I very rarely review e-books, largely because I very rarely read e-books. Partly due to my limited budget, but also due to not much liking the Kindles and Nooks I have seen I don’t own a dedicated e-book reader. And attempting to read a book length text on a computer screen is in my opinion a cumbersome chore, in sharp contrast the sheer joy of reading most any dead tree book. And then there is the price issue. Frankly, I am unwilling to pay ten dollars or more for an ephemeral electronic text that is subject to being Gone With The Bits due to any number of potential technological maladies.
Author Jack Konrath, whose sixth Jack Daniels mystery novel Cherry Bomb is soon to be published would seem to agree. Konrath has lately been publishing a number of e-books all priced in the two to three dollar range. I consider this a much more viable price point. I also have come to really appreciate Konrath’s insights on the craft and business of writing, as expounded on his blog A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing.
In a post last week, Konrath discussed the issue of e-book piracy, an issue that has as yet not gained much attention (vis a vis the music industry’s highly publicized and much criticized practice of suing fans who swap songs and the web sites that enable them). And Konrath’s take is striking. Basically he says: “So What?” Konrath argues that if unpaid electronic copies get distributed to folks who actually read them, the author may well gain a new fan who may then purchase titles from that author’s backlist. So, with Mr. Konrath’s gracious permission, go ahead and “steal“ Jack Daniels Stories.
It’s a delightful collection of short stories featuring Jack Daniels and the other characters from the series of books named for alcoholic drinks. Konrath is a highly capable writer and it was for me quite fun to see him dabble in other genres with his familiar and beloved characters. If you don’t want to “steal” the e-book, Kindle and Nook versions can also be purchased from links on his post for $2.99. Alternatively if you download the book and find you enjoy it, you may also leave him a tip via Paypal. If you are already a fan of the Jack Daniels books you are sure to enjoy the stories. And if you are not, this is a great chance to discover a compelling and interesting writer at no cost at all.
Download Jack Daniels Stories– FREE!
i agree, reading ebooks from the screen is tiresome. but Jack Daniels stories sounds interesting i might want to try it. thanks for the review. btw, you might want to join our Summer giveaway – you can win $50 – just grab our badge. ^^
I enjoyed reading this post. I have never investigated e-books at all and have to own up to probably lots of wrong-assumptions about what they are and who publishes them. Okay, I have allusions (delusions?) of being high-brow and feel the only stuff that makes it as an e-book is stuff not worthy of getting on the printing press.
However, after reading your post I am now thinking rather more laterally. (That and sitting next to a woman on a long-haul flight who had an i-pad and was reading Trollope!) Many people in this world have no access to books. Less than 1% of the population of Laos owns a book. There just isn’t the money to translate and print into the Lao language. The author Colin Cotterill runs the Books for Laos foundation that I am involved in. However, it would be much easier to translate books as e-books and Laos has more computers than books. (They burned them all in the revolution in the 70′s).
Your post has just set a little spark alight in me… I am so pleased I dropped in. Will also do the Jack Daniels stories – about time I tried an e-book for myself!
Smiles.