Stress Free Book Marketing Training for Self-Published Authors

A new course is being offered February 2-March 5, 2012. Early Bird Special: Take $100 Off If You Sign Up by Friday, January 13

The phone rings and it's an author checking in with me for advice. "I did everything you said I should do on Twitter, Stephanie. I followed 2000 people until the system cut me off. But only some of those people followed me back. I hate Twitter."

(That's not exactly what I said to do--what I said would have been a little more detailed.)

I ask her, "And have your posts been well-received? Are you being retweeted or mentioned? Are people visiting your website and subscribing for your newsletter?"

She says, "Actually... I never post."

"Well," I said, "there's your trouble. It's not Twitter, Facebook, or [fill in the blank]; it's you."

Like many self-published authors, this woman didn't have a plan of action to promote her book and she naively dreamed that setting up an account on a social network was enough. Thus, she had transformed herself into a NON-messenger.

Was she a troglodyte? Hmmm... I don't think so.

Perhaps she was a "positive thinker." LOL

In fact, I believe the whole thing stressed her out. She was worried about how she was going to manage all the "moving parts" of social media, because it was unfamiliar to her. It seemed STRESSFUL. 

In my view, having an organized PLAN removes stress. Learn More

Fortunately IT IS possible to spread word of a book to prospective readers online, because that's where MOST self-published books are marketed by neccessity. Typically, self-published authors don't sell tons of books in stores. The stores aren't very interested.

Online sales are a different story. Each book interests its own audience and they can be reached here. On the social networks, an author has the ability to analyze and find the right people who will like/need/buy it. It's a tool that can be leveraged.

The point is: You have to be smart about your strategies to engender sales. You have to market your book if you want to sell your book. YES, really!

Your mailing list doesn't have to be massive when you start for you to get results. It doesn't hurt, but ultimately it's not the decisive factor. Understanding your reader is.

Furthermore, believe me or not, but this part of being an author is FUN.

Starting on Thursday, February 2, join me for a five-week course:

Book Marketing Training for Self-Published Authors.

You'll develop a marketing plan for your book and learn to:

• Targeting/Position Yourself as an Author
• Optimize Your Book Website
• Optimze Your Social Media
• Set Up Radio/TV/Blog Tours
• Plan Live Events and Public Speaking

Visit the Course Page Now and If You Sign Up by Friday January 13th Get a BIG Discount.

My goal is for you to walk away with a hands-on strategy, and clear action steps that fall along a timetable, which you are enthusiastic about following through on.

What Writers and Actors Have in Common

Writers and actors share a strange trait. We go to a funeral, start crying into our hankies, and then think, "Oh, this will be great emotional material for my big moment in Act 3," or "Perfect story for chapter 8." We can be kissing the man/woman of our dreams for the very first time and think, "I'm going to write an article about that." We're always, on some level, observing.

I remember almost 30 years ago watching the movie The Big Chill and laughing my ass off when Jeff Goldblum's character says he's going to write a novel about the weekend he has just spent with his friends. Someone (I think Glenn Close) asks him, "What were you writing about before?" He says, "Last weekend." Even though I was a young woman when I saw that film, I recognized it as the truth. (See how I just used it as an anecdote!)

If you're a writer, it's incredibly fruitful to carry a small notebook or an MP3 recording device around with you so you can capture these moments of emotional insight. You simply don't know when you'll want them or be able to inject them into your material. The specific details of how things looked and smelled and sounded, and perhaps more importantly, what you thought when you saw, smelled, or heard them--the internal dimension--is the secret of great storytelling.

The truth can be entertaining. This past weekend at a housewarming party I heard a great anecdote. Someone--an ophthalmologist I met--was describing to me how detailed his instructions to his patients have to be since people so often get them wrong. He'd given a woman a bottle of drops for an eye problem, explaining to her that she had to lean her head back and then put three drops in. After a week, his patient came back complaining that the drops weren't working. He asked her to show him what she was doing. She tilted her head back and then squirted three drops into her mouth.

Equally funny to me was the time I got into an argument with someone who obviously had both a rather inadequate education and very little common sense. (Why did I bother arguing?) Because of the story of Adam and Eve, he earnestly believed men have one less rib than women do. If anything could be argued, it's that men have an extra "rib," right? It's just not found in their rib cage.

Whenever I hear stuff like this or experience it, I begin inventing stories around it. I try to tease out the meaning for myself. The "moral," if you will. I do this because I am a lover of human nature and because the unexpectedness of the beliefs or the behavior of others initially seems so unlike my own. That is, until I balance it against something in my own experience . . . which is an associative process I always do and so does everyone else. And this is the key reason why anecdotes are so powerful. We bridge to them.

I heard the eye dropper story and laughed at the woman's "stupidity," and then a minute later felt forced to admit to my new pal, "When I was on my way here . . ." and tell of my own mishaps and misadventures. On my way to that party, for instance (which was the third time I'd been to my friends' new house), I decided I would recognize the building. I got out of the subway, walked two blocks in the right direction, and congratulated myself for being able to identify the route. I thought, "The building is taller than the others on the same block." And then, "Oh, there's the bakery on the corner . . . I recall that." Looking across the street, I saw a tall building. I went up to the door. There were no names by the buzzer panel. I reasoned that since my friends live on the top floor I should hit the top buzzer. So I did. Someone answered and I said, "It's Stephanie. I'm here for the party." She buzzed me in. I climbed four flights of stairs, and arrived . . . only to discover I was in the wrong building at the wrong party. My friends' house was a block further away.

At least I got some exercise climbing stairs.

Moral of the story? Don't buzz strangers in? Bring a map? Write about your weekend? Live with a sense of humor because being human means we're at the mercy of our minds? Publish an ezine so you have somewhere to put your notes and reflections to good use?

Being an artist is about being a great observer of humanity. The truth is as interesting as fiction. Watch. Record. Share. It's all there for the taking as long as we are paying attention.

What Can Writers Learn from the New York Marathon?

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Back in 2006, I ran the New York Marathon. It changed my life. For years, I would go to the finish line and find myself with moist eyes, tearing up from looking at the faces of the people completing the race. Then I ran it and it was an even more emotional and esteem-building experience than I'd imagined. This Sunday, there I was, back in Central Park, watching it again. I live about a block away from the park so I feel intimately involved in the marathon experience.

This year the weather was optimal: sunny and cool. The top three male finishers all beat the course record. They ran in a pack until the last four or five miles. The women's race was much more interesting. A few miles in, one woman, Mary Keitany of Kenya, took the lead and ran most of the way without any serious competition. Then a follower caught up to her and passed her in the last two miles to win the race: Firehiwot Dado. Then a second woman passed Keitany and won second place. All these women gave a spectacular performance. I feel so inspired by their example!



We can draw lessons from the Marathon for how we conduct our creative lives.

How is writing a book like a marathon? First, let's say we do put our hearts out there and step ahead of the pack. If we are the one who is taking the lead in a particular subject area, we may feel alone. The people watching may ask if we are making a mistake to set ourselves apart with no one to pace us. They may not know the conditions we sense that inform us internally that the way we are racing is appropriate. Common wisdom is that we should only do the same as others. On the sidelines, they'll wonder if we have the stamina to finish the race we have defined for ourselves. Some will cheer for us, hoping we can pull it off. Some will hope we crash and burn. The lone runner out in front of the herd has to run in a manner that's based on instinct, training, and intention. It definitely takes heart and will power to be out front on your own.

Writers and entrepreneurs define our own goals. It's vital that we sense the rightness of our own speed for the distance we are traveling. How can we run the best race in stride with our purpose, abilities, and resources? In some respects we are visionaries and must learn to see the course in front of us through our own eyes. No one can run the race for us. It's a moment by moment experience. They can't live our lives; they cannot write our books. Even when I have worked as a ghostwriter, I could not define the vision for my clients, because at the end of the day I had to pass the material over to them to market. They had to live it as their truth and use it to help them realize their goals, not mine. I have great respect for the boundaries involved in ghostwriting.

When I write my own books, the parameters around my achievement are self-motivated. That's different. Often I see opportunities where others do not. Dare I run the course with those ideas? How far am I willing to go--and how fast--without being surrounded by peers? Can I sustain my vision and bring it to completion under my own steam? I don't enter the race of every idea.

Second, even if we are not in the lead on an idea, we must nonetheless trust that we can win the race we've set for ourselves. If we keep putting one foot in front of the other as writers, we eventually cross the finish line. There are rewards for coming in first, yes. But this does not detract from the rewards of running the race for its own sake. Or, like Firehiwot Dado, coming along second while we're putting a book together on a familiar subject does not mean we won't win in the end.

Third, we sometimes need help to cross the line. One of the most moving moments on Sunday was when I saw a competitor who had lost the strength to complete the final half-mile lifted by four race volunteers and two policemen and carried through the remaining course and over the finish line. There was so much humanity reflected in that moment. Those volunteers understood how important it was to come that close and make it all the way, even if it was not on foot.

I saw a woman whose left knee had been taped at a first aid station hobble the final distance with a crutch in hand, determined to finish her race. I saw senior citizens finish. I saw blind people finish. I saw people in wheelchairs do the race successfully with their arms alone. Writing has its own challenges, which are not physical, but we sometimes think we can't make it because of a limitation, perceived or real, that we let stop us. It doesn't have to. And there is help available to get you across the finish line: You could hire a coach, an editor, or a writer. You could ask friends, colleagues, and family for support. You do not have to go the distance alone.

Ignorant spectators yelled out, "Go, go, go," as if the racers they saw walking across the finish line were not trying hard enough. I knew they didn't understand how walking across the line at the end of the race reflected the runners' tremendous commitment, and was the culmination of months, perhaps years, spent training. If the runners could have continued to run, they would have. They weren't "lazy" for God's sake, they had just run 26 miles! They were exhausted, depleted, spent.

For myself, I tried to be encouraging, clapping and yelling, "You're home. Good job. You can do it with a smile on your face." I understand that crossing the line is the main event, more than how you get there.

A fourth lesson from the Marathon is this: When you're writing, don't let critics and bystanders dictate how your process looks. Remember, you're doing a great and meaningful thing! You're expending the effort while they are on the sidelines. Let them lace up their own shoes and try to do better than you if they think they're so knowledgeable. Most people don't know squat!

I loved the runners who waved to the crowd and asked for applause and mutual celebration. Some raised their arms in triumph and approached the line with a smile on their faces. When they did, the spectators roared for them. It reminded me of my own ability to endure challenges. This lesson is obvious. Persistence in anything you do in life and art is a key to success. You may stagger and fall, but as long as you then crawl, walk, or otherwise move in the right direction--for writers that could be one sentence or two paragraphs at a time--you are not defeated.

Writing a book will introduce you to your own character. This is the aggregation of personality traits that make up the whole of your identity--your strengths and weaknesses, your desires and fears, your courage and ethics. Perhaps my favorite aspect of writing is discovering more about myself in the process. Doing a book is a transformational process, and it can be liberating! You can free yourself from false beliefs, embrace your shadow, and resolve your past through writing. Just as a runner meets the voice of survival that lives inside the head, so will you. You can push through "the wall" of negativity or you can succumb to its wishes. It's up to you.

Positioning Yourself for Success By How You Handle the Targeting in Your Book Proposal

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Taking a "position" as an author is essential. By this, I mean the following few things:

1. Deciding where you and your target reader will intersect. Imagine a vertical line crossing a horizontal line. That point of connection represents the "location" of your book. In a book proposal, you are turning on your GPS tracking system. From the beacon of how you state your position, the publishers find you! This decision then sets you up for ultimate success when your book comes out.

(FYI, I talk about how to GPS navigate your proposal in The Book Proposal Intensive.)

2. Choosing who you want to be in the public sphere. Is your dream and your immediate goal to be the go-to expert on home decoration, on nutrition, on bicycle maintenance, on personal finances? Writing a book is a way to establish yourself with the reputation of an expert. In preparing a book proposal, you are stepping into the zone of the information that you will share with the world. Your authority comes from being adept at everything that is trending in this zone of expertise. Your background research seals your intention.

3. Clarity of purpose will keep you from getting lost. Oh, I understand the temptations of detours! It's so much fun to follow the winding highways and intriguing byways we come across in everything we do. Wandering can be fun and inspiring, and I'd even say, at times essential. But when you set about to do a book, you begin to need to pin things down. This kind of clarity has its own special intensity that is spectacular. Like looking at vibrant particles in a spectrometer, clarity of focus heightens our vision and feels electrifying.

4. Making a stand that is distinctly yours. There is incredible liberation in taking a stand and speaking your truth. A book proposal gives you a forum and vehicle to make a case for what you believe--based on your life experiences, your background, your training, and your insights. This is your opportunity to contribute relevant opinions and knowledge to your community. It's a chance to lead from where you are! You can be as controversial, as compassionate, as wise as your position requires. You only have to articulate it. Pull out your soap box and megaphone. Dust off your podium and reach for your notes. Publishers are waiting to "hear" what you say on the page.

In The Book Proposal Intensive that I'll be teaching for the next five weeks (from October 20 to November 21), I'm going to walk my students through every section of a book proposal, one by one, constantly returning to the question of their position until it is nailed down, articulated, and celebrated in a way that is indelible.

Registration is open and you are welcome to join in this adventure: http://bit.ly/TheIntensive

In this course, which is taught by webinar and teleseminar, as well as in private laser coaching sessions, I'll be giving you a ton of my time live to ask and be answered, to hold you accountable, and inspire you.

I like to say, when you decide to get it done, DOING IT QUICKLY is easiest. That's why I now teach in short and detailed steps where action comes right on the heels of instruction. Small assignments build to big discoveries--and those who throw themselves into the process experience tremendous outcomes. I've literally seen lives changed, I've literally seen businesses transformed, I've literally seen great emotional healing come from the experience of doing a book from the ground up with an established plan in place.

We're in a shifting landscape in publishing, and yet it is only the delivery mechanisms and production systems that are shifting--it's NOT THE CONTENT! Authors are more than needed--without us there would be no publishing industry. Kindles would be empty. Nooks would be Gameboys. Blogs would be templates.

Publishers are buying manuscripts to fill their pipelines. Opportunities exist. Your job is more than to persuade them, it's to understand YOUR POSITION so you can write a book that is timely, relevant, and meaningful to the audience you serve.

Get it?

Are you ready to write a book proposal?

Then please join me for The Book Proposal Intensive that starts later this week. Seriously! What the heck are you waiting for? Someone's permission? If you've got a good idea, then give yourself permission. Step up to the plate. Swing your bat. Aim for the outfield. People like me are earnestly interested in YOUR IDEAS.

Read more about The Book Proposal Intensive.

Freedom: How We Can Be More Than Sheeple (Get a Book Deal News Article)

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My thoughts this past weekend were of soldiers coming home, oddly enough. I got on a kick after seeing televised on C-Span Gary Sinise speaking at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C., where he was announcing the formation of a foundation to help service people and their families. People always want to know his political ambitions, because he's conservative--but independent--and this time was no exception. He laughed and said, "I'm an actor." Then continued, "I am a citizen of the United States. I can do what I want. I can vote for who I want." I thought that was cool. Sometimes we are free and we don't act like it because of fear of criticism. Good for him for stepping forward and doing something he believes in just because he can.


Then I started thinking about the good films I'd seen about soldiers and war. The Messenger, The Hurt Locker, Good Morning Vietnam, Saving Private Ryan, M*A*S*H, and Born on the Fourth of July. I put a couple of funny ones on my list because we need to laugh in the face of pain. Sinise developed a calling after playing a wounded Vietnam veteran in Forrest Gump. Those are worth watching if you haven't yet.


Not too many projects have crossed my desk to date that cover this new terrain of people coming home. I hope writers write good, strong books about the experiences of these hundred thousand or so people. Our country certainly has been at war long enough. When will it end? I am praying for peace. I think we need to read voices that help us to process and integrate our feelings about these troubles we've faced.




Next I looked up the dictionary definition of "Freedom." It's extensive. I'm going to share it here, because it is something worth thinking about as a writer. Freedom of expression is almost the highest value in our culture (although Americans are so often trying to silence one another, especially those who disagree with us). But there is also the freedom of worship, or the freedom not to worship. And freedom to live where and with whom we please. Economic freedom. Self-determination. There are so many ways to be free. (Source of definitions: Dictionary.com)


1. The state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint.


2. Exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.


3. The power to determine action without restraint.


4. Political or national independence.


5. Personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery.


6. Exemption from the presence of anything specified (usually followed by the preposition "from"): freedom from fear.


7. The absence of or release from ties, obligations, etc.


8. Ease or facility of movement or action.


9. Frankness of manner or speech.


10. General exemption or immunity: freedom from taxation.


11. The absence of ceremony or reserve.


12. A liberty taken.


13. A particular immunity or privilege enjoyed, as by a city or corporation: freedom to levy taxes.


14. Civil liberty, as opposed to subjection to an arbitrary or despotic government.


15. The right to enjoy all the privileges or special rights of citizenship, membership, etc., in a community or the like.


16. The right to frequent, enjoy, or use at will: to have the freedom of a friend's library.


17. Philosophy. The power to exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without; autonomy; self-determination. (Compare necessity ( def. 7.))


When you think about the subjects you write on, reflect on whether or not you permit yourself to exercise your freedom. Do you constrain yourself? Silence yourself? Tell your truth? Contribute to the liberties of our society or of consciousness? Or do you oppose yourself and others? Where is your investment? I think it's an interesting question we need to ask ourselves if we want to be more than Sheeple.


Before my montage experience ended, I finally shed a few tears due to my frustration with a world where we are not all living our creative best and so much money is put into fighting back and fighting forward and all that non-peaceful, conflicted mental anguish that we trouble ourselves with--and must do, it seems, at times, just to stand up for ourselves and to be authentic in the pursuit of our happiness and livelihood. I enjoyed the holiday, though I didn't go to see fireworks. I visited friends and family and dreamed dreams aloud about my future goals. And my vacation in August!


On my freedom list this weekend, I can say without hesitation that I experienced all freedoms except numbers 10 and 13. Not entirely without pushback from one quarter or another, but nevertheless fifteen items were fully accomplished. How fortunate.


Have a wonderful week!

Is Your Creative Process a "Ring of Fire"?

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Walking past the carousel in Central Park on Sunday I heard strains of "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash piping through the air. Besides being slightly thrilled that New Yorkers are raising their kids to appreciate good music, hearing that song reinforced an idea I've been playing around with related to the archetypes of writers. If we had theme songs, what would they be? Like Johnny, are writers falling down, down, down into the burning ring of fire? Hmmm.




I read somewhere that there are only seven basic plots beneath the stories of cultures from around the world. While I can’t absolutely verify that idea, it’s something to consider: whether the story is rags to riches, overcoming the monster, rebirth, voyage and return, or something else.

Acting teachers tell us that plots either have to do with love or power. Numerologists tell us there are only nine numbers in the world that influence our lives. Healers say it’s the consciousness of the energy of the seven chakras . . . Astrologers say it’s the twelve Zodiac signs.

Is this too simplistic or a great jumping off point for further exploration?

My view is that we get to decide what our lives are about—including our creative lives—and I believe it’s an essential decision. But it’s also not the end of the world. Take it lightly and you’ll be on the right track. Grind on it in order to find a quest to undertake or a monster to slay and you’re really not there.

Lightness of mind, high energy, peace/joy, fluidity = right track.

Cloudy mind, drained energy, pain/sorrow, rigidity = wrong track.

When you’re writing, just understand that the source of your desire may be the story that runs the infrastructure of your life. If you’re stuck (aka on the wrong track), change your story.

I am not a burning-pit, flames-of-hell kind of writer, though I do grind a bit too often. Fundamentally, I am engaged in a love story with myself and the world. My heart has been broken more than once, and so I sometimes forget that this is my essential story, and yet wherever I honor love my life gets better.

This week, I’m going to take more walks in the park and still get my writing done.

6 Interesting Blogs for Writers

There is a wealth of wonderful resources for writers in the blogosphere, all right at your fingertips to enjoy. Here are some of my favorites.

How I Met 10 Amazing Woman Bloggers: On Carol Tice's helpful "Make a Living Writing" blog, an excellent post on how to find good bloggers, plus a collection of 10 great women bloggers.

15 Blogging Tips I Wish I Knew When I Started: Also at "Make a Living Writing," this post covers a number of points that will help you skip over a lot of stumbling blocks as a blogger.

First Chapter Plus: This is a fantastic service that distributes an e-catalog of first chapters of new books to libraries, bookstores, readers, media, etc. A great way to get exposure and readers for your book.

The Author's Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Blog: This post outlines the various options for blogging: daily, weekly, issue-focused, or blogging with a group of people. Then it gives a great overview of what makes a good author blog, and the pros and cons of blogging for authors.

15 Must-Read Blogs for Blog Writers: A great collection of blogs that are worthy reading for those aiming to write a sucessful blog. Topics include writing, finance, and Internet business.

White Hot Truth: Danielle LaPorte is a writer, entrepreneur, and visionary whose blog consistently offers gems of inspiration, practical advice, and spiritual wisdom. Case in point: The "Open up Anyway" poem in her latest post.

Let me know if you find any others that I can share with the Get a Book Deal community.

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5 Fun Things to Do with Twitter

Anyone who knows me well enough has probably already heard me rave enthusiastically about the fun I'm having on Twitter. This social network is relevant to us as writers since it's a no-cost chance to promote our work, do research, and connect with people who share our interests.

In an article from Saurage Marketing Research's Key Findings, I learned that:

• Six % of American adults use Twitter.
• Young adults (18-29) use it most (14%), followed by those aged 30-49 (7%), 50-64 (6%), and 65+ (4%).
• Hispanics (18%) use it more than African Americans (13%) and Caucasians (5%).
• Urbanites (11%) use it more than suburbanites (8%) and rural dwellers (5%).

Depending on whom your writing serves, that demographic may be more or less likely to use Twitter. But once you're on, every demographic that's represented there is easy to target.

Once you're set up with a Twitter account (which involves choosing a moniker that defines you at essence--mine is @audaciouseditor--and crafting a tiny biographical statement that links people to your blog or website), here are five ways you can have some fun.

1. "Tweet This" Buttons. On the top right of the screen, next to your name, there is a down arrow. From the drop down menu, choose "Settings." At the bottom of the page, choose "Resources." Click through next to "Tweet Button." Here, you can generate the html code for a button saying, "Tweet this," which you can dump into a newsletter article or blog post. The beauty of customizing such buttons is that you can craft a tempting tweet, which will attract other Twitter users to want to explore the link they see on the Twitter wall. When a reader likes an article you wrote, he or she will hit this button and in seconds it will be posted.

2. Widgets. Still in the "Resources" area, you can click "Widgets." This solution creates a small box with moving parts, which can be displayed on your website or blog (stick it to one side) or even on your Facebook page. A widget scrolls recent posts on Twitter. These posts either come from you exclusively, a list of your favorite tweeters, or any search phrase/key word you think is relevant to your readers. You control the appearance and dimensions. If you're following a group of experts on behalf of your community, this enhances your role as a resource and insider.

3. Hash Marks. Attaching the hash mark (aka the "pound" key, which looks like this #), to any word or phrase enables you to search that word/phrase in all posted tweets. This introduces you to tweeters you wouldn't necessarily have met otherwise, who share your interests. For instance, you might try searching #MEDITATION or #TRAVEL or #QUOTE. You can then follow anyone whose posts you like, or retweet them to your own followers. This is terrific for research. And if you want new people to follow your activity, include a hash mark phrase at the end of your own posts. You can even set up a special event where a group of people can have a real-time conversation using an agreed-upon hash tag.

4. Automated Scheduling. There are a number of services--both free and for pay--through which you can schedule tweets ahead of time. This is good for product launches or just to make the most economical use of your time. It keeps you engaged with the Twitter community on a regular basis even at times you are disconnected from your computer or mobile devices. SocialOomph.com or HootSuite.com are two such services. Remember that posts have to be 140 characters or less. Prep your posts with live links, and shorten those links using tinyurl.com or bitly.com. Spend an hour developing a list of reusable tweets and inputting them once a week.

5. Mentions. On your home page, you may notice a button below the tweet box that reads "@mentions." This enables you to see which other users are mentioning you and circulating your posts or posting about you. Be sure to send them a thank you. Twitter is a conversation held in real-time and in public. A rule of thumb is to post your stuff 20% and other people's stuff 80%. Thanking keeps it alive. Mention other people offering information and opportunities that your own followers may enjoy. And understand that this act of altruism also will help you to build your list of followers. Every time you use the "at" sign--@--before a twitter name, your posts appear on that person's wall, exposing you to a whole new group of potential readers.

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Stephanie Gunning is a publishing consultant based in New York, N.Y. Her book Audacious Creativity is available both in paperback and Kindle editions.