Category Archives: desktop publishing

Valuable Publishing Associations

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“Technology has changed the way book publishing works, as it has changed everything else in the world of media.” ~ Bruce Jackson

On Saturday, I attended the monthly meeting of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA). One of the reasons I don’t mind driving the distance, is the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life who are publishing their stories. Their manuscripts are usually a reflection of their interests, their lives or their careers. Always diverse, always leaving me wanting to learn more about each person, I collect business cards throughout the day, so I can go home check out their author websites and see what they have written. 

The October meeting was “Get the Skinny on Book Awards.” There was time for networking and facilitated breakout sessions, fulfilling CIPA members requests for information on: 

  • Award-winning Editing
  • Award-winning Design
  • Guidelines used by CIPA for their annual EVVY Book Awards
  • Discussions about Social Media and other Marketing 

Christine Goff, a judge and organizer for the Colorado Book Awards was the guest speaker on Saturday. She spoke about book awards in general and it became clear to me as she spoke that the criteria for judging books is as she said “subjective,” depending on each contest. The aim should be to make the judging fair for all by having a set of standards in place to go by. 

Interestingly, Goff mentioned, there are only about 19 states that have State Book Award contests. The Colorado Independent Publishers Association is opening up their awards to non-members meaning more submissions, a higher level of competition and an increased need for qualified judges. A four hour workshop on book competition judging will be offered. 

Winning a book award gives a book distinction, indicating it is well-worth reading. There are many contests, and it is important that the contests that you, as an author, enter have been researched to make sure they are run legitimately.

I can not express enough, the value of joining publishing associations, at the national or state level, such as the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Networking with other authors should be  at the top of your list.  Join a publishing association in your area or State today!

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Writing and Spiritual Journeys

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“Be faithful to that which exists within yourself.”  ~ Andre Gide

Yesterday’s blog posting led me to much deeper thoughts about the value of writing about health issues.

There are many men, women, and couples, who have found help and spiritual healing by writing about their own experiences of dealing with health issues of all kinds. If it weren’t for independent publishing, many of these stories would not be available for others to read. Important that these stories be told to help others who are going through difficult diagnoses and treatment, independent publishing serves as a valuable avenue in getting these books out to the public. Unique books, with personal stories, are often sold and marketed through e-commerce (sold on the internet).

There are many books available on cancer but there are three independently published books that I would like to mention in honor National Breast Cancer Month. To read more about these publications or to order them, please visit the links beside each title.

Fine Black Lines: Reflections on Facing Cancer, Fear and Loneliness by Lois Tschetter Hjelmstad  Click here for info & ordering

The Heroics of Falling Apart: One Couple’s Breast Cancer Journey, Julie and Dan Gordon http://bit.ly/SYjX7xClick here for info & ordering

The Cancer Odyssey Author: Margaret Brennan Brumel http://bit.ly/RAPOrHClick here for info & ordering

As a member of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association www.cipabooks.com , I have the opportunity to meet many authors who have published award-winning stories that help others. Although I do not know Julie and Dan Gordon or Margaret Bermel, I do know Lois Tschetter Hjelmstad. She is an amazing woman for many reasons, not just because she is a cancer survivor. She also has written other books about personal relationships. Each time I see her at a publishing event, we enjoy speaking with boeach other. I have observed something that she writes about – a very, very long lasting, successful marriage. She has been married 64 years, as have my parents. Her musings on what it means to have a fulfilling marriage are thoughtful and inciteful.

Although you may think your own story would not be of interest to others, I encourage people to find creative ways of telling them. It may just benefit someone else or at least yourself. It is very the reason, I told my story of childhood illness, (unrelated to cancer). For more information click on this link. Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard andwww.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Images, Words and White Space

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“We’ve arranged a civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology.” ~ Carl Sagan

On Monday, our local paper Steamboat Today was printed on pink paper in honor of National Breast Cancer Month. It seems that no one is immune from knowing someone who has been touched by this cancer. The month of October is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of early detection. 

The color of the newspaper was more than just a blush of pink, bolder than that, yet not as dark as fuchsia either. That edition made me realize something – the importance of white space. Although, as always,  I read the paper from cover to cover, I found reading from pink paper difficult and in fact, it slowed down my progress because my eyes were straining. As I struggled to read the article on raising money at the local level through events such as The Bust of Steamboat http://thebustofsteamboat.org/, I couldn’t help but think of what white space means to publishing. 

Digital reading devices, such as Kindles, have now gone through a few generations of development, improvements have come with each new model. The Kindle Paperwhite is purported to give the reader the clearest text, the best reading experience, due to its bright white screen. Yet not everyone can afford this top model. Many people do not have the luxury of buying a digital reader at all. 

I thought about how this relates to funding for breast cancer. Over the years, there have been advancements in detection through technology, yet people still slip through the cracks and find out about their case too late. Not every woman is able to afford mammograms and treatments either, which means not every woman has a chance of survival. Thank goodness for non-profit organizations such as the Susan G Komen Foundation http://bit.ly/TqInTF at the national and local level that work hard at trying to provide the means for everyone through their fundraising efforts. 

I don’t mean to trivialize the devastating disease of breast cancer by comparing technology of Kindle readers to a very personal medical issue. Digital reading devices are luxuries, and having medical technology and treatment for cancer is a necessity for survival; two very different issues. 

 These are just a few independent thoughts that came to my mind regarding white space as I read the news of the day on pink paper. That’s all….

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Sestina, Little Thumbelina

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“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” ~ Bernice Johnson Reagon 

 I can’t believe what I am about to say, but I guess stranger things have been known to happen.  The poetry I have been writing  has been more fun then I ever expected. Telling a story using elliptical language is a challenge and thought provoking trying to make all the elements fit together. 

Who would have ever thought I’d find prose and poetry enjoyable? It was my greatest fear in taking a creative writing course. However,  I have come to enjoy the stimulation of the mind and the creativity that it demands.   

Our teacher said, “You will be glad we started the course with poetry.” I didn’t believe it. I thought to myself, “Let’s just take the poison first, and get it done and over with.”  She said not a word about things like sestina, haiku or pantoum, probably fearing she’d scare the bejesus out of the entire class, before we even got started. 

This weekend’s assignment was to work on a sestina. I couldn’t have defined it until now. Here is the definition of this form of writing. “a lyrical fixed form consisting of six 6-line usually unrhymed stanzas in which the end words of the first stanza recur as end words of the following five stanzas in a successively rotating order and as the middle and end words of the three verses of the concluding tercet.” 

I can hear you now “Huh? I don’t get it. What is a tercet?” That’s your assignment. I’m too busy working on mine to explain it. 

 I’ll admit, when you know what you want to say but can’t put your fingers on just the right word to add engaging “sounds, color and flavor” to the composition, it’s frustrating. But I like dancing with words; it’s fulfilling to write when you get all jazzed up and arrange a piece you are satisfied with. I guess that is what poetry it is about; the art of putting a spin on words to make the reader do a ballet with the text.

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Digital books: Conserving Gas and Trees

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“What’s cheaper than a gallon of gas? An e-book. Save a dollar, stay home and read!”
~ Shandy L. Kurth 

At the 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair, there was a lot of discussion about the e-book industry. Digital books are gaining popularity globally. In fact, according to an article in Publishers Weekly Magazine, people in India top the charts as leaders in e-book buying. Thirty nine percent of the respondents to a survey say they have bought an e-book. Other top countries of digital book buyers are the United States and the United Kingdom.With each passing year, there is healthy growth in the electronic publishing industry, indicating an increased interest in digital reading content. 

If you have ever had any doubt about whether Americans are consumed with buying books, volunteer at a donation center for a thrift shop. Three or four hours every Saturday, I help out in a donation center run by the local churches. The amount of books that come through the doors is astounding. Each week, I gain a greater understanding of the value of buying e-books.

Electronic books take up less space for one thing. For readers who read a book once and then get rid of it, the new generation of books makes more sense. Sure, the reading experience is a little different. There are no paper pages to turn or to dog-ear to mark a spot. But, the story is still the same whether we are reading it digitally, in a hardback version, paperback or listening to an audio book. 

I am grateful the books have not ended up in the landfill and I know they are very much appreciated by the people who buy them. They are resold at a minimal price – usually 50 cents up to a few dollars. Sometimes a little more if the book is a large volume or a special collectible publication. Many of the donated books are in “like new” condition. Read once, then discarded. 

If you would like to know more about this growing trend among publishers, please read this article. It is a good source of information, brought to you by Publisher’s Weekly Magazine, digitally. http://bit.ly/Trf7RF.

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Better Living Books

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Are you looking for a different assortment of books, like no other? Publications geared toward mind, body, spirit and the Earth? 

The Living Now Book Awards “Books for Better Living” has a great selection of independently published books on many topics that are popular and relevant to better living. Here are just a few categories that are judged in the Living Now Book Awards. 

  • Green Living
  • Social Activism/Charity
  • Enlightenment/Spirituality
  • Metaphysical (Astrology, Tarot, Psychic Development)
  • Healing Arts/Bodywork/Energy Techniques
  • Caregiving
  • Mature Living/Aging
  • Grieving/Death and Dying
  • Inspirational Fiction

 To see the titles of the winning books that came from thirty-six U.S. States, six CanadianProvinces and 7 overseas countries, please visit this link. http://bit.ly/RLQ8WV.

Return tomorrow for more independent publishing news from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Wrinkles from Delight are Best

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If you read yesterday’s blog, you know of my struggles. I’ve been working on an elegy for my creative writing class. Last night, my trials and tribulations continued as I tried to nail down just the right words symbolizing a grievous time in a person’s life.  The professor said I am  “intellectualizing it” rather than “feeling it.” Her point is well taken, I understand what she is saying.

It has been a challenge, and I think it shows in my writing. To me, it is not fun to write about morose things.I so enjoyed writing my memoir because although the beginning was a bit uncomfortable to write, the tale takes some fulfilling turns that are unanticipated. Click here for info and ordering Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

Last night when I turned off the computer , I picked up a book called Watching Grandma Circle the Drain. It was the perfect cure-all to brighten my spirits after being engrossed in dark, depressing writing. The essay called “Hairdresser’s Lament” had me on the floor laughing.Click here for info & ordering

The author of the book, Allen Smith, is a humor writer whose perspective has been said to be “gritty.” Definitely, adult comedy. It’s been mentioned on ABC’s The View and has appeared in publications such as The Denver Post, The Writer Magazine, The Vail Daily, The Aspen News and LIVESTRONG.COM, just to name a few. For more information on Smith’s writing, please visit www.snowwriter.com.

Through his creative writing, Allen Smith reminds the reader to live with joy by laughing at ourselves and not to take life so seriously. One might describe Smith as a healing artist. He helps the reader see the ridiculous in careers, aging, men’s issues, medical situations, dating, sport, and other relatable subjects.

Watching Grandma Circle the Drain is a perfect gift for people who think “wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” ~ Mark Twain

To order Allen Smith’s book, please click on this link. http://amzn.to/RG9DQG.

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Writing Fictitious Scenes

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“Keep your face to the sunshine, and you can not see the shadow.” ~ Helen Keller 

Who likes to think of sad and unhappy times? Joyous moments, positive thoughts, fulfilling feelings are much better. Is there value in clinging to images that make us feel anything other than good and healthy? 

In my creative writing class yesterday, we were given an assignment to write an elegy. Do you know what that is? I didn’t. Think of the word eulogy. Composing an elegy is very similar in nature. The teacher said “write about significant loss or death. Nothing funny; make it serious.”  In her words, “no rhymes!” In my words,“Don’t use expressions in writing that makes a frown turn right side around.” 

Last night, I worked a little on my elegy. Wow- that is difficult for me. I am not used to that way of thinking. It is like having to transition my stream of consciousness into something backwards. An analogy would be trying to make water flow, in a river, in the wrong direction. 

I feel as if  I don’t have that much to draw from compared to a lot of people. I have been so very fortunate – the really bad times in my life have been few and far between.  

 I suspect I’ll have to dig deep within to come up with a good piece of writing. If I can’t find it inside, I suppose I can make something up –  creative writing is what you decide to make it, isn’t it? Can it all be fiction? I’ll ask my teacher.

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

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“When faced with a challenge, look for a way, not a way out.”
—David Weatherford 

Yesterday’s blog was blasé, there was something missing. As much as I try to paint pictures with words in my blog writing, corresponding images makes things POP! Let’s face it, a picture helps drive a point home, there is no denying it. 

Posting a blog without a picture is like: 

    • Music without Sound
    • Peanut butter without jelly
    • Fries without catsup
    • Men without a Remote Control
    • Dungeons without Dragons
    • Tea Kettle without Water
    • Movies without  Screens
    • A Tux without a Tie
    • Chips without Dip
    • Pen without Paper
    • Coffee without Donuts
    • Upstairs without Downstairs
    • Fulfillment without Satisfaction
    • Shopping without Money
    • Yin without Yang
    • Campfires without Marshmallows
    • Books without Text
    • Weeks without Days

When one half of two things that are meant to be together, is missing, life just does not seem right.

 Yesterday, I couldn’t post any images, there were technical difficulties. But I thought “What’s a girl to do when things are out of her control? Find more Words, and Press on, I guess! ”

Today, all is right with my world again.

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Obsessed and Over taken

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“If you judge a poet, you have no time to write prose.”                                     ~Sue Batton Leonard

 Let’s start with something fresh today and talk about something different. It’s time to air my dirty laundry.

Last week in my creative writing class we were given an assignment to make a list of all of our obsessions. “Choose one, ” the professor said “and write about it; either in poem or prose form.”

My teacher has not yet seen my poem, so it is making it’s debut on this site – rough draft, unpolished. As you read my composition, remember, this is only my third attempt at writing poetry, ever!  Yes, ever. It is not really my forte.

Obsessed and Overtaken 

Concept, idiom, jargon

Articulation

Penning, scrawling, sketching

Communication 

Nouns, Verbs, Tenses

Alliteration 

Overused, Unclear, Redundant

Elimination 

Capitalize, comma, period

Abbreviation 

Emotional, verbal, mental

Abstraction 

Drafting, Editing, Rewriting

Direction 

Creating, planning, posting

Position 

Video, polls, images

Suggestion 

Digital, social, visual

Connection 

 Come on back, if you can bare to. Perhaps better blog writing tomorrow.

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