e-Books & Audio Books Reign

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With libraries and brick and mortar bookstores all around the country being closed due to the Corona virus outbreak, there has never been a better time for e-books and audio books.

We offer a list of e-tailers for electronic books and audio books. These are just a few. Search the internet for others. Many offer free e-books too.

No Kindle or Kobo book reader? You can install a Kindle reader on your computer. Directions can be found on their website or search the internet for more information.

Where to get e-books and audio books:

  • Project Gutenberg
  • Smashwords
  • Book Bub
  • Open Culture
  • Open Library
  • Mashable
  • Audible (audio books)

It’s the perfect time to make progress on your “Want to Read” list. HAPPY READING

Strength Comes with Setbacks

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The beautiful thing about setbacks is they introduce us to our strengths.” ~ Robin Sharma

A large population of the  American people were thrown into an unexpected financial “dither” when the economy came to a nearly screeching halt some eight years ago or so. “The crash” forced the American people to look at sustainability in different industries. Economists and “the think tank” has been studying how to creatively deal with a whole new economy and how best to survive it ever since.

The publishing industry looked long and hard at environmental issues associated with books in print. More sustainable ways of publishing, such as e-books and print-on-demand have been developed. The way music and audio books is now distributed is also more sustainable. Downloading digital files rather than shipping product has brought new ways of doing business to the industry.

Thankfully hardback and paperback books have not completely disappeared from the planet. I like reading from a paperback book as much as my neighbor. But with print-on-demand, huge warehouses full of large inventories of  books have been reduced, as have the numbers of books being discarded in landfills. Thats good news!

Living Well, Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life is a great read for those who doubt that living with less is the key to happiness. The book may help you to adjust your thinking and put balance back in your life.

balance

As the economy rebounds, it will be interesting to see whether the American citizens will return to their old ways of being or whether a true “renaissance” has taken place. Have people fully realized that in order to live a fulfilling life, we can do it with less stuff? Will we continue to put our energies into finding sustainable ways of doing business? If so, there were great gifts in the downturn of the economy.

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

 

Important First Steps to Publishing

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It is not in the pursuit of happiness that we find fulfillment, it is in happiness of pursuit.” ~ Denis Waitley

The e-Book Extravaganza on Saturday sponsored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) was well-worth attending. During one of the breaks, the President of CIPA, Dr. Patricia Ross came over to me and said “Sue, I’d like you to meet one of our new members.” Of course, the usual niceties followed.

I asked the new member if she was enjoying the morning, and she said “Yes, but I feel so uninformed! There is so little I know about independent publishing.” Dr. Ross told her not to be discouraged, and off the President went doing her job of hob-knobbing about the room.

CIPA 9 13 #1As the new member and I stood talking, I said to her, “You know, each and every person in this room started where you began today, knowing nothing. That is the reason you have joined this group -to get help, to learn, to network and become informed about your options.” There is a lot to learn and you have taken a very important first step. You have joined this group!”

“Yes,” the new member replied. “There seems to be plenty of knowledge to learn from in this group.”

Before the break was over and we went to sit in our respective seats, across the room from one another, I had one more thing I had to say. “In your free time, read anything you can get your hands on about the industry, and keep coming to this group. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.”

To learn more about the Colorado Independent Publishers Association, please visit this link. http://www.cipacatalog.com/join-cipa/. Please note the organization also offers downloadable webinars if you are too far to travel to their meetings.

http://www.cipacatalog.com/categories/CIPA-College-Downloads/

As I drove home, I began to ponder how many first steps I have taken since 1998, when the independent industry was in its infancy. They’ve all been in a quest to learn all I could about the industry and it led to becoming a business.  And the wonders and development of the independent publishing universe never cease to amaze me. I find it fascinating.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. The space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

e-Book Extravaganza

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Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. ~ Kofi Annan

cipa logoOn Saturday I made the very worthwhile three hour trek into Denver from Steamboat Springs, Colorado to attend Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) monthly meeting. The September agenda was an e-Book Extravaganza. Here are just a few things that were discussed throughout the day:

  • The e-book industry now represents 33% of book sales. How about that?
  • People like having a choice of formats, so offering books in print, as well as an e-book version is wise marketing.
  • There is still a viable market for books-in-print but there is a certain part of the reading population who are clamoring for e-books due to their convenience.
  • Surprisingly, people who are 55 years of age and over ARE BUYING e-books, contrary to what was expected. It is not just the young generation that are interested in the digital format.
  • We discussed pricing of e-books and how you can leverage your intellectual property.
  • E-books make it easy to offer samples, providing potential book buyers the  opportunity to see if they like an author they’ve never read before.
  • A big advantage to e-books – there is no printing involved, thus it removes the need for physical space of inventory.

If you are a writer who wants to get on The Fast Track to Independent Publishing, here is a short webinar that will introduce you to the basics. http://bit.ly/10cCp1Y. 

Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, we will be discussing the next best step if you are a person who is considering independent publishing and you are in need of knowledge. I will tell you a quick but valuable story from this weekend.

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

 

Moonstruck

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One grateful thought is a ray of sunshine.  A hundred such thoughts paint a sunrise.  A thousand will rival the glaring sky at noonday – for gratitude is light against the darkness.” Richelle E. Goodrich, author of Eena

The evening of August 20th was a full moon which always means a short night of sleep for me. Every month my circadian rhythm (biological clock) is always thrown off during a full moon from the light streaming in the bedroom window. As I tossed and turned from 2:30am until morning, it gave me plenty of time to reflect on how grateful I was for the kindness of others who helped me celebrate my birthday just hours before.

My We Write Steamboat networking group surprised me, as I walked into the conference room for our monthly meeting. A birthday cake with lit candles and other surprises to help me celebrate were waiting for my arrival. Thank you all, it meant so much!

IMAG0855Guess what else I received for my birthday? My twin sister took time out of her life to go by train from the ‘burbs of Maryland into Washington, D.C. to pick up some book-related things from the Library of Congress gift shop http://www.loc.gov/shop. She sent some book plates, a 2014 calendar, Library of Congress post-it-notes and a magnetic book marker that reads “I Can Not Live Without Books.” Wonderful present, Jan. It was so thoughtful of you, I greatly appreciate it!  Don’t I have a nice sister?

Speaking of the Library of Congress, there was a recent article in the Wall Street Journal about the explosion of the audio book publishing industry. Did you see it? Must be it will be necessary for The Library of Congress to expand their catalogs to accommodate for the growth of e-books and audio books. Here is a link to the article. http://on.wsj.com/13DcAKm

Again, thank you to everyone who sent birthday greetings on-line from all over the world, cards and phone calls. Who would have thought when I began this business in 1998 that  my list of independent publishing friends and acquaintances would grow  exponentially  – that’s the progression of an industry. I am feeling over the moon because my life is fulfilling and there is no darkness in my life except in the middle of the night, when the full moon is not bathing me in bright light.

books buy happiness

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Come back tomorrow on 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.

Treasures in Corners

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“Schools and libraries are the twin cornerstones of a civilized society.” ~ Nicholas Meyer

Bud werner libraryI have a very bad habit. As soon as I walk into our local library, the newly released books are front and center. Of course, I’m always anxious to see what’s hot off the press. The section begins with fiction first, and usually, I need not be enticed to venture any further. I find several books of interest and head over to the self-check out counter.

The other day when I was talking to my mother on the telephone, she mentioned she was reading Maya Angelou’s book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and she asked “have you read it?”

“No,” I said, “I haven’t. I ought to get it.” On Sunday I went in search of the book at the library. Not allowing myself any dalliances with the newly-released section, I ignored it and went directly to the computer to look for the title in the catalog, and learned it was in the biography section. “Where’s that?” I thought.

I found it, in one of the far off corners of the library, where I need to venture more often. There was Angelou’s book on the shelf, and another I have been looking for.Cathie Beck’s memoir Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship was sitting on the same shelf as Angelou’s.

A few years ago, I made the acquaintance of Colorado author Cathie Back, through independent publishing circles. Beck’s success was the subject of my blog Using Stepping Stones, some time ago. If you missed it, here is the link. http://bit.ly/ZjfwHz.

Beck’s book, like many other independent publications are finding their way into libraries, including e-books.  Frankly, who is surprised? Non-traditional publishing has turned a corner. According and to the Miami Herald, the traditional publishing industry has been “upended.” To read the full article about the growth of independent publishing, please visit this link. http://bit.ly/ZjfwHz .

There is so much of value in all libraries, and I was reminded on Sunday, that I need to search out every corner of the library. Good reads go beyond the fiction section.

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 another memoir writer, Sue Batton Leonard.

Stories of Disappearing Acts

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“Sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together.” ~ Unknown

Yesterday, as I walked, I began thinking about how there are things in life that we take for granted – like there will always be spring, puppy dogs, love, water coming from the Earth’s natural hot springs and rain coming from clouds in the sky. 

There are things that have always been part of our American heritage that are disappearing. We have always assumed there will be post offices to receive the mail, and a male and a female constitute a marriage. We can’t assume that anymore, it seems we are entering new horizons in every aspect of living. 

print media is dyingDisappearing traditions, mores, products, and professions need to be documented in books for the sake of future generations. An accounting of our country’s past history, stories about the family of man and how the world has evolved socially, economically, culturally, anthropologically are important  for studies and hypotheses about how human beings have survived throughout the ages and for future problem solving.

Take a look at fulfilling things that you thought would exist throughout your lifetime but have disappeared or are at the risk of becoming extinct in our society. Here is a list of twenty-five things to get you started. http://bit.ly/13GJ1Gx.  Help me add to this list. How has your world has changed since you arrived on this planet? Share them with our readers. 

At the bottom of this blog, click on comment, and digitally submit your observances. Your thoughts will be gratefully appreciated.

Visit us again tomorrow on 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.

Typography for Independent Publishers

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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 their finished product.

No need to worry that you don’t have room for one more book on your bookshelf. Typography for Independent Publishers comes in e-book format, and it can be referenced from digital handheld devices from anyplace, anytime. Check it out!

Visit us again tomorrow on 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.

E-Book Sales 2012

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“You can tap on a word to see what it means and you can make the words big or small.”  ~ 9 year old girl, Virginia

The first quarter of 2013 will soon be coming to an end, and reports on book sales in 2012 have been complied and released from many sources. E-books continue to increase in popularity, as technology continues to offer improved products such as digital readers, and tablets. 

e-book softwareAccording to The Kids and Family Reading Report, published by Scholastic, “as much of 46% percent of children have read an e-book.” They are being used more frequently in the classroom and for this tech savvy generation of children, e-books designs are incorporating interactive features that children like. 

The Kindle Fire, a digital book reader had presales back in September 2011 of one million units per week. According to Dave Limp, V.P. of Amazon “Kindle Fire is the most successful product we’ve ever launched- it’s the bestselling product across all of Amazon for 11 straight weeks.” 

Attached is an article from Venturebeat.com about e-book sales in 2012. I’ll let the information speak for itself, rather than try to interpret it for you. http://bit.ly/Zq5L8s

Not convinced this is a fair assessment of the e-book market? Here are a few other articles which also cite a growing demand for digital books. 

http://bit.ly/YkT2Dg  

http://on.mash.to/Zq6YwO

From analyzing the reports, there is a healthy market for e-books. The growing use technology in our lives, an increased focus on sustainable, green living, the affordability of e-books and the ability to store books in a computer or handheld digital device rather than on bookshelves that take up space in rooms, in my opinion explain why e-book sales is a growing market.

Visit us again tomorrow on 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.