Why haven't you bought Steve Jordan's e-books?

[Steve Jordan]

I'm close to a milestone in my attempts to understand--and eventually profit from--the e-book market: I am presently working on what will be the last MONTHLY e-book addition to www.SteveJordanBooks.com , due in May.

As my attention shifts to writing my next novel (which will eventually appear on the site, never fear!), I'd like to poll this forum, in order to get a better idea of how the various opinions on e-books (and my books) balance out. I think I've got the major issues covered in this poll, but if not, feel free to add to the discussion anything I missed!

In the interest of full disclosure: Since my site started in September, I have made sales, but only recently did I sell enough of the books to pay back my website costs. I've had more interest registered than actual customers (expected). And I have had a singular problem finding willing e-book reviewing sites (most reviewers are not interested in reviewing anything but paper books, period). Finally, the sales I've made with all my e-books haven't come close to the hundreds of free downloads of the Onuissance Cells in its opening weekend.

[Jorgen]

I bought them all and can recommend them warmly. No choice for faithful fans?

[Steve Jordan]

Sorry, but I was trying to find out why I don't have MORE faithful fans...

[Don't Panic!]

I've heard about you on the forums but I hadn't seen any stories in paper publications. That's part of it.

[Steve Jordan]

Are you saying you didn't see any mention of my work in paper pubs, or you didn't see printed novels?

[Don't Panic!]

I'm not that big a FAN but I do occasional buy The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

[Jon Westfall]

Congrats on writing perhaps the most self-deprecating poll I've ever seen on PPCT :mrgreen:

Why haven't I bought your eBooks? There's this little problem I have with finding time for pleasure reading. Now if you had audiobooks, then perhaps I'd be interested, but a 2 1/2 hour commute (round-trip) makes it hard to read an e-book (Unless you guys want me reading while driving). Now if I had a train that took me to work (Like some lucky people...) an e-book would be a possibility.

But the main reason? Time - I have a hard enough time reading the material I want to read in the free time I have, and have next to no time to spend discovering new material, unfortunately. Perhaps try writing your books as a serial, or releasing short stories that can be read in one sitting.

[Jorgen]

self-deprecating

That was my first thought too. However, then I remembered that we had a thread with a l-o-n-g discussion about how to marketing ebooks so I realized that this poll should be seen as a continuation.

releasing short stories that can be read in one sitting.

Then you are in luck as the short stories are free! http://www.stevejordanbooks.com/

Jorgen

[Steve Jordan]

There's this little problem I have with finding time for pleasure reading.

Jon, I feel your pain. As it so happens, from Fall to Spring, when my commute involves riding to my wife's office, then taking the train the rest of the way, I have more reading time... in the summer, I motorcycle to work, and lose that time. Much of my reading time is stolen from a few minutes here and there, which is why I like e-books... I take my PPC with me most everywhere, so I can always sit and read while my wife is shopping for "one more pair of shoes"...

Now if you had audiobooks, then perhaps I'd be interested...

Hmm... should I start a new months-long discussion on the creation and marketing of audiobooks? ;)

And yeah, this is sort of a continuation of the other thread... additional fact-finding. My poll may be (a bit) self-deprecating, but I'm simply trying to reflect the popular attitudes about e-books--and e-book authors--in general, using me as an example.

[Don't Panic!]

I'll try some of those short stories.

[Liviu_5]

Hi,

As it happens there is good text to speech software that sounds almost natural. It costs in the 25-50$ range and I use one such regularly. The free ones I have tried sounded bad, but the commercial ones have decent voices. It is very easy to find such online and try them to see if you like them.
I convert to sound mostly short stories and science articles that I want to read but do not have the energy ( a moderate length novel takes 10 hrs+ of listening) and pop them on my ipod and for longish trips they are quite nice.
For someone who got deprived of his daily 2 hours of train reading (the drawback of working 5' from your house :)), that, Ebookwise1150 and more recently Nokia 770 + Fbreader were a "lifesaver"

Liviu



Why haven't I bought your eBooks? There's this little problem I have with finding time for pleasure reading. Now if you had audiobooks, then perhaps I'd be interested, but a 2 1/2 hour commute (round-trip) makes it hard to read an e-book

[Don't Panic!]

Welcome liviu_5.

Is that a Pocket PC or MS Smartphone app?

I'd like a more versatile text to speech converter than VoiceCommand for my devices.

If you're talking PC's only, that's cool too.

[dh]

Steve, I've bought hundreds of eBooks over the last few years, but this is the first time I've been aware of your work.

My first thought was that you were that Robert Jordan guy, the one I stopped reading after volume 2321.

[Steve Jordan]

Yeah... nope, wasn't me!

Let me e'splain... no, is too long, let me sum up:

1. I've been writing SF for about 15 years,
2. Never published yet, so
3. Have tried to get a leg up in the pub market by selling novels as e-books first.
4. I've gotten good reviews and kudos from my small audience, so I'm
5. Trying to expand my markets, and
6. Bugging the PPCT forums incessantly doing it.

And now you're caught up!

[Don't Panic!]

once you join the SFWA Steve you'll be cooking.

Dystoptia in a time of war won't sell though.

Lighten up! ;)

[dMores]

6. Bugging the PPCT forums incessantly doing it. haha :) how true :)

sorry ...
i answered "not interested in SF". i started the free onuissance (spelling?) book, but it was totally not my universe so i stopped.
but i got the feeling you're a pretty good writer, too bad you're ONLY writing SF.
you want to try crime/mystery?

[Liviu_5]

Hi,

The application I use is pc only. The special voices (Crystal and Mike) are AT&T and there are several companies that license them and they occupy about 600 Mb space on the hd each. The software does conversion to mp3 or wav and of course once you have the sound file you can manipulate it.
There are many sites where you can listen to a demo text for these (and other commercial) voices, the official one for these particular ones is www.naturalvoices.att.com/demos/

Liviu


Welcome liviu_5.

Is that a Pocket PC or MS Smartphone app?

I'd like a more versatile text to speech converter than VoiceCommand for my devices.

If you're talking PC's only, that's cool too.

[burtcom]

I picked "Steve Who?'

I'm a big SF fan and writer wanna-be -- just starting to appreciate how nice reading on my PPC is...

... I can read at night without turning on a bright light and disturbing the sig-other.

... I can fit my entire library on a 1GB card with plenty to spare

... I can make the text as large as necessary for easier reading.

... It's easy to book-mark and return to my location.


So, yes, I'll have to check out your work!

[Steve Jordan]

but i got the feeling you're a pretty good writer, too bad you're ONLY writing SF.
you want to try crime/mystery?

I'm actively planning to write a non-SF novel, but I haven't developed a story I'm happy with yet. The next novel I start is SF, so maybe the one after that!

[jwhayn]

I am an avid sceience fiction ebook reader (read most of the websubscriptions at Baen.com). I am, nevertheless, very unlikely to purchase or read a book like Worldfarm One based on its blurb. UN good, USA bad -- sounds like a NYT headline. While you have the right to write such books, I do not need to read them.

[Steve Jordan]

Sure, and that's everyone's right. I haven't read every book by my favorite authors, either... some simply don't interest me. Besides, there's plenty more to choose from (in my collection, as well)! :)

[Steve Jordan]

once you join the SFWA Steve you'll be cooking.

Of course, they won't let me join until I've sold 3 books to a traditional publisher and have made the kind of sales that no exclusive e-book has ever made yet. :(

Dystoptia in a time of war won't sell though.

Lighten up! ;)

Check out Sol!

[Liviu_5]

Hi,

As it happens that blurb turned me off that particular book originally. However I liked the excerpts from various books (Factory Orbit, Evoguia), so I bought several books from Mr. Jordan and though I tend to like mostly space opera, I really enjoyed his near future novels, Factory Orbit (10/10), Evoguia (10/10), Robin(9/10) and The Onuissance Cells (8/10). I purchased all the books since and I am planning to read Worldfarm next after finishing Unto the Breach :) I quite like Mr. Jordan's style and I hope he keeps writting interesting and enjoyable sf.
Personally, I tend to like an author based on style rather than on ideology, so two of my "buy on publication" authors are John Ringo and Richard Morgan, and yes I love the Kildar series and I loved Market Forces also...
I did not find the 4 books by Mr. Jordan that I have read, particularly ideological, just very interesting explorations of possibilities based on current scientific understanding and carried out by common people, in an incremental way that to me reflects quite well how society moves.
Check out the excerpts rather than the blurb and enjoy,

Liviu


I am an avid sceience fiction ebook reader (read most of the websubscriptions at Baen.com). I am, nevertheless, very unlikely to purchase or read a book like Worldfarm One based on its blurb. UN good, USA bad -- sounds like a NYT headline. While you have the right to write such books, I do not need to read them.

[Steve Jordan]

Wow... that's one of the best testimonials I've gotten yet. Thanks, Liviu! :D

[Fellwalker]

Sorry Steve
Been reading ebooks for 6 months now. Avid SF fan. Wil try yours now