A Site for Indie Book Reviews

February 23, 2012

Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” ~ Robert Bresson
 
I have never had a good system for keeping track of the books I want to read. Believe me, working in the independent publishing industry I always have a grand and growing list of books to read, films to watch and music to listen to. I make mental notes, filing my “want to read /watch/listen list” among all the other things stored in my brain. Often prone to forgetting the titles, I am reminded when I see a book review or receive a recommendation from someone else. 

A few weeks ago, I made progress in establishing a good system of making of list of books I want to read. After picking up a copy of Book Page at our local library, I carefully went through it circling the all books that interest me. My Kindle came in handy when I downloaded sample copies of each of the books that are available in e-book format. 

After reading the e-book samples, I make a decision whether to scrap the book on my list, download the full e-book or check whether the book in-print is available through our interlibrary loan. 

Although this system is better than none at all, most of the books in Book Page are traditionally published books. Until now the gateway into public libraries has, in large part, been open to only traditional publishers.

How do you find what books are available in the independent publishing world?After doing a little research, I have found a new on-line site, called Review Direct: Exciting New Titles from America’s Emerging Authors. It is a way for the independents, to become visible to libraries and independent bookstores. For more information, please visit this site http://bit.ly/1DpnK4

If you are an independent publisher, consider having your book listed in Review Direct. It is an economical and efficient way of getting information about your book to libraries digitally. 

Come on back tomorrow!  This site is dedicated to providing fulfilling resources and help for independent publishers. 

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


Keeping a Marriage Intact

February 22, 2012

Marriage is a promise. Not just between the couple but to the community at large, to generations past and to those yet to be born. ~ Heritage.org 

Why do people decide to independently publish a book? Often times it is because they want to educate and inform. The author of Out of Focus …Again, Ann Kochenberger had exactly that motive in mind, when she decided to publish her book. 

Ann wanted to share, with others, her struggles with depression and how she has found personal success in living a fulfilling life despite having bi-polar disorder. This disease affects more than 17 million people, in the United States alone. 

Unabashedly, and with good humor too, Ann describes how her bouts of depression have affected her relationship with her husband of more than 30 years, her parenting and with her family, too. 

Finding My Way Back from Depression, Ann’s new e-book directly speaks to the coping strategies that saved her from debilitating symptoms of depression. 

Gary Kochenberger, PhD has much of value to say in his companion e-book Depression…A Guide for Caregivers from the role of being a protector and nurturer of a loved one with the disease. He shares his perspectives on how their marriage has survived, how the caregiver can be pro-active in learning about the disorder, some of the mistakes Gary has made, trigger points that a partner can watch for and help their loved one avoid.

If someone you know suffers the effects of bi-polar disorder, these companion books are great resources. The books are written from very personal and non-clinical points of view. The book in-print Out of Focus…Again as well as Ann and Gary’s e-books can be ordered on-line through www.outoffocusagain.com. The e-books are also sold through Amazon.

Both Ann and her husband Gary are dedicated to helping others who are trying to cope with a loved one with bipolar disease. As a couple, they frequently speak to groups and families about depression and bipolar disorder.

Check in on author Ann Kochenbergers’s blog on www.outoffocusagain.com. She  shares all kinds of information about living a fulfilling life with bi-polar disorder.

This blog brought to you www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


Are ARC’s becoming Archaic?

February 20, 2012

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly. ” ~  Richard Bach 

At our weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Steamboat Springs,Colorado http://bit.ly/w1qdgz a staff member from the local Indie Bound Bookstore came to update us on a program that our organization supports. 

Thousands and thousands of Advance Reader Copies and galley copies are sent to bookstores and libraries all over the country each and every year. ARCs are uncorrected proofs that can not be resold in retail in environments or placed on shelves in libraries. They serve as advance promotion and advertising for publications soon to be released. 

The Kiwanis Club of Steamboat assists with funding shipping costs to send Advance Reader Copies of books to families of military troops. www.operationpaperback.org   For those who do not have access to a variety of books ARCs are a perfect way of fulfilling a need for literature for children and adults in far off places of the world. 

As we discussed this wonderful program, that saves hundreds of thousands of books from ending up in landfills each and every year, I began to think how a complete systemic change in the way ARCS are delivered would save a lot of postage and delivery charges for publishers and as well as time and money for those disposing of the ARCS once they have been read and reviewed. 

Making wise choices and changes from printing to marketing is all a part of sustainable publishing. Do you think sample chapters of books on-line is enough to make an informed decision as to whether a book is worth purchasing or not?  We would like to hear from you.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


Adjusting for the Times

February 16, 2012

Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” ~ Anais Nin 

On Valentines Day, my “sweetie” and I took in the movie  “The Artist.” I flat out loved this cinema release.  It is the story of George Valentin and his fall as a silent movie star due to the introduction of “talkies” – movies with sound. His refusal to move with the times, and accept the fact that the movie industry was undergoing vast change led to his come-uppance with himself and the world in which he existed. 

If you go see this movie, be alert to the subtle imagery that was creatively incorporated in the production of the film. The successful use of small details in scenes artfully told the story without the need for words in this silent, black and white film. Very masterfully done! 

Thinking back to the film, I could not refrain from comparing the overtones in this theme to the changes that have taken place in our economy and also, in the publishing industry over the past years. Those who have survived having had the “rug pulled out from underneath of them” are those who have adjusted their attitudes, and moved with the times. 

There was little that I did not like about this film. Although James Cromwell’s role in the overall storyline was significant, I would have liked to have seen him more in the film. For those of you who have seen James Cromwell as an actor in A Lonely Place for Dying, http://bit.ly/mAvP5d  a film that has had 45 award nominations and it has won 15 awards for best film, you know that James Cromwell is very capable of having more than a supporting role. 

I look forward to seeing the Academy Awards on February 26th. It will be interesting to see how the movie holds up against all the rest that are vying for top spots.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


Life. Live it, Love it.

February 14, 2012

Valentines Greetings from me to you on this winter white February Day from Steamboat Springs, Colorado. 

Love comes in all kinds of forms and unexpected ways, meaning something different to each of us. Today, I simply wish to quote one the brightest stars in history on the business of living life and finding personal fulfillment ~Albert Einstein. He said it all.  “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

“Make this day and every day about all things fulfilling in your life!

More independently published thoughts, words and views tomorrow from  www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

 

 

 


Teaser, Pleaser

February 7, 2012

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it. “ ~Buddha 

Have you noticed that the way we select reading material has changed with the arrival of e-books? Now we have more to go by than just reading reviews on the back cover and the flaps of the book. Many authors are offering sample chapters or abbreviated versions of their books on-line to get us hooked. It works! 

Last night I searched Google i-books and downloaded a sample of a non-fiction publication by Susan Cain. The title of the e-book is Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. A monkey is now on my back! 

Being a life time consumer of self-help books, the sample left me wondering whether I am truly an introvert. Just prior to the end of the sample book, is a brief test that is designed to determine if you are a true introvert. It is similar to a Myers-Briggs personality test. My score indicates that perhaps I am an ambivert. In other words, I have tendencies toward being both introverted and extroverted. 

 I must read on to begin fulfilling my need to examine the degree of introversion that I possess and how to best use my traits for success.

Good job, Susan Cain. Your book sample grabbed me enough to want to finish the book. Now, I must just find the time to purchase it and carry on. 

For more information on this fascinating read that analyzes the psyche and how an introverted personality can be used to your advantage in life and business, please follow this link. http://bit.ly/ywojam.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


Appreciate and Value Libraries

February 6, 2012

 Last Thursday evening I was welcomed to the Hayden Library in Hayden, Colorado with wonderful hospitality and the aroma of good food, too! Their library Director, Ana Feldhake Lash invited me in to speak with a book club about the dynamic and growing industry of independent publishing. 

The discussion of the evening was about the changes that have evolved  in publishing  over the past 10 or so years and the possibilities that are now available for ordinary people to tell extraordinary stories through independent books, films and music. Of course, e-books, the newest platform for reading and publishing was on the agenda for the night, too! 

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Ana and the Hayden Library inviting me to speak to the group. It fulfilled my need to share with others my excitement about this ever changing, exciting industry of independent publishing. 

All of us at SHe Writes Steamboat, a meet-up group of independent publishers extend a hearty welcome to any library patrons and community members from Hayden interested in writing their own story to our monthly meetings. The mission of our group is to “provide networking opportunity and foster independent publishing success.” Our February meeting will take place on the 21st at the City Café on 10th Street in Steamboat Springs. Anyone is welcome aboard the Fast Track of Independent Publishing! http://bit.ly/oIkV2g.

Again, thanks to the Hayden Library.http://bit.ly/ylD6zu.

 This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


Winking in the Dark Does Not Work

February 1, 2012

Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but nobody else does.”

~ Stewart Henderson Britt   b. June 17, 1907 

I found in this quote in H.A. Levin’s book Quotations for Successful Living. Even 100 years after the quote was written it has relevance today. What an appropriate quotation for independent publishers to take notice of.

“How can anyone NOT know what you are doing in this day and age of digital technology?” I ponder. With the power of the internet, it is hard not to be seen. 

Knowing how to use digital technology and the world-wide-web to sell any kind of product or service can be a very powerful thing. It takes a little education and training for businesses to learn how to promote themselves and become visible on world-wide-web.

If you are an independent publisher selling your books, music or films over the internet through e-commerce, e-marketing is a must. They go hand in hand. A mistake that too many independent publishers make is forgetting to think of themselves as business owners. Being successful in a business means promotion and advertising. Publishing is not just about the manuscript.  It means bookselling, too. There is an article that is a good resource about this very issue.http://bit.ly/aPEx0B.

E-Marketing (social media marketing) has added a whole new dimension to advertising and promotion. It can be overwhelming and confusing at the start. Help is available, search for a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers. They will help you come out of the dark and into the light. 

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


What are Indie Publishers All About?

January 30, 2012

Remember those words sung by Dionne Warwick from many years ago – 

What’s it all about, Alfie?
Is it just for the moment we live?
What’s it all about when you sort it out, Alfie?”
 

Over the past ten or twelve years, these same types of questions have been asked by readers and writers everywhere. They want to know – What is the independent publishing industry really all about? 

On Thursday evening, February 2nd at 7pm, I will be giving a presentation at the Hayden Library in Hayden, Colorado on the evolution (or revolution, as some may see it) of independent publishing and the arrival of e-books to the publishing scene. 

Join me and feel free to ask “What is it all about, Suzie?” I have spent many years sorting out this constantly changing, exciting and growing industry of independent publishing, as best as I possibly can! And, no! It is not just for the moment we live – books live on and on, and many “independent minded people” publish as a way of leaving a legacy to their families, friends and for many more reasons, too. 

Again – we will be discussing fulfilling dreams of publishing on February 2nd at 7pm in Routt County, Colorado at the Hayden Library. You will see “the possibilities are endless… one merely needs to step forward.” 

SHe Writes Steamboat http://on.fb.me/oOWKWm because of their affiliate membership with the Colorado Independent Publishers Association http://bit.ly/w2f0gu has all the educational resources and vendors available to help authors  along the way to becoming a successful independent publisher. 

Come along. Jump on the Fast Track of Independent Publishing. It’s a New Year, and a great time in publishing! Join in.


Thumbs Up to an e-Book Author

January 27, 2012

“We never know how far reaching something we may think, say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.”  – B.J. Palmer 

Today, we are featuring first time author Darcie Chan. She will be the first of many to come authors who have found success as an independent publisher of an electronic book. Darcie Chan is an environmental lawyer who has entered into the contemporary publishing market with her novel The Mill River Recluse. 

 The story, set in Vermont, is about a wealthy occupant in mysterious marble house. The main character suffers from a social disorder, limiting her to communicate through her bedroom window with a few key characters in her town. Chan weaves a story of love and friendship that has landed this fictitious novel on the New York Times best seller e-book list.  Indie Reader touts the book  “as real page turner.” Excellent reviews have come from Kirkus and it also holds a place on the USA Today’s list of best selling books, too. 

More of 430,000 copies of Darcie Chan’s novel have been sold. It is downloadable from the leading on-line booksellers at a very affordable price of 99 cents. She has already made more than she in all likelihood would have been paid as an advance from a traditional publisher. 

Darcie Chan is just one example of an author who has decided to go the digital publishing route, and has found success as an unknown writer. She has been approached by film studios who want to produce an book to film adaptation of her story, too.  For more information on The Mill River Recluse, please visit www.darciechan.com

We will continue to feature other inspiring stories about e-book authors on All Things Fulfilling. Check back with this blog site.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.


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