More Lavish Praise For Kindle

I'm on Day 10 of my love affair with Kindle. There are just so many things you can do with this device. Clearly the Amazon.com folks spent a lot of time conceiving, testing, fine-tuning their eBook reader before pushing it into the marketplace.

As a marketing guy, the first thing I noticed was how effectively this device was for selling books. Now if you believe in books like Amazon.com does, then being an evangelist for reading is probably O.K. The Kindle does a fab job of ever pointing you to shop in the Kindle store. It does this non-intrusively though and you do not feel forced or fandangoed.

As a reader, I like the manner in which it leads you to the books that seem suited to your taste. Maybe I'm wrong but I get the feeling this thing has an intelligence, since it is always making me aware of books it believes would interest me. For example, when you go to the Kindle store, you can browse the books, mags, newspapers and more, just like sections of a normal book store. Then there are the featured items, and a short list of things to try. Across the bottom are recommendations specifically for you. One of the recommendations on my Kindle is the Harvard Classics best 200 works of fiction of all time. For only 99 cents. Yes, I can own a collection of the greatest literature of all time for under a buck, and still have room for fifty more such collections.

Now think of it... the 51 volume Collier edition of Harvard Classics which I received from my grandmother's collection takes up more than six feet of shelf space here in my home office. To own and carry around 200 volumes of the world's greatest lit in a device the size of a slim pocket paperback is somewhat mind-blowing.

I'm not the only one praising Kindles these days. Here's the opening of an article by a U.K. fellow named Ian Betteridge from his Technovia blog.

Getting the out-of-box experience right with consumer electronics is hard, which is why so many companies get it wrong. With the Kindle, Amazon has produced a customer experience that Apple would be proud of. In fact, it’s arguable that the integrated experience of Kindle is actually better than anything Apple has done.

Open the box, there’s the Kindle. On screen is a message, telling you how to plug it in to charge and how to turn it on. This message isn’t printed on a cheap sticker – it’s actually on the Kindle screen. One of the advantages of eInk is that you can put something on screen and it will stay there, without drawing power, until the screen is refreshed.

I think it was this more than anything that helped me appreciate what the Kindle designers had done. Like a first date, the experience was comfortable, natural. I hate to say it, but my iPad experience was not like that at all so that I (regrettably) gave my iPad to my son rather than get frustrated trying to figure it all out. I would have done well to have someone mentor me with it, and maybe I would be writing lavish praise for the iPad instead today. Alas...

But that isn't the only reason I fell in love with the Kindle. I love my Kindle because it is so exhilarating to be able to read so many interesting things. I enjoy reading and find myself reading more, catching a whiff of Innocents Abroad, then a bit of Portugal's Fernando Pessoa, then off to the incredibly compelling Open, by Andre Agassi. And even if I did not buy Agassi's book, by reading the sample chapters (free) I was hooked into it, and hope one day to find it audio so I can read the whole of it while commuting.

I have samples of a Mick Jagger Wiki Book and several books by on of India's leading literary figures, Munsi Prenchand. Tales of the Jazz Age by Fitzgerald, a commentary by Martin Luther, Dick Van Dyke's autobiography and Thoreau's Civil Disobedience are but a few of the eBooks I've been tasting these first ten days.

Well, I'd best start my day. You have a great one, too.

You can find the rest of Betteridge's column here: http://www.technovia.co.uk/2010/11/in-praise-of-kindle.html

Bright-Sided

I've been reading Barbara Ehrenreich's Bright-Sided, which is essentially a well-researched rant against the uniquely American "positive thinking" movement. And even though I have been immersed in, and even believed in, many of the ideas of the writers who she lambasts, I totally understand where she's coming from, and understand her frustration. Her viewpoint is worth a listen.

The title of the book is clever enough. One readily sees the tie-in to being blind-sided. Blind-siding is unexpected, and in some ways the negative facets of positive thinking mindset of our culture are unforeseen. Whereas I agree that attitude is an important aspect of success in life, the notion that everything can be fixed by simply adjusting our attitudes is a very inadequate way to solve the worlds problems. Wearing a happy face will hardly feed the hungry or resolve political injustices.

Ehrenreich's argument is that sometimes there is a place for anger. The right response is not always a smile and a handshake.

America is famous for it's smiley faces. You see them on billboards everywhere. Hence the cover of this book features a blue smiley-faced balloon against a bright yellow background. The smiley culture has turned Ms. Ehrenreich blue indeed.

Not everyone likes her outlook, and some of the Amazon.com review were harsh, criticizing her generalizations. One reviewer wrote,"As a first draft of a theory this volume might have passed for a discussion icebreaker. I am however shocked that it made it passed a competent editor."

And Olga B. of Illinois made these thought-provoking comments:

Ehrenreich believes that human beings are nothing more than tiny little objects at the mercy of blind forces beyond our comprehension. She is a fierce materialist who believes that our circumstances are the only thing that defines our lives. She is consequently very annoyed by any worldview that believes in the possible victory of spirit over matter. In her opinion, thinking that you can achieve anything you want if you work really hard at it and want it really badly is wrong because it obscures reality. Apparently, she cannot accept that everybody's version of reality is very different and that some people might be justified in shaping their own reality.

Ehrenreich's one-dimensional materialism seems boring and overly aggressive. She insists that your happiness depends on your income, an idea that is profoundly alien to me. I accept her right to be an atheist and a materialist. I don't think that any one deserves scorn and ridicule for possessing this worldview. It would be nice to see Ehrenreich respond in kind to people who are religious and/or seek other explanations than the purely materialistic type that she promotes.

My take is that the book, while a bit heavy-handed, does express sentiments I have occasionally felt about the whole "positive thinking" gospel, especially when it is blended with mega-churches and the gospel of prosperity, which makes no sense when preached in places like Zimbabwe or a pre-1990's Soviet prison camp.

I do believe attitude is important and that the things we allow our minds to dwell on will impact us in positive or negative ways. But these are only half truths and can be quite misleading with misapplied. I was once in a Bible study group in which we were all encouraged to declare our deepest desires for our lives. I hardly recall my own, but one fellow who had been in delinquent home and seemed barely equipped for a MacDonald's counter job declared that he believed God would help him one day become a brain surgeon.

These kinds of false hopes are what put the ire in Barbara Ehrenreich's aggressive demeanor. Having once attended a three hour "workshop/seminar" with the cheery dupe-meister Mark Victor Hansen I knew exactly where she was coming from. My experience with this b.s. artist was recorded in an article that appeared in our local Reader Weekly titled Chicken Soup for the Ripped-Off Person's Soul. The article was re-printed here at Ennyman's Territory in 2008 as Mark David Hansen: The Flim-Flam Man.

A book like this has value even if you do not agree with it because it helps you understand the mindset of people who are at odds with your own mindset. Her overview of the history of "positive thinking" is insightful, and I buy into some of her criticism of the fads that sweep over our pop-driven culture.

Nevertheless, having a optimistic attitude has been useful over the course of my personal career. Why try anything if it's doomed to failure? Optimism has its place, but realism is likewise needful as well. Most world-changers began with a hope and a dream rooted in some form of optimism.

To quote one such world-changer: "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." ~Ghandi

To quote another.... "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing."~Socrates

Once you've sorted that, you might be ready to make a difference somewhere. Meantime, keep pressing on.

eBooks All Around!

Thursday, the Huffington Post published an article by Amy Edelman that called Indie eBooks the "Gateway Drug" to traditional publishing. Here's the opening, Edelman's article in blue, my comments in blood red:

Gone are the days when a writer had to spend hours hunched over a stack of query letters,

>>>Been there, done that<<<

...only to have their hopes dashed months later with the arrival of an unsigned form letter.

>>>I could wallpaper my office with this stuff<<<

Today, thanks entirely to the creation of the e-reader (yay Jeff Bezos!),

>>>Yay, Jeff Bezos<<<

there's no longer a need for authors to deal with middle men. For less than what it costs to buy a book, an author can jump directly to the end game: formatting their titles, uploading them to a sales site and finding actual readers.

>>>You still have to purchase an ISBN, but hey, thatz-ok.<<<

Edelman goes on to explain that for many writers the prize is still out there in the traditional publishing world, but for the time being getting readers satisfies an important need. Not only are eBook authors still looking for conventional publishers, the publishers themselves are combing the ranks of independent authors to find their next round of author heroes.

Edelman is founder of the website IndieReader.com which lists the top selling eBooks each week.

In other news: The Tulare County Library has gone digital and is doing away with late fees — on ebook downloads. If you have a Nook, more and more libraries are making these new digital works available just like regular books. The local libraries here will become accessible on Kindles by the end of the year.

I asked my publisher TJ Lind to write up some instructions on how to read eBooks via other platforms when you don't have the official Kindle or Nook reading devices. Here's a short piece he wrote up, aptly titled eBooks All Around.

eBooks All Around!
In a previous article, “eBook Supremacy,” I had mentioned that part of eBook success is due to the ability for customers to “buy once, read everywhere.” If one were to download a book on a Kindle or Nook they could read the first few chapters on their eReader before bed, then another few chapters on their phone during their commute, another few chapters on their iPad during lunch break, and read some more on their computer during down time at work! Moreover, some readers do not realize that they do not need to own a Kindle or Nook to read books from their respective stores. There is a Kindle app for every major platform; iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows, and Mac. Chances are the device you are reading this article on is able to download.

The download process differs depending on which platform one is using. Users with Apple products need only to search for “Kindle” or “Nook” in the App store. Same goes for Android and Blackberry users. If one wants to download the Kindle or Nook apps on a computer, simply navigate to the Kindle Store on Amazon, and select “Kindle Reading Apps” in the left hand column.

Once the app is downloaded, it will present instructions to download eBooks. Now your books will be synced between your devices!

Edelman ends her HuffPost piece with this challenge: So next week, after you've finished the Times crossword puzzle, why not try a new game? See if you can discover (and pass on!) the next great indie book...before a traditional publisher beats you to it!

>>>Hint: The Red Scorpion.<<<

Lee's Biggest Mistake

Years later, when asked why his charge at Gettysburg failed, General Pickett replied: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to do with it."

History's heroes are often created by historians who focus on the great achievements of great men. Sometimes they turn a blind eye to the warts, wrinkles and bad judgment exhibited by these self-same men.

The first 100 years after the Civil War one such general whose name is associated with honor, bravery, and inspirational leadership was Robert E. Lee of Virginia. Is it possible that Lee's own decisions as a general are what led the Southern armies to their downfall? Is it possible the entire war could have had a different outcome had he chosen not to engage the enemy, the Union armies, at Gettysburg?

A couple weeks ago I watched the second movie of the series Gods and Generals. It's a bit tedious as a film, but makes for a good overview of one of the decisive battles in U.S. history, for after the failure at Gettysburg and fall of Vicksburg, the tide of hope that infused the confederates receded, and continued to recede, till the end of the war two years later.

Was "Pickett's Charge" the South's last hurrah? If you've never been to Gettysburg, just seeing the terrain is itself a memorable experience. To simply read the words and look at maps in a book doesn't capture it. The film makes a good attempt to present the challenges facing the South when they chose this place to encounter the enemy. But it really comes home to you when you actually stand on the ridge above and see the expanse of land the Confederate army had to cross simply to reach the Union soldiers lining the high ground, protected by a wall no less.

After watching the film I looked for some online discussion on this matter that might add new insights. I soon found myself at a blog called Crossroads, "where history, scholarship, the academic life and other stuff meet." The Crossroads blog is a feast of good discussions. Check out the 18 comments on Lee at Gettysburg which begins with this statement and a pair of questions:

In June 1863 Robert E. Lee decided to invade the North. Was this the best choice he could have made? Why or why not? What else could he have done?

What would have happened had Lee chosen not to engage the Union armies and simply turned left and continued wreaking havoc wherever they went. Think about the buzz, and terror this might have caused. Or think about how his armies would have fared had they located and became entrenched in a position more suitable for fighting, high ground that they themselves could defend.

Stonewall Jackson's Shenandoah Valley campaign was effective at creating terror in the North because he had a much smaller army to move about. The supply lines issue became a moot point for Jackson's mounted horsemen.

Some of the other discussions at the Crossroads site are interesting as well. Visit, bookmark, and return the next time you need a stimulating read on some important moments in history.

Small Towns With Big Events

This week is the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota. When we visited the Black Hills on a family vacation circa 1994, we stopped and ate at a restaurant there. It's a sleepy, picturesque little place with around 7,000 residents, if memory serves me. During the biker event more than 500,000 converge and show their colors there.

It reminds me of the time a swarm of bees flew down Cambridge Lane and decided to make the McAvoy's mailbox their new home. One minute the place has a single bee every two hours. Next thing you know it's a chaotic clump larger than a watermelon, and vibrantly alive. Eventually the pro bee-remover came in, found the queen and led the swarm away. Sturgis is something like that mailbox.

Last weekend another small town celebrated a big event... the Parke Street Wine and Art Faire in Alameda, California. When a town of 25,000 suddenly takes on an additional 75,000 residents for two days... well, it has to be interesting. I am guessing some people bail out, but others may just look forward to a weekend of doing a local walkabout with friends while holding long-stemmed wine glasses.

Wine and art... hmmm. Nice combination. My experience with art openings suggests that wine and art is akin to soup and sandwich, love and marriage, horse and carriage. You know the drill.

As for big events in small towns, I'm sure the disruption drives some folk away for a couple weeks. Then, as things subside the former equilibrium returns as things get back to normal.

This week's stock market plunge is akin to that kind of disruption. Like the Sturgis Rally, people have been talking about it for months as a convergence of events has been taking place and debts came due. Unlike the motorcycle rally, it's not so easy to get out of town for a couple weeks till things get back to normal. I don't think anyone really knows where the global economy is headed because I don't think there's anyone steering the ship.

My advice: get yourself a glass of wine, go enjoy some art, and keep your eyes off Wall Street. And have a nice weekend.

eBook Supremacy

As has been repeatedly noted throughout history, and especially recent history, change is the one constant in life. As Dylan once sang in To Ramona, "everything changes" and his third album was itself titled The Times They Are A-Changin'.

The book publishing industry is changing, too. Old timers in the publishing field have mixed feelings about the ramifications of electronic publishing. But what about young people today? How do they perceive what is going on in publishing today? In discussing some of these notions with my ePublishing collaborator, sixteen-year-old TJ Lind, I gained some interesting insights that were very different from the alarmist voices I've sometimes listened to. I asked TJ to share his thoughts on today's publishing scene.

TJ Lind on eBook Supremacy

Recently, eBooks are beginning to overtake traditional books because of their portability and convenience. Think about it, a typical book weighs one pound and an average textbook weighs 6 pounds. In a single one pound device, one can hold literally hundreds of books. This feature alone has attracted millions to the eReader market. There is no doubt that eBooks are the future of reading!

The greatest thing about eBooks for authors is there is no need to go through your typical publisher. There is no need to send your book in and get it rejected many times. The big publishing companies are in a run for their money because the books they sell are usually around $10. If you sell your eBook for ninety-nine cents, you do not have to have a book as great as if it were written by Stephen King. Because your book is ten times less the price of the Stephen King book, you do not have to prove to your readers that your book is better than his. He has to prove to his readers that his book is ten times better than yours!

Big publishing companies just can’t afford to price their books at ninety-nine cents because they have too many expenses to pay. The takeoff of eBooks has opened the doors for freelance authors to make a name for themselves. Just look at Amanda Hawking. Hawking wrote 17 novels in her spare time and published them to eBook markets. She completely dominated the top charts selling millions of books, priced very low, and made $2 Million! She was a self published author with no middle man, no publisher to take royalties away from her.

The balance of power in the book market is shifting. Publishing companies are losing their leverage on consumers, now that self publishing is taking off. One of the first questions a self published author must answer before actually publishing his or her works is: which platform should I choose? The answer: All of them! It will require a significant time commitment, but if it is free to self-publish on most eReader stores, why wouldn't you publish on every single one of them?

Moreover, before publishing one must understand how each store operates. For example on the Kindle store if a book is priced between $0.99 and $2.98, the author will receive 34% royalties. If a book is $2.99 or more, the author receives 70% royalties from the book’s revenue. Most stores operate on a similar pricing scheme, but Apple does it a bit differently. One cannot directly self-publish to the iBooks store. They must go through a third party, such as lulu.com. When a book is sold on the Apple store, the publisher is paid 70% royalties regardless the cost of the book. Lulu.com will take 20% of the remaining 70%, so you receive what is left.

Although a significant time commitment, self-publishers should publish on every eBook store they can to maximize their reach. Of course, hardly anyone has the time to take care of publishing on multiple platforms, AND to market the book. There are options available to help those of you, such as N&L Publishing. After Red Scorpion, and three or four additional collections of short stories by Ed Newman are published, N&L Publishing is considering the possibility of offering their services in publishing and marketing other writers’ books.

N&L Publishing is not a typical publisher. The unlikely combination of an experienced marketing executive and a 16-year-old marketing student bring unique angles to the publishing industry. Based in Duluth, Minnesota, N&L Publishing is breaking industry standard by being one of the first purely digital publishers. No hard copies of books will ever come out of our office. This is publishing for the new generation, the technology generation.


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