  What is it about summer reading that can bring out the best and the worst in our reading habits?
There’s that pull toward hedonism – a Kindle full of light reads, grizzly detective stories and heart-stopping thrillers on the one hand. And that tug toward the aspirational reading list – finish Bleak House, War and Peace, read all of Jane Austen, Virginia Wolfe and what about that collected works of William Trevor that’s been on the shelf for ages? And there are all the new highly praised books for the past 5 or 10 years we’ve been meaning to read? How bad is it when a T-shirt slogan speak the truth? Too many books, too little time. I confess, my Kindle is stocked with breezy cozies and a few of what’s called Chick Lit, contemporary writers I’m embarrassed to admit I haven’t read yet, and then each summer a project. One year Graham Greene, another year William Faulkner. Don’t ask how far I’ve gotten. I’m tempted by short light reads and determined to counterbalance them with serious literature. Then suddenly it’s the end of August and I vow to do better next year. So how can I ask you to make room in your reading list and pick up a copy of Sigga of Reykjavik by Solveig Eggerz? It’s an old-fashioned good, serious novel. A strong female main character who endures more hardships than many of us will ever know. In Iceland of all places during a span when Sigga’s fight for Independence runs parallel to Iceland’s fight to break free from Denmark’s dominance. It’s not a book you can read in one sitting. But. For those of us who don’t have the money to travel, reading is the cheapest way to be transported to another place, another time. And Solveig Eggerz does a masterful job of both. Sigga of Reykjavik has received great reader reviews Here are just a few: Sigga is my kind of heroine: unpredictable, hot-headed, confident yet blind to those closest to her. There is nothing she won't tackle. Her story is atmospheric, full of Icelandic weather, (terrible) Icelandic food, folklore, and fascinating history. I loved being immersed in her world. Solveig Eggerz is a master storyteller, giving us an extraordinary level of detail and dramatic action. I loved getting a sense for Iceland’s recent history and learning it from the perspective of a woman’s life. Striking characters, evocative imagery, and vigorous action flow in a torrent as Sigga's story unfolds, impelled by her self-sacrificing determination to make a family and a home for those she loves. The careful historical setting highlights parallels between Sigga's struggles and Iceland's precarious perch at the edge of the violence engulfing Europe as Fascism and Communism simmer and explode. Rich and authentic in its details, its emotions, and its judgments, this book is a very rewarding read. Of course there are more. But how does an excellent writer with a small (okay micro) press break out and get the attention her book deserves? If you’ve got answers, please leave them in the comments. I know even more people would like the novel if they knew about it. So we’re discounting the eBook for two weeks. Starting July 11th, you can pick up an eBook copy of Sigga of Reykjavik for 99 cents. Even better, if you can get the word out to your friends, we’d be very grateful. Good writers need all the good readers they can get. Pick up a copy and enjoy. Thank you.
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We’re willing to try just about anything that’s legal and affordable when it comes
to getting our books in the hands of readers. While we’re still a big fan of doing free promotions, we understand not all authors like the idea of giving away their work. So this time, we tried discount instead. Using only Book Gorilla, we set the price for The Call House by CP Stiles at $0.99 for a week and right now we’re selling Getaway by Maureen Brady for only $1.99. Both books have received great reader reviews. We knew they deserved to reach a wider audience. And we wanted to see how well a discount promotion would work. While we don’t like to give out exact numbers for the books we publish, we do think it’s okay to at least mention a range. In general, even in these overcrowded times, running free promotions both with and without the help of BookBub and whatever other promotional sites were available, our books have had between 8,000 and 35,000 downloads. Each time, we’ve seen follow-on sales. We’ve learned it’s a good idea to keep prices low for a week or so after a free promotion. But even when we set the books back to full price, some sales continued. When you see 8,000 or 10,000 books being downloaded for free, it’s hard not to think - if I only had a dollar for each one . . . In the past though, the next thought had been - Yeah, but, those readers might not have bought the book if the price had been a dollar. Does Discounting Really Work? The answer, at least for us, is a resounding No. Discounting is not the new free, not even close. Maybe it works for well-known authors with popular books. Often we've picked up titles we’d been meaning to read but didn’t want to spend $15 or so on an EBook. When the price was dropped to $2.99 - we didn’t hesitate. And maybe discounting works if you promote like crazy. Which we didn’t (it’s summer, we’re lazy and busy, and you get the idea). So, bottom line. Each book sold less than 25 copies. Not enough to pay for the promotion because when the price goes below $2.99, the payment to the author is only 35% of list price. Plus, there wasn’t much of a bump in rankings. On the other hand, we did pick up about 20 new readers who hadn’t bought the books at full price. Would we do it again? Probably.  I hope we’ll find out. The Call House by CP Stiles is on sale for 99 cents now through July 26th. Why 99 Cents? I’ve written before about why I believe offering eBooks for free for a short period can be a good way to attract new readers to unknown authors. And then I’ve written about my increasing ambivalence when we ended up giving away as many as 35,000 books during one promotion. Yes, there were follow-on sales after the promotion ended. And yes, reader reviews jumped from less than 10 to more than 100. But 35,000 free books seemed like too much. Others must have had the same reservations – these days most discounted books are priced from $0.99 to $2.99. And while as a writer and a publisher, I hate to see a good book selling at a steep discount. As a reader, I confess, I’m more likely to buy a book when it’s offered at a lower price. Yes. There are times when I want a book right away and I’m willing to spend $8.99 or more. But it never feels quite right to pay that much. Crazy, right? It’s the same content, cover and design that went into the hardcover and paperback - only the production and distribution are less expensive. And yet, when the first three books in Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone series were offered at $2.99, I bought all three. But. As much as I wanted to work my way through the alphabet, I balked at paying $8.99 or $9.99 for the next 23 books. I even skipped to the letter T when that book went on sale. Discounting a book is never an easy decision. Shouldn’t a great book be worth more than a Mocha Latte or an order of Avocado Toast? Shouldn’t a book read on a tablet cost at least as much as a movie or a video game? Yes, of course. But here’s the thing – The Call House is a great read. If putting it on sale means attracting more readers, I’m willing to give it a try. Hope you will too. The Call House on sale for $0.99 July 11 - 26th.   "A tension-filled yet ultimately humane story about hard-won second chances. Warm and wise, Maureen Brady's Getaway takes the reader on a suspenseful and memorable journey to the tenderest corners of the human heart." --Aaron Hamburger, author of The View from Stalin's Head and Faith for Beginners "Sensitive, sensual, and stirring. Getaway is a true page-turner, but one with heart and with context. I couldn’t put it down until I got to the end, not just to find out what happened, but also to discover who these intriguing and complex characters would develop into. An extremely satisfying read!" --Danielle Ofri, author of What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear, and Editor-in-Chief, Bellevue Literary Review. After years of living in an abusive marriage, one day Cookie Wagner snaps. She stabs her drunken husband and leaves him dying on the kitchen floor. She flees to remote Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where she takes on a new name and starts a new life. For a moment, she seems to have gotten away with murder. But is her husband really dead or will he come looking for her and once again ruin her life? Pick up a copy and enjoy! Available May 1, 2018 Paperback Ebook  Good books are timeless.
And yet. When a book that was written years (or even months) ago is published and it fits right into our national conversation – there’s a kind of a thrill. How could the author have been so prescient? How fortunate this book is appearing right now. Or is it that certain themes – like domestic violence – have been and will continue to be part of our national conversation for a very long time? Either way, you’ll want to pick up a copy of Maureen Brady’s Getaway when it comes out May 1. In this moment when sexual harassment and sexual abuse have finally garnered much deserved attention, Maureen has captured the story of an ordinary woman – Cookie Wagner - trapped by the threats of her husband until one day she can’t take it any longer – she fights back. Without stopping to think, Cookie picks up a newly-sharpened kitchen knife to defend herself against his drunken advances. She stabs him, then runs away before she knows whether or not she’s killed him. She flees to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where she puts together a new life. But she lives with the constant fear that any day it could all fall apart. Here’s what some early readers have to say: "A tension-filled yet ultimately humane story about hard-won second chances. Warm and wise, Maureen Brady's Getaway takes the reader on a suspenseful and memorable journey to the tenderest corners of the human heart." Aaron Hamburger, author of The View from Stalin's Head and Faith for Beginners “Maureen Brady's new novel, Getaway, explores wife abuse with surprising delicacy. Her upstate characters have grit and guts. . . .When did your sex last belong to you? is the question that drives the heroine's pell-mell flight all the way to Canada. A compelling read, especially for those who recognize that those whom we love can be the most dangerous.” Terese Svoboda, author of five novels including Bohemian Girl Getaway is available for pre-order as an ebook here. Paperback copies will be available May 1. The terrific cover was designed by Carol March and Al Pranke  We get it. So many books, so little time. So why should you take a chance on an author you've never heard of? Because sometimes you just might discover a book you'll really enjoy. That's why we're offering The Call House: A Washington Novel FREE in eBook from August 3 through August 6. Even at full price, it's a very good read. Here's what people have said so far:
Pick up a copy and enjoy.
 If you look at the Amazon page for our latest release, The Call House: A Washington Novel by C.P. Stiles, what you'll see is just like that empty theater. Nothing. No reviews. Only that's not really true. There have been some great reviews. And they've been taken down. No use fighting it, but what we will do is post them here instead.
And you know all those nice notes people write but then they never put them up as reviews? We're going to string a few of those together here as well. It's a tough slog for a new book and this one is worth knowing about. So here are a few (we're keeping them anonymous, but honest, they're from real reader letters). It was an easy, terrific read! I loved the structure and while a dossier on each character might have helped at the beginning, I sorted it all out quickly. Cant believe how era specific and well researched. The narration was crisp and the dialog ws great. I hope it makes it to the beaches all over the US. Really really terrific. The characters come alive in the detail. Now for my take on The Call House, which I have started reading and which is amazing. What hit me first was how smooth it reads, like silk, truly. The short chapters are like small pearls on a string (ok, mixed metaphor); the narrative carries the reader on like a river, which was why I read much more than I planned last night, couldn't stop. The best thing of all, well, one of two best things, is how Ms Stiles trusts the reader to know only the details offered, as they are offered. It's a gorgeous act of compression. The other best thing is that it's about something very interesting -- good people, bad people, in an environment of politics and policing sure to bring out the extreme worst (best?) in everybody. If you do pick up a copy - and we really hope you do - and you like it, please let us know. We'd be happy to add your comments even if they don't show up any place else.
 We're very pleased to announce the publication of The Call House: A Washington Novel by C.P. Stiles. What makes this book standout is that the city of Washington, DC, is almost the main character as well as the setting. With so much controversial news coming out of the nation's capital these days, we're thinking it'll be a welcome relief to travel back to a more innocent time. Sure, it's about a scandal but even that is tame by today's standards. And there's humor. Which always helps. We hope you'll pick up a copy and enjoy.   Bacon Press Books is pleased to announce our next book coming in May - The Call House: A Washington Novel by CP Stiles. To be honest, the reason you can't pick up this great read right now is that we're having a little trouble getting the description right. Historical Novel? Good question. It's set in Washington, DC, in the 1940s. Mostly before World War II. And it's based on real events. There really was a call house. And there really was a war on vice. But somehow calling it a(n) historical novel doesn't feel right because so much of it is invented. Especially the parts about the police and the FBI. Then It's a Romance? Sure. Yes. There's romance. But without giving away too much of the story, it's not just a romance. There's also politics. Can a City Be the Main Character? An even better question. The story is about a city in transition. It's about how people come to Washington wanting to change the world and end up getting changed in subtle ways. How sometimes lust for power takes the place of sexual desire. And war can turn the whole world inside out. What is a Call House Anyway? According to Dictionary.com it’s noun 1. a house or apartment used by prostitutes for arranging or keeping assignations. 2. a place at which call girls await telephone calls from customers. That’s kind of what the book is about, too. Coming soon in paperback and Ebook. Stay tuned. Pre-order the Ebook due out May 15.   As someone who’s never looked good in even one hat, I’ve always been intrigued by the expression about wearing two.
But that’s what I’m doing. In addition to continuing to publish books through Bacon Press Books, I’m also working as a book production coordinator for Joel Friedlander’s new full service book design and production enterprise called The Book Makers. A little backstory When I first decided to try independent book publishing, I spent more than a year reading everything I could find on how to do it right. A few experts offered consistently good, usable advice. Joel Friedlander, aka The Book Designer, was one I followed closely. He shared essential information without always trying to sell something. His blog posts on book design were incredibly helpful. So were his webinars, his monthly cover design contests, his weekly and monthly compilation of blog posts about publishing. In other words, I was a big fan. I even bought his book design templates to see if I could learn how to do it myself. It’s all about helping authors Yes. Sure. There are lots of scams out there to take advantage of eager authors. But what I’ve found over the past four years is that there are more people who really do want to help authors. That’s why I started Bacon Press Books. That’s what Joel’s blogs, courses, eBooks, and webinars have been all about. When Joel said he was looking for a few people to work with him and Tracy Atkins, I jumped at the chance. I knew I’d get to learn more about book production and publishing from two people I admire. (And a side note for a longer blog: Just because you have to pay a fee, doesn’t mean it’s a scam. When you’ve got good people doing good work, it makes sense to pay for their services.) Sometimes DIY isn’t the answer Yes. Sure. One of the best parts of independent publishing is that you’re in control. You get to decide about content, cover, marketing, the works. Start to finish. And you keep your royalties. But . . . It also means you have to know about cover and interior layout and design. And what about editing? Proofing? Does your book need an index? We won’t even get into the launch, distribution, marketing and promotion. Sometimes it’s more than an author can handle on her/his own. Let me quote from Joel’s announcement for The Book Makers: "There were lots of authors who had no intention of “doing it themselves,” and I don’t blame them. If you’re only going to publish a book once, or only once every few years, there isn’t much of an incentive to learn the ins and outs of book construction, typography, and formatting software. So, over 2 years ago, Tracy [Atkins] and I attempted to launch a “done for you” service for authors, only to be sidetracked time and again. Now, for the last 6 months, we’ve got The Book Makers up and running with a trained staff and a desire to help you get your books done. I encourage you to visit the site. You’ll be able to see examples of the beautiful books we’ve produced for other indie authors, download a complete Services Guide, check out the various “production packages” we offer at fixed prices, and even enter the information you’ll need to get a custom estimate for your book project." Full disclosure This may not be for everyone. It’s a premium service - you can see some of the prices on the website. And yes, I will get paid for those authors who work with me. But there are other coordinators who are great and I won’t receive a dime if they’re the ones who help you with your book. The Book Makers does not publish books. And there is no tie-in with Bacon Press Books. Mostly. I think it’s good to know about a service that can help you bring a beautiful, professional-looking book to market. See what you think. Check out The Book Makers. |
