Category Archives: Independent Publishing

Indie Bookstore Day

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A few Saturday’s ago was celebrate Independent Bookstore Day. In many states  COVID-19 has restricted the opening of brick and mortar stores over the past 6 months but regulations have relaxed just a little allowing a celebration with social distancing. Many bookstores held sidewalk  celebrations.

As I participated in a book signing in Bel Air, MD I couldn’t help but think how selling books by e-commerce and also the development of electronic books (e-books) and audio books were made for a time such as this. Had it not been for the vast changes in the publishing industry over the past 12 or 15 years, bookselling would have come to a complete and utter screaming hault during these challenging times.

It felt so good to be able to participate in a bookselling event and to meet and greet other authors who share a passion for writing.

Here’s a few images of Independent Bookstore Day in 2020! Books are already being written about this unique time in history.

Book with a Big Takeaway Message

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I just read a book by Rubi Ho called The Thrival Guide to Work and Life. Briefly, Rubi Ho is an expert at organizational change and an Executive Business Coach. His talents are especially valuable in this day and age when corporations everywhere are looking at change or overhauls  due to the pandemic.

Along with sharing many achievable tips, his book paints an abstract of his early childhood as an orphan and how he became a successful business person working with Fortune 500 companies and living a fulfilling life. The tools he used to become successful endorses the idea that education is not always the key ingredient for a thriving life.

The biggest takeaway for me was Rubi Ho’s assurance that limitation, lack of resources and challenge early in life often lays the foundation for learning critical thinking skills and problem solving which can be greatly used to one’s advantage. Knowing oneself and using ones own innate gifts and lessons learned through real life experience leads to thrival. Quang Ho, his brother, a world renown artist is sited as an excellent example of someone who followed his heart for art even though he knew the big challenges he’d face trying to rise to an elite level of accomplishment.

The book is so filled with strategies for both personal and professional achievement that it is best read in it’s entirety.

Rubi Ho, best wishes to you for thrival in your publishing endeavors. You have much of value to share.

Artful Titles

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“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines who you will be when you can’t help it.”

~ Oscar Wilde

Last night, many artists whom I’ve directly or indirectly made connection with in the art community were in my thoughts when I attended Bruce E Mowday’s book signing for his publication Stealing Wyeth. The book signing was held at the Harford County Public Library in Bel Air.

The veteran reporter, investigative journalist and public speaker knows how to tantalize an audience! Bruce E. Mowday gave us just enough information about the theft of fifteen Wyeth paintings for us to want to learn more and read on! All you art enthusiasts and crime book fans will want to know more about the characters, the art thieves and the author behind the story. Go to the author’s website. He has published about twenty books in various genres and he says his range of subjects can be contributed to his avid interest in people, both from the past and in today’s world.

Soon, more revelations will be made about more books artists world-wide will be interested in.  Keep your eye on this website.

 

On this Independence Day 2019

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On this Independence Day, we at AllThingsFulfilling.com have decided to take stock by looking in on some of the latest statistics regarding independent publishing! Indeed the publishing paradigm has changed enormously over the past ten years.

Did you know in 2017 alone, over 1,000,000 books were independently published? That’s right!

Go right to the source for the report from, Bowker!

That’s not even to mention 266 million e-books that were sold. Read the full reports here!

For the fifth straight year the number of books in print have grown. According to Beat Barblan, Director of Indentifer Services at Bowker, independent publishing “shows no signs of slowing down and it continues to grow at a steady rate.”‘

Of course, in this digital world, intellectual property piracy continues to be a huge concern and at issue.

Since 2012, there has been 156% increase in ISBN#s issued, says Bowker.

What can that be attributed to? You might ask. Here are some of the reasons why:

  • Increase in number of publishing associations which serve authors.
  • Technology
  • Growing author communities
  • Increasing products and services for authors
  • Resources to market books independently and digitally

On this Independence Day 2019, I’d like to point out freedom of press has been a cornerstone value since our country began! It is our belief at AllThingsFulfilling.com that with freedom comes great responsibility. Use and choose your words carefully to help unite rather than harm.

In short, practice the golden rule “Treat others as oneself would wish to be treated.”

Happy 4th of July!

 

Acrostic Poem for St. Patty

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“If you have the words, there’s always a chance you will find the way.” ~ Seamus Heavy

The words for the day are Acrostic Poems. Can you define it?

Although I have written several acrostic poems on this website, I didn’t know the proper terminology for them. Perhaps we never discussed this form of poetry in a creative writing class that I took several years ago.

Here’s the task for this St. Patty’s Day. Write an acrostic poem using the words Irish Writer. If you have had a green Irish beer or Jameson’s or two, you might come up with something even more profoundly fulfilling. See what you can do.

Independent

Red-headed

Individuals,

Stereotypically

Holy Catholic,

Wildly

Rowdy,

Indulgent in

Taters,

Earnestly

Rooted.

Happy St. Patty’s Day, my friends. 
free st pattys day stationary with quoteSt Pattys Day

Writing Motivation Tip#1

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All Things Fulfilling

Writing & Publishing Tip #1 – Next time you start a new endeavor or  start down the road to a personal journey – post a sign with  the following words on the mirror so you see it first thing every morning. Put it front and center.

what if you fly

Make a contract with yourself right now, writers, to pay no mind to the first line of this “what if” thinking.  Only focus only on the second question and  life affirming possibilities.

Every time you are feeling defeated, discouraged or disillusioned ask yourself once again which alternative is the most appealing.  “Oh my darling, what if you fly?”  is what will keep you pressing forward.

You’ll soar to new heights. I found it really works!

success story

This blog brought to you by the award-winning author, Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. For more information on the publication, visit this link. http://amzn.to/1mbmVGR.

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Merrily I Roll Along

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Happy Friday! Today  on All Things Fulfilling I’m keeping it brief ’cause I’m loosing sleep, ’cause I’m rolling, rolling, rolling on this river. Words just keep on burning and I want to keep on going.

decision to try

If you are looking for some inspiration, there are at least 1800 other blog postings about all kinds of fulfilling things, including posts about writing and independent publishing  you can read on this website! Check out the categories on the right-hand side of the page.  We will see you right back here on Monday.

beautiful day.

This blog is brought to you by award-winning author, Sue Batton Leonard.

 

A Writers Raison d’Etre

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twitter-bird-winkingHow many books do you have to sell to be considered a best selling author? Research tells me 5,000 copies or more.  Clearly, most authors write because they love the process of creating a satisfying story.

But, for every writer out there, there is an element of hope among us. Hope that our books will do much better than we ever anticipated. Some of us allow ourselves to dream beyond our wildest imaginations.

dickinson on hope

Don’t we all dream of better tomorrows? That’s what inspires writers to get up every morning.

I hope you’ll return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.

Sowing Creative Energy

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“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”  ~ Nelson Mandela

heart clockEver since I put my mind to the idea of spring cleaning, I’ve had trouble sleeping. There are too many possibilities before me streaming. My preliminary discussions with my mighty information technology (aka i.t.) advisor have encouraged me to move forward. With time, clarity will come. I just need to practice patience and have faith that the words, sounds and images will be united into one fulfilling space.

 I have of  plenty of concepts to sleep on which is making shut-eye elusive because I am sowing creative energy of the heart and that is stimulating!

blue birds pillowcase

This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.

 

 

 

Fulfilling Things about Spring Cleaning

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“The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.”~Bernard Williams

The good  news: February 25th is a special day, and it is coming up. Annually I’ve declared it as a benchmark – over the hump day of winter. Occasionally I’ve moaned and groaned about the length of winter living in the mountains but, I must confess it is a beautiful season. So far this year we’ve received just about 300 inches of snow here in the town that the locals call “The Boat.”

It’s hard to believe spring will ever come with the heaps of snow that surround me. But what’s so lovely about the next season is it arrives as “my spring of discontent.” That means I am ready to blossom, grow and step outside my boundaries which always leads to new perspectives and projects.

In a few weeks I look forward to a visit from my sonshine. He’s my mighty counselor in all things technical and digital. I have some ideas up my sleeve. Hopefully, between the two of us we can put our heads together and do a shoveling out and spring cleaning on All Things Fulfilling. I’m up for the challenge because I’ve learned with faith, all things are possible!

springcleaning1b

See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.