Archive for Writing for the Web
You Can Autograph Your eBook: Kindlegraph
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So what the big deal? Stylus pad electronic autographing has been around for years. There are also over 240 free paint apps for the iPad. My grandkids have drawn and written numerous artworks for me with some of them. Many of these programs could serve as autograph apps, just not very well.
The big deal is that those platforms lack the ability to actually insert your autograph into an eBook or add it to a mobile device/e-reader, such as the Kindle or smart phone. But developers are announcing attempts at exactly this and much more. The race is on between developers and also between e-readers themselve to get the easiest, slickest and most attractive signing experience available to lure readers and authors alike.
Thought-provoking new developments for sure. But some still wonder if anyone would really want an autographed eBook since they can’t be displayed as a collectable. Judging from the internet buzz the answer is a resounding YES.
The L.A. Times Blog reports, “On May 2, children’s author Sandra Boynton signed copies of her eBook “The Going to Bed Book” at a Barnes & Noble location in New York, using a stylus and special copies of the book offered for the Nook Color e-reader,” according to CNet.
CNet continues, “Other e-readers, such as the Sony Reader, already make it possible to write on pages. There is also a company named Autography that carries a patent for “inserting an autograph or other salutation into an e-book.” (More on Autography later in this series)
And last May Rich Dad’s Robert Kiyosaki offered the first ever live Kindle eBook signing of Unfair Advantage on Facebook with a groundbreaking application of this popular new technology.
There are many questions and many high tech attempts at answering them. This series of posts covers the newest advancements, inviting you to add your own questions and thoughts. Today’s post concentrates on the only free eBook autographing service I’ve found, Kindlegraph.
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FREE KINDLEGRAPH SERVICE
There’s a handful of exciting betas out there that run the gamut from sending a free personalized autographed document to mobile devices, to expensive high-tech, equipment-heavy programs that create a live virtual book signing experience. The free Kindlgraph online application starts at the beginning, the lower end of this new technology. But sometimes less is more.
KindleGraph is the work of developer Evan Jacobs, a former Amazon programmer. He created the service as part of the DocuSign hackathon. Check out Evan’s media page for more information.
Evan gives some enticing promises. “Kindlegraph is still a very new project and I’ve been happy with the response that it has had from authors and readers. As you might imagine, I will be bringing the service to all e-readers (not just the Kindle) as well as enabling other features which will help connect authors and readers even more closely. Stay tuned!”
And at The Book Pushers he revealed even more, “The next exciting feature will be the ability for authors to deliver sample chapters of upcoming works directly to the reading devices of their fans. Along with that, readers will be able to “subscribe” to their favorite genres and receive a regular digest including samples of new titles in that genre.”
Evan’s Book Pushers interview answered another of my burning questions: are you working on a function where the signature can be placed into the actual eBook? “Yes, although this will likely vary from platform to platform as some e-readers allow better access to the material on the device than others.” 
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SIMPLE TO USE
Author usage is simple even for the technically challenged among us. You must have a twitter account to sign in with, then enter your Kindle eBook’s ASIN (found on your catalog sales page) and follow the few easy instructions. You’ll get a chance to create your signature at this time.
Then you’re all ready to respond when readers request your personalized Kindlegraph. They will receive a one page document sent directly to their Kindle. At this time, the reader is simply collecting author autographs, not the actual eBook with signature. But I prefer the freedom to allow readers to purchase my books from Kindle and then get them autographed later. Books purchased elsewhere aren’t eligible to be tallied for Kindle’s numerous top 100 lists.
I’ve used Kindlegraph, and love it, but still had questions. It seems that each autograph you collect is sent as a separate document. Is there any way to put them all together on your Kindle into an e-autograph album? Can you then organize them into categories such as by genre, musician, artist etc.? Via twitter Evan answered, “Yes, the Kindlegraph is a separate doc but you can create a “Collection” where you can keep them all together.”
Whatever its present limitations you’ll want to keep an eye on this one. Even with only the present functions, this application is fresh and innovative, and thankfully free.
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PRESENT KINDLEGRAPH FUNCTIONS
- Receive requests from your readers and send your digital signature directly to their Kindles. You’ll receive an email every day that you have requests waiting.
- Your own author page on Kindlegraph where your fans can go to see a listing of all of your available books so they request your signature on all of them. Kindlgraph links directly to your Kindle sales pages so viewers can purchase them immediately.
- Readers don’t need to own a Kindle (or any e-reader) but can enter a regular email address at the time of their request and they will receive your personalized Kindlegraph in their inbox as a PDF attachment.
- Until Evan adds other mobile device compatibilities, readers using e-readers other than the Kindle, can “sideload” the emailed file onto their pdf-compatible e-readers.
- Many handwriting fonts to choose from for your signature. I found one that really does look a lot like my own handwriting.
- Write your signature yourself. This only looks good if you own a stylus and pad, at least for me. I tried it very unsuccessfully with my mouse. But the stylus pad is worth it. I plan on purchasing one ASAP so I can utilize this function. I know I can use it often for similar online tasks.
- Shows you the twitter name of the autograph requests so you can connect with them. Great way to build a fan base you know already loves your work.
SUGGESTED USES
- The next time you are interviewed, either live radio or live in print at a blog etc. post your author page link (my Kindlegraph author page). Then announce repeatedly that all attendees can get your ebook autograph sent directly to their Kindle. Since this is fairly new it’s a rousing draw to increase attendance.
- Host a live Facebook eBook signing. This can be applied to any site(s) such as Goodreads or your own blog.
- Author book chat on Google+‘s free hangout feature. Face to face with you is so much more personal. Comb your hair, start “hanging out” and give instructions how to get your personal digital autograph while getting to know each other. Limitation: allows only 10 at one time. But you can do this often, either scheduled ahead of time, or impromptu open chats when you just have a spare hour. Unfamiliar with Hangout? See Emlyn Chand’s Googl+ informative article with even more usage tips.
- Announce your Kindlegraph author page to your social media followers periodically to set your your eBook apart.
- Create your own critique groups (maybe on Google+) hand chosen from the authors you most respect. And during the sessions get each other’s autographs.
We’d love to hear how YOU use this new technology.
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The Rewritten Word, by Aggie Villanueva, Wins 2011 Global eBook Award
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Great book news to share!
I’ve been humbled and grateful to readers by how well my last how-to book has done. The Rewritten Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art no Matter the Genre, earned three Kindle category bestsellers just a few weeks after I published it, and has stayed constant with at least two category bestselling statuses the entire year since.
And now I’m equally honored that it earned the 2011 Dan Poynter Global eBook Award in the Writing/Publishing category and pleased to share their video announcement with you.
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Stay tuned for my upcoming interactive eBook teaching authors how to choose their categories wisely to earn Amazon category bestsellers. It’s jamm packed with information about categories and much more, the fun interactive learning way.
Amazon Categories Create Best Sellers,
another source making author marketing an open book
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See also Awards Are Free Publicity Gold, an excerpt from Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s 2nd edition of The Frugal Book Promoter.
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Eliminate Passive Writing; 1st Word of Your Sentence Makes or Breaks It
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View the video tutorial or read the article below for bonus material.
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The first word of a sentence can make or break it,
can force it into a passive weak sentence or a vibrant active one.
Begin Sentences With a Verb
Passive writing plagues us all. I blame the sometimes antiquated grammar still taught in schools. Try this tip to auto-force an actively written sentence. Begin your sentence with a verb or at least an active phrase. It’s nearly impossible to write draggy, boring sentences when you start off with energy.
Sometimes I even turn nouns into verbs to pep up a boring sentence or technical paragraph. I’ve heard that called “verbify.” For example, the company name Google in verb form now means to do a web search; as in, “Just Google me.” You could even turn the noun “verb” into a verb by saying, ”People have verbed the word “Google.”
Always choose active voice over passive. When rewriting (sculpting) your work don’t allow sentences to just trickle from your pen. Work hard to create the active voice. The first word of a sentence can make or break it, can force it into a passive weak sentence or a vibrant active one.
Check this out: When you use passive words they force you to construct a weak, inactive sentence. Like the passive sentence I just wrote, using these words; “when you use” and “they force.”
Change that sentence to begin with the word “use”, which is active (rather than the sluggish “when you use”), and you force an active construction something like this:
“Use passive words to construct a weak, inactive sentence.” That’s the active voice. You may not choose to say it exactly this way, but it illustrates the point.
One Word Always Better Than Two
Remember, passive writing uses more words, and boring unnecessary ones at that. That first passive sentence took 14 words, the second active rewrite used only 9 to say the same thing with some energy behind it. One word is always better than two, two words are always better than three, etc. Compare: “I slowly moved” to “I inched.”
I could go one, but that would defeat my purpose; tight, active writing that not only blogs scream out for, but every type of writing and genre. Of course, passive words must be used occasionally, (like the passive phrase I just wrote) but unless absolutely necessary just eliminate them.
More Examples From This Post:
Passive: Here’s a quick tip that will automatically force you to write an active sentence rather than a passive one. 19 words.
Active Rewrite: Try this tip to auto-force an actively written sentence. 9 words, though I may have created a new word with “auto-force.”
Passive: The wisest choice is to always choose the active form over the passive. 10 words.
Active Rewrite: Always choose active writing over passive. 6 words.
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To Learn More About the Art of Rewriting You May Purchase Aggie’s BooK
The Rewritten Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art No Matter The Genre
