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The great thing about the Marine Corps is that the bonds of brotherhood never end. As Marines, we've all been through similar experiences. Whether it's boot camp, OCS, Okinawa, Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton or war, there's always a common bond. Most importantly, we are Marines.
I had the distinct pleasure of bumping into two former Marines in the last three days. One is almost forty years my senior and the other probably a couple years younger. I met one because he needed help with his rental property, the other because we met at a networking event. Well, as soon as the conversations started, everything else stopped. I spent almost three hours talking to the Vietnam Marine and tuned out a room full of friends to talk to the other. Why? Because we had a bond that goes deeper than being mere acquaintances. The fact that we were each stamped by the press called The Corps, led us to have an instant bond. We skipped past the usual barriers typical of when you meet a new person. We usually put up walls until we get to know someone. It's important to build that trust. But there's something about meeting a fellow Marine. It allows us to open up. Have you ever had the same experience? I treasure the times I make new Marine friends. Sometimes it ends with a great conversation. Sometimes it leads to a great friendship. Either way, you get to walk away feeling like you, once again, got to experience the bond that is so unique to our Marine family. So have you heard about that little place called Amazon? No, not the river. I'm talking about the online retailer. You know...Amazon.com?
Well, as an indie author I have to find new and innovative ways to get my books into the hands of you, the reader. The great thing is that Amazon is way ahead of the pack. They've quietly (and recently not-so-quietly) built a platform (Kindle) and a distribution channel that is humbling the traditional publishing world. Imagine, Amazon is bringing you all the books you love, letting you discover them efficiently, unearth new ones, find them cheaply, AND provide them in the comfort of your own home (or hotel room, office, etc...) They've figured it out. So when they unveiled KDP Select at the end of 2011, I was cautiously optimistic. The program sounded great. Complete control over my book, the ability to give away my book for FREE for any five days in a 90-day period. You all love FREE don't you? I do! Oh, and it has the ability to make my book more visible, thereby increasing sales. Uhhhhhh...what's the downside??? The only possible negative was the fact that I (and anyone else choosing to enroll in KDP Select) had to have the digital version of my book exclusively with Amazon for those 90-days. I did the research and watched as some authors railed against Amazon for their conniving ways. Others took the program, ran with it, and experienced great results. After weighing my options I decided to go with KDP Select. Why? What did I have to lose? - I was publishing a brand new book (get it HERE). - I knew Amazon provided a fantastic service (evidenced by my ever-growing library via Amazon). - I wanted Amazon's Kindle muscle behind me. So, I'm in the system and trying it out. It's easy to enroll and easy to use. I've got a FREE day coming on February 8th. Come get a copy and I'll let you know how the promotion goes. Thanks, Amazon. |
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