Updates 21 Oct 2010 10:02 pm by David !

MOD-Day FAQ

Super-excited to hear that everyone else is as excited as we are about our October 26 campaign! Here are the answers to some questions we’ve fielded today:

• Will you be offering a Kindle version?

Ideally yes! Since hearing many requests for a Kindle version over the last few days, we’ve gotten to work putting that together. Depending on how long the Amazon approval process takes for that, we’ll let you know whether to expect it by Tuesday.

While we’re happy to offer that version for folks who don’t want to deal with a physical book for any of a million great reasons, it should be said that Amazon treats a Kindle book as an entirely separate product from the printed book. Thus, buying the Kindle version doesn’t contribute to the main flash-mob campaign. If we can get a secondary campaign going for the Kindle version, great, that’d be amazing! But we’re also a little concerned about splitting the effort.

Here’s an idea we had, and you guys tell us if it’s dumb: if we made the Kindle version 100% free, would people be willing to buy a print copy as well, strictly to help out the campaign and chalk up the maximum number of sales for the paperback? You could have the books shipped directly to us, and we would donate those copies to libraries and schools — so you’d never have to deal with a book you didn’t want, or pay shipping to someplace expensive. Leave us a comment with your thoughts on this idea.

To clarify, there’d be absolutely no obligation for folks to buy a print copy; the Kindle version would just be free for anyone who wanted to read the book that way.

The other option would be to just charge a regular amount for the Kindle version and make that another sales option. And of course all this is predicated on a Kindle version being approved by Amazon in time.

Also I just realized that I don’t even know if you can make a Kindle book free in the Amazon store. So much to learn!

• Will the book appear on Amazon.ca / co.uk / other non-American sites?

At present time, we have no way of getting it onto the international sites; each territory requires a separate distribution agreement and for the time being, that’s beyond our scope. Additionally, buying from international sites wouldn’t contribute to the main campaign because it’s a different product as far as Amazon is concerned.

You can buy from Amazon.com for shipping to foreign addresses, but we know shipping sometimes becomes a headache. It’s a less-than-ideal situation, we know, but it’s what we have to work with for the moment. The book will be available through our own e-store, shipping worldwide, starting in November.

• What time specifically should we focus our sales on? In which time zone?

The more concentrated the sales, the better, but beyond a certain point that’s impossible to manage. Let’s just say roughly the period of business hours in North America.

So for Europeans, that’s afternoon and evening on the 26th; for Australians, New Zealanders, and others in that region it’d be early morning to afternoon on the 27th. But anywhere in that ballpark is totally fine!

More questions? Ask ’em in the comments!

23 Responses to “MOD-Day FAQ”

  1. on 22 Oct 2010 at 1:50 am 1.Robert said …

    I would definitely buy a print version if the Kindle version were free, or even if it’s not.

  2. on 22 Oct 2010 at 2:39 am 2.hanoc said …

    Yes!

    I like, no, love, the option to buy a real copy and send it to you so you give it to a library and downloading a kindle version.

    So, that’s a vote for yes, I don’t know if here is the place to vote anyway.

  3. on 22 Oct 2010 at 4:54 am 3.Nathan said …

    As a recent Kindle owner, a version of this on Kindle would be INVALUABLE! But I also like the idea of having a print version to put on a shelf or loan to friends.

    I also love the idea of buying a copy and donating it to a local library.

    I wonder if you could do a code where you can get the kindle version at a reduced price if you buy the regular version and donate it? That might drive the incentive to do both?

  4. on 22 Oct 2010 at 7:00 am 4.Steve said …

    A Kindle version would be super sweet. I would totally go for a free digital copy with the purchase of the physical book. That way people can buy the book and have the option of keeping it or sending it to you, and get a digital copy rather than getting a digital copy and having the option to buy the book.

  5. on 22 Oct 2010 at 9:37 am 5.Josh Gunderson said …

    I’ve completely switched over to eBooks (specifically ePub on my nook), however, I plan on purchasing this analog book.

    If sales from said physical book hit your mark, i.e. #1 book on Oct. 26, then you should make it available for purchase in multiple digital formats (ePub, Kindle, PDF, etc.) and people who bought the book should get vouchers or something towards the digital versions.

    _josh

  6. on 22 Oct 2010 at 12:42 pm 6.bob said …

    I’ve reached a point where I just won’t buy a book I can’t get on Kindle — not because I love the technology, but because I just won’t move books from place to place anymore, I’m too damn old and tired.

    So, yes, please — I would gladly donate a print copy if it meant I could get the Kindle edition.

  7. on 22 Oct 2010 at 1:27 pm 7.Telanis said …

    I will definitely buy a copy of the book, and would love a free Kindle version also!

  8. on 22 Oct 2010 at 6:04 pm 8.Eddie said …

    I am definitely down for that idea as well, would definitely buy a hard copy on Tuesday if I knew there’d be a free digital copy.

    Likewise, for me buying physical books is not an option now. I just end up not reading them when I have most others on a far more convenient device.

    Also, I could see amazon being Dicky about making a kindle book free, but there are plenty of other formatsnthat kindle or any ebook reader can read. Just bypass the amazon store altogether if they make things difficult.

    So looking forward to the book.

  9. on 22 Oct 2010 at 8:28 pm 9.Will said …

    I’d just prefer a paid Kindle book.
    If you guys chose then to give the money to someone, that’s your call.

  10. on 22 Oct 2010 at 9:59 pm 10.Davi said …

    I’d love to help the book climb the charts, but I’m just wondering… if I get it on Amazon now, will I regret it when the limited signed collector’s edition with bonus poster, soundtrack CD and a real personalized MoD prediction goes on sale the next week at your own store?

  11. on 22 Oct 2010 at 10:08 pm 11.admin said …

    @Davi — there’ll be no collector’s edition, it’ll be the same book in our store as you’d get from Amazon.

  12. on 24 Oct 2010 at 9:22 pm 12.John said …

    Ok. I have a vaguely silly question.

    I kinda remember trying to write a story back when you initially requested, but I can’t remember if I ever finished.

    I can’t find the request, so I don’t even remember how you asked for them to be submitted.

    How were we to submit stories? I’d love to reread what I wrote… uhh.. assuming I actually wrote it.

  13. on 25 Oct 2010 at 6:47 am 13.Matt said …

    Amazon actually has a 99 cent minimum for independent publishers at the Kindle store. You could have a mobi file as a free download on your site, though, for people to download and upload to their Kindle themselves. And an epub file for all the other readers! Better get crackin’!

  14. on 25 Oct 2010 at 8:45 am 14.Precise Edit said …

    We have several books in Kindle versions now, and we, too, wanted to make one of them free. Our book “Your Writing Companion” contains samples from our other writing guides, so it made sense to give it away for free. After all, its purpose is to give people the opportunity to learn about the content in the other books. We couldn’t do it. Amazon set a minimum price of 99 cents.

    We offer a free version of “Your Writing Companion” in PDF format on our websites. We give away a lot of these free books, but many people are paying the 99 cents for the Kindle version.

    The Amazon approval process for a Kindle version, or any modification to an existing Kindle version, generally takes 2 days. Even if you only make a minor change in the book description, you will have to wait about 2 days for the change to occur. Also, you can’t get a free Kindle version of your own book–a misguided hang over from print publishing.

  15. on 25 Oct 2010 at 9:17 am 15.Greg said …

    I’m with Steve; I’d like a free ebook version with the hard copy I’ll be purchasing, but I don’t think you should be giving it away for free without purchasing the book.

  16. on 25 Oct 2010 at 4:50 pm 16.Ginny said …

    I’m buying a copy on Tuesday regardless of what happens with an ebook.

    But I’d like to register a request for an epub version for those of us who have any e-reader other than a Kindle.

  17. on 26 Oct 2010 at 3:46 am 17.Elisa said …

    You can make Kindle titles free on a promotional basis, but I’ve seen lots that have been free for as long as I can remember, and they’re definitely still under copyright. Another option is to price it at $2.99. That’s the minimum level that will allow you to keep 70%. I’d STRONGLY recommend sponsoring a day or so of Kindle Nation Daily. Tons of people read it, and the readers like to buy indie books. It could easily reach #1 on the Kindle list because of it.
    http://kindlehomepage.blogspot.com/p/sponsor-kindle-nation-daily-free-book.html

  18. on 26 Oct 2010 at 7:42 am 18.Grumpy Old Man said …

    Doesn’t anyone read paper books anymore?

    Kids these days.

  19. on 26 Oct 2010 at 12:27 pm 19.Eric said …

    We should encourage local libraries to pick up copies of this novel as well.

    Go to your favorite library website and request that they order this book!

  20. on 27 Oct 2010 at 5:13 pm 20.snarkaeopteryx said …

    “Here’s an idea we had, and you guys tell us if it’s dumb: if we made the Kindle version 100% free, would people be willing to buy a print copy as well, strictly to help out the campaign and chalk up the maximum number of sales for the paperback?”

    I ordered the print copy yesterday from Amazon, so it is presumably winging its way towards me from afar RIGHT THIS MINUTE but I’d also like a Kindle version for convenience’s sake. For what it’s worth: if you’d made the Kindle version available already I still would’ve bought the print copy yesterday, because a) I want to support indie awesomeness and b) books like this belong on a shelf for all to see (and covet, let’s not forget the coveting) – not hidden away on a Kindle.

  21. on 29 Oct 2010 at 7:20 am 21.Shannon Peelman said …

    I would definitely buy a book and donate to the library, but really want the Kindle version. We are reading this in my book club this for November. Do you think it will be available on the Kindle soon????

  22. on 29 Oct 2010 at 10:31 am 22.John said …

    What about listing on Kobobooks.com or Sony’s reader store?

  23. on 30 Oct 2010 at 10:14 am 23.Kyle said …

    Where should I send my blood in for testing? I would like to know I’m going to die.