Can anyone explain book appy to me? Maybe even leave me a note through SOL mail?
Please?
Can anyone explain book appy to me? Maybe even leave me a note through SOL mail?
Please?
Appy is short for apathy.
If you want to buy an email book at pricing very similar to other sources, on the left side of the SOL main page you can click on Bookapy and get a long list, more like a catalog (or is it catalogue?) of books you can buy, some are not novels, but only stories. Usually stories are a little less expensive than novels. Pricing varies, probably to follow Amazon's pricing.
With a friend like you, who needs enemies.
If I had any friends I wouldn't spend so much time on SOL. I practice anti-social distancing.
Can anyone explain book appy to me?
From the perspective of the author (seller) or reader (purchaser)?
Can anyone explain book appy to me?
As a reader, think of Bookapy as an online bookstore, like Amazon's KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) or Barnes & Noble, except Bookapy only sells ebooks (which is most of the market nowadays).
The author writes the novel, edits it, creates the cover, etc. Bookapy provides a place for it to be purchased and handles the payment logistics and distribution (getting the ebook to the purchaser). It's what's known as self-publishing.
The author writes the novel, edits it, creates the cover, etc. Bookapy provides a place for it to be purchased and handles the payment logistics and distribution (getting the ebook to the purchaser). It's what's known as self-publishing.
Though, for a LONG time, Bookapy focused on books written by popular SOL authors. But once Lazeez opened the gates to the general publishing marketplace, it now seems inundated with really trite titles with little in common, connecting the many, many stories. :(
it now seems inundated with really trite titles with little in common, connecting the many, many stories. :(
Self-publishing has no gatekeeper. That's both good and bad.
It's a shame more readers aren't rating the books :-(
I agree. But then, I'm not sure just how many SOL readers are actually purchasing (or previewing) books on Bookapy, as it now seems like an entirely separate entity (i.e. little crossover between SOL-related sites). But, I could easily be mistaken in my assumptions, but the few ratings seem counter to SOL's 'author encouragement' ethic. Then again, it's generally the Free-ride SOL authors who traditionally purchase and upvote SOL-based books, so I doubt they'd be 'shopping' of 'pay as you go' stories.
I'd love to hear from Lazeez, as he typically tracks the site states and membership numbers. If my claims are wildly off-base, I'd rather know now than often everyone argues the point for weeks.
It's a shame more readers aren't rating the books :-(
I'm sorry to say I'm one of them. I bought over 25 books from bookapy so far but I didn't rate any of them. There's two reasons for that. The first is that I already voted for the book on SOL and the second is that I didn't read the book yet.
The first is that I already voted for the book on SOL and the second is that I didn't read the book yet.
Voting on SOL shouldn't keep one from rating a book on Bookapy. They are two separate entities with maybe different audiences.
But if you voted on SOL you must have read the book.
Voting on SOL shouldn't keep one from rating a book on Bookapy. They are two separate entities with maybe different audiences.
But if you voted on SOL you must have read the book.
I have to agree, it's no excuse and you are right that it are separate entities.
Of course I have read what I voted for but I have also downloaded books from SOL and bought from bookapy that are still in my reading queue so I have not read those yet.
I have to agree, it's no excuse and you are right that it are separate entities.
Of course I have read what I voted for but I have also downloaded books from SOL and bought from bookapy that are still in my reading queue so I have not read those yet.
In that case, given the dearth of Bookapy reviews across the board, I'm sure the author wouldn't mind your posting an older, honest review, and then posting a later revised review. These authors are searching for a broader audience, and much of Bookapy seems to now be composed of non-SOL fans. So giving their works some recognition is better than their being entirely ignored.
a broader audience, and much of Bookapy seems to now be composed of non-SOL fans.
What makes you think that?
What makes you think that?
Sadly, I have no direct evidence, since I don't have access to Lazeez's statics on the site and it's users. Instead, I'm largely basing it on how many stories there are now coming from those with no ties to SOL, so I'm assuming the readership has likewise changed. I'd love to be proven wrong, but given the current glut of stories, I'm losing faith in the site overall as a haven for utterly trash stories. At least SOL shares a common standard, which we all accept (even if we don't all enjoy smut). Outsides, though, will post stories without regard to quality of site sentiments. As always, it's best if one 'gets a feel' for a site before posting there, but apparently, that's an antiquated notion nowadays.
I'm largely basing it on how many stories there are now coming from those with no ties to SOL
People publish on Bookapy under different names than they do on SOL.
I'm sure there's a subset whose approach is "post everywhere that you can in order to maximize sales, spend as little time on each site as possible"
Glut? Are we looking at the same site? Looking through the first 5 pages on Bookapy (100 most recent books), there are at most four authors (with less than 10 books between them all) that are not SOL-related. Am I missing something?
Cheers
RS
Outsides, though, will post stories without regard to quality of site sentiments.
I mentioned in another thread but Bookapy is an entirely separate entity from the SOL site family. There is no such thing as "outsides". Bookapy started of with authors from SOL and that was a fortunate way to start a new ebook shop: start with a present base of books. Now it's slowly becoming "just another" book shop but with a warm feeling towards SOL authors.
Regarding quality: you should have at least some idea of the garbage published on other ebook shops including amazon, why should Bookapy be any different? And who determines what is garbage and what not? Bookapy has to build a larger population in both published books and buyers but that will take time. What it desperately needs is a good search system, both for authors and books. That need will increase with the number of books available on the site.
What it desperately needs is a good search system, both for authors and books.
I know it's not fair to criticise when I don't have any better ideas, but the first page seems unappealing to me. The way authors seem to post books in batches means it's too easy for the first page to give the impression the bookstore is dominated by a small number of authors. Only one book on the first page even has a rating :-(
AJ
I know it's not fair to criticise when I don't have any better ideas, but the first page seems unappealing to me. The way authors seem to post books in batches means it's too easy for the first page to give the impression the bookstore is dominated by a small number of authors.
Yes, the home page probably should limit it to last added book per author, maybe with a tag/link to the other newly added books although you can click the author to get to all the books for that author.
Yes, the home page probably should limit it to last added book per author
Might be better for the home page to list the highest rated books rather than the newest.
Ideally, the home page could be set by individual readers to one of several options.
Some may want to see a list of what authors have published most recently, with links to their publications.
Some may want to see a list of most recently published books that match their preferences.
Some may want to see the highest rated books they haven't purchased yet.
Some may want to see the highest rated books in their preferred genre, which they haven't purchased yet.
Some may want a random selection.
It may be best if Laz did some market research on the readership, and found out the three or four most common clusters of preference, and made individual homepages for each group which could be selected as a user preference.
Might be better for the home page to list the highest rated books rather than the newest.
Until the rating system gets used more, I don't think that's an attractive option.
I wonder whether, for the moment, a first page of biggest sellers in the last week might work. It means the first page would change reasonably often and it would display books that readers found attractive. (I'd love to see actual numbers but I guess management and authors wouldn't).
AJ
Might be better for the home page to list the highest rated books rather than the newest.
Then no new books will appear since they are not rated yet. Anyway, the home page is not really a good place to list a high number of books anyway. It's an introductory page for the site. Show of a few "hot" and new books, maybe a best-seller. Then present access for login, account, cart, and definitely good searching.
The way authors seem to post books in batches means it's too easy for the first page to give the impression the bookstore is dominated by a small number of authors
Tell me about it. I chose the wrong time to publish. I was at the top for a brief moment when 6 books by the same author pushed me down the list. And another that pushed me down was a short story of only 4,500 words.
But if you voted on SOL you must have read the book.
Or looked at the author's name and 1-bombed it without reading the story ;-)
AJ
Or looked at the author's name and 1-bombed it without reading the story ;-)
We only do that to you... sweetie... :)
Isn't that favouritism?
Actually no, it isn't because favouritism is giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another. Since 1-bombing you does not adversely affect others, it isn't favouritism.
Since 1-bombing you does not adversely affect others, it isn't favouritism.
It's discriminatory towards other English authors if you don't give them something to whinge about too (whinging being the English national sport.) ;-)
AJ
It's discriminatory towards other English authors if you don't give them something to whinge about too (whinging being the English national sport.) ;-)
Since we are both English, that does not apply.
@awnlee jawking
whinging being the English national sport.
Really? I thought that was soccer.
I thought it was rioting after soccer matches. :)
Hmm... given the tendency for riots after (exceedingly rare) championship matches, I wonder if Detroit has a significant number of limeys living there?
It's taking the piss,as joyR often demonstrates
I have no idea who you are, but I think I'm in love... :)
Note to self: joy is into watersports.
Only if you know where I can get a jet ski with a sybian for a seat. :)
Only if you know where I can get a jet ski with a sybian for a seat.
You can always get one of the sit down style personal watercraft and strap a vibrator to the seat.
Just take one of the spark plugs out and run it rich and wide open.
That would destroy the engine eventually.
You can always get one of the sit down style personal watercraft and strap a vibrator to the seat.
Suggesting that a vibrator is equivalent to a sybian is as misguided as comparing a ram-air parachute to Marilyn Monroe's white dress.
Really? I thought that was soccer.
No, it's the whinging about the Germans beating us on penalties. Again.
AJ
The first is that I already voted for the book on SOL and the second is that I didn't read the book yet.
The first isn't an excuse, though the second is, though I assume you read the story when you first read it. So, baring a complete rewrite, you comments should still stand. Mostly, when someone moves a book to Bookapy, they'll do a comprehensive cleanup (hopefully) but not change the plot. So hopefully it'll be an easier read, while the plot remains the same. But, in actual fact, few SOL authors change much other than a new cover and (hopefully) they'll also add some interesting internal graphics, though that's still extremely rare in ebooks across the board. Normally, graphics are up to publishers, so self-published authors have no clue on how to access or even add graphics, as it takes some intuitive skill and hand-on learning over time.
Self-publishing has no gatekeeper. That's both good and bad.
I have no problems with self-publishing, as that only helps SOL authors reach a broader market. What I'm bitching about, is all the recent stories which either aren't in keeping with SOL preferences, but especially all the insipid porn knockoffs. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if many were stolen from established authors on other sites, as there seems to be little consistency or quality considerations at play.
It's good (for SOL) to have porn, but the short (under 10K word) books are an affront to the many SOL fans who prefer longer stories, especially with LONG individual chapters. But, now that the floodgates are open, there's little we can do to curtail it. Lazeez can hardly institute new guidelines when we've accepted so many outside books.
but the short (under 10K word) books
That's why when I was getting into Bookapy I asked if there was a minimum number of words for books.
I love short stories, but I can't see selling short stories on Bookapy unless they are a collection of short stories and listed as such. The word count is the only thing to warn the reader.
little consistency or quality considerations at play
Hence the lack of a gatekeeper. There's a lot of stuff on Amazon that isn't ready for primetime either.
especially with LONG individual chapters
I have to disagree with that. I prefer short chapters, and just because the chapter is short doesn't mean the novel is short or the reader is getting gipped.
I'm reading a James Patterson novel and so far his chapters are 2–3 pages long (hardcover). He even seems to start a new chapter for no other reason than he reached his 3 pages. I mean, POV, location, time didn't change. It's right in the middle of a scene. It's a thriller so I guess he thinks it's like a cliffhanger, but it's not. It's annoying. But not because it's short. Because where he breaks the chapters.
But then, I'm not sure just how many SOL readers are actually purchasing (or previewing) books on Bookapy, as it now seems like an entirely separate entity (i.e. little crossover between SOL-related sites)
I would guess most, if not all, purchasers on Bookapy are SOL readers.
little consistency or quality considerations at play
Hence the lack of a gatekeeper. There's a lot of stuff on Amazon that isn't ready for primetime either.
And typically, most of those books 'give those' short books away at a pittance, in order to promote the authors longer novel-length efforts. But, if you're just pushing short stories as complete books, then (IMHO) you're simply another huckster, purposely intending to cheat readers from a satisfying read.
especially with LONG individual chapters
I have to disagree with that. I prefer short chapters, and just because the chapter is short doesn't mean the novel is short or the reader is getting gipped.
That's true, for traditional books, but ... SOL readers typically prefer reading single chapter posts, so a short (1 to 5 typewritten pages) merely cheats the free-ride SOL authors from downloading additional stories. While it doesn't really apply to Bookapy, I suspect the focus still applies to individual SOL reader preferences.
For one of my recent books, I had to combine a full 4 chapters into a single (yet unposted) chapter post, just to have a reasonable content level (the book features underage kids, so the chapter lengths are dynamically shorter).
There's a lot of stuff on Amazon that isn't ready for primetime either.
And typically, most of those books 'give those' short books away at a pittance,
I was talking about quality, not length.
Can anyone explain book appy to me?
Actually I was wondering why 'bookapy' rather than 'bookappy'. 'App' is the millennial word for program (which is too difficult for the poor darlings to spell) and 'bookappy' looks like a contraction of 'book happy'.
AJ
Actually I was wondering why 'bookapy' rather than 'bookappy'.
I used to spell it with two p's until Lazeez corrected me.
I used to spell it with two p's until Lazeez corrected me.
Often, short and catchy beats long and reasoned, by a wide margin!