Tag Archives: promotions

Fair Trade

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Of all things,  “Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you. “  H. Jackson Brown, Jr. 

“Dulcinea, How I Love You!”  Remember that song from “The Man of La Mancha?” For almost 25 years I was fulfilling my love for musical theatre by ushering, voluntarily, at the Weston Playhouse www.westonplayhouse.org in charming Weston, Vermont. Over those years, “The Man of La Mancha” graced the stage once or twice and I was able to hear this memorable song sung live, by actors from the guild. My first introduction to “Dulcinea” was as a teen when I went to the Paper Mill Summer Theatre in Owings Mills, MD www.papermill.org  and saw the play there too.  Oh, how I adored it! 

I know you all are thinking I have lost my marbles.” How in the world did she get on this subject?” our readers must be asking.  I happened to open the Sunday paper and saw a story about the Dulcimer Shop in Mountain View, Arkansas.  For more information on this company and the history of this instrument, which produces exquisite, ethereal sounds, please visit http://www.mcspaddendulcimers.com.

It was the commonality of the root of the words, dulcinea and dulcimer, that triggered my recall of this memorable song. I’ve about worn out my favorite search engines, so I don’t dare inquire through those channels about the meaning of the root dulci. Next time I see, my friend Vesna, from Macedonia, I’ll ask her, she’ll know! She has her PhD, ABD, in linguistics and perhaps she can help me out. 

They say (whoever they is) you should write down what you want out of life, not just think about it. In this present moment, I would love someone to send me the name of an artist with beautiful rendition of “Dulcinea” being played on a dulcimer. It would be such a beautiful pairing of  instrument and song. Perhaps I could listen to a  little bit of heaven right here in my office, as I work.

Since I have been bemoaning the fact that I have neglected the independent recording artists on this website, I’d like to engage in a little fair trade.  For the first person, from anywhere in the world, to contact me through a kind blogsite comment,  with the name of a dulcimer-playing independent artist whose repertoire includes “Dulcinea,” I will write a blog on the  musician.

This could be alot of fun! I’ll let you know how it all turns out! “Dulcinea…….”

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

Build it Right!

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“Anyone can give up. It is the easiest thing to do.” ~ Unknown

The first thing you need when you build a house is a toolbox. Not only do you need a toolbox, you also need to learn how to use all the contents in the box. Whether you are building a home, or a strong web-presence, it is important that you do not fall short in your understanding of how to use the all tools.

Just putting content out on the world-wide-web is no longer enough. To build a strong, effective internet presence,  you must have a grasp of “computer-consumer psychology,” as it pertains to your specific product, service or company mission.  This is a mind-set that can be taught. If you are business person or an independent publisher just beginning to utilize the latest dimension of marketing, it will be well worth your time to explore, with a professional, how to optimize the why’s, the how’s and the when’s of using the tools used for digital advertising and promotion.

Spend your advertising dollars wisely and expend your energy smartly so you can create a strong e-marketing campaign that will help you become visible to qualified leads.

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

Dwell in Possibility – Move Forward in Surety

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“We all have possibilities we don’t know about. We can do things we don’t even dream we can do.” ~ Dale Carnegie

Yesterday, I had another opportunity to share with others my love and my passion for the independent (or non-traditional) publishing industry. I shared with the group that what began as my vision of providing stellar customer service for the internet sales of a single art book became a business of my own, dedicated to providing affordable e-commerce and e-marketing services for an industry of independent publishers. It has been from the beginning, my wish for independent publishers to be able to survive, as a sustainable industry, because I believe in the powers of independent thoughts, words and views that our country allows under it’s Constitution.

After the presentation, I began to think what an appropriate place to hold the event! In a library constructed with sustainable building materials and filled with the published works of writers, filmmakers and musicians who dared to step out and take a risk of telling their stories for the benefit of others. This is the basis from which many successful small businesses are formed. Successful business owners have passion, vision, belief and enduring energy that their product and service with be useful to others. And it is the customers and clients that endorse, sustain and support the dreams of the business owners that make them profitable. It truly is the American way.

Thanks to all who came, and I wish you the best in your journey of fulfilling your dreams in business and in publishing!  Thanks to the Bud Werner Library for providing a beautiful, light-filled space for those who gathered to learn more about what I see as a fascinating, fast growing, sustainable industry. www.steamboatlibrary.org.

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Energy and Sustainability

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“All words are pegs to hang ideas on” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Energy and sustainability are probably the most often used buzz words in the business world today. The other day I began to think how these two words are not specific to any one industry – they are meaningful words to anyone starting a business. It takes gumption, a tremendous amount of passion and unrelenting energy to bring a business from conception to complete fulfillment of having developed a viable, profitable and sustainable company. Not every person has the initiative, flexibility, determination, mindset or focus to be a small business owner.

Business owners can not afford to waste time! Unfortunately, many business owners are doing just that. Almost every business has a computer in this day and age. Sadly, many business owners have not diversified their marketing strategies to use their investment in technology to their advantage. The result – untapped markets, lack of visibility, antiquated marketing strategies and putting the sustainability of a business at risk.

There is a science to successfully reaching out to consumers through the internet. E-marketing professionals understand the logic and reasoning behind it. It includes tactics far different than print advertising and other traditional means of marketing. In the quest for increased visibility in the marketplace, let the professionals who understand how to reach consumers, in this day and age, through the world-wide-web help. Companies that specialize in e-marketing for independent publishers know how to most effectively and affordably reach communities of people interested in a company’s products and services. To read a report on the impact social media has on business, please visit http://slidesha.re/9ymmwD.

Business owners are wise when they save energy by focusing on the aspects of business that they can handle. Work smartly and efficiently!

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

Plein Air Returns

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“Popularity is the easiest thing in the world to gain and it is the hardest thing to hold.”   ~Will Rogers 

Artists, Feel the Breeze! The stir of artist’s whispers and newfound creativity has the much-missed Plein Air Magazine back into existence. The magazine was first published in 2004, and then it was published as Fine Art Connoisseur. It is coming back into circulation, once again as Plein Air Magazine as of February 2011.  Just in time for winter reading, and spring inspiration. It is fulfilling to know the art community mourned its loss and demanded its return! 

At the helm of the magazine is publisher Eric Rhoads and Editor Steve Doherty, two seasoned professionals in the art publishing world. Look for this great resource on newsstands. This magazine is for all painters but especially valued by artists who like to step out of the studio and into nature to paint its elements from real life. 

Plein Air Magazine is available in print, digital version or you can subscribe to both editions at http://bit.ly/dO0s5D.

 

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Using Stepping Stones

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“Being involved in the well-being and advancement of one’s own community is a most natural thing to do.” ~ Clarence Clemons

 Business people, non-profit organizations, companies selling products and services are not the only people who are jumping on the bandwagon to seize the opportunity to use independent publishing as a stepping stone for fulfillment and success. 

Columnist and book critic Cathy Beck was not to be stopped when dreams of having her manuscript acquired and released by a “publishing giant” were turned to dust. She focused her energies on independently publishing her manuscript “Cheap Cabernet” and marketed it inexhaustibly. The result? Success! She sprung open the doors of opportunity through entrepreneurial prowess and drove herself as an author to even greater heights than she dreamed. Please visit http://bit.ly/hE6FY4 to read her complete story of fulfillment. 

The moral of Cathy’s story:

  • Independent publishing opens doors to opportunity in unexpected ways.
  • Never give up
  • There are no problems, only solutions
  • Stepping stones often lead to bigger things

Cathy’s story is only one example of how the shifts in the publishing industry toward non-traditional publishing have brightened the outlook and led ordinary people to do extraordinary things through the power of books, films and music.

Let this be the year to begin to tell your story of success!

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

A New Chapter

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“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth…not going all the way, and not starting.”  ~ Buddha 

A New Year, a fresh start! Puts me in mind of a story I recently heard about truck driver, turned bounty hunter, turned Metropolitan Opera star. Do you know about the transformative life that Carl Tanner has created for himself by finally fulfilling his dream of becoming an opera singer? There are elements to this tale that movies are made of. It is a chronicle of coming out of the darkness and into the light. To read more about this inspiring story of fulfilling one’s aspirations in life, please visit http://nyti.ms/hc4hgc. 

Each and every one of us has a story of longings. The barriers we place upon our selves are the closed doors in our minds. In this New Year, I will be speaking with all sorts of folks who have dreams of propelling their businesses and their careers to new heights through the power of independent publishing and also through new, creative approaches to marketing themselves and their businesses through the internet. We can steer them in fulfilling  those dreams. 

A New Year is a time for new beginnings.  We can begin to fulfill our dreams as soon as we decide it is time to make the star, in us, more visible to others. What have you resolved to do this year to quench your yearnings and begin a new chapter in your life?

 

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Taking Stock of 2010

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“Four things for success: work and pray, think and believe.”~ Norman Vincent Peale

The end of the first decade of 2000 is approximately two weeks away. It is time to take stock of the past year and begin to set a list of priorities for 2011. All in all, I have accomplished the majority of the personal goals that I had set for myself and as a business owner over the past decade.

High on the list of personally fulfilling things I can put on my list this year, are the many more opportunities I have had to share with others, information about the fascinating and growing industry of independent publishing. I have communicated my passion and impressions of the industry through many different avenues. It’s what it takes to be successsul at book markeitng too!

  • e-marketing
  • widespread internet presence
  • networking groups
  • at women’s retreats
  • Kiwanis International www.kiwanis.org
  • the bookstore
  • presentations with University women
  • speaking with church members
  • every day conversation.

I have heard stories of optimism and excitement from people who are just now learning about the shifts in the publishing world. Ordinary people who have stories to tell, through books, films, music and other media, are feeling they now have chance to do so.

What I find to be most satisfying is the vision that those who work in the independent publishing industry have for the future. It is inspiring what a community of people can accomplish, when they work cooperatively and collaboratively for the good of an industry. I am working among a group of professionals who have demonstrated that positive energy can be infectious and can bring great results.

Start the New Year out right. Learn more about how mind power can help you bring personal and independent publishing success to your life. Visit http://bit.ly/YXvS3.

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

Hear the Bells!

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“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force.” ~ Karl Menninger

My sister and I have had a running  joke since last Christmas. I have really enjoyed the volunteer work that I have done over the past two years. Somehow, I have been recruited into more things than I ever thought I could be talked into, but all of it has been very enjoyable. Every time I mention what I have become involved with, my sister tells me “she is going to sign me up as a professional bell ringer, next.” Little does she know, more than a year ago, after recognizing the need, we began fulfilling our clients requests for assistance to become more visible  on the world wide web, by helping our clients to ring their bells.

As an independent publisher, are you aware of the benefits of bell ringing? You must, in part, ring your own bell. It is absolutely, completely necessary if you are to become a successful independent book publisher. No one can help an author sell a book better than the author themselves – at book signings, at schools, churches, in libraries and at any events where communities of people will give you their listening ear.

The gong that reaches the largest listening audience for the most affordable price, however, is through e-marketing. You will be heard loud and clear by communities all over the world, but it takes consistent effort in order to be effective! It is time consuming, there is no doubt about that and that is why independent publishers hire “professional bell ringers’ to help them with the task, so they can focus on the Art of what they do best.

Independent publishers, and businesses alike, give your selves a great New Years present. Start the year off right by letting go of some of the old ways of promoting yourself and ring bells in new, creative ways. Don’t know where to start? Go to the place that people now frequent the most – the internet – and use your favorite search engine to look for a “company that specializes in e-marketing for independent publishers.”  With a little help, people may begin to say all over the globe ” that title, that author, that company, that film, that artist or that musician rings a bell.” Think how fulfilling that would be!

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Sleighbells…Are you Listening, Booksellers?

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I decided to take a trip yesterday, through the powers of my intuition, into the fulfilling world of publishing! What my intuition told me is that some print shops all over America are busier at work this year. How can they not be? Non-traditional publishing grew a whooping 181% from 2008 to 2009, according to Bowker  http://bit.ly/cp3anL.The trend, my intuition tells me, has risen again this year. Wish I knew for sure. But, only Bowker will be able to tell me, after they have tallied their reports at the end of the year. It’s just one of those things! 

Do you know what this could mean for the holidays? Santa may have a lot more stops this year – picking up books at companies that offer POD (print on demand) and short run printing. My intuition tells me the machines are cranking. More than ever, people want books (and films, too) that inspire, educate, inform and amuse that are not run of the mill. 

When Santa makes his rounds, my intuition tells me the sleigh bells will be ringing a lot louder this year, in support for the non-traditional publishing industry. If the trend in independent publishing stayed on the up and up again in 2010, is it what may be  keeping the publishing industry afloat? 

Hope Jolly Old St. Nick, has a stash of inspirational stories set aside for me this year. Ah well… if they sell out before Santa arrives at my door, they can easily be reprinted! No longer does the publisher need to print by the 10’s of thousands. That’s the beauty of independent publishing!

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