Why this website is ad-free…
Technically speaking, saying I don’t advertise at this website IS an advertisement—in another words, it’s a feature readers might like. But why don’t I advertise here? I could make some extra green. Many websites do so, even many authors’ websites—from popup ads to services and affiliations with the 800-pound elephant in the retail room, Amazon.
When I go to a website and get bombarded by popup ads, though, it irks me. I get enough of that from Amazon, Facebook, Goodreads, Google, and LinkedIn, not to mention other websites, so much so that I’m often tempted to end my participation on all those social media and retail sites.
I mute TV ads—too bad there isn’t a “video mute” as well, but then I guess I wouldn’t know when the show starts again. I let telemarketers’ robocalls just ring—if I don’t recognize the number, I don’t answer. Period. (That robokiller app for the smart phone sounds like a great invention.) An annoying ad makes me less inclined to buy a product or use a service, exactly the opposite of what the advertiser wants, I’m sure.
With those negative experiences, why would I bother you, dear reader, with even more ads? I wouldn’t feel good about it. It would also seem unethical. There’s little moral integrity left in America, but that doesn’t mean I have to add to the decay. Most internet commerce is more than decay, of course. It’s like a toxic landfill where you need a hazmat suit.
Sure, I list some trusted websites on my “Join the Conversation” webpage that either offer services I’ve used or sell products that I approve. Some of these might have their own ads for other products and services—I can’t control that. Besides, that’s not the same thing, because nothing happens until you click on my website’s link to that other website.
In fact, it’s the same thing as clicking on the link to one of my books that takes you to the Amazon page (you didn’t know the cover icon links to the book’s Amazon page?—try it!). You can buy the book there, of course, but I do it more so you can see more info about the book that’s not available on the “Books & Short Stories” webpage—the latter is really only a summary. FYI: I’m not encouraging you to buy on Amazon—I don’t think this huge retailer is a friend of readers and writers. I’d just as soon have you buy the book elsewhere—on Smashwords or their affiliates, for example, or at the publisher’s website or a bookstore or other online retailer like B&N, where applicable.
You’ll note that I don’t show prices on my website either. By getting rid of my old POD versions (OK, they’re still out there, but there are less expensive second editions), and not being exclusive on Amazon, you can buy my books just about anywhere at reasonable prices, much more reasonable ones than anything the Big Five publishers offer. In particular, no ebook is over $10; many from big publishers are and almost as much as the print version, which is absurd.
You see, I’m lucky: I don’t have to make a living as a full-time writer. I’m not rich, though, so I’d like to at least recover my costs, but I’m primarily just having fun entertaining readers with my stories. So far, I invest ALL my royalties into publishing and marketing the next book and updating this website. (For Penmore Press and Black Opal Books, my costs are only at the marketing end, one reason I’ve started to traditionally publish.)
I even give away my fiction. You’ll find free short stories in the blog categories “Steve’s Shorts” and “ABC Shorts” (the latter were written by my new collaborator, A. B. Carolan). I also offer PDFs free for the asking—see the list on the “Free Stuff & Contests” webpage (in the future, some of these won’t appear anywhere else, not even on my blog). While I offer sales on ebooks, I don’t give them away—that’s no way to accumulate funds for my next book! (You’ll only find sales on Smashwords, though, and not Amazon—the latter doesn’t allow them because my books aren’t offered exclusively there).
Yes, this website is ad-free; I refuse to bombard you with ads. It isn’t a commercial site in the usual sense. You can help me keep it ad-free and produce more fiction to entertain you simply by purchasing books that interest you. Thanks for doing so. I know you have many good books and authors to choose from, so I’m honored if you read mine.
***
The Secret Lab (2nd Edition). Four students on the International Space Station discover the origins of a mutant cat and uncover a conspiracy in a sci-fi mystery that’s sure to entertain young adults and adults who are young at heart. In a new second edition completely rewritten and reedited by Steven M. Moore’s collaborator A. B. Carolan. Now available in a print version (Create Space) as well as all ebook formats (Amazon and Smashwords).
From a review of the first edition: “I will disclose this: I picked up The Secret Lab because of Mr. Paws, the intelligent cat. Yes, I could not resist the temptation to read the adventure of a sentient, mathematics inclined cat, told by Steven M. Moore. It exceeded my expectations. Mr. Paws is the result of a genetics experiment aboard a facility orbiting Earth in 2147. The cat and his newly found friends, a group of four smart teenagers, find themselves in an intrigue with corporate agendas, young curiosity, dangerous and ethically problematic research, relationships and their difficulties when coming of age. The complexity is enthralling, but the author also makes it easy to follow, using a light, natural style to tell us their story.”–Alfaniel Aldavan, in a Smashwords’ 5-star review
In libris libertas….
