Sean Creighton is running a stall in Croydon, on Sunday 8 December, offering authors the opportunity to display/sell their works. If you are an author and/or poet based in the vicinity, and are interested in participating, please see this link for details, https://seancreighton1947.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/croydon-events-and-news-at-2-december/.
Checking my Gmail spam folder, I came across a solicitation, from a book promotion service, inviting me to advertise my work on their website. The following paragraph particularly caught my attention:
“The (name of site redacted by me) specialize in making
sure that your book gets seen by readers
as well as media on major platforms to force
sales and with clear visibility”.
I am a simple soul and struggle to comprehend how one can “force” sales. As anyone with a rudimentary grasp of the English language knows, the word “force” implies coercion, compulsion etc. The use of the word “force” conjures up images of readers being frog marched to virtual check-outs and being compelled to part with their money. A virtual version of “stand and deliver” if you like. Surely this is not what the company in question mean by their employment of the word “force”.
One can not “force” another to do something against their will without the employment of blackmail, and/or the threat of (or actual utilisation of) violence. I am sure the organisation in question are not in any way advocating the use of such methods. None the less their use of the word “force” is sloppy in the extreme and does not inspire me with confidence regarding the service on offer. Consequently I wont be signing up with this outfit.
Please buy my book
Do Take a look
You can read it on your Nook
Oh do please buy my book!
Reading is great
Early or late
Its never to late
Oh do take a look!
In a recent interview the author, Ian Mcewin argued that very few novels earn their length. Mcewinn states that he likes to read novels in one sitting and many longer works would benefit from being considerably shorter. Personally I believe that both short and more lengthy works have their place. A good long novel which holds my attention is well worth the effort while a shorter work which fails to engross me receives the thumbs down.
Mcewin makes a number of other interesting observations including his statement that several Amazons competing against one another would be good for the book industry, (I am inclined to agree with him).
For the article please visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/11067429/Author-Ian-McEwan-Very-few-novels-earn-their-length.html
My collection of short stories, Street Walker And Other Stories was free, in the Kindle Store from 25 February until 1 March. During the free promotion Street Walker was downloaded a total of 84 times (well give or take a download either way as I find it difficult to read the sales reports in KDP Select. Am I the only one who has this difficulty)! Irrespective of whether the number of downloads was 84, 83 or 85, many thanks to everyone who downloaded Street Walker. I hope you enjoyed reading my book and I would love to hear what you thought of it. Thank you also to all who reblogged the free promotion bringing it to the attention of a wider audience. The mutual assistance of bloggers is one of the great things about social media!
You can find Street Walker And Other Stories here, http://www.amazon.com/Street-Walker-other-stories-Morris-ebook/dp/B00HLRNDP4
K Morris - Poet 