Saturday, November 21, 2009

...more about "ebooks"


...here’s an interesting statistic for you book readers. It has been reported that Amazon tested the sales of four different books they sold in the typical printed version AND in “ebook” form. In February 2009, the test sample indicated ebook sales were 10% that of the printed versions. In May 2009, ebook sales were 35% of the printed versions. Most recently, October 2009, ebook sales amounted to 48%. An ebook growth trend from 1 in 10 book sales to just less than one half of all book sales in a period less than 10 months. Ebook sales present day only account for about 5% of all total book sales. Ebook sales have experienced 100 percent growth the last two years. What will it be in five years?


Bottom line...any author not looking at the ebook marketing channel may not be selling all the books they could. Let’s not forget abooks (audio) and of course there will still be “some” pbooks (printed), around, at least until the bookstores run out of money (Amazon probably takes about half the market of pbooks sold now...so it won’t be long).

What drives ebook sales? Price...plain and simple. Most ebooks are $9.99 (Amazon for Kindle) and now (Kindle for PC). The industry says Amazon is losing money because of the high costs from publishers. That will change too. How long before authors cut deals directly etailers like Amazon, B&N, Borders and others coming on board everyday, like Smashwords. Not only can you get many books from these sources for a buck ninety-nine, you can get some “free.”

Take a look at the sales of iphones, Blackberry’s, Droid’s, etc., and the many app’s created for them. It’s phenomenal! There are plenty of people reading ebooks with these devices...more than with the Amazon Kindle, or the recent addition the new B&N “Nook” ereader (with the ebook sharing feature). The publishing industry is changing rapidly. Are you ready? And...yes my book Character Happens! will have an ebook edition...how could it not.

Here’s a few links to further your knowledge:
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/ (a thriller writer who also writes on “writing”)
Kindle for PC (to get free software from Amazon to download books to your PC)
http://www.smashwords.com/ (ebook publisher and etailer, take a look)

Thursday, November 12, 2009

...a little word game.


...In answering a few comments left from a posting about my concern for “golf terminology” or phraseology or euphemism’s sprinkled about in the book’s text, I wondered the usefulness of a glossary of terms. One of my readers exclaimed that the less-savvy golf person might stumble (with further disenchantment), over some obscure golf terms. I asked if he thought a glossary would aid the reader. He said no. It’s as if he wanted to make a cautionary note about “some words,” but not so cautionary as to include a quick, perhaps one page, aid to immediately remedy the dilemma. Another writer-reader friend suggested it’s appropriate for book readers to “look up” a word or term that is unknown. I’m confused...hence, a survey. Below are some words and or phraseology particular to the sport golf. Some are found in other venues like sports or politics or other perverse writing’s...my interest is in your defining for me a “golf” context meaning of the word or phrase. To make it interesting...the one with the most answers correct will receive a Character Happens! book no charge, with free shipping and my signature (incredible value). Here they are: (post your definitions here in comments or email me).

· drive
· waggle
· draw
· putt
· four-ball
· chilly-dip
· chip
· hook
· chunk
· pitch
· fade
· press
· birdie
· bunker
· bogey
· choke
· fat
· first cut
· short grass
· hack
· sand
· trap
· pin
· block
· eagle
· cup
· OB
· shank
· push
· flop

Now...I suppose you could find all the definitions to these words, given the vastness of information resources in present day. However, cheating to receive a book about “Character” even though ironic would be an appropriate gift for someone to begin their new way of making decisions.
Thanks, --gg

Saturday, November 7, 2009

...here it is...

...here it is—the blog posting that hopefully will trigger my FB friends to “Follow this blog” You should find this “follow” link at the bottom of this posting. Needless to say I’m most grateful for you taking the time to do this for me. As I understand from all this...NetworkedBlogs, a partner with Facebook, will allow my blog into a display of other blogs of worthy note (many of which have thousands of followers). They will only allow this “exposure” for a blog who has at least 20 followers. Hence, the reason for my pleading email to you earlier in the week. Anyway, all for now...FYI, the last chapter “Humility” is coming along and hopefully it’ll be stridently poignant as the final chapter to the book. Thanks for visiting my blog and for those of you who discover the blog without a FB introduction...please click on the appropriate link below to aid my cause. (Link down right side of page where space with small pics are shown). –gg

...here's a direct link to the blog.... http://characterhappens.blogspot.com/ should you need it.

Monday, November 2, 2009

...Help! Need advice!

...Help! Okay, here's my plea...I need your help. Marketing of the book is as important they say (the people in the book-writing biz), as what is written between the covers! Incredible, I know...but I need your help with my efforts to get the word out about the book; Character Happens! The 5 Most Important—but Fleeting Virtues. Certainly some of you must have the knowledge or an idea of what additionally can be done to market the book’s arrival. Whatever your idea or suggestion...I want to hear it! It has always been an adage of mine that the true meaning of knowledge is... “the older you get the more you realize you don’t know what you don’t know.” Consequently, I’m not embarrassed about asking for help!

Additionally, a good “old” friend of mine who serves as a “reader” for me suggested that the verbiage in the first chapter might be somewhat foreign to those individual's who do not play golf. I asked if he thought a “glossary of terms” might be useful in the book. He said “No.” Now what?

Any advise you care to pass along...email me. Garry M. Graves

What are "The 5 Most Important--But Fleeting Virtures?"

Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Compassion and Humility.

.....this is a portion of the "introduction" or prologue to the book (not yet completed)...email with your comments.

The books title; Character Happens! The 5 Most Important—But Fleeting Virtues, describes my belief these five important virtues (Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Compassion, Humility), are sporadic in use and diminishing in personal character. The books message is in recognizing this “fleeting” nature and from that reinstitute a more virtuous choice in your decision making.

The paradox of the two words; Character Happens, with another two words: “S### Happens”* (decorum prevents use of actual word) is not without merit. My belief is that observed human character is much like, well...s###! This kind of observation can be disconcerting at times. So confusing that society can hardly make the distinction between the two words and there obvious different meaning. Individuals make virtuous and un-virtuous choices/decisions for innumerable reasons, both consciously and without deep thought. If we postulate; can an individual make a 'more' virtuous choice in life’s decisions should they want to do so? Answer—perhaps. How does one 'reinstitute a more virtuous choice' into their personal makeup...making the response more automatic? Answer—practice. With a concerted effort at 'practice' I believe...an individual might just develop a more 'repetitive' decent response...much like grooving a golf swing.

I love golf. I think the game is like no other. The five stories that make up Character Happens! have a golf storyline. Some readers may not be able to relate to the game of golf or its vernacular or for that matter, why people...a large number of people...love golf. Too bad! You should try it sometime...because it’s more than a game...it can be a life experience. The golf course environment alone is enough to put most people at ease.

Golf is a game played by the individual as opposed to being a member of a team, like baseball. Baseball has umpires who enforce the rules of the game. In golf you are the umpire. Because of this unique method of enforcing the games rules—golf is a “hotbed” for testing the players character...their honesty, their integrity, their courage and sometimes their compassion. And, because all golfers started from knowing nothing about the game; like how to swing, how to putt or chip... they also learn of humility. Now doesn’t it make perfect sense that a book about character would juxtaposition a storyline with the game of golf? Anyway, I thought so.

There are five stories, one for each virtue. The book has six main characters that make up a group of what I call 'golf buddies.' The storyteller, Spencer Madison, in reality is me. Well, somewhat like me...as I have a better golf game than Spencer. The five others vary in age, gender, education, religious beliefs and definitely personality. The 'binder' of the group or what brings them together; golf.

The reader will hopefully discover in their own lives a similar incident with one of the story’s in Character Happens! If not, that’s okay too...as the stories are earnest while humorous, carefree yet compelling. And, I believe each chapter or story makes a 'point' in this wonderful, wacky, dynamic world in the 21st century.

The stories are fictional as are the characters. Names, personalities or incidents are fictional and in no way resemble or refer to a living person. I’ve used paraphrasing of many authors’ ideas and concepts and have referenced them in a special section. Because of these references and the specific genre where the book is to be found, it’s categorized as a non-fictional, personal development book.


*...sorry
for the language but this word best describes the thought I want to convey. In Forrest Gump the term was used to describe situations that happen to all people for no particular reason.