Sunday, April 25, 2010

Write a How to Book - Cookie Cutter Writing by Glen Ford

There are many ways to write a book. Sometimes the decision is based on how efficient the technique is. Sometimes it just comes down to what you prefer.

There are two ways which are often lumped together as "following a template" or "the cookie-cutter style of writing". Books written using this method are referred to as formula book. However, that is a simplification. There are really two types of template: the "cookie-cutter book" type and the presentation model. The former applies to the organization of the whole book, while the latter is focused on the presentation of the content.

In this article I'm going to discuss the true formula or cookie-cutter type of writing.

Certainly, a cookie-cutter type of book is an option. Romance writers have been writing formula books quite successfully for many years. In fact, publishers such as Harlequin are quite open about the plot, characters, theme and style which they require from their authors. Creativity exists within the boundaries set by their marketing departments. Computer programs which claim to create an e-book for you often use templates to manage the flow of question and response which generates the book.

There are advantages to using a formula or template. A well-designed template will help to structure your book in a way that speaks to all (or at least most) readers. Once the template has been chosen, the process of writing becomes a matter of choosing what content to include. The template provides the structure and helps to provide a polished organization around which the writer structures his argument. For a new writer they can provide that needed touch of professionalism and guidance.

There are three main disadvantages to a template.

The first is finding good templates. While fiction uses many formulas, finding a non-fiction template is quite difficult. The simple fact is that most non-fiction writers don't use them for their own writing. And if they do use them they consider them proprietary (mine - my precious) and don't release them. Or more likely don't have them except in the author's head. Of course, then they're called habits.

The second disadvantage occurs when a subject and the template don't match up. Some subjects simply need to be written using a different structure than are provided in the templates. One or the other will need to be forced to change.

The third disadvantage is that all your books begin to look the same. Like most people you will begin to use only a few of the available templates and your books will begin to look as though they came off an assembly line.

Do you want to learn how to write a book in 24 hours? Take my brand new free course here: http://www.learningcreators.com/

Do you want to read more free information like this? Go to my blog: http://www.learningcreators.com/blog/

Glen Ford is an accomplished consultant, trainer and writer. He has far too many years experience as a trainer and facilitator to willingly admit.

Traditional Book Retailers Face Trilogy of Threats

Today's reader can "curl up with a good book" in a variety of non-traditional ways -- library books, e-books, or books bought online. All these choices, however, threaten the health of traditional brick-and-mortar book retailers. Global market intelligence firm Mintel says that e-book options like the iPad and Kindle, the popularity of Amazon.com and even local libraries pose significant threats to traditional book retailers.

Online book sites have cornered a significant slice of the market share that once belonged to traditional bookstores from 2007-2009, as they enjoyed a 7% increase in sales at the same time traditional retailers were hit with an almost 10% decrease. This disparity further suggests that bookstore owners must act quickly if they want to maintain the upper hand on the book retail market.

"The lower costs of ordering through the Internet, either for physical books or e-books, has attracted customers away from bookstores to the online channel," says Billy Hulkower, senior technology analyst at Mintel. "Retailers need to focus on creating compelling reasons for patrons to visit bookstores, like concierge or recommendation services."

Online book retailers

Amazon.com media sales saw an increase of $700 million from 2007-2009, while 19% of individuals surveyed reported that they most often make new hardcover book purchases online.

"Online sites tend to offer books at lower prices, entice the consumer with free shipping deals and are seen by consumers as more convenient than visiting an actual bookstore," adds Billy Hulkower.

E-books and e-readers

From 2007 to 2009, e-book sales soared, rising from $67 million to $313 million. On top of that, Mintel's consumer survey revealed that 15% of book-buying adults plan to purchase an e-reader in the next six months. Though e-books and e-readers are still niche markets, they have strong future growth potential.

"E-reader sales will continue to increase and challenge physical book sales, both in traditional stores and online. We're forecasting the segment to double in 2010 and nearly quadruple by 2014," states Billy Hulkower.

Libraries

Libraries are also starting to offer e-books. "With the ability to borrow e-books at libraries, there's going to be a reduced need to buy books, no matter what the format," notes Billy Hulkower.

For more information on Mintel, please visit http://www.mintel.com/. Follow Mintel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mintelnews

Book Midwife Predicts E-book Price Crash As Sales Get Set To Soar

E-books continued rise in demand will put more pressure on publishers to reduce the heavily inflated prices of many of the current titles available in e-book format, claims internationally renowned book coach and publisher Mindy Gibbins-Klein.

There is no doubt that when e-books were first introduced, they produced a practical and more user- friendly way of reading a book. They were space saving, light-weight and made with little materials. However they quickly developed their problems. Software clashes, uncompatibility, and rows about who owned the rights to publish the material quickly spiraled into a debate as to whether the e-book is just the latest fashion-fad which was doomed to failure.

Mindy Gibbins-Klein, Book Midwife, author, publisher and founder of Ecademy Press believes that while the e-book has its faults, it will become the new accessory of the decade and this will force publishers to cut the pricing of e-books as they increasingly become common place on the virtual bookshelf.

"I do believe that while E-books may well be gadget of the decade, they come with a hefty price tag. Why buy an e-book for £100 when you can buy a paperback for £10? They are nothing more than a cultural phenomenon, and the users of e-books have sat back and allowed it to take hold. But the mass market won't stand for the highly inflated prices we are currently seeing in the e-book market and so if it is to continue to grow, they'll have to bring the costs down to a figure the market can stomach," says Mindy Gibbins-Klein.
So will Ms Gibbins-Klein be introducing e-books at her independent publishing house Ecademy Press any time soon?

"It's totally down to taste and preference. E-books carry the same content and are the same length as the paperback. We do offer e-books as a medium for authors at Ecademy Press but we try to discourage our authors from putting hefty price premiums on them. If you are prepared to sell your book for £14.99 then charging £69.99 for the same content but as an e-book seems ludicrous and in my opinion, damages the credibility and reputation of the author, who may be seen as simply taking advantage," says Ms Gibbins-Klein.

5 Reasons to Ghostwrite Your Business Book

Adding the word "author" to a resume has become a new trend in business, according to vocational experts.

"These days, ghostwriting is a sensible and profitable investment for top business leaders. Everyone from CEOs to sales professionals to motivational speakers can benefit from putting out a book of their ideas and advice," says Larry Leichman, co-owner of Arbor Books (http://www.arborbooks.com/), a leading ghostwriting, editing and self-publishing firm. "It's a real competitive advantage—one that we can help any serious businessperson take advantage of."

A professionally ghostwritten business book can push your career to the next level and establish you as:

1. A celebrity. Trump, Buffett, Branson—books have brought these names out of the business world and into the global cultural vocabulary. A good business memoir or advice book builds upon your renown in the corporate realm and turns you into a household name.

2. An expert. Why just be good at what you do when you can be widely known as the number-one leader in your field? A book proliferates your ideas and creates lasting impressions on the minds of millions of readers.

3. A valuable asset. Imagine going into an interview for a job or promotion and being able to say, "As I wrote in my book…" Bringing a published work to the table shows a company just how much you have to offer -- and how much more business you will be able to bring them in the future.

4. Media-friendly. Send your ghostwritten business book to TV and radio producers, Web sites, newspaper and magazine editors or any major media outlet to let them know that you're available for interviews and consultations -- and give them a taste of the important information you have to share.

5. A public speaker. The first step to booking engagements is ghostwriting your book. With your ideas in print, you can begin to build your own motivational/business advice empire.


"Whether the project is B2B or for the general public, our goal is to create for each client a unique image and brand that makes him or her distinctive and memorable," says Joel Hochman, co-owner of Arbor Books. "Ghostwriting a business book involves more than just putting words on paper. It's about creating a look and feel and establishing the author's identity and intent."

At Arbor Books, ghostwriting a business book generally costs between $10,000 and $60,000, depending upon the length of the manuscript, its complexity and the writer chosen for the project. Most books can be written in less than 120 days and are completed with absolute confidentiality. Only the client's name appears on the finished product, and he or she owns 100 percent of the rights to the book and keeps 100 percent of the profits.

The process of ghostwriting is simple. Payments are divided into installments. After the client makes the first payment, Arbor Books matches him or her with a ghostwriter, who will produce the manuscript based on regular interviews with the client via phone calls or e-mails or in person. Some clients also opt to provide their ideas via Word documents, audio tapes or videos. As the ghostwriter progresses, work is sent to the client for approval.

A Quick Guide to ISBNs for Self-Publishers

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a code assigned to every published book that uniquely identifies it in the marketplace. ISBNs make it easier and more efficient for libraries, booksellers and others in the publishing industry to order, distribute and catalog books.

When To Use an ISBN

You need to assign an ISBN to any content you intend to distribute through outside channels such as bookstores, catalogues or libraries. ISBNs should be placed on

-- print books

-- electronic books

-- videos

-- audio cassettes and CDs

-- CD-ROMs, and

-- other items as detailed by the International ISBN Agency.

You need to issue a separate ISBN for each edition of your book and for every format. For example, if you issued the same book as a print book, e-book, audio book and Braille book, you would require a separate identifier for each. If one year later, you updated the manuscript and re-issued the book, you would assign new ISBNs to this second edition in each of its different formats.

Deciphering the Numbering System

All ISBNs are currently 10 digits. (The industry will slowly be transitioning to a 13-digit system starting in 2005. See http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/transition.asp for more information on the change.)

The digits identify

-- the group (country, area or language area of the publisher)

-- the publisher, and

-- the title of the item.

The last digit is a check digit.

The group number is comprised of one to three digits. Zero is the number for the English language group that includes the United States, English-speaking Canada, the U.K., Australia and other countries.

The publisher number is comprised of two to seven digits. The more ISBNs a publisher uses, the small their publisher number.

Publishers that use more than 100,000 ISBNs are given a publisher number of only two digits. If you apply for 10 or fewer ISBNs, you will be assigned a publisher number with seven digits. Everyone else falls somewhere in the middle.

Thus anyone in the book trade can look at an ISBN and know roughly how big you are as a publisher by the number of ISBNs you have applied to use. This is why self-publishing gurus like Dan Poynter recommend acquiring your ISBNs in blocks of 100 to avoid being labeled “small potatoes.”

Poynter further recommends that you use an ISBN from the middle of your list of 100 for your first book, since a 0 or 1 as your title number will reveal you as a first-timer.

The check digits range from one to 10. Since there is space for only one check digit, the number 10 is represented by an X.

How To Acquire ISBNs

ISBNs in the United States are administered by R.R. Bowker. Bowker charges a fee to process your application. Ten ISBNs cost $225; 100 ISBNs cost $800. Visit http://www.bowker.com/ for more information, or to complete an application.

ISBNs in Canada are administered by the National Public Library as a free service. Visit http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/isbn/index-e.html for more information or to apply on-line.

For more information on the ISBN system and how it works, visit www.isbn.org.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Canadian Authors Embrace Ebooks

It's no secret that the print industry is in trouble, and has been in trouble for years. Printed publications--from magazines to encyclopedias to novels--have been steadily losing readers. People now go online for news and information, but what about reading novels? Where does the digital revolution leave the world of literature? Is the novel doomed to disappear from our cultural landscape, become an artistic relic like Ancient Greek sculpture?

Well, ebook lovers say "no". Not with devices like Amazon's Kindle, Sony's Reader, and Apple's iPad gaining popularity. These "ereaders" let you read digital novels on handheld devices, mimicking the experience of printed books. The Kindle was released in the US back in 2007, and millions of Americans have already embraced it. Its recent arrival in Canada, coupled with the release of the iPad, heralds a new frontier for the country's lesser-known publishers and novelists. Underpaid and obsure, these booklovers have been struggling to find readers--or to publish books period--as the world of print fades.

But watch out. The game has changed. We've just entered the post-Gutenberg age.

For the past generation, a handful of coglomorates had dominated Canada's book industry. Small, indie presses found it near impossible to get into bookshops and find readers. Thousands of Canadian authors--from teenagers writing sci fi epics in their parents' basements, to English teachers crafting masterpieces in stolen moments--found no publisher who'd even read their manuscripts, let alone publish them. Celebrity memoirs covered our country's bookshelves, alongside novels by a handful of well known (and sometimes well connected) authors. Smaller names stayed in the dark.

Ebooks are changing this. More and more Canadians are buying reading devices, whether dedicated ereaders--like the Kindle or Reader--or gadgets like the iPad, which include reading apps. Canada's indie publishers, or even self-published authors, can now upload their titles directly to electronic bookstores and reach millions of readers. This digital frontier is open to everyone, from the teenager in his basement, to the old English Lit teacher chipping away at his magnum opus.

In fact, the indies now have an advantage. While the larger publishers often sell their ebooks for $10 or more--necessary for maintaining their overhead--smaller publishers and authors can sell their books for cheap. A browse through Amazon's Kindle store reveals thousands of novels costing $5 or less. Not a bad deal for hours of reading.

"The ebook industry will face some struggles," says Daniel Arenson, a Toronto author whose fantasy hardcover was recently re-released as an ebook. "For years now, publishers would reject over 99% of manuscripts. Many of these rejected novels will now flood the ebook stores. Certainly there will be a few gems among them, but many will be of poor quality. How will we find the good books? Will it be like finding needles in haystacks?"

However, Arenson is quick to affirm that in the long run, readers will still find the books they love. "Ebooks will rely more on word-of-mouth, less on the word of editors and critics. In the traditional model, most large publishers refused read manuscripts by new authors; there were simply too many submissions. So many great novels never reached us. But ebooks give readers the power. The mediocre books will sink into obscurity. The great books will receive great reviews, word-of-mouth will spead, and they'll find readers."

Arenson is a good example of an old-school author who resisted ebooks at first, but is now taking tentative steps into the digital world. "For a while, I didn't like the idea of ebooks," he confesses. "For me, books meant paper. Print is what I grew up with. For me, ebooks seemed somehow less 'real'. But like all booklovers, I'm realizing that the medium is not what matters; it's still about the words."

Three years ago, a small American publisher picked up Arenson's fantasy novel, Firefly Island. It was released in hardcover--a good old heavy book with rustling pages, a dust jacket, and a proud place on the bookshelf. Arenson waited for ebooks to become popular enough, and for good ereaders to reach Canada. Finally this April he uploaded Firefly Island to the Kindle store. His redesigned website, DanielArenson.com, still offers writing tips, free stories, and an author's bio, but instead of promoting his hardcover book, it's now geared toward ebook lovers.

"I've turned cloaks and joined the revolution," he jokes. "And so far, I love it. I especially love how affordable ebooks are. My old hardcover cost $26. The ebook costs only $5. It's a new challenge, and I'm still learning the digital ropes, but I'm hoping to reach more readers than ever before."

As print fades, where is this new world of literature heading? Arenson is optimistic. "In ten years," he says, "most authors won't even bother with print books. Booklovers will all have ereaders, and we'll reach them without the overhead of printing, shipping, and stocking physical books. Most importantly, we'll have more books, more talent. Indie publishers and indie authors will be able to compete with the big guys, and I'm excited to see what new novels--new worlds--we see."

Bowker Reports Traditional U.S. Book Production Flat In 2009

Bowker, the global leader in bibliographic information, today released statistics on U.S. book publishing for 2009, compiled from its Books In Print database. Based on preliminary figures from U.S. publishers, Bowker is projecting that traditional U.S. title output in 2009 was virtually unchanged. Output of new titles and editions dropped less than half a percent, from 289,729 in 2008 to a projected 288,355 in 2009.

In contrast, there was another extraordinary year of growth in the number of "non-traditional" books in 2009. These books, marketed almost exclusively on the web, are largely on-demand titles produced by reprint houses specializing in public domain works and by presses catering to self-publishers and "micro-niche" publications. Bowker projects that 764,448 titles were produced that fall outside Bowker's traditional publishing and classification definitions. This number is a 181% increase over 2008 -- which doubled 2007's output - driving total book production over 1,000,000 units for the first time.

"The data surrounding traditional publishing suggests that the weak economy is still having an adverse effect in what and how much consumers are willing to purchase," said Kelly Gallagher, vice president of publishing services for New Providence, N.J.-based Bowker. "However, looking at the overall picture, we're seeing that the face of publishing itself is changing. Non-traditional publishing, especially related to print-on-demand, continues to offer new avenues and opportunities to grow the publishing industry. Given the exponential growth over the past three years, it's showing no signs of abating."

Investment in knowledge versus pleasure defines category winners and losers

Changes in major publishing categories indicate that publishers expected the sluggish economy to continue its impact on consumer spending. Categories that grew tended to be in areas that could contribute to workplace knowledge and budgeting. For example, output increased in technology (+11%), science (+9%) and personal finance (+9). The big category losers were in areas impacted by changes in discretionary spending. Cookery and language titles each declined 16% and Travel continued its year over year decline, down 5% in 2009 (it took a 10% loss in 2008). Fiction also saw a second year of decline -- down 15%, significantly greater than its 1% loss in 2008. Fiction's overall impact on U.S. book production can be seen by looking at the top five categories. Despite expansion in four of the five leading categories, Fiction's 2009 decline prevented overall growth in production.


Top book production categories:

Rank Category 2009 2008
1. Fiction 45,181 53,058
2. Juveniles 32,348 29,825
3. Sociology/Economics 25,992 24,737
4. Religion 19,310 18,296
5. Science 15,428 14,100


Success in Print-on-Demand production is concentrated

In 2008, the production of print-on-demand books surpassed traditional book publishing for the first time and since then its growth has been staggering. Now more than twice the output of traditional titles, the market is dominated by a handful of publishers. In fact, the top 10 publishers overall accounted for an astounding 74% of total titles produced in 2009. "Today, these companies are opening up new publishing venues by producing titles for very niche markets and also bringing public domain titles back to life. The net effect creates a long-tail that has no end," said Mr. Gallagher.

A look at the top publishers by title output in 2009 shows who is providing content to the long-tail marketplace through the web.

BiblioBazaar 272,930
Books LLC 224,460
Kessinger Publishing, LLC 190,175
CreateSpace 21,819
General Books LLC 11,887
Lulu.com 10,386
Xlibris Corporation 10,161
AuthorHouse 9,445
International Business Publications, USA 8,271
PublishAmerica, Incorporated 5,698


Download the full statistics report at http://www.bowkerinfo.com/bowker/IndustryStats2010.pdf

Need a Book Publisher? Want to Publish a Book in Amazon and Barnes & Nobles?

Reliable bookseller distribution is one of the major stumbling blocks for independent authors, preventing their work from being stocked in 'brick and mortar' bookstores, and thereby limiting the potential readership that even the best independent authors can achieve without the support of a traditional publishing house.

Selling to the book buying public has always required two essential but elusive assets: (1) easy in-store availability and (2) good word of mouth from an effective marketing campaign. Yet if one were to walk into any branch of Borders or Barnes & Noble, either in the U.S., Canada or Europe, one may be surprised to learn that virtually every book in the store will be published by either one of the major trade publishing houses, or one of their umbrella imprints.

Although the big publishers have great books, their monopoly of bookstore distribution necessarily comes at the expense of talented voices from the world of independent publishing, who until now have had to make do with less exposure.

Schiel & Denver Book Publishers offers a powerful new alternative for independent authors, one that can bring a wide readership and the tangible book publishing success that follows.

Schiel & Denver Book Publishers has invested heavily into partnering inside a world-class distribution network of international and U.S. book publishing partners, including Ingram Book Group, Baker & Taylor, the largest booktraders in the United States. These just happen to be the same distributors who supply the major publishing houses like Random House, Penguin USA and Pan Macmillan.

Schiel & Denver's book publishing model provides unprecedented access to global distribution channels, including every major online and "brick and mortar" bookstore across 100 countries, including USA, Canada, UK, EU and Japan. Therefore, by choosing Schiel & Denver to publish a book, one would be indirectly partnering with some of the biggest names in book publishing. No self publisher or self publishing company can claim to have achieved the same milestones Schiel & Denver has already passed.

With Schiel & Denver Book Publishers, the average book undoubtedly stands a better chance of overcoming practical hurdles and effectively reaching the most important chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble, fantastic indie bookstores like Vroman's in California; and indeed many thousands more booksellers across the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska), Canada and the UK.

Through the network, even bookstores in South Africa like Exclusive Books are able to sell Schiel & Denver's titles, and the company has forged relationships with some Australian booksellers to list S&D ISBN titles in their online bookstores.

Website: http://www.schieldenver.co.uk/

Jill Exler's Self-published Author Interviews Offer Free Help To Sell Books Online

Today, jexbo.com, the site that helps self-published authors sell books online at www.jexbo.com, announced four, new interviews. Each week, Jill Exler, jexbo Founder, interviews different authors to discover their self-publishing secrets and answers to questions about "how to sell my book" on her blog at http://www.jexbo.blogspot.com/ and SmallBiz America channel, "jexbo - Help for Self-Published Authors" at www.smallbizamerica.com/jexbo.

"I continued to hear authors interested in self-publishing say, 'I want to learn how to sell my book but don't know where to start,' so I took jexbo one step further to provide assistance," states Exler. "Now, self-published authors provide their own personal tips and insights on how to sell books online and the self-publishing process. Through these brief interviews, we provide free information to help people learn about the self-publishing process."

Do you ask, "I want to know how to sell my book"? For answers, check out Jill's new interviews with self-published authors:

*   Chris Wager, author of "101 Helpful Painting Hints," available at www.jexbo.com/items/106;

Paul Hughes, author of the Spanish book, "Y Ahora..? Una dosis para tu alivio," available at www.jexbo.com/items/164;

* Beth Conway, author of the children's book, "Rachel and the Magic Beads," available at www.jexbo.com/items/94; and

* Nick Cavuto, author of the cookbook, "Conquering Healthier Recipes and Beyond," available at www.jexbo.com/items/98.

With jexbo and SmallBiz America's channel at www.smallbizamerica.com/jexbo, now authors and small business owners can:

* Learn the latest, self-publishing trends;

* Save time and money by listing their books for free with no long-term contracts, reach a worldwide audience of potential customers, and opt-in or out at their convenience;

* Market and sell books online with a free Web page, access customized bookmarks and share marketing tips on the online forum;

* Control pricing, change marketing messages at any time and talk directly to customers; and

* Turn a manuscript into an eBook, audio book or both and receive distribution and publicity via major online channels.

"In addition to information from authors who are self-publishing, readers will also find interesting and unique books on the site, states Exler.

Need help selling and marketing your book? For more information and to claim your exclusive, no-cost eReport, "The Top 5 Ways to Get Free Publicity for Your Self-Published Book Now," visit http://www.jexbo.com/.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Can First Time Writers Get Book Reviews? by Peter Stockwell

If you have written a book you may be wondering about endorsements and reviews. All books need both, but what are they and how do you get them?

Endorsements are the comments you see on the back cover of a book, saying how good it is and signed by a well known person. Reviews are articles in magazines, on Amazon or elsewhere giving the writer's opinion of your book.

Endorsements should be planned well in advance. Your publisher will want them in time for your cover and getting them can be a long process. First you must be realistic, President Obama or J.K. Rowling are not going to endorse a first novel by an unknown author.

Try to find somebody who is moderately well known in your field. If you write seafaring fiction Google 'seafaring fiction' or check it out on Amazon. If there is a writer whose work you admire you will need his mail or email address. A lot of authors have websites and these can be easily found. If not write to him at his publisher's address. If you write surface mail enclose a stamped address envelope. Tell him how much you enjoy his work, ask if he has the time to read your manuscript and to consider endorsing it.. Then wait.

Authors are busy people, with all the demands on their time it is amazing they are able to write anything at all. Your request is one more demand, so be patient. It is a good idea to write to several authors as you will get a lot of polite rejections. But with any luck you will get the one or two endorsements you need.

Reviews are easier. What seems easiest of all is to pay for them. But do not waste your money. There are websites offering paid reviews which seem most impressive and appear to give an excellent service. They will be happy to post your review on Amazon, in ezines and in magazines. The problem is that almost anybody can become a reviewer on paid sites. It does not help your book at all to have badly written reviews appearing in conspicuous places, sometimes identifiable as coming from a paid review site. There are those which offer to put reviews of your book on top article directories, where it will be read by a lot of people. Fine, but if the article writer's resource box links to his own book's website your book review is selling his book not yours. There are even websites offering to put a review of you book on YouTube. A very good idea if you do it yourself, but an uncomfortable amateur speaker reading from a badly written script will do your book more harm than good.

You need reviews, but get free ones. How do you do get them? Approach people on the Top Reviewers list on Amazon, some will agree to give you a review, some won't but their reviews are fair and respected. Contact literary ezines and magazines. Check out the quality of their reviews first, if the general standard is high your review will be worth having. Get as many reviews as you can. That way your book will become well known and one day you will be able use them on your author's website.

Peter Stockwell is the author of award winning children's book The Horse Painters. http://www.the-horse-painters.com/

Author David Sedaris Admits "Full House" Fabrication, Offers Regrets to Fans

On the eve of a 35-city national book tour, award-winning author David Sedaris admitted to fabricating parts of a short story entitled "Full House," which appeared in his recent book of short stories, "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim."

"Full House" purported to tell the story of an all-male slumber party that Sedaris was invited to during his teenage years in 1960s Raleigh, North Carolina. The party allegedly evolved into a game of strip poker, in which Sedaris was the winner. As a penalty, Sedaris required a fully naked boy to sit on his lap. The boys involved were 14 at the time.

"There truly was an all-male slumber party, and we did play cards," Sedaris said through a spokesperson. "But that's pretty much where truth ends and fantasy begins. This story was not really 'the Full Monty.'"

The well-known story has been included in many collections of teenage erotica.

Through a spokesperson, Sedaris said he wasn't playing with a "full deck" when he chose to include that story in "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," and attributed the lapse to nicotine addiction. Sedaris has since quit smoking.

"I regret the deception and apologize to anyone who may have been offended," said the Mark Twain prize winner.

It isn't the first time Sedaris has been involved in a fabrication controversy. The most recent involved an article written by Alex Heard and published in the New Republic in which Sedaris was accused of fabricating the colors of several automobiles as well as fictionalizing various architectural styles.
Sedaris has said he exaggerates mostly dialogue in his writing, but contends the events and situations he writes about are true.

His embellishments are nothing, he said, compared to James Frey, whose memoir, "A Million Little Pieces," was partly fabricated.

Sedaris' publisher, Little Brown, said that it regrets the erroneous inclusion, adding that Sedaris is a "20th Century genius." Sedaris is the brother of Little, Brown author Amy Sedaris.

Author Solutions Agrees To Distribution Deal With Amazon Kindle

Author Solutions (ASI), the world leader in indie book publishing, announced today the signing of an agreement with Amazon to distribute all new black-and-white AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford Publishing, and Xlibris titles through its popular eReader, the Kindle.

"The Kindle was a pioneer in the rapidly expanding eReader market, and we're pleased to be able to offer our authors' books through this platform," said Kevin Weiss, ASI president and chief executive officer.

A default price of $9.99 will be set for every ASI title made available through the Kindle, but each author will have the opportunity to set his or her own price. E-book distribution through the Kindle will be included as a free service for all new black-and-white ASI titles.

For more information on Author Solutions and its leadership of the indie book publishing revolution, visit http://www.authorsolutions.com/.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Zondervan to Publish More Than 1,000 Christian Titles for iPad Launch

To accompany the long-awaited iPad launch, Zondervan is one of the first publishers to release titles in Apple's iBookstore beginning Saturday, April 3, 2010. More than 1,000 titles will be available for download from all product groups. Zondervan plans to release all its future ebooks in an iPad version and is working to release more than 150 additional books in the next three months.

Users will be able to purchase the books from Apple's iBookstore, as well as read excerpts, reviews and additional details about Zondervan books and its authors. Unlike other ebook versions, the iPad compatible ebooks feature full color artwork.

"As a division of HarperCollins, we are fortunate to play a major part in the iPad launch," said Steve Sammons, Executive Vice President of Consumer Engagement. "We are excited that by this Easter, Zondervan's titles will be available to an even broader audience."

Among the 1,000+ books offered are three translations of the Holy Bible. New releases including The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel and Take Three by Karen Kingsbury will be available along with a selection of classic Zondervan titles, including bestsellers like The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. All titles, including more than 30 Spanish and 150 children's books, will be available for download starting April 3.

To celebrate, Zondervan will launch a social media campaign giving away fifty $10 iTunes gift cards for use in the iBookstore through Twitter and Facebook. Follow Zondervan on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Zondervan and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Zondervan for more information.

Amazon.com Announces Kindle App for iPad

Amazon.com, Inc. today announced its Kindle App for iPad is now available in the App Store. The app lets users select from over 450,000 books from the Kindle Store on iPad and features Amazon Whispersync technology that saves and synchronizes customers' last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, Mac, iPad, and more.

"Kindle for iPad includes all the features customers love about Kindle for iPhone, including a massive selection of over 450,000 books, along with a beautiful new user interface tailored to the look and feel of iPad," said Jay Marine, director, Amazon Kindle. "Kindle for iPad is the perfect companion for the millions of customers who already own a Kindle or Kindle DX, and a way for customers around the world to download and enjoy books even if they don't yet have a Kindle."

With the Kindle App for iPad, readers can choose from over 450,000 books available in the Kindle Store, including new releases and New York Times Bestsellers, plus tens of thousands of the most popular classics for free including titles like "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," "Pride and Prejudice," and "Treasure Island." Bestsellers such as "Backlash" by Aaron Allston, "Big Girl" by Danielle Steel, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot, and "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown, and hundreds of thousands of other popular books are $9.99 or less in the Kindle Store. The Kindle Store is the only place to find tens of thousands of books added to the Kindle Store by authors and publishers using Kindle's self-service platform. Customers can search for a specific book or browse by genre or author, and can take advantage of all the features that customers enjoy in the Kindle Store, including Amazon.com customer reviews, personalized recommendations and editorial reviews.

Features of the Kindle App for iPad include:

* Automatically Syncs with Kindle and Kindle Compatible Devices: Amazon's Whispersync technology automatically syncs customers' last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across Kindle, Kindle DX, Kindle for iPhone, Kindle for Mac, Kindle for iPad, and more. Customers can read on their Kindle, read some on their iPad or Mac, and always pick up where they left off.

* Beautiful User Interface: The Kindle App user interface is tailored to the large size, look, and feel of iPad. The new user interface with bold colors, animation, and seamless user experience make Kindle on iPad a unique reading experience.

* Customizable Appearance: Customers can choose to dim iPad's screen within the app to make reading easier regardless of the ambient light or time of day. Readers can also choose from three different background colors and alter the font color and size to customize the reading experience and help ease the strain on their eyes.

* Page Turn Animation: Kindle App for iPad offers an interactive experience with page turn animation designed to replicate the look of a page turning in a book. Customers who prefer a simpler, unadorned reading experience can choose the "Basic Reading Mode" option and turn off animation.

The Kindle App for iPad is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

For more information please visit: www.amazon.com/kindleforipad.

Social Media Tools Vital in Building a Successful Book Promotion Platform

AuthorHive - Author Solutions' professional author marketing and promotional services company for traditionally published and self-published authors - is leading the way in offering social media tool products and services for authors. Social media has become a vital component in building a successful book promotion platform, according to marketing professional Chris Bass, who recently joined AuthorHive as director of author marketing services.

"The marketing world is changing quickly, especially with the emerging popularity of social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Authors who want to optimize their marketing efforts should incorporate a wide array of social media tools into their plan," said Bass.

Bass has more than 15 years of marketing leadership, working with leading brands including Subaru, Firestone, Steak 'n Shake, and the Indianapolis Colts. Throughout his career, he's experienced drastic shifts in marketing strategies, but the popularity of online social media has been perhaps the biggest "game changer."

"Social media is highly effective in leveling the playing field, for example for emerging authors, who may not have the largest marketing budgets," Bass said. "It permits authors to actively engage potential readers from the convenience of a computer and breaks down the barriers of cost and access."

Bass said AuthorHive, which serves both traditionally published and self-published authors, is offering authors several options for "getting in the social media game."

"The Online Bzzz package incorporates social media with the creation of a personal Web site and the implementation of a mass e-mail campaign," said Bass. "Authors can go even further with the Online Bzzz Plus Publicity package, which adds the services of a leading New York-based literary publicist dedicated to getting your book noticed by traditional and online media."

For more information on AuthorHive's leading author marketing services, call 1-866-697-5289 or log on to http://www.authorhive.com/.