It’s coming up on the one-year anniversary of the release of Salvation as an e-book. I don’t have any idea how many copies have sold so far. I expect to find out in the next few weeks.
I’d like to thank all my friends who have already bought the book, especially the ones who actually read it. Thank you all for your kind comments and encouragement. If you haven’t yet bought a copy, please do so. It’s really quite cheap and pretty entertaining, if I say so myself.
First, correcting some misconceptions about e-books.
1. You DO NOT need a special e-book reader like a Kindle to read my novella. You just need a computer. The book is in PDF format, readable by virtually any computer. You can even read it on an iPhone.
2. You DO NOT have to read it at your computer. You can print it out. It’s only 60 pages. If you want to be really fancy, you can probably set your printer for double-sided, making it only 30 pages. To be even fancier, you can set your printer to print 2 pages to a side AND double-sided, reducing the actual pages printed to a mere 15.
3. You SHOULD NOT wait until it comes out in paperback to buy it, though I’m sure this will happen eventually. But if you buy the e-book, that gets me one step closer to having it printed in paperback, and then you can buy it again!
Okay, now some fun suggestions for what you can do with your e-book once you buy it.
1. Make your own cover: Print it out, as above, and then take an additional sheet of paper to draw a cover. Perhaps wait until after you’ve read the book to design your cover, or design a cover resembling what you expect the book to be like and see how it holds up after you’ve read it. Or design something abstract that has nothing to do with the book.
2. A variation on (1) for those of you with graphic design abilities and a pro version of Adobe Acrobat: Make a cover in your favorite graphic design program (Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand, whatever) and then import it right into the PDF. This is especially nice if you have access to a color printer in your office.
3. Mail it to your friends. With an e-book, people can borrow a book from you while you’re still reading it! (then ask them to send me $5).
I have to say something about this this article because the book they’re reviewing is similar (in theory) to the kind of books that Thom Hawkins, one of the major characters in Salvation writes. The authors of the book have identified six different attitudes about the concept of “time,” and they say that the category in which you fall can have a lot to do with your happiness and success.
I took the quiz attached to the article, and the results were contradictory. Apparently, I’m both more likely and less likely to be depressed, aggressive, and conscientious and to use drugs or alcohol. Hmm.
I took the quiz again imagining Thom’s POV, and he was more consistent–that’s a fictional character for you.
I suppose complaining about my poor sales isn’t the best way to convince people to buy my book.
So here are some nice things people have said about it.
“Wonderful work… I finished it in one sitting” –Kevin M.
“I love it… The writing is great. I had to look up ‘minacious’! The story is haunting. I found TH2’s descent especially touching” –Margaret D.
“I’ve been reading David Hornbuckle for several years now, and his mind never ceases to amaze. His stories — this one in particular — manage a blending of neo-realism with the freest feats of imagination. His beautifully written worlds are ours and, I think, several others. He’s carrying on the fine tradition of Southern writers … only different.” –Jim B.
So there. Feel free to add your own reviews, both positive and negative, in the comments.
Although the book came out almost 9 months ago, I’m starting this blog now in order to try to give it a second life. It turns out that marketing an e-book is not an particularly easy thing to do, and sales have not been quite what I’d hoped for.
A couple of months ago, I wrote an article for mediabistro.com (subscription only, unfortunately), which profiled my publisher, Cantarabooks, and examined the pros and cons of their business model. In a nutshell, the model is this: First they publish a book electronically, and if it sells over a certain threshhold, they will then publish it in paperback. Compared to options like print-on-demand and self-publishing, I concluded this was a good option for some writers, especially if they were having a hard time getting their foot in the door of a more traditional publishing house.
The biggest advantage I can see to this type of publishing is that e-books cost almost nothing to produce, so the house can afford to take a chance on an author that is unconventional or unknown.
As of today, I need to sell only 53 more books to be offered a paperback contract by my publisher. I’m being up-front about this number because it seems low, but, in fact, I’ve already tapped almost all my friends and family, and word just isn’t spreading about the book outside my relatively small circle of acquaintances.
So buy a copy today and help bring Salvation to life as an old-fashioned book that you can hold in your hands, carry with you, and lend to friends.
View the book trailer for Salvation on YouTube.
M. David Hornbuckle 