Category Archives: Book Printing

Once in a Blue Moon

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“The only thing you live to regret are the risks you didn’t take”~ Unknown

Today, I am feeling very fortunate. Since starting my company, I have had the opportunity to meet many incredible people that I would not have ordinarily met, had I not taken a risk. Among them have been extraordinarily talented artists, filmmakers, and individuals who serve their communities through the non-profit sector – all of them independent publishers. All have had similar goals – to share beauty, kindness and knowledge through their unique and creative talents.  All have been so very committed to changing our world for the better and each person is awe-inspiring in their very own way.

Tonight, as the New Year approaches, I will be taking some time to reflect on these past few years to remember some of the individuals that I have crossed paths with. Many of these individuals I have not met face to face, yet through an e-mail or a telephone conversation, they have left a mark on me. I can recall the discussions we have had about their goals and aspirations for their independent publishing companies. All have inspiring, educational or entertaining stories to tell through their books, films or music or through their commitment to a cause or a mission. All are the kinds of people you meet only once in a blue moon.

We want to hear from more of you! By posting your comments to our blogsite, we can together build a community of like-minded people who have independent thoughts, ideas and dreams to share.

Happy New Year 2010! May this coming year bring publishing success to each and every one of you!

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

A Gargantuan Gift

“Love is, above all, the gift of oneself ” ~ Jean Anouilh

For me, the greatest gift on this earth, is the gift of my family and our independent publishing clients, who allow us to serve them each and every day. They are the purpose of our work. I know blessings when I see them!

This blog will remain silent throughout the holidays so that I can give the best gift of all to my family – my time. If you have children, give them your undivided attention when they need it most. It is the best way to demonstrate how much you value their presence in your life. Unlike other things, nurturing children is not something that can wait.

We appreciate and value the feedback we have gotten from loyal followers of this blog site. In 2010, you will be able to post your comments on this site. Our aim is to provide a community of like-minded readers sharing our dreams, ideas, goals and needs as independent publishers. We want to hear from you and your comments will be a gift to us!

We look forward to sharing some exciting news with you, our loyal readers from around the globe, in 2010.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to All!

In the Drivers Seat

“Our dreams can come true…if we have the courage to pursue them.” ~ Walt Disney

I had an ephiphany this morning, right when I was in the shower brainstorming what today’s blog would be. Suddenly, the thought came to me that as bloggers, we are all given a clean slate each day to write what we want. We only have to pitch an idea to ourselves!

Contrary to writers who are submitting manuscripts to traditional publishing houses, there is not an editor deciding whether your work is right for the publishing house. Getting in line behind all those other recently submitted manuscripts can be a long wait in itself. With traditional publishing, a manuscript can take years to become a book. Often a manuscript has to be submitted to many publishing houses before you get a nibble of interest from an editor.

A comparison can be made between life and independent publishing. We get to write our own story in life, too! The outcome is determined by the choices we make, our determination, the vision we have for ourselves and whether or not we will let others stand in the way of our goals.

Perhaps in this New Year, you will have  a revelation, too. If you genuinely believe in your manuscript yet have been frustrated in finding a traditional publisher interested in buying the rights, perhaps it is time to take your future, as a writer, into your own hands.  Short run printing, print on demand and The Expresso Book  Machine www.Northshire.com  now make it possible to have your book on the market in very short order and your book can become available globally through the power of e-commerce.  What are you waiting for?

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

Worth the Wait

“Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting” ~ William Arthur Ward

Forgiveness comes easier to some than others. I do not get angry very often, but when I do, it passes as quickly as it comes. I have never been one to hold grudges. Life is too short, I have better things to do!

I am practicing forgiveness today and hopefully, there will be others that will join me! My holiday reunion with our son has been delayed from Sunday until Tuesday night due to weather in the East and airlines cancellations. We had gotten a permit to fresh-cut a Christmas tree, and my husband, son and I had planned to cut and decorate our tree on Tuesday. It will have to wait another day,  but, I am not going to spoil my good holiday cheer by getting angry about this uncontrollable snafu!

A few e-mails have arrived from customers who had ordered a certain book for holiday giving and had not yet received it. Hopefully, they will be joining me in forgiveness today, as I have to advise them that there have been delays at the bindery and we can not ship until we receive the product in stock. Although customer satisfaction is always at the top of my list, there are some things in life that we can do little about.

Rather than pout, I am dreaming  about what awaits  me when I finally have the gift of our son home for the holidays. All that really matters is that he arrives safely. Our Christmas tree will be just as beautiful, no matter what day it arrives!

Some things are worth waiting for!!

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

Come, Bearing Gifts of Healthcare

“It is characteristic of wisdom, not to do desperate things.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

I love Christmas carols and all the traditions of Christmas. As a child, I was the one who awoke before daybreak on Christmas morning, roused my two brothers and twin sister and gathered my parents under the Christmas tree to open presents before the sun came up! I wanted to see the tree all lit up in the darkness of Christmas morn! There was NEVER any sleeping in on Christmas, not with me around!

One of my favorite carols is We Three Kings and I decided this year, I would delve deeper into what the gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold are all about. What I have discovered is the three wise men were, infact, very wise!  They were pioneers in healthcare. They came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh,  maybe not because of the great value to the ancient world, but because all three have significant health benefits!

Frankincense, I will suggest, was an early form of aromatherapy. It’s pleasant scent is used in soaps, lotions, essential oils and incense. It comes from the resin of the Boswellia tree.

Myrrh is used for certain inflammatory conditions, as well as for chapped lips, wounds, and when mixed in proper amounts with food, may protect against gastric ulcers.

Gold, it has been said, has a hisory of treating rheumatologic conditions. I would add that it is used for psychological well being – to enhance one’s sense of prosperity. Don’t we all like to feel a few gold coins jangling around in our pockets?

Whether Santa comes bearing gifts or not, I will still  be up before dawn on Christmas morn because I still love the holidays like a child. I can’t wait to see the faces of those I love – those are the best gifts we can receive.

Maybe in 2010, some old wise man will arrive with a potion that will let me sleep past six am every morning. Nah, I think I will leave my circadian rhythms alone. I like the clock I run by. Chapstick, laced with a little myrrh, in my Christmas stocking for this cold dry Colorado winter, is all I ask for this Christmas!

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

It is Boxing Day!

“All the statistics in the world can’t measure the warmth of a smile” ~ Chris Hart

To an order fulfillment company, all days are boxing days! As the holidays roll around, the heat is on, as orders are being processed, packed and shipped at a feverish pace. Postal and delivery service carriers also have their work cut out for them. All loads are bigger and heavier to bear during this time of year.

To citizens in the United Kingdom and most areas settled by the British (Australia, Canada and New Zealand), December 26th is boxing day. Historians say the holiday came to be because servants typically worked on Christmas Day. The day after, those in the service industry usually took their holiday and visited their families.  The servant’s employers would present them with gift boxes as they went on their way. This tradition continues today in the UK and other countries, as people give presents to tradesman, mail carriers, doormen, porters and others in the service industry.

The postal service and delivery carriers have ramped up their staff to do their best to see to it that all gifts arrive in time for holiday giving. When a gift arrives at your door, make it “boxing” day, and give a tip, a gift of a smile or friendly thank you for their service. It may make the job all the more fulfilling!!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

A Book with a Bonus

“A quiet mind cureth all.” ~ Robert Burton

Did you know that all books come with a bonus gift that you can give to mothers of young children? That is right! It is free and it is available with all books that sit on bookstore shelves. What is the bonus, you may ask?  Time to read it alone!

I hear so many young mothers say “they would love to be able to read, if given the time.” I can relate, I have been there and sometimes, I still feel that way.  My husband is and was a very wise man. He seemed to know when I was at wit’s end with our child and all I needed was time alone to curl up in a chair with a cup of tea and sink myself into a book.  That was when he and our son planned to do something “just for guys.”

Fathers with young children – whether you are buying your wife a cookbook, the latest hot novel or a non-fiction book on women’s spirituality, child-rearing, the Arts, home decorating, architecture, gardening or a book about independent publishing, give an additional gift, time to read it Alone! Your whole family will benefit and you will be among the Wise Men!

…..psst – maybe, just maybe, the gift will be returned in kind!

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

A Smile on a Face

“We can not do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.” ~  Mother Teresa

Things are beginning to look like Christmas here in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The town is bedecked with lights, Mt. Werner has gotten some new fallen snow, the hustle and bustle of holiday events has begun.

It has been some time since I have bought toys for “little ones.” Last week, I had a wonderful time picking out a few special gifts for children in two families. Our club, the Yampa Valley University Women, had partnered with the United Way and committed to fulfilling Christmas Wish List needs for two “adopted” families.

As I searched for a few perfect gifts for the “adopted” children on my list, a sense of nostalgia began to set in. I began to remember how special bedtime was for my son during the Christmas holidays. On his bookshelves sat a number of seasonal books that we saved all year long for Christmas reading. We couldn’t wait to revisit them year after year. Some of his favorites included:

  • The Mitten by Jan Brett
  • The Night Before Xmas (pop-up version) by Clement Clarke Moore
  • The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
  • The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski
  • Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

The images in the Jan Brett books were so bright, clear and fun to look at. Although it made me cry year after year, no book was more special than The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey. It’s message is beautiful, and it reminds us all that the simple things in life can bring out the best.  Old family friends gave this book, and many other holiday books to our son. Each Christmas, we always remembered the thoughtfulness that came from The Miller family in picking out and giving very special books to my son.

Many bookstores, such as The Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont www.northshire.com have “Christmas Book Angel” programs, to provide books for needy children. While you are doing your holiday shopping, buy a holiday book for a child you know, so they will have a book they can read Christmas after Christmas.

It’s time to make Christmas!!!

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

Precious Poe

“That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed in profit” ~ Amos Bronson Alcott

Christie’s of New York www.Christies.com has been put in command of auctioning off precious items of jewelry, furniture, Art, wine, books and other collectible things since 1766. They have evaluated and sold the most extravagant and valuable collectibles from around the world. Despite difficult economic times, in 2008, their sales reportedly reached 5.1 billion dollars.

Several days ago, they shattered all previous records for the sale of a literary piece of work. William Self, a former senior TV executive placed his collection of rare books with Christie’s and among the collection was a rare copy of Edgar Allen Poe’s book “Tamerlane and Other Poems.”

This book was first self-published in obscurity in 1827. It was then republished under Poe’s own name. Edgar Allen Poe wrote most of the book before he reached age 14. Only 40-50 copies of “Tamerlane” were printed and only 12 copies remain today.

The new owner was willing to pay $662,500 for this book of antiquity. Sadly, in all likelihood, the book will not sit on his bookshelf, either. Rare books, like museum quality paintings, are often held in vault storage with optimum humidity, air circulation, temperature controls and little exposure to light, so as not to further compromise it’s already frail condition.

Edgar Allen Poe, a gem of American poets, would probably turn over in his grave if he knew just how precious our society views his literary work. 

Weekend Indie Publisher News

 

All Independent Publishers – Second Reminder – Mark your Calendars The American Library Association Mid-Winter Convention.  9,000 + librarians will be attending this conference, looking for unique books for their library patrons. The www.AuthorsCollective.com is dedicated to helping the self published, emerging writers and independent publisher gain publicity for their books. Contact the Authors Collective today about including  your publication in their display.

The Independent Publishers of New England www.ipne.com will also include your publication in their display. Time is running short, so act now, while  space is still available.

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Another reminder- Deadline for the 2010 Eric Hoffer Book Award

All books accepted and the grand prize is $1500. Winner and First Runner-up in your selected category. Montaigne Medal for the most thought provoking book and the daVinci Eye Award will be presented for the best book cover.

Some of the catagories are: Art, Poetry, General Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Children, Young Adult, Culture, Memoir, Business. Reference, Home, Health, Self-Help/Spiritual, Legacy Non-fiction.

For more information: hofferaward01@gmail.com.

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