Comments on: A secret weapon for authors http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/a-secret-weapon-for-authors/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:36:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: borax99 (Alain C.) http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/a-secret-weapon-for-authors/comment-page-1/#comment-1175177 borax99 (Alain C.) Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:31:59 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=45535#comment-1175177 Awesome, I will remember this as well. It helps that I have enjoyed his books so far, but this story will make me all the more willing to check out his next book(s). Awesome, I will remember this as well. It helps that I have enjoyed his books so far, but this story will make me all the more willing to check out his next book(s).

]]> By: Doug http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/a-secret-weapon-for-authors/comment-page-1/#comment-1175176 Doug Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:30:09 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=45535#comment-1175176 Meredith: that's certainly what all of the experts are telling aspiring authors. There's no room for a JD Salinger or a Harper Lee today. Now you need to be a gregarious people-person if you want to sell books. Being good-looking is a giant plus, too: for jacket photos, TV interviews, and book signings. This is more for printed books, of course. I personally think it's kind of unfortunate. Some of the world's best art (in all creative media) came from artists who were/are withdrawn, unpleasant, or even disturbed. For books, we're cutting ourselves off from that source. Meredith: that’s certainly what all of the experts are telling aspiring authors. There’s no room for a JD Salinger or a Harper Lee today. Now you need to be a gregarious people-person if you want to sell books.

Being good-looking is a giant plus, too: for jacket photos, TV interviews, and book signings. This is more for printed books, of course.

I personally think it’s kind of unfortunate. Some of the world’s best art (in all creative media) came from artists who were/are withdrawn, unpleasant, or even disturbed. For books, we’re cutting ourselves off from that source.

]]> By: Meredith Greene http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/a-secret-weapon-for-authors/comment-page-1/#comment-1175130 Meredith Greene Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:38:46 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=45535#comment-1175130 This piece proves a number of arguments going on in LinkedIn eBook-realted discussion groups lately, which are mainly on whether or not "social media" sites are an effective adverisement tool for eBook writers. Customers these days seem to like knowing they are buying from humans, verses a 'faceless' conglomerate. When my husband and I put our eBooks out for sale in early 2008, one of our first customers bought a book at 6pm and emailed us right away that she could not open the file. I happened to be online and answered her back with an apology and attached a fresh copy. She wrote back at once expressing heartfelt surprise at being answered so quickly, let alone with a new, readable file to enjoy. Not only did this particular customer buy the rest of our titles, she recommended us to her various lists of contacts and thus spawned several more sales. Great customer service is indeed the 'indy' writers secret weapon in establishing a loyal following. This piece proves a number of arguments going on in LinkedIn eBook-realted discussion groups lately, which are mainly on whether or not “social media” sites are an effective adverisement tool for eBook writers.

Customers these days seem to like knowing they are buying from humans, verses a ‘faceless’ conglomerate. When my husband and I put our eBooks out for sale in early 2008, one of our first customers bought a book at 6pm and emailed us right away that she could not open the file. I happened to be online and answered her back with an apology and attached a fresh copy. She wrote back at once expressing heartfelt surprise at being answered so quickly, let alone with a new, readable file to enjoy. Not only did this particular customer buy the rest of our titles, she recommended us to her various lists of contacts and thus spawned several more sales.

Great customer service is indeed the ‘indy’ writers secret weapon in establishing a loyal following.

]]> By: David Lomax http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/a-secret-weapon-for-authors/comment-page-1/#comment-1175091 David Lomax Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:32:06 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=45535#comment-1175091 That's amazing. I always heard that the Haldemans were great people. That’s amazing. I always heard that the Haldemans were great people.

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