I added a new cover to my website and Goodreads for the third book of The Arros Chronicles. The book isn’t done, but the cover art was and I figured I’d get a little preliminary advertising out there. Here’s the cover I posted.

I’m looking at the cover on Goodreads, and at the tabs underneath for getting the book from an online store, and I wonder what would come up for my not yet finished book. So I click on Amazon. This book comes up.

Son of a b@#$h. I didn’t bother googling the title for my book. Every title is already taken by somebody, somewhere. Another book out there with a book and an amulet on the cover…likely. One that also has a similar title…son of a b#$@h.  I’ve never heard of the book or the author. The subject matter has no similarity. Still, what are the odds? I think I’ll go with my original title: Jewel of the Empire. I’m sure somebody else (a bunch of somebodies) has used that title too, but hopefully not with matching (sort of) cover art. 

It appears giving away a book for free doesn’t always work as a marketing strategy. I think part of this may be that people don’t value something they’ve gotten for free. Free books tend to sit unread on reading devices in the thousands. So…I’m going with not free for The Spiders of Halros. Three bucks is still well within the category of bargain books, and I think, still good value for the product. Don’t quote me on this, but I’m getting out of the free book business for good. Undoubtedly, far fewer people will download, but I’m hoping a higher percentage will actually read. Note: Amazon takes a while to readjust a book’s price from a price match, so it will be free there for a while (day, week, month?). 

Here's the working cover for my next novel (written, but unedited). It's a bit of science fiction (if the cover doesn't give that away please let me know;) I'm expecting to release this one in September at the latest. The Alien Documentaries are a three book series Resurrection, Retribution, and Redemption.