Tuesday, April 27, 2010

…’New’ eBook price – now $1.99

$1.99Amazon …for a limited time (unless it’s incredibly well received), the eBook version of Character Happens! will be $1.99. This new price should take effect Thursday, April 29, 2010. My reasoning behind this reduction in price (for those of you suspicious of a marketing guy), is two-fold.

A. I’m a new unknown writer.

B. Writer talk is that Kindle owners and eBook readers are boycotting big publishers (with eBook pricing similar to paperbacks), and in greater numbers -- are not paying over $1.99 for eBooks.

C. (I know I said ‘two-fold’), nevertheless, it is my temperament to give as many people as possible a price-break on a purchase. Some of my long-time friends and business associates may disagree.

D. (I know, I know), perhaps at this $1.99 price you might choose to ‘gift’ a book to some worthy person, group or organization.

It is my hope this new price will garner additional eBook buyers, (I’m running out of family and friends) thus resulting in positive reviews posted on the respective eBook purchasing site. Reviews are helpful to others.

Thank you in advance for your purchase of Character Happens! And, for those unfamiliar with eBooks; you can read this digital version on your computer, your iPhone, Black-Berry, Droid, other or these new-fangled eReaders, like Kindle, Nook, Sony, Kobo, etcetera.

Here are two eBook retailers: Amazon and Smashwords (both have review accommodations). Thank You, --gg

Saturday, April 24, 2010

...Character Happens! contrasts Objectivism. Good!

...if, when, you’re a non-fiction writer, it is said, ‘you’re selling something not just telling a story.’ Well yes, I’ll admit, I am selling something. I’m selling people on the idea they can improve there lives by choosing to make a *better* decision, a more virtuous decision. A decision *considered* beyond the benefit of only themselves.


Ayn Rand, as others described her [Objectivism Philosophy] “...the proper moral purpose of one's life is the pursuit of one's own happiness or rational self-interest...” And, in her own words... “My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute."

Academics bore me. They bore me with their own ‘self-interest.’ I encourage you to join me in a ‘joined-bore-quest’ (JBQ), of being bored by academics. They espouse their plight; lack of money, lack of recognition, lack of power, of influence, on and on. They bore me with their forthrightness about wanting the rest of us to ‘feel their pain’ and reward them with accolades of aforementioned. Shallow? How can we measure the depth?

Character Happens! is NOT a golf book! It IS a book about character and virtue and decision making. Yes, the book uses *golf* stories to convey its message. Think of it as... “the moral of the story is,” blah, blah, blah. For those of you, who have a hard time following the storyline [golf] please refer to the glossary of golf terms to aid your understanding...remembering the golf story is only a vehicle to make a point.

FYI, a local independent bookstore (city pop: 9144 in year 2000), refused to have me speak to their Saturday morning book club. They don’t enjoy sports books. Another local community library (pop: 8389 in year 2000) didn’t allow me to conduct a reading, no reason given.

Writing a book is difficult. Marketing a book is more difficult. Anyone out there who wants to join 'JBQ' and be bored by academics? Let me know.

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Monday, April 19, 2010

Character Happens! Amazon has both eBook and Paperback...

...everyone, I suspect, knows where clicking on this button takes you. This time clicking will take you specifically to my book’s site-specific page, where on April 20, 2010, you will be able to (1) buy the printed book version for $15.95 (for those of you who still prefer the nuance of holding a paper book, smelling the new ink/paper, dog-earing pages, etcetera, or (2) buy the ebook version for $2.99 (for those who are early-adopters of technology, those who prefer to have the book along with 1500 other books at your immediate disposal, anytime, within reach through your phone, ereader or computer). And, saving the best for last; saving money.

eBooks are coming...fast. This year, 2010, you’ll see ebooks account for more than 10% of the total books being sold. That’s double from 2009. If ebooks are accepted at that rate (doubling each year), that means it will surpass ‘printed’ books within five years. I predict sooner. Why? Price! All populations, in varying degrees, budget. If you have an opportunity to spend ‘less’ on your book habit, then you might decide the nuance of stacks and stacks of printed books, shelf upon shelf of printed books are no longer carrying the mystic and majesty they once held in your life.

Not to worry. You’ll be fine. Remember when you longed-for the trip to Blockbuster to pick up that favorite VHS video of the latest release? The anticipation the trip triggered -- looking through all the germ-laden tape boxes, scurrying home with the booty, rushing through dinner...and then finally resting in bed or favorite chair to view your cherished selection. Tell me you’re going to miss that? Now, with your laptop hooked to the TV, you have in queue and at ready your streaming video from Netflix. Things have changed...and you’re better for it. Think of reading books similarly.

Character Happens! (the book), may change your life. At minimum, you’ll think a little deeper about your decision choices. There is no better time to improve your character. At $2.99 you could skip the McDonalds, Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts and take a chance on improving your life. Tell me if you think its money well spent. Cheers! --gg

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Monday, April 5, 2010

...Amazon site generates sales of both paperback and ebooks.

Since having the printed version of my book Character Happens! now posted on Amazon, the ebook version at Smashwords is selling too. One version seems to feed off the other. This is good as there are two different price points; $15.95 for the paperback and $2.99 for the ebook. The lower price for the ebook is to be expected and certainly deserves to be at that price. eBooks cost less to produce than paperbacks. eBooks have no printing cost, no paper cost, less formatting cost, no delivery or freight costs. As the ereader’s become more popular with the cost coming down from a high $600 (iPad), to the Kindle ($259) to the Kobo ($150), more and more ebooks will be sold and read. Yes, there will be more people who read books because of this phenomenon plus the heavy-reader population will read more books because of the ereader devices. And, I’ve not mentioned the apps for the iphones yet, add that in too.

All the classics for the most part are ‘free’ via the Gutenberg Project. This is a organization that has secured all old and out of print, out of copyright books and made them all available for zero cost to you, via an ebook. If you don’t have an ereader yet, not to worry, download to your laptop or desktop computer. Interestingly enough, given the incredible amount of ereader devices and phones...most ebooks are read on computers.

My Amazon site page is still sparse. I’ve submitted the information to ‘read inside’ the book, so it will be offered soon to readers. My author page with bio is short and sweet, not stuffy. Soon I will post some ‘tags’ as Amazon calls them. Now if I could get someone who has read the book to post a nice review...things would start to look much better on the Amazon site. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for all your kind words and compliments.
--gg

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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.