My erotic historical romantic suspense, The Royal Talisman, has just been uploaded to the Apple Store and on to Kobo today. Barnes & Noble and Sony are still holding out, but I’ll report when they’ve stocked it.

Have a great weekend!

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I’ve been feeling sort-of guilty for a few years now because I started reading electronically over ten years ago, first on my Palm Pilot, then on my cellphone.  Then, when dedicated e-readers emerged, I finally thought I’d better put my money where my profession lived, and buy one of the damned things.

I didn’t actually buy one, in the end.  I got a Sony reader for Christmas.  Although if you want to stretch the point, I did end up buying it, really.  The money comes out of the same bank account.

Long story short, that ereader didn’t last the year.  The battery fritzed before the next Christmas rolled around.  And I was never all that impressed with the software that managed the books.  But it did get me over to the ePub format for ebooks, so that’s a positive. It also introduced me to Calibre, the electronic ebook library management software, which has been a godsend.

But I was incredibly grateful when I could head straight back to my cellphone to read books, and load up the latest ereading software for every format out there, including Kindle. I could relax and enjoy my reading once more.  Why?

1. My cellphone reads any format ebooks I come across
2. I always have it with me.
3. It’s always charged.
4. I can whip it out and read in line-ups
5. I can read one-handed.
6. It’s back-lit
7. It does a heap of other things besides read books, including remind me to stop reading, when I really need to go on to something less important, like, oh, that work thing.
8. It also plays music.
9. And take photos…and you get the idea.

A couple of years ago on this blog I ran a long series of posts on the available types of ereaders, including laptops, cellphones, tablets, ereaders…the lot.  It was one of the most popular series on the blog, and got a heap of traffic.  I have considered updating the series, and even did a bit of research into ereaders.  That’s when I decided there was no way I’m going to do a series on ereaders.

There are simply dozens, if not hundreds of the buggers out there now.  I could spend weeks updating everyone on ereaders and when I was done, the series would already be out of date.  Ereaders are evolving and emerging that fast.

But…I don’t think a series on ereaders is actually worth while doing at all.  Because I’ve noticed what I think is a quietly emerging trend.  I don’t think people are buying ereaders anymore.  I think people are starting to do what I did two years ago, only they’re doing a scaled-up version of it.

People are buying mini-tablets.

The iPad2 -- note the Kindle logo on the screen.

Apple made this possible with their iPad, which revolutionized hand-held computing.  But the iPad was clunky, expensive, and people had to wrap their heads around the whole concept and get used to it.  Well, they’ve done that.  And while they were doing that, the rest of the computing world caught up.  Including Apple, which just brought out the iPad2, which is sleeker, quicker, and a bit more reasonable in price.  It also…very important…carries the Kindle software, as well as it’s own ereader software.  Plus you can load any other software you like onto the iPad.

That makes the iPad an ereader that can handle any ebook format you throw at it, plus it can do anything else you want it to do, including play music, take photos, plus it’s back-lit, will remind you to stop reading, will handle email, the internet, and much, much more…

The Acer Tablet -- Also note the Kindle and other ereading software bundled together

While Apple were refining and producing the iPad 2, Acer, a manufacturer of reasonably priced computers and laptops, grabbed hold of the idea of hand-held computing and combined it with the Android platform, an open-source programming code that hackers and programmers just adore.  They just brought out the Acer mini-tablet, which isn’t much bigger than the iPad 2 in physical size.  It is also four times cheaper than the cheapest version of the iPad 2.    The Acer tablet also carries Kindle ereading software, plus any other software you care to load onto it.  Plus it’s backlit, will remind you to stop reading, plays music, reads email, accesses the internet and much, much more….

There are other mini-tablets out there, and I’m certain that every computer manufacturer will hop into the market with their version.  HP have one, for instance, but the price is exhorbitant, and performance is so-so, while the size isn’t impressive enough to call it a hand-held anything.

The Acer Tablet and the iPad2 are small enough to be considered hand-helds, while being powerful enough to have real computer characteristics.  These two, and any others that follow, will pave the way for the next revolution in ebook reading.

Or at least, that’s what I think, anyway.

_________________________________

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Once you’ve made the leap and you’re reading e-books exclusively — and it doesn’t take long to reach a point where you simply don’t like reading paper anymore — it’s at this point in time you can start systematically moving yourself to 100% paperless.

There are lots of advantages to making the transition:

1.  You’ll have all your books, including your keepers and favourites, at your fingertips, instead of scattered across different formats and locations, making you have to remember where they’re located.

2.  You’ll never again lose any of your books because of aging paperbacks, friends failing to return borrowed books, or simply loosing the physical copy of the book.  And your dog will never be able to chew your favourite book to pieces.

3.  In the long run, you’ll save money.  Once you’ve replaced your paperback copies, you’ll never have to do it again.

4.  You’ll save space in your home.

5.  Your library of books will be super-portable from now on.

There’s three simple steps to moving to paperless:

Replace your paper books

This will be a gradual process, dictated by your bank account, how many paper books you’re hanging on to, and also, how many of those books are available in e-book format now.

Not all romances are available in e-book — yet.  This is a self-correcting condition, though.  Publishers are working to bring old titles out in e-book format, and if they’re not, authors are fighting to get their rights back and self-publish those titles.  Sooner or later, the keepers you have on your shelf will re-emerge as e-books, allowing you to replace them.

You can figure out for yourself the best way to work through your paper collection.  Start with your favourites, or start at the A’s and work through to the Z’s.  Or start with a sub-category or series, or an author.  Your choice.

Once you have replaced the paper book with an e-book, you get to decide what you are going to do with the paper copy.

The obvious solution is to sell the paper copy to a second-hand bookstore, and recoup some of your original investment.

Here’s something to keep in mind, however:  You’re not the only reader who is replacing their paper book collection with e-books, and the rate that this is happening is only going to speed up in the next few years.  Second-hand bookstores will start to be inundated with paper books soon, and the chances that you will be able to get any money for your paper collection will diminish the longer you wait to replace it.

If you find you want to hang on to a paper copy of a particularly beloved favourite because of fond memories, or the fabulous cover, here’s some more thoughts:

• The paper copy will not last forever.  It is going to fall apart as the glue dries and the paper disintegrates.  Then you’ll have lost it, anyway.
• If you love the cover, why not find a high resolution copy of it on-line, or get it professionally scanned, then have it printed and framed for your wall?  Then you’ll have the best of both worlds:  A well-preserved reminder of the book, and the permanent e-book of the contents.

Use a content management program to manage your e-books

If you use a Kindle to read your books, then your Kindle device already “manages” your content for you.  There will be a directory on your hard drive called “My Kindle Content” that contains all your e-books, along with all the meta-data for those books (you tags, dictionaries, bookmarks, comments, etc).

If you’re using any other reading device, including iPhones, iPads, Smartphone, your desktop or laptop computer, or a dedicated e-reader that has sucky software, then you should consider downloading and using an e-book library manager like Calibre, that keeps your e-books catalogued and organized on your hard drive, plus talks to and synchronizes and formats your e-books with your reading device(s).  You can also use Calibre to shop for new books, too.

If you’re using Apple devices (iPad, iPod Touch, or an iPhone), then you can also use iTunes to manage your e-books, keep them synchronized on your reading devices, plus shop for new books, too.  The only limitation with iTunes is that it will only let you shop at the Apple store.

Back-up your e-books to another off-site drive

If you’re not already backing up your computer data to some sort of off-site storage facility — a data hard drive on your home network, or an Internet data back-up services, or a back-up media drive, etc, then at the very least, back-up your e-book directory once a week or once a month, and store that back-up somewhere safe.

How soul-destroying would it be to lose your entire library of books?  Think about that, then put some sort of back-up plan into action.

Even if you’re using a Kindle, do not depend on Amazon to keep your library safe and sound for you, forever.  Back up your “My Kindle Content” directory.  Even if you’re dumping a copy onto a thumb-drive once a week and tossing it into a drawer, you’ll be glad you did if Amazon ever again pulls a stunt like they did a couple of years ago when they literally took back books off readers’ Kindle overnight when they had an argument with a publisher that wanted to withdraw copies from publication.  Readers woke up to find books they had bought had simply disappeared from their Kindles.  There’s no reason why Amazon might not make a mistake and delete titles from your personal library.  Play it safe.  Back up your library for yourself.

Also, do not depend on on-line booksellers to keep copies of your purchased books on “your” bookshelf in their store forever, either.  I made this mistake with one on-line bookseller, and found that after a certain amount of time passed, they simply deleted the books from my shelf – with no warning.   Always download purchased e-books to your own hard drive and consider that to be your master copy.

How often you back up your e-books depends on how frequently you’re buying new titles.  If you’re a rabid reader and buying dozens of titles a week, then weekly back-ups might be wise.

______________

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Where To Find Your MMF Romances

This is Part Four of a Series
Part 1: Ménages Categorized
Part 2: How can MMF be romantic?
Part 3: How To Read Your First MMF Romance
Part 4: Where To Find Your MMF Romances
Part 5: Narrow Down Your List of Potential MMF Novels To Read
Part 6: Keeping Track
_____

You know how to read MMF romance now.  You just need to know where to find ‘em.

Heading for your nearest bookstore is not the obvious answer.  Surprise!  The vast majority of MMF romances are published digitally, many of them only in e-book form — or in e-book first, and in print much, much later, or the print version isn’t available at your local bookstore, or both, or all three — so if you haven’t made the switch to e-book reading yet, this may be the excuse you need to jump over.

One major advantage to reading MMF romances in e-book form is that everyone sitting opposite you on the bus won’t be able to tell what you’re reading by the lurid cover featuring three scantily clad bodies in suggestive poses that you’re holding in your hands.  An e-book reader looks so much more innocent by comparison…

There’s a three-step process to finding your first MMF romance to read.  It’s the same process for finding new-to-you authors every time you go looking for fresh voices, new categories, or want to try something new in MMF.

1. Build a list of lots of potential book possibilities
2. Do some easy (and fun) research to narrow down your list and figure out which of these books are for you, and make your choice
3. Keep simple records of your reading, so you can zoom straight back to the source of that great book for more of the same.

It sounds like a pretty simple process, and because it’s all done on-line you can sip your favourite beverage while you’re doing it.  But because we’re talking about sex and an industry that is still trying to figure out which way is up, it’s not quite as simple as it sounds.

Here’s the quickest way to get the most effective results.  This way, you stand the best chance of not missing out on any MMF titles that might be hiding on some tiny little publisher’s site that is absolutely perfect for you.

Build a list of lots of potential book possibilities

For this step, quantity is the key.

You want as many MMF romance titles on your list that sound intriguing to you as you can find.  And for this stage, you cast your net wide.  Even if you prefer to only shop on Barnes & Noble.com, you don’t only search there.  You search everywhere.  You can buy your books on B&N later (or even B&N at your local mall), when you’ve made your final decision.  But for now, you’re just collecting information, and for that, you look under every virtual rock and leaf.

1.  Amazon

Start here.

Even if you can’t stand Amazon as a retailing, power-weilding behemoth, start here, because virtually every publisher in the western world has their titles listed here.  Remember, you don’t have to buy from Amazon.  You’re just researching.  Also, if you want to buy your books in a different format, you can still research here, and buy elsewhere.

And the truly glorious facet about Amazon is categories and tags.  Amazon allows authors, publishers and readers to add tags to books, earmarking them for other readers to find.  And you can search on those tags.

And yes, there’s a tag for MMF romances.  How wonderful!  If you click here, you can jump straight to a pre-sorted list.  You can arrange that list by rankings, popularity, best-sellers and more.  Start clicking on titles and covers that intrigue you, and reading the blurbs and excerpts, reader reviews (another advantage that Amazon offers) and building your list of possibilities.

When you have run out of title possibilities at Amazon (and that could take a while), you may want to try:

2.  Goodreads

Members of Goodreads add their favourite books to growing recommendation lists, and there’s a collection of various MMF romance ones:

Sandy’s Favorite MM/MMF Romance Novels

Paranormal MMF Menage

Best MMF Historical/Regency Romance

Favorite MM/MMF Romance Novels

Favourite MMF romance

You can possibly access the lists without becoming a member of Goodreads (something I can’t test for myself, as I’m a member), but consider joining anyway and paying forward for the work that went into these lists by adding your own recommendations when you come across MMF romance novels that you enjoy as well.  As you can tell from this article, tracking down good MMF romances isn’t always as obvious as it may seem.

3.   Romance Publisher Sites

I won’t break down every publisher’s site individually, but I will give you one example, because I know it better than others.  Be wary of heading directly to publisher sites, because if you’ve already combed through Amazon, then the titles you find on the publisher site will probably be repeats.   There are two minor advantages to heading directly to publisher sites:

• Some publishers delay uploading their books to secondary retail sites like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble by days or weeks, so you will pick up titles that haven’t reached the retailers yet.
• The classification of the publishers’ titles may help you find MMF romance books that readers/authors/reviewers have missed on Amazon.

On the other hand:

• You can spend a lot of time searching individual publishers’ sites, for the odd one or two titles you may have missed on Amazon…that you could eventually catch up with later, via reviews, word-of-mouth, etc.

If you have the time to spare, and a favourite publisher, you may consider the exercise worth it.  But digging out MMF Romances, even on a romance-only publisher’s site, can prove to be a challenge.

Ellora’s Cave, for example, have an entire category devoted to “Menage or more” (which is actually a misnomer, but…).  You can sort their entire library of available erotic romance novels on that category link.  Which sounds great…until you start combing through the 35 pages of book titles (not books, titles) within that category.  And you realize that some of these group romances are MFM, some might be MMF and some (these days) are even MFF.  Even more might feature more than three, but it’s hard to tell, really, by the descriptions.

There’s a sneaky backdoor way to narrow down your search with a bit more certainty.  If you search the MM category, which comes just below the menage category, then open up each title, and look for the little three people icon that indicates the book is, in fact, a menage, then you know you’ve got an MMF menage on your hands.

However.  If you’re gun-shy about MM sex, then this isn’t going to work for you, first title up.  Ellora’s Cave only slap the MM category on romances that have very strong MM story lines.  As in, that’s the dominant thrust of the romance.

I have published seven MMF romances with Ellora’s Cave in the past and none of them made it into the MM category and one of them had very nearly more MM romance than MF.

But for later MMF romance titles, if you acquire a taste for it, this will be a great way to hunt down new authors who write strong MM storylines.

For any other publisher, you will have to do similiar detective work on how they sort their romance titles, menages (if at all) and what sort of advanced search functions they offer for you to further filter their titles.

Finally, don’t forget that Google Search has an advanced search function that lets you search an individual site, too, so if you’re really determined to mine your favourite publisher for gold, Google might cough up nuggets for you if the publisher themselves don’t offer tools that do the work.  Just add your publisher’s name to the line that says “Search within a site or domain”.

—

You’ll notice I haven’t sent you off to Barnes&Noble.com, Kobo.com, Sony, Apple, and a host of other on-line retailers and book-sellers. Yes, even Smashwords, AllRomanceEbooks, and the new e-tailers who are right there supporting indie authors.

I’m steering you clear of those guys for a reason.  Even if they’re your favourite, most trustworthy bookstore in the world, their range of information about romance novels, and MMF romance in particular, frankly sucks.  They might sell the novels you’ll end up wanting to buy, but trying to extract those titles from the morass of “romance” novels lumped together on their sites is a quick lesson in frustration acceleration.  These sites are not researcher-friendly.  There’s also a pretty good chance they don’t carry all the titles Amazon does, so you’re automatically limiting your range by starting with them.

Next:  Narrow down your list

 _____________________

More resources:

My MMF Romances

Additional Articles:

The MMF Thing…How to Get It

MM and MMF – Let’s Try Again. Why Do Women Like Men Who Like Men?

Do Women Like MMF?

The Heroes in MMF Romance Don’t Need Classification

__________________

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1. Ease Yourself Into MMF Romances – Part III How To Read Your First MMF Romance This is Part Three of a Series Part 1: Ménages Categorized Part 2: How can MMF be romantic?...
2. Ease Yourself Into MMF Romances – Part II How can MMF be Romantic? This is Part Two of a Series Part 1: Ménages Categorized Part 2: How can MMF be romantic? Part 3:...
3. Ease Yourself Into MMF Romances – Part I Ménages Categorized This is Part One of a Series Part 1: Ménages Categorized Part 2: How can MMF be romantic? Part 3: How To Read...
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Even though I’m a PC nerd, I still fully appreciate the profound impact Jobs has had on the way the world works.

He’ll be missed.

If you really want to see something inspiring, catch his 2005 Stanford Commencement speech.  You’ll be awed.

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