Ebook subscription models? Book It

Big news bubbling about Amazon's moves for Christmas, including the new Kindle Fire tablet and possible $99 Kindles, as well as a Touch Kindle. I'd never own a touch screen of any kind because I don't like greasy smears on my screen, but others like them. And I am not a techie by any means, I just want what works at a low price and doesn't give me headaches. IreaderReview is one of my favorite places to follow such Kindle developments.

But for readers and writers, the real issue is: What does this mean for ebooks? I've been predicting for about a year that Amazon will soon be bundling books into a "Netflix" model, where you get all the books you can eat for one monthly fee. Amazon already has the model in place, and they just announced new additions to its Prime offering. It's never really been a device war in the long term--iPad and Kindle never were direct competitors for the ereading audience. Just ask any author who has access to their sales numbers (and don't believe what you hear from publishing companies, who are still desperately trying to spin their Apple agency pricing as a win). People reading on iPads are using the Kindle or Nook apps. Apple maybe has 2 percent of the book market. Probably less.

The cheap Kindle will pretty much lock up Amazon's crown as the content king. At least for five years, which is eons in the technological era. Look how many different devices have come out in just the last three years. Yet Amazon continues to be the content king, with at least 70 percent of the ebook market. (Again, if you look at publisher data, publishers will claim BN has about 27 percent of the market, but their data is incredibly skewed--don't forget these two are joined at the hip through the physical bookstores.) And Amazon is rapidly expanding its world markets.

BN's problem is the weight of those physical bookstores. It's difficult to promote the Nook while still paying lip service to paper books and investing resources in managing the bookstores where books are an ever-lower percentage of their floor space.  Kobo will be lucky to survive another year. Google is still freighted with its illegally scanned books, plus they don't really have a device out there. Sony will ride the Pottermore wave until those buyers realize they really don't have a very good bookstore selection after Harry Potter.

I don't know the pricing structure of the Prime books model. I only know it's coming. It's not only inevitable, I would be shocked if it didn't happen by next summer. Amazon has already been sending out feelers to publishers, and the Kindle library lending is a big step in mainstreaming ebooks. We still don't know how authors will be paid--presumably enough to keep writing, making less per book on a higher volume of sales. And Prime is a natural fit for rolling in advertising which means even lower prices for devices and ebooks.

Is it a win for everyone? It certainly is for Amazon. And I signed a book deal with Amazon, which is where I am putting my chips. What's funny is that BN was uniquely positioned to become a publisher a decade ago, and even put out a few books under its own imprint. And traditional  publishers never built ebook stores where they could control their own catalog and peddle their own subscriptions. Probably it was the shortsightedness of having to show investors a nice return every three months.

Bottom line looks like: cheaper, faster, more. I don't know what the future holds, but I'm holding on for one hell of a wild ride!
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Scott Nicholson's Be Nicholson's Agent giveaway

It's almost September, and you know what that means...autumnal splendor, Labor Day, football, and Be Nicholson's Agent. In the old days, agents sold books to publishers and got 15 percent. Now readers sell books to other readers. I want you to be my agent and spread the word about my books. And I'm giving you 15 percent of my ebook earnings this month.

Here are the participating blogs and the books they are repping. The money will be given away as gift cards to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner's choice for each event). The best way to follow is to sign up for my newsletter scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. I will also make daily postings here, on Facebook, and on Twitter about each day's giveaway.

These blogs will also be hosting events and giveaways during the month (and they are cool blogs anyway, so why not follow them?)

Kindle Obsessed ...Liquid Fear

Rex Robot Reviews ...October Girls

Wendy’s Minding Spot ...Speed Dating with the Dead

Bewitched Bookworms ...Disintegration

Fictitious Musings ...Crime Beat

My Reading Room ...The Skull Ring

What Book Is That? ...Burial to Follow

JoJo’s Book Corner ...Transparent Lovers

Vvb32 Reads ...Zombie Bits

Booked Up (UK) ...Creative Spirit

Candace’s Book Blog ...The Red Church

Curling Up By The Fire ...Ghost Box

Parajunkee's View ...Forever Never Ends

Jenn’s Bookshelves ...Drummer Boy
Book Faery ...Flowers
Great Minds Think Aloud ...Gateway Drug
Fang-tastic Books ...Ethereal Messenger

Motherlode ...These Things Happened
I Smell Sheep ...Head Cases  
Insatiable Readers ...Nicholson's Ghost Stories
Kindle on the Cheap...The First
The Top Shelf...Ashes
Castle Macabre...American Horror 
Earths Book Nook...Curtains
Kindle in the Wind...As I Die Lying 

The first giveaway will be on Sept. 1 to spread the word about the contest: $10 giveaways to tweet, $10 for Facebook post, $10 to a random newsletter subscriber. Help me kick it off big and help me give you more money!

If you want to be on Team Scott and get some "promotion internship" as well as a book listing in one of my books (for authors," email me at benicholsonsagent@yahoo.com. Let's rock. 

Be Nicholson's Agent! Win 15 percent of my money

I've announced this a little but it's time to get serious. In traditional publishing, an agent earns 15 percent for selling a book to a publisher. I think my readers who help sell my books to other readers also deserve 15 percent.

So, in September, I am giving away 15 percent of my ebook revenues in the form of gift cards to Amazon and BN.com, as well as prizes to supporting blogs. It's simple. Watch this blog for different ways you can enter, simply by spreading the word about my books.

Each one of my books also has a blog serving as its rep, with guest posts, events, and special giveaways at those blogs. There will be other ways to win gift cards, too. No complicated, seven-step keys to entry. Each giveaway will be for one specific action. And this is one to tell your friends about, because the bigger it gets, the more I give away. And in this economy, who doesn't like free money?

I am also looking for core volunteers to serve on Team Scott and help out with the promotion. In return, you get inside tips on marketing and, for authors, a 50-word listing of your book in one of my books for three months. Plus you're still eligible for all the giveaways. Email benicholsonsagent AT yahoo.com to volunteer for Team Scott.

The best way to stay clued in for giveaways is to follow this blog, sign up for my newsletter at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Google+. Big, fun, and easy, just like me. Be Nicholson's Agent and we all win.

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Mostly Human--four blokes, four continents!

Talent from across the world (and then there's me!) combined to bring together this little creature/horror/mystery tale with a swaparound. Out through Generation Next Publications for 99 cents, also through Amazon, BN and Kobo, SOny, and Apple through Smashwords. Though it's been out a while, we haven't taken the time to properly introduce it to the world--so I hope you give it a taste.

Steven Savile is a UK bestseller from Sweden, Steve Lockley is a multiple award winner in Wales, William Meikle is a a Scottish writer living in Canada, and I'm the boring old U.S. guy who just lives in the U.S. It was a real honor to work with this international group!

Scott

Liquid Fear Fool's Gold Rush

Edging toward that $100 gift card giveaway at Amazon or BN.com--check these blogs and win your $10 gift cards for the Liquid Fear launch and I hope you enjoy the book!

It's simple. On April 1, stop by one or all of these 10 blogs featuring my new thriller LIQUID FEAR. You get one point each for commenting, tweeting, or Facebooking from that blog or about that post. I give away a $10 gift certificate to Amazon or BN.com at each stop. You can enter at each of the 10 stops if you like. If LIQUID FEAR hits the Top 100 by April 1, I give away an additional $100 gift certificate.

Paperback Dolls (Dr. Sebastian Briggs)
VVB32 Reads (Wallace Forsyth)
Rex Robot Reviews (David Dunn)
Kindle Obsessed (Martin Kleingarten)
Jenn's Bookshelves (Roland Doyle)
Not Really Southern Vamp Chick (Anita Molkesky)
2 Read or Not 2 Read  (Mark Morgan)
Minding Spot  (Sen. Dan Burchfield)
Bewitched Bookworms (Wendy Leng)
The Unread Reader (Dr. Alexis Morgan)
More Ebooks Please (Scott Nicholson)
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Duncan the Punkin now out

My second children's book, DUNCAN THE PUNKIN, is now out as a NookBook and for Kindle at Amazon, available in color where supported by the specific device. Little Duncan learns a magical lesson in Halloween survival...
Art by Sergio Castro. Kindle, Apple, and paper versions coming soon.

New interview up at Southern Fried Gothic

New column up at IndieReader.com

Liquid Fear second draft--rolling along.

More soon!

Thanks for all your reviews--they really help.

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