# New Jack Kilborn Horror Novel ENDURANCE only $2.99



## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

Here's ENDURANCE, the long-awaited follow-up to my horror novel AFRAID. Click on the cover to be taken to its Amazon page.











This was originally under contract with AFRAID's publisher, Grand Central, and was scheduled to come out in paperback this year. My editor wanted substantial changes, which would have watered-down the terror. I refused, and pulled the book from publication to release on my own. I believe this is the first time an author has ever given up a print contract to self-publish an ebook.

Could I have submitted to the edits and gotten a big print release? Yes. AFRAID sold well over 50,000 copies, and I think this is a better book. But instead I put my money where my big mouth is, and decided to break the contract and go solo.

Here's the jacket copy:

An original full-length horror novel, not available in print, on sale for a limited time.

WELCOME TO THE RUSHMORE INN

The bed and breakfast was hidden in the hills of West Virginia. Wary guests wondered how it could stay in business at such a creepy, remote location. Especially with its bizarre, presidential decor and eccentric proprietor.

ONCE YOU CHECK IN...

When the event hotel for the national Iron Woman triathlon accidentally overbooked, competitor Maria was forced to stay at the Rushmore. But after checking into her room, she quickly realized she wasn't alone. First her suitcase wasn't where she put it. Then her cell phone was moved. Finally, she heard an odd creaking under the bed. Confusion quickly turned to fear, and fear to hysteria when she discovered the front door was barred and the windows were bricked over. There was no way out.

...YOU'LL BE DYING TO LEAVE

One year later, four new female athletes have become guests of the Inn. Will they escape the horrors within its walls? Or will they join the many others who have died there, in ways too terrible to imagine?

ENDURANCE by Jack Kilborn
Are you brave enough to finish?

A Word of Warning:

This is a disturbing, terrifying book. You may think you're brave enough to handle it. But you're probably not...

Also includes excerpts from TRAPPED by Jack Kilborn and AFRAID by Jack Kilborn, as well as LOCKED DOORS by Blake Crouch.

About the Author:

J.A. Konrath has written six Jack Daniels thrillers (Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Fuzzy Navel, and Cherry Bomb.) The seventh, Shaken, will be available this October.

Under the name Jack Kilborn, he wrote the horror novel Afraid,
and the ebook SERIAL with Blake Crouch, which has been downloaded more than 250,000 times.


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## Sean Sweeney (Apr 17, 2010)

Very nice, Joe.


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## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

Thanks! I'm pretty geeked about this. It took a lot of thought and introspection to actually say "no" to a print publisher.

But I've been preaching about ebooks being the way of the future for over a year, and this was a "put up or shut up" moment for me. I'm betting I can make more money on this as an ebook than I could have through a big NY Publisher.

We'll see...


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## scottnicholson (Jan 31, 2010)

Groovy pitch and cover, Jack. I pulled The Skull Ring from a publisher (though a lesser one, Medallion), but it hadn't been accepted yet. In fact, I guess they didn't get the memo, because they sent me a rejection slip about a week after I'd published it myself. And about a month later they announced they were switching to full-time e-publishing anyway. So much had changed between the time I'd submitted it last fall and this spring (most of the change was in my mind) that I realized there's no way I would ever sign a contract for what they would offer.

I admire your pluck, and I'd still take a print deal, but if I were getting your sales, I'd sure go this way--and if you're going all in and becoming the indie poster child, you might get burned in effigy if you turned back! (Sounds like the next novel...)

Looking forward to reading it.

Scott


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## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

This is a looooooooong tail, Scott. You may not have my sales.... yet. Keep writing good books like you're doing, and keep up with good covers and good blurbs and low prices, and the audience will eventually find you.

There still is luck involved in this crazy biz. It used to be the harder you worked, the luckier you get. But now there's a new dynamic at play.

The reason many of the current bestsellers became bestsellers in the first place is because publishers pushed their books. A book a year, year after year. Eventually, these authors reached a critical mass and broke into the mainstream because you simply couldn't ignore their large body of work and number of books in print.

I'm predicting something similar in the ebook world. Right now, I have 17 ebooks available on Kindle. By the end of the year, I'll have 20. By next year, 24. 

In ten years, at 4 ebooks per year, I'll have 60 ebooks available. That's going to be very hard to ignore. It's a lot of virtual shelf space, and a lot of chances for new readers to discover you. Kind of like going to stores and seeing Stephen King books everywhere. The more people who see it, the more people who buy it.

And of course, if you hook one reader with one book, they'll buy more of your books. I've lost count of the number of emails I've gotten from fans who have said, "I've read everything you've written."

You don't need 1,000,000 fans to sell 1,000,000 books. You only need 25,000 fans to buy all 40 of your books.

Don't expect it to happen overnight (in fact, it's best to curtail expectations) and keep putting out quality products, and you'll do fine.

Remember--ebooks never go out of print. There's no "sales window." There's no expiration date. An ebook can keep selling for decades.

Let's say we both live another 40 years. And let's say ebooks continue to rise in popularity. 

That's potentially a buttload of ebooks we're going to sell, brother.


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## Zack Hamric (Jun 2, 2010)

Thanks for the advice and inspiration! After about a year of unsuccessfully working with an agent trying to get a publishing contract, I finally put Crescent Rising on Kindle- due in large part to some of the blogs and articles you've written. The unanticipated consequence is while I've only had one sale on Amazon after a couple of weeks, that provided the motivation to start writing a second novel!


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## Kippoe (Jan 17, 2010)

Great can't wait to read


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## bvlarson (May 16, 2010)

Fantastic Joe! Two more must-reads!

Your choice is a pretty big deal to me, as just last night another author friend of mine (who is considering dumping his backlist on Amazon, but is afraid of the learning curve) wanted to know if big authors were making the switch. Here is more evidence that it is happening. 

I really see that the core of the issue boils down to a single number: 70%. That number means everything. That puts the author in the driver's seat, buying respect and hugely lowering the volume required for success. Never mind all the other conveniences. That single number, a multiple of 10 for many authors, will draw them.

First, you put up your backlist and rejected favorites. Then, you start to get ideas... Like: who needs to beg NY and wait two years to get a two-month release? As ebook sales shoot up and print sales drop, the effects can only magnify.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

And from purely a reader standpoint --

I'm in.   I'm not much of a horror reader, but like you've heard from others, I've read enough of your books (and have others still to be read) to know it'll be worth the ride.


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## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

Thanks all for the continued support. I have a feeling the publishing industry is watching this to see how the ebook does. While huge sales would be nice, I'm not really concerned. As I've said before, if it takes two or three years to make the same money I would have made on an NY deal, I'll be satisfied with that because I did it on my own. 

I've spent eight years working with publishers to make my books profitable. I've signed at over 1200 bookstores. I've sent out over 100,000 newsletters. I've mailed 7000 letters to libraries. I've toured 39 states. I've been to over a hundred conferences, conventions, and book fairs. I've blogged and MySpaced and Twittered and Facebooked before anyone in NY publishing even knew what those things were. 

As a result, I've sold a fair amount of books, made a fair amount of money, but never got that big push that would have helped me reach a wider audience. Without coop placement, and discounting, and wide distribution, my books have sold as well as they could have.

But the paradigm is changing. Now writers don't need coop and discounting and distribution. Now I don't need to tour for 68 days straight, or spend all of my free time friending people on social networks. Now I don't have to worry about what the sales reps or big box buyers think, or advertising, or returns, or bi-annual royalties.

We can reach readers directly. No more gatekeepers. No more middlemen. No more decision by committee. 

We can make more money selling far fewer books. This is good, and I'm going to be interested in seeing how many other authors do the same thing I'm doing. 

My guess? Within the next few years: almost all of them.


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## Eric C (Aug 3, 2009)

Jack Kilborn said:


> We can make more money selling far fewer books. This is good, and I'm going to be interested in seeing how many other authors do the same thing I'm doing.
> 
> My guess? Within the next few years: almost all of them.


Everybody but Jude Hardin. (I can joke about him, we're buddies.)


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## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

Eric C said:


> Everybody but Jude Hardin. (I can joke about him, we're buddies.)


I like Jude. Once he gets a taste of how publishing works, he'll come around.


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## Brett P (May 17, 2010)

Well, this is definitely going to the near-top of my TBR list! Right behind _The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin._ Been meaning to read both that and Endurance for a while, and I guess I procrastinated Franklin for a bit too long before Endurance's release! 

I read _Afraid_, and though I'm really rather jaded from video games and movies with violence, the gore still unsettled me. Take that as an endorsement, I guess.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

When you say it is a follow up-to _Afraid_, is it a sequel, or does it share some characters?


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

I love that you're refusing a print deal to publish this on your own.  Kudos to you!  I think a lot of people look up to you, for being their inspiration.  I think more authors will follow in your path.

I'd be flattered if someone offered me a print deal, but like being indie so much I don't know if I'd take it.  I like how well it's going.  So, thanks for your help.  I never would have known I could put my book on the Kindle if I hadn't read your blog.

Vicki


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## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

pidgeon92 said:


> When you say it is a follow up-to _Afraid_, is it a sequel, or does it share some characters?


Right now I'm waiting for Amazon to publish my novel TRAPPED. That's a sequel to AFRAID, and has two of the same characters. The rights are still being sorted out, so it's stuck in DTP review mode. I expect it to be available this week.

ENDURANCE is a follow-up in that it is thematically similar; a group of ordinary people are confronted with extraordinary evil and must fight for their lives. Like AFRAID, this also has several distinct, memorable villains, some scenes of over-the-top horror, and a heroic dog.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

I have a total thread-derailment question.  How do you feel about pen names?  Is it confusing to write under different names?  Or is it an advantage?  What do you suggest for someone just starting out?


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## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

I went with a pen name to differentiate two brands, mystery and horror. I also went with an entirely new name for a sci-fi book.

If you're writing in different genres, I see nothing wrong with it. Otherwise, there is no advantage to it.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

What about just using one pen name instead of your real name?  Someone I know is thinking about using a pen name.  Is there an advantage to it, if you only write in one genre?


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## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

If your name is hard to pronounce or spell, a pen name would be wise. Or if you're writing erotica and don't want your mom to know. Otherwise, I don't see the point.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

Good point.  My name is probably hard to pronounce, but it's so unique, I couldn't NOT use it.  (And I don't care if my mom reads my books!)

I am writing a sci-fi/paranormal type book now.  I don't think I'll use a different name though, since I'm an indie author and can use all of the help I can get with name recognition.

Does it hurt to have different genre books under one name?


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## Guest (Jun 20, 2010)

Victorine said:


> Good point. My name is probably hard to pronounce, but it's so unique, I couldn't NOT use it. (And I don't care if my mom reads my books!)
> 
> I am writing a sci-fi/paranormal type book now. I don't think I'll use a different name though, since I'm an indie author and can use all of the help I can get with name recognition.
> 
> Does it hurt to have different genre books under one name?


I don't think your name is hard to pronounce. It is unique and it has that vague hint of meaning reminiscent of victory, both factors I believe would be a plus. No reason at all to cast it aside.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

foreverjuly said:


> I don't think your name is hard to pronounce. It is unique and it has that vague hint of meaning reminiscent of victory, both factors I believe would be a plus. No reason at all to cast it aside.


Thanks, Jason!  And I never thought of 'victory', but that's really cool. Kind of a subconscious thing.  Plus, I'm named after one of my ancestors, so I always thought it was cool.


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## Guest (Jun 20, 2010)

Victorine said:


> Thanks, Jason!  And I never thought of 'victory', but that's really cool. Kind of a subconscious thing.  Plus, I'm named after one of my ancestors, so I always thought it was cool.


It's half "victory" and half "submarine." What could be cooler than that? And ancestors are definitely cool.

/thread jack


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## PhillipA82 (Dec 20, 2009)

Looks interesting. Thanks


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Jack Kilborn said:


> I also went with an entirely new name for a sci-fi book.


Which one is the sci-fi book? Oh, I just looked at your website -- that would be Timecaster by Joe Kimball (at least your initials are consistent ), which is due later this year? Or something else?


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## hackeynut (Dec 16, 2008)

If it has anything as chilling as the awful (yet glorious) execution hall scene in Afraid, I'll be looking forward it it greatly.


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

OK, Joe.. how do you make that display of all your books... me wants the same thing...


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## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

ENDURANCE is currently ranked at #69.  

Email me, Libby.


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## Nancy C. Johnson Author (Apr 28, 2010)

A lot of people have tagged your book since this campaign started. This more than likely helped others to find it, and buy it. We can hope so anyway.

Nancy


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2010)

Congrats, Jack! You said you're expecting the NY big shots to keep an eye on it. Do you expect them to contact you at all and make you other offers or anything? Let us know if they do!


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## scottnicholson (Jan 31, 2010)

Uh, I think NY would be too embarrassed to do anything...but ignore and pretend it doesn't exist, as they have done with almost everything to do with ebooks. Look for the self-serving PW article in a day or two.

Joe, I Myspaced, tweeted from two accounts, and Facebooked, so there's 14,000 eyeballs. As I am trying to do with my Indiebooksblog, I think the more we all draw attention to indie books in general, the faster this will explode for all of us.


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2010)

scottnicholson said:


> Uh, I think NY would be too embarrassed to do anything...but ignore and pretend it doesn't exist, as they have done with almost everything to do with ebooks. Look for the self-serving PW article in a day or two.
> 
> Joe, I Myspaced, tweeted from two accounts, and Facebooked, so there's 14,000 eyeballs. As I am trying to do with my Indiebooksblog, I think the more we all draw attention to indie books in general, the faster this will explode for all of us.


Yoうr comment is making a lot of sense to me. As long as they don`t admit there`s a problem, they can go on believing everything is fine. Likewise, all of us need to become indie cheerleaders, and that`s where we help to develop our legitimacy. We`re all on the front lines, making sure our work is of a professional quality and we`re being respectable marketers.

I found twitter to be a huge disappointment though. You can only count on a tiny fraction of your followers to see whatever you tweet, and even then it`s always mixed in with a barage of advertising.


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## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

scottnicholson said:


> Joe, I Myspaced, tweeted from two accounts, and Facebooked, so there's 14,000 eyeballs. As I am trying to do with my Indiebooksblog, I think the more we all draw attention to indie books in general, the faster this will explode for all of us.


You da man, Scott! Thanks!


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## ElaineOK (Jun 5, 2009)

You are up to #44 Amazon paid.

Elaine 
Norman, Oklahoma


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## jbruner123 (Jan 5, 2011)

I just downloaded this book recently and am loving it. It is the definition of a page-turner because at the end of each chapter I can't wait to find out what happens next. It is definitely creepy and I like the detailed descriptions about what is happening to the characters.

I've noticed a few typos that got by the editors but it's not that big of a deal. Usually it's just a word that is entered incorrectly (not misspelled, but a different word than it's supposed to be). And when Cam went to get the knife and came back in, it said that Felix came back in. No biggie.

Great book. I will definitely check out others by this author.


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## Ruth Harris (Dec 26, 2010)

to Scott Nicholson et al:  I had a long career as an editor and publisher;  am also a NYTimes bestselling author.  Of all the sh*t I (and every other writer I know) went through, one of the most horrifying/hilarious/memorable was the time I got a form rejection for a book that was on the NYTimes fiction list.

I kid you not.

Tells you all you (or anyone else) needs to know about publishing & what it's like being a writer.


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## Some Writer Cat (Sep 22, 2010)

Ruth Harris said:


> to Scott Nicholson et al: I had a long career as an editor and publisher; am also a NYTimes bestselling author. Of all the sh*t I (and every other writer I know) went through, one of the most horrifying/hilarious/memorable was the time I got a form rejection for a book that was on the NYTimes fiction list.
> 
> I kid you not.
> 
> Tells you all you (or anyone else) needs to know about publishing & what it's like being a writer.


If I remember correctly, Stephanie Meyer had the same thing happen to her. An agent passed on her book after she'd already signed a million dollar deal for it.


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## Ruth Harris (Dec 26, 2010)

@ Scott:  LMAO...Thanks for posting...never heard that one.  Not that it surprises me.

William Goldman (famous oscar-winning screenwriter) once said:  "No one knows anything."  He was referring to the movie business but it applies to publishing, too.

That why writers need to understand that, truly, rejections mean absolutely nothing.


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