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Comment by Neil Ostroff on February 13, 2013 at 10:04am

Bound to become a classic

 

Please check out my latest novel, DROP OUT, which Kindle Fire Department.com calls; “Touching, romantic, and wonderfully told, this is a book that's bound to become a classic.”

 

It is their book of the day. Thank you.

 

http://fireapps.blogspot.com/2013/02/drop-out-kindle-book-of-day-21...

Comment by Neil Ostroff on February 12, 2013 at 1:04pm

To all indie authors

 

I woke up this morning, checked my books stats, and nearly retched at what I saw. My Amazon ‘likes’ which took me two years to build are gone on all my books. At first, I thought it was a mistake and then I delved further.

 

Seems Amazon has decided to get rid of all ‘like’ buttons and tags for books and products. Why, you ask? I have a theory.

 

The rise of indie publishing and authors self-publishing and selling their own work has skyrocketed. And not just in the publishing world, in all aspect of the entertainment industry. This last Grammy Awards is a perfect example of how independents are taking over. More than half the awards went to artists who published under their own labels. Even the song of the year has no major label backing.

 

So, why is Amazon so afraid of independents when they appear to be gaining popularity, respect, and success? They’re not. It’s the big publishers who are.

 

Independent authors are usually also marketing machines and spend hours promoting their own books. And one of the best ways was by encouraging readers and friends to ‘like’ and tag. Which book would grab your interest more, one published by Random House that has twenty ‘likes’ or an independent book that has 300 ‘likes’? That’s what scares the big three. Getting rid of the ‘likes’ and tags greatly diminish the opportunity for readers to stumble upon a book just by searching random keywords. What was once a level playing field between indies and the traditionally published author has become greatly skewed. And that only hurts the reader looking for a good story.

 

All my books had many more than 100 ‘likes’ each and I think that definitely drew attention to the content. Think about it, if you had two books side by side, both with great reviews, one book with ten ‘likes’ or one with a hundred, which would you take a look at?

 

My sales have dropped since Amazon incorporated these new “indie buffers” so the big publishers can sell more books. What puzzles me is why Amazon would continue to try and keep the independents from selling thousands of copies? After all, royalties is money no matter who is selling. It just doesn’t make good business sense to hamper a segment of profit.

 

Though Amazon gives traditionally published books precedence over indies, as the recent Grammy Awards showed, there is no stopping the rising tide of new age artists. The internet will allow us to sell our books worldwide forever with no limit on the possible audience. Whether on Amazon, Smashwords, Nook, Kobo, or any of the thousands of other bookselling sites, a good story will always find its readership.

 

That said, I bid farewell to the combined 2,500 + ‘likes’ my books used to have and I thank all those that took the time to check me out and hit the buttons. I ask that you re-tweet and repost this blog to as many sites and social media as you can to let Amazon know that the indie author is here to stay and we can all work together to share our stories with the world.

 

http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Comment by Eileen Thornton on February 3, 2013 at 1:00pm

Author, Eileen Thornton, is delighted to announce the publication of her latest novel, Divorcees.Biz

 

 Published by SalGad Publishing, an exciting new publisher based in Worcestershire, Divorcees.Biz tells the story of four, thirty-something divorced women.

 

Frustrated they will never find their Mr Right, Connie, Sadie, Jenny and Lucy, 

decide to set up an online dating agency with a difference:

Their agency will be for divorcees only.

 

As well as helping all those other divorced people out there,

the four friends believe it will be the ideal solution

to their own problem of finding Mr Right. But will it?

 

Or does it simply create a whole new set of problems?

 

Divorcees.Biz is a light and frothy tale of how the four friends cope, as they begin their journey into the world of internet dating. 

 

Eileen Thornton has been a freelance writer for a number of years, and lives in the Scottish Border town of Kelso with her husband. In her own words, “Working with the staff and editors at SalGad Publishing has been a wonderful experience. Their input has been invaluable.”  

 

More details of her work can be found at www.eileenthornton.co.uk

 

Divorcees.Biz is available from Amazon. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps... 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&a... 

Comment by Barbara Ebel on February 3, 2013 at 11:08am

*****

Here's the Midwest Book Review's view on the newly published children's book in the Chester the Chesapeake series:

“Chester the Chesapeake Book Four: My Brother Buck continues this excellent picturebook series from the point of view of Chester, a devoted therapy dog and family pet. In My Brother Buck, a kindly neighbor calls Chester’s owner about a friendly and rambunctious dog. When no one answers the lost dog advertisements, Chester has a new brother named Buck – a big, friendly, fifty-pound dog in need of a little training!

Told from Chester’s perspective and illustrated with captivating, full color photography of Chester the Chesapeake, Buck, their canine sibling Putt-Putt and their feline sibling Kittie, My Brother Buck is a most enjoyable read-aloud story especially for young animal lovers. “Most dogs should be fixed by the vet, so they can’t have more puppies. It’s sad when dogs don’t have a home.”

Also highly recommended are the previous books in the series, “Chester the Chesapeake (Book One), “Chester the Chesapeake: Summertime (Book Two),” and “Chester the Chesapeake: Wintertime (Book Three).”

~~~~~

For all Chester's links and a video, please visit his website:

http://dogbooksforchildren.weebly.com

Comment by Neil Ostroff on February 3, 2013 at 10:45am

So, you married a writer?

 

So, you married yourself a writer, eh? You bought into the romantic notion of the two of you sitting fireside, drinking glasses of pinot noir while your significant other sits beside you writing the next great American novel. The only sound is the crackling fire and the tapping of the keyboard as they belt out their genius.

Every once in a while your significant other looks up from their masterpiece and flashes you a smile that makes you feel like you’re the most special person in the world. Your house and bank account are huge and your worries are small.

Yeah right, think again. Unless you’re one of the lucky few who actually make a living at their craft the reality is much different.

 

My wife married me, a writer, and let me tell you how reality is for her. I have a strict routine which I follow daily. Any deviance from this routine and I feel disconnected with the world and my place in it. This routine has been ongoing for fifteen years now. I have been with my wife for sixteen years, so this is nothing new for her.

 

Every morning, after brushing my teeth, I fix a cup of instant coffee and sit down in front of my computer. That’s how it is. That’s what I do. This is my most creative time and I’m always at my best. This is when I write new material and give old material a serious read. I must do this alone, which means no noise, or activity around me.

 

My wife spends her mornings upstairs alone, watching TV or getting ready for work. My writing usually lasts about an hour and a half and when I’m finished, I immediately exercise for another hour. At this point, my wife has started her day and is off somewhere not to be seen until the evening hours. For me, depending upon if I’m working my conventional job or not, the afternoon is spent marketing and promoting. Before I went indie, I used to fill this time with querying agents and publishers, but thanks to the digital revolution, these people are no longer necessary. My nights are spent jotting ideas and reading other people’s books. Occasionally, my wife will sit beside me and also read a book.

 

Every month I get direct deposits from Kindle and various other outlets, and I smile that I’m actually earning money at my craft and people are reading my stuff. However, as far as the romance of what being married to a writer is like; it does exists, at times, but usually we’re both drinking pinot noir and there isn’t any writing going on.

 

http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Comment by Neil Ostroff on January 28, 2013 at 9:58am

What if everything we perceive, all we experience, is just a figment of someone else’s imagination? And what if that someone is dying?

 

IMAGINATION

 

A botched military mission finds new recruit Christopher Parker in a hostile prison camp. His life has become pain. To escape the prolonged misery of torture, Christopher journeys deep into his own memories and imagination, reliving his life in extreme detail. Imagery is so precise the people who occupy these memories believe they are living real lives. As each character explores ever-shifting landscapes of Christopher’s imagination they uncover a shocking truth; Christopher is slowly dying. Can they fight against Christopher’s own thoughts from convincing life to slip away before everything they know disappears forever?

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATFC3JM

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ATFC3JM

Comment by Crystal Smith-Connelly on January 21, 2013 at 10:39am

For I Am Zeus: A Collection of Plays About Greek Mythology contains six short plays about the most entertaining of the Greek gods, and it's free today! If 112 more people get it, the book will have been downloaded 1,000 times, and I'm really hoping to reach that goal today! : )

www.amazon.com/For-Zeus-Collection-Mythology-ebook/dp/B0085H0MH6

Comment by Neil Ostroff on January 9, 2013 at 12:59pm

Just a reminder Just wanted to remind all my followers that my latest mind-bending trip is now available on Kindle. Thanks so much and spread the word. What if everything we perceive, all we experience, is just a figment of someone else’s imagination? And what if that someone is dying? IMAGINATION A botched military mission finds new recruit Christopher Parker in a hostile prison camp. His life has become pain. To escape the prolonged misery of torture, Christopher journeys deep into his own memories and imagination, reliving his life in extreme detail. Imagery is so precise the people who occupy these memories believe they are living real lives. As each character explores ever-shifting landscapes of Christopher’s imagination they uncover a shocking truth; Christopher is slowly dying. Can they fight against Christopher’s own thoughts from convincing life to slip away before everything they know disappears forever? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATFC3JM https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ATFC3JM

Comment by Neil Ostroff on January 5, 2013 at 11:32am

Magical idea drawer

With my marketing efforts underway and my books uploaded on all the major writer’s sites, I am about ready to start my quest to write three novellas in the next year. I’m leaning toward the Dystopian genre, with a little sci-fi fantasy thrown in. I’m going to try and do a series, building on the plot book after book. I do have a few ideas that have been swimming around in my head for a few years and I recently pulled the “ideas” file from my cabinet. This file was thick with scraps of paper on which I’d written plots and story ideas of the last two decades. As I slowly read through each scrap I suddenly realized that I’ve already subconsciously incorporated most of these ideas into existing novels. In these notes, I saw the birth of IMAGINATION and DROP OUT and several others and realized I couldn’t repeat these ideas. As I filled my wastebasket with stales concepts, I suddenly came upon something fresh. An idea I’d penned on a beverage napkin about six years ago. The idea intrigued me. I sat for a few moments re-reading the two sentence tagline over and over, and then the small, haphazardly written summary of the plot. It was as if a curtain opened in my mind revealing a full stage of characters and plot twists. I could immediately foresee the future of these characters and how they would grow through the series. I could picture myself writing frantically through this winter as the temperature falls and the ground freezes solid. I realized right then, I have my next project.

http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Comment by CBM Christian Book Marketing on January 2, 2013 at 10:58pm

The Oldest Enemy, by Christian fiction writer Michael J. Webb, is a fascinating thriller that will keep readers coming back for more.  Filled with descriptive encounters with the supernatural, Webb’s fourth novel is a fast-paced, action-packed story that will keep you turning pages, and keep you up at night.  

The author has woven together intricate details of the past and present (including a World War II Nazi connection) with a biblical perspective and well-developed characters into an intriguing plot that will keep his readers on the edge of their seats.  An ancient evil has risen, and only one man can stop it from destroying the world.   Challenging and provocative, Webb insightfully illuminates the reality of the spiritual warfare being waged around us on a daily basis.  

Well-written and enticing, the story races toward an unexpected conclusion that will surely satisfy and “…stay with you,” as one reviewer wrote.  A must-read for those who enjoy the supernatural, intrigue, history, science fiction, and espionage written from a Christian worldview.   Michael J. Webb is a multi-published author who writes about the intersection of the supernatural, science fiction, and espionage all intertwined with history.  As a Christian, he gives insight into evil and the supernatural that, although invisible, is a reality in the world.  This novel involves that “old serpent,” Satan, working through the depravity of mankind to wreak havoc upon humanity.

You can find out more about the author and his books at Michael J. Webb or at Michael J. Webb’s Amazon Page. 

A Christian Book Marketing author's article blast sharing Christian authors and books worldwide.

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