This Note From Amazon

We have corrected the font problems in a recent Kindle update 3.4. The most recent version of Kindle software is available for download from the Amazon Kindle Help pages. If your Kindle does not have the latest software, it's free and easy to download and install the update manually by following the instructions on the Kindle Software Updates Help page: http://www.amazon.com/kindlesoftwareupdates This page also includes additional information about the features included in the latest software update. As for the navigation problem, ideally, I'd like to try some real-time troubleshooting to determine if your Kindle needs a replacement. You can reach Kindle Customer Support by phone or chat by clicking Contact Us on our Kindle Support pages at: http://www.amazon.com/kindlesupport

Problem With New Kindles Soon To Be Fixed

A thread I read has discovered that the newest Kindles - the ones that people will be upgrading to this Christmas - has a design flaw which means that when they upload our stories and books the font is so small the books are unreadable AND the font size can't be changed. In addition the Table of Contents does not work on these new models. The thread that I read has come up with fixes for the problem which they have shared and I will share below. But I thought this was a Kindle problem so I wrote them. After a few false starts we finally got to the problem I was talking about. This morning Kindle assured me that since the JK Rowling debacle - which involved that same problem - they were aware of the font problem with their new designs and it was design specific and they were fixing it for the next round of products. They still haven't given me a good answer for the Table of Contents problem but I'm not backing off asking them and I'll let everyone know as soon as they let me know. Thousands of writers are standing by to patch their stories and books if need be...which this close to Christmas when we should be producing new product is a colossal waste of time... because we don't want to lose sales because of a design glitch.... So if you're a writer don't go crazy yet....If you're an owner of a new Kindle and you have font or table of content problems it's not the writer's fault....you should contact Kindle. To fix the fonts.... Step 1. save your manuscript in .docx If you have older software without docx start at Step 2 Step 2. resave in Filtered html Step 3. using calibre convert to epub Step 4. load into kindle previewer (free download)check that the fonts work. Step 5. upload to kindle direct publishing as usual. To fix Table of Contents Step 1. Type every chapter heading or whatever you want in the Table of Contents (TOC) a heading using the tools in word. You'll know it's a heading because it will have a square bullet point in the left margin. Step 2. Go into insert and book mark the Heading...A box will come up when you bookmark and you have to type in the name of what you're going to connect to with no spaces between the words. Step 3. Go to the TOC....select whatever it is you want to link to Go back up to insert select hyperlink....make sure you are in the area (on the first column second choice) called "Place in this document". All the headings you typed in will be there select the corresponding heading. Click okay. It looks like it's really hard....it's really not....BUT beware we can't test it in Kindle Previewer so we don't know if it's effective yet. I have written Kindle about this because it's part of that new design glitch....as soon as I hear they've addressed it I will post it.

I-Pad is Kindle Enabled

Something else I just learned is that I-pad and I-phone are Kindle enabled. Which means you can read mobi on your I-products without having to buy a kindle. Kindle also has free apps for computers. I have read a number of books on my computer even though I own a kindle. Great for taking notes

A Few New Statistics About Publishing on the Digitals

In a recent report - “The Hunger Games” is reported to have sold 4:1 Kindle to Amazon on the Amazon platform. That doesn’t take into consideration books sales in bookstores, nor does it reflect other sales on-line but it’s a very impressive ratio since this is one of the best selling books today on what is the biggest on-line publisher right now. Simon and Schuster just announced that 21% of its sales were digital sales. That means a conventional paper book company is receiving nearly 1/4th of its income from the digitals.

What is Meant by High Concept

High concept movies are the formula movies the bit studios put out. They come from a pitch given to a producer that in only a few words describes the movie. The best pitch I’ve heard recently is “Cowboys and Aliens” – you simply don’t have to say more. Think of the pitch for Legally Blond – a stereotypical dumb blond goes to Harvard and becomes valedictorian of her class. Think of the pitch for Miss Congeniality. The least attractive, most unpleasant and unpopular woman in the FBI goes underground in a beauty pageant and wins the title Miss Congeniality. You give the pitch line and then you have to think of the ways in which to make that happen. The pitch line doesn’t have to completely describe everything that happens, just the through plot that makes the story interesting.

To Do Book Clubs / Not To Do Book Clubs

Book Clubs have a nice feel to them, so why won’t I do them? Because every minute I’m not writing I’m losing money. I have to get to a Book Club or Signing at my expense – gas, wear and tear on the car. 5-10 Book Club members may buy the books from Amazon or I may have to supply them. I make between $2.06 and $6.00 per book at the signing and perhaps I generate some word of mouth. Then I spend time talking about my book, signing my book and socializing. So that’s several hours out of a day not writing. Since I can write a $2.99 short story in an afternoon, two at the most, and I can sell 100 -1,000 perhaps more over time each time I post a short story, that’s $300-$3,000 I’ve lost not including gas by taking time to sell 5-10 books. As nice as it is, it’s not worth it. In the business world it’s called Return On Investment. Book Signings have even less to recommend them. Since I publish on the digitals, I limit my marketing to the digitals. I participate in every interview I can get on line. But mostly I figure out what people want to read and deliver it to them.

Bar Codes For Other Products

Do not confuse ISBN numbers and their barcodes with product barcodes. By products I mean tapes, CDs, DVDs, T-shirts, etc. Product Barcodes are different animals all together. You can get product barcodes at: www.buyabarcode.com (888) 446-CODE (2633) Bar Codes are required for most in-store sales these days - they are used to track inventory and shopping patterns among other things. This is a good company, I've used it for Suzy Prudden's DVDs.