of new authors that I will enjoy, so that’s a boon for readers. It’s a no risk way to check out some indie authors. If you don’t like the book, you’ve got nothing but some time invested. If you do like it, by all means, take a moment to give the author some feedback on Amazon. It’s quick and painless and every author likes feedback as long as it is honest.
I enrolled my titles in the program. I’m not expecting them to be borrowed by Prime Members. I don’t know how many prime members there are or what their book borrowing habits will be, I wanted the opportunity to promote the titles so here’s the schedule:
The Tao of Poo: Legend of Li Chang will be offered for free on Amazon December 27-31, 2011
From Garage Sale to Financial Freedom in Five Steps will be offered for free January 1-5, 2012
Winning Storage Auction Strategies will be offered for free January 6-10, 2012
Best Wishes and Happy Holidays from Dirk and Susan McFergus!
"Self Absorbed Prick"
Took a break from writing to consider cover art. Wish I knew a good graphic designer.
How much time would it take to manifest a pile of shit into gold bars?
Shit is mostly carbon, right? So, how much time and pressure would it take to convert shit into diamonds?
How many books about shit do I need to sell to manifest a new car?
Come on you The Secret people, we need to know these things.
Last night a light snow covered the ground in the Sandias. I noticed tracks through the yard which, if I’m not mistaken are totally big foot tracks although they just could have been left over from when I dragged a bunch of wood into the house. When I picture big foot, I think of the six million dollar man. It’s just a vague memory at this point but in it I see tall trees, North Idaho kind of tall trees, redwood forest kind of trees and a really weird tunnel–is it glass and why does it have florescent lighting? But there’s Big Foot, looking like Chewbacca or just a really tall version of Cousin It. So I go outside and give my best Squatch call….which is basically just a Tarzan call…Awwyahhaaawaahha–nothing. But I know there’s a squatch out there–this is totally squatch country. All these years of Big Foot sightings and the best anyone could really come up with was that stupid video shot in California with the supposed Big Foot walking along the river bed. Why is it that all Big Foot, UFO, Loch Ness Monster photos are always blurry and grainy, and well, unrecognizable as anything? Anyhow, I actually saw Big Foot today. He is a big, hairy, smelly beast and he lives in New Mexico. Maybe I can organize a meeting for you Big Foot Hunter dudes or whatever. He seems a fairly decent dude, despite the fetid odor wafting up around him. I’d say Harry and the Henderson’s fairly well nailed it.