New imprint, Angry Robots. It’s genres span from science fiction to fantasy, with swashbuckling along side space travel.
Introduced are various authors; they go beyond merely talking about their titles though. The authors are excited to share but at the end of the video there’s a section about e-book signing.
Kindle, Sony E-Reader, iPhone – they all let you buy and read books without purchasing a hard copy. Many folks still enjoy though getting the author to sign their copy of a book. What happens though when most content is downloaded.
Amazon and Sony should create an e-signature standard for digital content. Imagine the author sitting at their workstation and having a queue of requests for digital signatures for their works.
Requests organized by book or song title could be browsed. Each requester allowed one sentence or so many words to describe their signature request. This could even get more fun with creators able to add additional digital content beyond signing the work. How wonderful would it be to get an autographed photo alongside that new album or book.
Solutions are left to the audience and e-reader manufacturers.
There are good ways and bad ways to do anything I suppose. In the world of the Internet there are thousands trying every variation in both directions. So why would I want to add to that? Heck, I know you’re gluttons.
Michael Martine, a respected voice in the blogosphere, took time out to share his insight into writing an e-book. Okay, not just writing, more like taking it from a germ of an idea into money in your pocket, and a quick tour of the in between stuff. Michael isn’t selling this information, he’s practically pushing it on you. You might ask why?
Left to themselves, folks will take the easy and short route to doing anything. Good or bad. Unfortunately, with all of the bloggers out there latching onto the smell of money, money earned by the likes of Chris Brogan and Gary Vee, that people are tripping over themselves to squeeze out an e-book. Michael wants your ego trip to be successful.
One might think this is purely out of his generous nature. Or maybe because he is sad for folks that write poorly, or don’t market the best. The truth is more selfish.
Michael is tired of the crap mucking up the market. He won’t say that, but I’m here to say it. Yeah, Darren Rowse just started selling an e-book that’s 90% rehash of a blog series, and it’s going like hot cakes. Unfortunately, for every great little number like this, 10 of you are going to write another ‘how-to’ blogging e-book. Yours and the guy’s next to you, their going to suck.
I’m not calling you out as a fake. I’m challenging that you’re really going to put forth the effort to make a winning product. Oh, you’ll design a great cover, then him and haw over the actual writing. Another guy out there will write 11 pages of great copy and never let anyone see it until he’s trying to sell it on the virtual corner. Finally, Jane out there, yeah Jane, she’ll write half-way decent copy, get someone to edit it, but let her best friend do the cover. You know the cover; the one that said ‘drawn by the kindergarten class of 2009′ to your eyes.
I’ve given you some hints about what not to do. That’s of some value. Maybe enough to make you stop and reconsider before you release that ‘killer’ e-book, the e-book to bind them all. Maybe it won’t. But I’m going to encourage you to do something for me first.
Think so? Pimp out your e-book in my comments. If you get any sales, come back here and brag. If not, guess we’ll be waiting a while longer for your masterpiece.