Tag Archives | ebooks

When your ereader goes poof!

By on July 17, 2012 in Random, social media

So I learned that if funny little lines appear on your Kindle screen then it can’t be fixed by resetting the device. (Trust me, I tried at least 100 hundred times.) And that most likely I inflicted screen damage through too much pressure or extreme heat.

A very, very sad day for me.

I brought it on a weekend trip, hoping to sneak in some reading right before bed or early in the morning. I had just started a book and I was only two chapters into it! I desperately wanted another chapter of it, to get lost in the words before falling into a deep sleep despite the air leaking from my air mattress throughout the night.

Of course there was the two other books I was in the middle of reading too, and don’t forget the numerous freebies and samples that when I don’t have a lot of time, I love reading especially when I’m in the mood to discover new voices.

Recently, I’d been telling myself and others that I read half print and half ebooks. Well, I learned this weekend that I’ve been lying, because when I couldn’t access any of books on my Kindle…I felt bereft.

And now, back at home, waiting patiently for my new Kindle to arrive (which I did receive a discount for, in case you were wondering) (and which I couldn’t do without for too much longer) the sad truth hits that I’m totally addicted to reading in a way I wasn’t before. Read my Indelible post about it here.

So, lesson learned: bring print book with me on vacation too just in case my Kindle goes poof.

And yes, technically, my Kindle didn’t go poof because that would have required wisps of smoke and maybe a bit of magic. Details, details.

Do you read more print or ebooks?

 

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Friday 5 – The iBook Author App and agents as publishers.

By on January 27, 2012 in Friday 5

1. The iBook Author App has had me excited since it was announced. One author has already fooled around with it and loved it. And her book is on sale. Check out her thoughts on it.

2. Fortunately, I have a Mac.

3. Unfortunately, I need to upgrade to Lion. (30 dollars) (I can do that.)

4. Unfortunately, I don’t have an iPad and don’t know when I will. But I have connections and when the time is right I can borrow one to preview any iBooks. But honestly? My focus right now is self publishing my first book. I’m excited to learn coding (the nerd in me). My computer teacher from high school would faint because I could not program at all. The kind boy next to me passed the class for me. But this feels different, a bit easier than C+.

So I’ll upgrade and experiment someday, it just won’t be right now. But sometimes it’s hard to shut off my brain. I’ve never been so inspired to write. (But that’s partly due to my decision to self publish too.)

5. And the ARR announced that agents as publishers is a conflict of interest! Kristin Nelson posted about it today. And in the future she will talk about her agency’s model, which has been approved!

My kids are home today because of icy roads. I’m signing off for the morning to get some writing in and them help them with at-home school work so we don’t have to make up this day at the end of the year! I’ll be visiting everyone later! Have a good one!

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Will the new Apple author app revolutionize education? (Or not.)

By on January 20, 2012 in publishing industry

Over Christmas I chatted with an extended family member about iPads. Her job is to work with teachers and help them transition to a new teaching model. Of course, using enhanced textbooks on the iPad.

The mission isn’t for each child to have an iPad. But one tablet per 3-4 kids. The iPad would be a station. The other rotations would include other modes of teaching – hands on, writing…etc.

I tried to hide my doubt at this concept. Computers were supposed to revolutionize teaching too. But did it happen?

No.

Where I live, each classroom has 2-3 computers – Macs of course. From what I can see – and it might be different where you live – computers in the elementary classrooms are used for the following reasons:

  • Advanced reader quizzes
  • Educational video games (Cool Math, Study Island…etc)
  • At times, a child might work on a simple Power Point project.

I believe many teachers are willing to embrace technology and new ways of teaching but change requires a big learning curve and a lot more work. It won’t happen overnight. Teachers? What do you think?

Then Apple comes out with this new author app. It sounds incredible! Yes, I’m excited, drooling, anticipating the chance to create cool stuff.

The focus is on education. But this app gives authors the opportunity to create enhanced ebooks. Just think what nonfiction authors could do with this? Teachers? Travel writers who have video and photos?

There are some bottom line issues that are confusing. Distribution issues. We’ll see how that plays out.

I don’t know what will happen in the future. Will this really revolutionize education? (Honestly, I’m way more excited for what this app means to authors!)

What do you think?

If you want to know what people are up in arms about check out the Passive Guy’s post on it. People don’t fully understand the terms. I think that once you create the file, you can only sell that enhanced ebook through iBooks. But you can use the text and sell your book with other retailers – just not the enhanced version. But I could be wrong.

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What if you took your secret crush back in time with you?

By on September 28, 2011 in book reviews

CLOCKWISE  by Elle Strauss

“A teen time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward.”

CLOCKWISE is launching electronically this week and it’s only 2.99 on Amazon , £2.17 on Amazon.co.uk! To celebrate, Elle Strauss is giving away five debut books by authors that you can meet on her blog tour which is happening now.

LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden

THE CLEARING by Anne Riley

THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL by Heather McCorkle

PERILOUS by Tamara Hart Heiner

THE HATING GAME by Talli Roland

How to win? Sign up for Elle’s newsletter to enter. For extra entries just comment on any blog in the tour. The more blogs you visit and comment on the more chances you have to win.

Five books, five days, five winners!

I love it when books surprise me. When I think I have the plot all figured out. Because I’m smart like that. #notreally I didn’t see the plot twist in CLOCKWISE coming. At all!

My Review of CLOCKWISE.

Casey has a problem. A big problem. She time travels and she can’t control it. She deals with it the best anyone can, traveling back to the 1800s, until the day she brings back her crush, Nate. #agirl’sworstnightmare  #ordreamcometrue

And I’m not going to tell you what happens after that. You’ll have to read it.

I will say that I loved the development of Casey’s relationship with Nate. Traveling through time has a way of changing a person and adding perspective. They both grow as people. A secondary character, Samuel, enters the story, and I absolutely love how the author tied the subplots together.

Not going to say anything else about that either. #sorry #i’mmeanlikethat

I will say that by the end I was in tears in a moving, sentimental ending.

If you like time travel, suspense, a sweet romance – you’ll enjoy CLOCKWISE.

Plus, the cover is all sorts of awesome.

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Did the Mayan 2012 apocalypse refer to traditional publishing? Or not?

By on August 31, 2011 in publishing industry

Joe Konrath blogs at A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing. He’s been predicting the downfall of traditional publishing for a while. But recently he wrote one called,

The End is Nigh. Read it, if you haven’t already.

Honestly, I don’t know what to think. I feel like the whole issue is a merry-go-round. Some, like Konrath, adamantly proclaim why traditional will fail. While others say publishing is alive and well. Agents are selling books. People are buying books.

But this post was different. John Locke recently signed a print deal with Simon and Schuster but he kept all his erights. From there, Konrath predicts other big authors will demand the same thing and then the Big Six won’t be able to recover. It’s just a matter of time.

I hear the stats about more ebooks selling. But I don’t think that holds true for kidlit. I don’t think the majority of kidlit books being bought are ebooks.

This post is not about whether self-publishing is the way to go or not. I’m not going to pretend I can predict the future. Some say the writing is on the wall. Yet many, many people are silent, not saying anything.

What do you think about this? The only sure thing I know is that we need to be informed. We need to hear the worst prediction and the best. And we need to focus more than anything on our writing.

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