Tag Archives: books

Musings of the day

24 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Personal Thoughts

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Do you ever take a look at an author you follow, after a long break of reading their books because something in life just didn’t let you get to it, or you just have so many authors it takes a while to circle back to them and by the time you do they have a long list of books that you’re now sorely behind on? That’s me right now. I have so much going on at my 9-5 and at home that I haven’t been doing much ready, as you may remember from my last update. But also, I follow so many authors, and am trying to read/keep up with so many series that occasionally I let one slip. And I turn around and what used to be on book 3 is now on book 16. And I look at my bookshelf with it’s full stacks and no space and whimper because where am I going to find space for those 13 books, and how am I going to find the time to read all 13 books, and truth be told because it’s been that long I might as well call it 16 and start at the beginning in reading them.

It’s not just one author I’ve done this with either. I have several authors I paused in my reading when their books were in single digits and now that I’m looking at the series we’re into double digits.

Aside from finding the time to catch up on them, I have another serious question that I’m facing. Do I finish out my printed, sits on a shelf collection, and buy a new bookshelf in the process, or do I throw the feel of those pages in my hand to the wind and just start getting the series in ebook format? I’m torn on which to do because as someone that suffers from very, very mild OCD it really bothers me to not have the complete collection of things, and I like the feel and weight of books in my hand while I read, and there’s something awesome about the look of them on the shelf, all together and spines cracked because they’ve been well read. On the other hand, I’m running out of space in order to store my books and I am starting to fear the move if I ever need to go anywhere.

What are your thoughts on ebook verses print copies?

Inching along

03 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Personal Thoughts, Writing

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I really don’t know why it’s so hard to get me to sit down and write out blog posts, or update my twitter for that matter. I always have great plans to, and then they fall short of my wants because something or another gets pushed in front of me.

Though, in my defense with blogging, I’ve been vying for a full time desk job that will pay the bills. Something I deeply need in order to survive and all. It’s going well too, and I’m hoping to have the job secured by the start of the new year. So here’s hoping.

In other news, I am in the process of writing up a review, though a couple days ago, as I was finishing up the book I was directed by Kindle that since I was reading A, I might like B. And B turned out to be book two of a series named after the book I was currently reading. But by a different author. Color me confused at that point.

Apparently two different authors used “Easy Bake Coven” as their title, only five months apart. So while the newer of the two’s review will be posted hopefully tomorrow if today pans out as I want it too, the older of the two “Easy Bake Coven” books will be jumping my reading list to top so I can read and review that one too.

Which leads me to a poll of sorts, dear readers. Have you come across this before? And I’m not just talking about similar titles, because I have stumbled across similar or same titled books but what was inside, and the genres tended to be different. Both of these books are about witches, and from the description of the second one, they’re both slipping into some mystery as well.

And for those that write and publish, do you search to see if anything on amazon, B&N, smashword, etc. has the same title as what you are hoping to name your book? Or do you just publish it without looking?

Pricing on the Kindle Store

20 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Personal Thoughts, Writing

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I have to say that sometimes it amazes me how the pricing ends up on Amazon’s Kindle store. With Kindle Direct allowing authors to self publish instead of finding a publisher, it’s flooded the ebook stores with more material than ever. (Which is both good and bad.)

On the one hand, it means that authors don’t have to jump and compete with that very small market that is the big publishers line up, and they don’t have to deal with the hassles that can come from trying a small, specifically genre-d press, or bend their genre and style to fit that small press. However it also means that anyone can publish anything, and editors aren’t always used before publishing. (Though I’m starting to get a little off topic here since I wanted to discuss the pricing, aren’t I.)

A lot of the books on the store are $0.99 – especially when it’s a book one of a series, which I personally think is great. It gives you the ability to try a new author without really committing a lot of money at first, and if you like them and want to continue the series it’s usually $2.99. To me? That seems more than fair and more than a little awesome. It’s affordable as the reader, the author gets their stories out there, and while it’s not much they’re also getting at least a little money for the effort they’re putting into it.

What baffles me though, while I was cruising the Kindle store I came across an author who is publishing 4K stories and asking for $2.99 for them. In a see of chapter ebooks and lengthy novellas that are being sold for $0.99, this person wanted more. And I will admit, I haven’t gotten into self publishing my stuff yet, though I do have plans to in the near future, I don’t see how the author thought that would be a good business plan. Especially since said author states the word count in the description on the info of the book so you know you’re getting a massive short.

I won’t say that the author is wrong for charging that much as it’s her work and she has every right to charge as she pleases. What I’m wondering is, do people actually spend that much for such a small short? Am I just a little too wallet tight to spend almost a dollar for every thousand words?