‘Identity Crisis’ Hits the App Store

Okay, so my novel IDENTITY CRISIS is not only available as an e-book through Amazon and Smashwords (and been downloaded more than 2,400 times), but I’ve made it available through Mobipocket and already made my first Mobipocket sale. What next? Well, I’ll tell you.

Not only is the novel capable of being downloaded on iPhones with the Kindle or Stanza apps, but IDENTITY CRISIS is now itself available as an iPhone app. You can pick it up at the App Store, aptly enough. (*groan* Yeah, pretty bad . . .)

So now my novel is available through all sorts of means on tiny screens everywhere.

 

Another 5-Star Review!

It’s my pleasure to report that another happy reader has written a great Amazon review of IDENTITY CRISIS. A five-star review. Sweet!

To wit:

“Preparing a protection from abuse order for a client turns into protecting that client from a charge of murder and from organized crime, unknown attackers, and sundry other trouble for a suburban Maryland lawyer.

“The locale is unusual, the characters sympathetic, and the plot well done. I recommend it for anyone looking for a mature (both in the sense of a lot of the action taking place in a ‘gentlemen’s club’ and in the sense of readers who do not expect ninja warriors popping up from the scenery [LOL]) crime fiction book.

“And it’s competently edited and proofread, by the way, which sets it apart from the herd, including a lot of best-sellers.”

Ooh, that last part was a bit of a jab. Any copyeditors still working in publishing? . . . Hello??? *echo* *echo* *echo*

 

The Things You Find Through Google Alerts

I must say that signing up for Google alerts is one of the smartest moves I’ve ever made. Every time my name and my book (IDENTITY CRISIS) appear together on a Web site, I find out about it.

I forgot to mention this when I announced it, but it was because of Google alerts that I found out my book was voted Best Mystery in the 2009 P&E Readers Poll.

I’ve discovered my name and my book title came up in a Tweetmeme, though I’m still not sure just what the heck a Tweetmeme is. Whatever it is, my book and I appeared in an Oprah Tweetmeme, too. Hey, whatever–works for me.

Now, in a more peculiar development, Google alerts turned this up. I’m in some kind of listing of just about anything out there called “Identity Crisis.” If you scroll down, you can see it–Identity Crisis by Debbi Mack in Mystery & Crime. The link goes to Lulu’s order page for my book.

Isn’t that weird? Who made this list? And, whoa! The link two lines above mine is for some movie called Identity Crisis made in 1989. Way before my book came out. But still–someone wrote: “One of the worst movies I have ever seen”???

Um, I wasn’t even writing fiction in 1989. So totally no connection. Really.

 

Rob Walker Gives the ‘Down and Dirty’ on Novel Writing

Many people who read mysteries often express their desire to write them. After warning them that writing can be a hazardous pursuit (LOL! but seriously, folks . . .), I try to think of tips and resources I can share.

One such resource you might want to check out is Rob Walker’s Web site: Dirty Deeds – Mystery/Suspense Author’s Advice. About his blog, Rob says, “Get down and dirty advice from a professional on how writing gets done and sold from an author who has sold over 50 novels and short stories. The blog is going to walk you through my writing of my next novel – PlagueShip Titanic – warts, bumps, mistakes, successes and all.” (Holy sh*t, 50 novels and stories?? That’s an amazing number.)

And while I’m in an advisory mode, I’d recommend reading as many mysteries (in the subgenre of your choice, natch) as you can and taking a class at your local community college and/or reading a book like Carolyn Wheat’s HOW TO WRITE KILLER FICTION. (Great book! I’ve read it and refer to it frequently.)

Plus, it always helps to get to know other authors who write mysteries at a more personal level. So, if you can find a group or organization that’ll help you form those sort of contacts, I’d join them, too.

This would include organizations like Sisters in Crime (which accepts brother members, as well) and the Mystery Writers of America. Both these groups have local chapters all over the country.

And don’t just stop with mystery organizations, because there are plenty of groups for writers out there, including American Independent Writers, The Authors Guild and the National Writers Union.

Well, look at me. I started off talking about Rob Walker and this turned into quite the rambling post.

Because when you come down to it, there are so many Web sites and resources for writers, I couldn’t begin to list them all. But keep an eye on my blogroll, because I’ll do my best to keep it updated with interesting entries like Rob’s blog. Because if authors should do anything, it’s share information. So, I am.

One last bit of advice. Start writing. Just do it. And keep doing it . . .

 

The Future is Now (My First Mobipocket Sale)

You know, when I decided to have my novel IDENTITY CRISIS made available for Mobipocket, I’d never even heard of Mobipocket. Of course, being that I still read a lot of print books and have only just started using my new Kindle, I am–to be completely honest about the matter–a bit of a techno-idiot.

I still mostly use my desktop computer to write (and occasionally turn to my laptop), so it’s still hard for me to picture someone texting a novel (yet, I’ve heard it’s been done) or reading a book on an iPhone, of all things. Being that I’m old as dirt (young dirt, anyway), my eyesight isn’t what it used to be. So the idea of squinting at an iPhone or other teeny-tiny mobile device in order to read a book seemed, well, daft to use the British expression.

However, not everyone agrees with me on this, which I find most agreeable. For instance, I recently witnessed someone buying my novel from Amazon’s Kindle Store using their iPhone Kindle app. Amazing. (What this means in terms of the iPad competing with Kindle–well, I don’t even want to speculate.)

Now, I’ve been told I’ve made my first Mobipocket sale. Well, yowzas! I guess someone out there’s buying these things. Astonishing. And most excellent.

I can clearly recall a time just in the past 15 years or so when I thought e-books wouldn’t really get big until sometime in the future. I’d say the future has arrived.

 

Big Things on the Horizon–A Book Launch

Wow, the great news about IDENTITY CRISIS has been coming in so fast and furious, I can scarcely keep up with my blogging duties. (Let alone writing–remember writing? oh, yeah . . .)

First, the GREAT big news is that IDENTITY CRISIS won the P&E Readers Poll for Best Mystery Novel of 2009.

The other happy news is the amazing success of my recent (and totally impromptu) Kindle rush experiment. The residual effect has been to keep me way up in the Top 5 in terms of Kindle sales in my categories (hardboiled mysteries in e-book or either format–no sh*t), plus place me way high in the Kindle Store rankings generally. Currently (at 4:45 p.m. EST), I’m at #269 in the Kindle Store.

The amazing part is that this has been true consistently. I check my rank every day (at least once) and my sales have been holding strong. They’re not nearly as volatile as I expected.

So what’s next? What’s that big thing on the horizon? An online book launch.

A few months from now, I’ll be doing a huge promotional push in the form of an Amazon book launch. So, keep your eye on this blog for details.

First things first, though. As part of this book launch, I’m seeking JV (as in joint venture) partners. If you’re interested, please leave a comment or feel free to email me at debbi@debbimack.com with the subject line: JV Partner for Book Launch. (Or you can tweet or DM me on Twitter.)

Onward and (hopefully) upward, then!

 

What–Another Great Review? (Well, a Reprint, Actually)

I’ve been informed that one of the really nice reviews I’ve gotten for my novel, IDENTITY CRISIS, now appears on Books N Bytes, one of those book review sites so many people seem to know about.

So, it’s not really a new review, but it is a reprint. That does count, right?

And thanks again to Pat Reid for that awesome review. (4 paws! I like that.)

 

The Official Results Are In–And I Won!

Remember the P&E Readers Poll? I told you that IDENTITY CRISIS came in third. That was in the preliminary results which had to be checked for voter fraud, duplicate votes and what-have-you.

I was feeling really good about my third place finish and I forgot all about the post-vote vetting.

Well, the final results are in. And . . . I won! (Holy sh*t.)

I . . . I’m really stunned. Total loss for words here. Except sincerest thanks to each and every one of you who voted!

Since I’m falling short on words, but never seem to lack the right video, let’s just say I’m feeling a bit like the New York Giants in this one.

Russ Hodges really sums it up. I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!

 

I Have a Barnes & Noble Signing!

One piece of conventional wisdom authors tend to believe is that if you’re self-published or with a POD (that’s print-on-demand) publisher, you’ll never get a signing at the really, really big stores. You know, the ones that come in big brick-and-mortar boxes?

Wrong!!!

It is, in fact, possible for a self-published author to do just that. How do I know this? Because I am scheduled to do a book signing at (pause for effect) Barnes & Noble.

That’s right. On Sunday, Feb. 21, from 2 to 4 p.m., I’ll be signing my mystery novel, IDENTITY CRISIS, as part of a panel of independent authors appearing at Barnes & Noble, 2516 Solomon’s Island Rd., Annapolis MD 21401.

So, you see? A whole panel of self-published authors. Thanks so much to Darleen Swanson, the most awesome CRM at B&N (the one in Annapolis, anyway), who made this panel possible.

And if there are any other Barnes & Noble CRMs who’d like me to suck up to them shamelessly put in a few good words about them on my blog, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me about doing a signing at your store, too.

And conventional wisdom be damned.

 

OMG! ‘Identity Crisis’ is Available on Apps Up the Wazoo!

You may recall that last week I mentioned that IDENTITY CRISIS is available from Mobipocket for reading on your PDA or SmartPhone.

I even said it would be coming your way soon as an iPhone app. And it will be. Soon.

But guess what? (Oh, this is so exciting!) You can already get my novel with an existing iPhone app!

Yes, it’s true! I only learned about this today, BTW.

Your first option is to get a Kindle for iPhone app (it’s FREE from Apple’s App Store). With that app, you can download IDENTITY CRISIS from the Kindle Store to your iPhone or  iPod touch.

But hang on, hang on. There’s a second option. (OMG, can you feel the tension??)

You can also get a Stanza app (also FREE), with which you can read any e-book in Epub format. And guess who has my book in Epub format? (Gosh, I wonder who?) It’s–wait for it!–

Smashwords. Just click the link, scroll down to the various options and you’ll see one marked “Epub (open industry format, good for Stanza reader, others) [italics added, of course].” Just hit download and you can read IDENTITY CRISIS on your iPhone or iPod touch with your Stanza app.

Man, that’s awesome. And thanks to Meir Lazar, tech wizard from RAS Technology Consulting for telling me this. And buying my book, too.