Saturday, June 30, 2012

Ebooks vs books vs Priority Ebooks

So, for the last 3 months or so "Off the Rails and Other Tales" has only been available in two formats, Paperback and Kindle Ebook.  Kindle made it easy to format the book for its reader, so it was a natural place to start, but I also have a PDF version, which I used to produce the final paperback and is readable on ALMOST everything can read an electronic file out there.  I'm comfortable with PDF's because it's how we brought the first two volumes of "Cult Goddess Magazine" to about a thousand online readers per month.

Kindle, however, has it's own format and by using that format I was able to offer my book for free to Kindle Owners through promotions or borrowing.  Sometimes I even got paid when people read the book for free, so it was a good deal all around.  But, my friends, as many Kindles are there are out there, they are not the only eReader in town and while you get free software on  your phone, computer, etc to read a Kindle book, some still prefer the other brands.  My Mom, for example, loves her Kobo reader.  She had her copy of the book on there before we went public with the Kindle.

Well, after 3 months our sales of that version of the Ebook, both free and paid, have dropped.  So, while it's still available on your Kindle enabled device for 99 cents, it is no longer available for free borrowing.  Time has come to launch our in house 99 cent ebook in PDF.  It's complete with the illustrations and I think the formatting is prettier.  It can also be opened on most computers, ereaders and anything that can read a PDF file, which means you need Adobe Acrobat reader.  It's a free software or app.

Of course, nothing compares to the paperback (unless we had it in hardcover).  I mean, you can't have me sign your ebook.  I guess you could, but I'm not sure where and when you're reading one of thousands of other books that would be weird.  And there's something nostalgic about the tactile contact with a paperback that I think works with the pulp style I used in many of the stories in "Off the Rails and Other Tales".

As far as supporting me, I like there to be a lot of physical copies of the book out there, but my "take home" doesn't change very much from one form to another.  Every time someone switches on a light at night because they're a bit scared due to reading one of my stories I feel richer.

As for specific e versions for other readers, vs the PDF file, they're planned, but may be awhile coming.  If I pay a service to swap them over I'll have to charge more and I want MORE people to read the stories, not fewer people to have PAY more to read them.

If  you buy the ebook and decide it's so amazing you MUST have the paperback shoot me an email for a coupon code for $1 off the paperback.

If you want the book or want to read parts of it, head over to http://www.hocfocprod.com/off_the_rails
While you're there also check out some horror books my friends wrote.