The Future of eBooks: Werewolf Love Stories, 3 for a Dollar

werewolfstorySometimes, I like to do market research about eBooks by acting like someone looking for deals.

I did that the other day and the first challenge, as usual, was finding out where I could actually find eBooks on Amazon. They don’t make it as easy as it should be… but I don’t think Amazon is that concerned with driving traffic to the Kindle store.

After about five minutes of listless clicking, I stumbled upon the Kindle Daily Deal pages. And, in front of me, I saw the future of eBooks: a boxed set. Werewolf Love Stories. Three for a dollar.

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Publishers Are Testing Unknown Authors Digitally… What Does That Mean?

ebookpublisherA lot of writers view self-publishing eBooks as a slog to the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not that we necessarily want to market all of our stuff and pump out eight books a year to make a living.

It’s just what has to happen if publishers keep setting their sights on blockbusters.

Well, it looks like publishers have found a middle ground: some are thinking of using eBooks as a way to throw unknown writers into the Pit of Public Scrutiny and see who survives. Then, just then, the winners may be crowned with Print Publication.

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6 Ways to Promote Your Band Online

promotebandWhen it comes to promoting creative stuff online, I think bands might have a bigger problem than anyone, even authors.

Now that bands can upload music to a Bandcamp page in about five minutes, they can give their stuff away. You know, the music they made. For free. To no one.

They can also charge money for it, which no one will spend because everyone is an entitled content thief.

So what’s the secret formula for bands trying to break through the noise with their own noise? How can they get discovered in a way that actually helps them… make money?

Here are the first six steps in that journey:

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How Amazon is Trying to Rescue Literary Fiction

literaryfictionheroWho’s going to save literary fiction?

Prominent agents have said that big publishers these days are just focused on pushing out blockbuster titles. You know, things that will sell millions.

That leaves self-proclaimed “literary authors” that write “literary fiction” biting their nails.

But never fear, literary authors… Amazon is here.

That’s right – the online retailer has just launched a literary fiction imprint known as “Little A.”

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A Fictional Serial Killer Starts a Blog… Then What?

personabookmarketingI forget what I was Googling, but I found a very unique press release that caught my eye: “Serial Killer Starts Blog Ahead of 2MCH4YA Book Completion.” Yes, a serial killer featured in the upcoming novel, “taRNished,” now has a blog.

The blog is an example of what I’ve been thinking about a lot when it comes to book marketing: the power of personas. The only thing I wonder is… is this really going to work?

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How E.L. James Promoted Fifty Shades of Grey

When it comes to promoting your self-published work, there’s no author that comes to mind as quickly as E.L. James, the woman who wrote Fifty Shades of Grey.

There’s no doubt that this is a self-publishing miracle. Anything that sells paperback copies faster than the Harry Potter series has done something right.

Here’s how James originally promoted Fifty Shades of Grey before it went more or less viral.

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Social Media, iPhones, and Memory

facebookmemory

I had a friend in high school who had garnered a lot of attention after high school. Because we went to college and he did other things that seemed a lot more exciting, like climbing rocks all day. Collectively, those of us doomed on the coast often lamented that this friend seemed to be doing so much cool stuff.

Then, I met with someone who lived with that friend.

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