Steve Weber's Comments
Aug 27, 2007 | comments: 16
Steve Weber Aug 27, 2007, 3:59pm EDT
Sarah,

You are right about those rankings, they are totally out of whack. There's something screwed up because the ones at the top of the rankings often are not the ones voted "most helpful" by customers.

However, that doesn't really matter for our purposes. Listmanias still show up (very reliably) when customers are looking at relevant books or search results. So they do provide tons of exposure.
Aug 7, 2007 | comments: 24
Steve Weber Aug 8, 2007, 4:06pm EDT
Cheryl,

Thanks very much for the correction about BookTour.com. What a great idea for them to promote "virtual" events.
Aug 7, 2007 | comments: 24
Steve Weber Aug 7, 2007, 10:19pm EDT
I agree with all the comments about how it's great for authors and their fans to meet in the flesh. I've attended many book signings at my local Borders and enjoyed them all.
Aug 7, 2007 | comments: 24
Steve Weber Aug 7, 2007, 12:29pm EDT
Thanks for the comment, Al.

If you can get a crowd at your local bookstore, by all means, go for it! I'm just saying, "don't spend all your time banging your head against the wall begging bookstores to let you earn money for them."

It's far more efficient, I think, for authors (especially authors who aren't already famous) to spend their time creating content online -- on a blog, here on Gather, on MySpace, whatever. You'll reach many more people that way with a lot less aggravation and wasted money.
Aug 1, 2007 | comments: 17
Steve Weber Aug 6, 2007, 1:34pm EDT
Kevin T.,

I'd love to know why on earth you think this violates Lulu's terms of service. I posted my book excerpt as a free e-book, just as many thousands of other Lulu members have done. I'm very comfortable with my ethics, regardless of what you may have "understood during an online chat."

On the other hand, you're certainly correct that self-publishing carries a stigma. Especially among narrow-minded people.
Aug 2, 2007 | comments: 2
Steve Weber Aug 3, 2007, 10:56am EDT
Kenneth, thanks very much for the flattering review.
Aug 2, 2007 | comments: 25
Steve Weber Aug 2, 2007, 8:49pm EDT
Broger said:
"Just remember, amazon said you must accept commercial email (i.e. spam) If that is ok with you than go for it. I prefer to keep my inbox as uncluttered as possible."

I don't think this is as big a problem as you might think, and I definitely don't think you'd receive any "spam." I subscribe to several of Amazon's e-mail programs, and I only receive a few e-mails a month total. They are all book recommendations (for new books) based on books I've purchased in the past. Some are helpful, some not. You can always unsubscribe from the specific lists Amazon offers.
Aug 2, 2007 | comments: 25
Steve Weber Aug 2, 2007, 2:32pm EDT
Carolyn,

Looks like there's no way to volunteer. It's a "don't call us, we'll e-mail you" situation.

I'm assuming they are sending out the initial invitations only to Amazon "Top Reviewers." But perhaps if the initial test goes well they'll open it up to everyone. That would be cool.
Aug 1, 2007 | comments: 17
Steve Weber Aug 1, 2007, 4:53pm EDT
Yes, Day Tripper Diva, I'm on there
Jul 28, 2007 | comments: 16
Steve Weber Jul 28, 2007, 11:18am EDT
I think the social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook are a great way for authors to get the word out about their book.

A lot of people pooh-pooh the idea of MySpace, thinking that it's just for kids. But there are 100 million people on there. No matter what your book is about, a good portion of your potential readership is on MySpace -- looking for stuff to read!

I get at least one message a day from someone who's bought my book after discovering me on MySpace. In case you're interested, here's my profile.

Here are some articles I've written about this recently:

How authors can network on MySpace

Should I market my book on MySpace or a blog?

Are book readers moving from MySpace to Facebook?

Which social network is best for plugging my book?
Jul 19, 2007 | comments: 20
Steve Weber Jul 20, 2007, 6:35pm EDT
Cheryl,

Only one person recognized a chapter of "Pride and Prejudice." It was Alex Bowler, assistant editor at Jonathan Cape publishers in the UK. He replied: "I suggest you reach for your copy of Pride and Prejudice, which I'd guess lives in close proximity to your typewriter and make sure that your opening pages don't too closely mimic the book's opening. After all, there is such a thing as plagiarism."

I think the point is, this just shows that it's very, very hard (impossible?) to get most publishers to look at the first page of an unsolicited manuscript.

Steve
Jul 12, 2007 | comments: 56
Steve Weber Jul 19, 2007, 10:30pm EDT
My daughter said she wanted her birthday party this year to be at Chucky Cheese's. My wife said, "Over my dead body." :-O
Jun 2, 2007 | comments: 17
Steve Weber Jul 16, 2007, 10:01pm EDT
Raymond, "How I got Published" sounds great. I just put in my preorder at Amazon and I'm looking forward to reading it!

Steve
Jul 5, 2007 | comments: 16
Steve Weber Jul 15, 2007, 8:57pm EDT
Bradley, marketing on Gather would be pretty much the same process as marketing on MySpace or any other social network. Find the groups or discussions pertinent to your book, whether it's fiction or nonfiction, and get a dialog going. You're right, Lulu isn't going to do any marketing for you, you're on your own in that respect.

I see that you have a travel book and you've joined some of the Gather groups related to that interest, so you're well on your way. Good luck!
Jun 3, 2007 | comments: 130
Steve Weber Jun 3, 2007, 8:42am EDT
Thanks for all the great info, Monica. I was wondering about all this stuff!
May 21, 2007 | comments: 13
Steve Weber May 22, 2007, 12:53pm EDT
AstroGirl,

Generally, you need to have at least one book for sale on Amazon to be eligible to submit a Short. However, authors, agents and editors who technically don't meet that requirement can inquire at amazon-shorts@amazon.com.

Here's the FAQ.
 
Steve Weber
Northern Virginia
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