tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post1990344369784020552..comments2024-03-29T01:47:48.560-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: F. Scott Fitzgerald Didn't Try Digital Publishing: a guest blog by Jeff ShelbyJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-49239009006395623982012-03-20T22:05:23.132-04:002012-03-20T22:05:23.132-04:00Fran - my plan is eventually to move it to all e-p...Fran - my plan is eventually to move it to all e-platforms just as soon as I best figure out how to do that. Again, my goal is to reach as many readers as possible and making it available on as many platforms as possible is the goal. I'll keep you posted.<br /><br />And thanks again to everyone for all the kind words and the hospitality - much appreciated!!!Jeff Shelbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04175426711151685508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-63875097495498243602012-03-20T21:59:16.339-04:002012-03-20T21:59:16.339-04:00I think the free book offers on Kindle, etc, are a...I think the free book offers on Kindle, etc, are a good way to "try out" an author, just as libraries are. Speaking for myself, libraries have traditionally provided my introduction to an author whose books I later purchase. The Kindle is now doing that for me as well.<br /><br />Lucy,you wondered about people downloading books and then not reading them. I buy physical books that I do not plan to read immediately but that I know I WILL read when the time is right: vacation (generally,if it is fiction or memoir) or to have on hand for when I will need the info (if it is a reference book). I have quite a few books on Kindle that are really just too heavy for me to handle physically or because I own the physical version and want to reread it when I'm on vacation and it's easier to have my reading material on Kindle than to have to lug around a totebag of half a dozen or more books. I swear I can take eight books on vacation with me,read them all and then look for the closest bookstore so I can buy more books for the rest of my vacation! Last August was the first time I took the Kindle on vacation and I kept thinking I had forgotten a piece of luggage when I was on the train!<br /><br />I have lately been wondering if people objected to moving to those newfangled bound books from scrolls: "I will NEVER understand how anyone would want to hold a bunch of mechanically written pages bound between two pieces of board instead of picking up one piece of paper at a time and running their fingers lovingly down each individual handwritten scroll!"Deb Romanonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-91000087285448549272012-03-20T21:51:59.963-04:002012-03-20T21:51:59.963-04:00Whoo, Laura! Amazing!
Jeff, Keep us posted..and c...Whoo, Laura! Amazing!<br /><br />Jeff, Keep us posted..and congratulations..xoxooHank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85041227121610675942012-03-20T20:34:50.328-04:002012-03-20T20:34:50.328-04:00Congratulations Jeff--that's a lovely, uplifti...Congratulations Jeff--that's a lovely, uplifting story. I hope you keep us posted about what comes next and how this affects future offers and decisions. <br /><br />I'm always curious about how many people actually READ what they download! I'm guilty of jumping on free offers, but then ignoring my kindle to read physical books.<br /><br />And Laura, YAY for you! that's an incredible number of books to churn out and you deserve some thinking time!Lucy Burdettehttp://www.lucyburdette.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-26596838870450387582012-03-20T18:34:42.153-04:002012-03-20T18:34:42.153-04:00Jeff, will it be available through Google ebooks e...Jeff, will it be available through Google ebooks ever, or are you locked in to Amazon? I ask since I know those of us who are members of Indiebound would like to be able to promote and sell it, but obviously if it's Kindle only, we can't.Franhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15073658261122703742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-8979599038038000492012-03-20T16:16:37.082-04:002012-03-20T16:16:37.082-04:00Congrats, Jeff! Great blog. I just typed "Th...Congrats, Jeff! Great blog. I just typed "The End" at the bottom of my 12th contracted manuscript (in three years) and I'm taking time off to look at my options. This is very thought-provoking. Thanks.<br />PS: I love the Noah Braddock books and am glad the third is finally coming out.Laura DiSilveriohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01603655651769232107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24984136894006112072012-03-20T15:25:17.061-04:002012-03-20T15:25:17.061-04:00Julia - it really is a balancing act and the probl...Julia - it really is a balancing act and the problem is that it feels like in some corners, authors are being asked to choose sides, which really isn't fair. I received a couple of snarky comments from a bookstore person about cozying up with Amazon and how I was turning my back on stores. Nothing could be further from the truth. But the reality is that as the business changes, we have to change to. We have to go to the places where we can find readers. This isn't me giving the finger to traditional publishing and bookstores. This is me expanding my readership base with a new opportunity.Jeff Shelbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04175426711151685508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-23255686865876805052012-03-20T14:17:50.730-04:002012-03-20T14:17:50.730-04:00I think Jeff makes a good point--for the writer, s...I think Jeff makes a good point--for the writer, spreading the love between traditional publishing, bookstores, digital publishing and ebooks should mean multiple income streams and building an audience across platforms. For the reader, it should mean getting to buy (or borrow) the kind of books she likes, in the form she likes, at the retail location or library she prefers. <br /><br />If the industry can come to a balancing point on all this, it will be a win/win/win situation for all booklovers.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-1733683203507177272012-03-20T13:22:31.714-04:002012-03-20T13:22:31.714-04:00Rhys - I think that's the biggest misconceptio...Rhys - I think that's the biggest misconception out there that writers have to battle against. None of us are anti-bookstore - but with the changing landscape, we have to seek new avenues to find readers and - no one ever likes to say this out loud - make money.Jeff Shelbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04175426711151685508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-48740582609232244532012-03-20T12:25:46.609-04:002012-03-20T12:25:46.609-04:00Jeff, what an interesting story! It's obvious...Jeff, what an interesting story! It's obviously a really good book or I don't think "free" would have translated so successfully into "paid."<br /><br />We are sort of neighbors, by the way. I live in McKinney and lived for ten years in trophy club (sorry, caps lock key sticking). I'm thrilled to see a fellow "local" writer doing so well!Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519514786198185277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-86985415159441662922012-03-20T11:44:40.743-04:002012-03-20T11:44:40.743-04:00This is truly fascinating. I like reading this bec...This is truly fascinating. I like reading this because I'm straddling the fence at the moment--hunting (because that's what it's beginning to feel like) for an agent while also revising another novel to experiment with, as you did, with epublishing...Congratulations! That's gotta feel great!Lisa Alberhttp://www.lisaalber.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-92021394577468262082012-03-20T11:24:16.802-04:002012-03-20T11:24:16.802-04:00Congratulations, Jeff. What a crazy world we live ...Congratulations, Jeff. What a crazy world we live in. I am trying to champion the independent bookstores but at the same time I'm making a great living with my e-book sales too. So I can't be anti-Amazon.<br /><br />I fascinated to see how this all will develop. But it comes down to one thing. You must have written a good book in the first place. There is a lot of rubbish out there!Rhys Bowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06663634889908752121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-28905326491593602652012-03-20T11:12:01.276-04:002012-03-20T11:12:01.276-04:00Linda - I did do it at the same time as the releas...Linda - I did do it at the same time as the release of Stay At Home Dead. Since that series is written under a pseudonym, there really wasn't any direct conflict and truthfully - I think that book has benefited from the attention Thread of Hope has received. I think a few more people bought SAHD that might not have been interested otherwise. So - win, win:)Jeff Shelbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04175426711151685508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-68101918190436126952012-03-20T10:39:17.662-04:002012-03-20T10:39:17.662-04:00What a great story, Jeff! Like Jan, I laughed out ...What a great story, Jeff! Like Jan, I laughed out loud during parts of it. And like Edith, I have friends who've used KDP with varied results. It seems that when it hits, it hits big. I do notice that the success stories seem to have in common past traditional published novels, which may well correlate to the ability or willingness to revise and copy edit until it's a high-quality manuscript.<br /><br />Did you do this at the same time your new book was coming out from your new trad publisher? How do they feel about it?Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25221673388926997982012-03-20T10:09:48.713-04:002012-03-20T10:09:48.713-04:00Wow. What a fabulous story!! And since I laughed ...Wow. What a fabulous story!! And since I laughed out loud several times during hte blog itself, I'm sure the books are a riot, too! <br /><br />THanks for the inspiration as well as the laughs!Jan Broganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11323983086318138814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-49287829874852246152012-03-20T09:35:45.544-04:002012-03-20T09:35:45.544-04:00Thanks to all for the kind words:)
Hank - I think...Thanks to all for the kind words:)<br /><br />Hank - I think alot of it has to do with the power of Amazon. Once you go way up on any of their lists, the system starts "suggesting" you to potential customers. And I think I completely underestimated the power of suggestion to potential book buyers. <br /><br />But I'm not really sure what the magic formula is...I wish I did so I could share:)Jeff Shelbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04175426711151685508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-88940698199956548582012-03-20T09:32:13.448-04:002012-03-20T09:32:13.448-04:00YAy, Jeff!! xo
You know seriously, I heard this h...YAy, Jeff!! xo<br /><br />You know seriously, I heard this happened to someone else..and I cannot figure it out. A book is free, terrific, and then it isn't. ANd then people buy it. <br /><br />Why would that be, do you think? The free-readers read it, and love it, and tell their friends-who then buy it? Or what are your thoughts about this?<br /><br />I mean--one might think people would say--oh, I missed the free day, forget about it then.fHank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56862396547316761082012-03-20T08:50:36.134-04:002012-03-20T08:50:36.134-04:00Great to hear of your success, Jeff. Keep those f...Great to hear of your success, Jeff. Keep those fingers on the keyboard.<br /><br />BrendaBrenda Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14161539130987122737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24065809339598407442012-03-20T08:39:37.552-04:002012-03-20T08:39:37.552-04:00Wait. Jeff is SMART? (Ha! Oh, we kid because we lo...Wait. Jeff is SMART? (Ha! Oh, we kid because we love...) Seriously, congratulations on your success Jeff, but it couldn't be more deserved. Despite those embarrassing bladder issues, you are a remarkably talented writer!!Alison Gaylinhttp://www.alisongaylin.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42903852932360450022012-03-20T07:23:28.314-04:002012-03-20T07:23:28.314-04:00Congrats, Jeff ... great to hear of your success.Congrats, Jeff ... great to hear of your success.Tony Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11508766730696664975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-4130805483998179922012-03-20T07:11:23.283-04:002012-03-20T07:11:23.283-04:00What an amazing ride, Jeff! Congratulations. KDP S...What an amazing ride, Jeff! Congratulations. KDP Select hasn't worked quite as well for a few people I know and has gotten good results for a few, too, although not as good as yours. And it's obviously the quality of the book that got you there. Which I'm going to add to my TBR pile.Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.com