Advertising and Reviews

So far, as predicted, sales have been disappointingly low.

As I said in an earlier post, I fluctuated between thinking that my book is incisive and elegant, and worrying that it disastrous drivel, and to some extent I still feel that way. I must, and indeed do, face the possibility that the book is just no good, that my writing is amateur and/or boring, and that as a self produced work it is likely that it appears less professional than it otherwise could. I know all of this.

Having said all that, it seems to me that the quality (or lack thereof) of my work, cannot in itself be the reason for poor sales. After all, there have been no reviews of my book (negative or otherwise) that might discourage people from buying it. It must be the lack of proper advertising that is to blame, at least at this stage.

If there is anyone out there reading this blog, and the lack of comments would suggest that there is not, but if there is, I would be grateful for any advertising suggestions. Is there anything that I could reasonably and cheaply do that I am not already doing?

In the meantime, if you have bought and read the book, a short review, positive or negative, would be welcome. I have had literally no feedback as yet.


PS

Sorry if this post seems a bit whiny. I have no excuse.

Now available on Kindle

After a frantic afternoon of head scratching (not to mention headache) I managed to reformat my typescript for the Amazon Kindle. You can see the result here and here.

I think I'm done now. If no one buys the damn thing, it won't be for the lack of availability.

Now available as an eBook

Finally, the Apple has accepted my epub and 'Unbelievable' is now listed in the iBookstore. Apparently it is listed in the Barnes & Noble Nook store, but I can't find it. I'll update my links when I do.

Kindle next I think. Wish me luck!

EDIT 6 Sep 12
'Unbelievable' is now a listed NOOK Book.

Extended Reach

When I self published with Lulu, many moons ago, I signed up for the free Extended Reach service. This means that, provided that my book meets certain requirements and standards, it will eventually be made available through Amazon. For an extra $75 I can sign up for Global Reach which will make my work available through other outlets such as Barnes & Noble.
Anyway, it has been an absolute cock's age since I signed up and I have checked several times to see if I am listed on Amazon and nothing....
...until today! Finally, my Extended Reach has granted me 'Retail Distribution' and so 'unbelievable' is now available to buy through both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
Maybe now I sell some copies, who knows?

Buy now

All done. The proof arrived today and all seems fine. I have taken the plunge and approved it for publication. It is available on Lulu now (see the orange button to your right) and will be available elsewhere in a few weeks.

Done

I've just submitted the FINAL version of the typescript to Lulu. A proof copy is on its way and, barring any major snafu's, I'll be able to publish next week.

A brief synopsis

As promised, here is an outline of what my book is actually about. My main thesis is that Christianity simply does not make sense; scientifically, philosophically or morally. Nor, for that matter, does it make sense as a coherent set of ideas.

I didn't start out intending to write a book but, as is the case with anyone who has more than a passing interest in Christianity, I had a great many questions about it. As I began the cathartic process of trying to find answers to those questions my main concern was to try and find out what Christians actually believe. What I found out is that this is a great deal harder than one might imagine. It is often extremely difficult to persuade a Christian to explain their exact views on a particular subject and this is complicated by the fact that, depending on the denomination of the person being asked, one can be presented with very different answers to the same question.

After a while, I realised that I had accumalated enough material to write a book, albeit a short one, and so that is what I did. Although, as I have said, I have not worked flat out on it, rather it has come on in dribs and drabs, with week-, or even month-long hiatuses.

In the introduction to the book, I identify what I take to be the fundamental principles of Christian believers: things like a belief in the Fall of humanity, Jesus as God, the resurrection etc. And I argue that anyone who does not accept these claims is not in fact a Christian. The main book is then divided up into 7 chapters - 1. God, 2. Sin, 3. Christ, 4. Atonement, 5. Judgement, 6. Infidels, 7. Faith, and there is a brief epilogue that pre-empts potential criticism.

A recurring theme of the book is the need to suspend disbelief. For instance, it would be pointless to talk about atonement, for instance, without first having accepted, for the sake of argument, the idea of original sin. Therefore, each chapter necessarily proceeds by first arbitrarily waiving the objections raised by the one before. This means that by the end of the book, the reader will realise just how many concessions one has to make in order for the Christian faith to stand up.

Anyway. That is probably enough for now. I'm nearly finished proof reading so I'll post again when I resubmit the typescript.