It is critically important to our society and all of our world to have decent homes and families with decent values. This Mother’s Day, order your wife, your mother, or any woman raising a family, a copy of the book Building Materials for Life by Millard Fuller, Founder of Habitat for Humanity. The three volumes of this book are filled with short essays about raising families with common sense, good values and giving children a solid, strong foundation. Proceeds from the sale of this book and other books and DVDs from the Fuller Center will be used to purchase building materials for Habitat for Humanity houses.
Thanks to the Fuller Center, hundreds of children around the world have decent housing and brighter futures!
You can also honor the Mother in your life by donating to the Fuller Center or win free flowers for entering your essay of what your mother means to you! For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/c9S9cG.
“All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs” ~Tony Robbins
It is interesting, now that spring has arrived in most parts of the country, it seems independent publishers are beginning to emerge out of their hiding places. After being cooped up and in the dark all winter long, many have decided it is time to be seen and heard from!
It seems independent publishers took time this winter to think and mull over their publications, their marketing plans and strategies, and now they have decided they have been inactive long enough. It is time to take action! Many have decided to take the plunge in to the world of e-marketing/social media marketing!
For more information on how marketers are using social media to grow their businesses, please visit http://bit.ly/YbyEU.
Sometimes, it takes time to readjust our thinking, adapt new ways of being. Social media marketing/e-marketing is a bit scary for those who have only used traditional methods of marketing – such as print advertising, bulk mailings, hiring a traditional publicist or agent, doing book appearances. All of these marketing techniques are still valuable but marketing trends do change. Life is so interesting when we decide to let go of old ideas and follow new paths!
What is it they say about growth? “Do the thing that scares you the most” ? Don’t let fright stop you from drawing closer to becoming more visible and fulfilling your dreams!
“Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.” ~ Donald Porter, V.P. British Airways
A few weeks ago, I received notification from the USPS that they had a package that being held for pick-up, with postage due. I was a bit baffled because, I was not expecting a package. So, off to the Post Office I went, to pick up my package. As I drove to the Post Office, I began to get all excited. I thought “perhaps one of my friends had sent me a little surprise gift.” After all, who doesn’t like a little unexpected gift in the mail?
When I arrived, the postman presented me with the package, with postage due. The return address was not familiar to me – not at all! The address and return label had both been handwritten. I did not recognize the handwriting and there was no company name on the return address – just the street, town, state and zipcode. So, I questioned the validity of whether I was paying postage due for junk mail or for a promotional piece that I did not want anyway.
Now, I was faced with a dilemma, “do I pay for the postage due or not accept the package?” My curiosity got the better of me! I paid the postage due and accepted the package.
When I opened the package, I remembered 8 weeks prior, I had ordered an independent film (DVD). The shipping time took so long that I had completely forgotten I had ordered it. I also checked my order confirmation and, sure enough, shipping and handling was included in the purchase price. Why then, was there postage due? Not a real great way to attract return buyers, now, is it? I also began to wonder how many other orders this company had shipped that said shipping and handling was included, but there was postage due when the order came? And also, how many other buyers had questioned whether the package was junk mail since the packaging and labeling did not give the appearance of having come from a reputable company?
Being an advocate of “don’t sweat the small stuff” I was happy to get what I had paid for – finally. A little extra postage due, really was “just small stuff.” But, a quick courtesy call, a quick email or an enclosed note with the order explaining the reason for the additional postage due would have built tremendous good will between customer and company, don’t you think?
In business, small stuff does matter, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Your customers will be the first to tell you it matters. They will tell you by just going elsewhere!
“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?
“All the so-called “secrets of success” will not work unless you do.” ~Author Unknown
There are so many ways to look at fulfillment! Fulfillment can be thought of from a personal point of view, emotional point of view, intellectual point of view and a business point of view. Each of these perspectives have been addressed by www.dictionary.com in their definitions for the word fulfillment:
1- the act or state of fulfilling
2- the state or quality of being fulfilled; completion; realization
3-the process or business of handling and executing customer orders, as packing, shipping or processing checks.
Expanding this definition of fulfillment is what we like to strive for. Knowing we have done our best in helping independent publishers become successful and visible in their business and have acted in a manner that is consistent with our goals and values brings the most satisfying feeling of all. Staying focused on a vision and being dedicated to what we set out to achieve, brings realization of our goals, each and every day.
“Previously, it was rush to buy anything. Now I think that quality will stand out.” ~ Michael Hartnett
If you think a box, is a box, is a box, you are mistaken! The importance of the strength of a box for shipping purposes, came clear to me when a delivery of books arrived from China, and all the books were nearly destroyed. The cartons were clearly marked for 25 lb. test weight, but the books contained within weighed almost 40 lbs. By the time the boxes arrived at the fulfillment house, they were all riped and torn. If they had had to be moved one more time, that would have been the end.
I recently read a statistic that a carton can loose 50% of it’s strength in one week, in a high humidity environment. So, you can imagine how cartons break down when they are being exported on a container from a place like China to the United States. Knowing how cartons will be stacked while in transit and while in storage, needs to be taken into consideration. Each time a shipment is moved, the integrity of the carton can deteriorate if a box is filled beyond it’s test weight, and even more so if it has been subjected to a high humidity environment. The compression strength of a carton can be compromised if boxes are stacked higher and wider than designed for.
Thankfully, there are lots of professionals in the packaging industry who do their homework and know about carton-drop tests, carton test weights, board weights, etc. Most book printers discuss their need for appropriate cartons for shipping wtih their packaging vendors, too.
The point of this blog: A box, is a box, is a box – NOT! One size does not fit all! From experience, I know, that poor outer packaging can turn perfectly good products into unsaleable items. It is never a good idea to skimp when selecting exterior packaging for shipments, large or small! Being pound wise and penny foolish, just does not pay!
“One of the things we desperately need is spiritual renewal in this country. We need a spiritual renewal in America.” ~ Billy Graham
It is Spring! What better time for Kiwanis International to have their new member campaign drive. May is coming up, and Kiwanis International of Steamboat Springs, CO is on a mission! As an organization, we are all going to put our focus into recruiting new members who have energy, heart and a common interest in “improving children’s lives, one child at a time.” Kiwanians believe “through guidance and example, we can work together to develop future generations of leaders.”
Guess what? We have started already! We have sprung ahead a month early by talking with prospective new members. To some people, spring means warming temperatures, longer days, crocuses, tulips, daffodils, baby chicks and a re-awakening of the earth from a long winter’s sleep. Those are all beautiful things!
To Kiwanians, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, spring means:
Stewardship
Possibility for New Members
Recruitment
Interest in Improving the Lives of Children
Non Profit Work and the Fulfillment it Brings
Growth and Renewal
Membership in Kiwanis International requires little time, and it brings great rewards in personal fulfillment! Join in, meet new community members who share some of the same values, and re-awaken the spirit in your step and guide by example, future generations of leaders.
“One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can’t utter.” ~ James Earl Jones
A week or two ago, I blogged about men. I wanted to know what things men like to write about. My point that men, I suspect, like to write about entirely different subjects than women, could very well be proven if only I could open wide the doors of communication on this issue.
One of my loyal blog followers wrote to me to say that her husband likes to blog all about his skiing adventures, he also writes about the rules of Australian football and is tinkering around with the possibility of delving into science fiction writing. Ok – that is a start! And then there is my acquaintance , Jon! Jon Katz is the best communicator I know who writes about his relationships with four footed creatures (canines!). Now he has decided to try his hand at writing children’s books. For more information, see www.Bedlamfarm.com.
I have been taking particular note of the men folk in our writers group- we’ve got a poet among them, a writer focused on young adult (teen) literature using a very creative approach, and a few other interesting subjects that I can forsee the target markets as being male readers.
Don’t for once think that women can’t write about men’s issues! Jon’s daughter, Emma, has decided to jump into the publishing world, and she has written a book about baseball, of all things!
Come on, guys, don’t be shy – let’s hear about your writing endeavors. How are you going to sell your books if you won’t talk about them? It just does not work that way – bookstores don’t sell books, people do! If you aren’t hyped up about your publications, how do you expect others to be? Get out there, sell yourself as an author and perhaps with a little help from your friends, we can get the job done!
” By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination.” ~ Christopher Columbus
Have you ever tried concentrating on and keeping track of 10 or 12 book manuscripts at a time? Wow – it is a trip! All I know is that some people can do it. And for those that can, I am truly impressed. But I am not one of them.
I had been attending the Steamboat Writers Group on a regular basis. I had been listening to and following 10 or 12 works in progress. Too many things had been begging for my attention and it had been far too many weeks since I had attended. Yesterday, I took a little time out of my day to sit in on the group. It was as if I had started reading 10 or 12 books, put them down and I am now trying to pick them back up again. I am paying for my absence and neglect now! Trying to re-enter the stories was nearly impossible! The narratives have moved forward, character traits have morphed, I’ve missed critical junctures in the storyline, the settings have changed and the plots have developed in ways that I never expected. Some manuscripts are even drawing to a conclusion. I can no longer remember who is doing what!
Whether you are a writer or a reader, when you are distracted, it is hard to get back on track. Being able to work on a publishing project, without diversions can make all the difference in the quality of the end result.
If being able to concentrate is a challenge, seek first to understand what it is that is distracting you and preventing you from moving forward with your project in an efficient manner. Research what right options will help you clear the way. Order fulfillment for independent publishers may be the perfect prescription for what ails you. As an independent publisher, what would it mean to be able to focus on your primary business at hand?
“We look at each other wondering what the other is thinking but we never say a thing.” ~ Dave Matthews Band
I decided to do a little research over the weekend. I wanted to know what things men most frequently write about. Guess what – my research fell flat! I searched all over the internet with terms such as – subjects men like to write about, most frequently published subjects by men, most popular genres of books published by men. I could not find one thing that gave me insight into my inquiry.
Being of the other gender, I am truly interested in this subject. What do men like to write about? I have my suspicions but, don’t go there! Men and women are on two different planets when it comes to communication, thus the subjects male independent publishers like to write about is almost guaranteed to be different than the subjects women like to write about. After all, due to our differences in genetic make-up, the way each gender is raised and the chemistry of our brains, we go through life with completely different points of view.
I want to be an equal opportunity blogsite! My slant has been far too focused on women and women’s issues. Having grown up with two brothers, I can converse on a number of subjects, you would be surprised. But, please of all things, do not ask me to blog about car mechanics, football or nuclear particle accelerators!! Ask me about fishing! I have done alot of that in my lifetime, and I even know how to clean them!
Help me out here, what do men most frequently like to write about?
All Things Fulfilling 