[jhowell]

Update on Book Bale

Dear Reader,

I just wanted to give you an update on the Book Bale Program.

First, thank you to all of you who have agreed to test the system. Your input (just your using the system, even if you have not sent in feedback) has been invaluable. Based on everything we have heard, we are set for the August 11, launch.

Many of you already are aware of it, but I would like to mention it again that our site was NOT created from the ground up, but is a heavily customized site based on an existing platform (WIX). There were quite a few reasons for this, including a well established system for creating payment structure and an industry leading up-time service.

And, quite frankly, the cost. While it is not cheap customizing to the degree we have with a programming team, the cost would have been exponentially higher had we built a robust system from the ground up.

However this does mean that we are limited in our ability to modify the site.

Having said that we are addressing many of the issues and suggestions raised. Including adding an author listing (even though it is static, and we are working on making it interactive), tweaking things like the sign-up screen where we were told the 'flow' if using tabs was incorrect.

But the biggest change we are working on is from feedback that we got from a lot of you -- that a lower price point with a lesser coupon amount would be preferable. Under the current scheme members can download up to 20 eBooks. This is way too much for most readers.

We are going to half the membership fee to $4.99 and half the amount of the coupon (to $30). We were trying to create both options (and here is were limited customization comes in) it seems like the WIX engines are prohibiting us from doing multiple offers like that. So we will just switch the plan.

You will, of course be told about the change and told if you need to do anything.

Finally a number of you have asked about more books, since none have been uploaded for a while. The reason is that we had stopped doing so while we make some of these changes (just trying not to complicate stuff). Some publishers have submitted material (including Lightspeed, Fantasy and Horror magazines, and Locus), and some have yet to so. But we will be uploading new titles in the next couple of weeks.

Anyway, onwards to August 11: Thank You and Good Evening,

Shahid