5 August

How Do You Sign An E-book? The Dog and The Bookstore Owner

by Jon Katz

Connie Brooks e-mailed me last night and sent me this message: “The question of the day is…are you signing the ebook? Not sure how to answer that one.” I shook my head, smiled. E-books are new terrain and there are so many questions about them, which is why  Connie and I are co-hosting a talk at her beautiful bookstore – the Battenkill Bookstore in Cambridge, N.Y. – on the occasion of the publication Monday of “The Story Of Rose: A Man And His Dog” my first e-book original.  The book sells for $2.99 (regular edition) and $3.99 for the enhanced edition. It is available everywhere digital books are sold or distributed. Connie and I will be talking about the future of e-books and their impact on publishing, writers, bookstores and readers, 6 p.m. at the bookstore (518 677-2515). Team Bedlam is arriving with Maria, Red and Lenore.

Lenore’s job is to mollify or at least distract people who are unhappy with me for writing an e-book. Red’s job is to herd them into the corner of the store.

My signature, as it happens, is all over “The Story Of Rose.” The way it’s written, the photos, the videos. And I expect I will sign a number of paper books that Connie will sell Monday night, in part because of the e-book discussion.  She is already taking a lot of pre-orders for my next paper book “Dancing Dogs,” out on September 25. The e-book is also beating the drums for paper.  It would be interesting if one fed the other. New terrain for her, and for me.

P.S. I’m hoping people will share this new experience with me and post messages on my Facebook page relating how they received “The Story Of Rose” if they did purchase it. Computer? Iphone? Ipad? Nook? Kindle? Amazon? Barnes and Noble? Independent bookstore? Ibooks? Were there any problems or surprises? DId people get the enhanced edition or the regular one. What about the very low price?  I will send a signed copy of my short story collection “Dancing Dogs,” out in September to the first person who reads the book and posts their response. I am eager to share this bit of history.

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