An experiment in widgets

I have just installed the Buy This Book plugin for WordPress, by Claire Ryan. I became aware of Ms. Ryan’s work when she followed me on tsū. (She has another plugin for newsletters, which I may try next if this one works well.)

You will notice, therefore, a new bit in the sidebar: ‘Books by Tom Simon.’ Click on a book cover, and you should get icons with links to Amazon and/or Smashwords, depending on where the title in question is offered. Click on the icon, and it should take you straight to the product page at the retailer. I would be much obliged if any of my 3.6 Loyal Readers would try this for themselves and make sure that it works. (You don’t have to buy the books, especially if you already own copies. I know that part works.)

In other news, tsū informs me that I have now earned, as my share of their advertising revenue, the glorious sum of (drumroll, please) ONE CENT!

At this rate, I shall earn $100 and be eligible to receive a cheque from them in just about 100 years. Of course, it is highly probable that my rate of earnings will alter somewhat in the meantime.

Comments

  1. I get the icons in Firefox. And they link.

  2. Works like a charm. Another of your books is now on my Christmas wishlist.

  3. Working perfectly here as well. I’ll keep this plugin in mind.

  4. luckymarty says

    The widgets are working here, too (despite the firewall on my work computer).

    I’m not seeing a link for WRITING DOWN THE DRAGON, though, which is my favorite of your works to date and would also balance the three book images (+ Sci Phi #1) I can see.

    • Now that is very odd. You should be seeing the link for Writing Down the Dragon on the left side of the first row. I wonder what gives.

      • luckymarty says

        And now it has become visible, without my changing anything on this computer. If you didn’t change anything either, I guess we just shrug and say One of Those Things.

  5. James R. Asher says

    When I were a lad you could go to the movies, eat popcorn and get a private limo back home and still have change for a cent! Modern times, eh…

    (All links working in Opera, by the way.)

  6. It works on Google Chrome, but takes me to Amazon.com and I’m in the UK. Can you use a link that sends one to the right branch of Amazon? I do that on my links with KUF’s system: http://www.kuforum.co.uk/news/story/107977

    • Unfortunately, this particular plugin doesn’t support different national links. (I wish Amazon did.!) I’ll take a look at the link you gave and see what I can do with that.

  7. It works in IE.

  8. Unfortunately, it does not specifically link to Issue 1 of the Sci Phi Journal. It says “archives” and gives you a choice of date. Clicking on the magazine cover just brings you back tothis page.

    • This is very odd.

      The links aren’t supposed to be to issue #1, but issue #2 (on Amazon or Smashwords, depending which icon you click), and they work correctly for me. The link in the blogroll is the only link I have that goes to sciphijournal.com, and it goes directly to their home page.

      Clicking on the magazine cover on this page should not do anything but alternately show and hide the Amazon and Smashwords icons.

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