E-book – Page 4 – Linda Nelson

Tablets do not belong in the classroom. What are the teachers thinking these days?

Tonight on the news they talked about how a school had decided to put eReaders in the classroom, and it turned in to a major problem. The elementary students learned how to hack the device and access the internet when they were supposed to be doing school work. I have a feeling that there is more to this problem story than the media let on. This sounds more like they put tablets in the hands of the students than mere eReaders.

I know for a fact that using an eReader to access the internet will not leave the user with a satisfying experience, or at least, not with my ordinary Keyboard Kindle. This is one function that is seriously lacking on the device. Mine might be one of the older models, but my mother’s is also the same way. There are some things you just don’t do with a Kindle. It was designed for reading books – period.

This sounds as if the school board did not do their homework before deciding to spend all this money on these devices for the students. If they had, they could have saved the public a lot of money.

I’m sure other eReaders are the same way when it comes to the internet function.

Now I wonder what they plan to do with all those tablets.

ROW80 Check-In:

The writing discipline has been working this week. I only have six more chapters to go over in Witch Book. Then I will be able to start thinking of the plot outline for the next fantasy book in the Orgarlan Saga.

I may be able to finish it up tonight or by tomorrow at the latest.

As I go I have been sort of thinking up plot twists for the next book. I have different things to consider as I think about my current characters.

1. What does each of my characters want?

2. Everyone has secrets. What are theirs?

3. What are they afraid of?

Once I can answer each of these questions I can weave a pretty nifty plot using Cause and effect. This one does that so this one has to do this and so on. Just like what happens in life. Hmm… a title thought, not guaranteed to remain the same, but the thought is there. Darmin Karma – nah don’t like that.

When the book ends, Darmin is trying her hand at bewitching Lord Ky’ debaul.

Cause and Effect = Karma

Karma Effect?

It Sounds catchy to me. What do you think?

Information Technology and Back to School (storagecraft.com)
eReaders may help people with dyslexia (eschoolnews.com)

Back in 2010 I came across an eBook publishing house called Smashwords. It was kind of big at the time, but not like it is today.

I remember trying to upload my very first book to the site and pulling my hair out because I kept getting vetting errors. I fussed and fretted about the meat grinder (that’s what they call their formatting tool for making all the different formats for the venues they submit to). Finally after about the twentieth try I did it. It was such a frustrating experience. I had two choices at that point. I could either give up hope of ever publishing my book on their site or persevere.

Well we can all see what really did happen.

Over the years I have heard Authors complain about Amazon. It is always the same kind of complaint. Their too big – they keep changing the rules – they don’t seem fair – but I’m making money.

Okay – yea – so – Let’s look at Smashwords:

I don’t like the meat grinder – why – because you don’t know how to format your book properly.

Once you learn it is pretty easy peasy.

What else don’t you like about Smashwords?

I can’t think of anything that comes to mind.

What do I love about them?

They distribute our books to lots of great venues, plus Mark Coker is always out there trying to find us more venues.

He never gives up. He is for the author.

Mark gives us tips and trade secrets and hope to be a great writer someday, the hope that the readers will discover us the way we discovered Smashwords.

He has given us ways to be found and not just by using SEO as Amazon does. Coupon codes are one of his great features on the site. These allow us to distribute our book for free or a reduced price to those who are part of our growing platform. This is a great way to secure reviews.

He takes part in Read an Ebook week on the site and also promotes NaNoWriMo.

The best part is, Mark Coker is always out there advocating for the authors, it does not matter if they are the little guy who has no platform as of yet or the best-selling author with millions of followers. Mark is always there for us.

So I want to say: Thanks Mark Coker for all you have done for us since 2008

Mark’s latest post: http://blog.smashwords.com/2013/03/how-libraries-can-launch-community.html