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    <title>Support Forums : Message List - scribblr</title>
    <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums</link>
    <description>Most recent forum messages</description>
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    <pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:56:29 +0000</pubDate>


    <item>

        <title>Re: Hardcover to Kindle</title>
        <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/thread.jspa?messageID=14202&amp;tstart=0#14202</link>

        

        

            <description><![CDATA[I would first try OCR (Optical Character Recognition). The software is very inexpensive and comes free with many scanners and multi-purpose printers that perform scanning and copying. If your book is printed with a basic font such as New Times Roman or Arial, the results might surprise you. For best results you will have to destroy the binding so that each page lies straight and flat, and you will still have to closely proof the final document then have it converted to html, but it will be a lot less expensive then having it typed and converted.

Best of luck with your project,
Tom De Prima

Author of the series [b]A Galaxy Unknown[/b]
  and [b]When The Spirit Moves You[/b]]]></description>

        

        <pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:44:31 +0000</pubDate>

        

        <jf:creationDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:44:31 +0000</jf:creationDate>
        <jf:modificationDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:44:31 +0000</jf:modificationDate>
        <jf:date>Sep 1, 2009</jf:date>
        <jf:author>scribblr</jf:author>
        <jf:replyCount>0</jf:replyCount>
    </item>


    <item>

        <title>Re: How can I publish a free book on Kindle?</title>
        <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/thread.jspa?messageID=14157&amp;tstart=0#14157</link>

        

        

            <description><![CDATA[Thanks cdbguy. And congratulations on your steadily climbing sales numbers. With fall approaching, and the end of summer vacations that change the reading habits of all of us, sales should continue to climb. Good luck.]]></description>

        

        <pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:27:15 +0000</pubDate>

        

        <jf:creationDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:27:15 +0000</jf:creationDate>
        <jf:modificationDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:27:15 +0000</jf:modificationDate>
        <jf:date>Aug 29, 2009</jf:date>
        <jf:author>scribblr</jf:author>
        <jf:replyCount>0</jf:replyCount>
    </item>


    <item>

        <title>Re: Strange message from the Kindle Operations team?</title>
        <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/thread.jspa?messageID=14156&amp;tstart=0#14156</link>

        

        

            <description><![CDATA[I recently changed the categories on my paranormal novel offered for the Kindle. My only objective is to remove any association with HORROR titles on Amazon. Although it does involve ghosts, it doesn't belong in the HORROR categories with Stephen King's offerings. The cover was designed and created by me, so there're no copyright infringement issues. It doesn't even come close to the erotic imagery of 'Twilight', so the cover rating would be 'G.' I think that there must be some new requirements that all submitted changes be reviewed by some authority inside the DTP group before they're released and the reviewers are just overwhelmed by the volume of new submissions and changes to existing volumes.

Tom DePrima
author of: [b]When The Spirit Moves You[/b]
and others]]></description>

        

        <pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:14:48 +0000</pubDate>

        

        <jf:creationDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:14:48 +0000</jf:creationDate>
        <jf:modificationDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:14:48 +0000</jf:modificationDate>
        <jf:date>Aug 29, 2009</jf:date>
        <jf:author>scribblr</jf:author>
        <jf:replyCount>2</jf:replyCount>
    </item>


    <item>

        <title>Re: Linking Kindle to Book page on Amazon.com</title>
        <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/thread.jspa?messageID=14113&amp;tstart=0#14113</link>

        

        

            <description><![CDATA[I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the DTP team. The print form of one of my books was published by Lulu, who only offers an author 1000 characters for product description (my only complaint with Lulu). The kindle system allows 4000 characters, so it's easier to fashion a more appealing sales message. I wrote to ask if the description associated with the print version of that book could be replaced by the product description associated with the kindle version. It took four messages because they misunderstood my request and kept telling me that the kindle and print versions were already linked. I already knew that because they shared reader review information. I guess that by the fourth request I got a little testy from frustration but they finally understood what I was requesting and adopted the product description from the kindle version.  Thanks DTP team.]]></description>

        

        <pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:03:00 +0000</pubDate>

        

        <jf:creationDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:03:00 +0000</jf:creationDate>
        <jf:modificationDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:03:00 +0000</jf:modificationDate>
        <jf:date>Aug 27, 2009</jf:date>
        <jf:author>scribblr</jf:author>
        <jf:replyCount>0</jf:replyCount>
    </item>


    <item>

        <title>Re: How can I publish a free book on Kindle?</title>
        <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/thread.jspa?messageID=14060&amp;tstart=0#14060</link>

        

        

            <description><![CDATA[I, for one, am very glad that Amazon doesn't permit the uploading of books for free distribution by indies. I recently saw a post on one of the reader forums where a poster claimed to have over 600 free and unread books on his Kindle. He said that as long as Amazon continues to give them away, he'll never buy another book. 

The books offered for free by the big publishers, and even the wannabes like Baen, have had their run, made their money, and are being given away because the publishers believe they have nothing to lose. That idea is a bit shortsighted. As long as readers can get free books, they aren't going to buy new volumes.

Those of us who spend hundreds and even thousands of hours writing, rewriting, and editing our manuscripts would like a little compensation for our efforts. We indies aren't expecting much, perhaps just being able to go out to dinner once a month on earnings from our efforts. I would write even if I never made a penny, but I certainly wouldn't spend time formatting and preparing my books for distribution on kindle if there wasn't some slight chance of reward.

This month, for the first time, both fiction books that I've posted on Amazon for the kindle, broke through 10,000 position in sales rank during the same month. That probably isn't much of a distinction for other authors who visit this forum, but it was an important objective to me. I don't give my books away, so I felt good that I was able to achieve this in competition with freebies and 99 cent specials.

I will never come close to the distribution volume of free and nearly free books, but I have the satisfaction of knowing that I did it without having to resort to such tactics. In 1776, Thomas Paine published his famous Common Sense monograph. In that great document he wrote: "What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value."

Happy scribbling,
Tom DePrima

Author of the series [b]A Galaxy Unknown[/b] and 
[b]When The Spirit…[/b]]]></description>

        

        <pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:40:01 +0000</pubDate>

        

        <jf:creationDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:40:01 +0000</jf:creationDate>
        <jf:modificationDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:40:01 +0000</jf:modificationDate>
        <jf:date>Aug 23, 2009</jf:date>
        <jf:author>scribblr</jf:author>
        <jf:replyCount>2</jf:replyCount>
    </item>


    <item>

        <title>Re: How can I give copies of a specific Kindle title to book reviewers?</title>
        <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/thread.jspa?messageID=13901&amp;tstart=0#13901</link>

        

        

            <description><![CDATA[I don't own a kindle so this information is based on what I've read in posts by kindle owners.

Kindles reportedly come with a USB cord so that books and other materials can be uploaded from a computer. I read a post by a soldier in Iraq who downloads books to his laptop via the internet since there's no Whispernet over there, and then uploads them to his kindle. It's a little more work to be sure, but the reviewer would be getting a free book.

If you haven't already, you can download the html code from your DTP and send it via email to the reviewer. I can't guarantee that this will work, so try it out before you start sending your emails.  :)]]></description>

        

        <pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:14:01 +0000</pubDate>

        

        <jf:creationDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:14:01 +0000</jf:creationDate>
        <jf:modificationDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:14:01 +0000</jf:modificationDate>
        <jf:date>Aug 15, 2009</jf:date>
        <jf:author>scribblr</jf:author>
        <jf:replyCount>2</jf:replyCount>
    </item>


    <item>

        <title>Re: publishing a short story</title>
        <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/thread.jspa?messageID=13789&amp;tstart=0#13789</link>

        

        

            <description><![CDATA[You can publish whatever you wish. I understand there's a special section for shorts, but I've never used it. There's no charge for publishing. Amazon keeps 65% of whatever sales you make.]]></description>

        

        <pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:59:30 +0000</pubDate>

        

        <jf:creationDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:59:30 +0000</jf:creationDate>
        <jf:modificationDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:59:30 +0000</jf:modificationDate>
        <jf:date>Aug 11, 2009</jf:date>
        <jf:author>scribblr</jf:author>
        <jf:replyCount>3</jf:replyCount>
    </item>


    <item>

        <title>Re: Help, I'm a Newbie.  Keep getting &quot;Unexpected error&quot; message when Publishin</title>
        <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/thread.jspa?messageID=13788&amp;tstart=0#13788</link>

        

        

            <description><![CDATA[You're not alone. Looks like a problem with Amazon.]]></description>

        

        <pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:52:33 +0000</pubDate>

        

        <jf:creationDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:52:33 +0000</jf:creationDate>
        <jf:modificationDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:52:33 +0000</jf:modificationDate>
        <jf:date>Aug 11, 2009</jf:date>
        <jf:author>scribblr</jf:author>
        <jf:replyCount>0</jf:replyCount>
    </item>


    <item>

        <title>Re: Amazon removing discount</title>
        <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/thread.jspa?messageID=13759&amp;tstart=0#13759</link>

        

        

            <description><![CDATA[A large razor blade manufacturer once made a marketing decision to 'give away' the razors at cost and sell the blades. They sold billions, made millions in profit each year, and secured their place in history.

When Polaroid developed instant cameras and film, they 'gave away' the cameras at cost, sold the film at a huge markups, and made billions in profit, securing their place in history.

Amazon's idea SEEMS to be to sell a seventy dollar item for three hundred dollars and 'give away the razor blades and film.' When the market becomes saturated and sales slide, introduce a new and improved model for five hundred dollars and STILL give away the razor blades and film. I've lost count, what are we on now, our third or fourth new and improved model. Let's see, there was the Kindle, then the Kindle 2, then the Kindle DX, then the Kindle Color? There's another one in there isn't there?

The thing about making your money solely off the hardware is that, eventually, the market becomes saturated and sales virtually disappear. The number of PC's being sold each year has slipped tremendously. I mean, there are only so many 'new and improved' features that people will buy. 

Also, and here's the biggie, Polaroid dominated it's market completely, until the market collapsed for other reasons, because everyone in the world owned a Polaroid camera. Despite its popularity, the relative high cost of the Kindle has prevented it from gaining full market penetration. This has opened the door to competitors like Barnes and Noble, and others who will mimic marketing ideas developed by Amazon. You can't patent a marketing idea, just slogans and product uniqueness.

Now, if Amazon was charging for ALL its books, a marketing option is too reduce prices. By giving away a major part of it's library, it has already surrendered that option.

Now is the time for Amazon to act, before B&N gets their announced product to market. Stop the giveaways and slash the price of the Kindles by several hundred dollars. Get everyone in America on board. Then people will be reluctant to buy another product which does the same thing as one they already own. When Kindles sell for $99.99, everyone will buy one.

But if Amazon MUST give away products, because of deals with big publishers, at least remove the giveaways from the sales charts. Create a 'hottest giveaways' if you must and make the 'Best Sellers' list honest. Right now it's one of the most dishonest book lists on the web. I know several people who claim to have never purchased a Kindle book on Amazon. Why should they when the freebie list is so enormous?]]></description>

        

        <pubDate>Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:17:31 +0000</pubDate>

        

        <jf:creationDate>Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:17:31 +0000</jf:creationDate>
        <jf:modificationDate>Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:17:31 +0000</jf:modificationDate>
        <jf:date>Aug 9, 2009</jf:date>
        <jf:author>scribblr</jf:author>
        <jf:replyCount>0</jf:replyCount>
    </item>


    <item>

        <title>Re: Amazon removing discount</title>
        <link>http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/dtpforums/thread.jspa?messageID=13720&amp;tstart=0#13720</link>

        

        

            <description><![CDATA[I was checking out a revised product description for one of my books when I happened to notice that three of the books listed in the 'Customers who bought this item also bought' were freebies. Investigating further I found that 60% of the listed booked were freebies. 

Now I don't care how many books Amazon gives away, as long they own the rights or pay the authors, but it seems to me that the expense for this giveaway is happening on the backs of the indie authors who have seen their discounts disappear. Perhaps it's time that Amazon end the giveaway and charge at least a dollar for these books. I could see the giveaway occurring when the kindle program was just beginning, but it's established now. It's time to end it, Jeff, so that people aren't reluctant to actually BUY some books.]]></description>

        

        <pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:25:46 +0000</pubDate>

        

        <jf:creationDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:25:46 +0000</jf:creationDate>
        <jf:modificationDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:25:46 +0000</jf:modificationDate>
        <jf:date>Aug 7, 2009</jf:date>
        <jf:author>scribblr</jf:author>
        <jf:replyCount>3</jf:replyCount>
    </item>



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