Libraries boost eBook sales

When publisher Macmillan took the step of allowing libraries only one digital copy of their new eBooks over fears that sales would be affected if libraries were allowed to hire out multiple copies at once, the library trade were angered. Steve Potash, the CEO of OverDrive, the American company which provides digital rights management for libraries, called the movie, horse shit.

Well now there seems to be data that proves that Macmillan were wrong to worry and the library rentals actually impacts positively on eBook sales. Rebecca Miller recently revealed the results of a survey in  Library Journal  and the results were positive for digital publishing.

• 42 percent of US adults surveyed reported that they had bought the same book they had previously borrowed from a library, a number that jumps to 60 percent among millennials.
•  
• 70 percent reported that they had bought another book by an author whose other works they’d borrowed from a library, a number that jumps to 75.4, 76.1, and 77.2 for Gen X, Gen Z, and millennials, respectively.

Book Review: Where the Dead Walk by John Bowen

This book was independently published by the author, using Amazon's self-publishing system, and it shows the strengths of Amazon's opening up the road to publication for those without the support of a major publisher behind them - Where the Dead Walk is a truly captivating horror/supernatural thriller that holds the reader, vice like in a grip of pure suspense. It would be a terrible shame if a book as good as this was denied an audience on the whims of the publishing industry. As it turns out their loss is the reader's gain and I urge anyone who fancies a supernatural novel, that is well done, stays just the right side of ridiculous and will keep you guessing until the final page to give this book a try. It's reminiscent of James Herbert at his best, and the author is most certainly a name to watch.

Where the Dead Walk, is the name of one of those sensationalist reality TV shows that deal with the supernatural - think TV's Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters and you won't be far from the mark.  The show is hosted by Kate Bennett, a woman with a lot of personal tragedy hidden in her past.  When Kate and her producer, Henry are approached by the enigmatic Sabastian Dahl who had a property he claims is haunted, things take a turn for the weird.

There was a time when I read a lot of horror fiction, but over recent years I've not kept up with the genre and so I'm not sure why I decided to read, Where the Dead Walk. I'm glad I did though. I liked the idea of the reality TV show - it made it natural for the characters to stumble into a genuine case of the supernatural and helped the plot to avoid many of the cliches of the well worn haunted house story. In fact the cliches that are used here seem perfectly natural since the TV show at the heart of the plot relies on cliche, bumps and bangs and sudden changes in temperature.

It does everything a book like this should, and many is the time when I felt a shiver run down my spine while reading. To sum up then, Where the Dead Walk is bloody brilliant.


Find the author HERE

eOneBook Dual

It's an innovative design in eReaders - the device contains two eInk screens - The eOneBook 7.2 inch dual screen manga reader is a tour de force of sensible design and functionality. It has a detachable dust jacket that is removable and looks like any other hardcover book when its on your shelf.

Find a full Hands-On review HERE

Amazon selling a pervert's handbook

Amazon will be embarressed that after hiding away many of the eBooks in the erotica section, they are now selling a book that claims to teach perverts how to Creepshot - that's taking secret pics of hot women in order to view later and ....well, I guess bash the bishop. So Amazon recently took the stance of hiding erotica fiction in order to protect public morals but are now selling a kind of pervert's handbook


  “Have you been interested in taking pictures or videos of those sexy young women you see around town?” asks the promotional copy on Amazon for the eBook.' Well you’ve probably looked up how to creepshot but all you got was half baked advice, that barely taught you much. “Creep shooting is an art form, and in this book I go fully into detail and tell you EXACTLY what to do before, during, and after you take creep shots.'

The blub for the book then goes onto say - 'This is part one, I will be publishing part two where I will breakdown for you how to take upskirts, in the meantime learn the information that I have taught you here and when the second book comes out you'll be ready to take great upskirt.'


Amazon have not responded to an email I sent asking about the legality this book, so it leaves me to wonder whatever next -

The Good ePerverts Guide?
Stalking for Beginners?
 Underwear Sniffing on a budget?

Why I love my Kindle

Click HERE

Global eBook Market Report 2018

Find the detailed report by clicking HERE

The Road to Self Publishing is paved with gold

NOTE THIS IS A REWORKED VERSION OF AN EARLIER Archive ARTICLE

The road to self publishing is paved with gold - yeah, sure!

There's an interesting article HERE on this very subject. It's a refreshing read since all we seem to hear about are the mega sales of folk like Amanda Hocking and J A Konrath, but for every big seller there are thousands of others struggling with low, often non existent, sales. So why is this? Well there's a lot of dross out there, of course.But even well established authors, with a proven track record are finding it difficult to shift units in bulk.

Raymond Benson, a well known  writer, the third official author of the James Bond series, recently wrote about his own difficulties in selling his back list as eBooks and Archive friend, Chap O'Keefe, a very well respected western author, has reported that sales are slow with his own eBook titles.

Is it all about promotion?  Take Joe Konrath for instance - he constantly preaches promotion while making claims of massive sales, often selling a truck load of books before dinner time. And yet I've tried to corner him for an interview with the Archive for some time and had no response. John Locke, on the other hand, has talked to the Archive -  he holds the distinction of being the first self published author to sell a million titles. Congratulations John - we're thrilled for you. I could make the outlandish claim that the Archive is responsible for Locke's success, but of course it isn't as the author is a bloody good writer and his work is addictive. He has also worked long and hard at promoting his books but the most important fact is that they are engaging books.  However  in the spirit of outlandish claims I'm gonna' make it anyway - APPEAR ON THE ARCHIVE AND SELL A MILLION!!!!!!!!
 
It took some time for my popular Granny Smith series to find a readership, but now that it has sales are strong from week to week -. I've promoted the hell out of these books, and I shall continue to promote the series.


Maybe readers are reluctant to buy eBooks by new authors after being stung by some of the badly written, badly edited crap out there, but that doesn't explain why true craftsmen like Chap O'Keefe and Raymond Benson  are struggling to make the eBook model work. At the moment we live in a world where anyone can easily publish a novel to eBook using Amazon, Smashwords or Barnes and Noble, and believe me many do - some it seems bang out something in a matter of days, bung up a cover with Photoshop and then press publish and  their creation is soon available to the world.

I do strongly believe though that true talent will shine through - at the moment the self publishing craze seems to have levelled out, but as time goes on readers will soon discover what is good and what is not. Self publishing platforms like Amazon really do need to introduce some quality control if they are to ensure their eShop contains nothing but quality writing, still I fear this will never happen since money is made from the good as well as the bad, and the bad outnumbers the good by seemingly sixteen squillionwilliontwillion to one.

Though have no fear - writers will continue to write, since that is what they have to do, what they must do.

Kindle loses digital weight

Amazon have launched a lite version of their Kindle App for those with slow internet connections - FULL STORY

ON MY eReader with Ben Bridges AKA David Whitehead

This is the first in a regular section in which the Archive quizzes writers about the contents of their eReaders. First up we have David Whitehead -

David Whitehead is a prolific English writer and arguably (hey, there's no argument about it) one of the most influential British western writers of the past thirty years. Born in London in 1958, he sold his first book, THE SILVER TRAIL, in 1984. It marked not only the first appearance of his popular continuing character, freelance fighting man Carter O'Brien, but also the first time he used his best-known pseudonym, Ben Bridges. Since then David has written more than seventy books; westerns as Ben Bridges, Glenn Lockwood, Matt Logan, Doug Thorne, Carter West and ten under his own name. In addition to this he writes romantic fiction as Janet Whitehead and has co-authored nine thrillers with Hollywood screenwriter Steve Hayes. David's entire back-catalogue is now available on Kindle, where all of his westerns are now being reissued under the Ben Bridges byline. For more details about David's work, please go to www.benbridges.co.uk.


Of course David is no stranger to the digital format and he is one of the men responsible for the wonderful Piccadilly Publishing House, a digital publisher that has for several years been bringing new and classic adventure fiction into digital print. Find them HERE but be warned, take a few pennies because while you are there you will buy.


OK so - So Drum Roll please.
and it's over to David Whitehead:

Last night I finished reading WAR CLOUD’S BRIDE by Sundown McCabe, whose real name is Roger Norris-Green. I’ve always been a sucker for Australia’s Cleveland westerns and now that they’ve finally started appearing in digital form, I’ve started getting enthusiastic about them all over again.

WAR CLOUD’S BRIDE tells the story of a drifter named Steve Brand, who gets involved in a manhunt – or more accurately a woman-hunt – when rancher’s daughter Alison Carter is abducted by a Cheyenne war party. But there’s more to the story than just that, of course. Long-buried secrets come to light as the pursuit unfolds, and the plot climaxes with a thrilling river-chase and of course, the obligatory final reckoning with the bad guys.

Overall, this is a fast-moving western, and certainly among the best Cleveland westerns I’ve read in a while (my favourite still remains BELFREY JUAREZ by Clint McCall – check it out if you can find a copy). Characterisation is sketchy but adequate and the author builds a neat sense of location. I doubt the wisdom of naming one character Brand and another one the very similar Brandy, but that’s only a minor technical quibble. WAR CLOUD’S BRIDE is well worth reading and I’m glad to see more Sundown McCabe titles finding a new readership in digital print. 

You can teach an old dog new tricks: An Old Dude's Guide to reading on a Smartphone and Tablet

More and more readers are reading digital books on their Android devices - and for old timers like me, who may be a bit confused by that statement - UM, er what's an Android device? Well usually it's a smartphone or a tablet, though it can be other devices but let's keep it simple and stick to smartphones and tablets for the moment.

Now I'm not a complete luddite when it comes to digital books, and I wouldn't be without my KIndle paperwhite, but all the same the thought of reading on a phone screen seemed odd to me. I had concerns about eye-strain but you know using my Samsung s8 with a Kindle App is something I do more and more when I find myself with maybe five minutes to read, and I'm without my Paperwhite. The experience is good, damn good. Damn these kids come up with some good ideas these days.

Books can be heavy, expensive, and take up valuable space in a cramped rooms. Not you can store trillions, squillions, billions, willions in the cloud and call them to your phone when needed.

So below  are a list of APPS (all free) that can be downloaded to smartphones/tablets to make eReading simplicity. Simply go to the APP Store on your smartphone or tablet and search for any of these free APPS. Most of these APP's are also available for Apple's IOS system.

Amazon Kindle: You can use this app to read your favorite books, magazines and newspapers. This works on all compatible android devices and you need not have a Kindle device to use this eBook reader. One of the best things about this eBook reader is that it has a large library that has a collection of more than four million eBooks. Many of these eBooks are free, so you don’t have to pay even a single penny. You will be notified about new book releases and you can shop for these directly from the app. You can also sync your books to your other digital devices. Amazon Kindle features an in-built dictionary that allows you to search for words instantly while you are reading
.
Aldiko: This is one of the longest surviving eBook readers on Android and also one of the most popular. One of the best things about Aldiko is that it supports various file formats such as ePub, PDF and DRM encrypted files. Aldiko is preferred by people who want to use advanced customization such as adjusting the font type, font size, background color, margin, line spacing, alignment, brightness, etc. You can access Aldiko’s free eBook collection or buy new books with the in-app purchase feature.

MOON: While being able to purchase books from a major retailer and download them to your phone is awesome, sometimes the books you want to read are ones that you already have the files for. Whether you've picked up ebooks from an independent publisher, or you've gotten the files from a now-defunct program, being able to open and read them is key. That's where Moon+Reader comes in.
It has support for 12 different file formats, from .rar files all the way to .epub files. On top of that, you still are able to customize the way words look on the screen, lets you back up your library online, and gives you access to 5 auto-scroll options on top of plenty more fantastic features.


Universal Book Reader: This is a user-friendly eBook reader for Android. One of the prominent features of this app is that you can use it to convert various file types to ePub or PDF. The book reading experience is truly delightful with Universal Book Reader, as the page flipping animation is really smooth and stylish. Just like Kindle, this also has in-built dictionary, allowing you to instantly search for words.

Google Play Books: This is great for reading eBooks available on Google Play. You can also enjoy audiobooks that are now available on Google Play. The good thing about this app is that you have access to millions of bestselling e-books, comics, textbooks, and audiobooks. You can also upload your own eBooks in ePub format. Google Play Books will convert these in compatible format and make it available in the Play Books library.

Kobo: This allows readers to choose from more than 5 million eBooks and audiobooks. Users can choose free eBooks or buy new or existing eBooks using the in-app purchase feature. Kobo offers a range of customization options that make reading a pleasure. Navigation is smooth and lag-free. Kobo comes with a timer that you can use to program the app to shut down at the desired time. This is very useful when you may be listening to an audiobook while going to sleep.


And if you are reading on a smartphone here are some tips: (thanks to Michael Desjardin of Reviewed)

Calibrate your smartphone to save battery

Like any eReader, a smartphone's battery is destined to be drained quickly while the display is in use. Don't let getting lost in a good book cause you to lose your battery life—here are some quick and dirty tips for prolonging the life of your smartphone while you use it to read.
· Set your brightness accordingly. Consider using your phone's auto-brightness feature to adjust to the lighting conditions on-the-fly. If you're feeling really controlling, you could set your smartphone's brightness ahead of time and then turn off the auto-brightness feature (I find this works quite well on planes and trains).

· Take advantage of your reading app's color adjustments (if available). Many eReading apps give you the option to alter the colors of a book's pages. My favorite option (if you're using an app that offers such a thing) is to inverse the pages from black-text-on-white scheme to a white-text-on-black scheme. Your smartphone will thank you if it doesn't have to use as much juice to power a bright, white background for hours on end.

· Turn off your WiFi and mobile data while reading. This one seems obvious, but trust me: I forget to do it with embarrassing frequency. If you're on a train, bus, or plane all afternoon, there's no need for your phone to dedicate resources to a WiFi connection it's not using.

New Kindle Paperwhite on its way

The fourth generation Kindle Paperwhite is due out this winter, and the word is that it will be waterproof and feature a virtual panel system which will make reading comic books easier on the device. The device will be called the “All New Paperwhite.” This model will have two different storage configurations, 8GB and 32GB. Amazon will also be debuting a new system called “Virtual Panel” . It isolates panels in comic books, manga, newspapers and magazines so you do not need to pinch and zoom each page if the text or images are too small. Each panel is blown up and fills up the entire six inch screen and whenever you turn a page, there is a small map displayed on the bottom right hand corner. This is designed to help orientate users on where they are in a specific page.

Personally I'm hoping it gets a speaker and the ability to play audiobook just like the Oasis - but I suppose we'll have to wait and see what Amazon do with the king of eReaders.

And looking back into the Archives HERE'S my review of the original paperwhite.

Time to Ride West

This is one of those posts where I push my own books - Hey, I've been delivering a lot of original content on this blog for many years so from time to time you have to indulge me with a little self promotion. I specifically want to point readers towards my western novels that have been made available in eBook by the publishers -

First up is LawMaster (original title Tarnished Star) which was my first published novel and remains to this day Robert Hale's fastest selling western hardcover. I'm immensely proud of this book and the eBook edition from Piccadilly press is available now. Just do a search for LawMaster by Jack Martin and you'll find it saddled up and ready to go over at Amazon.

Picadilly Publishing also have the eBook version of Wild Bill Williams - and there is also an audiobook version available of this title from Audible -

Official records show that some 80,000 Welshmen made their home in the place now known as the Wild West, though the true figure is likely to have been much higher. This is the story of one of those men.

William Williams, otherwise known as Wild Bill Williams, was no stranger to trouble. It seemed to follow him like a shadow. But even as a survivor of the Little Big Horn, as he claimed, he'd never before had to face the kind of trouble he found in the town of Stanton. When the bullets start to fly and the blood begins to run, ....Wild Bill is never far behind.

If you do pick up any of these titles then please please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads which helps get the books noticed.


The western genre is my first love and you can read all about the origin of my pen name, Jack Martin by clicking.HERE

Arkansas Smith: the name was legend. Once he had been a Texas Ranger, but now he was something else entirely. Some said he was an outlaw, a killer of men and fast draw. Others claimed he was a kind of special lawman, dispensing frontier justice across the West and bringing law to the lawless.
Arkansas Smith arrives in Red Rock looking for those who shot and left his friend for dead. He vows to leave no stone unturned in his quest to bring the gunmen to justice and, soon, those who go against him must face the legendary fast draw that helped tame the West.

Crowood Publishing which are these days the holders of the Black Horse imprint have two of my past Jack Martin titles available in the ebook format and these are Riding the Vengeance Trail and Arkansas Smith. Again both of these titles are priced quite low and will provide some great western adventure for your eReader - even if I do say so myself.

There was a time when Thomas Fury was happy. A young wife, a child on the way and a farm to tend had kept him busy, but he’d enjoyed the toil for he knew that he was building a future for himself and his family. That future, though, was shattered one afternoon when five riders, led by Luke Marlow, rode in. Soon gunshots rang out and Thomas Fury’s world fall apart. Now Fury rides the vengeance trail, driven on by a desire to deal out justice to those who have destroyed everything that mattered to him. Fury will not stop until every one of those five men lies dead in the ground, for then – and only then – will he reach the end of the Vengeance Trail.


 If you search any of these titles on Amazon you can request a sample so you can start reading the book before even parting with the small amount of cash required to buy the actual book. eBooks can be read on computers, tablets, eReaders and even smart phones via the free Kindle APP.

Come on - there's nothing to lose and you may get a few hours of solid reading pleasure

Granny Smith

There are four books so far in the Granny Smith series, with another due later this year. All are very cheaply priced on the Kindle - there is also a very entertaining audiobook of the first Granny Smith novel available from Audible.

Why not check out the senior sleuth.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

It had been a while since I have read the likes of the character Miss Marple from Agatha Christie. Now Granny Smith has fulfilled that void in my reading life. Granny Smith is not exactly old,  but irrespective of that, everyone has been calling her Granny. She is a young at heart woman who has a trait to be curious about everything that is happening around her. So when her friend Sheila gets engaged to Nigel, who is younger than her, Granny Smith gets suspicious. The following murder in the town makes Granny even more curious and on she follows the cluesr, much to the chagrin of Detective Inspector Miskins.  AMAZON FIVE STAR REVIEW





Let's dispel one misapprehension, okay? Granny Smith is nothing like Miss Marple and G.M. Dobbs is nothing like Agatha Christie. Having said that, this is fun to read. The Welsh elements, the humour, the familiar characters and a well-developed plot combine to produce a better than average cozy mystery. What more could you ask for? Apart from the next in the series? AMAZON FOUR STARS


I was brought up on Miss Marple. I loved the idea of an old lady solving cases through sheer nosiness and this is a modern day version.
It starts with a murder at the Village Fete. Unfortunately for the murder, she happens to be Granny Smith's next door neighbour and when the poor husband of the victim is arrested, Granny Smith leaps on her bike into action. With a surveillance team comprising of long suffering husband and gay son, she is on the case!!
A lovely easy read and a good plot- a real winner :) AMAZON FIVE STAR REVIEW



 downloaded this book and couldnt put it down its brilliant granny smith is a no nonsense lady that has an way of getting to the truth which is sheer brilliance she really is miss marple on steroids cant wait for the next book in the series. Amazon five star review

The eccentric Welsh pensioner gets her teeth (usually gripping a corn-cob pipe) into solving the mysterious murder of a friend in the village. Despite being ignored and warned off by the police, she persists. This delightful short story makes great family reading with plenty of humour. I can just imagine a nice TV comedy series from this. 

Amazon five star review

I read a book this week....it was weird.

I picked up and read a book this week, perhaps for the first time in several years - it was weird.

 I should clarify that statement - when I say I picked up a book, I mean a physical book (a paperback to be precise) and yes it was the first time I've done this in a long long time.  I felt as if I'd fallen down the rabbit hole, as I turned the pages on what felt like an ancient artefact. As I say it was weird.

That's not to say I've not read a book in years. Far from it, I've always got a book on the go, but I think that the only fiction I've read for at the very least four years, likely even longer, has been on my Kindle. It is now my preferred method for reading - fiction, that is. I still prefer physical books for research, non-fiction and all that, but fiction is so much more convenient when done electronically. With the latest eReaders having built in screen lights you don't need a lamp, you don't need to fold a page to create a bookmark, or stuff an old envelope

between the pages to mark your place, and my ever so slim eReader easily fits well into the pocket on my ever so macho man-bag. It goes everywhere with me. I've replaced my eReader several times - upgrades mostly though recently a can of Monster energy drink burst in that macho man-bag and ruined my beloved Kindle Paperwhite. I almost cried but quickly got another Paperwhite.  I couldn't live without the device.

Strange when initially I scoffed at the idea of eBooks - I'm a lifelong book lover, I have thousands of books taking up space in my home, but I suppose that like most bookish people I initially took the plunge into eReaders out of curiosity. My first eReader was an elonex from Borders (remember them) - that was around 2010, I think. And although I quite liked it I didn't fall in love with it, and maybe after a year I upgraded to one of the Sony eReaders. I resisted the Kindle at the time because back then the Kindle wouldn't allow ePub files and only used Amazon's own coding system - was this

Mobi? I'm not sure, to be honest. I don't think it was - I think in the early days the Kindle used its own unique coding system before adopting Mobi as the standard. Perhaps someone reading this post will be able to clarify in the comments section. Anyway back then I didn't want to be tied into one place to buy my eBooks.

Now the Sony was an improvement on the Elonex - the page turns were faster, eBook availability was far superior and for a good few years I was happy with the device. I would estimate that by this point I was reading digitally quite regularly, but I think physical books still came out top in the reading stakes.

I only moved to the Kindle when Amazon launched the Paperwhite - and to be honest since then I've not looked back. I read around 50 novels last year, and all these were on my Paperwhite. And as I say it's now got to the point where a physical book feels awkward in my hands. I also like the easy availability of books on the Amazon Kindle Store, and how I can press a button and have the book on my device in seconds. And these days a lot of books, the kind I like anyway, are only available in digital editions. And of course I can get eBooks elsewhere and simply slide load them onto my device via the USB cable and the free Calibre software.

Of course Amazon's flagship eReader is now the Oasis - and I am thinking of getting one, but at the moment I'm happy with my Paperwhite. I see no reason to upgrade. Perhaps another Monster Assault somewhere down the road, will prompt me to do so but for the moment I think I'll stick with the Paperwhite. Those Oasis devices are bloody expensive, you know.

Of course my home is still full of books and whenever an author I follow launches a new book, I get the hard-cover which sits unread in my collection - I then buy the eBook where available and read that. Are other book lovers like this, I wonder! Has digital reading taken over your reading life?

Sales of adult print fiction declined in 2014 but digital fiction prospers.

The latest Neilsen Bookscan review which looked at the book market during 2014 shows a decline in sales for adult print books, whilst the market for adult digital fiction has taken another jump with predictions that the consumer eBook market will be worth £350m this year. Out of all the adult print books published during 2014 only three titles sold more than 100,000 copies. These big sellers were from Lee Child, Martina Cole and CJ Sansom.

'Any drop in sales of adult fiction can mainly be put down to the migration to eBooks,' Said The Booksellers, Phillip Jones in reponse to the Neilsen report.

Alison Flood, writing in the Guardian reported - 'Within digital adult fiction there was growth in three unexpected genres - short stories, graphic novels and westerns while sales year on year of literary fiction fell, as did sales of romantic fiction, crime and science fiction.'

eBook news

The new Fire Tablets

Is the Kobo brand dead in the water? The always reliable Good eReader Radio Show Blog this week reported that Barnes and Noble have disabled the ability to download eBooks in its Kobo store. You can follow the story HERE. Meanwhile Amazon have announced both new eReaders and Tablets this month - in terms of eReaders the flagship product is the Kindle Voyage which is the company claims an improvement on the already excellent Paperwhite- several of the devices including a new version of the Kindle Fire which is aimed at children are now available for pre-order and the Voyage has already sold out on pre-order's alone.

Kindle Voyage

I'm still using my original Kindle Fire 7" tablet and see no need to upgrade to a newer model, but I am tempted by the Kindle Voyage. I love my current 1st gen Paperwhite, and didn't think the 2nd gen Paperwhite was enough of a upgrade to warrant buying the newer version. But with the Voyage there are enough bells and whistles to interest me - The display has been upped to 300ppi, and the front light technology has been vastly improved and now sets itself to give the best in whatever reading environment you find yourself. Integration with Good Reads is reportedly flawless. All in all this new device has a number of innovative hardware features such as Page Press and the front-light controlled by an ambient light sensor. Amazon has also developed exciting new software that even allows you share content with family members.

And sticking with Amazon - PC News reported HERE that Amazon have snubbed author's who have taken Hatchette's side in the eBook pricing war, from it's annual campfire retreat for writers. Bestselling name for hire, James Patterson informed the New York Times that he had not been invited this year, but said that he wouldn't go even if he had been invited. See what Patterson had to say HERE.

This year the Amazon/Hatchette battle has filled more magazines, newspapers and blogs than any other book related news, with a lot of bog name author getting involved. Two of Amazon's biggest defenders in the row are Joe Konrath and Barry Eisler, and both have written articles on the subject that are well worth reading - check out these two for a start - HERE and HERE.

Self Publishing claims by Smashwords founder

Smashwords founder, Mark Coker recently made bold claims that the self publishing market will capture 50% of the eBook market by 2020. In an article for the Huffington Post, Coker wrote -" By my estimates, self-published ebooks will account for 50 percent of ebook sales by 2020."

He then went onto set out a point by point explanation of why he believed this to be the case. The full article can be read HERE

1. Print will decline as a book-reading format -- More readers will continue transitioning from print to screens. The transition to screens will be driven by the low prices, selection, exceptional discoverability and instant reading pleasure delivered by ebooks.
2. Brick and mortar bookstores are disappearing -- Physical bookstores will continue their march into the sunset with more store closures in the years ahead. I'm not happy about this, but I don't see the trend reversing unless bookstores start serving wine and pot brownies in their cafes.
3. The perceived value of publishers will decline in the eyes of writers -- As the importance of print distribution declines, the importance of publishers will decline. Prior to the rise of ebooks, publishing was a print-centric game. Publishers controlled the printing press and the all-important access to retail stores. Print distribution remains an important glue that holds many writers to their traditional publishers. When publisher stickiness decreases, writers will be tempted to explore the indie author camp.

Savage Blood by James Reasoner

Savage Blood
Author: James Reasoner
eBook

This book's been sitting on my Kindle for a few months, but until now I'd not got around to reading it . I was at a loss for something to read and fancying a short western I decided to give this book a try.

It' a short book. I don't like to call it a novella -I don't really like that term - and it's too long to call it a short story. So I'm going to stick with the good old fashioned term and call the book a novel.  Fitting really given that Savage Blood is a good old fashioned, action packed western.

Brodie is a one armed veteran of the Civil War. As well as his arm the war took his beloved Eva from him - well she actually fell into the two arms of another man but only after believing Brodie dead. However when Brodie receives a summons for help from Eva who is being driven out of her business by a ruthless town boss called Flannery, he has every right to ignore her. That's not the way it goes though and Brodie soon finds himself teamed up with the ex-wife's current man,Martin Caney and together they are heading for a showdown with Flannery.

At the root of this excellent story is a standard western plot of big business pushing around the common man, a plot I've used myself, but Reasoner's cast of three dimensional characters give the story a gravitas common to all of the best western fiction. The conflict between Caney and Brodie is handled well and never seems anything less than fully believable. You can imagine that this is how men in such a situation would interact, and this plot strand is used to create tension throughout the book.

An excellent western, skilfully told with an appealing lead character. The reader is immediately rootING for him. He's a cripple in a cruel world, where no allowances will be made for his handicap but even one armed Brodie is a match for most men.

Highly recommended and available at a low price for Kindle and other eReaders.

Is Reading for Pleasure a Dying Art?

Novelist Ruth Rendell appeared on Radio 4's Arts program, Front Row last week and set alarm bells ringing by stating that reading for pleasure has become a minority pastime, almost a specialist activity. The 83 year old author bemoaned the fact that people are no longer ashamed to admit that they don't read fiction, which was something that only twenty years ago was unthinkable.

The story was picked up by a number of newspapers with both The Guardian and The Telegraph devoting column inches to the death of reading. The thought that this may be true depresses the hell out of me, and I suspect the majority of Archive readers will feel the same way. I read regularly, always have and I've always got a book (fiction) on the go as well as having written a fair few and hoping to write a lot more.

I Googled, 'Death of Reading' and within the blink of an eye my request had traveled the virtual highways, gone through the secret government surveillance bots and returned a mass of interesting articles, as well as a couple of pornography sites. Are there any keywords not used by pornography web sites? I found the piece on the blog Poetic Serendipity to be interesting. Written and posted back in 2010 it was concerned over a survey, the results of which can be downloaded as a PDF HERE, and again made for depressing reading for the writer.


'It is now possible to see the decline of literature in normal life.' Ruth Rendell

So is reading dying? I'm not so sure but I think, rather I know that the traditional ways of obtaining fiction are if not dying then at least being reshaped into something new.eBooks may have been around for a long while but it's only in recent years that they have become mainstream. And it's no use arguing that eBooks are not mainstream because they are. These days I think I see more people reading on electronic devices than I do physical books. So I think eBooks will be the Savior of fiction reading and that reading will enjoy a resurrection, a digital resurrection that ensures that reading fiction is something that will be done for a long, long time to come.


I bloody well hope so.

Are Sony on their way out of the eBook market?

Speculation that Sony are to get out of the eBook market is at fever pitch after the company recently announced that all Sony eBooks bought from its US and Canadian stores will automatically be transferred over to Kobo in March 2014. This means that the US and Canadian Sony eBooks stores will no longer exist and customers will be directed towards the Kobo site. Sony is still operating in the UK and the rest of the world markets but it must only be a matter of time before UK Sony users find themselves using the Kobo store.

In 2011 Sony had 21% of the eBook market but today the company find themselves able to claim less than 1% of the overall eBook market. Readers who own Sony eReaders will find an update placing the Kobo AP onto their devices and future books will come from the Kobo store. Sony are to continue producing eReaders but for how long this will continue is anyone's guess.