I’ve mention in past articles the dilemma of the modern writer with a full-time job. Simply put, I’m torn between doing what I love to do (write stories) and doing what I’m told is necessary to sell stories (do social media). Not wanting to go the way of the dinosaur, I have tried to set aside time each week to work on my blog, post updates to Facebook, and connect with people via Twitter. I’ve had a few positive experiences with the efforts, but the rest of the time, I wonder if it’s worth it.

Then today, a friend forwarded a link to David Kazzie’s blog where he was talking about how his novel sales tanked over the holidays and, through the magic of a Kindle Direct Publishing promotion, did a 360 turn and skyrocketed to No. 68 on Amazon’s Paid Bestseller list in a matter of days. After 25,000 free downloads, Amazon shoppers started taking notice of this self-published novel. Through the residual effects of Amazon’s “people who bought this also bought…,” sales ranking, and who knows what other algorithms they have up their sleeve, David hit the Jackpot. Actually, Jackpot is the name of his novel, so the pun was intended.

But wait, there's more: The power of social media?

Though I’m partial to fiction, I quickly discovered that not all human beings are cut from the same fabric. I had a chance to visit with Mathias Eichler, owner of Einmaleins in Olympia, Washington. Mathias took roots in Olympia in 2007 where he opened Einmaleins as a European lifestyle retail store. He quickly made his mark in Olympia as a small business owner with a heart for the revitalization of downtown Olympia. He sponsored such great events as A Table for Olympia and Craft x NW. After several years in retail in the midst of a struggling economy, Mathias made a bold move and switched from retail to Web design and multi-media. He kept his name and has collaborated with some hot talent in Olympia, once again making his mark on the business community. I had to know what Mathias was reading.

Listen to You Can’t Judge a Book: Making Ideas Happen.

You can learn more about Mathias and Einmaleins here:

http://einmaleins.co/

http://einmaleins.tv/

Yesterday, Rachelle Gardner wrote a blog post titled Should We Label Christian Fiction? in which she addresses a growing controversy over free e-book downloads by readers who aren’t aware that the books they are downloading are “Christian” in nature and are offended by the evangelical tone of the stories. Some readers felt they were being mislead because the books were not labeled as “Christian” and insisted that the books should be clearly labeled as such.

From Rachelle’s response, I don’t think she is advocating that Christian novels should be required to be labeled as “Christian,” though she does not address the subject specifically. She does, however, point out that she is not surprised by readers’ reactions and turns the table suggesting a Muslim novel falling unsuspecting into the hands of a Christian would be equally upsetting.

But wait, there's more: It’s all about being honest

I caught up with my friend Tom Plaster last summer and asked him what he was reading. Tom has a rather eclectic taste in literature and a passion for reading. He told of a couple books he was reading, one was fiction told from the point of view of a dog. The other explored ancient history inspired by a recent trip to Rome.

Listen to You Can’t Judge a Book: Racing in the Rain

First an update

See photos and video on Out of My Mind

What a week! Last Sunday we got our first few inches of snow in Olympia for 2012. (For photos see January 15 - 18 posts on Out of My Mind.) It was refreshing seeing the white stuff falling and sticking to the ground—I don’t think we’ve had a decent snowfall for a few years. Monday rolled around and we had close to a foot of snow, so I worked from home. Through the week the snow kept building. For example, on Tuesday night we cleared a foot of snow off our back deck. The next morning it looked just as it had the day before… and it was still snowing. School was closed, I was able to work in peace without my normal 60 mile commute, and we even got to go sledding out on the golf course. Then Thursday morning rolled around. I had a business call and fifteen minutes into it, the power went out. Thank God for our generator. It kicked in immediately and was running fine. Then the unthinkable happened; our cable went out. Then the generator sputtered out.

But wait, there's more: Recommended Reading: On Stranger Tides