Historical fiction?

[The Hooded Claw]

I can only assume that since you didn't bother to quote anyone in particular, that you were directing this to me, since I seem to be the most outspoken here about it.

Apparently, you didn't read the entire thread, OR my posts in their entirety, because A) I wasn't YELLING AT anyone, and B) *I* was the one who did just that:  I started a very civil thread for discussion about an idea that several others weighed in on and then got the big fat juicy glorious NO, which I fully expected from this place.

Announcing or even ironclad proving of the idiocy of my comments doesn't help you.  My sincere advice to you to get what you want is to put your energy and creativity into participating in a thread that is what you are seeking, and is so popular that the moderators have no choice but to give it more prominence.  Enjoy your evening.

[Susan in VA]

Then you're missing the poing of this place, period.  For the most part, readers who interact with authors buy more books.  I've made fewer sales from my self-promotion threads that I'm only allowed to post to once every seven days (RIDICULOUS NOTION, btw), than I do when I'm actually interacting in real discussions with the readers.  Maybe it doesn't work that way for you, but the majority of authors who post here have reported the same phenomenon.

The point of this place is NOT to sell books, much as that may come as a surprise to a few of the authors here.  Note the name:  KindleBoards.  People come together here because they own, hope to own, approve of, have questions about, or write for the Kindle.   Yes, they also talk about everything else under the sun, and yes, they also talk about books that they read on other e-readers and in paper form.  But no, KindleBoards does not revolve primarily around authors or book sales.  You'll have to look elsewhere for that.

[opuscroakus]

Announcing or even ironclad proving of the idiocy of my comments doesn't help you.  My sincere advice to you to get what you want is to put your energy and creativity into participating in a thread that is what you are seeking, and is so popular that the moderators have no choice but to give it more prominence.  Enjoy your evening.

And thanks for your opinion.  Again.

[opuscroakus]

The point of this place is NOT to sell books, much as that may come as a surprise to a few of the authors here.  Note the name:  KindleBoards.  People come together here because they own, hope to own, approve of, have questions about, or write for the Kindle.   Yes, they also talk about everything else under the sun, and yes, they also talk about books that they read on other e-readers and in paper form.  But no, KindleBoards does not revolve primarily around authors or book sales.  You'll have to look elsewhere for that.

You think so, hunh?

When I first published to Kindle, this was the very FIRST place I was directed to sell. my. books.

One of the first welcome messages authors get upon registering here, is a notice informing you that Kindle readers buy Kindle stories, and this IS the place to get your books noticed, because this is the biggest place that the most Kindle readers gather.

There are numerous threads that I know Harvey alone has started in which authors are asked to post their books, genre and pen name so there will be a single directory of them.  Why?  To make it easy on the authors?  Um, no, to make it easy for the READERS and KINDLE OWNERS to FIND BOOKS to download.

You may think authors aren't given just as much attention and ecouragement for selling their books, but you would be wrong.  Period.

Now.  If you'll kindly stop bashing the authors here, perhaps we can get back to solving the problem of creating one group all-inclusive of book discussions AND writing discussions.

[telracs]

Opus, you may have been sent here by people in order to sell your books, but that is because some people think like you, that this is the place.

However,  NOT all of us think that way.  And, as I've said, the authors that do well talk to us like people not customers.

And if you aren't willing to listen to other people's opinions, there is no point in talking anymore. 

I wish you well, and may many sales bring you happiness. 

[opuscroakus]

Opus, you may have been sent here by people in order to sell your books, but that is because some people think like you, that this is the place.

And as I said, the welcome messages pretty much spell out what will gain sales for us and that this IS the place to do that.  I'm sorry this offends you, but it's the truth.

However,  NOT all of us think that way.  And, as I've said, the authors that do well talk to us like people not customers.

And if you aren't willing to listen to other people's opinions, there is no point in talking anymore. 

I wish you well, and may many sales bring you happiness.

Oh, calm down, for crap's sake.

And yes, I don't believe we have anything further to say, as you're not actually participating in the thesis of this thread, which is about a discussion group that's all-inclusive for writing and reading historical fiction.  I got up your nose, obviously, because you took one of my minor comments OUT-OF-CONTEXT and THEN misinterpreted it, THEN argued against it, and that wasn't even what I said!  I detest it when people do that, because they always win their straw man argument.

READ the entire thread.  I discuss my desires for wanting a place where both readers AND writers can talk about historical fiction quite nicely, and it's still my one desire to see that here.  But it won't happen in the Book Corner.

So, if you have ideas, I'd love to hear them.

If you don't, then have a nice evening.

[Susan in VA]

When I first published to Kindle, this was the very FIRST place I was directed to sell. my. books.

One of the first welcome messages authors get upon registering here, is a notice informing you that Kindle readers buy Kindle stories, and this IS the place to get your books noticed, because this is the biggest place that the most Kindle readers gather.

But that's a good thing.  It shows you that authors are indeed welcome here, right?  

There are numerous threads that I know Harvey alone has started in which authors are asked to post their books, genre and pen name so there will be a single directory of them.  Why?  To make it easy on the authors?  Um, no, to make it easy for the READERS and KINDLE OWNERS to FIND BOOKS to download.

Well, yes, because the READERS keep the forum active with their thousands of posts, and did so long before more than a handful of authors had found KB....  and they buy lots of books from the authors partly thanks to those directories ....   so why does it bother you that a forum originally created for readers does something to make life a little easier for them which then also benefits you as author?

Now.  If you'll kindly stop bashing the authors here, perhaps we can get back to solving the problem of creating one group all-inclusive of book discussions AND writing discussions.

As others have said, there isn't really a "problem" here....  for heaven's sake, just start a thread in the Book Corner, and if there are enough people who want to talk about the same things as you, that thread will stay at the top...  why would this thread need a separate sub-board?
And I sincerely hope that you are not accusing me of bashing the authors here.  I have at times taken issue with individual authors hijacking unrelated threads with a sales pitch, but for the most part I enjoy the interaction with fellow KindleBoards members whether or not they happen to be authors.  

[opuscroakus]

so why does it bother you that a forum originally created for readers does something to make life a little easier for them which then also benefits you as author?

Okay, now I think my head is about to implode.

I NEVER said there was a problem.  I NEVER even implied this...that other person did when she picked a minor point I made in a post, took it completely out-of-context and then misinterpreted it and decided that I was wanting to begin a group with deception so that I could secretly sell my books.  That simply couldn't be farther from the truth, and it's made me angry now, because it's nothing short of offensive.  I began this thread with nothing but altruistic intentions, and this is how she treats it?  She wasn't even actively participating anywhere in this thread.  She just "decided" that I was some trouble-maker who needed to be taken down a notch, and I don't take kindly to that.

This thread has never been about ANY of this.  So I'm not sure why you two in particular, have made it a huge, whopping issue!  Why? 

for heaven's sake, just start a thread in the Book Corner, and if there are enough people who want to talk about the same things as you, that thread will stay at the top...  why would this thread need a separate sub-board?

Oh for crap's sake, I've already explained this plenty of times as to why this wouldn't work.

From my response to Hooded claw, or whoever he was (I've bolded the important words):

The bottom line is, that Harvey's solution will. not. work.  Oh, sure, it's fine for anyone who's already participated in THIS thread (who can be arsed to weed through the squillions of threads and then lose them) and knows what's already been said, but for anyone new wanting to find a general historical fiction place in which simultaneous discussions about books AND writing are going on will have absolutely no idea that anything remotely similar is taking place in the Book Corner, and why would they?  There is NOTHING in the description about any sort of discussions taking place that don't centre around books.  And according to their own description, anything most in this thread have said they want will be considered off-topic there and subject yet again, to moderation and removal, because they WON'T be just about book discussions.

You didn't read all the posts in the thread, either, did you?

You jumped on board a comment that was that was pulled from context and blown into something it wasn't.

I'd like to see this get back to the thesis, if you don't mind, and that's why we can't convince the moderators that the Book Corner won't work for what we envisioned.  Why is THAT so bad?   

[intinst]

Then you best inform them, because if they saw it ONLY as an owner's board, they wouldn't have bothered to make provisions for the rest of us mere peons who write those books you load onto your Kindle.

I never said that anywhere, and you can't show me where I have.  If you had bothered to go through ALL the posts instead of making judgements, you would've seen that it was about so much more.  I was only speaking to your one point that you obviously took out-of-context, and then misinterpreted.

And as several have already said, that doesn't work for what we want.

The same could be said of the readers, however.  You have just as many choices as we do, so if you don't like a soft-sell (read=books in sig files), take it up with the moderators, but don't blame the authors.

Oh, and PS--The idea for interacting with readers through discussions for selling our books came directly from the moderators.  Just sayin'.

I am always surprised that the authors who say that they are trying to increase the numbers of readers for their books go so far to alienate those very people who would likely have bought those very books. Thank you for your posts in this thread, they saved me the time of reading the samples of your books that were on my Kindle.

[Betsy the Quilter]

Okay, folks....please take a deep breath.

Let's keep the posts to the topic, let's stop picking apart each others' posts, and let's stop attributing things to people that they didn't say.  And I'm not directing that at any one person, there have been multiple incidents.

Oh, and some discussions of historical fiction have broken out in the Book Corner.

Betsy

[opuscroakus]

I am always surprised that the authors who say that they are trying to increase the numbers of readers for their books go so far to alienate those very people who would likely have bought those very books. Thank you for your posts in this thread, they saved me the time of reading the samples of your books that were on my Kindle.

You'll have to remind me exactly what your post has to do with a historical fiction reading group again??

Oh, and I NEVER said I was trying to increase anything.

My original comment that's caused everyone to spill over into the absurd, and notice how I begin.  FOR THE MOST PART (which clearly leaves room for exceptions):

For the most part, readers who interact with authors buy more books.  I've made fewer sales from my self-promotion threads that I'm only allowed to post to once every seven days (RIDICULOUS NOTION, btw), than I do when I'm actually interacting in real discussions with the readers.  Maybe it doesn't work that way for you, but the majority of authors who post here have reported the same phenomenon.

NOWHERE did I say this place was only for authors.  NOWHERE did I say that I was being deceptive in wanting to begin a discussion group so I can get more sales.  NOWEHRE did I effin' say I needed to increase my sales or readers or anything else.

God, I'm sick of having to defend myself against [crap] I did NOT say, and all because people were too lazy to read a thread.

And no, Betsy, no need to lock down the thread.  I'm out so it's over.

[imallbs]

I have followed this thread since it was started (and have read every post).  I enjoy historical fiction but didn't participate because I don't think there is a need for a combined writing/reading discussion group.  I see the mods point and agree with them.  Both of these things can be discussed in seperate areas.  I realize this isn't what some of the posters in this thread want but it is what the mods decided to do.  

I also think that the book corner is not as reader friendly as it once was so I stay out of there.  However, any new member just needs to ask a question and there will be many people who will be happy to help them find what they are looking for.  What it comes down to (for me) is that the owner of this site and his designated representatives do not see Kindleboards as being the place for this type of group and they are the ones who get to make that decision.

[SheilaLouise]

What it comes down to (for me) is that the owner of this site and his designated representatives do not see Kindleboards as being the place for this type of group and they are the ones who get to make that decision.

That is the bottom line for me as well.  I think it makes sense to at least try to work within the framework provided.  Besides, I'm not about to pick up my toys and go home because I only just arrived! 

[Grace Elliot]

I'd pop in and take part if there was a historical fiction club - love the genre!

[Betsy the Quilter]

Grace, there are several historical fiction threads in the Book Corner that you're welcome to take part in as a reader.  Or start one if the existing ones don't meet your needs.  (Search for "historical fiction" in the Google search box in the forum header.) For the reasons stated earlier in this thread, we're not going to have a Historical Fiction club at this time.

Betsy

[JeffreyVanke]

Can the Alan Furst fans here recommend other niche historical fiction thriller authors, more like Furst or even Ken Follett than like Ludlum, and including any set just in the U.S.?

[wdeen]

If you get one started, or I can do some leg work, let me know. I'm in if its Historical Fiction!

[Stuart S. Laing]

< pops head above the parapet, takes a quick look around, it seems quiet at the moment and decides to risk it.

Hi all, I think a forum to discuss Historical Fiction would be a fantastic idea and truly hope that we find such a home to share our favourite books and authors in this genre.

Right, back into the trench and out of the firing line before the bullets start flying again 

[montereywriter]

So I assume this never got off the ground? I'm new and am looking for this shtuff!

[JRTomlin]

Grace, there are several historical fiction threads in the Book Corner that you're welcome to take part in as a reader.  Or start one if the existing ones don't meet your needs.  (Search for "historical fiction" in the Google search box in the forum header.) For the reasons stated earlier in this thread, we're not going to have a Historical Fiction club at this time.

Betsy

Ok. Then may I please have the popcorn concession for this thread?