Silo 49: Going Dark finally FREE on Amazon! Celebrate!

As mentioned in my last post, the Friends of WOOL pricing for the full length novels in the Silo 49 Series, Deep Dark and Dark Till Dawn, was supposed to end today after many additional months of the discounted price. Well, Amazon finally went free price-matching on Going Dark and I'm over the moon.

Because a lot of people will pick up the book in the first flush of free-ness, I'm going to extend the 1.99 pricing on those two books for another day or two so these new Friends of WOOL can grab it at the low prices.

Assuming they don't hate Going Dark, that is.

Also, I wrote some time ago that I was working on getting print editions of the books for those who have written and asked about it. Well, the first one that will come out is the last book, Silo 49: Flying Season for the Mis-Recorded. Mostly because it is the shortest and so much easier to eat the costs of if the proofs don't work out.

I think the cover might have a problem but the proof copy will be here next week for me to check. After that, assuming the problem is easy for the cover artist to fix, it will be available! Whoot. Here's a peek.

And as I agreed to do in the various emails, I'll be sure and buy several at wholesale for those who want signed copies and then send them out. Cost will be exactly wholesale and cost of shipping...zero profit, for those who are first out of the gate. And yes, I will still be doing a giveaway of each signed version as they come out from those who are members of the mailing list. 

Friends of WOOL pricing to end soon!

I've been delaying this for a while. It was only supposed to last three months but we are now into month six for Deep Dark so it is time.

While I am making Silo 49: Going Dark perma-free (it is available at Smashwords, iTunes and B&N for free, but Amazon is still not price matching yet!), I need to have the other ones pay me back for their production.

It ain't a huge jump and three or four bucks for a full length novel is still a good deal. I'm still a believer in LOW priced shorts so Silo 49: Flying Season for the Mis-Recorded, at 20K+ words is going to remain 99 cents. That is the lowest that Amazon will let me price.

I'm also going to keep them on the program that allows for Amazon Prime members to borrow, which means they won't be available in other venues.

So, I'm giving everyone the head's up so they can get books two and three for cheap before I change the prices. I hope this doesn't alienate any readers because my whole goal has been to entertain and connect with people who like to read.

And I will continue to offer Friends pricing for each new book when it first comes out. Mostly, only the first week or two, but if you're on the mailing list or follow this blog or facebook, you'll know about it and be able to grab it up at the lower price. No worries there!

Freebies, Print and Major Milestones

Lots to relay today but all of it exciting. Plus a favor (no, not reviews) to ask of folks who read.

First off: Print!

The fabulous cover artist for the Silo 49 Series is currently working on making the print covers for Going Dark and Flying Season right now. Yes, print! But note that I said the first and the fourth book in the series. The reason? Because I'm going to do the fourth book first. That way, I can see what it looks like and be sure of my layout on the shortest book rather than the longest ones. If it looks good, then I'll be doing all the rest in short order.

I wasn't going to do print at all because I didn't think people would want them but then I got so many nice emails from readers who asked for them. And asked for autographed copies! If people are asking, then I mean to make them happy if I can.

Before they come out, I'll probably do a free copy selection for the trade paperback edition from those on the mailing list, so keep a look out for that. If you're not on the mailing list (remember, I don't do spam!) then you can click the link to the right ----> and get on it.

Second: Freebies!

This is where my favor asking comes in. I'm trying to make Silo 49: Going Dark "perma-free". That is when it is free on as many venues as possible. I've successfully got it free at Barnes&Noble online, iTunes and Smashwords (with Kobo to follow) and on the various library feeds but not yet on Amazon. Amazon doesn't do free but it will do price-matching. The only way to get it to make a book free is to complain long and often.

There's a part of the book page on Amazon that looks like this:

See that part that asks "tell us about a lower price?" That needs to be clicked and filled out often in order for them to get the idea. If anyone feels like it, please go to the Amazon Silo 49: Going Dark page and click on it. Then put in any of the following addresses:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/silo-49-going-dark/id819625154?mt=11
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/silo-49-ann-christy/1118597967?ean=2940045685900
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/406837

The price is 0.00 with shipping 0.00 and then you're done.

Every single time I see someone has bought another copy, even though it is only 99 cents, I cringe. So far it's been downloaded for free hundreds of times at other sites, so there is no reason that Amazon shouldn't price match. Thanks!

Why am I trying to make it free? Well, because I really do think people should get to try a series before they buy a series in today's world. I had to wait for it to come out of Amazon Select to do it, so it took me an extra three months.

Third: Major Milestones!

It was awkward but also one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me. I was taking my time cruising around Wegman's (which is an amusement park for foodies and not a grocery store) and kept noticing a woman sort of staring at me. I figured she was probably someone who worked in the vast building I work in that I just didn't recognize. When I got over to the "really good meat" counter, I was standing there trying to decide between boar and lamb while I waited in line and looked over and saw her again. She was totally checking out the contents of my cart. So, when it came my turn in line I said she could go ahead of me because I still didn't know what I wanted.

Instead, she blushed and then asked me, "Are you Ann Christy? The one who wrote Silo 49?"

I was totally floored and dumbstruck so I just nodded.

She grinned at me and then....wait for it...asked me for my autograph! So, I gave it to her right there and was simultaneously embarrassed and delighted. I couldn't even get the meat and had to run off and scoop up some chicken afterward instead.

So, there's that big thing that happened. A reader found me at Wegman's!

Doggalito News!

Some of you may already know that my beloved dog, Charlie, had to get surgery last week to basically rebuild his knee. He's thirteen and pigeon-toed so we knew this might happen. He tore a ligament and then tore a second one on the same knee while waiting for his ortho appointment. So, last week he had the whole thing re-built with two titanium implants, ligament repairs and bone refacing to correct the pigeon-toed stance in that leg so it wouldn't happen again. Pretty big surgery. He came through like a champ!

I've had to remain camped on the lower level of the house for the last week while he is crated because he freaks when he can't see me. I run upstairs to change and take showers during the peak period of his drowsiness from his pain meds. You should see my hair! And my living room! It looks like a refugee camp down here. Here's his picture. You can see where they shaved his leg and his back for his epidural. No incision showing so the picture is safe for the squeamish.

Silo 49: Going Dark is now FREE on Smashwords!

It is not easy to get something to go free on Amazon. It may seem like it is easy because it happens, but for a regular person like myself, who does not have a tech team or even any experience, it is something of a labyrinthine process.

After much time, a few screams at the computer and a whole lot of hours spend diddling around with the format for each platform, I managed to get the first book in the Silo 49 series up on Smashwords for free. I won't know if it makes their expanded distribution for a while, which would make it free on other platforms and give me a shot at making it free on Amazon, but that first step is made.

You can get Kindle formats from there so if you haven't gotten it yet, but somehow wound up here, you can get it there. Here is the link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/406837

My intention is to make it perma-free, which is the catch phrase for making it free on as many platforms as possible permanently.

Why am I doing this? A few reasons. It's already been pirated and I'd rather people get it from a safe and authorized site rather than go for the pirated version. But I won't be making all of them free so my line stops there. Also, I'm a relatively unknown author. Actually, outside the Silo fan circles, I'm completely unknown. It's a good chance for people to try something before they commit and I'm all for that. Also, I only make 35 cents a copy that is sold, so I won't be losing much. And it's worth it to have others be able to read books they might like. I like Silo people. You're a fun bunch!

Now for a request. Right now Going Dark has 93 reviews....93 is so close to 100 and I would love to have three digits of reviews. Really, truly, love.

The other three books, Deep Dark, Dark Till Dawn and Flying Season for the Mis-Recorded have far fewer reviews and that is hurting the visibility of the books. If you can, please drop over to Amazon and leave a review if you can. Twenty words is the minimum and I would really appreciate it.

I'm working hard on the next book...not in the Silo series. But I'm also tossing around a story called Roughneck that is set in Silo 49 at it's beginning. It marries up with my story, The Last Republican, that is slated to go into an anthology of Silo stories benefiting charity. We'll see what happens. The book I'm currently working on is a hard one because it has limited characters and spans vast measures of time and space, yet has a tiny and limited setting. Until next time...read on!

I Read Other Stuff, Too + Giggly Picture

I went to the Library on this grungy snowy day to pick up another audiobook for my wicked DC commute. So why do I look so happy here?

Because I'm going to make the commute this week a scary one. 

I finally got to the top of the list to pick up World War Z (there were six ahead of me when I put a hold on it). I go through about two a week unless it's George R. R. Martin. Those can take weeks with their 36 or more CDs per book. I'm currently listening to The Hunger Games, which I've read at least half a dozen times but never listened to. It's exceptionally well done.

I wonder how many others listen to audiobooks as a way to make their commutes go faster and avoid road rage?