Guest post by Scott Nicholson
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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What a great giveaway! I'm dying to get my hands on a kindle and winning one is probably the only way that it will happen for me. Lucky #1??? maybe!
ReplyDeletethe_happy_soul at yahoo dot com
I can't find any Scott Nicholson books in my library. I'm not in the States : (
ReplyDeletegem.wood@gmail.com
Thanks
ReplyDeletecjwallace43 at gmail dot com
hmm...I'm still not convinced that I will like digital books as much as real ones, but I would love the options that having both would open up for me.
ReplyDeletejlynettes @ hotmail . com
I would love to have a Kindle! Thanks so much for the chance!!!
ReplyDeletejedoggett@embarqmail.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI've been entering every kindle giveaway I can find as I know that's the reader I want! I can't afford it, so maybe I'll win one? Fingers crossed! I've visited every blog on the tour so far, I think!
ReplyDeletecandace_redinger at yahoo dot com
Thanks
ReplyDeleteCandy
dragonfly1976@gmail.com
Lets face it, Amazon has the edge, the definition and energy behind the word says it all. It is definitely my top choice for shopping, reference and reviews. Informative article and now I know a little bit more about Scott Nicholson and his work. I was lead to this site by Paranormal Haven and the hope of winning a Kindle and shopping more with Amazon. Thanks
ReplyDeleteichibanson@cox.net
Amazon has am awesome selection of books the Kindle!
ReplyDeletekissinoak at frontier dot com
Well, I have been reading some eBooks on the laptop. Whenever i want something more on the go, like to doctors and stuff--I still love the old fashioned paper book. I still think there will always be room for both. I would love to win a Kindle. I'm just never lucky winning stuff.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, I think the industry needs to agree on a standard format because I think no one company should have the monopoly on ebooks--just to give others choices and make competition possible. Shit, i must be old.
Yay giveaways!
ReplyDeleteSo true about the nostalgia. I would love a Kindle, just not a fan of the price tag.
megan.j.manning@gmail.com
hufflepuffgrl13@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI HEART Amazon!!! My favorite site of all sites!! Amazon is like Sephora... I'd be happy to be buried there!!! (Sephora in Disneyland, that is!)
ReplyDeletenedsped at verizon dot net
Thanks for the chance to win. bkhabel at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed with what Amazon has done for you and for this wonderful new opportunity they've given to indie authors. I also find that great about Amazon that when you buy an author's book you enjoy, that the author's other books pop up. It's like a smorgasbord. Also, can't wait to get our Kindle, whether we win it or buy it. It's going to be fun. varbonoff22 at cox dot net
ReplyDeletepart of me still has trouble letting go of paper books. it is a difficult change!
ReplyDeletehancoci_s at msn dot com
Great post! Amazon and Kindle are certainly becoming as common as Kleenex and Xerox. You are certainly right about nostalgia. Although, I am ok with not playing anymore VCR tapes and I certainly thought that I could never get over losing my Atari, but I did and love techno evolution! I look forward to receiving a Kindle (smiles) but certainly know that there will be a few books worth buying, just to have...Thanks for the tour, it has been great following and also great finding some great new blogs!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!!
cicistheories@gmail.com :)
Great Contest!
ReplyDeletemonacart32 at hotmail dot com
Great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteJessRing84@gmail.com
Aside from Scott's giveaway, your Kindle giveaway asks if we comment on the giveaway...I assume this would be the spot to do so as on the giveaway there isn't an area to do so...SO...here it is! I am sure everyone would love to get a Kindle...I don't even have a good reason why I haven't purchased one yet...probably because it would be so much more fun to say "yeah, isn't it cool, I won it from..." So, one comment for the Haunted Computer and this one for Sparkling Review :) Thanks
ReplyDeletecicistheories@gmail.com
The book sounds great!
ReplyDeleteiloveegypt602 at yahoo dot com
I look forward to giving it a shot when I win one. :)
ReplyDeleteWakincade AT gmail DOT com
I always preferred paper to hold in my hands, a book I could take anywhere. That was in comparison to reading anything lengthy on the computer. But a Kindle is different. You DO hold it in your hands and you CAN take it anywhere. I fell in love with my Kindle immediately. Now I'd like to convert my husband. But he's a big guy (6'7") with big hands, so it will take a DX to win him over, I think.
ReplyDeleteWrite2Bev@gmail.com
I have a kindle on my Christmas list already.
ReplyDeletecaity_mack at yahoo dot com
"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."
ReplyDeleteXactly, again! Right on! (Apply any other sayings of agreement which have evolved since the '60's.)
Only 18 more to go! I'm having fun, I think you are too.
Jeff White.... whitejw@ameritech.net
@Therese I hope I win one myself!
ReplyDelete@sablelexi no reason not to have it both ways!
@Jimmi the digital era is still early in its infancy--let's see what happens
Looks li9ke we have a bunch of eager Kindle converts waiting! Good luck.
Scott
Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
Another great post. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletebacchus76 at myself dot com
I love my Kindle! My husband got it for me last Christmas, probably hoping to stem the tide of book piles around the house.
ReplyDeleteIt felt a little strange at first, but reading on my Kindle quickly became second nature. I still get some physical books, usually used from the Amazon Marketplace when the agency model pisses me off (You will never screw me over!) or for books I know I will keep and reread forever.
I'm almost embarrassed to say, but even though I have several physical books waiting in the wings that I really wanted to read, they still haven't lured me away from my Kindle. Between free books, indies, and authors who get it, I have around 900 books on my Kindle, I've read almost 150 of them. Part of the fun is deciding what to read next.
We're getting our daughter a Kindle for her upcoming birthday, she can't wait. At my urging, she started an Amazon account many months ago to take advantage of the free and low-cost book offers. She just sends them to Kindle for PC on her netbook. She's doesn't like reading on her netbook though, it's just not comfortable.
I've already set it up for her, all she has to do is register it to her account. I have to say, I really like Kindle 3, the size is great and the new cases with the built-in booklight are really cool. I can't justify buying a new one, but I wouldn't mind winning one ;)
lorraine_lanning[at]yahoo[dot]com
900 books? I can't imagine carrying 900 books around with me! Holy crow! Information overload - too many choices ahhhh! :)
ReplyDeleteinannajourney at gmail dot com
I would love to win a Kindle. I have version 1 and would love the updated version. I still love paper books but have to admit with my long work commute ereaders are awesome. dasuzuki at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteI am still one of those give me the feel and smell of a good book to hold but since I am moving to a land where they speak Russian and I want my luggage filled with warm clothing instead of heavy books I'm dying to get my hands on a Kindle!
ReplyDeletestephanie(.)pridgen(@)gmail(.)com
Love this post, Scott. I'm a born-again Kindle lover, and I now proudly proclaim it. I actually prefer to read on my Kindle over anything else. My first e-reader was a Sony, and it was okay. At first, I thought it was awesome because I didn't have anything to compare it to. Then I stumbled upon a Kindle. And to say it blew me away would be an understatement. And I don't get me started about the book selection for it and all the awesome books I'm reading that I probably would never have if I didn't have a Kindle.
ReplyDeleteJust saying.
-Neal
I bought a Kindle earlier this year and I love it for the many reasons I've already mentioned hundreds of times, so I won't repeat them. I don't know what's going to happen to the mass-produced paper books, but there is a craft that exists since the invention of the printing press, that has survived the change from handmade to mechanically and digitally produced books. It's the trade and the art of manual bookbinding. It's a niche industry but it still thrives in small workshops. If you want to know more about it: http://christa-polkinhorn.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteEbooks are here to stay and I'm grateful for all the advantages for both readers and writers they offer. However, our love of books made from paper is more than "nostalgia" and the love of "little old ladies." Or would you call the fact that computer art has not been able to do away with paintings on paper and canvas "nostalgia?" Hmm. Just saying.
Without ebooks and the Kindle, I wouldn't have discovered the many fascinating books out there, among others "As I Die Lying" (brilliant!) and the many other books by Scott Nicholson.
Christa
cpolkinhorn@msn.com
Great post!
ReplyDeletevicky.vak8(at)gmail.com
Fantastic giveaway. I've it's open internationally then I'd love to join in please.
ReplyDeleteI'm using Kindle on my PC, but have yet to make the jump and try books on it, there's so many when you look on Amazon it's really hard to choose!! I love the fact ereaders are portable though. I'm using a fossil of a laptop which just manages to have on ebook on at a time via Abobe Digital Elements, so it would be pure luxury to have a Kindle.
Michelle
bookwormreviewed at gmail dot com
Have have Speed Dating with the Dead but just haven't managed to get to it yet. What a great competition!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure that I would like reading on a kindle, but once I got one I felt like an idiot for not buying one sooner. I don't like reading on a computer screen, but I love reading on a kindle. I'm hoping to win the DX because I think my husband would like it better. Everyone needs an ereader. :)
ReplyDeletebluefrog62@yahoo.com
I have been test-driving the Kindle for PC, and I like it. It's very easy to learn to use it, but obviously having an actual Kindle makes one more mobile.
ReplyDeleteI have the last Kindle and I love it. It's my new best friend, really!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I also like the smell of paper and having pretty covers and my bookshelves, but I don't have enough space for more books, I love trees, and for people living at other countries that don't have amazing libraries, it's a perfect solution for reading the book that we want.
I want to surprise my Mother with a Kindle for her, she'd love it!
magabygc @ gmail.com
I'll never stop buying actual books but as I do a lot of traveling and always bring at least half a dozen books with me an e-reader would be awesome for helping cut down on the weight of my luggage. But even beyond that, I'm a fan of technology & have wanted one since the Kindle first appeared. Now if only the economy would cooperate...
ReplyDeleteteawench at gmail dot com
Enter me please!
ReplyDeleteashleysbookshelf@gmail.com
Great discussion of one of the best things about a Kindle!
ReplyDeletedulcibelle [at] earthlink [dot] net
I'm in the middle of I die lying and OMG it is THE best worst book ever. I can't believe not one publisher picked it up.
ReplyDeleteRandymir@gmail.com
I just had to turn down an invitation to a speech by a completely different person named Scott Nicholson (about gaming and libraries). Love the small world thing.
ReplyDeletealipkin (at) gmail (dot) com
I'm still waiting for that magical ereader that sells for a hundred dollar bill. Not even a hundred dollar bill + tax. Until that day comes, I'm quite content to bide my time with giveaways and contests. :)
ReplyDeletetherabidfox[at]gmail.com
once again... thank you!
ReplyDeleteanamlgrl@yahoo.com
Thanks for sharing the Kindle for Desktop link. I've been wanting a Kindle for a long time but never saw one in action. This application gives me an idea of what I have to look forward to should I win one or, if not, when I buy one. thanks again Scott. See you tomorrow!!
ReplyDeletecalseeor (at) gmail (dot) com
"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."
ReplyDeleteI don't miss any of those things (although I do miss the liner notes of albums and the extras, such as posters, photos, pop-ups, etc that were sometimes included with records). But it's NOT nostalgic to like books as books are still very much a part of life and readily available. Nostalgia refers to something from the past.
Forgive me. I just woke up after not sleeping well. I'm not feeling all that snarky at the moment. You are getting off easy today. But I'll be B-A-C-K to reveal more of your deep, dark secrets later.
CHEERS!
I would LOVE a Kindle DX. Thanks for the opportunity to win one! :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. Click on my name for my contact info. ;)
As always, lots of great information in this post, Scott!
ReplyDeleteMargay1122(at)aol(dot)com
I hand't thought about that before. . yes the kindle would be a good choice to go with when trying to find something specific. I thought that the Nook and the Sony weren't too bad but I hadn't tried searching for a specific book before. I'm now off to experiment. .
ReplyDeletejessangil at gmail dot com
Jessica
Following on the blog tour.
ReplyDelete~Chrizette
baychriz at gmail dot com
Yay Amazon! I buy all kinds of things there because of their great prices, free shipping, and great customer service.
ReplyDeleteGail in Florida
cowgirl3000 AT gmail DOT com
I am indeed dying to get a kindle. I hate reading at my computer so I can't read all those amazing e-galleys available!
ReplyDeletePrint books will always be my favorite though, so I don't really want to invest 130+$ into a kindle, but geez would I love to win one? YES!
Thanks for the giveaway ^^
TyngaUF(a)gmail.com
Scott, count me in for thr Kindle! Thanks!
ReplyDeletePaul
mrluckyATcharterDOTnet
Seems to me a Kindle would be easier to hold than a regular book since I generally hold them with one hand and am doing something else with the other. That said, I do still enjoy books but a Kindle would be much easier on my hand than a book usually is.. lol
ReplyDeleteCount me in for a Kindle. :D
LaQuiet(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for the awesome giveaway :) Followng the blog tour ;)
ReplyDeletelovereadingx[at]gmail[dot]com
Cool giveaway.
ReplyDeletestephaniemloree AT gmail DOT com
I love the fact that I wouldn't have to carry a 5 lb book anywhere ever again!! i.pearson@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who was advised to go the ebook route and she is thinking of using scribe. Any advice ?
ReplyDeleteBarry
anamchara@gmail.com
I have a list of his books and I am heading to the library!
ReplyDeletejourneythroughbooks@gmail.com
Thank you for the chance
ReplyDeleteeddiem11@ca.rr.com
thank you for the chance
ReplyDeletechey127 at hotmail dot com
I own a kindle and I am proud!!! . I love my kindle.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit the idea of winning an e-book reader tickles my fancy.. I keep thinking of buying one but then Im also worried "will i use it?"
ReplyDeleteKobos are HORRIBLE! (as a friend of mine works for a place that sells them and told me about the faults) They recently had an online update and when everyone installed them their kobos crashed and were unable to be salvaged and had to be replaced CRAZY stuff
I've been trying my best to win a kindle(winning one is the only way I'll be able to afford it). renahe_90(AT)hotmail(DOT)com
ReplyDeleteI've been hungering for a reader. While I'm old-fashioned in that I do like to see full shelves of great books; the convenience of a reader really calls to me. Right now, when I read an eBook, I'm stuck in front of my computer screen, and since I already spend so much time here with my blog stuff, it's just not for me. With a Kindle, I can curl up on my couch under some toasty blankets! Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteAnd even though I said how I felt about eBooks, I have recently gotten The Red Church and now As I Lay Dying!
Julie @ Knitting and Sundries
knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeletekt1969 at comcast dot net
Hi Scott..
ReplyDeleteYet another stop on your wonderful blog tour..
This is so much fun..
Best of luck to all..
:)
baby_blackroze@yahoo.com
Fantastic! I'd love to win also ....Tiffypoot @ (aol.com)
ReplyDeletePersonally I am torn between the Kindle 3 and getting a tablet PC with a 10 in. screen. Now is they make a Kindle app for the Android OS than it will be a tablet.
ReplyDeleteDecisions, decisions, decisions.
I have used Kindle for PC and it is pretty cool.
dalelmurphy(at)gravesidetales(dot)com
I think e-books are GREAT, I mean you can carry tons of books in your bag!
ReplyDeletebut I'm one of the people who thinks there's no comparison to actual -physical- books (:
lovebug(dot)mel(at)gmail(dot)com
I'd love to win a Kindle, I've been wanting to get one for a while now :)
ReplyDeleterachael[dot]harrie[at]gmail[dot]com
Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteforgetyourseatbelt at gmail dot com
Though I already have a Kindle, I'd still love to win one so I can give it to my mom!
ReplyDelete-Jesse
conrad.jd (at) gmail (dot) com
Really enjoying the personal stories. Nice to get to know the writer behind the books more. Thanks!
ReplyDeletesmd (at) texoma (dot) net
I downloaded the Kindle for the PC when it was first released, but can't say I've used it that much. I tend to read ebooks on my phone because it's portable and I can read anywhere, which to me is essential in any kind of book--not to be tied down to a particular place.
ReplyDeletejamesemr (at) gmail (dot) com
I borrowed a kindle for a while and really loved it. I downloaded DRM free books because that was the only way I could get a book on a Kindle that I didn't own and even with the limitation I got to read some small press horror books that I would have missed.
ReplyDeleteMy wife owns a Nook. The pain in her wrists and hands makes book reading hard. She manages a Nook just fine and loves it because, unlike a Kindle, she can read e-books downloaded from our library (through a company called OverDrive). Since she reads a book a day or more, this is the only way I can afford to keep her in books.
I, however, download a lot of audio books from my library (again, via OverDrive) and listen to them on my MP3 player when I'm going to work, doing house hold chores, walking the dog or walking anywhere.
However, horror is my favorite genre and there just isn't a whole lot of horror audio books out there. There is, thankfully, an increasing amount of horror in various e-book formats.
That's why I so desperately want to win one of the Kindles. I need more horror in my life . . . horror e-books, that is.
Thanks for the contest,
Greg "The Undead Rat" Fisher
theundeadrat (@) gmail (.) com
I am currently in shopping and decision mode for an e-reader. I really need to sit down and compare all the features. I have some books on my computer in PDF form, but really don't like sitting at my computer to read. I have several other's I have won, but nothing to download them to. I really don't want to put any more on the computer. I will have to make some kind of decision by Christmas.
ReplyDeletelibrarypat AT comcast DOT net
I’ve been debating for a while on which e-reader I want. A Kindle would almost seem like the default, but at the same time, I like the idea of color as I would want to read comics on it as well, so at present I’m leaning toward the iPad with the Kindle app.
ReplyDeleteI know that Kindle is where it’s at in terms of the action and selection, but yeah, that color thing for a comic geek like me . . .
Coscomentertainment [at] gmail [dot] com
www.canisterx.com
POSSESSION OF THE DEAD and ZOMBIE FIGHT NIGHT (and others) for just TWO BUCKS at the Amazon Kindle store. Grab your copies here!
I would love to have a Kindle. I have been checking out the different e-readers to see which one works the best. As far as I can see, the Kindle seems to be the best.
ReplyDeletekellysydow at yahoo dot com
very cool give away! thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteI just hope that e-books and libraries get better. For example, e-books from all the libraries that I have seen are not compatible with the Kindle. kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI Can't Wait to Get a Kindle hopefully soon.
ReplyDeletesasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com
Gorgeous cover! Thanks for the lovely post!
ReplyDeleteYou can reach me at luvpinkpanther@gmail.com
I have the kindle2 and I love it. But my purse says that it wants the smaller kindle3. With as many books as I read and have, any e-reader would be a lifesaver.
ReplyDeleteCmeghanb@gmail.com
I would love to have a Kindle and hope that maybe I will be lucky enough to win one of Scott's.. I am still following you Scott.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win..
misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com
I'm enjoying the blog tour and look forward to more posts.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
Great post. Kindle is the best!
ReplyDeletedreamer dot ima at gmail dot com
I would love to win a Kindle! I also love Scott's books. The Red Church is my favorite so far! I love reading his books.
ReplyDeletefoxxfire1970@comcast.net
I love Amazon.com-I never really thought about the convience e-books give for the "not in print" books because there are some books ONLY I would love. I gotta win one, one of these days.
ReplyDeletehmhenderson AT yahoo DOT com
Kindle, Kindle, Kindle!! :) They have some new holiday commercials I hear coming up!!
ReplyDeletepurposedrivenlife4you at gmail dot com
95 comments! Thank you all for dropping in, especially you new people, and thanks, Mary, for hosting. Entries here are now closed.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear everyone is thinking about Kindles!
Scott Nicholson
96 but i wish i was the 100th...o, well. have a good day. hmmmm....did i miss read something about 'free' book by scot...they are my favorite kind. may i have one please? and thank you. sometime i wish you would write a historical fiction novel about the area...i know it is not your 'thing' but i really like to know more about your mountains. once they got here, most of my relatives (eng, scot, german, fr) seem to have gotten to the south asap. probably tired of all the old world constant cold.
ReplyDeletespvaughan@yahoo.com
Thanks for the chance to win a Kindle. I will really enjoy having this.
ReplyDeleteLife's getting busy and I'm so far behind...
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how much you have to say. Wow.
ReplyDelete:)
dorcontest at gmail dot com
Nice post,It will be useful in my android flytouch .
ReplyDelete