For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers

June 2009 Blog Posts (224)

Upcoming June Book Signings for Paula Margulies and Coyote Heart

Just wanted to let you know that I'll be doing two book signings for my newly released novel, Coyote Heart, in the next couple of weeks and both are for really good causes:

The first is on Saturday, June 20th, at the Rancho Penasquitos Library at 1:00 p.m. This signing is a benefit for the PQ Library and 10% of sales from any books purchased afterward will go to the library Friends to keep the collection going. Since some of the scenes in the book are set there, it seemed… Continue

Added by Paula Margulies on June 9, 2009 at 6:12pm — No Comments

Hello

Hello to all. Hope everyone is enjoying success. Series 2 of my novels is moving along very nicely. When you need a new read...check it out!
Take Care

Added by Janet Enos on June 9, 2009 at 2:06pm — 1 Comment

Writers: join the ‘podding’ revolution

If you’ve written a book and are looking to go in to print, then consider ‘podding’ with a publisher who will show you how to make money-selling books online.

‘Podding’ means teaming up with one of the new breed of ‘print-on-demand’ publishers like DragonCub, who can take a manuscript, edit and format the content quickly and efficiently and have your book ready to print and ship as soon as an order comes in.

Authors can cut… Continue

Added by DragonCub on June 9, 2009 at 5:21am — No Comments

WRITE THAT BOOK

“Procrastination is the ultimate laziness,” said Dr Johnson. He wasn’t kidding. So stop procrastinating and write that book. Plan the story first. Ten chapters should suffice for a short story or novel. More chapters can be added later. Draft a rough outline of each chapter in four to five lines. Only jot down the key elements. This provides a useful starting point to work from.

Develop a sales pitch/blurb to the editor to promote the story. This adds impetus to story writing and… Continue

Added by DragonCub on June 9, 2009 at 5:16am — No Comments

Insiders Guide to Vanity Publishers

Expressions like co-operative publishing, joint venture publishing, subsidy publishing, and self-publishing are misleading to say the least. They all mean the same thing, ‘vanity’ publishing. Yet scores of small publishers advertise their services on the web. Some publishers go to great lengths to conceal from the author, all the costs involved, which suddenly escalate half way through production of a book.

There are good vanity publishers just as there are bad. How does an author… Continue

Added by DragonCub on June 9, 2009 at 5:15am — No Comments

How to sell your book and receive 100% of the sales price

DIY publishing is now considered trendy as opposed to thirty years ago, when mainstream publishers invited new and unknown authors along to preview prospective works.

Assuming an author has X number of books printed either through a vanity publisher or even a small press, the next step is to get the book out there, to be read. Take time to decide the best strategy.

• Identify the target audience, age, income, career and residential location of prospective readers.

•… Continue

Added by DragonCub on June 9, 2009 at 5:12am — No Comments

Five tips to boost your book sales on the web

Instead of stacking rejection slips by touting your manuscript around agents and traditional publishing houses, a podding agreement will let a publisher take your manuscript, edit and format the text ready for firing out paperback or hardback copies as soon as the orders come in.

DragonCub will also help with marketing the book, but because DragonCub cuts the overheads, you earn a bigger royalty on each sale.

You can also help… Continue

Added by DragonCub on June 9, 2009 at 5:07am — No Comments

A review of The Cry of the Cuckoos by John Lee (Mentone, Alabama)

A splendid combination of what most readers, like myself, desire in a good novel--mystery, mayhem, madness, and one of the most dysfunctional families you've ever seen. It would provide a team of therapists with full time work.

Though the last third ambles along almost to the point of losing a reader, the characters are so real and the story so well told it keeps your curiosity churning and the pages turning to see what happens to the Drummond Family all the way from Tuscaloosa,… Continue

Added by John Wayne Cargile on June 9, 2009 at 5:01am — 1 Comment

Is the Librarian Association Convention in Chicago a "good" thing to attend?

I am interested in feedback on http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/upcoming/annual/index.cfm

I will not be attending, however I would like to know how this event effects authors and is it worth it for next year to purchase a booth for exibiting.

Added by stephanie a. duckworth-elliott on June 8, 2009 at 8:30pm — No Comments

An Interview with Jenn from Jenn's Bookshelf

As anybody who has read me reviews interviews or heard my comments on either my own radio program or where I have been a guest, you will know I am a great believer in what I call the "Small Blogger". These are the people who read, write and live books are "The 'sham wow' of Teen/YA literature".

blog spot name… Continue

Added by Storyheart on June 8, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Choose to Influence with Integrity

It's easy to influence. It's much harder to influence with integrity. Whether you persuade for a living or you simply "sell" your ideas in the normal course of learning and living and working, you have already discovered influence techniques that work. Persuaders, in effect, are sellers. And vice versa. If you merely wish to improve the influence techniques that help you persuade others to your point of view, you can find numerous guidelines and primers and recommendations. The rule books for… Continue

Added by Marlene Caroselli on June 8, 2009 at 11:44am — No Comments

Knowing HOW you created what you have today... is the only way to know HOW- to create something different tomorrow!

Someone said that time heals all wounds. I simply disagree. It isn’t time that heals-- it’s SURRENDER. It is one’s ability to finally surrender that THINGS ARE AS THEY ARE MEANT TO BE and that isn’t only ok…it’s good and perfect. That can take 5 minutes or it can take 100 years depending on the extent of the ego attachment to how things ‘should’ have (but didn’t) turn out!

The power of surrendering into trust is the single most important step to… Continue

Added by Lily Finch on June 8, 2009 at 10:56am — No Comments

PARADE Magazine - Coaching Students To Stay In School.

Parade Magazine had an excellent article over the weekend about reading, mentoring, and helping students to graduate. It was written by the author of The Trouble With Boys. http://booksandboys.blogspot.com

Very interesting information.
Max Elliot Anderson

Added by Max Elliot Anderson on June 8, 2009 at 10:28am — No Comments

A reader comment about The Cry of the Cuckoos. Teens are reading it.

this book is wonderfull it keeps you on your toes once you start reading it you cant put it down!!! hope book two comes out soon!!!!!!!!!!! Jenna Taylor and T.R. Pate

Added by John Wayne Cargile on June 8, 2009 at 6:28am — No Comments

What's the Deal with Twitter?

I may be the only person in the world who doesn't see the value of Twitter for authors and publishers. It's not as though I haven't tried to understand. I've read or listened to industry experts who say that Twitter builds an author's platform or adds credibility. I get that part.

What I don't understand is cost/value trade-off. To make a mark, an author or publisher has to tweet or re-tweet multiple times per day. Sure, tweets are only 140 characters, but it's the frequency that… Continue

Added by Bill Frank on June 8, 2009 at 6:00am — 3 Comments

Review of 'The Voice of Anton Bouchard'

Reviewer Martha Cheeves has carried out a review of 'The Voice of Anton Bouchard' and I'm delighted to reproduce her words on the book here:

THE VOICE OF ANTON BOUCHARD, BY BRIAN L PORTER

Short story "Red Sky in the Morning"... 'Prior to surfacing completely, the submarine's commander, Captain Simon Merrick had ordered the periscope raised, and he knew as soon as he put his eye to the scope that something wasn't right. Although the submarine's chronometer showed the… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on June 8, 2009 at 1:22am — No Comments

Rachel Madorsky at the Printers Row Lit Fest 2009

Join Rachel Madorsky under the MWA (Midwest Writers Ass.) tent for book signing at the PRINTERS ROW LIT FEST on Sunday, June 6 from 12:00 to 2:00pm.

*****

Please, join me and other successful authors under the IWPA (Illinois Women Press Ass.) tent for book signing at the PRINTERS ROW LIT FEST on Sunday, June 7 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Rachel… Continue

Added by Rachel Madorsky on June 7, 2009 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Vote for Lancelot's Lady

I've entered a contest on Textnovel.com and I really need your votes. The grand prize is a guaranteed publishing contract with Dorchester. I'm submitting a novel I started years ago that I've always wanted to finish. The genre for the contest is ROMANCE. You'll be able to read as I write.

I can't do this without you. To become a top finalist I NEED YOUR VOTES.

Go to my novel… Continue

Added by Cheryl Kaye Tardif on June 7, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Golf and Service

Today I watched Tiger Woods come from behind in a stunning victory at Memorial Tournament. When he wins, he makes it seem so simple; sometimes I feel as if I can play golf too. I cannot. Part of his talent, I'm sure, is hereditary. After all, he's played the game since he was a toddler. What always strikes me is that although Tiger makes it seem easy, he works extremely hard at ensuring he is consistently great. He sets his alarm for 5am every day and his typical day lasts from 6:30am - 7pm,… Continue

Added by Susan Hoekstra on June 7, 2009 at 7:40pm — No Comments