Category Archives: Marketing for Independent Publishers

Top Indie Films of Summer 2013

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Indie Wire has released its latest list of top money making independent films so far this summer. Keep your eye on http://www.indiewire.com because the list will periodically be updated.

The top five “indie” films this summer are as follows, along with name of the film production companies and their gross earnings as of June 5, 2013.

1. Mud (Roadside Attractions) – $16,849,451
2. The Iceman (Millennium) – $1,716,661
3. Frances Ha (IFC Films) – $1,556,325
4. Stories We Tell (Roadside Attractions) – $900,464
5. Kon-Tiki (The Weinstein Company) – $897,137

stories we tellMy top pick on this list is Stories We Tell. It was an Oscar nominated film and won awards at Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and Sundance. To read more about it, follow this link http://www.storieswetellmovie.com/story.html.

To read the full list of top grossing independent films, and a summary of each production, please visit www.indiewire.com.

Please return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com .

Honoring Those Behind the Scenes

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successThe other day I posted several blogs about the 2013 EVVY book awards from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Service providers are also recognized for their outstanding work on the night of the award presentations They are the individuals and companies  who work behind the scenes to help independent publishers create and sell quality publications for the marketplace.

Today, I would like to acknowledge the  freelance professionals who provide services to the independent publishing industry, such as printing companies, editors, cover designers, layout designers, e-book formatters and designers, marketing , copyright experts and more. Here is a helpful link  for finding assistance with your publishing projects  for the future. http://bit.ly/ZOsPCr .

If you are an author in any state or region looking to hire high quality freelance professionals to help you with your publishing project, a great place to start is to contact a regional or statewide trade association for independent publishers. They may be able to steer you in the right direction by locating companies who support authors in all parts of the publishing process.

When you are in the planning stage of publishing a book, decide what part of the process you can handle yourself and what parts would be best left to the professionals. It will make for a smoother process and a quality end result.

Gold Standards in Independent Publishing

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Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution. ~ William A Foster

Award-winning authors with award winning books! Today we continue highlighting authors who took away 2013 EVVY prizes from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) last month.

Click for info & ordering

Each of the aforementioned authors, as well as those who received second, third and merit awards from CIPA are setting high standards for all independent publishers. The Colorado Independent Publishers Association is working hard to ensure that top quality authors are reaping the rewards. The organization is putting into place high standards for judging criteria for book contests. Thank you, CIPA, for leading the way with your EVVY awards.

To read the full list of the 2013 EVVY award-wining books, please visit http://bit.ly/16BLVPn.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce & e-marketing for independent publishers. Please return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

2013 Book Awards – the EVVYs

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“To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act.” ~ Anatole France

evvy-gold-sticker-76134-53479-zoomEvery May the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) presents awards to independent publishers who have submitted their books for judging. I look forward to these annual awards because some of the authors I have had the opportunity to meet through networking.

The awards are given according to genres of literature, and also by technical category. Today, we will feature some of the 2013 EVVY Award-Winning author books and authors. To see the full list of award winners, please visit http://bit.ly/16BLVPn.

Writing and publishing a book is a big task. Kudos goes out to every author who submitted their publication to the contest. Each individual should be proud of having finished the many-step process and find fulfilling feelings, from within, for having accomplished it.

Please return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. We will feature  more 2013 EVVY award-winning authors and their publications.

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

Designing a Life for Success

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“Joy is the umbrella for life’s storms.” ~ Chris Vanderzyden

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to have lunch with author Chris Vanderzyden. We met at the Northshire Bookstore http://www.northshire.com/  in Manchester, Vermont and she arrived every bit the “dynamo” I expected, despite having just returned the night before from Bali and many hours of international travel. She had been at an event with Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame. Click for Canfields Publications

Chris is a corporate trainer, motivational speaker and business development leader. After years of working as a CPA and living a stressed-out lifestyle in Los Angeles, she traded in her career for a quieter way of life that has afforded her the ability to design a joyful existence that works for her and her family.

vanderzyden2Her book, A-Z Blueprint for Success: A Strategy of Action Steps to Elevate Your Business and Life was published out of Vanderzyden’s desire to help others create a more fulfilling way of life. She establishes, at the outset, that “having a successful life means something different to everyone.” According to Vanderzyden, a person is prosperous if they have a lifestyle that supports a healthy mind, body and spirit.

In order to achieve this result, defining one’s own core values is essential. The author provides an appendix of words which helps the reader to personally draw up a “custom” blueprint that very specifically identifies what a successful life looks like for them. Vanderzyden points out that action and persistence is necessary to achieve what one desires. Anyone can be successful with commitment to the principles she outlines in her A-Z Blueprint for Success. Click for info & ordering

I’d put Vanderzyden’s publication on a booklist for independent publishers who struggle to find time to complete their publishing projects or for those who need to find steps that will motivate them to consistently and successfully self-market their books. As the author points out, sometimes a better route to success is to hire someone else, for a small amount of money, so that will free up your talent for more productive tasks. She has become an expert on effective time management skills.

To learn more about Chris Vanderzyden’s corporate training programs and about a second publication that “is slotted to become a bestseller,” please visit http://bit.ly/12jZaTh. Click for info & ordering

Tomorrow’s ponderings will be available on www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Routt County 2013 EVVY Book Award Winners

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It’s back to books, business and publishing today on All Things Fulfilling.

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May 22, 2013

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

On Saturday, May 18, 2013 in Lone Tree, Colorado, the 2013 EVVY book awards were presented by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Three authors, all members of We Write Steamboat, a meet-up group for independent publishers in RouttCounty, came away winners.

9780974461793.Front Cover.vxA first place prize in the health and fitness category was won by Dawn V. Obrecht, M.D. for her publication, From the Edge of the Cliff: Understanding the Two Phases of Recovery and Becoming the Person You’re Meant to Be, published by Richer Press of Phoenix, Arizona. “Doc Dawn” is also the author of Mission Possible: A Missionary Doctors Journey of Healing. It is also an award-winning book. Her practice, specializing in addiction medicine, is based in Steamboat. Click for info & ordering Dawn V Obrechts books

Alzheimers moss bookSecond place prize in the autobiography/memoir category was given to author, Donald Moss, PhD for his book Alzheimer’s: My Journey to a Next Generation Treatment. Dr. Moss resides in RouttCounty on a part-time basis, and recently retired as professor at University of Texas, El Paso. Dr. Moss’s book is available as a paperback and as an e-book. Click for info & ordering Dr. Moss’s book

newtons-ark-coverA merit award was also given to author D.A. Hill of Steamboat for his first novel Newton’s Ark. This book is the first in a trilogy series. It is available as a paperback, in digital format (e-book) and also as an audio book. Click for info & ordering D.A. Hill’s books

More EVVY award winning books will be featured on All Things Fulfilling in coming weeks.

Do return to this blog tomorrow. I will be featuring a book that I mentioned several weeks ago in the blog called Star of the Publishing World http://bit.ly/10RIonQ. The principles within this book will be  helpful to writers who struggle with completing their publishing projects.

Do stay tuned to this blog by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

 

Providential Visit

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All that I know of tomorrow is that Providence will rise before the sun ~  Jean Baptiste Lacordaire

It’s a city rising, moved by philanthropists, architects, artists, bankers, shopkeepers and others who have engaged in The Providence Portrait Project http://providenceportraitproject.com/  to revitalize Providence, R.I. a city full of history, art, architecture. I enjoyed a day in this city last week when I went to visit my niece who is an architect at Union Studio Architects, and is currently involved in the design of a new library in Tiverton, Rhode Island. http://www.unionstudioarch.com/ .

I encountered so many wonderful sites in Providence that had to do with architecture, history, libraries, books, art, design and education that I will share what I saw through images, rather than words. Enjoy the pictures!

My next stop will be in a city of mansions where wealthy bankers, investors, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs lived in the early days of our country. Many of them invested in the railroad which allowed for westward expansion of commerce and thus, more prosperity for citizens of our country. Many of the castle-like mansions have become museums, open to the public for touring.

Do return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow.

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Above two images – my niece Kara explaining about the Providence Portrait Project http://bit.ly/14tLl1w.

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IMAG0356The roof top garden above Union Studio Architects

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 Image above: Symposium Books, Providence, RI  www.symposiumbooks.com

IMAG0360Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

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Image above & below: Athenaeum Library http://www.providenceathenaeum.org/

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Twin Sisters (yeah, I know, it’s hard to believe) together at the List Art Center

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Walter Feldman Book Arts Studio http://brown.edu/academics/visual-art/facilities

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At the Gates of Brown University, Providence, RI  http://www.brown.edu/

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Image above: John Hay Library http://library.brown.edu/about/hay/

Three Images Below: Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology

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 Above: Catherine Bryan Dill Center for the Performing Arts http://bit.ly/16MpQN5

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Above Image: The Edna Lawrence Nature Lab in Providence, RI http://naturelab.risd.edu/

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Photo above & below: Strolling the streets of Providence looking at church architecture and steeples.

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A beauty, isn’t it?

Image below: Grace Episcopal Church, Providence, RI

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I found providence,  grace and many more fulfilling things in Rhode Island! Thank you Kara, for being a tour guide and showing the sites.

Please return to www.AllThingsFulfilling.com tomorrow.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com, a company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

Star of the Publishing World

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In I walked, last week, to the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont and I was greeted by “Miss America of the Independent Publishing Industry.” That’s my tag line for her, but, she’s better known as the Expresso Book Machine. At one time there were only five “clones” of her in the world, but no longer. Her appearance on the scene has led to the growth of a new generation of publishing, and print-on-demand has a bright future. She was in action, performing her art of downloading, binding and printing a book right there in front of people, on stage, at the entrance to one of the top independent bookstores in the country, according to Publisher Weekly Magazine.

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I’d gone to the bookstore to meet with an author, who was somewhat jet lagged after being in Bali with Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul series.Click for info & ordering Chicken Soup For the Soul Series . She had arrived home from her travels late, the previous evening. Keep your eye on All Things Fulfilling in the coming weeks because her book, which we will be featuring, is all about success in life and business. Many of the strategies she offers are valuable to independent publishers.

Earlier in the week, I also met with a leader who is beginning to write her story. She hopes to publish independently. Her “dream” has led her to helping people around the globe to know that they matter. I look forward to seeing her publishing project evolve and come to fruition.

I also visited with numerous old friends in Vermont, and oddly each is one seizing new opportunities and starting down new paths, for very different reasons. We talked about baby boomers retiring,  life, change and where it leads us. Our conversations reminded me of what C.S. Lewis once said “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”

IMAG0345Etched in stone, outside the Northshire Bookstore, http://www.northshire.com/ Manchester, Vermont

Here are pictures of other familiar places I stopped by in my travels:

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Weston Playhouse, Weston, VT http://www.westonplayhouse.org/ where I volunteered for more than 25 years.Saw many outstanding theatre productions.

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Can’t go to Vermont without a stop by the Vermont Country Store. http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/store/. I ran into my office assistant who worked with me when I was an insurance agent and branch manager for Finn & Stone, Inc. many years ago.

Return tomorrow to www.AllThingsFulfilling.com as I highlight a city, in Rhode Island, that is being revitalized by a group of shakers and movers who are capitalizing on the city’s art, history, architecture and universities. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com, specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

Family, Faith and Travel

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“Each day I am thankful for; nights turned into morning, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love.” ~ Ritu Ghatourey

I’ve been swept up in a whirlwind of fulfilling things since arriving on the East Coast. It all began with attending a social event of a book club group with women who reside in and around the historic area surrounding TaylorsIsland in Dorchester County, Maryland. The Grace Foundation is restoring churches and doing work on the island to preserve the history of the churches and schoolhouses. http://bit.ly/16Ezcex.

“The Postmistress” by Sarah Blake, a book I recently read and adored, is on the reading booklist for the book club for this coming summer. Based on a small town sea-side community during World War 2, the post office was a hub of activity, and the spinster postmistress knows secrets which if told, will change the lives of some of the residents. If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it.

Then I traveled to the Boston area to attend the beautiful wedding of our niece on my husband’s side of the family. It was so wonderful to see the bride and her sister (our second Leonard niece), who are now both married adults.

We also spent a lovely evening in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and had dinner at Loretta’s. The harbor area in Newburyport has changed greatly since last time I visited many  years ago. Full of wonderful restaurants with varied cuisine, we also went art gallery hopping. As a Mother’s Day present, my husband bought me a New England artisan-crafted necklace from Annie’s of Newburyport. Then we finished the evening with dessert at a fantastic coffee shop complete with musical entertainment featuring a sole independent musician playing the guitar.

Join me tomorrow on my journey back to Vermont, my state of residence for more than thirty years. I was greeted by “Miss America” of the independent publishing industry! She’s quite a package! Well-built, for future developments.

Here are just a few pictures from my fulfilling travels:

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My favorite home away from home, my favorite writing place in the lighthouse

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Hope for a bountiful catch

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Rode my bike to the vineyards on the Island

too early in the season for fruit on the vine

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John the Baptist Church, Peabody, MA for niece’s wedding

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Beautiful bride (above)

and her maid of honor – her sister

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Stained Glass Window

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Dinner in Newburyport, MA at Loretta

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Couldn’t resist this photo http://www.imarc.net/  for our son, Marc R Leonard.

He seems to be showing up everywhere!

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My Mother’s Day Present – New England Artisan Crafted

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Left my heart in Taylor’s Island, Maryland

will be back to get it before my trip to the East Coast is over!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business!

Celebrating A Blogging Life

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Photographic Design and Photo Credit ©  Sue Batton Leonard

Whew – Yesterday’s blog was kind of wild and crazy, today will be more of a quiet, subdued celebration!

When I began this blog All Things Fulfilling three years ago, I thought, “I’ll just float a few of my independent thoughts, words and views over the internet from the Boat. You never know what will become of it. I’ll give it a shot.”

Today I  celebrate a blogging landmark of 1,111 blogs written. It occurs to me that I have penned as many pages as some of the most well-known classic novels. Like Gone With the Wind click for info & ordering, Atlas Shrugged Click for info & ordering, War and Peace Click for info & ordering, just to name a few, they all have more than 1,000 pages in them. And as I look at the significance of  the number 1,111, it has relevance in many ways to what I write about. http://bit.ly/13Mhip5.

In each post,  I’ve tried to provide our readers with something of value about independent publishing and other fulfilling viewpoints. In my book, Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, there is insightful information about why each of my life experiences are so appreciated.Click here for info & ordering.

Let’s be realistic. There are blogs out there with larger audiences.  But, the purpose of All Things Fulfilling  is to inspire our readers to explore and discover all kinds of things that are satisfying in life.  Today, I thank each of our readers who have ever stopped by this website. You are the motivating force that encourages me to keep on communicating.

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.