Category Archives: Independent Publishers Conferences and Workshops

Weekend Indie Publisher News

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Tis the Season for Annual Writers Competitions!

79th Annual Writers Digest Competition. Deadline May 14. Grand prize $3,000 and trip to NYC to meet with 4 editors or agents of your choice. 10 Categories to be judged.

For information on more writing contests, please visit Poets and Writers Magazine www.pw.org

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Creative Writing Summer Intensive Program June 13 -25, 2010    New York University – School of Continuing & Professional Studies. For more information, visit www.scps.nyu.edu.

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Split Rock Arts Program – Summer workshop and retreats for creative writing. University of Minnesota.  For more information, please visit www.cce.umn.edu/split-rocks-arts-program.com

Check back every weekend for more news on writing contests, workshops and other independent publishing news!

Peek-A-Boo, I See You!

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“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible”  ~ Jonathan Swift

Are you an independent publisher who has been tucked away, just waiting to be found? If so, you might be waiting for a long time before you are discovered. Some independent publishers are quite skilled at becoming visible in the marketplace. Yet, there are others who need help in becoming more noticeable to potential book buyers. Even the most well crafted book will not sell if it can not be found by potential book buyers over the internet. Visibility can be the make or break of book sales.

The dynamics of e-commerce (internet selling) are quite different than selling from a brick and mortar bookstore or through print advertising and marketing. If it is unfamiliar territory, consider seeking the help of others who can help you, as an author and independent publisher, and your publication. Come out from hiding and be “in the face” of those who are looking for unique and niche subjects, and books not found in the same ole, same ole bookstores.

Writing and publishing is a business. All businesses, big and small, need to rely on the most current, far reaching methods of marketing there are. Have you considered whether you are doing all you can to come out from hiding? Have you moved from antiquated ways of doing business into the new age of being discovered in places you have never thought of before? If not, why not?

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

Weekend Indie Publisher News

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Updated Information: If you missed “Cover to Cover” Radio Show and want to learn more about order fulfillment for independent publishers

Go to www.oceanpublishing.com/podcast.html  

Look for April 3, 2010 Show featuring Sue Leonard

Writing through the Eyes of a Child

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“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play among lovely things.” ~ Plato

Don’t you love the honesty of a child? Kids often come up with statements all of us would not have thought of, as adults. They speak their minds, looking at the world through a different set of eyes than a person who  has seen the ugly, harsh realities of life. Writing through the perspective of a child brings very different results. What we have lost as adults can be brought back to us, through a child’s story. Children are more apt to write and to speak with abandon, without the fear of being judged.

Two weeks ago, when I attended the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) “College”, I spent some time  in a room filled with children and their parents. One of the ballrooms of the hotel was all dressed up and all decorated up to celebrate a group of newly published writers – kids!

Fourth and fifth graders from the Cherry Creek School District in Denver were asked to participate in a short writing and art contest using the theme “Making the World a Better Place.” The Young Authors League http://cipabooks.com/YAL/ of the CIPA Education and Literacy Foundation (ELF) had screened and selected the finalists. The winner’s stories about ways to make a difference in the world were published.

That late afternoon, the kids were all pumped up, shined to a polish and waiting for their moment in the spotlight! They had all become published writers and were listening to hear their names called so they could climb the stage stairs, accept their certificate, receive a copy of the book “Making the World a Better Place” and make a little acceptance speech. How sweet it was to see a group of children, who rose to the stage, full of confidence, not yet beaten down by the storms of life.

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

Weekend Indie Publishing News!

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Tune in this Morning, Saturday April 3, 2010 to radio show for authors and independent publishers. “Cover to Cover” with host Frank Gromling will have as his guest, Sue Leonard of Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC. Today’s discussion will be order fulfillment for independent publishers. Tune in to www.wnzf.com on-line at 11:30 am Eastern Standard Time, 10:30 am Central Time, 9:30 am Mountain Time and 8:30 am Pacific Time.  If you miss it you can go to Archived shows at www.wnzf.com or www.oceanpublishing.org.

Last weekend at the Colorado Independent Publishers Association Collge, I learned something I was not aware of. Scott Flora, Executive Director of the Small Publishers Association of  North American (SPAN) informed me that it is springing into new territory. This non-profit publishing trade association is establishing a new on-line presence! For a period of time, a one month free trial membership is available.

The mission statement of SPAN is “Advancing the Success of Independent Publishers and Authors.” There are so many member benefits to joining publishing trade associations fromm education  to  discounts on writing software, discounts on printing and discounted advertising rates. For more information on SPAN, please visit www.spannet.org.

Join this non-profit trade association and take advantage of all the benefits this organization has to offer!

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

Covering All Bases

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“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all  knowledge.”~ Thomas Berger

Frank Gromling,  Host of Radio Show “Cover to Cover” www.wnzf.com called yesterday! I knew he would. He is as reliable as they come. He called and asked me to be a guest on his radio show this coming Saturday morning, April 3rd! “Cover to Cover” is an educational radio show for authors and publishers that all of you should not miss.

If yesterday’s blog left you dazed, confused and scratching your head, it was because I wanted to talk to Frank, ask and confirm the broadcast date, before I spilled all the beans.

Frank knows how to put together a great radio show! Every Saturday morning he has guests who know the independent publishing scene well and they share their knowledge about a variety of subjects relating to the industry. This Saturday, tune in and learn about order fulfillment for independent publishers. Independent publishers will come away from this half hour show with a better understanding of what services order fulfillment companies provide.

The best way to become knowledgeable about independent publishing is to listen to “Cover to Cover”  www.wnzf.com weekly, attend publishing conferences, search for e-zine articles on the industry, join independent publishing associations and ask questions of those who are seasoned professionals. Cover all your bases! There is valuable knowledge to be had everywhere. Take every opportunity there is to educate yourself.

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

All the Pieces in Place

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“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they have gotten lost.” ~H. Jackson Brown

True enough, Mr. H. Jackson Brown! But it just so happens that the subject of my blog writing today, lives on a road I travel all the time and she resides in my community!  Last weekend, one of my fellow Steamboat Springs community members brought home an award and the reward for her labor of love of writing historical fiction. Author Kathleen Cunningham Guler won her third EVVY award of her writing career as an independent publisher for her book  A Land Beyond Ravens. This is the fourth and final installment of her Macsen’s Treasure Series which take place in the Dark Age of Celtic Britain!

Kathi competed against 26 other writers to win 2nd place in the fiction category. Her award comes as no surprise to me. I have followed her weekly readings of the work in progress, at our writer’s group meetings. Kathi knows how to craft a fine story with all the necessary elements. She has become an expert on the time in history about which she writes, her books are written in a voice that is appropriate to time and place, her excellence in writing consistency throughout the series keeps her audience craving for more; and her character development is to perfection.

That is not all Kathi has going for herself as an independent publisher. She knows her niche market and how to reach it, too! She has even taught herself to produce a book trailer that grabs the attention of  potential readers. To read more about the other installments of her Macsen’s Treasure Series and other awards she has won, please visit www.bardsongpress.com and her blogsite http://kathleenguler.blogspot.com.

Congratulations, Kathi! What is on the horizon for your next writing project?

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

Find Meaning in the Journey

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“Experience is the best teacher of all.  And for that, there are no guarantees that one will become an artist. Only the journey matters.” ~ Harry Callahan

Whew! What a whirlwind of a weekend! It was satisfying, fun and intense. Just as I had anticipated! I arrived dehydrated and wanted to drink from the fountain, all the knowledge that I possibly could! The Colorado Independent Publishers “College” took care of my needs! I came parched and left sated with all the information one could possibly take in over a 48 hour period. Thank you, CIPA!

There is much to share, but I don’t quite know how or where to start. I have not even had a chance to absorb all that I ingested. You can be sure however, once I have had a chance to assimilate all the information, process it and pinpoint what I need to share, I will! I will be sharing the names and titles of the EVVY book award winners. On my list are words of wisdom from keynote speakers who took us through their travels into the publishing world. And there is useful, general publishing industry information that needs to be dispersed.

As a speaker/presenter at the CIPA College, I came away with a wonderful gift. It is a gift that will take me on many beautiful, inspiring travels into an area of Colorado referred to as South Park. It is a high country paradise near Fairplay, Colorado where author Bernie Nagy lives. For three years, Mr. Nagy captured exquisite color photographic images of the landscape, in all seasons. His book won two 2010 EVVY awards the other night, for cover design and illustration. For more information and to order this book, please visit www.ColoradoSouthParkBook.com.

I came away a winner, too! Not only did I receive an award winning, beautiful photographic book for speaking at the Conference, I had a chance to speak with independent publishers who are saying “out, out, out!” to all of the boxes and books sitting in their basements, attics and garages. I say “put them on their journey into the hands of readers.” And I know just who independent publishers can call to help them fulfill their wishes.

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

Feeding the Mind, Again!

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“The most important thing to remember is this: to be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.”  ~ W.E.B.  Dubois

Things will be a little quiet on this blogsite All Things Fulfilling for the next few days. I will be at the Colorado Independent Publishers Association “College.” An event I greatly look forward to. I will be busy networking, cavorting, educating, indulging and engaging in a subject that has captured my interest and my passion for the past ten years – independent publishing! It is an industry that has gained enormous popularity and has evolved greatly. There is never a dull moment, and there is always something new to be learned, gained, profited from educationally and professionally, with each new publishing event I attend.

As a blogger, I am on the job 24/7!  Well, maybe not 24/7, I do sleep! I am grateful that I never remember my dreams. If I felt pressured to blog about events that occurred in my sleep too, it would be cause for total burnout! Since I am a person who struggles with quieting my mind, as it is, it would be the worse case scenerio of stimulus overload I could ever encounter! But, during my awakening hours, I am always on the lookout for my next story.

When I return on Monday, I will have plenty of blogging material I will want to share with my loyal readers. I have decided that until the general population catches up with the blogging world, you could just call me a reporter. The power of e-marketing and social media marketing is awesome but few understand it. Not quite yet, anyway!

While I am away, enjoy a little bit of spring unfolding before your eyes.

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

Counting Down

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“The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you.” ~Tom Bradley

Isn’t it fun when you get together with others that speak the same language as you do? Networking with communities of people who like to converse about the same things as you do is fulfilling and definitely has it’s rewards. For an independent publisher, attending workshops and publishing conferences is especially valuable. All the tricks of the trade can be learned in this ever evolving, fascinating world of independent publishing.

Only two days left until the Colorado Independent Publishers Association “College” begins in Denver, CO. Each spring, the Board members of this publishing trade association of 450 members brings together vendors that are “the best of the best” in the business. Book printers, editors, copywrite/trademark experts, book marketing companies, producers of book trailers, leaders in creative writing workshops and other freelance professionals who support authors and independent publishing, through their services, will be present. Folks who can give  you advice on partnering with order fulfillment companies for independent publishing success will be there. Outstanding keynote speakers will even rev up and wow the crowd!

The “College” will culminate with a dazzling event! The best independently published books of the year, by Colorado residents, will be recognized with an EVVY award! For more information, please visit www.cipabooks.com.

When you come, look  me up! See you there!

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