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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1 comment:

  1. Yes they do feed off one another. Amazon is the known quanity, so when they show a book, it's the real deal. Then the customer can read it on smashwords(50% for free). If they like it and want it physically or to use as a gift, then back to Amazon to order their print version.

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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.