Writer Mark Jeffrey Interview

Four Quadrant Zooming - An Interview with Max Quick Series Author Mark Jeffrey

Most of us have enough on our hands just keeping up with our day jobs. But Mark Jeffrey, author of the ultra popular Max Quick series of books and podcast audiobooks has two day jobs. His first podiobook, Max Quick 1: The Pocket and the Pendant, has received over 2 million downloads to date.

Emphasis added by me.

This is also interesting:

[T]he Max Quick Series has been marketed in many innovative ways — and was among the first in each case. And that can be directly traced to my ‘DNA as an Internet Guy’, if you will. I released the book first via Lulu.com in 2004 as a self-published paper book and as a downloadable PDF. In the beginning of 2005, ‘Max Quick 1: The Pocket and the Pendant’ was one of the very first podiobooks ever released (Scott Sigler’s Earthcore and Tee Morris’ MOREVI were the other two). I also released ‘Pocket’ on the Kindle. And most recently, ‘Pocket’ and ‘Max Quick 2: The Two Travelers’ were both released in the iPhone App Store as $5.99 ebook downloads.

This too:

FPP: How do you see technology changing the way consumers read and authors write over the next several years? Is the printed book in danger of extinction?

MJ: I don’t think so. Personally, I am still a big fan of being able to have a book on my bookshelf — and I think a lot of people feel the same way. Maybe if I were younger I would feel differently — I might be too old to adopt fully digital books.

However, I was shocked at how much I liked reading books on my iPhone. I wouldn’t have called that one. I am personally not a big fan of the Kindle or the other e-readers out there. Probably because I already have in my iPhone a multi-purpose device, and the Kindle is a one-trick pony. It seems ridiculous that I should have to purchase a bit of standalone hardware like that. My iPhone is already my email client, iPod, web browser, ebook reader, GPS device, camera, etc. It’s already in my pocket. You get the point. And I’ve sold way more iPhone copies of my books in the first two weeks than I’ve sold on the Kindle in the last year. So, I think the iPhone — or other multipurpose mobile device — crushes the Kindle. You heard it here first! You can’t be a one-trick pony hardware device anymore.

I also love the fact that I can go direct to a market of millions without a publisher as an unnecessary intermediary. I published directly to iPhone via Tom Peck’s wonderful e-reader application. Apple takes a cut, Tom takes a cut, but I — the artist — take the biggest cut. Now that is a proper world! And of course, I am very happy to see both Tom and Apple do very, very well. I want them to do well!

Emphasis added by me.

First of all, not everyone in the universe is going to buy an iPhone.

Second, not everyone in the universe is even going to buy a smartphone.

Third, the Sony Reader -- and yes, even the abominable Kindle -- have screens that are friendlier to hours of e-reading. (I wish I had a chart to display the deterioration of my eyesight from staring at an illuminated surface for hours and hours every day!) The screens are also larger and more book-ish.

Fourth, yes, I would expect more eBooks to be sold via iPhone right now. Perhaps even for years to come.

Fifth, I'm with you there on direct publishing!

There's more of interest to read there too. I didn't want to excerpt every good bit.

I'm not pleased that the Sony Reader wasn't mentioned. Perhaps he'll consider it (he should read this).

He's doing direct publishing. That is the future for writers.

-- via Twitter from KatMeyer