There's the million dollar question that you won't want to ask of Des Birch. Let's find out why...

Have you ever returned from vacation and have somebody ask you how it was? Have you ever returned from work and have someone ask how your day has been? How many times have you given a one-word answer to these questions? Often when I am relaxing, my wife Julie notices my fixed stare which she attributes to my being in ‘Storyland’. If the TV is on I might be gazing at the screen but she knows I am not watching it. Then I might stand up and head for my computer, writing for a time before returning to Julie’s ‘welcome back’ smile. How has my day been? Exciting, torrid, frightening, loving, exhausting........, but never just OK.

I work in an engineering company with murderers, rapists, drug barons etc, for my colleagues are the real people on which I base many of my characters. I live in a world over which I have complete control. Perhaps my daily work is just a fantasy and Storyland is the reality. Julie of course is the wonderful dream.

Being the wrong side of fifty, I have experienced much of life’s up’s and down’s. I also see cycles taking place in which young people experience the same challenges as we did in the struggle for the rite of passage into adulthood. I began to wonder how other species handled this, when a Storyland trance came over me and I eventually emerged with the idea for my YA book Beyond Dark Waters in which a little boy enters five different species, learning lessons from each. It was such fun to write and each day I would complete a section and read it to Julie and Elliott (an elephant, but you will have to read Different Eyes if you want to meet him). I was lucky enough to win an award for this book and it is my crowning achievement to date. I had written 110 pages of the sequel when this torrid, violent story of drug barons, torture and revenge came hammering on the inside of my skull, ready written and demanding to be put down in words. I told it that it was in a queue and that anyway I had far too much on this year, but to no avail. I’m now 70 pages into it and it seems to have calmed down a little, allowing me to study for the final part of my BSc Hon. Stories can do that!

So who am I? I am a father and a grandfather. I have a basic science degree and I have also spent a couple of interesting years in Europe teaching English. I believe in living life to the full. I currently have three novels and one book of short stories in E-format and paperback. Am I rich? Ha ha ha! I’ll never be rich; I like living too much and I need to be around real people who have problems that money can’t solve. I feel I am very lucky indeed. I have a loving family, great friends, a life full of intrigue and the ability to share that life with the world. Come and join me on Amazon and on my Facebook site.

As always, if you like what this author has to say in their guest spot, please patronize them by clicking on their book on the sidebar. I make absolutely nothing off your purchase through this site. I'm just glad to have them stop by and hope you get some pleasure from meeting another author.

I mean to make this post yesterday, but things got so hectic I didn't get it done.

I had a great response this week for our Summer Comedy Event and the #finishtheline contest. Thanks to ALL who participated!

I combed through the entries and narrowed them down to four that struck me the most. Then, the task of figuring out which one struck me as the best of those four.

It wasn't an easy choice, let me tell ya. I loved the absolute simplicity of three of these final four. I loved the play on words with one of these final four. In the end, I went with the choice that sounds most like what Jack would say, and since he is the main character in the free book, I felt that was fitting.

So...my line for #finishtheline was:
I jumped over the barbed wire and...
That's when I lost my pants. Honest, Officer!
And the winner is...Mariah from facebook!

Congratulations to Mariah, and follow me on twitter @LATripp2818 for the next contest which starts TODAY!

For a VERY interesting perspective on the current dynamics of going indie, open those ears wide for a quick listen to our guest today, Dino:

MY VIEWS ON SELF PUBLISHING
By Dino Simonetti

Author Consider this-when a writer asks you to buy a book, they’re asking you to
trust them. They’re asking you to part with hard-earned dollar(Well unless its an E-book). When a reader buys the book, we’re hopeful they’ll love it enough to tell their friends etc to buy/read it as well.

My topic today will be about independent publishing and my experiences with it. I will also discuss my choice of publish-on-demand services. Here’s the typical writing scenario we all dream about: We sit down to write our monumental best-selling novel. We dream of the day a big publisher will pick up the manuscript and say "Eureka-I think you've got it!"

Has that happened to you yet? Yes at least twice----right?

Well the dream, once you get to know what color the lining truly is, can be fraught with all sorts of trip-ups-unless you have a high-paid savvy lawyer reading your agreement. As always, it’s about money. 

Well it seems there are as many Indi-publishers as there are writers. It has become a lucrative business for some indie-publishers that offer book set up, artwork, reviews and ghost writing etc. The average poor Joe, such as myself, cannot and will not fall for it. Why? Let me share a little horror from days gone by.

I was in the music industry for over twelve years and spent tons of money on fancy equipment and web sites with streaming music--and tons of publishing. I also got sucked into the promoter game where they supposedly promote you nationally for five-hundred dollars a month(then dollars). I analyzed what I was doing I realized that I could do exactly what they do, for free and by only adding twenty hours a week to my already hectic work/family life. Truly-promotion is a full time job if you’re trying to make market share. The energy I expended did pay off to some degree; gosh I spent a ton on stamps and fax paper. I ended up producing thirteen disks of music of various types. The musical got rave reviews from the critics. Did you know if you buy advertising space and schmooze enough you can get a 5-star review? Well, I did make a pretty good splash and was noticed by lots of larger labels that I was hoping to license with.

They have marginal budgets too(inside tip) as well and the only ones who make any money are the owners unless you’re an absolute wonder. I rubbed elbows with a few luminaries and one was kind enough to tell me “the world isn’t ready for you yet-give it about 10 years. I guess that’s why I’m a visionary. I also managed to flooded the college radio market and made many play lists and a bit of notoriety; I was invited in for several interviews. .

Three years after leaving the game, I still received a play list from a Canadian radio station that played at least one of my tracks every night. The lesson learned? How incestuous the industry is and how record deals are actually run and all the pitfalls of getting wrapped up with the big guys. How does this equate to the literary world-we try to keep it tight but there is a certain percentage of ‘stuff’ going on.

One day I was sharing with a dear friend back east how I thought it was finally time to release my series of not-so-short stories. I explained to him the style of my writings and how five books will end up being over three-thousand pages when all is said and done. He was happy to share how he had self-published 11 books, short stories about monsters and such. He expounded on how he used Create Space dot com. He further explained that it's free and they do a good job.

I contacted them-they really are a nice bunch and are tied in with Amazon. Since joining them about three-years ago, they’ve grown to a 24/7 operation. They answer all of your questions whether on the phone or e-mail. If you don't understand something-they will explain it so that even me, Roger Rabbit, can understand-no I don't smoke marijuana. I recall having a book cover issue and after a phone call they accepted my cover. Most book publishers that offer cover services want bleed around the edges etc. I got them to understand the black edges where my pictures fade out are designed to flow off the edge of the page. I do my own covers and even Createspace say they're unique and wonderfully wild-that's a subtle marketing hint.

Createspace offer all sorts of templates and services and if you're patient you CAN do the entire thing yourself without enlisting their pro’s which requires a fee. It took me no time to figure out how to make it all work. I called and they gave me the math formula to figure binding width etc-it's really easy once you have the page thickness.

Some of the nice things they evolved was the 3-D version of the book, you can get a complete view of what it will look like when it hits the stands. Also, you can now digitally proof your book with their handy tool-you get a screen shot of your manuscript and it will show if you're outside the margins etc(coloring outside the box). 

It used to be, you'd send the manuscript via PDF and all the set up, they'd okay it, you'd order a copy and sometimes it would be right, sometimes not. I tend to be anal so it was never right and it would cost me 2-3 books-now its none.

They will issue you a unique ISBN number, both 10 and 13 digit if you like.

You can do your own sales-copy on the site because you access to do your own web space. Mine is createspace.com/3599541. I created the entire thing in an hour or so.

Now here’s the rub. If you use the web space, you can make decent royalties. Example, take a 458-page book, and price it at 12.95, you can make almost four-dollars. If you use Amazon, they take forty-percent and still make over two-dollars. The pros and cons are this: 
A) You can drive people to your web-space, make lots of money but it will tak a while before people will know who you are. B) you can use the Amazon channel not make as much, but you have the opportunity to be noticed in the rankings. It’s best to use both.

You can also use the expanded distribution system feature, such as libraries, book re-sellers. The only caveat is you must price the book out of sight to make a few cents-some where in the neighbor hood of sixteen-dollars. I myself plan to use my own marketing and agency to get wholesalers to buy my books at much less than the aforementioned process. I can sell them for less and we both make money. Yes it’s a bit labor intensive to buy your own books and have them dropped shipped but worth every buck if you have a book that is moving already.

They now offer Kindle set-up for $69.00 and they will take your PDF and convert it-or you can go to the Amazon site and do it your self-(Yup, I'm a terminal DIY'er). Same with B&N Nook, they have a site to do it yourself.

There are challenges to all of this but if you really want to make money, pull out a few hairs and figure it out.

A sidebar here, I want to use a portion of the royalty paid per book to raise ten-thousand dollars by years end to donate to the Autism Foundation to assist in researching this affliction; it afflicts my youngest boy Connor If you'd like to know more, just write me at [email protected].

I have other links I’d like you to visit as well.
http://www.facebook.com/Witches.N.Demons.of.Salem
http://dinosimonettiwriter.blogspot.com/
http://www.authorsden.com/dinopsimonetti
and of course
createspace.com/3599541

Shape-shifters and Succubae
An unusual way to deliver a Thriller? What makes this thriller different than all the rest? First of all, it’s a book that can be used as a screenplay to a movie that would be simply awesome. There’s more-take a blend of toe curling murders, horrifying gore and people disappearing (and reappearing not quite the same). Add steamy erotica only a well-mannered succubae would partake of-nice combo; that’s not all take our central character Jade, having nightmares and hearing voices-possibly from the other side is that you Hecate? Graveyard rituals performed by young witches that ought not be performing and-well-what happens when an esbat is disrupted? Combine a bloodthirsty demons with that sex starved succubae and.... had enough?

Now take a disturbed young female with only one thing on her mind-Billy’s heart and soul. So when you’re at the beach reading this summer, stick your toes in the sand and settle back with a copy-your toes will curl under the sand. Nothing like a dark and macabre book-you'll love it! Shape-shifters and Succubae is now available on Amazon or Createspace.com/3599541 grab a copy for yourself and a friend or loved one.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dino Simonetti hails from Winthrop, Massachusetts, a small town east of Boston. Simonetti lived his first 28 years in this historical town and can recall stories told by Edward Roe Snow, a neighbor at the time. He also took a liking to Poe's works as well. He credits much of his influence to King, Koontz and Barkers works. He stated some of the light, breezy prose is influenced by Janet Evanovich as well.

Mr. Simonetti has a sense of humor that lends to his charismatic demeanor and you will find him quite easy to talk to. One thing I did notice is he listens intently and takes a great interest in you and he will ask you questions about you and not speak of himself unless asked. He is always quick with a joke and quite witty.

Mr. Simonetti stated he was a pharmacist for over twenty-years and has just recently embarked on a career in massage therapy. He is a father to four children, all fully grown and living in Salem MA. He himself resides in Utah for the time being.

Simonetti can spin a yarn that will definitely scare you. The pieces described to me were certainly teasers to read his book-I was delighted to read it. He states that to make a scene really scary or gory, he has to imagine what would gross him out or scare the life out of him-he claims to have a high threshold to horror and gore. The style of writing he credits to an idea his son gave him. The manuscript can be likened to a screenplay and is written from the point of view of a twenty-something recounting a movie in exquisite detail. The book is peppered with the cleanest and most inoffensive erotica I've ever read and it is placed strategically within the story line. The vernacular of the characters is precisely what you would expect from young adults who have spent a great deal of time on the streets; I found it quite entertaining at times.

The story started out on a single premise and became more and more twisted and convoluted, until he put together a tale that will run into several parts and top the 3000 page mark. This first installment, Shape-shifters and Succubae, lays the groundwork for the mystery, the horror, and the suspense all rabid horror enthusiasts will enjoy following, in the end, hopefully leaving them breathless.

Mr. Simonetti currently lives in Midvale Utah; contact him there by e-mail for readings, signings and tours.

As always, if you like what this author has to say in their guest spot, please patronize them by clicking on their book on the sidebar. I make absolutely nothing off your purchase through this site. I'm just glad to have them stop by and hope you get some pleasure from meeting another author.

Ah yes, memories of times past, of childhood's almost forgotten, of lovers and lost lovers, of heroes come and gone, of modern day time twisters. Wait...what? Hmmm, Claire Simons, get out of my head, my dear. Well, I'll scoot over and let you explain... 
 
As I strolled down the lonely road listening to the birds I was struck by, of all things, the medical smell that lingered in the air despite the presence of the bull dozers and building work paraphernalia. It was as if the patients and doctors had left only yesterday leaving the old asylum echoing with memories of the past. In fact the place had been closed for over a decade and had sat neglected and forlorn in all that time. The builders were now moving in to convert the place in to posh houses and flats and all record of its past were airbrushed form the sales literature. The old lunatic asylum was an extremely atmospheric place and as I walked gazing at the impressive old buildings a story began to form in my head - Evie and Claire wanted, no demanded, for their story to be told. I was concerned that twisting together two different time periods wouldn't work but that night my head was full of what I had seen and sensed and so I began to write. Falling from Grace was the result.

I am a 37 year old aerospace engineer. I live with my husband, two cats and two rescue ferrets in Essex, England. I work full time and am also training to become a counsellor. I love to write and read and am also a tarot card reader in my spare time! I have been fascinated by the paranormal ever since I saw my first ghost at the age of nine and so it seemed only natural that my first book should be of a paranormal nature.

As always, if you like what this author has to say in their guest spot, please patronize them by clicking on their book on the sidebar. I make absolutely nothing off your purchase through this site. I'm just glad to have them stop by and hope you get some pleasure from meeting another author.

When asked, "What inspires you?" most everyone will likely have a different go to answer for that. It's always interesting to find out what someone's inspiration is. And, of course, what we DO with that inspiration also makes a difference. Listen today to one fellow author's awesome inspiration. Joyce Debacco, take it away: 
 
Where do writers find inspiration? I think many of us find inspiration from life. Certain events, images, or music stick in our minds and won’t let go. When that happens, writers have the germ of a story. We can create characters and throw trying situations at them; we have the power to give life or take it. We’re omnipotent and we love it.

But inspiration sometimes strikes at inopportune times. More often than not, mine strike at bedtime. When that happens, I know I have to jot my thoughts down before they vanish. I can’t tell you how many times I told myself I’d remember it in the morning. Of course, when morning comes, it’s gone, dissolved into the ether of my brain.

My first book, Serendipity House, was conceived on a ride through the mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania, near where I lived at the time. Some of the resorts, though magnificent in their day, had become seedy and rundown over the years. Since my husband and I owned a small, sub-contracting firm and had done rehabs, I imagined someone giving new life to one of these grand, old dames. Although restoring a dilapidated inn to its former glory is rewarding in itself, it gives my characters’ static lives purpose. It also gives them friends they treasure, a way of life that nurtures them, and a special someone who holds the same things dear.

Where Dreams are Born came about after reading a tender love story about a disenfranchised couple joining forces out of necessity and ultimately finding happiness together. It touched me where I live, and I wanted to leave my readers with the same feeling. In my version, a young woman who lost her parents in a tragic murder-suicide as a child meets a man raised in the foster care system who’s also suffered loss. Now, all they want is a stable home life for their children. Of course, I give them much more than that, but not before piling on additional woes.

An old family picture from 1877 brought Rubies and Other Gems - the Novel to life. Seeing my ancestors’ faces and imagining their simple lives was a lot like going back in time, something we’ve all wished we could do when our world seems overwhelming. The character in this book gets the chance to do that, albeit with disastrous results. She also discovers her family is more close-knit than she thought and the problems that once seemed insurmountable have been resolved without her intervention.

A comment from my daughter about a boy in her class being reunited with his birth family planted the seed for Tomorrow Blossoms. My writer’s mind began playing the “what ifs”. What if his birth mother had kept a secret these many years? What if her husband was not her son’s father? Even more interesting, what if the man who raised her son was actually the boy who rejected her as a pregnant teen?

So Wonderful as Want, released a few weeks ago, was born after I’d relocated to Southwest Florida and read a newspaper article about the damage done to the environment by politicians in the early part of the last century. I imagined a young man who loves the land and despises the damage wrought by their misguided attempts to straighten the river for commercial reasons. I also imagined a country girl who dreams of leaving her idyllic but boring river hamlet to marry a gentleman and live the grand life in town. When her chance finally arrives, she must choose between the conscientious man who’s been there through every joy, every sorrow in her life, or the ambitious man who can make her childhood dream come true.

Midnight and Holding  is a random collection of short women’s fiction. While only one story subsequently grew into a full-fledged novel, all the stories deal with the complexities inherent in the modern woman’s life. Gathered over several years, they’re a mix of humor, pathos, and serious observations.

So, be prepared with paper and pencil at all times. You never know where or when inspiration will strike.

As always, if you like what this author has to say in their guest spot, please patronize them by clicking on their book on the sidebar. I make absolutely nothing off your purchase through this site. I'm just glad to have them stop by and hope you get some pleasure from meeting another author.

I hear the hypnotizing hum or the lawn mower.

The freshly cut green plants emit chemicals that waft in on the brilliant breeze flowing through. Some land around me and I smell the familiar aroma of freshly cut grass. Which reminds me of childhood, just a bit. Then reminds me of when I had to cut my own grass. Then makes me thankful to live in an apartment so now it's done for me.

Then...I think about what this afternoon has in store for me.

And I'm dreading it.

So, what does your day have in store for you?

Meet Jim Kukral. He knows marketing. Below is an interview I did with him. Yes, it looks like he's pimping his own service, but these are actually the questions I asked him. For anyone wanting to market their books more, these answers could help you. So, here you go:

1. How many eyes are typically needed to land on a book for an author to expect one sale?

There's no way to answer that question. The reader might be looking for something different than what they found. They might not really be ready to buy. The best advice for an author is to target potential readers that fit their niche and industry and do a really good job of communicating what the book is about through the title and the cover.

2. What is the typical lag time between a potential reader seeing a new book and actually buying that book?

I believe books are mostly impulse purchases. People go to the Internet for two reasons only. One is to have a problem solved (think non-fiction books), and two is to be entertained (fiction). Either way, people buy books for a specific reason. 

3. How many times does a normal future reader need to see a book advertised before they decide to buy?

Again, there's no way to tell that. Advertising gurus will tell you that repetition is key though. As an online marketer myself, we know that if you can put your message in front of a consumer more than five times you have a much greater chance at them taking an action. That's why email lists and social media follows are so important. You can to continuously market. You can't assume people are going to buy at first exposure. They won't, typically.

4. What should an author do to avoid landing in the category with the books that sell a maximum of 500 books over their lifetime?

Build your own platform. Email list. Social media, etc... There's no way around it. You have to have fans and followers. Or spend a lot of money on advertising. The choice is yours. There is no secret to it. It's all hard work. Boo, I know that sucks to hear.

5. Where are you available for authors to easily hire you?

My firm, www.digitalbooklaunch.com helps authors create and market books for the purpose of driving sales, leads and publicity for their business or brand or career. Got an idea for a book? We'll help you make it a reality, in a way that makes sense and actually provides some return on investment for you. Otherwise, what's the point?

6. Do you offer payment plans?

We'll work with anyone's needs. Contact me for a no-cost, no obligation consultation today. Just visit DigitalBookLaunch.comI hope this interview will help some fellow authors. 

Check him out if you like what you see.

And again, don't forget our Summer Comedy Event. Follow me on twitter for more: @LATripp2818

Don't forget to join in our Summer Comedy Event!

Follow me on twitter @LATripp2818 and follow the other authors participating in this event as well. We are trying to bring fresh eyes to talented humor writers. You have a chance to win a free book by a great author simply by participating in this contest!

You know never, you just may find your next favorite author!

The contest kicked off today, so check out my tweets for the line...and #finishtheline !

Watch where you're standing...that's my platform! Or was that platform shoes they were referring to...? Well, I have no idea what platform shoes are, but our guest today, Ey Wade, does want to talk about your writing platform. So listen up!

Finding a Platform

I have (I think) finally found my writing platform. I have read a lot about the need of one and could never really figure out what to build on and now I know. After following a few articles from recommendations on Twitter I became aware of headlines which fit so well with manuscripts I have been working on. I found it amazing how close headlines fit to the works of the written word.

My platform is based on the premise life demands action. Whether it is nonfiction , YA depicting bullying, teen pregnancy, picture books teaching morals and life skills, or a novel making a statement will be the goal. There are many things happening in the world which ticks me the hell off. I, as a citizen in the ‘real’ world can’t change society with a flick of my hand, but my laptop keys can kick butt and change fallacies. I can write people to fulfill my dreams. I can have them do what needs to be done and get away with it.

And because I think a proven rapist (especially of a child) should be caught and beaten to death on the spot and because I am tired of injustices in the judicial system where it seems sexual predators, pedophiles, and deviants have lenient sentences or get away with their crime I wrote The Fishing Trip, where the good guy is the grey matter.  In The Fishing Trip a man named Durham takes revenge on all of the child molesters in his town where perverts are prevalent. In the novel some of the most violent and horrendous acts on children are performed and the abusers face retribution. In my opinion anyone who has the sick mind to rape and/or commit other acts of violence on children, should just accept the fact they will die without a trial.  I know it’s not as easy as black and white, but I bet if redemption fell hard on creeps like that, this sort of crime would end quickly, I'm just sayin'. There are other countries that don't play with this aspect of society. I have decided to have interviews with the characters from my books. THE FISHING TRIP @ In the Chair . 

Come over and get to meet them.

My life demanding action (which must have been festering in my subconscious) caused me to write Beads on a String America's Racially Intertwined History. You can learn all about the reasons behind this enormous feat HERE.

The Perfect Solution which is discussed Here had the first characters to sit In the Chair  .  

These are just a few of my steps unto my platform. I shall be polishing my words, strengthening my platform and building me a bookshelf. Because I shall write the best novels and I will need a place to put all my published books.

Web: Wade-In Publishing http://wade-inpublishing.com

Youtube: http://bit.ly/Fishingvid

Amazon US http://amzn.to/FishingT

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/FishingUK

As always, if you like what this author has to say in their guest spot, please patronize them by clicking on their book on the sidebar. I make absolutely nothing off your purchase through this site. I'm just glad to have them stop by and hope you get some pleasure from meeting another author.

I've been in a conversation with a couple of fellow indie authors about this issue.

They are wondering, and maybe even scared, to use their free promo days that Amazon gives to us for participating in their Select program.

So, why would these authors be afraid to use something a book GIANT is giving to us?

The sad reality is, they feel like we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. Why? Because there are a ton of fellow indie authors that will tear you to shreds because you want to give a copy of your book away for promotional reasons.

Here's a dose of reality that those NEGATIVE indie authors either miss or choose not to see. Free promos work in EVERY field. I don't care if a laundromat gives away one load of laundry to lure people in, a supermarket gives away some small item to lure business in, or a car dealer gives away a free detail job or some service to lure people in. The end result is the same, regardless of the industry. The business GIVES AWAY something to HOPE FOR DOLLARS in return.

And you know what else? It...WORKS. If freebies didn't work, brick and mortar businesses would not continue doing it. Hell, even internet based businesses do it. David DeAngelo, who works in the dating and seduction field, or pick up artist field, frequently gives away great tidbits. You know what else? He makes more than anyone else in that field. To the tune of $20 million dollars each year. So again, bottom line, freebies WORK.

Now, many indie authors will tear you to shreds if they so much as HEAR that you want to run a free day promo. They will preach to you that you're devaluing all of our collective works. If that doesn't convince you not to do a free day, then you're just scum who can't write a lick to save your life.

Seriously, this is what we call SUPPORTING each other? I think not.

Who cares if you personally HATE the free days. You know what, the other author is not giving YOUR book away. Unless of course you have asked them to. They are trying to promote THEIR book. So lay off and learn how to actually show another human being some honest-to-God support.

Drop the jealousy you're feeling and show a fellow indie true support.

Here's another reality check. I've talked before about Pixel of Ink and ENT and how they are currently the only viable venues to really get your book noticed on a free day. Well...that's not exactly true. It is, but it isn't. The reality is, there are enough authors within the indie community that SAY they will do ANYTHING to support their fellow indies. Well, if all of these indie authors would put their mouse where their mouth is, we'd see a lot more ACTUAL support.

What do I mean? I don't mean you have to go out and spend your hard earned dollars, buying every book that your fellow authors publish. Not at all. And some of you just ignored that last line. You have no idea what I said.

Ok, listen up. WITHOUT SPENDING A PENNY YOU CAN SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW INDIES SO EACH OF US CAN ACTUALLY MAKE REAL CASH.

Got it?

Let's try this again.

When a fellow indie author has a free promo day, there are enough of us indie authors in all of our communities that we can raise up each indie author on their particular free promo day. That means you simply DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY. Is that REALLY so hard?

I don't care if you only have a PC, a Mac, don't have a Kindle, do have a Kindle, only have a Nook, what ever. It doesn't matter. Period. If you have a PC, download the app for Kindle for PC. If you have a Mac, same thing. If you only have a Nook...I'm sure you have a computer as well. SURELY you see where I'm going without me spelling out EVERY detail.

Ok, now that we're on the same page there...here's the next step.

When a fellow indie has their book up for a free promo day....DOWNLOAD a FREE copy! 

"But I already have it" you say.

Awesome for your support! Now....DELETE IT AND DOWNLOAD ANOTHER.

Or, if Kindle won't let you do that, download it to a different device, like a different computer. In other words, there is SOME way that you can download another FREE copy. We're just too damn lazy to help others, it seems.

"But I don't download what I won't read. Period."

Well, that tells me and the rest of the community that you DON'T truly support your fellow indies. I personally do download TONS of books I probably won't ever read. Seriously, what does it COST ME? Nothing, other than a few seconds to make a click.

Then, there are other authors who simply hate the guts of some fellow indies. Yeah, that's really supporting your community too. GROW UP.

Look, here's the bottom line. The reason why Pixel and ENT are SO effective is simply their reach. They have the ability to reach THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of people, individual readers. It takes THOUSANDS of downloads for each book to pop the number one spot in your particular genre.

Thing is, if your book does NOT hit the number one spot, it won't stay afloat as long after the free day. If it doesn't at least crack the Top 10, your free day was wasted.

Here's another part of this reality check. There are enough authors in our communities as a whole to get each individual fellow indie author SEVERAL thousand downloads on EACH of our free days.

So, to recap, drop your hatred, grow up, click a book even if you don't like it (just hit delete), and help that fellow author to hit that coveted number one spot. It hasn't cost you a single penny to show support. Yet, by that author hitting number one, THEY will now have the opportunity to have TONS of new, fresh eyes seeing their work. IF their work has merit, it may hold the Top 10 for a while, while gaining actual paid sales that YOU are paying nothing for. You simply clicked your mouse. If their book does not have merit, it will soon vanish into the ether, therefore not hurting you or your book anyway.

So again...WHY is it SO hard to show TRUE support to your fellow indie author???

C'mon. AS A COMMUNITY WE ARE STRONG. Divided, we fall.