Forum / who doesn't like a free read?

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    Tyler D. Findlay
    Dec 06, 08:53am

    This is completely shameless, but I want to mention that for the next four days (dec. 6-9) my short collection "Soft Rot" will be free for kindle download.
    It's short, flawed and vulgar. Just saying, for instance, it wouldn't be great for your bible study.
    Anyways, thanks for allowing me to whore myself here. I'm new here, so if this is an inappropriate venue please feel free to delete this thread.

    Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Soft-Rot-ebook/dp/B007VHIU0W/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

    Lastly, reviews on the amazon page would be greatly appreciated. If you choose to do so, please be brutally honest.
    Thanks,
    Tyler

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 06, 09:36am

    Tyler, no reason to be ashamed. Nobody else will plug our shit for us. We gotta do it ourselves. Here's my five-day free download promotion, too:

    http://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-ebook/dp/B00AAHLBYW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353785034&sr=1-1&keywords=sacrifice+mathew+paust

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 06, 01:14pm

    Who doesn't like a free read? Me. Especially when it's my book. I wish my publisher had a strategy beyond giving my book away so that people might later pay a buck for it.

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 06, 01:15pm

    I'm downloading both yours.

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    Tyler D. Findlay
    Dec 07, 12:43am

    Thanks, Adam! let me know what you think.
    Downloading yours now, Mathew.

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 07, 07:30pm

    Thanks, guys. My post Chasing the "Z" Words provides some evidence that giving free copies to prime the pump is the best way for obscure writers to get people talking, which leads to sales. http://oursalon.ning.com/profiles/blogs/chasing-the-z-words

    Downloading yours now, Tyler...

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 07, 07:33pm

    Oh, and using the time-honored principle of reciprocity, I'll blurb yours on Amazon, Tyler, and trust that you will blurb mine. Appreciate your help in that regard, too, Adam.

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 07, 10:15pm

    Icareful with swap reviews. Some readers live for calling authors out on that.

    Ivebeendeader.blogspot.com. Just wrote about this.

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 07, 11:29pm

    Who am I to deprive dinks like that of some dash in their dreary lives.

    Do they whine about the established literati blurbing each others backs in the New York reviews or on dust jackets? Maybe, but if righteous buddy blurbs persuade an impulse buyer to take an existential leap to our product over E.L. James's, I won't lose any sleep. It all comes down to marketing, and the most effective marketing is word of mouth.

    I reciprocate blurbs, no matter what the tight-panty crowd may think.

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    Tyler D. Findlay
    Dec 08, 08:36pm

    Whats a blurb? Don't laugh at me. haha

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    Adam Sifre
    Dec 08, 09:28pm

    "she was just a chambermaid. He was a prince. But ten minutes in the coat room changed everything. "

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 08, 10:13pm

    A promotional puff. Adam's excellent example is a quickie blurb. I'd buy the book knowing nothing more. Most of the "customer's reviews" on Amazon are blurbs. Anything negative and it's attacked as a hatchet job.

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    Tyler D. Findlay
    Dec 09, 01:05am

    hahaha I prefer honest reviews even if they expose flaws in my writing.

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 09, 02:26pm

    In a perfect world, so would I, Tyler. Unfortunately getting people to buy my books must come first, as I am too penurious to find much romanticism in the distinction "starving artist." Any criticism that might help my book reach more readers is welcome, of course, but too often unsolicited "critiques" spring from subjective viewpoints that might or might not be valid vis a vis the aim of a particular work.

    A customer review on Amazon, for example, might say, "this sucks," which helps no one unless the customer is well-known for having market savvy in the publishing biz. And I doubt those types would even bother to learn how to open the ordinary Amazon review box. A customer review saying, "too many adverbs" or "I fell asleep in the middle of the first sentence" would certainly tell me something, but I have yet to see any in that venue either so helpful or amusing.

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    Mathew Paust
    Dec 09, 08:59pm

    Tyler, I just posted an honest review of "Soft Rot" on Amazon. Should be up shortly. Loved the read.

    Adam, I've downloaded "I've Been Deader", which I shall read over the next several days. I might not be entirely honest with my review of this one, tho, as I'm not inclined to even hint to the world of the pants-wetting laffter it undoubtedly will provoked in me.

  • Frankie Saxx
    Dec 10, 10:42pm

    I totally missed this earlier. Sorry, guys.

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