July 2009 Archives

We're always looking for new ways to sell copies of my wife's book, DC BABY. (Lowering the price works every time, but that has the added effect of, well, lowering the price.)

The book is available through a variety of vendors, including Amazon. The latest edition of the book has been available on Amazon since fall 2008. But even though the book has sold at a steady clip, no one posted any reviews until last week. As of today there are 11 reviews, nearly all with a 5-star rating. How did we do it? It's simple: We asked. We also offered a free e-book in exchange for an Amazon review. Less than half of the reviewers requested the e-book; the rest just did it because they felt like it.

The results? In just one week, sales for the month have nearly doubled, as demonstrated in this chart:

 

I recently spent a week in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, which is on the Pacific side of the country, bordering Nicaragua to the north. It was a beautiful place, with wonderful sights and friendly people. I would go back in a heartbeat and I recommend it to everyone. Just one piece of advice: Leave the baby at home! Sorry, future-Charlie, but you really cramped our style on this trip. Better luck next time, dude. Without dwelling on the miserable aspects of the trip, here are some photos revealing the finer moments.


The view from Villa Cascada, where we stayed.


Howler monkeys in the trees. They sound sort of like dogs, if dogs coughed up hairballs, but much louder.



Turns out this sign was meant as a joke... And Ava's socks were pulled up so nerdily to keep the mosquitoes from feasting.



The guide told us these monkeys ride piggyback to appear more threatening, like a totem pole. That might be just something they tell gullible gringos.



I'm sure when the crocs hear a riverboat coming, they think "Free chicken!"



Back at the villa with Charlie, making funny sounds with our lips. You little stinker.




While Charlie and I hung back at the villa, Sarah and Ava went on a sunset sailboat cruise.