2 eBooks Published with discounts for Pattaya Addict Members

[janders]

Hi Gents,

 

I am a retivley new member on this forum.  I have lived in Pattaya full time for the past 7 years and have recently completed 2 eBooks that are now published.  Why should one write an eBook?  Sanity and self preservation mostly, and to maintain certain levels in English skills and computer skills.  As many can imagine, long term foreign residents in Pattaya can either find something to keep themselves occupied, go crazy or sit in bars day in, day out. 

 

My first eBook, "Hunters Prey" has been 3 years in the making from initial thoughts to completion.  Once one sits in bars day and day, week after week, they hear the same stories with different twists and meets many different visitors from all around the globe with similar minds.  The most prominent statement made by most is that they are sick of the west, western cultural and social paradigms and the over-regulation that exists everywhere. 

 

The second eBook is "Letters From Thailand Volume One".  It is aptly named volume one, becuase one book of short stories is simply not enough to describe the crazy things one observes in Thailand,. especially as a foreigner.  Volume Two is in early writing now and should be released in the next few months.  The following is a brief description of each book.

 

Hunters Prey

 

Year after year millions of  single males from all walks of life visit Thailand.  Some are holidaying, some reside in Thailand, and some are in transition from holiday to residential status.  The general perception by both Western Societies and most Thais are that they are sex tourists, and arrive with the attitude of being the hunter; ready to prey on significantly younger Thai women for sexual services for minimal cost.  Is this the real story?  Are they taking advantage of others less fortunate, or are they about to be manipulated by those far more skilled and cunning. Who is the hunter, and who is the prey?

 

Who is the hunter and who is the prey?  This is a question that is continually pondered and examined by those who partake in the blissfully ignored activities in Thailand, where sexual services are provided in exchange for financial payment.

 

For many foreign tourists, and even long term expatriates, the full understanding of this question simply eludes them.  They make mistake after mistake in their adopted home away from home of Thailand, commonly referred too as the Land of Smiles.

 

Without exception, every foreign male visitor to Thailand is surprised in one way or another regarding the cultural differences and social mindset of the Thai people. Foreigners raised in a western society lead a sheltered and judgmental existence, riddled with strong prejudices regarding many aspects of life.  In many cases these same foreigners feel compelled to push their social expectation and ideals onto others without accepting the facts that other cultures exist and have existed for significantly longer than most western societies.

 

For the spectator, who chooses to sit and observe the antics of both the foreign visitors and the local workers within the sex trade who interact with them, it is a fascinating lesson in human behaviour.  In many cases, it is a far superior spectacle to observe than any television soap opera that has been made since the invention of that electronic box that occupies  most residential dwellings throughout the world.  In fact, one could propose that all students studying anthropology should spend some time in an environment such as this to expedite the completion of one’s university studies.

Hunters Prey describes the real life activities which occur on a daily basis in the red light capital of Asia, Pattaya City.  Although this behaviour is not limited to the City of Pattaya and occurs throughout Thailand, it is most concentrated in this small city that originated as a local fishing village.

 

Regardless of the publicity campaigns about Pattaya as a family friendly destination, it is nothing short of the sex capital of Asia.  Without the sex industry Pattaya would not survive in its current state.  There are those that would prefer to hide behind this publicity campaign attempting to defend their own reputation of honour and integrity, and turn a convenient blind eye to the sex trade which is in plain view for all to see.  The fact is Pattaya only thrives for one reason; the sex industry. Without the sex industry, Pattaya would quickly revert to small village status, and the foreign tourists would travel elsewhere.

 

Regardless of the amount of time a foreigner spends  in Thailand, they are considered visitors and their presence is merely tolerated.  Whether they spend 2 weeks on a holiday or 20 years as a long term resident, they will only ever be accepted as  a temporary guest.  A foreigner’s status in Thailand is never permanent.  Regardless of the visa an individual is issued, the local authorities can change or cancel any foreigner’s entitlement to remain in Thailand.  If this is the case and a foreigner’s life in Thailand is never certain, why do they stay?

 

Hunters Prey is not about vindictive antidotes from either a Thai or foreign perspective; it is a foreigner’s view of life in Thailand, focusing on the red light city of Asia, Pattaya.  Hunters Prey analyses the mindsets of both sides and discusses in detail where the large percentage of foreigners err, sometimes beyond recovery.  Why do foreign male tourists choose Thailand, and what is it about the Land of Smiles that infects their blood like a drug, that inspires them to return time and time again.

 

Why do foreigners seem to make the same mistakes that they have made in their own countries previously with past relationships.  Why do so many foreign males end up in relationships with Thai prostitutes and attempt to convince themselves and those around them that there situation is different from all others.  Why is it that the foreign hunters, end up becoming the prey for those who are much younger, but significantly more experienced in their specialised trade.

 

Letters From Thailand Volume One

 

What do Thais think about foreigners when they visit Thailand?  What do foreigners think about Thais?  Ever wondered about the daily antics of both foreigners and Thais?  What do long term foreign residents in Thailand really get up to? Are they really in Thailand to enjoy the different cultural experience that Thai culture can provide?

 

Is a golfing holiday all about golf, or are the golfing trips merely an excuse to visit Thailand and enjoy the many pleasures Thailand can provide? Is the customer service of the local internet company up to par, or do they present the foreign customer with the blank look of blissful ignorance? What happened to the 4 shop assistants that were happy to serve the foreign customer, but could not understand his question?  Did they simply disappear into thin air, or are they in hiding because they do not want to admit that they do not understand his question?

 

Should a foreigner rent or buy all their possessions if they choose to reside in the Land of Smiles?  Is their partner who used to be a sex worker also considered his property to rent or buy?  What is a smile anyway?  Does a simple smile from a westerner have the same meaning as a happy face from a Thai?

 

Why are there so many dogs in Thailand?  Do the Thais love them as puppies, only to discard them onto the streets when they grow up?  Why is there a black market syndicate operating in the local postal service that targets any parcel addressed to a foreign name in Thailand?  What action can one take to have their parcel returned?  Have you ever experienced another foreigner using your room number in the hotel security register for his short term lady visitor?  What is the appropriate retaliation for such behaviour?

 

From a western perspective, many things that occur in Thailand are simply crazy.  At times it appears that there is no regulation to anything, but is this really the case?  Why is there a different pricing structure for foreigners and Thais?  Is this not discrimination?  It would be in the west; why is it considered acceptable in Thailand?

 

Letters from Thailand is a collection of stories about everything and anything that occurs on any street corner, sporting facility or entertainment venue.  These stories are not only about foreigners experiencing Thailand, but include Thais as well.  Some stories are funny, some have happy endings and others end in disaster.

 

Availability

 

Both Hunters Prey and Letters From Thailand Vol.1 are available on the Amazon bookstore.

Letters From Thailand Vol.1 is also available on Smashwords.  I made the error of locking into a 3 month contract with Amazon on Hunters Prey and therefore it cannot be published on any other platform until September 2013.  Amazon also does not permit discounting via coupons.  Smashwords is more flexible and therefore, the link in my signature will provide a discount coupon for Pattay Addict Members to access this coupon from my website. 

 

I am happy to be a member of this forum after reaching VIP and advanced in other Thailand forums over the years.  I now have some free time again and I hope to contribue anywhere I can in the posts.  For those who do read my books, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them.  It is a pleasure to be here.

 

Regards

 

Jack Anders

 

[brownlegs]

Sounds interesting...............I'll check em out.  I write too but am torn between hard copy and Ebooks.  Any advice? My material is BKK based primarily.

[Daveo]

If you only offer e-books the many readers who do not use them will not get a chance to read them

[janders]

If you only offer e-books the many readers who do not use them will not get a chance to read them

 

What do you suggest Daveo for local publishing in paper?  Are there companies locally in Patts that print for a reasonable price?  If there are, I would be happy to fill your shelves with them.

 

Jack

[janders]

Sounds interesting...............I'll check em out.  I write too but am torn between hard copy and Ebooks.  Any advice? My material is BKK based primarily.

 

Hi Brownlegs,

 

I am not sure it is a case of one or the other, but I am relatively new at self publishing and went the eBook route in the first instance.  Although eBooks are increasing in number and eReaders along with it, there is still something about browsing a bookshelf in a book store and getting one's hands on a paper version. 

 

There is definitely a learning curve with the creation of eBooks and if you read some sites, they will comment that the writing of the book is the easy part.  There is much to understand and to publish on Amazon or Smashwords, there are different file formats to be used for each.  This is similar to the VHS vs Beta days with different companies attempting to conquer others with different formats. From what I have read, Amazon holds about 70% of the market share with eBooks and the remainder collectively hold the other 30% (apple, Sony, Barnes and  Noble etc).

 

The majority of wirters start in a word processor program and if one uses MS Word, this will always add things that HTML (eBook formats) cannot interpret.  Both Amazon and Smashwords provide a Nuke method or Meatgringer method of uploading .doc files into their system,but the final eBook results can be less than ideal.  There are other methods that can be used, but for a book with text only, these crash methods will work if you follow their formatting guides.

 

I use a writing program called "Scrivener" to write and generate the eBook files.  It is not free but you can search the net for a discount coupon code and purchase the program for around $32 USD.  It is worth it and will remove a lot of the frustration away.  You can download a trial version for 30 days of use and that trial only counts the days that you actually use the program.  (I have no affiliation with this company, but their product works well).

 

Keep writing.  If you are similar to me, you obviously had so much in your mind that you felt the need to write.  First step, finish the book and then search for publishing avenues.  Let me know if you need any further information.  I would be happy to assist.

 

Jack

[brownlegs]

Well I have already written and trialed/published a short book on the Amazon self publishing platform which does all the conversion for you.  I also use a kindle and frequently reformat stuff I download............So I hope that is not an issue for me.  Basically to self publish on Amazon is free and easy.  Paper publishing is more tricky but there is a publishing house that specializes in The Expat view of Thailand

 

This is no good for me but indicates certain parameters

Thank you for your interest in our publishing possibilities.

Yes, we are interested in new book projects. Please e-mail more details:

 

1. synopsis: concise but complete summary of the plot, running to 1-2 pages. The summary should answer any questions an editor might have. Nothing in the plot should be unclear or left up in the air.
2. contents
3. sample chapter

4. back cover blurb

5. title suggestion 
6. word count 
7. statement of genre: romance?  thriller? sci-fi? Else? 
8. target readership 
9. your experience as writer

 

Please note our 5 No-No's before finalizing any stories:

1. no reference to the monarchy at all (for Thailand stories)
2. no pornographic/strong sex scenes (mild sex is OK) 
3. no vulgar language 
4. no 'negative' books: fun & playful teasing/complaining is OK.

5. no negative reference (not even playful) to Buddhism

 

We are only able to start our review process if we receive information to all above points.

We are not able to return any files, manuscripts, CDs, diskettes, photos, etc. sent to us.

 

Best regards,

 

George Gensbichler 
Business Development Manager 
Bangkok Book House 
www.bangkokbooks.com

 

 

[brownlegs]

Moderators. if sorry if this is a aproblem please advise how me and this person can communicate

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/17/50-shades-of-grey-a-self-published-e-book-is-the-future-of-publishing.html

 

And James cops to it all. She published the book with The Writer’s Coffee Shop in Australia, a “book-loving community” that’s a social sharing site as well as a distributor. One tab welcomes visitors to “Become a Writer,” which James certainly did, 

 

http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/static/submissions

 

http://www.returnofkings.com/691/18-self-publishing-tips

 

http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/

 

Further information from Bangkokbooks,

 

Thank you for your interest in our publishing services. We can offer following opportunities for your project:

 

1. E-book 

A. E-book with distribution service: you supply manuscript & cover and we convert to e-book format for free and distribute for you - we receive a share on sales

B. E-book conversion without distribution: we can convert your manuscript professionally to epub (Apple approved), mobi and pdf (and you can then upload yourself to all sites, Amazon, Apple, B&N, etc.) - you keep ALL proceeds

-------

2. Printed book:

C. Printing & optional distribution Thailand

We can print your book (minimum quantity = 20 copies). Distribution in Thailand possible on request.

D. Distribution Thailand & printing elsewhere:

You print your book somewhere else and we distribute for you - possible, but our distribution fee applies.

 

Please let me know if you are ready to go ahead with publishing and for which possibilities and we will provide further information.

 

Best regards,

George Gensbichler 

Moderators. if sorry if this is a aproblem please advise how me and this person can communicate

[Daveo]

What do you suggest Daveo for local publishing in paper?  Are there companies locally in Patts that print for a reasonable price?  If there are, I would be happy to fill your shelves with them.

 

Jack

There are but I am not aware where they are, I guess worth a google

[janders]

Thanks Brownlegs,

 

I will investigate further and chech their website. 

 

Jack

[janders]

There are but I am not aware where they are, I guess worth a google

 

I have heard the same Daveo, but am not personally aware of any local printing services in the Pattaya area that would complete this.  I am sure there are; I will need to start searching and asking the relevant questions.