Author Topic: Chickens in the Headlights  (Read 25852 times)

Firemeboy

  • Staff
  • Level 14
  • *
  • Posts: 607
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Spoooon!
    • View Profile
    • Chickens Don't Have Armpits
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #30 on: June 08, 2005, 05:25:58 PM »
Anybody done any podcasting?  I'm going to try and get permission from Covenant to post the first chapter of my book in text, as well as 'podcast' the first chapter of the audio book.

Podcasting doesn't look too tricky, but we will see.  I'll post here when/if I get it on my site.
Licensed to dispense PEZ in 28 states.

Mustard in Denver

  • Guest
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #31 on: June 08, 2005, 06:09:27 PM »
You shouldn't have any trouble getting the text on your site.  They let me do that with hardly a second thought.  (Although, did you try to get your site listed in your book?  That's another subject entirely.)

Firemeboy

  • Staff
  • Level 14
  • *
  • Posts: 607
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Spoooon!
    • View Profile
    • Chickens Don't Have Armpits
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #32 on: June 08, 2005, 07:28:27 PM »
Yes, I did.  Twice.  :)

I think it's silly they don't let you.  The reason they gave me was that they thought I'd try to sell books from my site...

Hey, I just found out my schedule.  I don't know if it's all final, so I'll just post the first couple of weeks.

18-Jun  West Jordan Seagull 11a-12:30p
18-Jun  Redwood Seagull 2p-3:30p

25-Jun  Ogden Seagull 10a-11:30p
25-Jun  Riverdale Seagull 12p-1:30p
25-Jun  Layton Seagull 2:30p-4p

I'd love to meet anybody in person.  You don't have to buy a book.  In fact, I'll create a diversion if you just want to shoplift one.

;)
Licensed to dispense PEZ in 28 states.

Oldie Black Witch

  • Level 19
  • *
  • Posts: 952
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Speaker of Undead Languages
    • View Profile
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #33 on: June 09, 2005, 01:09:03 AM »
Nothing south of Sandy? Bummer.
« Last Edit: June 09, 2005, 01:09:39 AM by Old_One »

Mustard in Denver

  • Guest
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #34 on: June 09, 2005, 11:05:16 AM »
The real reason for the website thing is that Chris Heimerdinger has a very popular website, and he bashes Covenant occasionally.  I think they don't want it to look like the authors' opinions are Covenant's as well.  

I love Covenant, but they don't have a lot of faith in their authors.

Firemeboy

  • Staff
  • Level 14
  • *
  • Posts: 607
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Spoooon!
    • View Profile
    • Chickens Don't Have Armpits
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #35 on: June 09, 2005, 02:55:23 PM »
I'll be down south in July.  I think I hit three utah county stores in one day...
Licensed to dispense PEZ in 28 states.

EUOL

  • Moderator
  • Level 58
  • *****
  • Posts: 4708
  • Fell Points: 33
  • Mr. Prolific [tm]
    • View Profile
    • Brandon Sanderson dot com
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #36 on: June 09, 2005, 04:51:51 PM »
You know, you'd think that Covenant would have a more active Amazon campaign to try and sell to those LDS people outside of Utah.  I can barely find Rob on Amazon, let alone you.
http://www.BrandonSanderson.com

"Technically, I don't even have a brain."--Fellfrosch

Fellfrosch

  • Administrator
  • Level 68
  • *****
  • Posts: 7033
  • Fell Points: 42
  • Walkin' with a dead man over my shoulder.
    • View Profile
    • Fearful Symmetry
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #37 on: June 09, 2005, 05:59:34 PM »
That would require an actual marketing plan, which I'm not convinced Covenant has.
"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die." --Mel Brooks

My author website: http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net

Oldie Black Witch

  • Level 19
  • *
  • Posts: 952
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Speaker of Undead Languages
    • View Profile
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #38 on: June 09, 2005, 09:17:15 PM »
Hooray for Matthew getting his own forum!
With this kind of hype, your book had better be really good.  ;)

Firemeboy

  • Staff
  • Level 14
  • *
  • Posts: 607
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Spoooon!
    • View Profile
    • Chickens Don't Have Armpits
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #39 on: June 09, 2005, 11:23:00 PM »
Quote
You know, you'd think that Covenant would have a more active Amazon campaign to try and sell to those LDS people outside of Utah.


I agree!  I have asked about this several times, and I'm told that "Amazon will pick it up eventually", and "Just have them buy it from Seagull Book online."

Well, that is fine, but I have several people who I think would buy the book, but would balk when they saw the "Christian themed" website.  

I don't know.  There are a lot of service that Amazon has, and it's a whopping $65 a year to register all your products with them.
Licensed to dispense PEZ in 28 states.

Mustard in Denver

  • Guest
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #40 on: June 10, 2005, 12:39:09 PM »
I'm sure that their reluctance is due to their tight partnership with Seagull.  Personally, if Seagull wants Covenant customers directed to their website, rather than Amazon, it's fine with me.  Given the market, Seagull sells far far more than Amazon ever would.

Fellfrosch

  • Administrator
  • Level 68
  • *****
  • Posts: 7033
  • Fell Points: 42
  • Walkin' with a dead man over my shoulder.
    • View Profile
    • Fearful Symmetry
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #41 on: June 10, 2005, 01:32:53 PM »
I'm not sure I agree with that. Amazon would help you pick up a lot of Mormons outside the western US, I think.
"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die." --Mel Brooks

My author website: http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net

stacer

  • Level 58
  • *
  • Posts: 4641
  • Fell Points: 0
    • View Profile
    • Stacy Whitman's Grimoire
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #42 on: June 10, 2005, 02:44:40 PM »
Not to mention--the more forums you have to advertise your book in, the better sales will be, period. Of course with a niche market you have to target sales, but for a negligible cost, it's that much more likely to sell a few more copies. The easier people can find the book, the easier it gets sold--which means the more copies get sold.
Help start a small press dedicated to publishing multicultural fantasy and science fiction for children and young adults. http://preview.tinyurl.com/pzojaf.

Follow our blog at http://www.tupublishing.com
We're on Twitter, too! http://www.twitter.com/tupublishing

Mustard still in Denver

  • Guest
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #43 on: June 10, 2005, 03:42:33 PM »
What I'm saying is:  Seagull, because of the tight relationship, offers so much more than any regular bookstore would.  Just by being a Covenant book in a Seagull store, you're practically guaranteed four or five thousand sales.  If Seagull acted more like a regular store, not a Covenant outlet, that number would probably drop by half, if not more.

To trade those semi-guaranteed sales, due to the relationship, in exchange for getting listed in places like Amazon seems silly.  For example, both of my books have been listed with Barnes and Noble since they came out, and at most I sell two or three books a month through them.

Granted, there are oodles of negatives that arise from the fact the Seagull pushes Covenant almost exclusively, and Deseret Book pushes DB almost exclusively, but in this particular instance, the benefit of wider marketing doesn't outweigh the loss.

(Really though, it does seem silly that Seagull would put such stipulations on Covenant's marketing.  As few sales as my Barnes and Noble listing generate, or even my Amazon listing, it can't affect Seagullbook.com).

Chimera

  • Level 31
  • *
  • Posts: 1777
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Do I look pasty to you?
    • View Profile
Re: Chickens in the Headlights
« Reply #44 on: June 10, 2005, 04:28:07 PM »
I think the real question is: When will Mustard be back from Denver?

J/K  ;)
There is just no way you are the pine-scented air. --Billy Collins, "Litany"

Avatar courtesy OOTS