NYT: With Kindle, the Best Sellers Don’t Need to Sell

[Jon Loomis]

Here’s a riddle: How do you make your book a best seller on the Kindle?

Answer: Give copies away.

That’s right. More than half of the “best-selling” e-books on the Kindle, Amazon.com’s e-reader, are available at no charge.

Although some of the titles are digital versions of books in the public domain — like Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” — many are by authors still trying to make a living from their work.

Earlier this week, for example, the No. 1 and 2 spots on Kindle’s best-seller list were taken by “Cape Refuge” and “Southern Storm,” both novels by Terri Blackstock, a writer of Christian thrillers. The Kindle price: $0. Until the end of the month, Ms. Blackstock’s publisher, Zondervan,
a division of HarperCollins Publishers, is offering readers the
opportunity to download the books free to the Kindle or to the Kindle
apps on their iPhone or in Windows.

More here.  Witness the future--but wtf is a "Christian thriller?"

[I. J. Parker]

I forgive you. :) Being probably more guilty than you. I love moral issues.

[Sue Harding]

It was just an aside - but why shouldn't a Christian write a thriller/murder.......!?

[Grant McKenzie]

I believe Jon was wondering what the difference is between a thriller with Christian characters and a Christian Thriller. I would say that a majority of thriller protagonists reflect Christian morals and beliefs (Good, honest people with love in their hearts) who are suddenly confronted by evil (kidnappers, murderers, etc.). My guess would be that to be classified as a Christian Thriller, one would need to make more mention of God and Church than, perhaps, the average mainstream thriller?

[Sue Harding]

"My guess would be that to be classified as a Christian Thriller, one would need to make more mention of God and Church than, perhaps, the average mainstream thriller?"

Yep - I guess so. Is that a bad thing? We've had the 'dysfunctional/alcoholic/drug-dependent/impaired-in-whatever-form' investigators in crime stories - why not a Christian? Just a thought.

I've read the Left Behind series and it was certainly entertaining - but it was just one take on how 'the end of the world' might be played out. And I think some of it felt a little contrived.

Anyway - this has kind of hijacked the original post......

[Jon Loomis]

I think Christians should, by all means, write anything they like. What I'm interested in is the way publishing seems to be getting more and more niche-driven: the something-for-everyone approach seems to work, in a way, by keeping readers engaged with stuff that feels familiar/comfortable, at the same time I worry that it slices the pie exceedingly thin. I was also curious about what a Christian thriller would look like--I was sort of hoping for a sawed-off shotgun toting, muscle-car driving, leather-jacket wearing Jesus come back to exact a little justice on the modern-day moneychangers, but I can see the slightly more mundane appeal of the scenario you describe.

[B.R.Stateham]

Semantics, again. We're finding ourselves getting trapped in semantics.

[minervaK]

Well, heck, B. R., we're writers! We would.