I wanted to briefly announce that Blood Diva is now available in the digital format, exclusively at Amazon through the Amazon Kindle Select program. This means it’s enrolled automatically in the Kindle Unlimited program which is a streaming service. It’s FREE for borrow to people who pay the monthly fee for Kindle Unlimited as well as for Amazon Prime peeps. (I will get paid a bit less than the full royalty — but something — every time a borrower reads 10% or more.). Of course, it’s still available for sale at the very low price of $3.99 to everyone else.

If you want to know more about how Kindle Select/Kindle Unlimited work, there’s an EXCELLENT post on Hugh Howey’s  awesome website.

The paperback can still theoretically be purchased anywhere. However, because it’s printed through Createspace, Amazon can get it to you faster and for less money than other online retailers, and you are highly unlikely to come across it in your local indie brick and mortar store. Full disclosure, the paperback royalty I get when a copy sells on Amazon through Amazon (not through someone else selling on Amazon) is FOUR times what I get from any other retailer (and still not enough to get soy milk with my tall latte at Starbucks.)

But back to Kindle Select. Why oh why? Especially when I’ve tried it before with two other books and the results have been dismal. Not only that but in response to a reader’s question, I wrote a whole blog post somewhere about why it wasn’t such a great deal for readers or writers.

Briefly, I’m doing it for one ninety day period as an experiment. I don’t have much to lose because almost all of my ebook sales are through Amazon. I’m not suggesting anyone go out and get a monthly subscription. I’m not suggesting you don’t either. As a reader, I wouldn’t, at least not at this point because (a) I read print as well as digital and prefer to get my free books for FREE through the PUBLIC library and (b) I don’t know how great their selection is. However, if you are a subscriber, than you are the awesomest being in the universe, and I bow before you.

Amazon also has a “library” program for it’s Amazon Prime subscriber’s so that’s another borrowing option (for which I get paid less).

One thing I can do through being in Kindle Select is to widen my readership through “free” days when anyone can download the book on Kindle for free. That may bring me more readers, but it’s  a two edged sword. Those readers tend to be more critical as they didn’t carefully select a book they sampled and liked. They may have downloaded it without knowing anything about it other than they wouldn’t have to pay for it. I’ve gotten my harshest reviews from people who downloaded Amazon freebies. So if you’ve found your way here and have read a sample or some reviews and are intrigued, I hope that you’ll buy the book, or request a review copy, which I believe I can still offer through the program. If you do wait for the freebie, which will be offered at some point during the ninety days, and you enjoy the book, then I hope you’ll consider writing a brief review on Amazon. They really do help. Thanks. Also if you paid for the book, and enjoyed it that goes for you as well.

And just to be clear, I’m not telling anyone who hated the book NOT to review it. Would I prefer positive reviews? Of course, I would. However, I promise not to stalk you in any way shape or form should you trash my book.