Category Archives: Careers

Typography for Independent Publishers

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Since this original blog was posted in February 2013, there have been more advances in e-book typography and layout. It’s an exciting digital world we live in.

Sue Batton Leonard's avatarAll Things Fulfilling

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning,” ~ Benjamin Franklin

With each new generation of publishing software for e-books, options for typography, continues to expand. And as with any industry, there is language specific to that technology in the field.

AuthorMichael N Marcus‘ book TypogrTypography for Indie Publishersaphy for Independent Publishers is a reference book that helps authors understand language such as fonts, serifs, outlining, embossing and other words that may be unfamiliar to those who are new to the publishing world.

Typography for e-books is quickly becoming an art. Since the initial offerings of e-books, readers are becoming more discriminating in what they want to see in e-books. Good layout, formatting and cover design is important for hard and soft cover publications and also for e-book buyers. Understanding typography terminology will help authors determine what they want to incorporate in…

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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

Giving Oneself Permission

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Sue Batton Leonard's avatarAll Things Fulfilling

“By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be the boss and work twelve hours a day.” ~ Robert Frost

Some people  need a boss behind them cracking the whip, helping them to stay on task and motivated. Having the corporate structure behind them saying “Your workday begins promptly at 9am and ends at 5pm, with a half an hour for lunch,” is what they relate to best.

Guess what, I worked under those conditions for most of my life. Now I’ve gotten a raise! “Twelve hours a day, hmmm, Mr. Frost?” Tell me, how does a writer, who is also essentially an entrepreneur, limit oneself to that?

Sometimes I find it hard to give myself permission to “lay off, let it go and call it a day.” It’s a challenge to remember the person in charge of me is myself!

Believe me, I am not complaining!…

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Meet You at the Sandbox

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Sue Batton Leonard's avatarAll Things Fulfilling

“Play is the work of children. It’s very serious stuff.” ―Bob Keeshan

Welcome back! Hope you had fun weekend.

A few years ago when I moved to Colorado, I went to a business conference for entrepreneurs. I sat next to a very nice young woman, not many years out of college. We visited throughout the day and enjoyed each other’s company. At end of the conference, she turned to me and said, “You know, you really ought to join the young professionals networking group.”  I began laughing!

“What?” she asked, in all seriousness. “What are you laughing at?”

“Young professionals?” I asked. Not because I thought joining networking groups for professionals was a bad idea but because I was questioning her judgment of how old I was. If fact, there are great advantages to joining organizations to meet-up with other entrepreneurs and business people. http://bit.ly/1uICWXy.

“Yes,” she said, “they are a great group and…

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Good News: Young Entrepreneurs

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Sue Batton Leonard's avatarAll Things Fulfilling

“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” Pamela Vaull Starr

The good news is the world still has its share of young people who have heads for business. In fact,  digital tools are facilitating entrepreneurship at a younger age than ever! Want to know how? Here is an article.

There are many youngsters who find their passion and their talents at very young ages. Whether they have a head for science, mathematics, technology or inspire others through their unique creative talents, there are ways you can to encourage your child. There are even schools which help nuture entrepreneurial spirit and innovation in children by helping them set up micro-businesses.

lightbulbHow do you raise self-motivated children? Here is an excellent article. I like many of the tips in this article but my top pick is “to give a child a rich…

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Your Soul at Work

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Sue Batton Leonard's avatarAll Things Fulfilling

Never work just for money or power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night.” ~ Marion Wright Edelman

If you read my blog on Monday called A Shepard’s Tea, I mentioned how combining business with spiritual-centered idea has brought personal fulfillment to me. It is a growing concept in this country that I hope we hear more about in the future. Because working an entire lifetime at something that is not personally satisfying seems to be a waste of a life and not what life is intended to be.

labor of love

The other day I came across an article from McKinsey and Company. The good news is our country needs more leaders in all aspects of industry.  At the center of leadership there needs to be certain conditions for successful outcomes. They are as follows:

  • Meaning
  • Managing Energy
  • Positive Framing
  • Connecting
  • Engaging

If you wish to know more…

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Mystery of Inspiration

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Sue Batton Leonard's avatarAll Things Fulfilling

The_Snow_Fairy_by_thefantasim

Mystery of Inspiration

©Sue Batton Leonard

Magical mistress, help me finish my book.

My pen is burning, yearning to see it complete. On Nook.

 Writing the spirit befriends, transcends. Like a jigsaw,

filled with turning points, wonder and awe.

I’ve got another idea in mind, a different kind,

equally as fulfilling and revealing.

I must keep writing. Give into this urge, purge.

Magical mistress, keep me creating, articulating,

help me turn my actions into satisfactions.

Forevermore, I’ll be faithful and grateful.

 The photo is from www.deviantart.com. Visit their website and check out their other fantastic images!

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

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Clearing the Way

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Sue Batton Leonard's avatarAll Things Fulfilling

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Are you person who has always had an artistic calling, yet you have never pursued your passion in earnest? You are not alone. There are many people, for various reasons, who have had to travel down other career paths feeling they have not fulfilled their God-given talents.

Matt Tommey book1The book Unlocking the Heart of the Artist: Practical Guide to Fulfilling Your Creative Call as an Artist in the Kingdom speaks to this issue for the new generation of people who seek personal fulfillment as a priority in their lives. He invites others to live fully, doing what makes them happy, and to become “unstuck” by expressing themselves creatively.

The author, Matt Tommey, is a successful basket maker and art consultant from Asheville, North Carolina. His sensible messages to other artists, through his publications, helps…

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Writing Conflict and Lessons

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Sue Batton Leonard's avatarAll Things Fulfilling

Life is a circle. The end of one journey is the beginning of the next.”
― Joseph M. Marshall III, The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History

I read a marvelous article recently in Poets and Writers Magazine about character development in stories and it got me thinking about real life people. Is it not true that some of the most interesting individuals you have ever met have incredibly complex life journeys?

If every thing in life was smooth, easy and breezy, our personal stories would be boring and there would be little reason for memoir writing. Out of strife and struggle comes personal growth, and by reading tales written by others we meet some very interesting characters who inspire us to become better people.

art of perseveranceThere is a book I encountered on Goodreads called Keep Going: The Art of Perseverance.  This book may be a good resource for writers who are frustrated…

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Writing Motivation Tip#1

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Sue Batton Leonard's avatarAll 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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