Kindles

(Don't forget to comment for Kindle giveaways!)

Guest post by Scott Nicholson

http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/

I see Mary here at Sparkling Reviews is having a separate Kindle giveaway of her own, and I’ve seen several other authors with Kindle promotions and giveaways. Even Amazon has hosted some Kindle giveaways, and sponsored my tour with a couple of Kindles. It’s a great idea.

I don’t mean to knock the competition, because the Nook seems pretty cool. But Amazon is certainly working the hardest to help you find the kinds of books you want. And I’m not shilling for the company just because they gave me swag. It’s a fact.

And the search functions, the genre listings, the recommendations system, reviews, and “Customers also bought” features are taking away some concerns of the self-published era, namely that readers would be overwhelmed by 10 million e-books.

Well, I do think there are going to be 10 million e-books available in five years, and most will sell fewer than 100 copies. But readers will also be able to find that top 10 percent, as well as that oddball book only they would love, a book almost impossible to find on a bookstore shelf. A book that sells less than 100 copies would never be printed in the old days. Now it has a chance to reach that handful of people who want it.

Google may be able to do a good job with book selection, since it knows a thing or two about search engines. Nook doesn’t work so well. I was taking a shortcut Google search for one of my books and I typed in “Barnes & Noble As I Die Lying,” figuring the book page would be the first listed. Instead, I browsed through three pages without seeing it, then gave up and went directly to bn.com. Not a ringing endorsement.

Apple could clearly care less about books. I don’t know enough about Kobo or Sony, but clearly they will never match the selection Amazon offers unless they become a lot more appealing to the budding millions of indie authors.

Let’s face it, you’ll be able to find the bestsellers on any device. That’s what they do, and maybe all they’re good for—selling. But Amazon is making bestsellers, not just sitting around waiting for marching orders. And “Kindle” is becoming the generic term for an e-reader, on the order of “Kleenex” for tissues and “Xerox” for photocopies.

Well, I probably don’t need to convince you, since you’re here trying to win a Kindle. But you’re welcome to try the free Kindle for PC desktop version, and there’s also a Mac version. You get a taste of the possibilities, though of course you don’t gain the major advantage of portability. Load up some freebies or buy some cheap books, including mine.

I still run into people, authors included, who say they like “holding a book” or “smelling the paper” or “turning the pages.” That’s fine. I still like the jangle of an old dial-up telephone, and the pop and hiss of a vinyl record, and the snow on a videotape. It’s called “nostalgia,” and it’s sweet.

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This week’s Scott special is As I Die Lying, 99 cents for a limited time.

Scott Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including the thrillers Disintegration, Speed Dating with the Dead, Drummer Boy, Forever Never Ends, The Skull Ring, , Burial to Follow, and They Hunger. His revised novels for the U.K. Kindle are Creative Spirit, Troubled, and Solom. He’s also written four comic series, six screenplays, and more than 60 short stories. His story collections include Ashes, The First, Murdermouth: Zombie Bits, and Flowers.

To be eligible for the Kindle DX or Kindle 3, simply post a comment below with contact info. Feel free to debate and discuss the topic, but you will only be entered once per blog. Visit all the blogs on the tour and increase your odds. I’m also giving away a Kindle 3 through the tour newsletter and a Pandora’s Box of free e-books to a follower of “hauntedcomputer” on Twitter. Thanks for playing. Complete details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm

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