Tag Archive: christmas
With the holidays coming fast, I thought now was the perfect time to cover a topic I’d hinted at many times: Print books vs. E-books.
I will be the first to say that when e-readers came out I was more than a little skeptical. I really didn’t think they would take off the way they had. Online newspapers I could see, because for one thing it was a great way of lessening the amount of paper going into landfills (in spite of the fact that me and great number of people out there try to recycle). However, I also saw it as a chance for less trees to be cut down because let’s face it, a number of them were being taken down in spite of all the paper recycling (yes I’m very much into ‘green’ living and recycling). But I digress. At the time I really did not see a lot of benefit coming from making books electronically available.
Besides, I was already in love with bookstores. They’re like a magnets to me and my wife Helen. And the books inside are like mint to a cat (catnip for those who don’t get the reference), we go bonkers over books. So you can understand why the concept of electronic books did not really capture my fancy… at first.
However, things began to change when I tried my hand at writing. I went the traditional route, looking for an agent, getting rejected, and so on and so forth for three years. During that time I was told time and again I had something unique and interesting (i. e. my Para-Earth Series), BUT it was too unique. I had crossed too many genres to the point that even agents who were interested had no idea who to try and sell the idea to. Most publishers have been quite strict about genres and from what I understand still are. So I had to take a few steps back and have a really long think about what to do.
I could go back and whittle certain elements out and make the story a more traditional horror, or a mystery, a paranormal tale, or a work of pure science fiction. But none of that appealed to me. The people who had read or heard about what I was creating were fascinated BECAUSE I had created something entirely new and different. To lose any of those elements would be tantamount to killing the entire series before it began.
Meanwhile, Helen and other writer friends had been talking about going the independent author route and use Createspace or some other print/electronic publishing system. I’d be responsible for my own marketing, but as I found out through research, most traditionally published authors were responsible for their own marketing these days as well. Unless you had the power of Stephen King, J. K. Rowling, or some other mega-star author, most publishers don’t help out as much as they used to.
So I took the plunge and “The Bridge” saw the light of day. As expected, I soon found e-sales rocketing while traditional paperbacks were only so-so. This disappointed me in some ways, but I found the benefit of still having paperbacks available a benefit. Because there are no substitutes for owning a SIGNED edition of a book in the eyes of even the most devoted e-reader fan.
Still I did not invest in any e-readers. Oh from time to time I thought about it, just to see how my own works appeared so I could see if the formatting held up to the transition (I’m very particular about my work looking right for my readers). But I still bought paperbacks and haunted used bookstores left and right.
Then last Christmas something unexpected happened. Helen and I were given a Kindle by her mother as a gift.
Helen took to it right away for its photographic capabilities, while I was pleased but slightly hesitant. I guess a part of me was afraid just touching it would lead to me falling out of love with my beloved books. But over time I found the internet function useful, but still I resisted trying to read a book on it. The screen ‘felt’ too small and I didn’t like not being able to see how much was left to read in each volume. (I’ve since learned how to know the # of pages left) But still, I held back.
Then some of my fellow writers online were offering free copies of their books for an honest review in return. Some had done this for me and I wanted to return the favor. Plus, with our finances being so tight, a free-read seemed acceptable. (also in one or two cases, they only had e-versions of their books) So I began downloading a couple of freebies and proceeded to read.
I soon became quite comfortable with using the Kindle and even found my reading speed increasing, much to my surprise. Eventually I started actually buying some new e-books every so often.
Now, I suspect you’re all thinking “That does it! He’s hooked. Good-bye paper, HELLO Electronic!”
To find out, you’ll have to tune in next week when I complete this two-part entry. Please understand I’m not just doing things this way because I’m hoping to really boost my numbers. This topic is lengthy and I don’t want one entry to become as long as the classic “War and Peace”. So please sit tight and I’ll be back next weekend or sooner to finish my tale about print vs electronic and what the results turned out to be.
Until then, take care and keep writing!
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A short while ago, I posted about gifting e-books and how simple it was. For those who missed that entry, I’ll briefly recap the basic idea here. When one goes to Barnes and Noble or Amazon, you have the option of ‘gifting’ an e-book to someone and having a notice sent to their e-mail that they have a new book waiting for them. The e-mail will also provide a link so that person can claim their gift. Pretty straightforward and simple right? Of course it is. But there’s also an added feature that allows you to determine when that e-mail goes out to the recipient. You can schedule the day that e-mail goes out so they can be notified of the present on a specific day such as a birthday…
Christmas…
Hannukah…
or whatever the special occasion is.
*To see the full entry click here: http://allankrummenacker.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-holiday-season-is-coming-and-you.html
However, there was one little feature I did not mention at the time I posted that entry and that is, any sales made as gifts will NOT be reflected in your sales report.
Why? Because until the gift is actually claimed by the recipient the sale is not considered FINALIZED. I only found out about this recently myself when a person who had won a copy of “The Vampyre Blogs – Coming Home” in a poetry contest run by my fellow author/blogger Aurora Jean Alexander (blog link: https://aurorajalexander.wordpress.com/). I knew the sale had taken place from my end and that an e-mail had been sent to the recipient informing them the book was waiting. But after several days I saw no sign of the sale on my KDP Report. This confused me and as the weeks progressed I still did not see the sale show up, even though when I had ‘gifted’ someone an e-book previously the sale showed up rather quickly.
Puzzled, I got into contact with Amazon and was informed that until the gift was claimed the sale was not done and would not show up in the report. I am following up with Aurora Jean to have her get in contact with the recipient to check their e-mail, specifically their ‘Spam’ filter, so they can claim their prize.
But this experience was an eye-opener for me and based on the number of thanks and kudos I got from fellow authors about my article on gifting e-books, I felt it important to share this new piece of information here. I recently ran a 50% off sale on all the e-books in my Para-Earth Series and did not see much sales happening at all. Then I remembered, I had mentioned in my advertising the benefits of ‘scheduling’ when the books should arrive and will be waiting until Christmas and Hannukah to see if sales were actually much better than I’d thought.
So the lesson here is patience my friends. I still highly recommend gifting e-books and that all writers should mention the scheduling feature of when the book is to arrive. Just don’t be discouraged if sales don’t seem to be picking up right away. They may be waiting in the wings to surprise you especially around this holiday season.
So until next time. Take care, be safe as you shop, and keep writing.
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How about one or even two trade paperbacks signed and personalized by the author?
That’s right, you can get signed and personalized copies of books one and two in my 5-Star “Para-Earth” series for just $10.00 each, plus $5.00 shipping and handling anywhere in the United States. (For overseas shipping will be more of course, and will depend on the destination).
*I accept Paypal, checks, or money orders*
Just tell me which title(s) you want and if they’re to be signed and personalized. (Some people prefer just signed, which is why I ask).
You can contact me by leaving a message below or by e-mailing me at:
allan.krummenacker@gmail.com
Please note: Normal mailing time is 5-9 days, so order soon to get it in time for Christmas. If there’s a rush, let me know and the shipping price will be adjusted accordingly. Also, with the holiday approaching the sooner you order the better, so I can get it to you in time. Or if you like, I can mail the book(s) fully gift-wrapped to the recipient if you wish.
You can take a sneak peak inside both “The Bridge” and “The Ship” at:
http://www.amazon.com/Allan-Krummenacker/e/B00B1W8TEU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1417970696&sr=8-1
Just click on each title and you can read the first 20 pages for free.
Hoping you’re all enjoying the holiday season, take care and keep writing.
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*HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone! I decided to give you all a treat by sharing a snippet from my upcoming novel “The Vampyre Blogs”, which will be coming out this Christmas.
I was careful to choose this particular entry since it involves all three of my main characters dealing with a the scene is one most of us can relate to. Here we have Marisa a seventeen year old young lady being comforted my vampyre Nathaniel and his goddaughter Lisa. Marisa (who has no idea what Nathaniel really is) has an intense dislike for vampires even though they don’t really exist according to her. She hates movies, books and television shows about them because in her mind they have come to embody cancer (which her father is struggling against) in a human form.
The scene takes place inside an old four story building Nathaniel owns. He keeps a dance club downstairs, while on the top floor he has an art studio where he likes to paint at night. Marisa has just had a run in with another girl and is been being comforted by Nathaniel and her best friend Lisa (who is also Nathaniel’s goddaughter). As you might expect, Lisa knows all about him, including how to keep his secret.
The three are up in the studio where Nathaniel has been showing the two of them some of his paintings, which include several images of a young woman of Romani descent. He’s just finished explaining she was his wife and that she died in his arms after being abducted, a few years ago.
This book IS part of my Para-Earth Series, but does not involve any of my earlier characters. However, this doesn’t mean they won’t meet down the road…mwahahah. Also, this is my first attempt to introduce a character from this world who went into one of the Para-Earths and came back… alive, but changed.
So without further ado, here are Marisa, Lisa and Nathaniel. Happy Halloween my friends.*
MARISA’S MUSINGS – October 7th, 2012
It’s been such a strange day, especially this evening. I still don’t know what think at the moment.
Waking up and finding Dad was still at home sitting in front of the TV just like in my dreams, gave me a start. Especially when I saw he looked a little greyish, but then Mom opened the curtains and I saw he was just tired. I literally blew a sigh of relief, but it still set me on edge for the rest of the day.
Unfortunately, most of my classes were on the quiet and boring side today, which meant I kept worrying about my dad.
Thank God Lisa was in all of them with me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her around trying to distract me. But I still couldn’t get that damn dream out of my head. It had felt so real. Then, just as we arrived at The Crypt, I started wondering if it had actually been some kind of warning. The idea it might be really put me on edge.
Unfortunately, that’s when Dianne showed up and started in with me, as usual. Normally I can ignore her comments, but tonight, I just couldn’t. God I feel so bad about what happened. Poor Lisa got caught up in things and could’ve wound up getting hurt if Nathaniel hadn’t stepped in when he did.
I still feel bad about blowing up at him the way I did at the time. But that’s not the only thing that’s bothering me about him. After tonight, I can’t look at him the same way I used to.
Finding out he was once married and that his wife pass away in his arms, really hit me hard. I guess that’s why I kissed him the way I did. I just wanted to wipe away the pain I knew he was experiencing at that moment, along with my own. I didn’t tongue him or anything, but for a second I nearly did. Something about him that made me feel so alive that I didn’t want it to stop. But I remembered Lisa was with us and I know she has a crush on him. So I backed off. But a part of me wanted to go right back to kissing him. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted someone so bad in all my life.
And truth be told, I still want him. But I’m also a little leery of him, because of because of what happened next.
I excused myself and started to fix my make-up. After all that crying I’d done earlier, I knew I must look like hell.
Nathaniel was kind enough to walk away and give me my space, while Lisa checked on me quick before she went over to join him at the window. As I heard the two of them talking quietly, I stole a glance over my shoulder. Lisa was hanging onto him in a playful way, and I started to get jealous for a moment.
Quickly, I shook my head and pulled out my compact so I could use the mirror as I fixed my make-up. Surprisingly, I didn’t look too bad and was able to make myself presentable rather quickly.
Then I decided to use the mirror to take another at Lisa and Nathaniel to see what they were up to. And that’s when it happened. I could see Lisa still acting if she were draped all over Nathaniel, only he wasn’t there.
I blinked and stared at the mirror again, but the image had not changed. From the way Lisa was positioned, I knew she had to be hanging onto someone, because there was no way she could keep her balance in that pose. But there was no one there.
Carefully I took another look over my shoulder and saw the two of them just as I had before. Then I looked back at my mirror and saw only Lisa holding on to empty air. I let out a little gasp and dropped everything, including the compact which shattered on impact.
Immediately, Lisa came rushing over to see what was wrong and quickly helped me gather everything. Nathaniel on the other had stayed by the window. He seemed to be in deep thought.
Naturally, I didn’t tell either of them what I saw, or rather what I didn’t see. Instead, after Lisa helped me get all my make-up back in the purse, I told them I felt like going back down to the dance floor. I’d remembered there were huge mirrors on the walls down there and wanted to see what would happen when we got down there.
To my amazement and relief, I saw all three of our reflections in every one of them. At that point I was fully ready to believe my eyes had simply played a trick on me.
But now my mind has gone back to the day in my Aunt Betsy’s office when I first met Nathaniel. She had brought in those beautiful fresh cut flowers. But after he went near them to get his coat and hat, we’d found them black and withered.
Is he what I think he is? I’ve seen enough movies to know all the signs. Yet, I saw his reflection in the mirrors of the club. Plus he has a bunch of mirrors in his home which I’ve seen him use.
No, I think I’ve just been stressing out too much lately. There’s no such thing as vampires. Right?
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****HOLIDAY SPECIAL****
From now until Christmas Day
The e-book version of Book 1 in my Para-Earth Series is available for all e-reader formats at Amazon and Smashwords for just $0.99 CENTS! Within these pages you’ll ecnounter psychics, spirits and an old stone bridge with a terrifying secret. Mystery, the paranormal and a sci-fi twist similiar to the old Twilight Zone series await you.
You can find a number of 4 and 5 star reviews can be found at both Amazon and Smashwords as well as get a sneak peak at the first few pages. so take advantage of the opportunity to get to know the characters before book 2 comes out in February 2014.
For the Kindle version click on this link: http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Para-Earth-Allan-Krummenacker-ebook/dp/B00B86DR9G/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1385995458
For Nook, Apple, Sony, PDF file, and all other e-readers click on this link to Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/272613
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Here is the 3rd and last installment of our adventures at this magical and wondrous house. I hope you all have enjoyed seeing these wonders. A Merry Christmas to you all, and a Happy New Year too.
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Here is the 2nd installment of the house we visited that is so full of lights and wonder. I swear, being able to walk among all those decorations was like being in a Winter Wonderland. The only thing missing was snow.
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Here’s part 1 of 3 videos about this one incredible house that is so incredibly decked out for Christmas. For me, it’s like a holiday wonderland and I wanted to share it with you. I broke the video up into 3 parts because the entire thing is almost 20 minutes long. I hope you enjoy it, part 2 will be up tomorrow and then part 3 the day after. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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Sorry for the long silence, been busy with college and also doing a major re-write and edit of novel #1. I’ve been using the critique I was given as a guide. I didn’t take every idea on board because I was afraid of losing some of my vision, but I have used a majority of the suggestions. As a result the story seems much tighter, even more coherent, and overall stronger. I’m already over a third of the way done with it. But what to do after that? I was advised by one friend who’s already published that I go the e-book route AND query as well. I feel comfortable with this idea since I don’t have a track record behind me to show any prospective agents whether or not my writing has an audience.
So I’d like to hear from all of you as to whether you’d like to see “THE BRIDGE” come to life in e-book form? And if yes, would you like to see it come out in time for Christmas?
I want to say thanks in advance for your help and advice. I know I have a lot of people pulling for me and I do listen and think about all the advice I’m given. Take care everyone and looking forward to hearing back.
