Apology and Kindle comment

I want to apologize about my comment about the 13 million kindle devices sold on Black Friday, I have to say that I heard the news, but today I read it and did misunderstood the issue. Amazon in a whole sold more than 13.7 million products, not 13 million kindle devices. The thing why I got confused is that they say that the kindle have just broke the Harry Potter record and now it has become the most bought product at the web page. Amazon's Kindle will end 2010 with a sold number above 8 million units. Again, Amazon company sold more than 13.7 million product on Black Friday. Still a very interesting news.

In other hand, that number posted by Kindle devices is of utmost importance for the self-publishing industry, and also for, as JA Konrath says, the gatekeepers. Just make some numbers. By the end of 2010 there will be more than 8 million kindle devices and a similar number of iPad. So we could imagine that every gadget owner will buy at least 1 book per month, reaching a conservative number of 16 million monthly. remember these are conservative numbers. But also we have to be realistic that the number sold will be much higher, du to the trend on ebooks, October number of Year-to-date sold, were up 171% from the same period 2009, the American Association of Publishers. This number does not have accounted the self-publishers numbers, so the trend is really important.

We have to be clear that this technology is here to stay, and every writer that wants to self-pub has to do it right now. As for me, in my way to becoming a writer, I will continue my search and read, read, and read, so I will be, eventually,one of those buying at least 1 book a month on my gadget (there will be more than 1 in my case). I also will keep an eye on the increase of spanish ebooks, because this is the next big step that ebooks have to take. Although Mexico is not a reading country, there are a lot of spanish speaking countries that are readers.

One question to all my fellow writers: Who wants to be one of that book sold to the new eReaders out there? I really would like to be in those numbers. So keep the stakes high, keep the creativity flowing, keep being a professional as your own editor, because (sorry JA Konrath for using your words, but they are right on the target) the new gatekeepers are the readers.

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Prince Caspian. The Chronicles of Narnia

We have arrived to the second installment of CS Lewis' Narnia Chronicles, Prince Caspian. If you remember that at the previous book review I said that the White Narnia was a Narnia that was pure and only when it melted blood was spilled and war started? In this second book we see a colorful place where we smell, since its beginning, trouble, war, betray and that some blood is going to be spilled. So we are still in line on what the real world is living. WWII.

In Prince Caspian we understand 100% the differences in time that the two worlds have. In the real world only one year has come by, but in Narnia hundreds of years have passed, so much time that the kings of old have been almost forgotten, so our heroes have to fight against incredulity. Also we still se that as more power a person has, more he has the possibility that this person be clouded by that power. Think that was something that CS Lewis wanted us to think about. One person with full power is not a good way to go.

A more dynamic book from its predecessor, looks like, CS Lewis, also wants to grow each book as the readers are growing.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

It is very difficult to say something new about this book, about this series. I think that is the most successful series of all time. Harry Potter seven installments have been publish in more than 60 countries and it have been sold over 300 million copies. That is an impressive fact. 300 million copies, not even the bible has been sold that much.

I will try to talk in the must impartial way I can. I first knew about this wizard just by the same time that Frodo was in his way to defeat Mordor, and I am a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings, so for me it has been difficult to believe in Harry and the power of friendship, because this is what its all about, friendship. Long lasting friendship.

This first book introduces us to all the world of Hogwarts and the trouble of being an outcast in your own family. First thing that helps audiences to feel empathy with the poor misunderstood Potter. J.K. Rowling is a master with this, throughout all the book she gave us all what we need to feel for Harry.

We see here a very young Harry Potter fighting his first not-so-difficult fight. He show us that as he will be growing with every book, so the fight he has to fight in order to gain his self and left his past behind. If you are going to give this to your kids, let them grow with the books, at least read one every 6 months. I think this will help them understand and enjoy better the fantasy.

I think that every people has to read this great series, and find the power of friendship agains all the worst thing in the universe. It is a great read, even if you are a Mogul.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Well, this is a classic. There is a lot of things that have been said about this series. But as a classic, it has to read, analized and read again.

I would like to start this post telling you about one of the existing controversies, the way it has to be read. There are two ways to do it, the first and more known is the way that it was written, the second way is a way that CS Lewis said in a letter that is the chronological way, and the one that starts with The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and his Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and The Last Battle. So if you have read this classics or this will be your first time, you could choose which way you will go. I have done my way, and it is the one that I will tell here.

This trilogy was written when Europe was sunked in desperation, just before WWII was over, so is the perfect way for the kids to travel. Travel to a place where they can be useful, in a magnificent place where they can be part of and not set aside. The book show us how, kids are no more when put in strained position. This is the start of the classic series that has been inspiration for a lot of people.

The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe give us a Narnia, a white Narnia, under the rule of a terrible witch. But as we know white is a good color, so it is not so bad of a which, it can be, because white would not be so pure, it would be against nature, that is why the white starts to melt and the colors turn back to us. Then war start. Then blood can be spilled.

This book is a must to young, not so young, adults and much more adults. If you have read it, please go ahead and read it again, because depending on your age, your experiences in life, you can find different things and different connotations.

eBooks

Before I tell you about the next book I have to do talk about all the buzz on eBooks. I think that it is unavoidable. It is the present and it is the future of books and reading. I think that with the numbers posted, they cannot be refuted. Publishers Weekly said that October was the slowest growth month with a staggering 112% vs the same month last year, and Year-to-date a 171.3%. We also have read the financial numbers od B&N and Borders with slower sells on printed material reaching 40% decrease and an increase on eBooks. So the numbers are there, then what is the fuzz on eBooks. Well as I see it, human beings (almost everybody) are static ones, they (I should say we, but I do not fit the profile) do not like to evolve. People love to have their things as they know, the same road to work, school, kids swimming class, the same milk, the same restaurant, the same food at the same restaurant with the same waiter. We do not like to evolve, which it is ridiculous since humans are in constant movement, hence movement brings evolution.

As an example I will use someone vary near to me (I hope he does not get angry). That person is me. I love photography and like 10 years ago i was recilient to use digital photography for fine art photographs. I did not wanted to evolve. But now, there is no way I think photography without digital. I do miss the analog photo, the smell of the dark room and all the thing that we could do there. But the practically that digital photography has, I think that beats all analog remembrance.

So I do buy eBooks, read them in my notebook and/or my iPod. I crave for an e-reader, but the decision is hard, because there are good technology out there and if I will buy one it has to work at least the next 5 years. so I will be stuck to it. The decision has to be hard thought.

By the way, how many of you own a e-reader? Here in Mexico it is having a slow start, mainly because we react slowly and this technology is expensive here. Also there are few spanish ebooks, but seams that the trend is picking up and 2011 we will se a boost of them.

If you are interested in this theme do not hesitate and go to J.A.  Konrath's blog and Amanda Hocking's blog, they both talk about all the ebook Vogue and where are we heading. And while you are in there go and buy some of their books, they are good writers.

For me just is keeping my way to the 100 books and also keep reading, and researching, and writing. Time will come. As you could hear in all the industry I will persist.