Amazon Kindle 2: Authors Guild Take

From the Author's Guild:

On Monday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled Amazon's Kindle 2 e-book reading device at the Morgan Library in New York. Most of the changes from the first version of the Kindle are incremental improvements: the new Kindle is lighter and thinner, for example, and Amazon eliminated the scroll wheel. One update, however, is wholly new: Amazon has added a "Text to Speech" function that reads the e-book aloud through the use of special software.

This presents a significant challenge to the publishing industry. Audiobooks surpassed $1 billion in sales in 2007; e-book sales are just a small fraction of that. While the audio quality of the Kindle 2, judging from Amazon's promotional materials, is best described as serviceable, it's far better than the text-to-speech audio of just a few years ago. We expect this software to improve rapidly.

We're studying this matter closely and will report back to you. In the meantime, we recommend that if you haven't yet granted your e-book rights to backlist or other titles, this isn't the time to start. If you have a new book contract and are negotiating your e-book rights, make sure Amazon's use of those rights is part of the dialog. Publishers certainly could contractually prohibit Amazon from adding audio functionality to its e-books without authorization, and Amazon could comply by adding a software tag that would prohibit its machine from creating an audio version of a book unless Amazon has acquired the appropriate rights. Until this issue is worked out, Amazon may be undermining your audio market as it exploits your e-books.

Bundling e-books and audio books has been discussed for a long time in the industry. It's a good idea, but it shouldn't be accomplished by fiat by an e-book distributor.

Reading to your kids note: A Wall Street Journal article quoted a portion of an interview with Authors Guild executive director Paul Aiken regarding the Kindle 2. The remarks have been interpreted by some as suggesting that the Guild believes that private out-loud reading is protected by copyright. It isn't, unless the reading is being done by a machine. And even out-loud reading by a machine is fine, of course, if it's from an authorized audio copy. Others suggest that challenging Amazon's use of this software challenges accessibility to the visually impaired. It doesn't: Kindle 2 isn't designed for such use. The Guild continues to support efforts to make works truly accessible to the visually impaired.

Local Booksellers Need You!

Recently the Authors Guild sent out an email which encouraged members to spread the word to support local booksellers.

We are fortunate where I live because we do not have any large book retailers in close proximity.

The closest B&N is about a forty-five minute drive down the winding mountain roads.

Even so, the grocery stores have taken over many of the magazine and mass market sales but we all still tend to support the local bookstores because they are important to our minds and our communities.

But is it enough?

One of our locals stores closed its doors not too long ago...but I believe it was due to poor business practices more than anything else.

Just last year, I sent out an announcement for my latest book to booksellers around the nation and was sad to see about 50 of my postcards returned marked "closed" or "empty building."

I happen to prefer the cozy, intimate nature of independent bookstores such as Cabin Fever in Sky Forest, California or Mcabe Books in Crestline, California.

Sometimes being pals with the booksellers can get in the way of shopping--but we all love it.

This year we lost the eclectic Eastside Book Cafe but Edelweiss Books is still going strong after something like 30 years and the Big Bear Book & Bean had to downsize but we are hopeful that they will survive.

Anyway, below is the email plea from the Authors Guild--and I'd like to invite you to take action and join in the efforts to support ANY local independent bookseller.

Drop by an independent bookseller on a day trip, order from a local bookstore by phone, or get gift certificates as stocking stuffers this season.

Find excuses throughout the year to support small businesses of all types but especially those who sell the books that stimulate minds and help maintain diversity and that pick unique titles instead of those few picked out of hundreds of titles to be marketed heavily.

From Roy Blount:

I've been talking to booksellers lately who report that times are hard. And local booksellers aren't known for vast reserves of capital, so a serious dip in sales can be devastating.

Booksellers don't lose enough money, however, to receive congressional attention. A government bailout isn't in the cards.

We don't want bookstores to die. Authors need them, and so do neighborhoods. So let's mount a book-buying splurge.

Get your friends together, go to your local bookstore and have a book-buying party. Buy the rest of your Christmas presents, but that's just for starters.

Clear out the mysteries, wrap up the histories, beam up the science fiction! Round up the westerns, go crazy for self-help, say yes to the university press books! Get a load of those coffee-table books, fatten up on slim volumes of verse, and take a chance on romance!

There will be birthdays in the next twelve months; books keep well; they're easy to wrap: buy those books now.

Buy replacements for any books looking raggedy on your shelves.

Stockpile children's books as gifts for friends who look like they may eventually give birth.

Hold off on the flat-screen TV and the GPS (they'll be cheaper after Christmas) and buy many, many books.

Then tell the grateful booksellers, who by this time will be hanging onto your legs begging you to stay and live with their cat in the stockroom:

"Got to move on, folks. Got some books to write now. You see...we're the Authors Guild."

Enjoy the holidays.

Roy Blount Jr.
President
Authors Guild

NaNoWrMo 2008

National Novel Writing Month begins on November 1st--are you game? If so, sign up now and be sure to check out the NaNoWrMo podcast!

Meet Your Muse Workshop

A Journey to Discovering, Nurturing, Exercising, & Rewarding Your Muse. (Workshop for writers and other creative types.)

Instructor: Diana L Guerrero (Author and founder of the Alliance of Writers.)

Saturday, October 11, 2008
11am to 3pm
$60 per person.
Lunch is included.

Comment or call 760.875-6874 for more information.

Pay the Writer

Literary Pie: Annual Celebration

Above (L to R): Kat Blanc, Diana L Guerrero, "William Sarabande," Liz Harris, Rita Robinson Campbell. Not pictured is Pamela Heiman.

This week was our annual author lunch which now revolves around the Literary Pie tradition started by Susan Messer & Patry Francis.

If you have not had your piece of the Literary Pie, you'd better get busy and feed that muse. This year my pie didn't look as perfect as it has in the past but it always tastes out of this world!

Above: This year's Literary Pie. Check out the recipe and rules to this tradition here.

We sent our good thoughts and blessings over to Patry and I hope to hear from her soon. She's had some health challenges of late.

You can visit Patry's blog here and see her last year's pie while you are at it!

Review: Yaro Starak's Blog Mastermind Program

Above: Yaro talks to me about Blog Mastermind

One of the big challenges facing any author is how to establish a relationship with your readers and maintain it.

In addition, marketing budgets are low or non-existent for most newly published authors or bloggers.

My last book, Blessing of the Animals was designed to drive readers to the book’s website which had an opt-in email list and a blog.

Today I am overhauling the site (and this one--I have about 10 so be patient) so that it will be blog (web journal) that allows two way communication with my readership or visitors who are surfing the web and who land on the site.

Let me tell you why.

I just ended a year long investment into two programs by Yaro Starak. If you don’t know who Yaro Starak is—you probably are new to blogging.

Yaro Starak's programs are great for writers or authors because they can help you build your audience and monetize (teach you to make an income) your blog in the process.

It wasn't too long ago that Yaro began blogging and quickly shot to the top of the heap as on of the most successful and well known internet bloggers.

If you are going to spend time and energy blogging—shouldn’t you do it right? Shouldn’t you make money in the process?

Yes, do it right and make money!

I've taken the advice and despite health challenges and other setbacks my blogs that were projects in Yaro Starak's Blog Mastermind program are bringing in passive income.

Let me give you a bit of history on my experience with Yaro Starak and state right now that it is my recommendation that you enroll in his Blog Mastermind Program. I don't often recommend or review programs (and yes, I am an affiliate) but this is a gem.

If you are a skeptic, start with his free resources—the Blog Profits Blueprint and the Become a Blogger tutorials--but don’t miss out on the Blog Mastermind Program because it opens up to new students this month and he only takes so many students per session.


I first learned of Yaro Starak during a teleseminar about podcasting. A novice at the effort, I was glad that he shared vital information that helped me right away. In addition, I liked what he had to say and the personality that he presented.

So, when he invited listeners to opt-in to his email list—I joined.

That was in 2006 and boy am I glad I did.

It was just last year when he invited me to get involved in the early launch of his Blog Mastermind Program. It was so great that I continued into the beta Mastermind Membership Program.

Yaro Starak reopens the Blog Mastermind Program to a new group of students perodically and I HIGHLY recommend it. The program is by far one of the best values for the investment.

If you want an overview into what the program delves into, take a moment and download the Blog Profits Blueprint by Yaro Starak (if you did not do so already). The free download gives you an inkling of how generous the guy is—but the blueprint only scratches the surface.

The Blog Mastermind Program is a series of twenty-seven lessons delivered once a week to your email address. You just click on the link and read the assignment.

In addition, you can participate in a membership only forum, ask questions of advanced bloggers (including Yaro), and listen to audio interviews from some of the top bloggers and marketers, such as Darren Rowse (Problogger), Brian Clark (Copyblogger), and a whole lot more.

As they say, “but that’s not all” since you will also be able to view video case studies and tutorials where Yaro reviews blogs and makes suggestions for change or reveals tools or techniques you might have missed.

One of the other perks is that you get to network with other students. If you feel alone out there--you won't in this program. Everyone tries to help each other and you build some good online pals in the process.

Now, I do have to admit that I wasn’t happy with Starak’s review of one of my blogs—but he was right and that is what I was paying him for—to help me optimize and make it work for me. Now that blog is doing more than I expected--you can see the before and after blog makeover at this review on the Fawnskin Flyer.

The program is well worth the price and at least one other review said that she would be “willing to invest much more in it than I would have in any other product.” So let’s talk about the program:

First, blogging takes time and growing your audience, traffic, and any profits come from time invested. Yaro Starak makes a pretty good income from his blogging. Will you?

I haven’t yet but with the Blog Mastermind Program you’ll be guided closer to that goal and I am making some money now--which I had not done the previous couple of years prior to enrolling!

Blog Mastermind is a great step-by-step guide, and the time frame for the assignments allows you to absorb all the lessons but if you don’t—those that complete the program have lifetime access to the course and any new goodies that will be added in the future.

One of the things I really liked was that Yaro Starak explains tough concepts clearly and serves them up in bite size pieces.

My bottom line assessment is that Yaro Starak’s Blog Mastermind Program will equip you with all the tools you need to make money blogging. The program support is excellent. I am still very happy I joined.

The Blog Mastermind Program teaches you how to implement strategies to help you make money. It does take work...it is not a get rich quick scheme and has integrity.

The Blog Mastermind Program is worth the money and I encourage you to join.



Read the Blog Mastermind Sales Page
Download the Blog Profits Blueprint Now
Learn How to Blog