Free noir thriller - [SEE POST #107] - Page 3

TGS · 06-26-2010, 05:50 PM

Give the guy a break! OK so is offer is only good for Kindlers - which make it useless to me - but some people can get a free book, which might be OK. And that's a good thing surely?
Although I do think the OP needs to be sensitive to the advice given by Marc the Mod - and the quicker we get the dedicated "post here to flog your book" section the better.

findjon · 06-26-2010, 06:30 PM

It seems I have offended some non-Kindle users. It was not intentional. If you were offended, I apologize.

The reason I'm focusing on Kindle is relatively simple. The $5 Amazon gift card is an experiment. Kindle has, by far, the largest market share for e-readers. With Kindle, I can keep my arms around this experiment.

This experiment started because Amazon made it easy for authors to publish on Kindle. I put it up there to see what would happen. (I tried to put it up at Sony, but at the time they would accept books only from qualified publishers, which I'm not.)

I'm adding a little marketing as I go along. This offer is part of that effort. The results? Too early to tell, except for some of the anger I caused.

So, if you've got a Kindle, here's the offer:

I would like you to read my novel Red Chaser. I’ll provide a free copy.

RED CHASER is a noir thriller of the 1950s, the Cold War and the Brooklyn Dodgers. (There are 34 reviews of it on Amazon.com: 18 5-star ratings, 15 4-stars, one 3-star).

If you want to read it for free (and you get a buck*), just email me at findjon@msn.com and say, “I’d like to read Red Chaser.” I'll have Amazon email you the gift card for Red Chaser.

* Red Chaser is a Kindle book. I'll have Amazon email you a gift certificate. The smallest gift certificate at Amazon is $5, so after you download Red Chaser for $3.99, you'll have a buck in change. Spend it wisely!

Jon Spoelstra
findjon@msn.com

obs20 · 06-26-2010, 06:41 PM

When you plan to promote on Smashwords. Let us know.
Right now there are zero reviews for your book on that site.
Smashwords supports just about every device. Put up a promotion and we'll post reviews not only on Smashwords but on Amazon as well.

SneakySnake · 06-26-2010, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obs20

When you plan to promote on Smashwords. Let us know.
Right now there are zero reviews for your book on that site.
Smashwords supports just about every device. Put up a promotion and we'll post reviews not only on Smashwords but on Amazon as well.

Smashwords is definitely my favourite place. Its too easy, and doesn't charge us Ozzies (et al) an extra two bucks to get a book.

joobies · 06-26-2010, 07:56 PM

I looked into this a bit... got a sample and found it was not my cup of tea.

I can read the history of the period but find it difficult to embrace some of the personalities of the time.

Good luck with your promotion, Findjon.

Worldwalker · 06-27-2010, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGS

Give the guy a break! OK so is offer is only good for Kindlers - which make it useless to me - but some people can get a free book, which might be OK. And that's a good thing surely?

He could have made it free for everyone.

He didn't, though, because it's his preference to support Kindle only.

Why he's leaving money (or reviews) on the table escapes me completely.

lene1949 · 06-27-2010, 02:25 AM

I know I'm not going to pay $0.99 for a $3.99 book with a $5 gift certificate... Especially not when the person is trying so hard to promote his/her book for one reader only.

It just doesn't make sense

RedRoverJ · 06-27-2010, 03:06 AM

We should still cut the guy some slack. He is attempting to market his book on his own. So what if his idea wasn't warmly received here, at least there was an effort made. He will likely retool his strategy and come back better prepared next time.

I, as well, cannot accept his offer since I do not own a Kindle. However, the intent was good, although his execution might have been a little off.

The bottom line is that authors who try to independently release their works should be supported. If their writing is not your cup of tea, so be it, but at least recognize that an effort was made to do thing a little differently.

We need more people to step up and put themselves out there or we will never see the end of agency pricing or other backhanded methods of keeping eBooks sales down.

kacir · 06-27-2010, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by findjon

It seems I have offended some non-Kindle users. It was not intentional. If you were offended, I apologize.

I am one of people that informed you that there are many e-book readers that can not read Kindle books.

I am not offended. I was just trying to be helpful in a polite manner.
I think I see what you are trying to do. Trying to boost the popularity of the book in Amazon store so you break some magical threshold and kick-start a kind of self-sustaining interest. Something that Boyd Morrison managed to do with his novel The Ark. He just used a little bit different means.

I sincerely wish you good luck.
An unknown writer needs lots of luck today if he wants to break through without dancing to the tune the Big Publishers are singing.

frquixote · 06-29-2010, 04:25 PM

Well said, RedRoverJ.

steph_g · 06-30-2010, 12:47 PM

I just wanted to say that I took this deal and did get the amazon credit. I have downloaded the book and will be reading it soon. This is not a scam as some people thought. Just FYI. If you're interested in reading this, this is a great deal. Thanks Jon!

BookCat · 07-01-2010, 12:42 AM

Why not give a Smashwords free coupon? Then we could download in our desired format.

Perhaps mods might consider allowing "plugging" only by members who've posted a certain amount, or achieved a particular Karma level?

nashira · 07-01-2010, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BookCat

Why not give a Smashwords free coupon? Then we could download in our desired format.

Perhaps mods might consider allowing "plugging" only by members who've posted a certain amount, or achieved a particular Karma level?

Karma levels should not have anything to do with who can post what, people give it for all sorts of reasons. Some people don't really give it/notice it at all.

hch568 · 07-01-2010, 01:11 AM

This is a real deal, I got the gift card, and will pay the $0.99 differences because the cost of the book is $5.99 in my geo-region. I plan to read it on my netbook (I got two sets of batteries, it will last for more than 12 hours before recharging both), and I've got the Kindle for PC software. I'm still trying to find out how to register my HP netbook to Kindle store before I can place an order for the book.

I think he is really brave to put his book and an offer of gift coupon here and ready to face such "rage" and suspicion (maybe he didn't know in advance). ;-)

steph_g · 07-01-2010, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BookCat

Why not give a Smashwords free coupon? Then we could download in our desired format.

Perhaps mods might consider allowing "plugging" only by members who've posted a certain amount, or achieved a particular Karma level?

This has already been discussed in this thread. What does this offer have to do with # of posts or karma? It's a legit offer. It should be up to the author to decide the terms.

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06-26-2010, 05:50 PM	#31
TGS Country Member Posts: 9,058 Karma: 7676767 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Denmark Device: Liseuse: Irex DR800. PRS 505 in the house, and the missus has an iPad.	Give the guy a break! OK so is offer is only good for Kindlers - which make it useless to me - but some people can get a free book, which might be OK. And that's a good thing surely? Although I do think the OP needs to be sensitive to the advice given by Marc the Mod - and the quicker we get the dedicated "post here to flog your book" section the better.

06-26-2010, 06:30 PM	#32
findjon Member Posts: 19 Karma: 20000 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kindle	It seems I have offended some non-Kindle users. It was not intentional. If you were offended, I apologize. The reason I'm focusing on Kindle is relatively simple. The $5 Amazon gift card is an experiment. Kindle has, by far, the largest market share for e-readers. With Kindle, I can keep my arms around this experiment. This experiment started because Amazon made it easy for authors to publish on Kindle. I put it up there to see what would happen. (I tried to put it up at Sony, but at the time they would accept books only from qualified publishers, which I'm not.) I'm adding a little marketing as I go along. This offer is part of that effort. The results? Too early to tell, except for some of the anger I caused. So, if you've got a Kindle, here's the offer: I would like you to read my novel Red Chaser. I’ll provide a free copy. RED CHASER is a noir thriller of the 1950s, the Cold War and the Brooklyn Dodgers. (There are 34 reviews of it on Amazon.com: 18 5-star ratings, 15 4-stars, one 3-star). If you want to read it for free (and you get a buck), just email me at findjon@msn.com and say, “I’d like to read Red Chaser.” I'll have Amazon email you the gift card for Red Chaser. Red Chaser is a Kindle book. I'll have Amazon email you a gift certificate. The smallest gift certificate at Amazon is $5, so after you download Red Chaser for $3.99, you'll have a buck in change. Spend it wisely! Jon Spoelstra findjon@msn.com

06-26-2010, 06:41 PM	#33
obs20 Wizard Posts: 2,782 Karma: 29028512 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Florida Device: Sony PRS 600, Nook ST, Toshiba Excite 10.1 AT 300	When you plan to promote on Smashwords. Let us know. Right now there are zero reviews for your book on that site. Smashwords supports just about every device. Put up a promotion and we'll post reviews not only on Smashwords but on Amazon as well.

06-26-2010, 07:56 PM	#35
joobies Addict Posts: 234 Karma: 1856 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Midwest USA Device: Kindle 1, Sony PRS-505	I looked into this a bit... got a sample and found it was not my cup of tea. I can read the history of the period but find it difficult to embrace some of the personalities of the time. Good luck with your promotion, Findjon.

06-27-2010, 02:25 AM	#37
lene1949 Wizard Posts: 1,952 Karma: 213930 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Middelfart, Denmark Device: Kindle paper white	I know I'm not going to pay $0.99 for a $3.99 book with a $5 gift certificate... Especially not when the person is trying so hard to promote his/her book for one reader only. It just doesn't make sense

06-27-2010, 03:06 AM	#38
RedRoverJ Zealot Posts: 125 Karma: 314 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada, Eh! Device: Kobo	We should still cut the guy some slack. He is attempting to market his book on his own. So what if his idea wasn't warmly received here, at least there was an effort made. He will likely retool his strategy and come back better prepared next time. I, as well, cannot accept his offer since I do not own a Kindle. However, the intent was good, although his execution might have been a little off. The bottom line is that authors who try to independently release their works should be supported. If their writing is not your cup of tea, so be it, but at least recognize that an effort was made to do thing a little differently. We need more people to step up and put themselves out there or we will never see the end of agency pricing or other backhanded methods of keeping eBooks sales down.

06-29-2010, 04:25 PM	#40
frquixote Addict Posts: 230 Karma: 2448688 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kapolei, Oahu, HI Device: KOBO Libra 2, Kindle PW3, Samsung 8A Tablet, Samsung S10e Phone	Well said, RedRoverJ.

06-30-2010, 12:47 PM	#41
steph_g Book Lover Posts: 74 Karma: 124 Join Date: May 2010 Device: iPad, iPhone 3GS	I just wanted to say that I took this deal and did get the amazon credit. I have downloaded the book and will be reading it soon. This is not a scam as some people thought. Just FYI. If you're interested in reading this, this is a great deal. Thanks Jon!

07-01-2010, 12:42 AM	#42
BookCat C L J Posts: 2,912 Karma: 21115458 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Birmingham UK Device: Sony e-reader 505, Kindle PW2, Kindle PW3, Kobo Libra2	Why not give a Smashwords free coupon? Then we could download in our desired format. Perhaps mods might consider allowing "plugging" only by members who've posted a certain amount, or achieved a particular Karma level?

07-01-2010, 01:11 AM	#44
hch568 Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 14 Join Date: May 2010 Device: IPad2, EZRead Touch, Garmin-Asus M10	This is a real deal, I got the gift card, and will pay the $0.99 differences because the cost of the book is $5.99 in my geo-region. I plan to read it on my netbook (I got two sets of batteries, it will last for more than 12 hours before recharging both), and I've got the Kindle for PC software. I'm still trying to find out how to register my HP netbook to Kindle store before I can place an order for the book. I think he is really brave to put his book and an offer of gift coupon here and ready to face such "rage" and suspicion (maybe he didn't know in advance). ;-)