Category Archives: relationships

Helping to See

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 “Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that is where I renew my springs that never dry up.” ~ Pearl S Buck 

My husband thinks I am blind. So many times, when I am looking for something, I can’t find it and yet, when he comes to my aid, he finds it right there in front of me.

The other day, something happened that made me think perhaps, there may be some merit to his words that “I must be blind.” We were driving on Route 40, a major thoroughfare in Steamboat Springs, Colorado that I travel almost daily and sometimes several times a day. As I passed by a strip of buildings, there was a store that I had never seen before. My thought was “why hadn’t I ever noticed that before and how long has that been there?” In a time when some stores are closing due to difficult economic challenges, I was quite surprised that someone would start a new endeavor . Perhaps the owners of the business  feel safe that they have something to offer that others need.

The store has a very interesting name! It is called “Come and See.” It also has the symbol of a fish on the sign. What’s  the deal? Do they want passerbys to come see the biggest fish that has been caught this spring on the Yampa River that flows through town? After all, this is fly fishing haven or heaven!

Perhaps I ought to act on my intuition. I had better stop in.  I am always on the look-out for fulfilling things.   Maybe I can find something worthwhile inside like some really meaningful books and gifts. I don’t know though,  from the name of the store, they may be handing out hope and healing for those who are blind and can not see.  I’m there! http://bit.ly/mdsLii.

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Bringing New Life

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“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech and a life of service and compassion are things that renew humanity.”      ~ Buddha 

On Monday night, my fellow Kiwanians and I gathered together to paint. There were no easels, cotton duck or linen canvases in sight. Not even a hardboard panel or a can of gesso anywhere to be found. Only drab, scratched surfaces, well-worn by hundreds of children’s hands and feet. 

We gathered at Young Tracks, a ChildCareCenter, to fulfill our obligations of volunteer service. We went about putting a fresh coat of stain on structures designed to shade the children from damaging ultra-violet rays, we put a fresh coat of paint on building trim work and worked at other tasks that were needed to spruce up the facility. 

When the tots return to the place they call their other “home,” they will probably be much too busy playing to notice the look of renewal and rejuvenation. But, our spirits as a club were lifted, as we once again served our promise to each other and to our organization of “improving the world, one child and one community at a time.” 

For more information on Kiwanis International and the work the service organization does in communities in this country and around the world, please visit www.kiwanis.org.

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Safe Harbor for She Writes Steamboat

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“Dwell in Possibility” ~ Emily Dickinson 

On last Friday’s blog, mention was made of Chicken and Egg Pictures, a non-profit organization supporting women independent filmmakers. The tag line of this non-profit “Incubating and Hatching All at Once” well represents what I have been feeling about She Writes Steamboat http://on.fb.me/lbnPms  over the past few months. I have been envisioning and growing in my mind, a meet-up group that will provide networking opportunities and support and foster independent publishing success. 

I have decided the time is NOW to hatch the group and support a group of women who have stories to tell, but are still in the incubation period and want to actively hatch and grow their desires. 

For those just starting down the road to independent publishing, beginning can be a scary thing! Women are good at supporting and communicating with each other in their efforts to succeed. What independent publishers have in common is a real and pressing need to inspire and entertain others through storytelling or to educate and inform all through the power of the written word. With independent publishing, there is no competition because everyone has an individual and unique narrative to tell. 

So my thoughts are “why not get together, meet-up and all be there for each other.” Our first She Writes Steamboat meet-up will be Tuesday, June 21 at 4:00 pm at the Bud Werner Library Hall. 

Ladies, feel free to invite others who are in any stage of publishing or those interested in learning more about the independent publishing process. At our first meeting, we will be discussing what time we should schedule our future meetings, how often we chicks should gather. We will be laying the groundwork for a group that I hope will be a safe harbor so independent publishers will not feel as if they are all alone in their publishing efforts. 

Join Us! There is nothing to lose and everything to gain in learning more about the dynamic industry of independent publishing. There are no membership fees. By the way, this group is affiliated with www.SheWrites.com.

 

         See you then!

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Value Added Experience

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“It’s about sharing. You just give what you have to give where ever you go and let God handle the rest.” ~ Lindsay Wagner 

We have been in celebration mode around here at Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC. It is time to once again recognize and praise the independent publishing efforts of another of our clients, Mitzi Rudderow of Dallas, Texas! www.mitzirudderow.com.

Mitzi’s book “Coming Clean: Drug Addiction – Help and Hope” was written with the primary goal of helping other parents deal with the subject of teen drug abuse in their homes. This book is written from a very personal point of view, and the reader can feel Mitzi’s heartache as you travel through a story that is all too familiar in today’s world of raising teenagers. 

 Mitzi’s reflections on the mistakes she made in dealing with her son’s addiction and the spiritual tools she shares in this book is what has set it apart from many other books on drug and alcohol abuse. The critics have presented this book with an Honorable Mention Award in the 2011 Eric Hoffer Awards for independent publications in the Legacy Non-Fiction category. To read the US Review of Books on “Coming Clean: Drug Addiction Help and Hope, please visit http://bit.ly/mCQT6t.

Mitzi has had a career in radio broadcasting, and she has made it her mission to speak with other parents about this topic of drug addiction and teens. She so eloquently communicates her truth to parents everywhere she goes. 

What began as a personal mission to tell a difficult story, has ended in great results. Mitzi’s son, whom you get to know in this tale, has come clean and is living a productive and happy life. For Mitzi, a book award has made the telling of this story even more fulfilling.

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Libraries Agree the Time is NOW!

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“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll 

Last weekend, I had an opportunity to read an independently published book written by Kristen Moeller, called “Waiting for Jack.” http://bit.ly/bUy3pu.  This book has been enormously successful, and I believe it is because many people can relate to the book’s message. The point of the book is to bring to light to the fact that many people live their lives saying and thinking things like, “ I will be happy and my life will be fulfilling when …….” 

You pick your poison, and fill in the blank as you see fit!  A  few times in my life have I fallen victim to this way of thinking, but I usually do fairly well at finding the best in any given situation. 

There was another very good point made in the book “Waiting for Jack” that I did fully relate to, however. That is the importance of thinking outside of the box. Never has this become so clear to me until I moved from my thirty-five year state of residence to a new state. All kinds of opportunities and possibilities made sense to me when I  began to move away from old ways of doing things and started anew. 

Our past few blogs have been focused on a very valuable agreement that has just been signed between the Douglas County Libraries and the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. This agreement, I believe, will be as author Kristen Moeller, would say “a fierce disruption of the ordinary.” 

The Director of the Douglas County Libraries, Jamie LaRue, has taken a bold and brazen step in removing the boundaries that libraries have operated within for many, many years. By no longer restricting the library from only buying books from the main six or seven publishing giants from across the land, libraries will be positioned to accept a new generation of books.  Electronic books (e-books) from independent publishers will move the library away from standard ways of doing business, into new-age bodies of work.

Evidently, the Douglas County Libraries, and the Colorado Independent Publishers Association have decided the time is NOW! I have a feeling, that as libraries move away from doing business as usual, in time the full ramifications of this new agreement will  be realized by both libraries and independent publishers – not just here, but all over the globe. 

Yippee! There will be more IPPY’s in coming years!

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Goodness, Gracious!

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“All that we behold is full of blessings.” ~ William Wordsworth 

Over the weekend, I attended an historic event for the Colorado Independent Publishers Association www.cipabooks.com. An agreement was signed that will allow libraries to acquire e-books from CIPA members without limitation. What a game changer this will be for independent publishers and libraries in Colorado, and in time, maybe all over the place!

I also had the opportunity to attend the largest meet-up group in the country for creatives. That was fun, too! There were all kinds of people who work in industries far different than what the standard 9 to 5 employment lifestyle demands. 

As I made the trek back to Steamboat Springs, CO from Denver, CO I had three hours alone in the car to reflect on how my life has changed all because I decided to “seize the moment” about 13 years ago! 

One employment ad,  one creative connection , one book on how to paint “Alla Prima,”  and one opportunity piqued my interest in the world of independent publishing. It started me down the path toward meeting all sorts of people I never would have had the chance to meet, had I not followed my intuition just because the circumstances “felt right.” 

My journey into the independent publishing industry has been richly rewarding educationally and oh, so personally fulfilling, too. Making connections with other “creatives” whose careers involve living and working by their passions has helped me to trust and know that what feels good is right for me, and what feels right is good for me! I am a firm believer that fulfilling things come when we let our hearts rather than our heads, lead the way. And for that I am grateful! 

To read some tips on reaching your goals through the creative arts, please visit http://bit.ly/mmow3P.

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Pilot Program for Independent Publishers

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“It is not easy to be a pioneer – but oh, it is fascinating! I would not trade one moment, even the worst moment, for all the riches in the world.” ~ Elizabeth Blackwell 

According to Jamie LaRue, the Director of Douglas County Libraries in Colorado, “this is the most exciting time in publishing since the invention of the printing press. Until now, books coming through the gateway of the library have been restricted to only those that have been published by the big traditional publishing houses.” The new agreement that has been signed between the Douglas County Library System http://douglascountylibraries.org/  and the Colorado Independent Publishers Association www.cipabooks.com  will allow a system whereby independent publications can be found by library patrons and libraries will essentially be fulfilling a need for the independents by helping them to find readers, too. How cool is that? 

The magnitude of opportunity and possibilities that this agreement opens up for libraries all across the country and for independent publishers, too, is mind boggling. “Take this another few steps further”, a Colorado Independent Publishers Association member remarked at the signing of the agreement, “and think what this agreement can do for independent publishers of film and music, too.” 

Of course, providing top quality books has always been the objective of libraries, and this will remain unchanged. Being put into place is a “rating system” that will allow the best  to be included in catalog of e-booksthat will be sold to libraries. 

Jamie LaRue told his story of how his mind-set had been changed toward independent publishers. He used to interview authors, and as he began to feature a few independent publishers, he realized there is a whole new generation of publishers who have outstanding, valuable stories to share but the big traditional publishing houses are passing them by. It seems his objective is to provide excellence in literature for his library patrons, whether traditionally published or not. 

To read more about this e-book Pilot program agreement between the Colorado Independent Publishers Association and the Douglas County Libraries, please visit http://bit.ly/eYPEix. 

You can be sure, we will be following this story as this agreement unfolds. Keep in touch with what is happening in the dynamic and changing world of independent publishing through All Things Fulfilling. This blog site is dedicated to those who have independent thoughts, words and views, that will truly change the world of publishing.

This photograph is the signing of the e-book agreement between Colorado Independent Publishers Association President, Nancy Mills and Director of Douglas County Library System, Jamie LaRue.

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Taking it All In

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“Change is in all things sweet!” ~ Aristotle 

We are going to take a break from routine this Friday. I will be finding fulfillment  in Denver by attending the largest meet-up group in the country “Creative Connections” – a group of over 1,000 members strong! It is always a great day when communities of like-minded people can converse and network about things they have in common. 

On Saturday, I will be attending an historic event that will add a whole new dimension to the relationship between libraries and independent publishers. Jamie LaRue, Director of the Douglas County Library system in Colorado, will be signing an agreement that has been long awaited. The agreement will allow the libraries to acquire and lend e-books published by CIPA members www.cipacatalog.com without limitation, how is that? I will be listening and watching with rapt attention. It will be a day of celebration for those who have worked so creatively and diligently, together, to make this happen!  

More about Jaime LaRue – in 2007 he won the Julie J. Boucher Award for Intellectual Freedom. He is also the author of The New Inquisition: Understanding and Managing Intellectual Freedom Challenges. 

I look forward to sharing the news of the weekend with you on Monday. I believe this weekend will be the start of something really valuable for both libraries and independent publishers here in Colorado, and in time, everywhere! 

I’ll have a sip of champagne and piece of cake on behalf of all you independent publishers out there!

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

Yippee! More IPPY!

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“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ~ Wayne Dyer 

Supporting independent publishers is what  Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC is all about!  Never too much focus can be paid on folks working in an industry that is dynamic, growing and full of promise. Independent minded-folks know that by browsing  www.goodsearch.com, a great number independently published books, films and music can be found. These publications  are unique and different than what many of the traditional publishing companies have to offer.  

Our emphasis on the 2011 IPPY awards continues, this week. What a fulfilling feeling it must be for an independent publisher to earn  IPPY award stickers to grace the front covers of their books! There are so many wonderful award-winning books this year. It would take more than “a month of Sundays” for me to mention each and every one. Here are a few more award-winning independent book picks: 

  • Religious Fiction: The Community of Promise – The Untold Story of Moses (Entos Press)
  • Visionary Fiction: The Angel and the Brown-Eyed Boy (Vilasa Press) 
  • Children’s Picture Books: Skywriting: Poems to Fly (The Creative Company)
  • Juvenile/Teen/ Young Adult: Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey through Cancer and Recovery (Happy Quail Publishing)
  • Biography: The Hammersteins: A Musical Theatre Family (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers)

 To learn more about the IPPY awards and the 2011 award-winning publications, please visit http://bit.ly/llL02x.

 We will take one last look tomorrow at a few more prize-winning independently published books. Then we will turn our attention to other fulfilling events that are on the horizon in the independent publishing world. Stay tuned!

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She Writes Steamboat

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“We can begin by doing small things at the local level… like looking out for our neighbors. That is how change takes place …from many local actions occurring simultaneously.” ~  Grace Lee Boggs 

One of the very best ways to build business is through networking – building communities of like-minded people! This applies to building independent publishing businesses, too. Self-publishing authors, micro-presses and small presses, do not have some of the benefits and the marketing advantages of traditional publishing conglomerates at their dispose. Therefore, it is important to join independent publishing trade associations and writers guilds. Cooperative efforts can be very effective in supporting the non-traditional publisher.

What self-publishing authors, micro-presses and small presses do have, to their advantage, is the flexibility of doing business any way they see fit. Many decide to independently publish for this very reason.  Publishers who go the independent route are fulfilling a need by providing unique publications that readers are looking for. Non-traditional publishers often opt for tactics of selling and marketing their books that traditional publishers may reject. 

There is a new networking group called She Writes www.shewrites.com  being established inSteamboat Springs, Colorado. This meet-up group’s goal is to heighten awareness of independent publishing projects that creatives in Steamboat Springs and the surrounding Routt County are engaged in and to support those efforts. Anyone who is starting or is in the process of independently publishing a book, film, music or other media can attend. 

She Writes Steamboat’s first objective is to establish a time and a regular place to meet and to connect with those in the community who would like to collaborate and network with other independent-minded publishing folks. In the coming weeks, more information will be available on our first gathering. Keep your eyes open to future blog posts on All Things Fulfilling about the She Writes Steamboat Meet-up group. Excitement is in the air!

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