Category Archives: Business

Drawing New Patrons of the Arts

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“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.” ~ Albert Einstein 

There is a project on the horizon that will bring two synergistic forces together to create a groundbreaking model for museums across the country. The New Young at Art Museum and Broward County Children’s Reading Center is aimed at providing a fulfilling experience that will develop a “new generation of patrons, supporters and patrons of the Arts.” 

This 21.5 million dollar complex in Broward County, Florida is currently under construction. The funding for the project comes from a mix of private investment, public and governmental funds and a $500,000 Knight Arts Initiative Challenge Grant from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. http://www.knightfoundation.org/. The building will be a silver-LEED certified structure of award winning design. 

All enclosed under one roof will be exhibition space of WonderScapes, GreenScapes, ArtScapes and CultureScapes which will enhance learning about our diverse world, the environment, creativity and imagination. Multi-media studio art space is all in the design, too. 

The experience will be both creative and educationally stimulating for children and adults, alike. The mission is to shape the community and the way that families share reading and art. For more information on this exciting new cultural center, please visit http://bit.ly/grUfJc.

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Change of Scenery

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“Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do.” ~ Max Dupree 

Last night, I was busy getting ready to head out by 6 am today for the Colorado Independent Publishing Association “College.” www.cipabooks.com. I was focused on getting the vendor exhibit materials ready for what promises to be a very educational and fulfilling event. Limited by time, I made an executive decision that today, the blog will be brief.

I may be napping on the blogosphere today, but I will be prowling around talking about my passion at the CIPA publishing conference instead. I hope to see many of you independent publishers at the event. Join in on our roundtable discussion between 12:00 am – 12:30pm today. The topic will be The Basics of Selling and Marketing Books on the World-Wide Web and why e-marketing is essential to e-commerce. I look forward to networking and meeting you!

 As usual, I will also be on the hunt for valuable information to bring back to our loyal readers of All Things Fulfilling. I’ll see what I can find. Perhaps I will return with information about new book releases, independent publishing success stories, and new vendor services available to you as an independent publisher. 

Check back on Monday! Have a fulfilling weekend. I know I will. I look forward to a change in scenery!

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Gift of an Irishman

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 “These things, I warmly wish for you- Someone to love, some work to do,
A bit of o’ sun, a bit o’ cheer. And a guardian angel always near.”~ Irish Blessing 

Are you wearing the green today? On this St. Patty’s Day, as I have for the past 35 years, my shamrock pin is placed over my heart on my lapel. The shamrock pin was given to me as a gift from my Irish in-laws. Just before I met my mother-in law and father in-law, they had taken a trip to Ireland and had brought the shamrock pin back as a souvenir. The gift of the shamrock, to me, represented a fulfilling sign of approval – I had passed “the test!”

My in-laws are no longer on this earth. Every March 17th I think, with appreciation, about their gift of the four leaf clover and what it represented to them and to me:

  • Faith – A chance to learn a little about their beliefs. My in-laws had a strong faith in the Catholic Church, as many Irish do.
  • Love – We reciprocated plenty of that. From day one they accepted me unconditionally as the daughter they never had.
  • Hope – My in-laws hope was for an enduring marriage for their son. When we announced the arrival of the greatest gift of all, the birth of a little leprechaun, my in-laws really danced an Irish jig!
  • Luck. As luck would have it, my relationship to my in-laws was nothing but wonderful. I don’t have a single “I Hate my In-Laws” story or joke to tell. 

There is a little sadness in this day for me. Six months after our “little leprechaun” was born, my father-in-law passed away. Our son never got to know his Grandfather Leonard. When he asks what his grandfather Leonard was like, I tell him “he gave me the gift of a shamrock and all that it represents.”

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you Irish men and Irish ladies! Drink a little green beer, dance a little Irish jig, listen to award-winning Irish independent recording star Mary Black. Her music has taken America and other countries by storm!  http://www.mary-black.net/ Enjoy this day of celebration of Irish heritage.

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In the Pilot Seat

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“If you do not look at things on a large scale, it will be difficult to master strategy.”         ~ Miyamoto Murshashi
 
 People are choosing to independently publish books, films and music because they have more control in all facets of publishing process. http://bit.ly/94IUo4.  It is fulfilling when you are in command of the vehicle that you are steering. The vehicle is your media, powered by independent words, images and audio sounds.

As pilot of your publishing project, your responsibility lies in the take-off (pre-publication planning), the trip from destination to destination (producing the publication from start to finish) and the safe landing (getting the finished publication into the hands of the consumer). 

As an independent publisher, it is important to remember that each stage of the journey from take-off to landing is integral to the end result. Keeping the momentum going is a challenge that all independent publishers face. A co-pilot for different legs of the journey is helpful when your energy lags, for when you begin to loose steam or enter into unknown territory. 

There is no need to sojourn alone. Freelance vendors in every part of the publishing process can provide you with services to help you throughout the trip – from putting a solid, well rounded marketing plan into place, to selling your book on the internet and through other channels, to assisting you with reaching communities of people who are interested in knowing about the publishing project that you have been piloting.

Step into the pilot’s seat with confidence in knowing that in this day and age of publishing, there is plenty of help available for those who decide to take a non-traditional route.

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

How to Cook a Good Book

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“March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns or the sharp stones on life’s path.” ~ Kahlil Gibran 

It is mid-March and the other day we adjusted our clocks ahead giving us more daylight. Along with spring comes an urge to begin to eat a little differently. Our diet of satisfying  hearty stews, soups and chili is gradually replaced with lighter fare. The clothing we wear has less bulk, too. Before I transition my diet from winter to spring, I am going to offer one last fulfilling, robust recipe that many independent publishers have been working on perfecting all winter long – “How to Cook a Good Book.” 

Step 1 –

Test the water first – make sure you have a hot and a unique idea.

Begin to stew on a pre-publication marketing plan.

Fill the pot with energy, insight, creativity and stick-to-itiveness.

  • Include the necessary base ingredients– a central theme, strong character development, story line that supports the theme, engaging plot, and cohesive writing.
  • Incorporate varied vocabulary with shades of meaning to support the base.
  • Make adjustments to the recipe – edit ingredients that provide no flavor.
  • Add more seasoning, if needed, to make a more fulfilling concoction.
  • Let it cook and stir, cook and stir some more.
  • Send your creation off to some taste testers.
  • Satisfied that the  ingredients are complete?
  • Add a “read hot” title and packaging to match. 

Step 2–

  • Consider branding the idea.
  • Place it for sale on-line and in other pre-determined markets.  
  • Ramp up all marketing efforts.
  • Promote yourself as the chef.
  • Advertise and promote the finished product.
  • Saturate the market.
  • Share “dribs and drabs” of the finished product with others.
  • If you need help with smokin’  “soup d’jour” e-marketing tactics – seek help!  

Way to go! You have cooked your book and now you can add “published author” to your Curriculum Vitae. What other recipes can you follow to make your life more fulfilling?

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To Heaven and Back

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“While we try to teach our children all about life.  Our children teach us what life is all about. ~Angela Schwindt 

Despite the absence of a best-selling author, an elaborate marketing scheme and a big name publisher, there is a book currently topping the NY Times non-fiction best seller list that has sold over 1.5 million copies. This book is fulfilling a need for millions of people who wonder what happens when we pass from this world to the next.

Todd Burpo, father to eleven-year old Colton Burpo, would add the words “and after life” to the second sentence of the statement made by Angela Schwindt. This Midwestern Dad has shared the lessons that his then 4 year old son taught him about the after-life through his book “Heaven is for Real.” 

When Colton Burpo was four years old, he was rushed into surgery with a burst appendix. This little boy lost consciousness and died. He was revived and returned to life with a story to share. What Colton shared with his Dad about life after death is the subject of this popular book. 

Although many have claimed the story was told just to make money, Nashville publisher Thomas Nelson, said this mid-western family’s values gave credibility to the tale and removed the doubt he had about their motives for wanting this story published. The book provides possible answers to what many people often ask, “What is heaven like?” 

For more information on “Heaven is for Real” please visit http://nyti.ms/gKWvGF.

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International Film Trivia

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“I really love it all: theatre, film, television.” ~ Charlotte Rae  

It’s been a busy, busy week! All kinds of fulfilling activities were on my business calendar for this past week. Since it is Film Friday, today we will play a little international film trivia, to mix things up.

If you can answer these two film trivia questions, without cheating, you can consider yourself really “in the know” and on top of the scene! The answers will be located at the very bottom of this page. Good luck! 

  1. Two short documentary films by Macedonian filmmaker Marija Makeska will be presented tonight in remembrance of the Macedonian WWII Holocaust. The names of the films are “Soul Mates” and “Getting to Know Us.” In what city in the United States will these films be screened and what is the non-profit organization that will be presenting these films?
  2. On February 13th, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts http://www.bafta.org/  honored this individual for his outstanding and exceptional contribution to film. Who was the actor? Hint – He played Saruman in Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Count Docku in Star Wars and Dracula in at least 10 films. Who is the actor that was honored with the BAcademy Fellowship at London’s Royal Opera House ? 

Curious? Go ahead and peek. I will not hold it against you! Or you can use your favorite search engine to find out the answers.

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Answers: 1. Steamboat Springs, Co and Macedonian Mission for Humanity. More information: http://www.steamboattoday.com/events/2011/mar/11/9874/

                   2. Sir Christopher Lee

Yankee Writers Gathering!

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“If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”~  Thomas Edison

 New Englanders are hearty souls! I can attest to that after having lived in the State of Vermont for 35 years!  On March 25th and March 26th there will be a gathering of New England Writers focused on how to “Survive and Thrive” as independent publishers. The New England Publishing Conference will be held at Chapel Hill-Chauncey Hall School in Waltham, Massachusetts. 

Veteran publishers, industry experts and vendors to the independent publishing industry will be on hand fulfilling the need for knowledge for those who are starting out in book publishing. Book promotion and selling through e-marketing and other channels such as libraries, book fairs, bookstores and to non-profit organizations will be topics of discussion, too. 

Cevin Bryerman from Publishers Weekly Magazine www.publishersweekly.com will address the crowd. Don’t miss out on that! Cevin always has a lot of interesting things to share about the industry. There will be workshops focusing on e-books, blog writing, e-marketing, and other information on the business of publishing both domestically and globally. Another important speaker, Tim Brookes from Champlain College www.champlain.edu will be speaking about Publishing in the 21st Century – The Campus Revolution. The keynote speech will be given by publisher David R. Godine www.godine.com. 

For more information on this important educational conference, please visit www.ipne.org. For questions, e-mail talktous@ipne.org. There are special conference lodging rates at the Holiday Inn Express in Waltham, MA. Make your reservation now, so you can take advantage of this block of rooms set aside for the IPNE Publishing Conference. 

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Treasure Trove On-Line

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“When you are curious, you find lots of interesting things to do” ~ Walt Disney

I like visiting other blog sites as much as I enjoy being the author-in-residence for our company blog, All Things Fulfilling. What I find most interesting is the uniqueness in look and the independent thought, words and views that each blogger brings to their site. 

Popping in on other blog sites is like a visit to the thrift store! You never know what you are going to stumble upon that may be of great value to you in your life or to the life of someone else you know. There are all kinds of useful things you can find when you delve into the blogosphere. I enter without expectation of what I am going to find, ever mindful of the Irish proverb “better one good thing that is, rather than two good things that were, or three good things that might never come to pass.”

Trading blog site links is like sharing books, films and music. It is especially satisfying to share blog postings and blog sites with people who you know would relate and enjoy the content. I have my favorite sites that I return to frequently. http://bit.ly/ekghXc.   I revisit some that have been transformed from an earlier state and that is interesting, too. http://bit.ly/fVDoqu.

All bloggers, from time to time, struggle with how to provide content that is useful and valuable to others. If you are stuck in a rut with your blogging, sometimes all it takes is a fresh set of eyes to evaluate and suggest what other treasures you can share with readers.

Keep your “treasure trove on-line” restocked creatively and regularly and you will have return visitors time and time again. 

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International Communities of Women

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“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it. “~ Andrew Carnegie

 The pressure was on this year, from my international friends. Last year on the 8th of March, I hadn’t a clue that it was a day to remember women all over the world. I woke up to Happy International Women’s Day greetings from a few of my friends, one from Macedonia and another from Australia. This year I wanted to remember this day of  global celebration of economic, political and social achievements of women , lest I be scolded for being a typical American – celebrating only the holidays that are heavily marketed here in the States.

Now, through the power of social media marketing, we can connect with women having similar values, interests, hobbies, business, political and social interests through the world-wide-web. There is an international community of women all faced with the same issue of fulfilling their responsibilities in the workplace while still getting the “job done” at home. Balancing home life and work life is a concern for the majority of women in today’s world. 

There are four common traits of leadership that women in all countries use for success in both the home and in the workplace.

  • Be Goal Oriented
  • Communicate Effectively
  • Use Emotional Intelligence
  • Know How to Delegate

 These leadership skills are as useful for the full-time family manager (aka stay at home mom) as they are to the women working full-time outside of the home. To read more information on how we can empower ourselves for successful living, in and out of the home, by using these management qualities, please visit http://bit.ly/94VjbA.

 Women on every continent are setting service organizations, business, and political communities on fire with their passion, their energy, their ideas and their leadership skills. Happy International Women’s Day to All, and a special shout out to women involved in Kiwanis International www.KiwanisInternational.org!

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