Can Ebook Data Reveal New Viral Catalysts to Spur Reader Word-of-Mouth?

Over at the Smashwords' blog, Mark Coker posts about ebook data and how it can be used to find new viral catalysts.

Huh? Don't know what a viral catalyst is. Don't feel bad! Neither did Panzer.

But don't worry. Mark Coker has a new ebook out that explains all about viral catalysts and more. And, if you go the Smashwords' blog, you can pick up a free copy of the ebook. You can also watch Mark's presentation at the RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago.

So, tootle on over to  Can Ebook Data Reveal New Viral Catalysts to Spur Reader Word-of-Mouth?  and learn all about viral catalysts.

Oh, and be sure and read the Comments section, too.

Free ARCs Contest at Lesa's Book Critiques

Okay, everybody knows how Panzer loves free stuff, right? Well, he found a contest at Lesa's Book Critiques blog where you can win free ARCs (Author's Review Copies)! Dead Tree books? Are they talking about Dead Tree books? Yes, yes, I know. But, you will love these books. And they are free!

To enter, all you have to do is email your name and mailing address and which book you want. How simple is that?

Go to Lesa's Book Critiques  blog right now. Time is short to get your entries in. The contest ends May 3.

Jan Friedman's 5 Principles for Using Facebook

Panzer and I were looking around the Catosphere for some help with setting up a Facebook page. Our search took us over to Jane Friedman's blog. Ms. Friedman, a past Writer's Digest publisher, has a post about the five principles for creating a high traffic Facebook Fan Page.

Her five principles are more about the dos and don'ts of using your Facebook Fan Page for marketing. Which is actually what Panzer and I were wondering about.

No -- we don't intend to be one of those, "Please, please, please. Oh, please. Like My Page!" authors.  We hate those whiny sites that are trying to get as many "Likes" as they can. Guess what? Ms. Friedman doesn't like them either!

So, to get your daily dose of dos and don'ts tootle on over to 5 Principles for Using Facebook.

Your Author Platform According to Elizabeth Craig

Panzer has been searching the Catosphere looking for ebook marketing ideas.

He's got some of the same questions you have about book promotion. Wondering what an Author Platform is? Wondering how to set one up? Wondering if he even needs one? And, finally, wondering how much he really needs to do to have one?

Well ...

According to author Elizabeth Craig, not as much as he thought. She breaks setting up an Author Platform into four steps.

Panzer discovered he has most of it already done. He didn't even know he was building an Author Platform when he was doing it!

So, tootle on over to Author Services At The Bistro and read Guest Author Elizabeth Craig and her writing tips and see if you already built your Platform.

Aaron Patterson's Blog: Building a career: Guest Post By Allan Leverone

Panzer and I were out in the Catosphere and we stopped in at The Worst Book Ever, Aaron Patterson's blog.

The blog post title, Building a career is a little misleading. It's not specifically about building your career but, instead, about the necessary steps every indie ebook writer needs to take to have a successful ebook. You know the drill: the best editing; the best cover art. It's a good reminder for all of us from guest poster Allan Leverone. 

Panzer says check out  Aaron Patterson's Blog: Building a career: Guest Post By Allan Leverone: Building a career: Guest Post By Allan Leverone It’s been said that over eighty percent of the U.S. population believes they have a book i...

Panzer and I will see you later. We're off to check out some more interesting blogs in the Catosphere.

The Big 6, the Agency Model and A Newbie's Guide to Publishing

Panzer sent me over to J.A. Konrath's blog to have me check out Joe Konrath's take on the Big 6 and the Justice Department's little dustup.

Joe does a great job of giving you a complete layout of what's going on between the Big 6 and the JD with an aside about Amazon. He explains the Agency Model, the Big 6's take on it, and an Author's rate on an ebook sale under both.

Whether you're a Konrath fan or not, Panzer wants you to tootle over to  A Newbie's Guide to Publishing and read Joe's opinion on the issue.

Come on back and let Panzer know what you think.

Selling Ebooks Direct to Your Readers

Panzer and I were out in the catosphere today looking for more marketing help. We stopped in at the Let's Get Digital blog to see if David Gaughran had any ideas.

Turns out David found a new site called Gumroad.  Gumroad allows you to set up your own store and sell direct to your readers. It is free and simple to set up your store there. They will handle all of your sales work for you. How great is that?

This means no Amazon or Smashwords taking a commission from your sales. Gumroad does charge a per sale fee, so it's not free to sell there. There is one disadvantage to using them for your store: they do not accept Paypal.

Panzer says tootle on over to David Gaughran's blog and read Selling Ebooks Direct. See what you think about Gumroad.

Free Ebooks Monday

To begin your week, Panzer has a free ebook download site for you.

1) Booko Bookworm's Club: The free ebooks here are arranged by category to make it easy for you to find what you're looking for. Amazon is the first site listed (of course), but other free sites are here as well. You will need to join to be able to access the free ebooks, but it's simple.

You can find other free sites we've listed here before at Free Ebooks and Free Kindle Ebooks.

Disclaimer: Whenever, visiting unknown sites, read the instructions carefully, have your virus scanner on and your firewall up.

Happy Easter from Panzer, Fiona and the Pirate!

Book Review: Philosophy for Cats

Panzer picked Philosophy for Cats by Stuart and Linda Macfarlane for this week's ebook review.

This ebook was so much fun for Panzer. We've been reading the ebook for three days now and finally finished it. He's been having me read it to him in individual sections. And believe me, there are hundreds of sections in this ebook!

He had me read a section quoting from Catsop's Fables and he said, "That is so true!" And, he had me read a section quoting from Catfuscious and he said, "You didn't believe me when I told you that!" And, he had me read a section quoting from the Gospel of Catthew and he said, "All humans are created equal. They were created to be Catkind's servants." And on and on and on for three full days.

Panzer gives Philosophy for Cats four paws up. (No surprise there, right?)

He gives it a G rating and recommends it for cats all over the world.

The ebook is available in the Amazon store for the Kindle.

Free Ebooks for You and Your Kindle

Okay, Panzer and I have been checking into marketing ideas for his soon to be released ebook.

Tootling around the catosphere we found the Author Marketing Club. It looked interesting, so we signed up.

And ... guess what?

It's an interesting marketing plan. Authors give away one of their ebooks to entice into buying their other ebooks. Sound familiar?

Anyway, check out the Author Marketing Club.  Learn about this new targeted marketing plan and you'll also get free ebooks Monday through Friday!

SMFS Names 2012 Derringers Award Winners

The Short Mystery Fiction Society named the 2012 Derringers Award Winners:

Best Flash Story: Lessons Learned by Allan Leverone

Best Short Story: Touch of Death by B.V. Lawson

Best Long Story: (a Tie) A Drowning at Snow's Cut by Art Taylor
and: Brea's Tale by Karen Pullen

Best Novelette: Where Billy Died by Earl Staggs

Congratulations from Panzer and me!