# Powers vs. Power free paperback!



## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I just put the first book in my series of stories about superheroes on Smashwords. It is set in a Los Angeles that is just like the real one except for all the superheroes and villains. I have been writing this series for about three years. There will be three books eventually. I priced it at $.99, but in the interest of full disclosure I should mention that you can read these stories and a bunch more for free at http://metahumanpress.com


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I can legally bump this now, so I will enter a quote that I have on the back of the book:

Robin Reed brings depth, humor, and honesty to superheroes. A costumed crime fighter learns from the love of a child. A daughter grieves for a father she never really knew. This is superheroes for grownups.

Larry Brody
Writer and Producer on TV shows including Silver Surfer, Spawn, Spider-Man Unlimited, Police Story, Star Trek the Animated Series, and Fall Guy.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

Bump away - will you be putting this on Amazon too?

Looks like a fun book!


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I will probably put it on Amazon, I just need to get organized enough to do it.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Books One and Two of my superhero stories are now on Amazon. Each book has 12 stories, and is priced at only 99 cents. I hope some of you will check them out.

Now I need to figure out why my product descriptions aren't on the Amazon pages.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

There must be comic book fans on Kindleboards. Try some superheroes who live in a real, gritty Los Angeles. African American superheroes, Hispanic, Indonesian, and even a Caucasian or two! If you know L.A. you will recognize the neighborhoods, the streets, and the vibe. 

Powers vs. Power Books One and Two, $.99 each!

I will send a signed paperback of Book One to the first person who tells me what Marcus' uncle's name is!


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I know superhero prose fiction is not a big category. The books that do exist are usually based on established comic book characters. Amazon does have some original superhero stuff. One author is quite far up in the listings when I search. I can't get my books to appear in a search no matter how I word it. I have used keywords, and tagged the book pages.

I also wrote to the guy who created a list of superhero books on Amazon and asked him to take a look. No response yet.

Any ideas from you marketing geniuses?


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

I don't have any help with the Amazon search stuff, but I'd push your animation background more. You have quite a lot of credits!


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## Rye (Nov 18, 2008)

Robin, please take this with a grain of salt, as I'm not a big comic book guy so I may not know what I'm talking about. I don't know if you've gotten feedback on your cover but it just seems like there's a lot of white in the background. I'm not saying that the cover isn't good, cause it is, I just would think that a book on superhero's would be a lot more colorful and in turn help sales? Just throwing an idea out there.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2010)

R. Reed said:


> I know superhero prose fiction is not a big category. The books that do exist are usually based on established comic book characters. Amazon does have some original superhero stuff. One author is quite far up in the listings when I search. I can't get my books to appear in a search no matter how I word it. I have used keywords, and tagged the book pages.
> 
> I also wrote to the guy who created a list of superhero books on Amazon and asked him to take a look. No response yet.
> 
> Any ideas from you marketing geniuses?


Robin, I want to see you succeed, and so I'm going to give you some tough love right now in the hopes that you'll take it the right way and your presentation for your work will be better because of it. I've had a moderate amount of success, so has J.M. Pierce here with this genre. There are books like "The Rise of Renegade X" and the classic "Watchmen" doing well, in addition to movies like "Kick Ass." So it's not this branch of the fantasy genre.

I think there are a number of substantial things you can do to present your work in a way that will make your prospective audience want to read the words inside more. The first is beef up your descriptions, which are only a few lines long. I can't tell you how or what to say, only that you're not giving nearly enough. Second, I would think long and hard about what the most appealing title could be. Now, I've got a very similar one, but I think "Powers vs. Power" is a clunky way of projecting a one against many dynamic, if that's what you're getting it. You might be feeling defensive here. But it's my title! Really though, just changing a few words would cast your book in an entirely different light. Konrath always lists the title as one of the first things that should be changed when a book isn't working. If those two things don't help, one more thing to think about is the covers. I kind of like them, but trying to put myself in the shoes of a prospective buyer, they might come off a little "I did this myself."

This is all just food for thought. I hope your book picks up momentum soon. --Jason


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2010)

Superhero by me.......lol   I did the cover myself.  take my word for it covers matter.  My Superhero isnt selling at all but he has VD on his chest so thats a turn off!


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Thanks for replying everyone. I don't have an animation background, you must have found someone else with my name. The cover art was done by a Canadian comic book artist, I put on the title and my name with Photoshop. I just think no one is even seeing the books yet. I can easily change the descriptions, I will work on that.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

M.R. Mathias said:


> Superhero by me.......lol I did the cover myself. take my word for it covers matter. My Superhero isnt selling at all but he has VD on his chest so thats a turn off!


Some folks need more help with cover design than others do. 
Some well-intentioned but neither warm nor fuzzy feedback, which I realize you did not ask for:


Spoiler



With all due respect, I thought the title of your story was 'VD Superhero' from looking at the cover. I can barely read your name on the Dragoneer story cover, and the purple-blotchy background makes me want to look away. If I were you, and serious about marketing, I'd re-do all three of them with some assistance from a cover designer.


Feel free to throw feedback at me if you wish, as long as it is well-intentioned. 

Robin: Just get 'The Imp' to recommend them! Everyone will buy them then! (laughs just thinking about it)


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

If I knew how to make them look good on a Kindle I might release books of cartoons and comic strips. I'm sure it could be done, but would one complete cartoon appear on the screen, or just part of it? 

Anyway, that's a different question. I do appreciate everyone who offered help.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2010)

archer said:


> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> With all due respect, I thought the title of your story was 'VD Superhero' from looking at the cover. I can barely read your name on the Dragoneer story cover, and the purple-blotchy background makes me want to look away. If I were you, and serious about marketing, I'd re-do all three of them with some assistance from a cover designer.


I honestly don't think I could resist a book called "VD Superhero." I'd buy it in a second.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

foreverjuly said:


> I honestly don't think I could resist a book called "VD Superhero." I'd buy it in a second.


Heehee! Good point!
However, I might then be disappointed when the book was not about giant spirochetes being defeated by a muscle-bound bacteriologist.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2010)

archer said:


> Heehee! Good point!
> However, I might then be disappointed when the book was not about giant spirochetes being defeated by a muscle-bound bacteriologist.


Well that's exactly what it needs to be about! There's an army of crabs and pubic critters to hack through. The evil Dr. Syph and his arsenal of STI's. Let's co-write this one; it'll take off like a rocket!


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

foreverjuly said:


> Well that's exactly what it needs to be about! There's an army of crabs and pubic critters to hack through. The evil Dr. Syph and his arsenal of STI's. Let's co-write this one; it'll take off like a rocket!


You are ON!!

It all began when Dr. Syph discovered that his lovely daughter, Chlamydia, had her first case of Penicillin-envy...


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Someone needs to rescue this thread.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2010)

archer said:


> You are ON!!
> 
> It all began when Dr. Syph discovered that his lovely daughter, Chlamydia, had her first case of Penicillin-envy...


Hahaha that would be the most hilarious name! It sounds kind of like Cordelia from King Lear. The VD Superhero microbiologist has to get to Dr. Syph's evil lair on MILF island.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

MILF island. (snicker!)


R. Reed said:


> Someone needs to rescue this thread.


Sorry, Robin. We infected your thread with our silly humor. Seems it needs a shot in the arm! Perhaps some minor surgery, such as a postectomy?


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I'm very fond of silly humor. I have been posting it on my blog almost every day recently, at http://open.salon.com/blog/rreed423

I am allowed self promotion in this thread.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2010)

archer said:


> Heehee! Good point!
> However, I might then be disappointed when the book was not about giant spirochetes being defeated by a muscle-bound bacteriologist.


When your Superhero name is the "Valiant Defender" you have to have VD on your chest! You should read it. Its pretty funny, but its only a long short story!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

R. Reed said:


> Thanks for replying everyone. I don't have an animation background, you must have found someone else with my name.


Oh, I see what I did. Your quote from Larry Brody messed me up. I read his sig about being a writer/producer on Star Trek: The Animated Series and thought it was you. I then went to IMDB and found a B. Reed that worked on that show, thinking it was short for Robert (you are R. Reed).

The Internet is a vast, weird world.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Ah yes, Larry Brody is a friend of mine and he does indeed have a lot of animation writing credits, along with a zillion other TV shows of all kinds. I don't know about B. Reed. If you Google me, I am neither a wrestler nor a maker of crackers.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Ummm...Robin, check out the latest post in the Alterran news thread. THERE'S a marketing tactic for you!


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

A nearly naked superhero coming out of a cake?
It could work.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

I should share my (ahem) romance-novelesque drawing of a hunky Elf--done for a good friend. It's (ahem) verrrry nice!


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

My superhero stories are set in a very real L.A., and a lot of adult films are made here. I should mention that superhero porn is made here. Just a mention, but that would be an interesting detail.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

RReed--

somehow we missed putting a welcome letter in your book thread (I think the subject threw me--I almost moved it to the Writers' Cafe. Anyway, here's the letter. We like to have a Welcome Letter in each thread so that we know, well, that you've been welcomed.  So here it is!

Welcome to KindleBoards!

We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, most of our authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles!

We recommend you bookmark your thread so that you will be able to find it again, as we ask that authors have one thread for each book and add to it rather than start a new one with each update. Please read the fine print below for other information about being an author here on KindleBoards. You'll find a list of useful threads in the Threadipedia, pinned to the top of the Book Bazaar.

Thanks for being part of KindleBoards! Feel free to PM us if you have any questions.

Betsy & Ann
Book Bazaar Moderators


The fine print: 
_Please add to your existing book thread when you have news about your book rather than start a new one, it helps the members who are trying to follow you. You may have a separate thread for each of your books. We recommend you bookmark your post so that you can find it in the future.  You may respond to all posts, but if there have been no member posts, we ask that you wait a week before "bumping" the thread by posting back-to-back posts of your own. And we ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead. All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum. From time to time our site rules may change; be sure to check Forum Decorum for the current guidelines and rules. _


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

This thread has been so invisible even the mods didn't see it!


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Don't feel bad, Robin...I didn't get one of those, either.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

As I said, the "I need marketing advice" subject didn't read "buy my book" to me  and Archer, we don't want you to feel left out....

Betsy


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

If I bump my book selling threads, the title that I used when I started the thread is all that people see. So I started changing the original title to reflect the topic of the current bump. I will change it again later, but this is the most reaction I have ever had to a bump, so I guess it worked.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

R. Reed said:


> If I bump my book selling threads, the title that I used when I started the thread is all that people see. So I started changing the original title to reflect the topic of the current bump. I will change it again later, but this is the most reaction I have ever had to a bump, so I guess it worked.


See? You're a savvy marketer!


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

archer said:


> See? You're a savvy marketer!


I will believe that when I get some actual sales on the superhero series. So far, bupkus.


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## Rob Alex (Jul 6, 2010)

I did a comic book for a friend called THE MUDGEONS and we did it in classic comic book style with several frames on the page.  Next time I do one I will do it frame by frame so it will look better on the kindle.  However on the ipad kindle application it looks awesome just like a comic book.  So I don't know which way to tell you to go.  I think comic books will be huge on the devices with color but I think for the kindle you need more simple are work.  

Check out THE MUDGEONS  anyway so see what I am talking about.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

These stories are prose. Only the covers are illustrated. I would love to write comics, maybe the iPad and other coming tablets will create a market for ecomics.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Sampling isn't good enough - you can get Powers vs. Power Book One, in its entirety, free! PM me and I will send you a Smashwords coupon for a free ebook.

But that isn't good enough either! I will send a free signed copy of the paperback to three people in North America! (Dirt poor right now, can't afford shipping to other continents.)

See the review on Smashwords - this isn't a parody, pastiche, or deconstruction! It's all original characters, living in a real Los Angeles, struggling with complex issues. Two major characters are African American, some are Hispanic.

If anyone who reads the free book happens to put up a review on Amazon, that would be wonderful, but it's not a requirement.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I have actually sold a few copies of Powers vs. Power, Books One and Two!
But since no one has responded to this offer, I will extend it one more week. To get a free copy of Book One via Smashwords, PM me for the coupon. To get a free paperback, be one of the first three people to ask, and please have a mailing address in North America.


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## Rob Alex (Jul 6, 2010)

i know the feeling the first book I sold was a wonderful feeling.  I jumped up and down my first one and last month I sold 50 books so it is climbing took about 8 months to get to this point but it has been climbing each month.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Thanks, Zob!
One person has now snagged a free ebook AND a free paperback! Two free paperbacks left!


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

A week later, and there are STILL two free paperbacks left. Actually, I am mailing the first one today. I had to wait until I had the money for postage. I have postage money for the other two right now! You can have one in your hot little hands in a few days!


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I have been offering three free paperbacks, and two of you wonderful KBers have taken me up on the offer. Who will be the next and last? I will also give you a coupon for a free Smashwords edition of Book One. You can read the ebook on your Kindle and save the signed paperback for posterity.

I haven't heard from the first two - did you get the package? Did you read the book? What did you think? I'd love to hear.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Reviews, reviews, my kingdom for some reviews. I don't have a kingdom, or a horse, but I could use some reviews. I am willing to send out one more free paperback, and as many free Smashwords editions of Book One as it takes to get a review or two. If you hate it, at least that it will show that someone read it.


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## Krink (Jun 18, 2009)

I got my package and finished Xanthan Gumm so far hope to get a chance to read Powers VS Power this week.  

Just depends on how much time I can sneak for page turns while working this week.


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2010)

What happened to your two other covers?


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

They were gone for a while, now they're back. Some Amazonian glitch, I imagine.


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## Krink (Jun 18, 2009)

Ok. Managed to squeeze in enough reading while at work and not get fired while doing it.

I enjoyed the story and feel its a nice introduction to a few characters that tho they may have super human abilities they all still have very human faults. 
Characters range from the billionaire that wants to give back to the community to a kid obsessed with living out his dream of being the next big super hero. Most of the classic comic style heroes are represented here to some degree or another. There were two characters that reminded me of a couple old tv shows from a few years ago Knighthawk, and Sun Man. Knighthawk reminds me of the show M.A.N.T.I.S. where the hero has a suit of armor and a flying car and goes around town and beats up a few drug dealers and gang members. Sun Man kinda reminds me of the old show America's Greatest Hero. The hero finds this item and is given all kinds of powers and abilities while using the item but just can't quite get the hang of how it works.

In the end I think that's what I enjoyed the most from the story, how it brought some humor back into being a comic book hero.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Thank you, Krinkster.
Now that I have one review, can I get two? Do I hear three?


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Some of us recently had a great discussion about the history and future of comic books. One future is prose stories with themes from comic books. This allows a writer to build a world without having to find an artist. My two (soon to be three) books Powers vs. Power are set in a real, gritty Los Angeles, where costumed heroes and villains battle it out, but are also people. Randall Moss spent millions to become Knighthawk, then discovered that his money was better spent on jobs programs and community centers in his old neighborhood. Mike Santis becomes Sun Man, the most powerful superhero in the world, but doesn't have the maturity to handle his powers. Behind the scenes, the real power of the world lurks, manipulating everyone.

Superheroes for grownups!


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I just found a box of Powers vs. Power Book One paperbacks that I ordered from Lulu a ways back, but never opened. I am willing to send five signed copies out to anyone here who shows an interest. I would like reviews, but it's not a requirement. Take a chance, this is superheroes for grownups!

Book three will be out soon on Kindle! Watch for it!


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