BETTER BOOKS: Heaven Is Not Real

Readers: Word of Mouth Is Still King

Though this poll's results are heavily skewed towards GoodReads as a source of recommendations, it's interesting to note how few readers picked up the last book they read because it was mentioned in the media (6.3%) or on a blog (6.6%). The most important factor in choosing a book, according to the readers who answered this poll, is word-of-mouth.

What this seems to say is that the impact of a single review -- or a single radio appearance, or a single guest blog -- doesn't have a significant impact on sales. JA Konrath said something similar on his blog a few weeks ago. "When I appear in some major periodical, I watch my Kindle numbers, looking for the big spike. I never see a big spike. In fact, I hardly ever see a small spike," he wrote. (I usually dismiss 3/4 of what Konrath says, but he has a point here.)

There are some media spots (The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, NPR, etc.) that may produce direct spikes in sales. "I saw a friend's numbers go berserk after an appearance on The Daily Show (admittedly, that's a big one and an outlier, like Oprah or something)," Barry Eisler wrote on Konrath's blog.

Cumulatively, I suspect, a different picture might emerge: A positive Times review, a guest post on Salon, and an interview on local radio station might all fit together to influence a reader into picking up a book. If anyone figures out the magic formula, let me know? Thanks!

UPDATE: Jennifer Weiner chimed in on Twitter: "My agent/publisher talk about Rule of 3: a reader has to read or hear about a book 3x before it clicks. It's cumulative."

(via GoodReads)

Abe Lincoln Has a Verified Twitter Account and You Don't

Apparently, for advertisers who spend at least $15k with Twitter, you can have any account "verified" with a blue checkmark. Even the fake account of someone who is, you know, dead.

FREE BOOK FRIDAY: Superheroes and Philosophy

If you haven't read any of the pop culture and philosophy books from Wiley Blackwell, this is a good introduction. While the opening chapter on Thor was a little silly (Thor is a little silly, after all), the essay on Superman renouncing his American citizenship is well worth your time. And money, although you're getting it here for free!

Why doesn't Batman just kill the Joker and end everyone's misery? Does Peter Parker have a good life? What can Iron Man teach us about the role of technology in society? Bringing together key chapters from books in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, this free superhero sampler engages the intellectual might of big thinkers like Aristotle and Kant to answer these questions and many others, giving you new insights on everything from whether Superman is truly an American icon to whether Wolverine is the same person when he loses his memory.

• Features exclusive bonus content: all-new chapters on Captain America and Thor
• Gives you a sneak peek at upcoming books: Avengers and Philosophy, Spider-Man and Philosophy, and Superman and Philosophy
• Includes superheroes from both the DC and Marvel universes: the Avengers, Batman, Captain America, Green Lantern, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Superman, Thor, Watchmen, and the X-Men

Kindle ebook  •  Nook ebook  •  Apple iBook  •  Google ebook

THURSDAY VIDEOS: Lana Del Rey's "The Hunger Games"

(via Holly Laurent)

The High Cost of Self-Publishing

While publishing a book has never been easier (thank you, ebooks!), it still isn't cheap. Many of the costs that are usually covered by a traditional publisher must be paid for by the author. This can result in unanticipated out-of-pocket costs of up to several thousands of dollars.

I recently asked romance writer Jackie Barbosa about her foray into self-publishing; here's what she said:

I consider there to be two "types" of costs--hard and soft. Both count against my net income on any book, though. Hard costs would be the cover art (I'm not capable of doing that myself, so I pay for it), editing (I haven't paid for content editing yet, though it's possible I might in the future; I always pay for a professional copy edit, though), formatting (if you pay someone else to do that; I do it myself) and ISBN numbers. Soft costs are things like advertising, which I'd probably do even if the book were being put out by a publisher, but which nonetheless come out of my pocket, often before the book is released and before I've earned a dime from its sales.

My hard costs on my self-published novella, THE LESSON PLAN, were $125 for cover art, $225 for copy editing (a penny per word, roughly), and $25 for the ISBN (although I had to out-of-pocket $250 for a block of ten, only one of which I've used). If I were doing a full-length novel (and I will later this year), my editing costs would be proportionally higher.

Barbosa has found more success (in financial terms) with her self-published ebooks -- in one month in 2011, for instance, she made more than she made in royalties from a traditionally published book over the course of the entire year. "I am not out to see the end of traditional publishing nor do I think traditional publishers are mean, evil, or incompetent," she says. "For me, this is a better model RIGHT NOW. Nothing says it will remain that way."

TWILIGHT TUESDAY: Breaking Dawn Parody Video

Pretty sure this Breaking Dawn parody had a higher budget than the actual movie (which is out now on DVD).

Would You Read a Book Based Only On Jacket Copy?

According to this (unscientific) poll of GoodReads members, over 90% of readers would be likely to "take a chance" on a book based solely on its cover and jacket copy.

In a day and age in which many authors stress about the impact of negative (and lukewarm) reviews on sites like Amazon and GoodReads, it's shocking to see so many readers speak up and say, "I like to take chances." It's easy to forget: Readers are curious and adventurous creatures.

As Tobias Bucknell wrote on Twitter, "General awareness is built through reviews, but [reviews are] not as big an impact as people hope/pray/beg/plead/dread?"

(via GoodReads)

FREE BOOK FRIDAY: Breathless Reads Sampler

One of the better author readings/signings I went to last year was the "Breathless Reads" tour, featuring five Penguin Books Young Adult authors. Penguin has a sampler featuring excerpts from their books, in anticipation of the 2012 "Breathless Reads" tour:

Five tales of love and adventure that will leave you breathless! Discover the exhilarating stories and incredible worlds of these five breathtaking novels: Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood, Legend by Marie Lu, Matched by Ally Condie, and Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. And don't miss your chance to meet the authors during the Breathless Reads tour in February 2012!

Kindle ebook  •  Nook ebook  •  Sony ebook  •  Google ebook

THURSDAY VIDEOS: "Great Philosophers" Book Trailer at FunnyOrDie.com

Video ad for my book, Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love. The ebook is on sale for a limited time for 99 cents (save $9!) at Amazon.