We love firmware upgrades for our cameras because they tweak stuff that wasn't just right when the cameras first came out. They make the focus a little surer and the overall response of a camera quicker. Now I find that I can "upgrade" the "firmware" of my recently launched novel in much the same way. The biggest difference is that the install is quicker and easier for the end user.
After we launched the book back on June 16th we started getting reviews (mostly five stars!!!) that read something like this: "The book is a page turner. I stayed up all night to finish it. It's a fun story for photographers. BUT it could have used a better editor---there are a lot of typos and a few inconsistencies....still, it's a great read." I resolved that as soon as I had the time I'd dive back in and try to find the stuff I missed or, alternately, I would some day have enough free cash floating around to hire an editor to help me fix the things that needed corrections.
But because of my incredible VSL family I am thrilled to say that we've been able to make the vast majority of the corrections. I want to say a big "THANK YOU!!!" to longtime VSL reader and participant, Michael Matthews, for painstakingly going through the manuscript and finding a huge number of things to fix. Belinda sat down with his notes this past week and made 99.9 % of the changes he recommended. Would have been 100% had I not been stubborn on one use...
Because of his hard work and generosity the book is now a much better read than it was just three weeks ago. So, what does this mean to you? Well, if you downloaded the book and have not yet read it you could delete the copy currently on your Kindle enabled device and download the newest version (your firmware upgrade) at no charge to you whatsoever. Then you can plunge in and enjoy the book as it was meant to be.
If you've been on the fence, really wanting to support my book writing efforts and really dying to read the photo blockbuster novel of the Summer, but you were put off by the mention of typos in some of the reviews you can now download a much improved copy and get right into reading for pleasure.
If you participate in Amazon Prime you should know that we've elected to make the book "borrow-able" from their lending service, at no charge, for five days. Wow! Free book read.
But if you haven't looked, haven't read or haven't downloaded I would be interested to know what we can do to make it more tempting for you. Is price an issue? If so, what price do you think is appropriate? Is it the fact that the book is only available right now as a Kindle book? Would you prefer to be able to buy a hard copy? I'm interested to know how I can get the book into more peoples' hands and I figure the blog is a good place to start a bit of market research....
If you have suggestions be sure to make a comment. I'll appreciate it. And if you are a script reader for a major Hollywood movie producer be sure to leave your contact info....
below is the book's latest review on Amazon:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
What 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' Should Have Been, July 8, 2014
By
This review is from: The Lisbon Portfolio (The Henry White Portfolios Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
Swimmer, photographer, Dad, Husband, Blogger (the visual science lab) Kirk Tuck now adds another notch to his accomplishments, action adventure fiction writer. Drawing on his background as a corporate and portrait photographer, Kirk creates just the sort of story that made Alfred Hitchcock famous. Movies like North by Northwest put an ordinary fellow into an extraordinary situation. The audience identifies with everyman who will have to out wit a strange and menacing world around him.
Some action stories like Clancy's use long drawn out narratives (how to assemble a nuclear bomb or spread ebola virus for example) interspersed with action scenes every few chapters. For my money, Kirk has bested Clancy by combining a careful narrative explaining 'about to be' high tech weaponry or skull duggery computer hacking while getting right to the story.
The best parallel would be what Fox terms 'America's Thrill Ride' the 24 television series. High Noon took place in real time with the clock counting down. Jack Bauer and his group endure a 24 hour day to end all day sin every season. Likewise, Henry White is thrown from researcher/observer to field operative. Most of the story takes place over a four day convention in Lisbon. Caution to readers, once you get to the scene in the convention center rest room, the thrill ride really gets going, you are likely to be hooked, make sure you have time to finish the book from that point on.
And so we have Hitchcock style hero, Henry White, Austin, TX photographer set against a somewhat exotic Lisbon setting. The MacGuffin ins question are plans on a micro drive which as in any good action adventure story, everyone and we mean everyone wants. While another reviewer suggested GDS was emblematic of IBM or EDS, I can also imagine United Technologies in league with other military suppliers constantly at work finding buyers for their 'products' especially when the Dept of Defense gives them a pass on some expensive R and D project. IO am sure none of that R & D is simply expensed….
I stayed up until 11:43 Sunday night finishing the book, it's that good. Kirk certainly seems to have done his homework on the high tech stuff. I don't know where he got up to speed on how all the spy guys walk, take shooting stances, etc. perhaps there are more ex Black Ops types in those Austin Coffee Shops than I realized.
Thanks Kirk, I see this is Book 1, let's hope it does not take another 14 years to produce Book 2, the Further adventures of Henry Whitel
Some action stories like Clancy's use long drawn out narratives (how to assemble a nuclear bomb or spread ebola virus for example) interspersed with action scenes every few chapters. For my money, Kirk has bested Clancy by combining a careful narrative explaining 'about to be' high tech weaponry or skull duggery computer hacking while getting right to the story.
The best parallel would be what Fox terms 'America's Thrill Ride' the 24 television series. High Noon took place in real time with the clock counting down. Jack Bauer and his group endure a 24 hour day to end all day sin every season. Likewise, Henry White is thrown from researcher/observer to field operative. Most of the story takes place over a four day convention in Lisbon. Caution to readers, once you get to the scene in the convention center rest room, the thrill ride really gets going, you are likely to be hooked, make sure you have time to finish the book from that point on.
And so we have Hitchcock style hero, Henry White, Austin, TX photographer set against a somewhat exotic Lisbon setting. The MacGuffin ins question are plans on a micro drive which as in any good action adventure story, everyone and we mean everyone wants. While another reviewer suggested GDS was emblematic of IBM or EDS, I can also imagine United Technologies in league with other military suppliers constantly at work finding buyers for their 'products' especially when the Dept of Defense gives them a pass on some expensive R and D project. IO am sure none of that R & D is simply expensed….
I stayed up until 11:43 Sunday night finishing the book, it's that good. Kirk certainly seems to have done his homework on the high tech stuff. I don't know where he got up to speed on how all the spy guys walk, take shooting stances, etc. perhaps there are more ex Black Ops types in those Austin Coffee Shops than I realized.
Thanks Kirk, I see this is Book 1, let's hope it does not take another 14 years to produce Book 2, the Further adventures of Henry Whitel
10 comments:
I don't have and won't buy an e-reader, and [predictably] e-books are not my thing. But I would purchase a paperback version if one comes out, hopefully with all the edits you just made. In any case, good luck with the e-sales.
Ken
Kirk,
I've got several Kindle-enabled devices and there's only one thing keeping me from buying your book: the backlog of books I've already bought that I haven't found time to read yet. I've basically told myself no new purchases until I at least read Anthony Everitt's "Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome" which I purchased two years ago and haven't made time for. Your book sounds fun and hopefully I will get to it, but I won't purchase it until I'm sure I'll actually have time to read it.
Hi Ken, Yes! All of the changes will be there going forward into the realm of the paper back. We were waiting on that print formatting to effect the changes we were getting.
I think we are a couple weeks away from offering the printed version. I will, of course, announce it here.
Kirk, I apologize for not having provided the edit notes I had said I would do. I just plain ran out of time. Do you know if I can download an update even though I've read it once already?
The comment "the backlog of books I've already bought that I haven't found time to read yet" made me smile. I have a stack of books on the floor that all good intentions led me to buy. Unfortunately, good intentions did not buy me the time to read them yet. Two years and counting.
Somehow, though ... somehow ... I found time to read your book. I have to agree with the reviewer you quoted. Once the body count started mounting, I was hooked. Strange, no?
Great! Looking forward to reading it!
Ken
Hi Mike, No worries. Michael Matthews sent me incredibly detailed and spotless notes. As to Kindles you can delete a file and reload it as many times as you want. Once you've paid for it they'll keep sending it to you when you ask. And if you lose your Kindle and replace it they'll download everything you already bought onto the new Kindle. Amazing, really like having a firmware upgrade for books.
I don't have a problem with e-readers. But I have a HUGE problem with Non-Compatible e-readers. It's sorta like not being able to use Ford gasoline in a Honda.
I'm down to 1 and 1/2 books left to read. So I'm looking forward to a print edition of your book.
Chuck
Kirk, I am glad someone took the time to do an editing job. I thought a good editor would improve the read. I did not have time to note the changes I thought should be made, plus they probably would not have been helpful as I am no editor.
Frank B
I only buy books in ePub format. (It's sort of equivalent to the DNG format for RAW.) It puts me off that Amazon uses a proprietary format. I'm less and less a fan of things Amazon. I want more competition in the marketplace, and I try to buy from the competition when I can.
That being said, I wish you all the best with the book.
I would like it to be on PDF or ePub so I could read it on the iPad using apps I already use regularly. Kindle format means downloading a new app and then learning how to deal with a new type of file.
Post a Comment