Deconstructing a BookBub & KDP Countdown Promotion

A condensed version of the article below originally appeared as a guest post on BookBub's Unbound blog.

As a bestselling suspense author who has been indie published since 2003, I've learned that being flexible and open to learning and adapting to change is key to being successful in this industry, and success for a professional career author should be defined by sales and income, though there are other indicators of success.

Too many authors schedule discount sales, post a couple of Facebook posts and send out a few tweets and then complain about lack of sales. Some do many small promotions, paying for 1-2 inexpensive advertising spots each time, and again don’t see high sales. Promos like these might get your book on a Top 100 genre bestseller list on Amazon, but they’re not enough to produce high sales.

You need to understand that watering down the impact of a discount sale by doing them too often just isn’t the way to go. You’re better off saving your advertising budget for a MAJOR promotion, and by “MAJOR” I mean spending $600-1200, and running 1-2 major promos a year per title. This is an investment in your career, in your work and in you.

Today, I’ll share some stats on my last major BookBub promotion, detailing my recent experience with a BookBub promo, so that you can see what advertising on book sites can do for sales.

Organizing and setting up my promotion:

First, I selected a book that has sold well but had never been on BookBub before or priced at $0.99 for many months. I chose SUBMERGED, a standalone thriller with tie-ins to my #1 bestseller, CHILDREN OF THE FOG. When I run a promotion for one title, there is always a strong possibility that some of my other titles will see an increase in sales too.

I decided to run a Countdown/BookBub combination promo, since Countdown deals get extra exposure from Amazon, and they create a bit more excitement. I determined I would only run this promo if BookBub accepted SUBMERGED (they'd turned it down numerous times in the past), so the first thing I did was pitch my book to BookBub, letting them know that my dates were very flexible. I requested a date close to the end of the month—payday. I did not book any other ads until after I had a BookBub date.

Once my BookBub ad was secured, I used that date as Day 1 of my Countdown promo and set up both US and UK Amazons. (Since we only get one Countdown promo every 90 days, you may as well do both Amazons.) I used all 7 days because it can take a few days to get into the overall Top 100 on Amazon, and I wanted to stay there as long as possible, building momentum.

My promo for SUBMERGED was set for the last few days of October and first few days of November, from October 28 - November 3rd (evening). This worked out great because most people are paid at the end of the month. I’ve found better success when I run a promo during a payday—15th and 30th.

I priced SUBMERGED at $0.99. I selected this price as this title had only been on sale for $0.99 once before, and that was when the SUBMERGED was first published, 8 months earlier.

Then I purchased other advertising, including Kindle Nation Daily, Fussy Librarian, BookSends, Story Finds, Bargain Booksy, Digital Book Today, Ereader News Today, The Kindle Book Review and more.

5 ads ran on Day 1 (Tuesday)

4 ads ran on Day 2 (Wednesday)

2 ads ran on Day 3 (Thursday)

4 ads ran on Day 4 (Friday)

3 ads ran on Day 5 (Saturday)

2 ads ran on Day 6 (Sunday)

2 ads ran on Day 7 (Monday)

Four of the above ads were free for various reasons; 18 ads were paid. I paid a total of $1214 for 22 ads.

I also set up various tweets to go out every couple of hours at random times each day of the promotion. During the promotion, I posted various updates to my Facebook pages, creating excitement and getting my readers and fans involved in where I was in my promotion. I used screen captures to show them when I made the lists. I had screen captures that showed where my book stood in relation to other Big-Name authors.

It’s important to note that prior to this promo and during the first 27 days of October, I had only sold 26 copies of SUBMERGED across Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Results of my BookBub/Countdown promotion:

On Day 1 (Tuesday) SUBMERGED made Amazon's Top 100 overall bestseller list, which provides extra exposure to potential new readers. (This is the first time I made the Top 100 overall on the 1st day of a promo.) SUBMERGED remained in the Top 100 overall for the first 3 days of my promo. It remained in the Top 1000 overall for a week and in the Top 5000 overall for almost 2 weeks.

SUBMERGED also made Amazon.com’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, which provides extra exposure to potential new readers.

In the first 4 days of my promo (October 28-31) I sold* 2421 copies of SUBMERGED. Approx. 500 copies of SUBMERGED sold* in the first week of November (Nov 1-3). In the first 17 days of November I sold* 1000 copies of SUBMERGED. I sold* a total of 3421 copies of SUBMERGED on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk during my promo and in the 14 days afterward.

Three of my other titles’ sales increased approx. 50% during and after the time SUBMERGED was on the Countdown deal.

SUBMERGED, sold from October 28 to November 3 inclusive, was on sale for $0.99, which earned me a 70% royalty (a perk of the Countdown deals) for most, or were KOLL/KU sales. I earned $1633 for SUBMERGED sales* in October; the majority of that income was created in the last 4 days of October.

When my Countdown deal was over, SUBMERGED sold for $4.99, which also earned me 70% royalties for most. I earned approx. $3000 for SUBMERGED sales* in the first 2 weeks of November. And even after those first 2 weeks, I still saw an increase in sales of SUBMERGED. Many of my other titles continued to sell at a higher rate than before this Countdown/BookBub promo.

I earned an approx. total of $4633 for SUBMERGED sales* during my BookBub/Countdown promo and in the 2 weeks following. I averaged a royalty of $1.36/sale.* From the $4633 I earned during this promo from one single title, I paid $1214 for 22 ads, which results in a $3419 profit. If I had to split my profit with a publisher at 50%, I still would have earned $1709.50 for this one single title and I still would’ve seen a profit.

My takeaway: RUNNING A BOOKBUB PROMO WITH A SELECT COUNTDOWN DEAL WORKS! I will do this again…and again.

PS: If BookBub turns one of your books down, try, try again!

*Sales data marked with an asterisk includes Countdown sales or after-Countdown sales plus KOLL and KU.

To summarize, I put SUBMERGED (a psychological thriller) on sale for $0.99 via a KDP Countdown deal on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk from October 28 to November 17, 2015, and I sold 3421 copies. I paid $1214 for 22 ads (including BookBub--$500 Thrillers category), leaving me with a profit of $3419.

Authors: Submit your book to BookBub, and follow a similar marketing plan if they accept your work. I am sure you'll see great results.

PS: I recently did a similar BookBub promo for my DIVINE TRILOGY, and it too was a success and sold thousands of copies during my promo--and after.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif joins Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, Ken Follett & other authors in Freedom from Torture's "Immortality Auction"

Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif has joined a number of well-known authors, including fellow Canadian Margaret Atwood, in an "Immortality Auction" to support Freedom from Torture, an organization dedicated to assisting those affected by torture and other organized abuses. This includes violence by different races or religions that do not acknowledge the basic human rights most of us enjoy.

What's an Immortality Auction?

You can be "immortalized" in one of the participating authors' upcoming books. Each author has donated one or more characters to be named after the highest bidders. Think of it! Your name as one of the characters--and perhaps your wife's, husband's, daughter's etc.

Cheryl's auction:

The highest bidder will name 2 characters in Cheryl's upcoming new thriller, THE 6th PLAGUE, which is set in Banff, Alberta, Canada, during the Banff World Media Festival. THE 6th PLAGUE will be released in the summer/fall of 2015.

Why is Cheryl participating?

"As an author who writes suspense, I am often influenced (and horrified) by true stories in the media, and it stuns me that human beings can be so cruel to one another, especially since torture is not only conducted in war zones but in civilized countries. We all bleed the same color; we all live and we all die, and those who have suffered at the hands of others need support and compassion."

Bidding is open now!! 

Please dig deep and help support a worthwhile cause and organization.

Bid on Cheryl's Immortality Auction now!

And please share this post.

Summer Sizzles Event, July 12-20, 2014 - eBook Sale, Contest & Giveaways, Facebook Party

Great things come in threes this July!

• 'Share the Imajin Books Buzz' contest - share our events on Twitter and Facebook, and share your pics of our books on your ereaders or you holding one, and receive entries into a grand prize draw for a $100 Amazon/Kobo gift card! Other prizes include: a poster of "Sanctuary" by critically acclaimed artist David Miller, and three $20 Amazon or Kobo Books gift cards (winners' choice). Open to anyone 18+. Void where prohibited. To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below from July 12-20.

• Imajin Books eBook Sale – www.imajinbooks.com/sale – most ebooks will be priced at $0.99 or $1.99 from July 12-20 via Amazon & Smashwords. 

• Facebook Party - for one day only, Thursday, July 17th, we'll be holding a Facebook Party online and giving away prizes (ebooks and gift cards from Amazon, Smashwords and Kobo.) Join us at: https://www.facebook.com/events/659449144144070. The party begins 2:00 PM EDT and goes until 8:00 PM EDT. Our authors will drop by when they can. Be sure to also like our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/imajinbooks.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Conmen, liars, cowards, bullies and blood-sucking vampires - the trolls of the internet

Why can't we learn to get along, to be friends, to forgive and let go? We have become a very judgmental world filled with online cyber bullies. We're too quick to assume, too quick to judge others based on what someone else says, even without proof. We pounce on each other rather than take the time to learn the facts.

Don't you think that's sad? I know I do.

I'm saying this based on my observations of certain situations involving some of my author friends. Frankly, I'm really tired of it. Fed up!

A group of author friends have been harassed by a bully who slandered them online, and others jumped on the bandwagon to lend their voice to his false claims--even though they had zero facts. They trashed and bashed the authors, believing this malignant person, who shows not one shred of evidence to support his claims. He can't. Because he lied. But some people would rather believe an anonymous coward than a group of prominent, hard-working writers. Why?

One of my author friends was pounced on when something she said was misinterpreted, leading to a lot of bad feelings. Even when she apologized for it and tried to explain, people judged rather than accept the apology, forgive and move on. Where has compassion gone?

One of my author friends was duped into believing something wonderful, and she was so excited about it that she shared that info publicly, and she's being pounced on by others who are calling her a liar and other rotten names. They'd prefer to ASSume the worst. The people spreading rumors that the author lied are nothing more than bullies. Why not wait until you have ALL the facts?

Another group of author friends were conned by a very intelligent sociopath who has been scamming authors for a while. He provided publicist services, a common service in our industry. Others have judged these authors as being stupid, naive amateurs rather than understand how this conman was able to provide all the answers to questions plus endorsements that these authors then checked. These authors did their homework. Some have been in the industry for many years. They did their due diligence. But they were still conned. Believe me, this could happen to anyone, no matter how prepared you think you are. Ever buy ANYTHING online or by phone or in a store that came with a money-back return or guarantee? What if they refused to give you your money back?

Others were convinced to use an author "service" that guaranteed success and is now being considered unethical. It's not something I'd use because it involves a huge amount of money upfront and I personally don't find it ethical, but at one point many considered it okay. Many BIG name authors and even publishers used this service. What was acceptable a while ago might not be today. Do we judge those authors/publishers too and call them unethical?

On this Sunday evening, I urge you all to consider how you judge others. Because one day, YOU may be on the other side trying to defend yourself to people who'd rather judge you than believe you or even listen to the facts. To my friends who have been dealing with these issues, please remind yourself that as long as you stand in your truth, that's all that matters. Conmen, liars, cowards, bullies and blood-sucking vampires will come to light eventually. Until then, may Karma bring you lots of sparkly great opportunities. :-)

Update on Kerry Jacobson "publicist" scam (April 20, 2014): http://accrispin.blogspot.ca/2014/04/take-money-and-run-kerry-jacobson-book.html

Words of inspiration from Cheryl via The Happiness Recipe

Listen to Cheryl's latest interview at The Happiness Recipe:

Then check out the recipe she talks about--Strawberry Dumplings--at http://www.happinessrecipe.net/happiness-recipe-whats-great-encouragement/

25 Years Ago Cheryl Faced a Tsunami Head-On...and Survived

I am very pleased to be featured in an inspiring anthology, 25 Years in the Rearview Mirror: 52 Authors Look Back. 

This collection of poignant and uplifting essays is the perfect book to enjoy over your morning coffee, and features my essay titled Author Cherish D'Angelo Survives a Killer Tsunami. For those of you who don't know, my romantic suspense pen name is Cherish D'Angelo. :-)

Whether you're a reader or writer, I think you'll enjoy this book and all the stories in it.

Retailers:

Amazon: http://ow.ly/cU5iT 

Kindle edition only $1.99

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/25-years-in-the-rearview-mirror-stacy-juba/1112413546?ean=2940014952613

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/212151

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/25-Years-Rearview-Mirror-52/book-Y-yZFH0ItEefU2l1zppGxA/page1.html?s=9AwqyOW6xUmzs-QwIl35sQ&r=6

Additional retailers and information: http://stacyjuba.com/blog/25-years-in-the-rearview-mirror-52-authors-look-back/

(iTunes and Sony are coming soon.)  

The 30 Days of Kay(e)s Blogfest

What's in a name? Well, this month, a bunch of writers named Kay(e) will be getting together to celebrate with Laura Kaye, the author who organized this blogfest event.

From Laura:

Welcome to the first day of the 30-day celebration of all things Kay/Kaye! This month, eight lovely author ladies will come visit for 2-3 days at a time, share excerpts, give interviews, maybe even give away a few books and prizes. It's gonna be a fun, crazy time, and I hope you'll stop back often!

For more information on The 30 Days of Kay(e)s Blogfest, please check out Laura's blog.

Literary agent Richard Curtis and author JA Konrath discuss whether authors make good agents

When I read respected agent Richard Curtis's post Do Authors Make Good Publishers? I wasn't surprised to find that Curtis believes the answer is 'No'. I get where he's coming from since I've been traditionally published AND self-published. Publishing takes a lot of hard work, knowledge and dedication. But is it fair for Curtis to lump all authors under that umbrella of 'No'? I don't think so.

For years, various elements of the publishing industry have tried to tamp down the involvement of authors in their own success. Publishers didn't want too much input from authors; they wanted to maintain their iron-gloved fist of control. Editors wanted to be seen as the experts on all things grammatical (and in many instances they were), even to the point of changing story elements to suit their tastes. And the writer has been at the bottom of the heap, the creator of a story that stemmed from their ideas.

Traditional publishing is made of many moving parts--publisher, editor, cover artist, publicist etc. Self-publishing required that an author either take on all these roles or sub-contract these areas. A smart self-published author quickly learns that though they may be good at all areas, it's far better to hire out and cut down the work load. This was they can focus on writing more books. That's what I do. That's what makes a good publisher, the ability to recognize areas of strengths and delegate others.

Respected author and self-publishing advocate JA Konrath posts a reply to Curtis on his blog, and he makes some valid points. First, anyone who has been following Konrath over the past year knows where he stands on self-publishing. He's all for it and is one of the top income earners in the ebook industry.

"Authors should self-publish," Konrath writes. "In an ebook-dominated world, are publishers even needed?"

I've watched the massive rise in popularity of ebooks and ereaders. No one predicted it would happen this quickly or early, but it's here. Ebooks are outselling print books. I know that just from my own sales data. My ebook sales in December blew my print sales out the door.

The biggest indicator for me that ebooks are King is this:

My mother who is an avid reader of about 3 paperbacks a week always claimed how much she loved print books and that she'd never read via an ereader. So I gave her one for her birthday in August. When I spoke with her at Christmas I expected her to tell me she hadn't bothered to turn her new Kobo on yet.

Boy, was I shocked by her answer. She "LOVES" her ereader. She likes that she can enlarge the font for easier reading and that she can buy books so easily. She's already downloaded all of Lee Child's "Reacher" ebooks. She reads during the day. She reads in bed. No more waiting for time to shop for books at the store. If you knew my Mom you'd know that this is a clear revelation as to where ebooks are going. The surprising news: We're there!

So back to Richard Curtis's question: Do Authors Make Good Publishers?

Here's my answer:

Some do; some don't. A self-published author taking on the role of publisher will have to dedicate time and energy to the process. If they're doing print, they may be looking at ways to get books into stores, something that is getting harder by the week. But if they're publishing ebooks, the doors are wide open.

Publishing is a skill or trade that can be learned. So yes, SOME authors can and will make great publishers. And SOME won't. It's unfair to lump all authors under the "No" umbrella.

I'm an author who has been traditionally published and self-published. Yes, taking on the publisher 'hat' requires more work, but it's worth it. A smart self-published author turned publisher builds a strong support team. I can honestly say I'm a better "publisher" than my last traditional publisher. I'm still in business.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif

P.S. I just answered the door. My new Kobo ereader with Wi-fi is here! Whooo-ooo!

Biography of romantic suspense author Cherish D'Angelo

When romance author Cherish D'Angelo is not busy relaxing in her hot tub, sipping champagne, eating chocolate-covered strawberries or plotting romantic suspense with scintillating sensuality, she is ruthlessly killing people off in her thrillers as bestselling Canadian suspense author, Cheryl Kaye Tardif.

Cherish's debut romance, Lancelot's Lady placed in the semi-finals of Dorchester Publishing's "Next Best Celler" contest and went on to win an Editor's Choice Award from Textnovel. Currently living in Edmonton, Alberta, she enjoys long walks on the beach, except there aren't any around so she has to make do with trips around the hot tub or a vacation to a tropical paradise. And margaritas.

http://www.cherishdangelo.com

NovelRank is giving away a signed copy of my paranormal suspense thriller Divine Intervention

If you haven't read my bestselling paranormal suspense thriller Divine Intervention, which is like a cross between CSI, Medium, and Ghost Whisperer, you now have an opportunity to win a signed trade paperback edition, courtesy of NovelRank.

NovelRank is a free rank tracking service for authors, publishers and agents. The service tracks sales ranks for books and ebooks sold on Amazon.com (& some international Amazons.) With NovelRank authors can view graphs, charts and real-time data.

This month, NovelRank is giving away two books, including Divine Intervention. To enter, visit NovelRank.

As an author and book marketing coach, I highly recommend authors to use this free service and track your book sales through Amazon.

Smashwords affiliate codes for Whale Song, The River, Divine Intervention and Lancelot's Lady

Yesterday, I invited readers to join the Smashwords Affiliate Program and become a partner in my endeavor to get my books into the hands of more readers worldwide. It doesn't matter where you live in the world, you can join my sales team.

You'll earn money when friends or family you recommend my novels to buy my books from Smashwords.com. Once you've signed up, you'll earn money from the sales of my novels, plus 4000+ others that are included in the program.

And don't forget: I raised the affiliate rate on my novels from 11% to 20%. :-)

Quick Affiliate Links:


To link to my books, feel free to copy and use the book cover from my website or from Smashwords. Or you can use plain text to create a link. Either way, either link the picture or the text to the corresponding link below, replacing yourScreenName with your actual screen name.

Whale Song:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/15512?ref=yourScreenName

The River:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/13708?ref=yourScreenName

Divine Intervention:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/13677?ref=yourScreenName

Lancelot's Lady:
(available after September 27th, 2010)

Sign up as an affiliate now and start earning money.

Please note: you are not entitled to copy any of my ebook files, distribute them for free or sell them. However, you can use Smashwords to sell my works as I have permitted this. It's a legal affiliate program. Please respect all authors and refrain from piracy. Thank you. ~Cheryl

Just who IS Sarah Richardson?

In a recent Q&A session over at I Love Canadian Authors on Goodreads, I was asked if I drew upon personal experience for my critically acclaimed, bestselling novel Whale Song. Here's my answer...

I definitely drew on parts of my life for this story. I often say there is "more of me in Whale Song than in any other of my books". And it's true.

The main character in Whale Song is Sarah, a young girl who moves to an isolated town on an island in BC. When I was young, we moved to Masset, a small town on the Queen Charlotte Islands, north of Vancouver Island. It was very isolated, very different.

Sarah is thrown into a different culture--the native indian or First Nations cutlure. I had the same experience, but the culture was that of the Haida indians.

Sarah is introduced to racism and is bullied in school. I experienced the same thing.

Later, she becomes attached to the native customs, rituals etc and is fascinated by them. She begins to see their value instead of the differences. It took me much longer to find the value, but eventually I did and I'm glad for all the wonderful stories, the dance, the art from the Haida nation I grew up with.

Sarah learns an important lesson. At the time I wrote the novel, I was working through some personal tragedies and changes and I also learned the same lesson that Sarah does. That, I believe, is the key to why this novel is so popular.

To discover this life-changing lesson, read Whale Song by Cheryl Kaye Tardif. It'll change the way you view life...and death.

Available in ebook format at KoboBooks.com, Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.

A-hoy, matey! Should ebook pirates walk the plank or be set free?

This is my recent reply on JA Konrath's blog where piracy pros and cons are still being discussed. I am a bit concerned about new authors taking everything Joe says to heart without looking into the issue--illegal copyright theft and sharing. As much as I respect Joe for his marketing abilities, I am not sold on his argument that since we can't fight them we should embrace piracy and do nothing, turn a blind eye. I'm just not wired that way, and I'm not alone.

My comment:

I'm dropping by to give you all another update on the 4shared website that has illegally shared so many authors' works.

Mine were removed--as were many others--after 2-3 brief emails with 4shared. It wasn't time consuming and I didn't find it half the battle as when I was fighting for the rights of authors to keep their signature lines on Amazon book reviews, which we can do now although they had been deleting reviews by authors who had done such.

It's a small win, having your work deleted from pirate sites.

Do I think this solves the issue? Not at all. My work could end up right back on the site, but for now I'm satisfied. At least I took a stand against something that is legally wrong.

The word "copyright" and subsequent laws protecting our copyrights are there for a reason. When a pirate distributes an ebook, they are making illegal copies and conversions, sometimes even scanning a printed book. While there will always be people disobeying this law, it is in authors' best interests to not sit passively and allow this to happen.

Over the past week or so I've been contacted by a number of authors who were not happy to see their works pirated. I was also contacted by the agent of a very well-known bestselling author. She wasn't pleased to find her client's works on 4shared and she and the publishers involved are taking steps to have the works removed. 4shared has been fairly easy to work with on this matter.

As for Joe's belief that authors should sell ebooks for $1.99 to see better sales, that's not a guarantee. Not every author has the fan base or history of publishing with big publishers as Joe has had, and whether he wants to believe that makes a difference or not, it does. Having a series also helps in this situation; hook people with book #1 and they'll come back for more because they want to know what happens next to those characters. I KNOW that if I'd been published by a major or even mid-list traditional publisher, my work would have reached far more people than it did publishing with a small traditional publisher. It's a no-brainer.

That doesn't mean Joe hasn't worked hard. When I read about all his promotional strategies, I'm exhausted. :-) And good for him for being so pro-active on this. Many authors think it's up to the publisher to market their books. It's not.

Regarding ebook pricing: Pricing your ebooks at $1.99 does not guarantee you higher sales, and new authors really need to understand this. It's your fan base and marketing strategies (which includes pricing and much more) that will lead to high sales.

An author with a new release SHOULD market her books a bit higher to put value on it and also so that later, when the book has been out awhile, she can discount it to make it more attractive as a backlist or older title.

This doesn't mean she can't put it on sale every now and then, or give away some free copies--both great marketing strategies.

Anyone who's ever been in marketing & sales (that was my background prior to becoming a published author) of other products will know that new products hold better value. If you start with $1.99 ebooks, you don't have much room to go in discounting, especially since some retailers have minimum prices you have to charge (like Amazon).

Though I bowed out of this debate awhile ago, I'm still reading posts here, plus the many emails I've received privately from authors and (surprisingly) admitted "pirates". Though I appreciate their reasoning and can even understand why they do it, I can't condone it as others here have done. For anyone just weighing in on this debate, it is far better to investigate both sides of the piracy issue before making a decision. And trust me, if you aren't an author or if you haven't been pirated, you have no idea how it feels to have your work stolen and re-distributed. Pirates don't usually download a book they aren't interested in, and in that, authors have lost a potential sale. Period.

But I do agree with a couple of points my new pirate friends mentioned: ebooks need to be priced affordably (less than $5 seems to be the consensus, easily accessible to all ereader devices and easily uploaded. Smashwords.com seems to understand these concepts and I believe they have the most versatility when it comes to formats. My books are all available through Smashwords. Plus, their coupons make it easy for me to discount my books for special sales.

By the way, Smashwords, Amazon on other retailers offer a LEGAL method for people to "distribute" authors' works. It's called affiliation. As an affiliate, you can advertise an author's works on your site/blog (which is very supportive) and then earn money on sales purchased via your affiliate link. Former pirates could then earn money to buy more books. I am more than happy to have others distribute my works this way--and we all win.

I'll leave you all to continue this debate. I've said what I need to say on this subject, as you can see on my own blogs about piracy.

I encourage authors to read everything they can on piracy. Don't take my word for it, or Joe's. We each have strong opinions on what's right and wrong. Make an informed decision based on more than a couple of authors' (or pirates) opinions.

Support Authors, Buy a Book! :-)

My other posts on piracy:

http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/2010/05/authors-are-your-books-being-illegally.html
http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/2010/05/update-on-blatant-copyright.html
http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/2010/05/update-2-on-copyright-infringement-at.html
http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/2010/05/author-ja-konrath-defends-copyright.html
http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/2010/05/update-3-authors-get-copyright.html

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
bestselling Canadian author
www.cherylktardif.com

Update 3: Authors get copyright infringed piracy works removed from 4shared

For those of you following the book piracy issue over at 4shared.com, this will be your final update from me (I hope). Reports from other authors have been a mix of relieved authors who found only book reviews posted, to furious authors who've discovered full works being pirated. Many of those who chose to report the abuse have found the problems remedied--for now. According to 4shared, my material that was shared has been removed from the system. I checked and it's now gone. Thank you, 4shared.com!

Does that solve the problem of piracy? No.

Does this prevent it from ever happening? No.

I am a realist (yes, and a dreamer) and I do know that theft has and always will be a huge problem with human nature. People steal for all kinds of reasons, and piracy of intellectual rights comes with its own built-in justification system. While some feel it'll never go away so lie down and don't fight it, others will take the necessary steps to right the wrong when they can. These, too, are both sides of human nature, and neither is the wrong approach.

To those who feel they have all the answers and that theirs is the ONLY sensible approach, good for you. I'm glad you're satisfied with where you're at and with what's happening to your works. To others who feel piracy threatens their livelihood or profession, I feel for you. We ARE limited to some extent by what we can and cannot do to prevent piracy. But we can at least try. And good for those of you who took a stand. Most people balk at a fight or challenge. It's far easier to walk away than to step into the battle.

As I've been saying a lot the past couple of days:

You either stand for something, or you sit for everything.

To those authors whose works are still up even after reporting abuse, be patient. It'll take a few days, but once you've provided the info they requested, it'll get taken down and I suspect without much of a fight--as mine was. Good luck to you all and kudos for standing for something.

Support Authors, Buy a Book!

I wish JA Konrath and everyone else, no matter which side of this debate you're on, the very best in success always.

If you haven't read the previous links on this topic, here they are:

UPDATE 1

UPDATE 2

Update: Author JA Konrath defends copyright piracy

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
critically acclaimed author of Whale Song, The River, Divine Intervention
http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Author JA Konrath defends copyright piracy

If you haven't been following this topic, please read my first post:
http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/2010/05/authors-are-your-books-being-illegally.html

After notifying fellow author JA Konrath that his books were being illegally downloaded on 4shared.com, I was surprised that he boasted about his cavalier attitude regarding copyright infringement on his blog. But I can see where it stems from. He's reportedly making quite a bit of money from his books, one of few authors I know that is making a living off their work. So why should he worry?

In his post, Konrath suggests that authors have "freaked-out" over this issue and that we're a bunch of idiots who are uneducated. "If you really fear piracy, educate yourself...If you have an ounce of brains in your head, you will quickly realize that piracy is always going to be here."

Most of his post validate pirates and their theft of copyright protected works. To say I'm disappointed in his attitude is an understatement. But hey, he has a right to believe what he wants. And so do I and the other authors I've spoken to this week who are not impressed to find their copyrights infringed.

This was my response to his post:

Joe, as one of the four authors who took time to alert you to the piracy of your books, I'm offended by your cavalier attitude and your comments that people who fear piracy are basically stupid and uneducated. I am neither. I am smart enough and educated enough to make a decision on whether piracy hurts me as an author, and I believe it does.

Of course you disagree. As you told me in your email reply, you're still raking in the sales at $230 a day, so a little piracy isn't hurting your sales. Let me assure you that the majority of authors are NOT making money like this. Most authors I know are lucky to make that amount a month.

So yes, theft of our works strikes a protective chord for most of us. We simply cannot afford to have other people illegally offering up our works to others for free. It is up to the author or publisher to give away free books, and I do that often, on my own terms and when I can afford to do so.
Maybe if I was making $200+ a day on book sales, I'd have the same attitude about piracy, but I hope not. I hope that I always remain humble enough to remember the struggle to get there and to remember how I started, with one book and one sale.

Show me a music artist who has NOT been hurt by sites that offer free downloads. I have a lot of friends in the music industry. They're all struggling. A few hundred (or thousand) dollars a month they could have made from the illegal downloads would certainly help them out. The music industry has been fighting this same battle for years. I expect authors will too. That still doesn't make it right.

I am not alone in this. Besides other authors, agents and publishers, one of the major writers organizations in the US--Authors Guild--has already begun an investigation into sites like 4shared.com. The 5-10% writers who are actually making a decent living from their writing may never see the loss of money that piracy results in, but the other 90-95% of authors will.

I'll always stand up for the rights of authors and content creators.

UPDATE:
I spent most of the day participating in an interesting debate on this topic with JA Konrath and visitors to his blog. You might want to check it out and leave a comment. One thing I most enjoyed was that visitors to the discussion were quite respectful. I encourage you to be the same here and on Joe's blog. It's not easy to take a stand (on either side), but I hope the discussion will give you food for thought.

Support Authors, Buy a Book!

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
award-winning Canadian author
http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Update on blatant copyright infringement over at 4shared.com

If you haven't read my first post on 4shared.com's theft of my work, please read it first:
Authors: Are your books being illegally downloaded on 4shared.com?

Update 1:

I finally received an email from 4shared.com after reporting the illegal PDFs that one of their members is allowing others to download. This email came AFTER I filled out their form and provided them with details about the blatant copyright theft of my works.

Hello,

Please write us back arranging your complaint into the correct copyright
report sample set by DMCA and we'll react on this matter asap.

According to DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) the notification must:
1. Identify in sufficient detail the copyrighted work that you believe has been infringed upon (i.e., describe the work that you own).
2. Identify the in-world item that you claim is infringing on your copyright, and provide information reasonably sufficient to locate the item in-world.
3. Provide a reasonably sufficient method of contacting you; phone number and email address would be preferred.
4. Provide information, if possible, sufficient to permit us to notify the user(s) who posted the content that allegedly contains infringing material. You may also provide screenshots or other materials that are helpful to identify the works in question. (This is for identification only, not to 'prove' substantive claims.)
5. Include the following statement: 'I have good faith belief that the use of the copyrighted materials described above and contained on the service is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or by protection of law.'
6. Include the following statement: 'I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.'

The DMCA provides that you may be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys fees) if you falsely claim that an in-world item is infringing your copyrights. We recommend contacting an attorney if you are unsure whether an in-world object is protected by copyright laws.

Best regards,
Marina
support@4shared.com  

My reply to this was to RESTATE all the info I'd already sent them. I won't play their stupid games. As the LEGAL copyright holder and the AUTHOR of this material, I've asked them to remove by deleting the content completely from their site and from the member's account.

According to their website, they send the member a wanring of the abuse and instruct them to remove the material. Then the material is put into a folder marked "Abuse" and remains on the member's page. Uh, hello, you stupid idiots!! That is NOT deleting.

I am now in the process of contacting the advertisers that are supplying the owners of 4shared.com with part of the $64,000 a DAY they earn. I am hopeful that most of these advertisers have no idea their ads are appearing on a website that blatantly allows copyright infringement to occur.

What are your thoughts on this site? What do you think about this email they sent? If you're an author, go to that site and search for your name. You might be horrified to find your work being offered there for free. I know I was.

UPDATE 2

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Support Authors, Buy a Book!

Understanding the myths regarding self-publishing versus traditionally publishing

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there regarding the pros and cons of either self-publishing or traditional publishing. I recently came across a blog that was advising writers on 5 Reasons to Self-Publish Your Next Book, and I found all but one of the 5 points to be very misleading. Of course, this is my opinion, based on the fact that I know a lot of authors who have done either or both, and I have done both.

Without printing the author's explanations, here are the 5 reasons the author offered, and my opinion on them.

Reason #1: Self-Publishing is Not Nearly as Difficult As You Think
Reason #2: Publishing Companies Don’t Actually Do Anything.
Reason #3: You Will Make More Money.
Reason #4: You Will Spend Less Money.
Reason #5: A Publisher Will Never Care As Much As You Do.

Visit The Write Type ~ Multi-Author Musings to read more and to find out why 4 of these reasons are myths.

Writing a book is like having homework--every single day

For anyone who has wondered what it's like to write a book, here is author and comedian Lewis Black's very realistic description:

Authors: How do you find the right audience for your book?

Finding your audience isn't as difficult as some writers may think, though sometimes you have to think outside the box. 

The first thing you have to determine is who would read your book...


Visit Market My Novel to read more and to find out what 3 authors say about this.

The business side of being a writer

Some people might not view an author as a business person, but I have to tell you, there's far more to being a writer than cloistering oneself in a small room for months and typing out 80,000 words. In today's world, a successful writer must also take on the hats of publicist, marketer, event planner, advertising rep, accountant, stocker (not stalker) and more.

As a successful Edmonton author, I am right at home with the writing and marketing part. I even make a decent publicist and have done this for other writers. It's the accounting part I suck at. And the stocking of shelves.

I'd love to discuss this here with other writers. How do you manage the number side of writing? Do you hire someone else or just suck it up and do it? Are there other options you've discovered (other than having books published by a traditional publisher, which I've also had)?

For me writing is both an immense pleasure and a business. I can't really have one without the other--unless I want to be my only reader. With the economy being as it is and so many changes in the book industry, authors must take on more of the marketing role, no matter who publishes you.

Finally, a small bit of promo from the marketing side: I am one of only a handful of Canadians who are competing in a writing competition sponsored by Dorchester Publishing, a very respectable US publisher. I think I'm the only Edmonton contestant as well. I'd sincerely appreciate your support.

Please check out my debut romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady on Textnovel.com and click on the blue thumb and blue phone circles. This gives me 2 points in the contest. There are 3 days to go until the semi-finalists are selected. I really want to win this! The prize is a publishing contract with Dorchester.

http://textnovel.com/stories_list_detail.php?story_id=928

Sign up is fast and free and you'll have access to many novels and short stories you can read for free. Thank you, in advance, for your support of an Edmonton author.

Now I must go and procrastinate about doing my accounting. :-)

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
http://www.cherylktardif.com