Tag Archives: independent publisher help

Beyond Ourselves

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“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?

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What Am I Getting Myself Into?

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“The value of many men and books rests solely on their faculty for compelling all to speak out the most hidden and intimate things.” ~ Friedrich Nietzshe

How many times have you had a book in your hands ready to buy, but then put it back on the store shelf because you didn’t know if you would like it or not? I don’t know about you, but I have done that frequently! The text on the back or inside flap covers gives us a glimpse into what the book is all about but sometimes that is just not enough. With just a little more insight into the book, perhaps you would be pushed over the edge into buying!

Guess what? Like movie trailers, which tease us into seeing a film, many independent publishers are now offering book trailers for the books they are selling on-line. I like that idea! For me, one extra flash of information about the book helps me discern whether to buy or  not.

Have you as an independent publisher put a book trailer on your list of ways to market your book? It may be the very thing that will grab the attention of a potential buyer and turn interest into action! As consumers, whether we are purchasing clothes, shoes, a book or a film, we all  want to know whether it “fits” prior to purchasing.

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

Weekend Indie Publishing News

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One of the best on-line guides to what is happening in the publishing world that I know of is the Southern Review of Books!

http://www.anvilpub.net/southern_review_of_books.com

This on-line resource is choked full of breaking news on books, trade shows, book fairs, book festivals, seminars  for authors, publishers and micropresses. Check it out, and subscribe!

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Guess who is featured in the March 2010 American Artist Magazine?  Artist Nancy Guzik! The March issue will be hitting magazine stands on January 26 and I have heard from one artist, that his issue has already arrived via subscription! The article features Nancy Guzik’s portraits and still life paintings and she shares her personal artistic journey with readers.  Don’t miss this important issue!  www.interweave.com.

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Is This Just for Me?

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“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!!

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Opportunities Lead to Choices

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“You just don’t luck into things as much as you’d like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it is friendships or opportunities.” ~ Barbara Bush

Over the past years, I have made a concerted effort to stop living in the “what if” frame of mind, at least from a negative point of view. I have decided we are all better off if we look at “what if” from a perspective of opportunity and possibility, instead.

Have you ever stopped to think how e-commerce (on-line, internet selling) has opened up a whole new world of possibilities?  Orders can be placed from all reaches of the globe. Such are the advantages of e-commerce.

Independent publishing lends itself quite naturally to  niche publishing and social media marketing provides great opportunities for reaching those niche markets. A war historian in the U.S. can publish a book on WWI or WWII and a history buff in Europe seeking out the lastest book to add to his collection, will order with little regard of where it is being shipped from.

You will need to figure out how to get the order to your customer, in far off reaches of the world, the most reliable and economical way possible. Global shipping means a conundrum of options with customs forms to match! Each country has it’s own regulations to deal with, too.

Don’t be caught unprepared! Knowing how to get the order across the globe so that it does not go astray, can be part of the battle, too. When contracting with an order fulfillment company, of all questions, ask whether they ship worldwide. It matters!

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

Cure All

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“All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within” ~ Horace Friess

I have a personal and business Facebook page now, as so many of you do. My Facebook friends include many artists, writers and others that work in all kinds of creative industry. Hardly a day goes  by that someone does not post on Facebook that they are stuck in a rut and are looking for ideas as to how they can set their minds free. Sympathetic friends post things to do to sir up creativity. Suggestions range from go get a massage, do some Tai Chi, go down to the local bar and “tie one on”, take a trip to an exotic, culturally rich city like Ohrid, Macedonia and the ideas go on and on.

This weekend, I hardly went out my backdoor and I saw the most beautiful source of inspiration one could ever find – nature. My husband, son and I spent the afternoon in the Routt County National Forest, showshoeing in Rabbit Ears Pass. For a day that started out at -20 below zero, we picked a winner of a day! By afternoon the sun was radiant and warm on our backs. The deep, powdery snow and the icicles hanging from the trees were glistening in the sunlight. We were surrounded by vistas that become subjects of the most beautiful landscape paintings of all.

Much to my dismay, I had forgotten to bring pen and paper. As I witnessed the beauty, the adjectives that came to my mind were free flowing. I wished I could have written them all down in the heat of the moment. Writers, like plein air painters, get the best results when they interpret what they are seeing right then and there – not afterwards.

The afternoon was nothing but a tease to our wounded warrior son. Spectacular back country skiing abounds for any one who dares go there. Yet our son was restricted to tame snowshoes due to a soccer injury that required surgery late this fall.

I returned from our trek into the forest feeling refreshed, renewed and ready for the week that lies ahead. Inspiration comes to all of us in so many different ways. Whatever floats your boat – “just do it!” It is bound to be a cure all.

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I’ve Got to Crow!

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“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Some months ago, someone came to me with a book of poetry that had been published by print on demand. The poet admitted that because the book was still in rough development, she only had three copies made to show to a few people who were supporting her efforts. She was still playing around with a few things such as back cover text. When she was satisfied, she would have a larger number printed. Ah, the benefits of print on demand and the Northshire Bookstore www.Northshire.com!

After much discussion regarding the back cover, she said “I have won a few poetry awards, but I have decided that I want the back cover text to tell what in my life inspired me to write these poems.” My response to that was “great, but you need to promote yourself as a poet by mentioning your poetry awards – we all have to crow about ourselves. Self promotion is such a necessary part of a writer’s success!”

As I reflect on our conversation, this morning, it has come to me how difficult it is to promote  ourselves as bloggers. Clearly, blog writing is not for self promotion.

In my blog writing during the holidays, I neglected to mention a competition – the Blog Off II hosted by www.communitymarketingblog.com. There were bloggers from six countries and it was a great educational experience for all! To give you a little insider information – I was one of the finalists.  Oops, I’ve slipped. Pardon me, I just had to have one quick moment in the sun!

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The Winds of Change

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“The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change, the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being.” ~ Lech Walesa

I am of the belief that in order to change the world for the better, all of us as human beings need to join hands within communities and between communities to inspire change. In my opinion, a change in values needs to happen on a familial level, political level, community level and within the workplace. When folks with the same moral compass share beliefs and convictions, and join forces to get a job done, change can happen.

Over the past year, I have increased my participation in community involvement. And you know what? It feels good! I have found support from others in all kinds of ways that I have not expected. It has kept me focused on positive things rather than the daily sobering news of our country and our world.

Through one of my social media networks, a question was posed to all of us that share the network. It read “Is your glass half empty or half full?”  The response has been a revelation! Regardless of the news of rising gas prices, real estate foreclosures, terrorist threats, companies going bankrupt, very few persons have stated their glass is half empty! These are the folks that I want on my side!

I choose to believe that the positive responses that have come out of this question are a result of steadfast belief in our fellow man to bring about change! However, without active participation, words mean nothing. We need to move from rhetoric into action. It would benefit us all!

Think! If there was one single thing that you could change to make your own world better, what would it be? Share it with us! I bet there are others that feel the same way you do. Let’s see!

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Playing Watchdog

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” I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion” ~ Billy Jean King

Today’s blog is simply to inform all of our clients of the January 4, 2010 United States Postal Service increases. We are providing this information to our client’s, so that these increases can be taken into consideration when you establish your customer’s 2010 shipping and handling fees.

The overall increase in postal fees is 3.3%, however, there is good news!  There has been a decrease in the frequently used priority flat rate envelope from $4.95 to $4.90. Parcels sent via Priority Small Flat Box rate will not see an increase this year, and the USPS has promised no increases in the first class postage stamp of 44 cents.

For full details on the January 4, 2010 increase, please visit http://p.e.usps.com.

Keeping current with changes in postal and delivery service rates and fees is a never ending job. As an order fulfillment company, we must be guardians for our clients to make sure they retain the highest profit margin on their sale. We strive to stay “in the know.” Constantly researching the quickest, most reliable and most economical methods of shipping is all part of getting the job done!

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

Dazed and Confused?

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“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.