Amazon – Page 5 – Jean's Writing

What novel are you reading right now?

Published on July 28, 2017July 28, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell28 Comments

Or just finished reading?

Or just loaded on your Kindle, or bought at the bookstore?

It’s Summer and time to read. I love nothing better than curling up with a good book reading late into the night by the glow of my Kindle.

I’d love to know what you’re reading. Share with us what you’ve been curled up with, or your most recent favorite finds. No review necessary. Unless the book is terrible, a heads up will be appreciated. But the book title and author will do just fine.

I’ll go first. Finished three books this past week, I give all of them 4 stars. (I went on a wild reading binge.) Best Eaten Cold by Tony Salter, and Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay 4 stars, and The Circle by Dave Eggers.

Loaded on my Kindle, for this week is Watching You by JA Schneider.

Best Eaten Cold: The terrifyingly believable new psychological thriller from Tony Salter by [Salter, Tony] Disappearance at Devil's Rock: A Novel by [Tremblay, Paul] The Circle by [Eggers, Dave] Watching You: A Police/Psychological thriller with a mind-bending twist (Detective Kerri Blasco Book 3) by [Schneider, J.A.]

Wait, don’t want to end without mentioning a book on writing.

I’m always reading, re-reading or consulting one. The most recent reference book added to my arsenal is Writing the Natural Way by Gabriele Lusser Rico. This book was originally published in 1983, but a 15th edition was released in 2000. Unfortunately, it’s not available in e-book, but I scored a copy of the original edition at my local Half-priced Book Store so you might want to check one near you. This is a terrific book for writers. There is a wealth of information between the pages, and before you read that last page, you’ll be inspired to tackle your WIP with fresh eyes. I’ve enjoyed my copy so much I’m considering getting the revised edition too.

Ready set go. Your turn.

What are you reading?

What’s on your Kindle? Or on your bookshelf?

Talk to me, I love reading your comments.

Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon, on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

Please stop by and say “hey!” I’ll leave a light on.

Do you know if you need one yet?

Published on June 26, 2017March 25, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell9 Comments

An ISBN for your book?

This question pops up again and again.

Free vs Purchased? Which is better?

I know authors who use both. The answer is a personal one and each #writer must decide what fits the goal for their book. But whatever you do, don’t take the decision lightly.

I purchased my ISBN from Bowker and published through both IngramSpark and Createspace.

Here is why:

I wanted hard copies, not just ebooks.
A purchased ISBN belongs to me. Giving me all publishing rights and control.
Allows me to publish under my imprint. (Second Act Press, not Amazon or Createspace.)
My books are available to my local library through the IngramSpark catalog. (Love seeing them there.)
Brick and mortar stores can order them. (One-day fingers crossed.)

But, I did not purchase an ISBN for the ebook version.

Here is why:

It is my understanding that ebooks use an ASIN which is provided by KDP free. (Y’all correct me if I’m wrong on this.)
The ebook distribution does best through Kindle (In my humble opinion.)

Virginia Anderson goes into a great more detail about the ins and outs of ISBNs in a recent blog post. So, head over and read her article before you decide to buy or not buy one for your book.

Help! Do I Really NEED an ISBN? by VS Anderson

Have you decided what you need for your book?

Did you buy an ISBN or use a free one?

Did you use a publishing service to handle this?

Did you find the process complicated?

Will you do it differently next time? How?

Waiting on your comments, please leave me one.

And don’t forget to go over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon, on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

Please stop by and say “hey!” I’ll leave a light on.

Is Amazon’s new policy meant to be a fake-out for buyers?

Published on May 15, 2017May 12, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell7 Comments

The Independent Book Publishers Association thinks it will hurt writers and publishers. And I think it will confuse buyers.

The Texas Association of Authors keeps us pretty well-informed in the professional world of writers and publishers. Thank the good Lord!

So for all my friends out there who aren’t in Texas, or aren’t members of the IBPA, I wanted to pass on the information. It appears that Amazon will be giving priority to third-party sellers! Yep, you heard that right.

Click this link to read the whole story and tell me what you think.

Amazon “Buy Button” Policy Change.

How do you think this will change the face of self-publishing?

Do you think buyers will notice before or after they hit “buy?”

Talk to me – I love reading your comments.

Please stop by and say “hey!” I’ll leave a light on.

PS: Coming soon to the North Texas area. Come by and say howdy!

Do you need to spring clean your Amazon links?

Published on April 18, 2017April 16, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Read any great books lately?

Sharing a good review with an Amazon link?

Then make sure you clean up that link. Don’t leave an electronic breadcrumb trail with your information embedded in the link. (Unless you want it there.)

Do you know how to clean up a link?