patrick.net

Patrick,

You should let users preview a few pages of the book on Amazon. Searching for some phrase will help one to see your book. If some one is searching for "Realtor(r) scams", one can see your book right away.

Yes, I've applied for the Amazon "Look Inside" program. I'm kind of surprised it wasn't automatic. Waiting for Amazon to reply about that.

How can any author ever tell if Amazon and the printer are reporting the right number sold?

Perhaps I'm gullible but I wouldn't worry too much about Amazon there. Secret sales were a problem in cash businesses with little tracking, for example certain rock concert promoters were notorious for printing and selling extra tickets for cash and then not paying the performers for those secret tickets; savvy artists learned to station their own security guards at all entrances to double-check tickets and to count manually with clickers to see how many tickets arrived vs how many they had been paid for. In contrast, Amazon has electronic records, and the shippers have records, and the credit card companies have records; all of these are available via subpoena if a whistleblower alerted a copyright owner or class action attorney.

A larger issue is managing the shelf life of your book. Copyright has become ever longer (due to Disney lobbying) but books aren't just about $, there can be a tradeoff between revenue and relevance. Sometimes you might want to promote sales for financial reasons, other times distribution for relevance and exposure, which might drive more sales or something else. Occasionally certain Harry Potter books were sometimes given away to promote the other books or the movies, for example. You might want to read about the strategy of when to offer an electronic edition, and how much of it to make free.

Yes, Amazon is probably OK. Just thinking about all the scams in real estate makes me paranoid in general.

I'm ambivalent about copyright. I'd be pissed if other people copied my book to make money from it, but if people want to propogate the ideas in the book because they believe in them, then I'd be flattered. I give explicit permission to copy 1,000 words to any website as long as it has a clickable link back to Patrick.net.

I just got a book out of the library on book promotion. I'm sure I have a lot to learn.

except for the cover, which an excellent artist who happens to be a Patrick.net reader created for free for me.

ApocalypseFuck, could have also created an excellent cover for you as well.

Let's wait for ApocalyspeFuck and see what he has to say about this release. I'm sure he would be very excited and happy to see this book available.

I wonder what the National Association of Realtor®'s reaction is going to be. The expression on the Realtor®'s face when they see this as the #1 seller in the housing market section at Amazon and eventually in book stores.

Let's hope this book insitigates Neo-Nazi Cannibal Anarachy on Realtor®'s and mortgage brokers.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/3LjMNW3f1P4

http://www.youtube.com/embed/WywDQkxXf8Y&feature=related

?w=227&h=300

Will the National Association of Realtor®'s try to sue Patrick for bogus accusations of slander, libel and defamation against their Realtor®'s and Brokers?

The attempted censorship of this book will be because of the ensuing Neo-Nazi Cannibal Anarachy that will be imminent against Realtor®'s and Brokers.

Robber Baron Elite Scum says

The attempted censorship of this book

...is why I bought a printed copy ASAP.

Patrick curious2 says

...is why I bought a printed copy ASAP.

Good. Because Adolf Hitler is pissed off after he read the book.

Hitler has just officially declared Neo-Nazi Cannibal Anarachy against Realtor®'s and Brokers.

THEY WANT TO EAT REALTOR® MEDIUM RARE STEAK FOR DINNER TONIGHT!!!

?ts=1347649455

?w=500&h=727

?w=500&h=358

?w=500&h=387

?w=500&h=373

?w=500&h=352

SHIT HIT THE FAN INTO REALTOR® NEO-NAZI CANNIBAL ANARACHY!

I bought elliemae's via kindle last week; only half way through it and already found a buyer for a hardcopy based on my recommendation.... so I picked up Patrick's along with it. Looking forward to another good read.

Patrick, be sure to drop a note when you're book tour hits Boston. I'd like to have my copy signed!

Robber Baron Elite Scum says

Will the National Association of Realtor®'s try to sue Patrick for bogus accusations of slander, libel and defamation against their Realtor®'s and Brokers?

I'm actually a bit worried about that, but I carefully checked each mention of Realtor® to consider whether they are defensible, and I'm pretty sure they all are.

So a lawsuit might just be a gift of great publicity.

Let's hope this book educates the masses enough to start locking Realtor®'s into Ferrari's and then lighting it on fire to use it as a barbecue grill to make Medium Rare Realtor® Steak.

I want to hear the howling screams!

Very cool. Just ordered a copy and hope it's a successful venture for you, Patrick.

Will this be available in eBook format eventually? Kindle, etc? Would be great!

skinnyninja says

Will this be available in eBook format eventually? Kindle, etc? Would be great!

The "troops" have spoken Patrick. Paper is so 20th Century.

I love paper books, but OK let's see. It takes a little more work for me to do the Kindle thing, but not too much, just have to reformat some things. Maybe it will cannibalize sales of the paper book though.

Would you pay $8 for a Kindle version? That would make the royalty come out pretty close to even with paper.

Would you pay $8 for a Kindle version? That would make the royalty come out pretty close to even with paper.

Yep.

Maybe it will cannibalize sales of the paper book though.

I'm not so sure. What if you make up for it by selling more e-books than paper? It's really down to the volume.

Yes, in for $8 if digital!

Maybe [an e-book] will cannibalize sales of the paper book though.

Maybe a little, but there are different markets and different uses. For myself, I prefer digital, but I read mostly online for free. As a gift for others, I prefer paper because it makes a better present. I will probably read the printed book quickly then give it to a friend, then someday look for the electronic version so I can text-search as human memory inevitably drifts over time. Also your sales will probably follow one or more curves, depending on what's in the news; at some point you might want to give away the electronic version in order to promote your next book. (Suggestion: "The Medical Trap!")

curious2 says

(Suggestion: "The Medical Trap!")

Yes! I was already wondering what to put in the bear trap image for the cover of that one.

OK, I'll do the Kindle thing for $8. Might take a couple of days.

Should I also look into the iPad bookstore, whatever that's called?

I was already wondering what to put in the bear trap image for the cover of [The Medical Trap]

Something like American Gothic, except with an IV on wheels instead of a pitchfork:

American Gothic

wheeled IV pole

American Gothic Look-Alike Contest

Should I also look into the iPad bookstore, whatever that's called?

It's part of the iTunes store but IDK more about it.

Apple reader is iBooks but most have a kindle app on their iDevice anyway....so no biggie imo. (but beware i am not a book publisher!)

Sold 39 books today! Well, one yesterday from that.

A good start.

Make that 40!

$8 works for me.

I like reading my ebooks on the plane when I'm flying between SFO and SAT. I have my smartphone in one pocket and some earbuds in the other. I don't do carry-on.

Between music, podcasts, reading, and checking out the good looking flight attendents (female of course), the four hour flight goes fast.

Speaking of books, my current read is titled "Tandem Computers Unplugged." An interesting book about Silicon Valley in the early 70's as well as Tandem Nonstop (the platform I work on).

You ever hear about Integrated Research and their Tandem monitoring product called Prognosis?

Invented by a distant relative named Steve Killelea in Australia.

You ever hear about Integrated Research and their Tandem monitoring product called Prognosis?

Invented by a distant relative named Steve Killelea in Australia.

I use Prognosis all the time. A great tool to montor the network.

Congratulations Patrick!

Geez, I need to try writing a book. You and Elliemae are .

If Patrick gets sued by Realtors, or any housing shills, we should all donate for his defense fund, I know I will.

I ordered my copy today. I can't wait to read it.

when is the 2nd edition coming out?

Seymour says

I bought elliemae's via kindle last week; only half way through it and already found a buyer for a hardcopy based on my recommendation

Thanks. My book has a specific audience, while Patrick's appeals to a larger audience. Let's make his a best seller. :)

ok and mine too...

Congratulations on this publication, Patrick. I hope it turns out to be a success on all fronts.

Oxygen says

when is the 2nd edition coming out?

After I get the first wave of corrections and suggestions from the first edition! I plan to keep it well updated.

OK, I'll do the Kindle thing for $8. Might take a couple of days.

Should I also look into the iPad bookstore, whatever that's called?

yeah, itunes with ibooks. Ibooks take 30 percent cut from your sales. You can sell it there for $8.

I was going through the motions of publishing on Kindle, when they presented me with the usual legalese horror to accept without objection, and I decided I'd better actually read it. This gem really stood out:

1 Exclusivity. When you include a Digital Book in KDP Select, you give us the exclusive right to sell and distribute your Digital Book in digital format while your book is in KDP Select. During this period of exclusivity, you cannot sell or distribute, or give anyone else the right to sell or distribute, your Digital Book (or a book that is substantially similar), in digital format in any territory where you have rights.

WTF? Why would I ever give them exclusivity and give up all alternative sales channels? This means I could not even sell my own digital book on my own site.

Then there were other questionable terms that made it sound like they could give the book away for free when they want, and how they could also change the terms at any time and I agree to whatever the hell they come up with.

Fortunately, it looks like it's possible for me to create a Kindle-formatted version on my own and not give up the rights to sell on other platforms. Not entirely sure of that though. The Kindle formatting software may have equally ridiculous terms.

Let me know if you have any advice about creating a Kindle file.

Wow, Amazon's credibility is plummeting fast with me.

They have a line in the terms that says you can contact them with feedback:

1 Agreement Acceptance. You accept this Agreement and agree to be bound by its terms by either (a) clicking agree or accept where you're given the option to do so or (b) by using the Program, or any part of it. If you don't accept the terms, you are not entitled to use the Program. We welcome feedback on this Agreement at https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/contact-us

But when you go to that URL to tell them just how much their exclusivity demand sucks, they won't let you do anything until you first accept all their terms -- the very same freakin contract that I'm telling them I do not agree to.

Time to short Amazon stock?