Good Books » Books

Kindle Author Puts Readers In Book, Then Kills Them

admin — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Kindle has changed the way authors write their books. And the way authors interact with readers. In fact, one author has begun putting readers in his books as characters, and then killing them off.

“As a joke, I put my girlfriend in my book, then had Jack Klak kill her off. She thought the idea was hilarious, and wanted to come back in the sequel” said Paul J Coleman, author of Jack Klak: MAESTRO.

Because of the instant feedback of the Internet, authors and readers can stay connected more than ever before. Amazon book reviews give authors a look inside reader’s minds, and many authors have blogs where fans can chat with them.

Mary Wilcox, Trends Analyst at ic7 Media said: “Paul started a thread on the Amazon Kindle forum asking for murder volunteers, the response was overwhelming. Authors can now speak directly to their readers right on their Kindles. It’s fun interactions like these that make Kindle books so powerful”

Paul says that anyone who is “chosen for death” in his latest book, will get a free Kindle copy of the book. “It’s my little way of saying thanks” added Coleman.

For readers who want to be included in his next thriller, you can visit his blog:

http://bookpumper.com/2010/12/kill-you-in-my-book/

Tips For Writing Your First Book – Important Things to Remember About Books by Glen Ford

admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:33:00 +0000

Here are some facts about writing a book that you should remember.

Books require someone to read the book. If you don’t have a group of readers you don’t have anything except a bunch of paper with type on it. You have to find the group you will sell most of the books to and concentrate on them. You can’t be all over. If you look at T.V. channels they always are aimed at a specific group of watchers. Cartoon channels are aimed at kids and teenagers, the news channels at those who want to be kept up to date, science-fiction channels, etc. They concentrate on one group of people, because otherwise nobody will watch them; it is the same with books.

All books need to meet a need. A weight loss book helps to meet the needs of someone who is trying to lose weight, while a fiction book meets the needs of someone who needs to be entertained. Your book must do the same: it needs to give the reader answers or solutions, or at least help them find these answers and solutions to their needs.

The best type of person with a need is someone with a problem or group of problems. Your readers are no different, so find a common problem in the community you are aiming at and work it to your advantage. All problems have solutions, so promise a solution to this problem in your book, and give them the solution. If it happens to be a fiction then make the character’s problem their problem now; they must feel like the only way for an answer is to buy your book and read it.

If you are publishing a book just for the sake of publishing a book it won’t work. It must have feeling. You must have a reason to write. Figure out why you want to – why you have to – write this book, and you will do much better. This will also be required for the blurb on the front of the book telling the reader a little about you. You have to know what entitles you to be able to write this book and help people with whatever problem they happen to have, whether it be a lack of entertainment or learning how to play the kazoo.

Many people today write books as a means of branding themselves. If this is your reason there is one important fact you need to know.

People really don’t give a darn about who the publisher is.

They care about what the book contains, how the writer can help them, and the fact that it’s published. What this means is that you don’t have to convince a traditional publishing house to publish your book. Modern on demand publishers have given you the capability to publish the book yourself. As far as the public is concerned, you’ll do just as well publishing under a name of your choosing. It is best not to use your name as the publisher’s name, however. Use something different enough for people to not know right away that it’s you publishing the books. The only problem of course, is that this doesn’t work with book sellers who continue to rely on the traditional publishing houses for their product.

Do you want to learn how to write a book in 24 hours? Take my brand new free course here: http://www.learningcreators.com/

Do you want to read more free information like this? Go to my blog: http://www.learningcreators.com/blog/

Writing a Captivating Preface For Your Book by Glen Ford

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:36:00 +0000

The title, the first sentence, the first paragraph, the first page, the preface… these are the five most important parts of your how to book. Why? Because these are the parts that will cause the reader to keep reading. And if the reader keeps reading they will eventually read the whole book! But if any one of these parts fails… the reader will stop reading.

So how can you be sure you are writing a captivating preface for your book?

The key is to start with the reader. Who are they? Why are they going to read your book? What is their pain point or problem that your book is going to resolve for them? Whatever your answers, whatever the rest of the book says, the books begins and ends with the reader and their pain points and problems. Or if you are positive, with a pleasure point. In between is your solution. So to keep the reader reading, focus on the reader.

The second part of the answer is to tell a story. You don’t normally think of a non-fiction book as having a story. But it does. They all do. And it’s the same story — just the details change. What’s the story? It’s the story of how you decided to write this book. Of how you met the same problems and solved them.

Don’t underestimate the value of this story.

Remember how you have been admonished to think of your target reader as a friend sitting across the dining room table from you. Or any other of a dozen other locations. The reason for this is to get you thinking of your reader as a real person — a person you know and like.

Well this story does the same thing to your reader. Just in reverse. It causes them to think of you as a real person… a friend, a person they like… and a person whom they can identify with.

So tell a story which establishes you as a real person who’s dealt with the same problem as your reader… and learned how to overcome it.

There are other techniques as well. But none will have the impact of writing a story.

For example, you can start the preface off with a question. This question can help to establish what the book is about. It can also help to establish your rapport with the reader. This works especially best if you then follow it up with a story.

Alternatively, you can start the preface off with an emotionally charged statement. A statement which is targeted toward the target reader’s pain or problem.

The point is to arrange the preface in a way that emotionally touches the reader. And a story about the author — and why this book is so important to your reader.

Do you want to learn how to write a book in 24 hours? Take my brand new free course here: http://www.learningcreators.com/

Do you want to read more free information like this? Go to my blog: http://www.learningcreators.com/blog/

Glen Ford is an accomplished consultant, trainer and writer. He has far too many years experience as a trainer and facilitator to willingly admit.

Can First Time Writers Get Book Reviews? by Peter Stockwell

admin — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:36:00 +0000

If you have written a book you may be wondering about endorsements and reviews. All books need both, but what are they and how do you get them?

Endorsements are the comments you see on the back cover of a book, saying how good it is and signed by a well known person. Reviews are articles in magazines, on Amazon or elsewhere giving the writer’s opinion of your book.

Endorsements should be planned well in advance. Your publisher will want them in time for your cover and getting them can be a long process. First you must be realistic, President Obama or J.K. Rowling are not going to endorse a first novel by an unknown author.

Try to find somebody who is moderately well known in your field. If you write seafaring fiction Google ‘seafaring fiction’ or check it out on Amazon. If there is a writer whose work you admire you will need his mail or email address. A lot of authors have websites and these can be easily found. If not write to him at his publisher’s address. If you write surface mail enclose a stamped address envelope. Tell him how much you enjoy his work, ask if he has the time to read your manuscript and to consider endorsing it.. Then wait.

Authors are busy people, with all the demands on their time it is amazing they are able to write anything at all. Your request is one more demand, so be patient. It is a good idea to write to several authors as you will get a lot of polite rejections. But with any luck you will get the one or two endorsements you need.

Reviews are easier. What seems easiest of all is to pay for them. But do not waste your money. There are websites offering paid reviews which seem most impressive and appear to give an excellent service. They will be happy to post your review on Amazon, in ezines and in magazines. The problem is that almost anybody can become a reviewer on paid sites. It does not help your book at all to have badly written reviews appearing in conspicuous places, sometimes identifiable as coming from a paid review site. There are those which offer to put reviews of your book on top article directories, where it will be read by a lot of people. Fine, but if the article writer’s resource box links to his own book’s website your book review is selling his book not yours. There are even websites offering to put a review of you book on YouTube. A very good idea if you do it yourself, but an uncomfortable amateur speaker reading from a badly written script will do your book more harm than good.

You need reviews, but get free ones. How do you do get them? Approach people on the Top Reviewers list on Amazon, some will agree to give you a review, some won’t but their reviews are fair and respected. Contact literary ezines and magazines. Check out the quality of their reviews first, if the general standard is high your review will be worth having. Get as many reviews as you can. That way your book will become well known and one day you will be able use them on your author’s website.

Peter Stockwell is the author of award winning children’s book The Horse Painters. http://www.the-horse-painters.com/

Book Writing Tips to Speed Write Your Book for Maximum Sales Sooner by Earma Brown

admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:54:00 +0000

Where are you in writing your book? Whether you are almost finished after 2 years or just beginning, these book writing tips may help you. You owe it to yourself and your important message to finish fast and sell sooner.

For years, my book manuscript would end up in the drawer with the rest of my unfinished projects. No more; now I finish my book writing projects strong and fast.

I learned from my mentors who showed me the way. I even learned from my competitors who finished their books fast to sell sooner.
Here’s some book writing tips to help you speed write your book for maximum sales sooner:

1. Place book writing goals in your top 3 priorities. Setup a regular writing schedule. Think about your priorities right now. Can you fit 7-10 hours a week in? If you have to let something go that is not high on your priority list, do it. Now is your time. Later is not better.

2. Put your reader first. When writing your book, you should be writing to your reader. Use the word “you” and avoid as much as possible using the words “I” and “We”. An author friend chooses a friend interested in her topic and writes all her books to them.

3. Write an intention goal for your book. Do you have a plan in place? Write on purpose. Don’t set yourself up for failure by not planning. Even if it’s a simple intention goal like “I complete my book (title of book) this year by (date and year.) I educate myself and do what it takes to complete it.” Set one and write it down so you can hit the target.

4. Break your writing into short sections. It’s easier on you to write. Furthermore, it’s easier on your reader to read. Try to break long paragraphs into shorter, more digestible chunks. Make it easy to read and you’ll reach more readers.

5. Use short sentences and simple words. Writing and reading a long sentence takes longer than a short one. Cut lengthy sentences in half to make your writing easier to read. Aim your copy so a 6-7th grader could understand it. Remember using complex words won’t impress your readers. Most times it will annoy them to the point of not finishing your book.

6. Be concise but specific. Compelling copy is concise. Unnecessary words waste your time and most of all your reader’s time. It dilutes your message and makes your book longer than necessary. Additionally, be specific. When writing your book, stick to the specific information about your topic. The more relevant facts you include, the better. If you don’t bother to dig for specifics about your topic, your book may end up vague filled with meaningless words.

7. Write your book the easy way to finish fast. Three of the top ways to speed write your book includes: Act Now. Action will paralyze fear each and every time. Avoid marathon writing. Know you don’t have to become a hermit to write and complete a successful book. Commit to the tracking approach. Doing a set amount,even if it’s only 30 minutes to an hour, each day builds a cumulative effect.

8. Use laser focus. Apply laser focus to complete your book writing project faster. For example, if you look at a 40 watt bulb, the light is soft. Yet you can take the same 40 watts; put it in a laser gun and the same 40 watts become a focused beam of light that can cut through different objects like a sharp knife through paper. To use laser focus in your book project, prioritize, do only one project at a time and complete one project before you start another.

If you don’t use these book writing tips to finish fast, you may be this time next year working on the same book project. Remember to put your book writing in the top 3 priorities of your life, write an intention goal, put your reader first, break your writing into short sections, use short sentences and simple words, be concise but specific, learn to write the easy way and use laser focus. Using the above simple book writing tips you can easily write and complete your book fast. See you at the finish line. Finish fast; finish strong and sell sooner.

Earma Brown, 12 year author and business owner helps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Earma mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine “iScribe.” Send any email to iscribe@bookwritinghelp.com for free mini-course “Jumpstart Writing Your Book” or visit her at Book Writing Tips

Rose City Reader: List of th Day: The Daily telegraph’s 1899 List of “100 Best Novels in the World”

admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:43:00 +0000

Here is something worth reading: Rose City Reader: List of the Day: The Daily telegraph’s 1899 List of “100 Best Novels in the World”

Now, be honest, how many of these books from the 1899 list would ever have a chance of making a similar list of “100 best novels of all time” in 2009?

Of course, it also makes you wonder about what from this century will be read by people in the next century.

Copyright © 2009 Good Books

Rose City Reader: List of th Day: The Daily telegraph’s 1899 List of “100 Best Novels in the World”

Beyond the News of President Obama’s Reading List

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:06:00 +0000

The Christian Science Monitor has a short article about President Obama’s summer vacation reading list. Well, I must tell the truth and say that I do not particularly care about any particular politician’s or celebrity’s reading list (neither Clinton nor Bush served as guideposts in my reading decisions, and, as for Oprah, I have no comment on that score), but I offer a link to the short article simply to entice readers into checking out the lively comments people left at CSM in response to the article. Isn’t it odd the ways in which seemingly innocent comments about someone’s reading interests get converted into vitriolic political posturing? As for myself, if the subject is worth talking about (though it is a debatable point), then I would think that a discussion of the books rather than the reader would be more sensible. But, hey, that’s just me being unusually apolitical.

Appropriate Responses to Customer Complaints?

admin — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:03:00 +0000

Here is the link to an article (and comments) about one library’s solution to customers’ complaints about a book’s allegedly “offensive” content. I remain unconvinced that “censorship” in any form is the appropriate solution in response to someone’s complaints about a book that he or she found to be objectionable. Who, after all, is the appropriate arbiter of appropriate or inappropriate books? (Note the key word: appropriate.)

Simple Golf Swing Book and How It Will Improve Your Game

James Hansson — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:26:27 +0000

by James Hansson

Those who haven’t tried playing golf might be quick to point out that getting ahead in golf is as easy as swinging your iron with much gusto so your ball can reach your target hole as closely as possible.

On the other hand, people who have tried to play but were quite poor at it will just as readily dismiss naysayers who claim that golf is not really a sport. From hitting your ball at just the right angle, to ever so slightly bending your knees and other strategies; golf is as much of a sport as basketball or baseball.

Clickbank is a top online retailer of almost everything you can ever imagine – or need. In the Sports & Recreation Category, you will find a number of sports that you can learn or master through various instructional CDs or books.

Take for instance a book on tips to improve your golf game. The Simple Golf Swing System was created by golf lover and golf journalist, David Nevogt. In his book, The Simple Swing, he illustrates 5 easy guidelines that can help any type of golf player improve their game in as short as 14 days!

If you have never had a hole-in-one; or you want to work on your handicap, this book comes highly recommended by the same people – golfers just like you who once played rather poorly – who have read them, used them and now are enjoying the best time in their lives playing golf.

The book’s claim of giving a 95 percent chance of improving anyone’s golf game has so far been proven right by all those who has read and used the tips provided in the book.

If you have read other golf instructional materials, articles and tidbits from pros but have not yet found success in enhancing your game; the Simple Golf Swing System will do the trick for your game.

The reason why the book was such an instant hit was because it is so easy to comprehend, it’s like learning your ABCs in Kindergarten! The best part is that you are not only given an assurance of getting what you paid for the book in case you are dissatisfied with it; but you also get lots of freebies when you purchase the book online!

About the Author:

Don’t just rush out and buy Simple Golf Swing. Read James’ recommendations before doing anything else and find out whether it’s worth your hard-earned money or not.

Best Poker Books And How To Choose Between The Thousands Out There

Eric Lass — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:01:16 +0000

by Eric Lass

There are many things that don’t come with a manual, kids are certainly one of them. Luckily for you, poker isn’t one of those elusive things. Poker card game recently created a craze that attracted a lot of people, and with its popularity come numerous books on how to play it. It isn’t always easy to find the best poker books in the market, and instead of doing trial and error, why don’t you try out the following pointers so you can find the best one.

Begin your search by looking up the most popular poker books. You will notice that the value of a book is directly related to the amount of sales it generates. A lot of the best-selling poker books are written by famous poker professionals, but you’ll also find that there are many of the best poker books are written by top performers that you may not have heard of but are worthwhile to study from.

The best poker books are written by an accomplished poker veteran. In order for you to master this game in a profitable way, its essential that you learn from an expert. A professional teacher could be the difference between winning and losing games, and if you’ve ever lost a poker game, you know that can be costly.

Another thing is, don’t spend money on a poker book that only promotes system approach. If the over arching objective of the book is to persuade you to buy a system so you will win, keep searching! The best poker books provide valuable pointers, strategies, and specific tactics without misleading you into acquiring more resources.

Once you narrow down your poker books selection, check out the book reviews. A good product review is written by buyers, and not by sales people campaigning for their own products. You would rather select a book that you can read until the end, so it is crucial to gather the pros and cons from multiple viewpoints so you gain a better perspective of the book before you make your decision.

Next, the best poker books specifically have a section on poker math. There are plenty of great books out there that teach the math, so take time to learn it. Math is a difficult subject for many players, beginners and more advanced players alike, so learning that part of the game is vital for success. If you can master poker math, you have more advantage over your opponents who don’t understand it.

Finding the best poker books out there doesn’t have to be difficult when you know what to look for, and winning that big pot will be worth all the effort you put into improving your game. These suggestions will help you get just that much closer to your goal. Just keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be satisfied with the poker book you choose.

About the Author:

Next, check out the best poker books to become a better poker player. The best poker books written by the professionals is the most efficient way to learn to become successful in this game. Good Luck!