Filed under: Amazon, Failure, Humor, Kindle, Marketing, Predictions, Preparedness, Promotion, Publishing, Science Fiction, tech | Tags: jim downey
As noted, Sunday is the actual 40th ‘pre-anniversary’ of the discovery of the artifact on Titan. And as noted in that blog post, I had intended on having a free Kindle edition promotion all day to celebrate that, but had also decided to add in tomorrow just in case someone thought that the Sunday listing might be some kind of April Fool’s prank.
Well, it looks like the joke is on me. Or I’m the Fool. Take your pick.
See, because of some glitches in the Amazon scheduling system back on March 4 when last I did a promotion, Amazon decided to give me an additional promotion day (you get 5 such days during each quarter you’re signed up with KDP Select). That’s cool – so I intended to use it this weekend.
Except I screwed up and didn’t note that said additional promotion day needed to go through Amazon’s bureaucracy, rather than just being scheduled directly by yours truly. Oops.
So I have contacted said bureaucracy, and submitted said request. But whether they’ll get it in place by Sunday is an open question.
So let’s just assume that tomorrow may be the only day this weekend for you to get your free copy of the book, and plan accordingly. Should Amazon get the extra day in place, I’ll let people know. But for now, help to share news of Communion of Dreams being *FREE* all day tomorrow! And remember, you don’t even need to own a Kindle to get your copy: there is a Kindle emulator available for just about any computer/tablet/mobile device – ALSO for FREE!
This was my screw-up. And I’ll make it up with another free weekend sometime in the next quarter. But for now, spread the word that Communion of Dreams is going to be free all day tomorrow (and maybe Sunday!) We had over 5,000 downloads last time – and I keep hearing that people really love the book – so let’s make the world a little better for others who would enjoy it!
Thanks.
Jim Downey
It is not stated explicitly, but a close reading of Communion of Dreams will confirm that Darnell Sidwell discovered the ‘artifact’ 40 years from this Sunday.
Yeah, on April Fool’s Day.
That was just a little ‘Easter egg’ I put in the text, for the amusement of anyone who might catch it (there are a number of such things in the text). It becomes clear early enough in the book that it could make someone go “wait a minute . . . is all of this just a hoax?”
Anyway, in observation of the future anniversary of this event, I thought that I’d have another “free Kindle edition” promotion on Sunday.
But then I got to worrying that people might think it was all just an April Fool’s Day prank.
Damn. Hoist by my own little fart.
The only solution is to add in Saturday as well, to make it clear that the book really is free.
So, if you have yet to download Communion of Dreams for reading on your Kindle, computer, tablet or other device, this is your chance.
And if you have already read the book, this is your opportunity to tell your friends that they can get it free! Think how much they will love you for this, showering you with praise and respect for sharing such a wonderful, incredible, life-changing story with them! Your popularity will soar, your teeth will be whiter, your bank balance will swell, and that cute guy or gal will start to return your smiles. Even the president may call you for advice. No, seriously – it could happen!
Or, you know, not. But hey, it’s worth a chance, right?
So, this Saturday and Sunday, the Kindle Edition of Communion of Dreams, currently ranked an amazing #54,632 Paid in the Kindle Store! Which isn’t bad, considering how many books are out there. Really.
Jim downey
Filed under: Amazon, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Expert systems, Feedback, Kindle, Marketing, Predictions, Promotion, Publishing, Science, Science Fiction, Society, tech, Writing stuff
Via my Her Final Year co-author, this fairly light but interesting look at the current tech which is very much the precursors of what I envision in Communion of Dreams:
5 Exciting Innovations That Will Change Computing in 2012
Technical innovations are incoming in the next year or so that promise to bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds like never before, whether that’s controlling your computer with gestures, opening programs with your eyes or extending the menu options for touchscreens with wearable devices.
There are a number of things they feature in the slideshow which gave me a chuckle, they’re so clearly direct ancestors of what is in Communion. Such as the Keyglove:
The Keyglove is a wearable, wireless, open source input device that boasts unprecedented flexibility and convenience for all kinds of computer applications.
With exciting potential for gaming, design, art, music, device control and even data entry, the glove-based system’s multi-sensor combinations mean it could be programmed to offer one-handed operation of many systems and software.
But this had me laughing right out loud, from the last of the five entries:
We predict that the press-a-button-and-speak method will become outdated as smart virtual assistants — which offer an AI-powered, conversational style solution — emerge.
Gee . . . a smart virtual assistant. Now, *there’s* an idea I never considered for the future. Well, maybe this passage from page 6 does sort of hint at that:
“Hi Seth.” Jon just talked to the not-quite thin air next to him. It was common enough to see people walking through the halls, or sitting at their desks, chatting with someone invisible. He could have Seth give him the feed for the images of the other experts, and see their ghostly manifestations, if he wanted.
His expert was one of best, one of only a few hundred based on the new semifluid CPU technology that surpassed the best thin-film computers made by the Israelis. But it was a quirky technology, just a few years old, subject to problems that conventional computers didn’t have, and still not entirely understood. Even less settled was whether the experts based on this technology could finally be considered to be true AI. The superconducting gel that was the basis of the semifluid CPU was more alive than not, and the computer was largely self-determining once the projected energy matrix surrounding the gel was initiated by another computer. Building on the initial subsistence program, the computer would learn how to refine and control the matrix to improve its own ‘thinking’. The thin-film computers had long since passed the Turing test, and these semifluid systems seemed to be almost human. But did that constitute sentience? Jon considered it to be a moot point, of interest only to philosophers and ethicists.
Heh. You know, reading that again, I’m pleased with just how much of the entire story of the book is foreshadowed in those couple of paragraphs. It’s almost like I planned it or something.
Anyway, another countdown of a sort: this coming Saturday and Sunday, all day both days, the Kindle edition of Communion of Dreams will be available for free to any and all who want to read it. And in preparation for that, I would ask that anyone who has had a chance to read the book to please go post a review on Amazon, or at least give the book a “Like” there. Building that sort of recommendation base will really help – thank you very much!
Jim Downey
Filed under: Alzheimer's, Depression, Health, Hospice, Kindle, Marketing, movies, Promotion, Publishing, Society
So, we’re doing another free promotion day for the Kindle edition of Her Final Year.
One thing I realized some time back was that many people just don’t want to think about care-giving. That’s understandable, because there’s a *lot* about care-giving which is stressful, unpleasant, depressing.
But that isn’t all there is. I have said to others that this experience of being a care-provider was the hardest thing I have ever done, but that it also made me a much better person. Why? Well, because of moments like this, from the ‘November: Endgame’ chapter of the book, originally written in November 2007:
After a particularly rough patch of it yesterday morning, I was helping her [Martha Sr] from the toilet to her usual seat in the front room, where she likes to sit and look at magazines. As we transitioned from the wheelchair to her comfy chair, and I got her settled safely there, she looked up at me, her frail thin arms still around my neck, her light brown eyes clear for a moment, and said “thank you, son.”
In the more than twenty years I’ve known her, in the twenty years I have been married to her daughter, she has never once before called me “son.” In fact, since my own parents died almost 40 years ago, no one has called me that. It was a strange word to hear directed my way. And it touched me like no other thanks she has ever offered.
So, don’t be afraid. If you haven’t read the book, go download a copy for free now. And tell your friends and family members about it. This is something which may not be useful right now, but the chances are that it will be relevant at some point in your life. And knowing that you can face that with a measure of joy can make all the difference.
Jim Downey
*Yes, from this.
Filed under: Alzheimer's, Bipolar, Depression, Health, Hospice, Marketing, Promotion, Publishing, Writing stuff
Cross posted from the Her Final Year blog. For those who are new to my blog, much of the material in the memoir was stuff I wrote here, first, as we were going through the experience of being care-providers for my Mother-in-law. It is *intensely* honest and personal, but that gives it power – showing others what it is like to be a care-giver through the good times and the bad. Many people have found it to be very helpful.
JD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, last Sunday’s free Kindle edition promotion was very successful – we had over 400 downloads, from the US, the UK, and even Italy! If you were one of the people who downloaded the book, we hope you are finding it useful in understanding how we went through the arc of being care providers.
The response was so good that we’re going to do it again this coming Sunday. Yup, anyone will be able to download the Kindle edition of Her Final Year for free. You don’t need a special code. You don’t need to enter any kind of drawing. You don’t even need a Kindle – there is a free Kindle emulator/app for almost all computers/tablets/mobile devices. Just go to the Kindle page for the book, and “buy” it for $0.00.
Please help spread the word – tell friends and family members. Post the info to your Twitter or Facebook accounts. Share it with forums for care-givers. We want to get this book widely disseminated so that it can do more good.
Thank you – it has been very rewarding to hear back from those who have found the book valuable either as care-providers or for understanding what care-providers they know are going through.
Jim Downey
Filed under: Alzheimer's, Amazon, Health, Hospice, Kindle, Promotion, Publishing, Science Fiction
Just wanted to pass along some nuts & bolts stuff.
First, the Kindle promotion yesterday for Her Final Year was quite successful. Total, we had 409 downloads of the memoir, and that breaks down to 385 in the US, 23 in the UK, and one in Italy. Not bad at all – and thanks to all those who were kind enough to help spread the word.
If you missed your chance to download the book for free yesterday, never fear: we’re going to repeat the promotion this coming Sunday!
And here’s a bit of news: I’m going to offer a promotion for a free download of the Kindle edition of Communion of Dreams the weekend of March 31/April 1. And in conjunction with that, I will also have a small contest/drawing for a signed copy of the paperback – watch for details!
Lastly, I want to note another excellent review of Communion of Dreams now up on Amazon. Here’s an excerpt:
As an SF devotee since the 1950’s, I’ve read the best and the worst in the genre. Communion of Dreams definitely ranks among the best. Combining believeable “hard” science with a profound humanism, the story and the characters — especially Seth — engaged me fully from start to finish.
Check out the whole thing.
More later. Probably. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night due to raccoon-chewing-on-the-house problems. So we’ll see.
Jim Downey
Filed under: Alzheimer's, Amazon, Health, Kindle, Promotion, Publishing, Society
Cross-posted from the Her Final Year blog.
JD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, our first Kindle promotional day is here! That means that *anyone* can download the Kindle edition of Her Final Year for free. You don’t need a special code. You don’t need to enter any kind of drawing. You don’t even need a Kindle – there is a free Kindle emulator/app for almost all computers/tablets/mobile devices. Just go to the Kindle page for the book, and “buy” it for $0.00. Then it is yours to read, or loan, or ignore.
But don’t ignore this opportunity – we’ve already had over 100 downloads in the US, and another dozen in the UK. Be sure to get your copy, and to tell any friends or forums who may need this kind of information/support about the promotion!
Thanks, everyone!
Jim Downey
To paraphrase one of my favorite Babylon 5 characters: “I have seen what fame does, and I have seen what fame costs. The one is never equal to the other.”
Yeah, I’ve had just enough of a taste of that to agree. Not everyone is suited for instant and world-wide fame:
Kony 2012 campaigner Jason Russell detained for public rampage
One of the co-founders of Invisible Children, the San Diego-based charity that is campaigning for the arrest of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, has been hospitalised after police said he was detained for running around the streets screaming in his underwear.
Jason Russell, 33, was picked up by police in San Diego at around 11.30am on Thursday after they received numerous calls from the public about a man vandalising cars, being apparently under the influence of a substance and making sexual gestures.
* * *
A brief statement by the group in the wake of Russell’s detention said that being at the centre of a massive media storm may have taken its toll. “Jason Russell was unfortunately hospitalised suffering from exhaustion, dehydration and malnutrition. He is now receiving medical care and is focused on getting better,” said Invisible Children’s chief executive Ben Keesey in the statement.
A lot of people think that fame is the key to success, and so seek it out in just about any way they can.
Careful what you ask for.
Jim Downey
*Fame, (fame) makes a man take things over
Fame, (fame) lets him loose, hard to swallow
Fame, (fame) puts you there where things are hollow
Fame (fame)
Filed under: Alzheimer's, Diane Rehm, Hospice, Marketing, Promotion, Publishing
(Cross-posted from the Her Final Year blog, equally relevant here.)
* * * * * * *
So, as I mentioned the other day, we’re going to have a promotional day this coming Sunday, where anyone can download the Kindle edition of Her Final Year for free. And in that post I asked for your help to get the word out:
So please, help spread the word: tell people that Her Final Year will be free next Sunday, and the Sunday after that. Let’s make sure that everyone you can think of who would benefit from knowing what it was like for us to be care-givers gets a copy of the book. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Post it to any care-giving forums of discussion groups.
And that help would still be very much appreciated, but it isn’t what I am asking for today. Rather, I want to ask you to do me a favor and to contact a public-radio show. All the details are over on my Communion of Dreams blog, but basically I sent copies of Her Final Year and Communion of Dreams (my novel) to the Diane Rehm Show, trying to interest them in perhaps doing a show on the books. Here’s the relevant passage from the letter I sent along with the books:
I understand that Ms. Rehm, and likely the entire staff there, are probably overwhelmed with story suggestions and books to be considered. But I hope that you will find time to take a look at either or both of these books. The matter of care-giving for someone with dementia is extremely important to me, and I would like to see more people aware of the role that men play concerning this. And the novel which I wrote during my time as a care provider tells another story, one of how unexpected discoveries sometimes show us what really matters. I think it is easy to see how these two things may be connected.
They should have received the books yesterday. And here is where you can help: drop them an email, post something to their Facebook page, or send them a Tweet ( @drshow ), and ask them to consider doing a show about the book. That’s it. Just a brief note. If you send a Tweet, use the hashtag #HerFinalYear .
Coming from you – from a variety of sources (who are not the authors) – is much more likely to get their attention. Meaning that just a couple of words from you will make a huge difference. Please.
And thank you.
Jim Downey
Filed under: Amazon, Feedback, Kindle, Marketing, Promotion, Publishing, Science Fiction
One of those weird little quirks of mine: so far* this month I’ve given away some 5,277 copies of Communion of Dreams. Actually, that doesn’t include another half dozen or so hard copies sent to various reviewer and press outlets. This doesn’t bother me in the slightest – it’s all good promotion, and an investment in the eventual success of my novel.
And yet, the fact that 8 of the people who bought the Kindle edition of the book this month have “returned” the book and had their purchase price refunded, bugs me.
No, it doesn’t make any sense. There is no difference whatsoever between those people just getting a refund, and having not paid for it in the first place. I said it was a weird little quirk, didn’t I? I’m entitled to a few of those.
Jim Downey
*Yeah, so far. Watch this space for announcement of another free Kindle promotion day, coming soon!
Communion Of Dreams 