Fulfill your dreams of becoming an independent publisher! Attend the 26th Annual IBPA Publishing University 2010. This is the one of the best events of the year for independent publishers.
Save the Date! May 24 – May 25, New York City
This is an important experience if you plan on launching a new publishing venture or for bringing your publishing business to new heights. Keep your eye on the website www.thepublishinguniversity.com as more information becomes available. Mark your calendar now!!
“At the end of the day when we bow our heads, we are not so different at all.” ~ Judy Jones
This summer, regular readers of this blog followed the loss of my dear friend, Amy. She, like many other women each year, succumbed to breast cancer. I blogged about the dignity and strength with which Amy handled her illness until the very end. What she taught us all is a story of strength and inspiration. She demonstrated, in the most eloquent way, how to continue to live life in the face of terminal illness.
On March 5 in Stowe, VT at the Trapp Family Lodge, Amy will be honored by a team of her friends and family in the Relay for Life, Nordic Style. “Amy’s Angels” have risen to the top in fundraising efforts. We have raised almost $8,000 to date, with several weeks to go! My sister and our friends will be doing a lap or two on my behalf on March 5, which coincidentally was Amy’s birthday. I will be remembering the beautiful and fun times we shared as friends for 30+ years, and all that she taught me throughout our friendship.
The money that has been raised for “Amy’s Angels” and by all the other teams participating in Relay for Life ,along with all the other fundraising events that the American Cancer Society sponsors each year, represents a joint belief among Americans that a cure for cancer must be found.
Go, “Amy’s Angels” Go! ! I will be with you all in spirit on the day of the event and so will Amy!!
“All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work.” ~ Calvin Coolidge
At some point in the process, almost all self-published authors or independent publishers begin to feel a shift in their business. Their business changes from an intellectual labor of love to a task of physical labor. Many wonder how this could have happened. Often, there were no landmark events that changed the focus of the business, yet something is undeniably different.
As an independent publishing business grows, so too, do the tasks that come with daily administration of the business. When all the demands on your time no longer allow you to focus on your primary business of writing and publishing, it is time to reassess. Consider partnering with an order fulfillment company, for independent publishers, to handle the business side of shipping and handling your orders.
In-house order fulfillment does not always make sense to the smaller independent publisher. Look at warehousing alone! Do you have the facilities or are you prepared to increase your space as your business prospers? Can you effectively manage inventory control as your business grows?
Wouldn’t it be wise to check out all your options? Perhaps it is time to get back to our primary focus of business – writing and publishing. That is where your expertise lies.
This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.
A great way to introduce yourself as a writer or gain recognition as a writer is to submit your writing to contests. There are many contests that are open for submission during the winter months. Here are just a few:
2010 Leap Frog Press Fiction Contest. Submissions accepted beginning Jan 15 for adult literary fiction and childrens fiction. For more information, please visit www.leapfrogpress.com
2010 Women of Mystery Haiku Contest. Submissions accepted from now until the end of March. Results during National Poetry Month in April. For more information, please visit www.womenofmystery.com
Hurry! There is still time Writers League of Texas. Deadline for Manuscript contest February 24. Prize announced during the Writers League of Texas Agents Conference. June 25-27, 2010. For full details visit www.writersleague.org.
Tupelo Press Contests – now accepting submissions for Chapbook Awards and First Book of Poetry Awards. The Snowbound Series Chapbook Award is now accepting submission until February 28, 2010.
The 11th Annual Tupelo Press Press Award for First Book of Poetry now accepting submissions ! $3,000 prize money! Entries must be postmarked or submitted on line before April 15. For more information go to www.TupeloPress.org.
This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.
“You have all the reason in the world to acheive your grandest dreams. Imagination plus innovation equals realization.”~ Dennis Waitley
A mistake that some independent publishers make is putting all efforts into writing and publishing their book and forgetting about marketing campaigns. This leads to poorly or under-marketed books. Over printing can also leave an independent publisher with a pile of unsold books.
Does your independently published book or film still have as much relevance today as when it was published, yet you have cartons sitting in your basement rather than on the shelves of your audience?
Enter E-Marketing! Through the use of social media marketing and e-commerce (internet selling), why not explore the possibility of ridding yourself of books that are still current in subject matter. Breathe new life into your attempts at marketing and selling them. Social media marketing can be the perfect tool for reaching potential readers and to getting those books sold. Many independent publishers have never used these tactics of book selling, but there are professionals who can assist with every step along the way.
Give it a go! Opportunity may be just a search engine away! Start with e-commerce for independent publishers.
This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com
“Compassion is the basis of all morality” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer
Yesterday, we had a very timely speaker at our Kiwanis International weekly meeting. Dr. Dawn Obrecht and her husband Erik Landvik were there to speak with our group about the disaster relief work they have done all over the world. They set up a medical clinic to assist the victims of the Indonesian tsunami, Dr. Obrecht doctored the injured after Hurricane Katrina and has in fact, volunteered her time to five other calamitious events resulting in great loss of life and widespread destruction.
As we watch all that has happened in Haiti over the past week, it gives me pause to think, what this world would be like if Doc Dawn and her husband Erik and thousands of other extraordinarily compassionate individuals did not exist in this world.
Dr. Dawn Obrecht has chronicled her experiences through the writing of her independently published book, Mission Impossible: A Missionary Doctor’s Journey of Healing. http://www.docdawn.com/book1.php. The perils that she has been up against in her work as a missionary doctor will leave you with an increased understanding of the compassion, kindness and unique human qualities that exist in individuals that are so willing to put themselves, at their own expense, on the line for others.
Dr. Obrecht’s work is not done, she has gotten calls to help in Haiti, however, until there is more order and structure with the relief efforts, she has been advised to wait. Hopefully, Erik will be at her side as this extraordinarily gifted couple work together to fulfill the work that is so important in their lives and to the survival of others.
It has been an honor to begin to know Dr. Obrecht, who like me, was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland! We will be working together with the Macedonian Mission for Humanity, to help raise funds through an international dinner, to ship a container of much needed medical supplies to children’s hospitals in Macedonia.
What small thing can you do to help your community or another community of people who are in dire need of help?
This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.
“All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.”~ Albert Einstein
Isn’t it funny how chance and timing lead to opportunity? We all have situations from time to time that work out perfectly in our favor, in very unexpected ways.
This Saturday (tomorrow) is a perfect example of what I am referring to! My plans were to drive to Denver to drop my son and his college roommate off at the airport so they can return back to school. My plans got even better when I received a telephone call this morning from a Colorado Independent Publisher Association member asking me if I would like to attend their Saturday meeting. www.cipabooks.com.
Perfect! I will be driving right by the site of the meeting just in time! Any opportunity to network with this group of publishing professionals is a great one! And to make it even more worthwhile, the speaker of the morning will be Brian Jud. The program will be The Buck Starts Here – How You Can Sell More Books in Special Markets! He is also author of Beyond the Bookstore. Is this not just what I blogged about yesterday???
Turn down the chance to learn all I possibly can about this subject matter? No way!! Not when the timing is this perfect!!
This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” ~ Henry Ford
All independent publishers have had moments of feeling overwhelmed at some point throughout the publishing process. As an independent publisher, there is a lengthy list of things to accomplish beyond the writing of a book or production of a cd or film.
When you don’t know which way to turn, it can be confusing! If you seek professional help, solutions will be easy. With the assistance of the internet, you can find freelance consultants to help with almost anything you need. There are editors, layout designers, cover designers, book coaches as well as book marketing experts.
You can quickly cross a few items off your list if you search for “order fulfillment for independent publishers.” They are the folks that can help you with the business side of shipping your orders all over the globe. After all, as an independent publisher, there are only so many things you can do in a day!
This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.
“It is not enough to have a good mind, the main thing is to use it well.” –Rene Descartes
I am living in a community filled with extremely active retirees. Not only only are they physically active, but their minds don’t miss a step either. They have all chosen to live in an active mountain community so they will continue to stay involved and engaged in life long after the generation before them would have called it quits!
Recently, the Aging Well program of the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association independently published a calendar highlighting an amazing group of retirees who lead active lives by continuing to play tennis, ice climb, ski, swim, brand cattle, volunteer and participate in other forms of vigorous sport and hobbies well into their 60s, 70s and 80s. This calendar encourages all older adults to stretch beyond what they feel they are capable of at their ages and to live fully and well at any age. For more information, visist www.agingwelltoday.com.
Within this community, I have met a wealth of highly successful retirees who lead fascinating lives. Their experiences through past careers, parenting, travel and contributions as Board members of non-profit organizations and other associations provide fodder for stories and lessons that should be shared with younger generations. Independent publishing provides an excellent opportunity for all retirees to share knowledge and wisdom with generations that will follow in their footsteps.
Writing and journaling keeps the mind active. Merely through published words, you can become a mentor to others! Think about that! It is never too late to become an aspiring writer!
This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.
“The only thing you live to regret are the risks you didn’t take”~ Unknown
Today, I am feeling very fortunate. Since starting my company, I have had the opportunity to meet many incredible people that I would not have ordinarily met, had I not taken a risk. Among them have been extraordinarily talented artists, filmmakers, and individuals who serve their communities through the non-profit sector – all of them independent publishers. All have had similar goals – to share beauty, kindness and knowledge through their unique and creative talents. All have been so very committed to changing our world for the better and each person is awe-inspiring in their very own way.
Tonight, as the New Year approaches, I will be taking some time to reflect on these past few years to remember some of the individuals that I have crossed paths with. Many of these individuals I have not met face to face, yet through an e-mail or a telephone conversation, they have left a mark on me. I can recall the discussions we have had about their goals and aspirations for their independent publishing companies. All have inspiring, educational or entertaining stories to tell through their books, films or music or through their commitment to a cause or a mission. All are the kinds of people you meet only once in a blue moon.
We want to hear from more of you! By posting your comments to our blogsite, we can together build a community of like-minded people who have independent thoughts, ideas and dreams to share.
Happy New Year 2010! May this coming year bring publishing success to each and every one of you!
This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.
All Things Fulfilling 
