The value of e-books...

I was watching the Today show this morning and saw a story where they interviewed Dr. Ian K. Smith about his new book, "The Truth About Men." Dr. Smith was articulate, funny, and I liked what I heard. Any time I hear about a non-fiction book that strikes my interest, especially if it's one I can potentially use as research for my own writing (in this case, for male characters), I grab it. It's not the first time I've bought a book based on seeing it on the Today show.

I literally reached over to my bedside table, grabbed my nook, and bought the book. $11.99 and five minutes later, I was reading it.

And it's a great book.

My point to all those authors out there still stubbornly holding out for a "traditional" book deal with a "traditional" publisher, don't forget the instant gratification factor. He literally sold at least one book (and who knows how many others to people like me) by appearing on the Today show. Before his interview was over, as a matter of fact. If I'd had to wait to buy the book, to go out to a bookstore and get it, or order it to come from a site online as dead-tree book, I probably wouldn't have gotten around to it, if ever. It would have slipped my mind. He most likely would have lost the sale, or at least not had an immediate sale. But because the book was available in e-book format, I grabbed it.

I don't know how much he makes per e-book, but I know I (and other indie-pubbed authors, as well as self-pubbed authors) tend to make MORE per e-book sale than we do print books. We can sell less books and make more money, in other words.

So just a friendly reminder as to why you should never look down your nose at e-books. They can result in sales you might never have had.

When will it be available on Kindle?

I get that question a lot. Now that my Tymber Dalton fiction will be releasing exclusively through Siren-BookStrand, I know I'll be getting it a lot more frequently.

You CAN buy my books for your Kindle (or nook or whatever) straight from Siren-BookStrand. And if you have a Kindle, all you have to do is go into your Kindle account on Amazon and allow your device to get emails from Siren. And log into your Siren-BookStrand account and plug in your Kindle's email address. Then, when you buy books for your Kindle from Siren, they'll be automagically sent to your device.

Easy!

And if you don't like that option, simply buy the books in your format, download them (all browsers have a Downloads history, in Chrome and IE, it's Ctrl+J) and then use your USB cable to drag and drop them into your Documents folder on your e-reader. (Or whatever the folder is called on your e-reader.)

Easy! And that way, you don't have to wait weeks for the book to release on Kindle/nook/wherever.

Did you get an e-book reader under the tree?

Are you one of the lucky ones who got your very first e-book reader or tablet (where you can install e-reader apps) under the tree? Regardless of the brand, there are many similarities and you should know a few basic facts.

1. You are NOT locked into only buying e-books from the reader's manufacturer. You only need e-books formatted to work on your particular reader. For example, .prc works on Kindle, .epub works on nook and Kobo, etc. You can buy books from many legitimate sources, such as directly from independent publishers and authorized third-party outlets (like BookStrand.com, AllRomanceEbooks.com, Smashwords.com or CoffeeTimeRomance.com). Some third-party retailers even offer a service to email files directly to your device. (But make sure your account is set up to accept those emails or they won't reach your device!)

2. If your reader comes with a USB cable, you can drag and drop files easily from your computer to your reader. Some readers come with Wi-Fi and not a cable. In that case, refer to your reader's instructions on how to transfer files.

3. If you find an e-book you really want, but can only get it in say .pdf format, you can use the Calibre conversion software (free) at http://calibre-ebook.com/ and convert it to your reader's format.

4. There are tons of LEGALLY available, free e-books at: http://www.gutenberg.org/ And careful searches of bestseller lists on Amazon, nook, and other authorized resellers will reveal free e-books there, too.

Enjoy your new toy! :)

Save a tree (and your sanity!) - read an e-book!

Black Friday shopping. Holiday shopping in general. Insanity.

I personally think all three terms should be linked hand-in-hand. This year, instead of going nuts, go digital! Save a tree - read an e-book. E-book readers are now widely available for under $100, and make the perfect gift for family and kids. And now with so many people carrying iPhones, Androids, and other smart phones, and with iPads and other tablets, you don't even need an e-reader. You can read on the go, anywhere, with mobile apps from Kindle, nook, and others.

Give the gift of reading. Most larger publishers have gift certificates available that you can gift to the reader in your life. (Or when family asks you what you want, give them the urls to your favorite online book retailers!)

For those few people who still balk at e-readers, remember it's the words, not the medium, that makes a "book." E-readers have benefits such as flexible font, so if you have older eyes like me, you don't have to squint to read. You can carry waaaay more e-books on a small, lightweight device than you can dead-tree books. And e-books are ecologically more sound, saving precious natural resources from unnecessary destruction.

Best of all, you can shop in your PJs and never leave the house, not have to fight crazy shoppers, not have to loose sleep. You can stay home, eat your leftovers, snug and happy and best of all, finish your holiday shopping in minutes instead of weeks.

So save a tree - read an e-book!

Kobo comparison part one.

Well, because I'm a geek addicted to gadgets, I picked up a Kobo e-reader from Sprawlmart today. (They also sell nook and I believe Sony and another reader I'd never heard of and can't remember.)

So far, I'm not impressed.

I paid $129. For $20 more, you can get a basic nook.

Pros: lightweight, not a lot of bells and whistles.

Cons: not a lot of bells and whistles, so far haven't succeeded in making it recognize my wireless network.

You can drag and drop content directly to the reader on your desktop, or supposedly wirelessly (but since I can't make it connect to my WiFi network, I can't try that).

As I play with it more, I'll report. I also want a color nook, but I haven't been able to get my hands on one yet. LOL

So far, my favorites are (in order of preference): nook, Kindle (close second), iPad, Sony e-reader (PR-505 is the model we have, an older one), Kobo.

I can also read on my Droid X, and that's not bad at all.