Memorial Day Weekend / Kindles for Troops (K4T)

Last year on Memorial Day weekend I wrote about Operation Ebook Drop, which provides free ebooks to soldiers overseas, and a program that I'm proud to be a part of. OEBD has been a great success, and since last year at this time the # of authors involved has quadrupled to over 800!!

So this year I started thinking: it's great to provide free ebooks, but what about the e-reader itself? Kindles and similar devices have come down in cost, but they still aren't cheap.

This led me to research the subject, and I found that the answer was right under my nose, based in my home state of Connecticut. A non-profit called E-Books for Troops, that started a program called "Kindles for Troops (K4T)".

To use their words to best explain what they do:
K4T is a terrific program that enables you to donate your pre-owned Kindle reader to a soldier who is deployed overseas. It is ideal for someone who wants to put their existing Kindle 2 to good use as they upgrade to a newer third-generation Kindle Wi-Fi or Kindle 3G, or for someone who wants to directly donate a Kindle 3 reader.

As mentioned, it's great for someone who has recently upgraded, or maybe converted to an IPad, leaving an extra Kindle laying around the house. But if purchase a new one to donate, it is also tax deductible. One thing I can guarantee from my dealings with soldiers this past year with OEBD, is that they will be both gracious and thankful. Here are the directions to donate.

A letter from a soldier in Kabul that I think embodies what this program means

Wishing everyone a fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Paid at Last! Paid at Last!

Last week, after over-extending its stay by about eight months, the one month free offer for the ebook version of Painless ended (except on AmazonUK...long story).

During this time, readers would often thank me for making it free, or feel sorry for the poor author who was forced to give his book away like a tag sale flyer and provide condolences. While appreciated, neither of these responses is really accurate (although I will still accept the $$ from those offering to send to me out of pity!). The free ebook offer actually was a great opportunity that unexpectedly took Painless to places I never thought it would travel - and I think deserves its own blog entry.

At this time last year I was a big ebook skeptic - the concept didn't seem logical (why would anyone spend $$ to buy a device to read and then have to buy the book on top of it? Why not just buy the book?). So I didn't think much of it early last summer when I made Painless available for free in response to a promotion for this strange new tablet-looking thing Apple put out called an iPad. It led to this conversation with Mark Coker, the head of Smashwords, my ebook publisher:

Mark: Just wanted you to know that Painless was downloaded 1,500 times on Apple
Me: Wow, that's way more than I thought - what's that, like a few hundred a month?
Mark: No, I meant it was downloaded 1,500 times last week.

This got my attention, but was nothing compared to my surprise when those numbers multiplied by 30 the week after Xmas (I think everyone got an iPad for Xmas xcept me!) or that it became the most downloaded free ebook on AmazonUK in January of this year. And while stats and numbers are great, the best part was the feedback I got from readers in Melbourne, Australia to Tulsa, Oklahoma to London, and so on, along with being able to participate in Operation Ebook Drop, which provides free ebooks for soldiers overseas. And let's be honest, if you're reading this blog entry it's most likely because you came across the book on the free offer, right?

I have no idea how many of those who downloaded the book actually read it (although I do know that almost 2,000 people on iBooks have rated and reviewed it) and no clue what percentage of those who read it: liked it, hated it, or were somewhere in-between, but I do know that the free offer gave the book what any author would want - a vehicle to get their book into readers hands, and allow the readers to determine its fate. I would compare it to owning a restaurant that nobody knows about, and don't have the advertising budget to reach people - wouldn't that restaurant want to give away free meals to hopefully attract future patrons to the restaurant? In the pre-ebook world, it would be too cost prohibitive to give away free meals, but it's a whole new world now in the book industry (a topic that probably also deserves its own blog entry).

The Painless ebook will now be selling for $6.99, so it will still be much cheaper than the meals at the fancy restaurants from the big publishers. Thanks again to everyone who participated in the free offer!

Memorial Day Weekend!

When I think of Memorial Day I think of the B's -
Beach...Barbecues...Burgers...Baseball...

And now with the unofficial start of summer...Books. So if you're looking for that sizzling summer read: www.painless-ciccone.com/

But also be sure remember this Memorial Day that the reason we can enjoy our B's is because someone put their A's(ses) on the line, or more specifically, in the line of fire. One of the coolest things that has happened to Painless was becoming part of Operation Ebook Drop - a program that sends free ebooks to soldiers abroad. I even heard back from one serviceman in Afghanistan who actually thanked me for providing the book. I think he had it backwards. So I want to send out a Memorial Day salute to all those in OEBD and all their brethren overseas, in honor of those who have been lost.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Wrapping up "National Read an Ebook Week"

Last week was National Read an Ebook Week.

My reaction to hearing this was probably the same as yours - What? For Real? - so I didn't have high expectations, to say the least, when I agreed to make Painless available for a week long promotion in which the ebook version would be downloadable at a reduced or no cost.

But then the first Purchase Notification arrived in my email

And then another.

And another.

And they kept coming until it ended this past weekend.

Not only did Painless reach a whole new audience, but made this skeptic become a believer.

When Painless was first published last fall I took a wait/see attitude with ebooks. I envisioned them playing a big role in the future (although I don't think they will ever replace the printed book), but wasn't sure the future had arrived yet. And since my family was the first on our block with a Betamax, I had learned at a young age the value of taking a patient approach in regards to trendy new technologies.

Then around Xmas time the Kindle and Nook hype began. I remained skeptical - and to prove the point, I walked a packed NYC-bound train during rush hour, searching for any sign of any E-reader device, finding none. But then this December 28th headline made me do a double-take:

AMAZON: KINDLE BOOKS OUTSOLD REAL BOOKS THIS CHRISTMAS

Huh?

One month later, Painless was published as an ebook by Smashwords. The results during the first month certainly didn't match the tantalizing headline - almost all of them were through a great program called Operation EBook Drop, which provides ebooks to soldiers overseas - so not until last week did I realize that the future is now.

Operation E-Book Drop

I mentioned Painless' inclusion in Operation E-Book Drop within a blurb of the most recent newsletter. It's a program in which authors provide free e-books to soldiers abroad. When I was approached to be involved, I thought it was a great idea and didn't think twice about signing up. But after receiving a couple positive reviews from a few soldiers who had read Painless, and they actually thanked me for being involved in OED, it made me take a closer look at how this single idea of one man so quickly grew into something much larger.

For reasons such as how easily transportable they are, Kindles and other types of e-reader devices have become very popular amongst the many troops stationed abroad. I'm guessing it's not easy to be carrying a pile of the latest hardcovers and paperbacks through the rugged terrain of Afghanistan or Iraq. Which is exactly the thought that sparked author and former military man, Edward C. Patterson, to come up with the idea of Operation E-Book Drop. It started out as a discussion on a Kindleboards Internet messageboard back in September, and now only about 6-months later, Operation E-Book Drop has grown to 351 authors and over 400 titles! How 21st Century is that?

The best part about any really good book is that it sucks you in and truly becomes the Great Escape. So hopefully these books can provide a small window of escapism from the daily rigors of sacrifice for these courageous men and woman, and the tug of being away from their families. And I'm honored that Painless is part of it. Happy reading, and stay safe!