Every once in a while I get to write about something other than book marketing. This is my turn to do that. Below are two recommendations I read about in National Wildlife magazine. If you do these two things, you could lessen the human contribution to global warming. Personally, I believe much of global warming is simply the workings of natural processes that turn the earth alternately hot and cold, but I also recognize that we humans can also have an impact. Why not lessen that impact if we can.
1. Replace one regular incandescent bulb with an energy-efficient compact fluorescent. I've done that with the two major bulbs I use to light my work space. Not only am I saving money by using less energy, but the light is like natural sunlight. It's great.
If every family in the U.S. replaced just one incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent, we would decrease heat-trapping emissions by more than 90 billion pounds a year. That's staggering. That's equivalent to taking 7.5 million cars off the road. And you save incredible amount of money and get better light. What a deal.
2. The second action is more expensive. Automobiles account for 1/3 of our country's output of carbon dioxide emissions, the largest source after power plants. Increasing U.S. mileage standards to 40 mpg would prevent as much carbon dioxide from being emitted as is released by the entire country of Mexico. It would also save more oil than we import from the Persian Gulf every year. Not only can we cut down heat-trapping emissions and lower the risk of global warming, but we could cut out our dependence on the Persian Gulf countries (which gets us embroiled in wars over there at a huge cost of people and money).
Plus, personally, we could save a lot of money. If your current car gets 30 mpg and you switched to a car that got 40 mpg, you'd save on gas. If you drive 10,000 miles per year, your cost for gas at $2.00 per gallon would be $666.00 per year at 30 mpg and only $500 per year at 40 mpg. The more you drive, the more you save.
But what really appeals to me is the fact that we could eliminate our dependence on Persian Gulf oil and the compromises we currently make with the despots that rule many of the countries in that region.
My next car will be a hybrid that gets good mileage. Such cars cost about the same, but save a ton on gas and toxic emissions. I can't wait until they make cars that run on water.
We all have a choice on how we impact our planet. Buy the compact fluorescent light bulbs today. That's easy and will save you money right away. Then, when you are ready to buy your next automobile, insist on one that gets good mileage. The cost of gas is only going to go up, not down. You'll save a lot of money over the lifetime of the automobile.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Promoting Your Book with a Great News Release
Here is a great news release I received several days ago. It's a great example of a news release that will get the attention of editors and producers. Check it out:
Is Grandpa Naked in the Garden Again?
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jay North, 402 West Ojai Ave, PMB 146, Ojai, CA 93023; Phone: (805) 646-2425; Email: JayNorthIs1@sbcglobal.net; URL: www.GoingOrganic.com.
Catch the stress-busting bug that is sweeping across Europe
Ojai, CA, March 27, 2005 –
Type in “Nude Gardening” in your Google search engine and you’ll come up with 378,000 results. What is all the buzz about?
“Nude gardening is all the rage in Western NY,” says a blogger on www.faultine.org, “because we have to soak up the Vitamin D during the 27.4 days during the year that we have the chance.”
“As you stand there, you feel the world loosening around you,” says another proponent of au naturel horticulture. Gardeners have known for ages that pottering around your petunias has stress-reducing benefits. But now there is a growing trend among nature lovers that says that these benefits increase exponentially when you garden...naked!
If you are lucky enough to own a house in a fairly secluded area you can get out your love of naked gardening and in the bargain get a “global” tan. The BBC long running show Gardener’s Question Time says that naturists have all the usual questions other gardeners experience, plus a few of their own, they are keen to enjoy the delights of plants, flowers and shrubs but wish to avoid spiky plants and those which sting. But gardening in the nude can get you in trouble in a populated area, particularly if your neighbors don’t approve of your minimalist dress code.
“No problem,” says organic gardening guru Jay North, “You can indulge the naked gardening trend without ending up with a court order for indecent exposure. Just do it inside.” Jay has published The Windowsill Organic Gardener, available at www.goingorganic.com, where he teaches people how to keep an organic garden in a tiny spaces, legally in the nude.
So when you get the urge to prune and trim in the buff, go right ahead ... just be careful what you do with those garden shears!
Find more gardening tips, see Jay’s books page at www.GoingOrganic.com.
ABOUT JAY NORTH – Organic farming pioneers Jay North and his beloved late wife Pamela, known as the "Edible Flower Children" are the founders of Paradise Farms, an innovator in specialty organic produce, gardening and marketing. Jay North is a best-selling author, speaker, consultant and evangelist of the opportunities available in organic farming worldwide.
-END-
Is Grandpa Naked in the Garden Again?
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jay North, 402 West Ojai Ave, PMB 146, Ojai, CA 93023; Phone: (805) 646-2425; Email: JayNorthIs1@sbcglobal.net; URL: www.GoingOrganic.com.
Catch the stress-busting bug that is sweeping across Europe
Ojai, CA, March 27, 2005 –
Type in “Nude Gardening” in your Google search engine and you’ll come up with 378,000 results. What is all the buzz about?
“Nude gardening is all the rage in Western NY,” says a blogger on www.faultine.org, “because we have to soak up the Vitamin D during the 27.4 days during the year that we have the chance.”
“As you stand there, you feel the world loosening around you,” says another proponent of au naturel horticulture. Gardeners have known for ages that pottering around your petunias has stress-reducing benefits. But now there is a growing trend among nature lovers that says that these benefits increase exponentially when you garden...naked!
If you are lucky enough to own a house in a fairly secluded area you can get out your love of naked gardening and in the bargain get a “global” tan. The BBC long running show Gardener’s Question Time says that naturists have all the usual questions other gardeners experience, plus a few of their own, they are keen to enjoy the delights of plants, flowers and shrubs but wish to avoid spiky plants and those which sting. But gardening in the nude can get you in trouble in a populated area, particularly if your neighbors don’t approve of your minimalist dress code.
“No problem,” says organic gardening guru Jay North, “You can indulge the naked gardening trend without ending up with a court order for indecent exposure. Just do it inside.” Jay has published The Windowsill Organic Gardener, available at www.goingorganic.com, where he teaches people how to keep an organic garden in a tiny spaces, legally in the nude.
So when you get the urge to prune and trim in the buff, go right ahead ... just be careful what you do with those garden shears!
Find more gardening tips, see Jay’s books page at www.GoingOrganic.com.
ABOUT JAY NORTH – Organic farming pioneers Jay North and his beloved late wife Pamela, known as the "Edible Flower Children" are the founders of Paradise Farms, an innovator in specialty organic produce, gardening and marketing. Jay North is a best-selling author, speaker, consultant and evangelist of the opportunities available in organic farming worldwide.
-END-
Monday, March 28, 2005
Self-Publishing Hall of Fame
I just added a new web site to expand upon my Self-Publishers Hall of Fame. You can click on it here: http://www.selfpublishinghalloffame.com.
The site is just being worked on. It currently features the great self-publishers with last names beginning with "A". I hope you'll check them out.
I've also begun work on another web site at http://www.traveltriviatime.com, which goes along with my Travel Trivia Time blog.
Again, I've just begun working on it, but I already feature around 100 special museums, world capitals, halls of fame, world's biggest, and world's first places. It's a site to see. Enjoy.
The site is just being worked on. It currently features the great self-publishers with last names beginning with "A". I hope you'll check them out.
I've also begun work on another web site at http://www.traveltriviatime.com, which goes along with my Travel Trivia Time blog.
Again, I've just begun working on it, but I already feature around 100 special museums, world capitals, halls of fame, world's biggest, and world's first places. It's a site to see. Enjoy.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Promote Your Books: The Top 10 Things
My good friend Alex Carroll and I will be interviewing each other during free teleconferences coming up. The first one is this Monday evening (March 28th at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time; 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time). During this teleconference, Alex will be interviewing me on book marketing. Two weeks later, I'll interview him on getting radio publicity.
In Monday's teleseminar, I will share 10 things you can do in the next week to sell more books. Here's some of what you'll learn:
* Why 90% of all marketing is wasted ... and how to keep this from happening to you.
* The method by which 80% of all books are sold ... and how to tap into it.
* 10 ways to slice and dice rights for maximum return.
* The optimal amount of time that you should spend on marketing any good book.
* The one secret that all of marketing ultimately comes down to. If you don't understand this basic principle, you will ultimately fail as a book marketer. Indeed, you will fail in life as well.
* The most crucial thing that should be on the front page of your website.
* How to go from nowhere to #1 on Google for your key search term.
* The best place to hide your book in your own home.
To get on the teleseminar call 580-474-3600. The passcode is 222089#.
Again that's this coming Monday evening, March 28 at 5PM Pacific/8PM Eastern.
If you can't make the conference call, you can pre-order the audio CD (14.95 for the next 7 days ... $19.95 after that) at this web site: Alex's order form.
In Monday's teleseminar, I will share 10 things you can do in the next week to sell more books. Here's some of what you'll learn:
* Why 90% of all marketing is wasted ... and how to keep this from happening to you.
* The method by which 80% of all books are sold ... and how to tap into it.
* 10 ways to slice and dice rights for maximum return.
* The optimal amount of time that you should spend on marketing any good book.
* The one secret that all of marketing ultimately comes down to. If you don't understand this basic principle, you will ultimately fail as a book marketer. Indeed, you will fail in life as well.
* The most crucial thing that should be on the front page of your website.
* How to go from nowhere to #1 on Google for your key search term.
* The best place to hide your book in your own home.
To get on the teleseminar call 580-474-3600. The passcode is 222089#.
Again that's this coming Monday evening, March 28 at 5PM Pacific/8PM Eastern.
If you can't make the conference call, you can pre-order the audio CD (14.95 for the next 7 days ... $19.95 after that) at this web site: Alex's order form.
Sell More Books Via Point-of-Purchase Displays
“We’re all susceptible to the impulse purchase. That’s why the grocery and discount stores line the checkout lanes with goodies to catch your eye. It works—you buy more.
“Put this human impulse to work in your favor by using point-of-purchase displays to put your books in direct line of sight of people with their wallets already out of their pockets. We sell guidebooks to trails for hiking, bicycling, and skiing. They’re displayed on checkout counters in bike shops, gift shops, nature centers, wineries, coffee shops, and even gas stations.
“When we make a sales call we offer a free Plexiglas display stand if they buy 5 or more books. See an example at http://www.displaystands4you.com. With the stand (and some not so subtle suggestions), nine times out of ten, our books end up being displayed on the checkout counter. We tape a business card to the back of the stand, which gives the owner of the shop quick access to our reorder phone number.
“Of course, some shop owners say no—their counters are too crowded already. But, the ones who say yes end up selling many more books, and we make our minimal investment in the display stand back very quickly.”
— Sue Freeman, Footprint Press
“Put this human impulse to work in your favor by using point-of-purchase displays to put your books in direct line of sight of people with their wallets already out of their pockets. We sell guidebooks to trails for hiking, bicycling, and skiing. They’re displayed on checkout counters in bike shops, gift shops, nature centers, wineries, coffee shops, and even gas stations.
“When we make a sales call we offer a free Plexiglas display stand if they buy 5 or more books. See an example at http://www.displaystands4you.com. With the stand (and some not so subtle suggestions), nine times out of ten, our books end up being displayed on the checkout counter. We tape a business card to the back of the stand, which gives the owner of the shop quick access to our reorder phone number.
“Of course, some shop owners say no—their counters are too crowded already. But, the ones who say yes end up selling many more books, and we make our minimal investment in the display stand back very quickly.”
— Sue Freeman, Footprint Press
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Promote Your Books by Blogging
Blogs have become ever more popular recently as a marketing tool. Why? For one major reason. Search engines like Google and Yahoo spider the blogs more often than other web sites (spidering means that they visit them more often to see if there are any changes or new pages). Blogs have two attributes that attract this increased spidering: 1. a continuous stream of new content provided by the main blogger as well as by those who comment on the blog, and 2. lots of links, both inbound and outbound, suggesting a more popular web site.
Why should you blog? Here are three major reasons:
1. A blog establishes your expertise much in the same way as writing books, but in this case, a blog establishes your expertise on the web.
2. A blog helps to get you more attention on the web, thus exposing you, your ideas, and your book to more people.
3. A popular blog with lots of links to your web site (or as an integral part of your web site) helps to increase the rating for your web site.
Bonus information during the next 48 hours:
Have you ever wanted to write a book, fiction or non-fiction, but you just couldn’t get it started, or didn’t have the time, or couldn’t think of a plot, or had writer’s block, or didn’t think you had anything important to say, or didn’t think you had the writing talent, or had something else that was stopping you? Have you ever wanted to get a book out fast?
Well, I’ve just discovered a web site that is specially designed to help you write your book faster than you ever thought possible. In fact, there’s information here that will lead you to write your book in 14 days.
Now, I know that seems hard to believe, but when Mark Victor Hansen (co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books) saw the information, he not only said it was some of the best stuff he’d ever used, he even asked the owner of the website, Steve Manning, to speak at his next seminar! And Mark is using this information to crank out still more books!
This stuff is so powerful that writers and web site owners are using these techniques to write books faster than they ever thought possible. There’s even a free email course that gets you started fast. So if writing a book has always been your goal, your dream, your desire, or simply a back-of-the-mind thought, check out http://www.writeabooknow.com. Do it in the next 36 hours for a special break.
Why should you blog? Here are three major reasons:
1. A blog establishes your expertise much in the same way as writing books, but in this case, a blog establishes your expertise on the web.
2. A blog helps to get you more attention on the web, thus exposing you, your ideas, and your book to more people.
3. A popular blog with lots of links to your web site (or as an integral part of your web site) helps to increase the rating for your web site.
Bonus information during the next 48 hours:
Have you ever wanted to write a book, fiction or non-fiction, but you just couldn’t get it started, or didn’t have the time, or couldn’t think of a plot, or had writer’s block, or didn’t think you had anything important to say, or didn’t think you had the writing talent, or had something else that was stopping you? Have you ever wanted to get a book out fast?
Well, I’ve just discovered a web site that is specially designed to help you write your book faster than you ever thought possible. In fact, there’s information here that will lead you to write your book in 14 days.
Now, I know that seems hard to believe, but when Mark Victor Hansen (co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books) saw the information, he not only said it was some of the best stuff he’d ever used, he even asked the owner of the website, Steve Manning, to speak at his next seminar! And Mark is using this information to crank out still more books!
This stuff is so powerful that writers and web site owners are using these techniques to write books faster than they ever thought possible. There’s even a free email course that gets you started fast. So if writing a book has always been your goal, your dream, your desire, or simply a back-of-the-mind thought, check out http://www.writeabooknow.com. Do it in the next 36 hours for a special break.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Promote Your Book Online
Do you qualify for the Self-Publishing Hall of Fame? Not sure? Then check out the criteria at the Self-Publishing Hall of Fame.
More than 300 authors who self-published are already featured in this incredible hall of fame, including Margaret Atwood, L. Frank Baum, William Blake, Ken Blanchard, Robert Bly, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Byron, Willa Cather, Pat Conroy, Stephen Crane, e.e. cummings, W.E.B. DuBois, Alexander Dumas, T.S. Eliot, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Benjamin Franklin, Zane Grey, Thomas Hardy, E. Lynn Harris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, Robinson Jeffers, Spencer Johnson, Stephen King, Rudyard Kipling, Louis L'Amour, D.H. Lawrence, Rod McKuen, Marlo Morgan, John Muir, Anais Nin, Thomas Paine, Tom Peters, Edgar Allen Poe, Alexander Pope, Beatrix Potter, Ezra Pound, Marcel Proust, Irma Rombauer, Carl Sandburg, Robert Service, George Bernard Shaw, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Upton Sinclair, Gertrude Stein, William Strunk, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoi, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and Virginia Woolf.
You could stock a superb college library or an incredible bookstore just from the books written by the authors who have chosen to self-publish. Why not join them today?
More than 300 authors who self-published are already featured in this incredible hall of fame, including Margaret Atwood, L. Frank Baum, William Blake, Ken Blanchard, Robert Bly, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Byron, Willa Cather, Pat Conroy, Stephen Crane, e.e. cummings, W.E.B. DuBois, Alexander Dumas, T.S. Eliot, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Benjamin Franklin, Zane Grey, Thomas Hardy, E. Lynn Harris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, Robinson Jeffers, Spencer Johnson, Stephen King, Rudyard Kipling, Louis L'Amour, D.H. Lawrence, Rod McKuen, Marlo Morgan, John Muir, Anais Nin, Thomas Paine, Tom Peters, Edgar Allen Poe, Alexander Pope, Beatrix Potter, Ezra Pound, Marcel Proust, Irma Rombauer, Carl Sandburg, Robert Service, George Bernard Shaw, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Upton Sinclair, Gertrude Stein, William Strunk, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoi, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and Virginia Woolf.
You could stock a superb college library or an incredible bookstore just from the books written by the authors who have chosen to self-publish. Why not join them today?
Monday, March 21, 2005
Promote Your Book: Telling Stories
The following is courtesy of Rosalind Miller, author of The Great Success Manual:
"How many of us can look back as to the source of motivation that sparked off that initial direction we took in our careers? Who acted as mentors, friends, inspirators, pastors and teachers--that individual who you could look back and say thank you for that break you gave me, the confidence and love you had for me? Sadly, not all past experiences are positive.
"Well the story goes: An alter boy during Mass, made a mistake and was severely ostracized by the priest, warning the boy he would grow up as a failure. Across the ocean, another boy made an error at Mass, but he was gently told that mistakes do happen and that he would someday grow up to be successful. The first boy was Stalin, and the second was Bishop Fulton Sheen."
John's Comments: What stories to you have to tell? Stories are an essential part of writing any book -- and an even more important part of promoting your book. Learn to tell stories that make a difference. It's not hard. And, as you can see from the above story, it doesn't take many words to make a point.
"How many of us can look back as to the source of motivation that sparked off that initial direction we took in our careers? Who acted as mentors, friends, inspirators, pastors and teachers--that individual who you could look back and say thank you for that break you gave me, the confidence and love you had for me? Sadly, not all past experiences are positive.
"Well the story goes: An alter boy during Mass, made a mistake and was severely ostracized by the priest, warning the boy he would grow up as a failure. Across the ocean, another boy made an error at Mass, but he was gently told that mistakes do happen and that he would someday grow up to be successful. The first boy was Stalin, and the second was Bishop Fulton Sheen."
John's Comments: What stories to you have to tell? Stories are an essential part of writing any book -- and an even more important part of promoting your book. Learn to tell stories that make a difference. It's not hard. And, as you can see from the above story, it doesn't take many words to make a point.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Promoting Your Book: Using Google News
The Google News page now allows you to customize your page in many wonderful ways. Not only can you rearrange whether news, sports, business, entertainment, technology, or whatever comes first, but you can also create customized news sections.
To customize Google News for you, simply click on the Edit Customized Page link in the gray box at the top right of the Google News Page.
I currently have news sections tracking the following three news items: Book marketing, self-publishing, and John Kremer. You'd be surprised how many John Kremers there are in the world. I always thought I was the one and only, but there's a German scientist, a teenage football star in Pennsylvania, a vice president at a high-tech company, and more.
You can select any search terms you want and customize your news very specifically, especially by using the Advanced Search options. Track to see where the story of your book is hitting (you can search by book title), where you might have been interviewed, etc. Also check out the competition. Or keep on top of the news in your special area of interest.
I love seeing how I or one of my dopplegangers made the news each day. Today, for example, my post at BlogCritics.org was the top news story under self-publishing. That's cool.
Check it out. It can be a useful tool for planning your marketing campaigns, especially as you track to see where your competition is making the news. Two to three months from now that same media will be looking for your story. Be sure you know about which media are covering what stories. Google News can help you do that.
To customize Google News for you, simply click on the Edit Customized Page link in the gray box at the top right of the Google News Page.
I currently have news sections tracking the following three news items: Book marketing, self-publishing, and John Kremer. You'd be surprised how many John Kremers there are in the world. I always thought I was the one and only, but there's a German scientist, a teenage football star in Pennsylvania, a vice president at a high-tech company, and more.
You can select any search terms you want and customize your news very specifically, especially by using the Advanced Search options. Track to see where the story of your book is hitting (you can search by book title), where you might have been interviewed, etc. Also check out the competition. Or keep on top of the news in your special area of interest.
I love seeing how I or one of my dopplegangers made the news each day. Today, for example, my post at BlogCritics.org was the top news story under self-publishing. That's cool.
Check it out. It can be a useful tool for planning your marketing campaigns, especially as you track to see where your competition is making the news. Two to three months from now that same media will be looking for your story. Be sure you know about which media are covering what stories. Google News can help you do that.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Promoting Your Book: Getting Attention
Would you like to know how to grab the attention of busy editors and other media people? Send them something interesting. Short and interesting. Like this poem I was sent a few minutes ago via email from the author.
Travel now, he said
I release you to the wind
I release you to the Morning Star
may you float away in peace and be guided by the
elders
I release you to come home to
yourself
where the only true
love resides
I release you to find what has
always been
your true self
released
so it is said
so it is done
Washti
This poem is by Jay North, author of a new book Open Spaces: My Life and Times with Leonard J. Mountain Chief. The poem and his story are described in more detail in the book. Visit his web site for more information: http://www.goingorganic.com.
Travel now, he said
I release you to the wind
I release you to the Morning Star
may you float away in peace and be guided by the
elders
I release you to come home to
yourself
where the only true
love resides
I release you to find what has
always been
your true self
released
so it is said
so it is done
Washti
This poem is by Jay North, author of a new book Open Spaces: My Life and Times with Leonard J. Mountain Chief. The poem and his story are described in more detail in the book. Visit his web site for more information: http://www.goingorganic.com.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
E-Books for Fast Profit . . .
The following has been adapted from Pat O'Bryan's Effortless E-Books ezine:
"I just wanted to thank you for all the information you provide. I just launched my first eBook, Feng Shui for Abundant Living, and sold 98 copies in 12 hours. Everything worked just like you told me it would!"
That was from Kathy Browning, a new author. She wrote an e-book. She registered it with Clickbank. She sold 98 copies in 12 hours. That's all she did.
She took the step by step instruction I laid out in Effortless E-Books #51 and started building her e-book business. I've reprinted that issue at the end of this e-zine for you. She took the simple strategies and techniques she learned from reading this e-zine and applied them.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that she wrote an excellent e-book and is practically giving it away (less than $15!!!). Or that her subject is fascinating and useful. Or that her sales page is well-written and attractive.
I'm in favor of any trick, strategy or secret that will help me be comfortable, effective, and productive. Feng Shui has been keeping people comfortable, effective, and productive for centuries.
Maybe she was able to write her book because her furniture is properly aligned in her space... There's no reason to wait to read her book and find out. Do it now.
By now, you should be pretty curious.
John's Comment: Sometimes the simplest things work quickest. Don't wait around until you have a printed book. Start selling now with an e-book. Even a chapter can be an e-book. Get something out now. Sell it. Test the market. What are you waiting for?
Email Pat O'Bryan at pat@patobryan.com and ask him to email you a copy of his Effortless E-Books Issue 51 right away. It tells you how to get started today selling e-books (or tomorrow at the latest, if you're slow). Check out his web site as well: http://www.patobryan.com.
"I just wanted to thank you for all the information you provide. I just launched my first eBook, Feng Shui for Abundant Living, and sold 98 copies in 12 hours. Everything worked just like you told me it would!"
That was from Kathy Browning, a new author. She wrote an e-book. She registered it with Clickbank. She sold 98 copies in 12 hours. That's all she did.
She took the step by step instruction I laid out in Effortless E-Books #51 and started building her e-book business. I've reprinted that issue at the end of this e-zine for you. She took the simple strategies and techniques she learned from reading this e-zine and applied them.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that she wrote an excellent e-book and is practically giving it away (less than $15!!!). Or that her subject is fascinating and useful. Or that her sales page is well-written and attractive.
I'm in favor of any trick, strategy or secret that will help me be comfortable, effective, and productive. Feng Shui has been keeping people comfortable, effective, and productive for centuries.
Maybe she was able to write her book because her furniture is properly aligned in her space... There's no reason to wait to read her book and find out. Do it now.
By now, you should be pretty curious.
John's Comment: Sometimes the simplest things work quickest. Don't wait around until you have a printed book. Start selling now with an e-book. Even a chapter can be an e-book. Get something out now. Sell it. Test the market. What are you waiting for?
Email Pat O'Bryan at pat@patobryan.com and ask him to email you a copy of his Effortless E-Books Issue 51 right away. It tells you how to get started today selling e-books (or tomorrow at the latest, if you're slow). Check out his web site as well: http://www.patobryan.com.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Book Author Signings on Your Own
The following post is excerpted from a post by R. Michael Johnson at his blog:
Another example is an author I know who lives in Florida. He went in to his local mall’s Borders bookstore every day for a month trying to convince them to allow him to hold an event there. (I wouldn’t recommend nagging a manager that much, by the way.) After rejection upon rejection upon rejection, the author finally decided to take the matter into his own hands.
He contacted the mall itself and rented a small kiosk for a day (you know the kind—you can buy two pairs of sunglasses for $10 or very cheap-looking jewelry from these wheeled carts). Upon securing the kiosk—for about a hundred bucks—the author set up (you guessed it) directly across from the Borders store in the mall. Aside from the obvious joy it must have done his heart, this author also proved a very big point and struck a giant blow for the viability of all self-published books.
Upon seeing a crowd gather outside his store, the store manager asked the author what he was doing. “Holding a book signing,” came the response. To which the manager turned and walked back into his store.
After the second hour of a steady stream of people walking past his store to get to the kiosk, the manager invited the author inside for his book signing. He has since held a number of additional signings at the store—all with great success.
Once again, a little patience, perseverance, and some thinking outside the box led to great success.
Another example is an author I know who lives in Florida. He went in to his local mall’s Borders bookstore every day for a month trying to convince them to allow him to hold an event there. (I wouldn’t recommend nagging a manager that much, by the way.) After rejection upon rejection upon rejection, the author finally decided to take the matter into his own hands.
He contacted the mall itself and rented a small kiosk for a day (you know the kind—you can buy two pairs of sunglasses for $10 or very cheap-looking jewelry from these wheeled carts). Upon securing the kiosk—for about a hundred bucks—the author set up (you guessed it) directly across from the Borders store in the mall. Aside from the obvious joy it must have done his heart, this author also proved a very big point and struck a giant blow for the viability of all self-published books.
Upon seeing a crowd gather outside his store, the store manager asked the author what he was doing. “Holding a book signing,” came the response. To which the manager turned and walked back into his store.
After the second hour of a steady stream of people walking past his store to get to the kiosk, the manager invited the author inside for his book signing. He has since held a number of additional signings at the store—all with great success.
Once again, a little patience, perseverance, and some thinking outside the box led to great success.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
High School Book on Freshman Advice...
Question: I am writing you because I have a unique situation with a book that has received some free publicity because of the unique way it was produced. I will try to tell you the story in brief.
Last July, at an annual Homeschool Trade show, I met a teacher, who also had a booth promoting her published grammar program, and she told me about the curriculum she had planned for her gifted sophomores. She planned for them to write a Freshman Survival Guide for incoming freshmen. She wanted her students to experience the difficulty of writing a book. She made them write, rewrite, edit, rewrite, etc.
I sell short run, on demand perfect binding equipment and I volunteered to come to the school with my equipment so they could understand the binding and finishing process. As the project began taking shape, the teacher Dawn Burnette of McIntosh H.S. in Peachtree City, Georgia emailed me that they had decided to produce 500 of these books and sell them via their web site and a local bookstore. I continued to make myself available, saying I would charge by the book to cover my cost, but they may consider buying the equipment (under $5000). It was uncertain whether this would happen or not.
Last Tuesday, March 1st was publication day. Mrs. Burnette and I set up a full mini-bindery in the McIntosh H.S. Library. the afternoon before. Tuesday morning the Atlanta Journal Constitution was there, plus Channel 11 (NBC Affiliate) and 4 other local papers. Because the book was professionally bound by the students it was a great story. A couple of days later, Laura Bush's secretary called for her and ordered a book. Good Morning America called and wanted a book. AP picked up the story and it was run in 95 papers.
Finally, the reason I am writing you. Mrs. Burnette obviously met her initial goals by the students writing a very readable, funny, and insightful book. Her new goal is to make the book available. More important than huge profits is getting the book out there. Those of us who have read it think it is equally valuable to parents of high schoolers as the students, because of who wrote it.
She asked my advice on what to do next. I know a limited number of publishers, and because of some work they are doing with schools in teaching about publishing. Any advice you may have that you would pass along to getting this great story told, and the book out there, we would deeply appreciate. You have a "larger than life" reputation, and any advice, direction, contacts you would share would be deeply appreciated. If you decide to pass, we understand.
John's Answer: Jim... You have been very kind in helping Dawn and her students. Her best bet for a publisher would be one of the good local ones such as Longstreet Press or Peachtree Press.
Longstreet Press, Scott Bard, Publisher; Suzanne De Galan and John Yow, Senior Editors; 2140 Newmarket Parkway #122, Marietta GA 30067; 770-980-1488; 800-927-1488; Fax: 770-859-9894. Web: http://www.lspress.com.
Peachtree Publishers, Margaret Quinlin, Publisher, 1700 Chattahooche Avenue, Atlanta GA 30318-2112; 404-876-8761. Web: http://www.peachtree-online.com. Specialties: children's, Southern regional (hiking, fishing, nature), and self-help, especially parenting.
Or a publisher like FreeSpirit aimed at teens and high schools:
Free Spirit Publishing, Judy Galbraith, President, 400 First Avenue N #616, Minneapolis MN 55401; 612-338-2068; 800-735-7323; Fax: 612-337-5050. Email: help4kids@freespirit.com. Web: http://www.freespirit.com. Specialties: resources for educators, parents, and children.
These publishers and other great independent publishers are featured on my web site as some of the Top 101 Independent Book Publishers.
Good luck with your project.
Last July, at an annual Homeschool Trade show, I met a teacher, who also had a booth promoting her published grammar program, and she told me about the curriculum she had planned for her gifted sophomores. She planned for them to write a Freshman Survival Guide for incoming freshmen. She wanted her students to experience the difficulty of writing a book. She made them write, rewrite, edit, rewrite, etc.
I sell short run, on demand perfect binding equipment and I volunteered to come to the school with my equipment so they could understand the binding and finishing process. As the project began taking shape, the teacher Dawn Burnette of McIntosh H.S. in Peachtree City, Georgia emailed me that they had decided to produce 500 of these books and sell them via their web site and a local bookstore. I continued to make myself available, saying I would charge by the book to cover my cost, but they may consider buying the equipment (under $5000). It was uncertain whether this would happen or not.
Last Tuesday, March 1st was publication day. Mrs. Burnette and I set up a full mini-bindery in the McIntosh H.S. Library. the afternoon before. Tuesday morning the Atlanta Journal Constitution was there, plus Channel 11 (NBC Affiliate) and 4 other local papers. Because the book was professionally bound by the students it was a great story. A couple of days later, Laura Bush's secretary called for her and ordered a book. Good Morning America called and wanted a book. AP picked up the story and it was run in 95 papers.
Finally, the reason I am writing you. Mrs. Burnette obviously met her initial goals by the students writing a very readable, funny, and insightful book. Her new goal is to make the book available. More important than huge profits is getting the book out there. Those of us who have read it think it is equally valuable to parents of high schoolers as the students, because of who wrote it.
She asked my advice on what to do next. I know a limited number of publishers, and because of some work they are doing with schools in teaching about publishing. Any advice you may have that you would pass along to getting this great story told, and the book out there, we would deeply appreciate. You have a "larger than life" reputation, and any advice, direction, contacts you would share would be deeply appreciated. If you decide to pass, we understand.
John's Answer: Jim... You have been very kind in helping Dawn and her students. Her best bet for a publisher would be one of the good local ones such as Longstreet Press or Peachtree Press.
Longstreet Press, Scott Bard, Publisher; Suzanne De Galan and John Yow, Senior Editors; 2140 Newmarket Parkway #122, Marietta GA 30067; 770-980-1488; 800-927-1488; Fax: 770-859-9894. Web: http://www.lspress.com.
Peachtree Publishers, Margaret Quinlin, Publisher, 1700 Chattahooche Avenue, Atlanta GA 30318-2112; 404-876-8761. Web: http://www.peachtree-online.com. Specialties: children's, Southern regional (hiking, fishing, nature), and self-help, especially parenting.
Or a publisher like FreeSpirit aimed at teens and high schools:
Free Spirit Publishing, Judy Galbraith, President, 400 First Avenue N #616, Minneapolis MN 55401; 612-338-2068; 800-735-7323; Fax: 612-337-5050. Email: help4kids@freespirit.com. Web: http://www.freespirit.com. Specialties: resources for educators, parents, and children.
These publishers and other great independent publishers are featured on my web site as some of the Top 101 Independent Book Publishers.
Good luck with your project.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
2005 Midwest Book Fest
The 2005 Midwest Book Fest will take place on Saturday, September 17th at the Bellevue Senior High School, 200 Oakland Avenue, Bellevue, Ohio.
The Midwest Book Fest is a promotion and celebration of literacy and the literary arts, an opportunity for self published, POD published and traditionally published authors to promote their work while speaking with the public on their experiences. They have many new surprises and opportunities for readers and writers this year: Howard Meibach of the California film industry coming for one-on-one conferences. They are setting up reading programs at local schools for attending authors who are interested, as well as programs at the local libraries. Contact: Tina Green via email at: greentmg@yahoo.com or by clicking on the link on the title of this post.
The Midwest Book Fest is a promotion and celebration of literacy and the literary arts, an opportunity for self published, POD published and traditionally published authors to promote their work while speaking with the public on their experiences. They have many new surprises and opportunities for readers and writers this year: Howard Meibach of the California film industry coming for one-on-one conferences. They are setting up reading programs at local schools for attending authors who are interested, as well as programs at the local libraries. Contact: Tina Green via email at: greentmg@yahoo.com or by clicking on the link on the title of this post.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Literary Agents for Short Stories
Question: What is the most effective, efficient and expeditious way of getting these stories in front of a literary agent? The agent must belong to the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR) with an eye toward short fiction. My question has three parts:
1) I have written a substantial block of short stories.
2) I need to "get in front" of an agent with these stories.
3) The agent must be a member of AAR.
John's Answer: 1) Your story collection title is great: Zen for Tough Guys.
2) Here are some agents that have sold short story collections in the past year (from my database of 1500 literary agents):
Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Agency, Henry Dunow, 22 West 23rd Street, 5th Floor, New York NY 10010. Email: henry@dunowcarlson.com. Web: dunowcarson.com. Sold rights to Paul Zakrzewski's anthology Lost Tribe to Harper. Sold rights to Gregory Spatz's short story collection Wonderful Tricks to Mid-List Press.
John Hawkins & Associates, Matthew Miele, 71 West 23rd Street #1600, New York NY 10010-4101; 212-807-7040; Fax: 212-807-9555. Email: jhamiele@aol.com. Sold rights to Matthew Derby's Super Flat Times short story collection to Back Bay Books. Sold rights to a short story anthology Lit Riffs to Pocket.
Jonathan James Agency, Jonathan James. Email: jameslit11@hotmail.com. Focus on quality literary fiction and short story collections.
Lukeman Literary Management, Noah Lukeman, President. Web: lukeman.com. Sold rights to Phyllis Moore's debut short story collection, A Compendium of Skirts, to Carroll & Graf. Wants no manuscripts (September 2010 update).
Regal Literary, Peter Steinberg, 27 West 20th Street #1103, New York NY 10011-3707; 212-807-0888; Fax: 212-807-0461. Sold rights to a novel and short story collection by Brad Watson to Norton. Sold rights to Cathy Day's first collection of interrelated stories The Circus in Winter to Harcourt.
Trident Media Group, Jenny Bent, 41 Madison Avenue, 36th Floor, New York NY 10010; 212-262-4810; Fax: 212-262-4849. Email: jbent@tridentmediagroup.com. Web: tridentmediagroup.com. Sold rights to a novel and short story collection by Ann Cummins to Houghton Mifflin.
3) I believe that the agents listed above are all members of AAR. I do know that they are all reputable agents, among the best in the business.
1) I have written a substantial block of short stories.
2) I need to "get in front" of an agent with these stories.
3) The agent must be a member of AAR.
John's Answer: 1) Your story collection title is great: Zen for Tough Guys.
2) Here are some agents that have sold short story collections in the past year (from my database of 1500 literary agents):
Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Agency, Henry Dunow, 22 West 23rd Street, 5th Floor, New York NY 10010. Email: henry@dunowcarlson.com. Web: dunowcarson.com. Sold rights to Paul Zakrzewski's anthology Lost Tribe to Harper. Sold rights to Gregory Spatz's short story collection Wonderful Tricks to Mid-List Press.
John Hawkins & Associates, Matthew Miele, 71 West 23rd Street #1600, New York NY 10010-4101; 212-807-7040; Fax: 212-807-9555. Email: jhamiele@aol.com. Sold rights to Matthew Derby's Super Flat Times short story collection to Back Bay Books. Sold rights to a short story anthology Lit Riffs to Pocket.
Jonathan James Agency, Jonathan James. Email: jameslit11@hotmail.com. Focus on quality literary fiction and short story collections.
Lukeman Literary Management, Noah Lukeman, President. Web: lukeman.com. Sold rights to Phyllis Moore's debut short story collection, A Compendium of Skirts, to Carroll & Graf. Wants no manuscripts (September 2010 update).
Regal Literary, Peter Steinberg, 27 West 20th Street #1103, New York NY 10011-3707; 212-807-0888; Fax: 212-807-0461. Sold rights to a novel and short story collection by Brad Watson to Norton. Sold rights to Cathy Day's first collection of interrelated stories The Circus in Winter to Harcourt.
Trident Media Group, Jenny Bent, 41 Madison Avenue, 36th Floor, New York NY 10010; 212-262-4810; Fax: 212-262-4849. Email: jbent@tridentmediagroup.com. Web: tridentmediagroup.com. Sold rights to a novel and short story collection by Ann Cummins to Houghton Mifflin.
3) I believe that the agents listed above are all members of AAR. I do know that they are all reputable agents, among the best in the business.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
International Special Events Registry
Question: I have a copy of your book Celebrate Today!, which mentions that you maintain the official National Special Events Registry. I was unable to find it on the Web to see how to register a new event. When I go to www.celebratetoday.com, I get a message that I'm not authorized to view this page.
John's Answer: I do still maintain the registry, but now it is called the International Special Events Registry. The Celebrate Today web site is down as we update it and switch hosts. At this time, you can submit your holiday via email to Celebrate Today.
We need the following information to register an event:
* Name of the event
* Dates of event -- day, week, or month. If the dates are changeable, we need to know how they change from year to year.
* Name of sponsor
* Address, phone, fax, e-mail, Internet address of sponsor
* Description of event. Try to keep this under 50 words.
The event is registered in the International Special Events Registry, is published in the Special Events Data File, and will soon appear on the Celebrate Today web site.
Events currently listed in the International Special Events Registry include National Dairy Month, National Goof-Off Day, Chrysler's Birthday, National Grapefruit Month, Super Bowl Sunday, Bugs Bunny's Birthday, National Nothing Day, World Book Day, International Children's Day, and 18,100 other events from around the world.
John's Answer: I do still maintain the registry, but now it is called the International Special Events Registry. The Celebrate Today web site is down as we update it and switch hosts. At this time, you can submit your holiday via email to Celebrate Today.
We need the following information to register an event:
* Name of the event
* Dates of event -- day, week, or month. If the dates are changeable, we need to know how they change from year to year.
* Name of sponsor
* Address, phone, fax, e-mail, Internet address of sponsor
* Description of event. Try to keep this under 50 words.
The event is registered in the International Special Events Registry, is published in the Special Events Data File, and will soon appear on the Celebrate Today web site.
Events currently listed in the International Special Events Registry include National Dairy Month, National Goof-Off Day, Chrysler's Birthday, National Grapefruit Month, Super Bowl Sunday, Bugs Bunny's Birthday, National Nothing Day, World Book Day, International Children's Day, and 18,100 other events from around the world.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Book Publishing Resources
Question: Where do I find pertinent information and resources about publishing books? How to go about finding a publisher or literary agent? How to build my own publishing business?
John's Answer: 1. For publishing books, go to BookMarket.com and ParaPublishing.com. The first provides all sorts of resources on book marketing, editing, design, POD, self-publishing, etc. The second is focused on self-publishing as well as writing a book. Incredible resources in both places. Of course, I am biased since one of the sites is mine.
2. You can find publishers of children's books, business books, cookbooks, first novels, sports books, religious books, and health books at BookMarket.com. This is the most up-to-date listing of book editors for those particular kind of books.
You might also want to visit PublishersMarketplace.com. You can find many literary agents and editors there as well.
3. For books printers, go to Book Printers.
For POD printers/publishers, go to POD Printers and Publishers.
For book cover designers and editors, go to Book Designers and Editors.
For book publicity resources, go to Book Publicity Services.
For book consultants, go to Book Consultants.
For fun, read about all the great self-publishers at the Self-Publishing Hall of Fame: Self-Publishing Hall of Fame.
I hope this helps.
John's Answer: 1. For publishing books, go to BookMarket.com and ParaPublishing.com. The first provides all sorts of resources on book marketing, editing, design, POD, self-publishing, etc. The second is focused on self-publishing as well as writing a book. Incredible resources in both places. Of course, I am biased since one of the sites is mine.
2. You can find publishers of children's books, business books, cookbooks, first novels, sports books, religious books, and health books at BookMarket.com. This is the most up-to-date listing of book editors for those particular kind of books.
You might also want to visit PublishersMarketplace.com. You can find many literary agents and editors there as well.
3. For books printers, go to Book Printers.
For POD printers/publishers, go to POD Printers and Publishers.
For book cover designers and editors, go to Book Designers and Editors.
For book publicity resources, go to Book Publicity Services.
For book consultants, go to Book Consultants.
For fun, read about all the great self-publishers at the Self-Publishing Hall of Fame: Self-Publishing Hall of Fame.
I hope this helps.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Top Independent Bookstores
Question: We spoke several months ago about your email lists for indy bookstores and public and university libraries. Can you please send me an update on these lists: number of email addresses, cost? I'm ready to go now.
John's Answer: The public library list has NO email addresses or phone numbers, just addresses.
The top 700 Bookstore Lists has 80% email addresses and 100% phone numbers.
Libraries: 2,300 libraries - cost $40.00
Bookstores: 780 stores - cost $40.00
You can order both lists at Book Market web site.
Be sure to specify the file format you want to receive the data in: comma-delimited ASCII, tab-delimited ASCII, Excel, Access, or dBase (.dbf). Or plain text.
John's Answer: The public library list has NO email addresses or phone numbers, just addresses.
The top 700 Bookstore Lists has 80% email addresses and 100% phone numbers.
Libraries: 2,300 libraries - cost $40.00
Bookstores: 780 stores - cost $40.00
You can order both lists at Book Market web site.
Be sure to specify the file format you want to receive the data in: comma-delimited ASCII, tab-delimited ASCII, Excel, Access, or dBase (.dbf). Or plain text.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Book Marketing: Fulfillment Services
Question: I was wondering if you had any recommendations for a single-order fulfilment company that can sell my books to US customers for me via phone and internet. — a reader from Australia
Answer from John: I list a number of such companies at my web site: BookMarket.com. These companies can handle fulfillment of one or more books that are taken by phone, mail, or the Internet.
Answer from John: I list a number of such companies at my web site: BookMarket.com. These companies can handle fulfillment of one or more books that are taken by phone, mail, or the Internet.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Margaret Cho's Blog
And, now just a note of something I really like.
I think that comedienne Margaret Cho might be one of the most honest and most powerful writers writing today. Catch her blog. There are some powerful issues--as well as mundane--that she brings up. And the way she writes, it cuts deep. Check out her blog here: Margaret Cho's Blog.
And another blog heard from:
"If you don't like what a book is saying, you can just close the damn thing. Try doing that with a man. And it's a hell of a lot easier to organize your books than to organize a man." — Patricia Storms, blogger, Booklust.
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