Nook – Mythic Scribes Test Site

This is the first in a two-part series by Alexandra Butcher. Part two is here.

Indie authors are given an almost overwhelming amount of advice about promoting and marketing their book, a great deal of which is contradictory.

It has to be said there is NO single path to take which works for every author. One person may find a good deal of success with one way, and the next finds that it simply does not work.

One of the most controversial ways is to offer a book for free. Amazon’s KDP Select Programme allows self-published authors to do just this. In return for exclusivity to Amazon, an author can offer his or her book for five days free promotion in every ninety day term. The theory being readers will take a chance on a free book by an unknown or little known author which they may not otherwise consider.

I love books. I love the way that they feel in my hands. I love how they smell. To me, every book is a treasure.

Hence, when the eBook craze began I was a doubter. In fact, I was a fairly vocal critic of the movement. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would choose to download and read a digital manuscript when they had the option of reading a real book.

Slowly, my resistance has been melting away.

First, my sister-in-law showed me her NOOK eReader. At first glance, the screen looked like paper. I was amazed by the E Ink technology, and just how easy it is on my eyes.

Second, I’m running out of space in my home and office. Since my wife and I became parents, space has been at a premium. Our home bookshelves are filled with rows of books, one layer piled upon another. My office bookshelves are also at maximum capacity. I love to buy and read books, but I’m simply out of space.

The Great Free Book Debate: The Readers

eBooks – Taking the Plunge