Sunday, January 31, 2010

Zondervan and Baker Announce Free, Easy Alternative to the Self-Publishing Model

Authors of unsolicited manuscripts will no longer see their work returned to them with a "Thanks-but-no-thanks" letter from Christian publishers like Zondervan and Baker Publishing Group. Instead, they will receive a letter or email encouraging them to post their manuscripts, free-of-charge, on authonomy.com/Christian.

"authonomy.com allows authors to quickly get valuable feedback from consumers on the relevance of their work and gain traction in the market without giving up any of their publishing rights," said Steve Sammons, Zondervan's executive vice president of Consumer Engagement. "It takes only five quick steps to get a manuscript on the authonomy.com site, and you start getting feedback on your manuscript quickly without the usual weeks or months of waiting and hoping."

authonomy.com is a unique free online service that connects readers, writers and publishing professionals. It invites authors to post their manuscripts for visitors to read online. Authors create their own personal page on the site to host their project. Visitors to the site can and will comment on these submissions ? and they personally recommend their favorites to the community. authonomy.com counts the number of recommendations each book receives, and uses it to rank the books on the site. It also spots which visitors consistently recommend the best books ? and uses that info to rank the most influential trend spotters.

"We believe the strength of authonomy.com is that it allows authors, free-of-charge, the ability to get honest feedback from readers, editors and agents as to the relevance and quality of their work," said Dwight Baker, president of Baker Publishing Group. "That is why we feel the combination of features offered by authonomy.com will provide authors the largest audience, exposure and best potential entree into the world of publishing."

Not only will Zondervan and Baker promote the authonomy.com site to agents and other Christian publishers, their editors, as part of their editorial review process will track and review those books in the Christian section of authonomy.com that have the highest rankings and provide feedback to the authors.

"authonomy.com is a tremendous idea that creates a community linking writers with their readers," offers Steve Laube, president of The Steve Laube Agency. "Making it free is both revolutionary and very exciting. Where else can you get objective and instant feedback, and then use those comments and critiques to improve your work?"

authonomy.com was created as a better way to access the best new work out there based on real customer input. Thousands of manuscripts come through publishers' door every year and authonomy.com is a great tool for improving an author's work and increasing his or her chances to be discovered by avid readers, editors and agents.

"I believe that authonomy.com is an excellent tool for the Christian publishing industry," said Sealy Yates, founder of L.A.-based agency Yates and Yates. "There certainly is a serious need for our industry to serve all those who would desire to be published authors. The current system does not provide ready access or even helpful information about how the system works. It supplies support for would-be authors, publishers and agents and is efficient and effective for all involved in the process."

authonomy.com completely levels the playing field for a profession that heretofore was dependent on who-you-know or who-you-are. For the authors, the best part is that it is not just Baker and Zondervan looking for promising books; the site is open to other publishing houses and agents. Zondervan or Baker won't ask for a 'first option' to publish or take away any of rights of ownership, and the author can continue to submit to publishers and agents by other methods.

To learn more visit the authonomy.com website at: www.authonomy.com/Christian.

How unknown first time author is Amazon No.1 Best-selling business book

Victoria B.C./San Francisco Vancouver Island first time author Dawn McCooey saw her new business book "Keeping Good Employees on board - Employee Retention Strategies to Navigate Through the Economic Storm" rocket to the top slot on Amazon Canada best-selling business books yesterday.

It is every first time author's dream to achieve this within a few weeks of launching their book so we asked her to share her secret.

You can watch the 3 minute interview aired on Shaw TV featuring six local authors and Dawn McCooey giving an inspirational message about their journey to become published authors and how they did it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkWLip_9h38

They all have one person in common that helped them publish their books and this is Inspire A Book Founder Julie Salisbury, also from Vancouver Island. Salisbury is

passionate about helping first time authors become best-sellers and her coaching and workshops help writers from the early stages of writing their books, right through to helping them get a publishing contract and beyond to assisting them in becoming a best-seller.

Salisbury will be a guest speaker at the 7th Annual San Francisco Writers conference and will be offering a half day pre-conference seminar on "Dressing your book for publishing success" on February 11th, also open to non-conference registrants.

Who: Julie Salisbury, Founder, InspireABook

When: Thursday, February 11th, 2010 from 9am-Noon

Where: Mark Hopkins InterContinental Hotel, One Nob Hill, San Francisco

What: Pre-conference seminar "Dressing your book for publishing success"

Cost: $149

Salisbury added "if you take the time to educate yourself and understand at the early stages of writing your book, what makes a book a best-seller, there is no reason why more

first-time, unknown authors should become best-sellers! Just look at J.K. Rowling and the "Harry Potter" books, she did it, and so did Dawn McCooey of Victoria!

Free classes and information on the InspireABook system is available at  http://www.inspireabook.com/

Fastpencil Offers Free Printed Book And Ebook

FastPencil today announced a promotion offering the first 1,000 people to register at https://www.fastpencil.com/offer/consumerpromo a free paperback and eBook copy of their work. FastPencil gives these authors an end-to-end authoring and publishing platform where they can maintain control of the content creation, price, distribution and sales activity every step of the way.

FastPencil blends social media, marketing, production and distribution while offering total flexibility in choosing when and where they distribute to hardcover, paperback and eBook. The authoring service strips out the cost and complexity of publishing and distributes books to over 32,000 book and eBook retailers accessing the broadest possible audience.

"FastPencil has put this promotion together to start the year with an incentive for authors to finish their book projects," said Steve Wilson, FastPencil Co-Founder and CEO. "There are hundreds of thousands of new authors every year and our goal is to make it as easy as possible for aspiring authors to write, publish and distribute their books in whatever format they prefer."

FastPencil gives authors the opportunity to take advantage of new distribution opportunities instantly and the write-once, publish anywhere approach ensures an author's book can be read anywhere today and in the future.

Promotion Details:

-- What - A free* printed book, a free eBook and free shipping & handling
-- When - This offer is valid through Feb. 27th
-- Who - The first 1,000 FastPencil users to sign up
-- How - Visit https://www.fastpencil.com/offer/consumerpromo


FastPencil Features:

-- Select from a variety of free book templates
-- Flexibly publish original works, blog to book or import existing
stories
-- Connect and share through Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, AOL, Yahoo and MSN
-- Print on Demand or to eBook formats
-- Distribution at over 32,000 online retailers including Amazon and
Barnes & Noble
-- Capture inspiration from anywhere with an iPhone or iPod touch
-- Author concierge services including consulting, design services and
formatting
-- Collaborate with your book creation team, personal network of friends
or industry professionals
-- Integrated self-publishing wizard for step-by-step assistance
-- Access to many royalty-free FastPencil Classics including Tarzan of
the Apes and Cinderella


Pricing and Availability

The FastPencil promotion is available https://www.fastpencil.com/offer/consumerpromo

Monday, January 25, 2010

Social Science and Humanities Publishers Stood Up to Challenges in 2009

Faced with challenges from disruptive technologies, an uncertain future for its traditional publishing model and a titanic global recession, the market for social science and humanities publishing has still managed to grow, according to "Social Science and Humanities Publishing 2009-2010" (http://www.simbainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=76566&productid=2071801), the latest strategic market report from Simba Information, a leading media industry forecast and analysis firm.
The global social science and humanities publishing market grew total sales 1.6% to $2.4 billion in 2009. Poor economic conditions in the U.S. hurt book sales and put publishers' recurring journal subscription revenue in question as library budgets tighten.

Social science and humanities publishers often take a back seat to the scientific, technical and medical (STM) publishing sector because revenue is tied to scholarly monographs with niche appeal and journals that don't attract the commercial interest of their STM counterparts. Still many small commercial publishers specializing in social science and humanities sustain levels of profit sufficient to satisfy their investors.

These presses confront substantial challenges, but also encounter significant opportunities. Advanced software and techniques for composition, cheaper digitization and file storage mechanisms, sophisticated online content management systems, and short-run and print-on-demand services all help presses lower costs for new publications and give renewed life to their backlist titles. Similarly, the growth of the Web, powerful discovery tools such as Google and the other search engines, and the opening of new distribution channels such as Amazon.com have made it possible to reach new markets beyond university libraries.

To exploit these opportunities, social science and humanities publishers must make strategic investments in existing and emerging forms of publication, continuously review their more specialized processes and make technical and other investments wherever possible to reduce costs. In addition, presses need to form strategic alliances among themselves to strengthen and improve the publishing services they provide to the scholarly community.

This report provides an overview and financial outlook for the global social science and humanities publishing markets based on specific research and analysis of the leading competitors' performance. This research was conducted in conjunction with a larger study of the overall market for professional publishing.

The market for social sciences and the market humanities are divided into four content delivery channels: books, journals, online services (including abstracting and indexing) and other, a category that includes audio, video and CD-ROM information.

Amazon Announces New 70 Percent Royalty Option For Kindle Digital Text

Amazon.com announced details of a new program that will enable authors and publishers who use the Kindle Digital Text Platform (DTP) to earn a larger share of revenue from each Kindle book they sell. For each Kindle book sold, authors and publishers who choose the new 70 percent royalty option will receive 70 percent of list price, net of delivery costs. This new option will be in addition to and will not replace the existing DTP standard royalty option. This new 70 percent royalty option will become available on June 30, 2010.

Delivery costs will be based on file size and pricing will be $0.15/MB. At today's median DTP file size of 368KB, delivery costs would be less than $0.06 per unit sold. This new program can thus enable authors and publishers to make more money on every sale. For example, on an $8.99 book an author would make $3.15 with the standard option, and $6.25 with the new 70 percent option.

"Today, authors often receive royalties in the range of 7 to 15 percent of the list price that publishers set for their physical books, or 25 percent of the net that publishers receive from retailers for their digital books," said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. "We're excited that the new 70 percent royalty option for the Kindle Digital Text Platform will help us pay authors higher royalties when readers choose their books."

DTP authors and publishers will be able to select the royalty option that best meets their needs. Books from authors and publishers who choose the 70 percent royalty option will have access to all the same features and be subject to all the same requirements as books receiving the standard royalty rate. In addition, to qualify for the 70 percent royalty option, books must satisfy the following set of requirements:

-- The author or publisher-supplied list price must be between $2.99 and $9.99

-- This list price must be at least 20 percent below the lowest physical list price for the physical book

-- The title is made available for sale in all geographies for which the author or publisher has rights

-- The title will be included in a broad set of features in the Kindle Store, such as text-to-speech. This list of features will grow over time as Amazon continues to add more functionality to Kindle and the Kindle Store.

-- Under this royalty option, books must be offered at or below price parity with competition, including physical book prices. Amazon will provide tools to automate that process, and the 70 percent royalty will be calculated off the sales price.

The 70 percent royalty option is for in-copyright works and is unavailable for works published before 1923 (a.k.a. public domain books). At launch, the 70 percent royalty option will only be available for books sold in the United States.

The Kindle Digital Text Platform is a fast and easy self-publishing tool that lets anyone upload and format their books for sale in the Kindle Store. To learn more about the Kindle Digital Text Platform, visit http://dtp.amazon.com/

Monday, January 18, 2010

Amazon Expands Kindle Digital Text Platform

Amazon.com, Inc. announced that authors and publishers around the world can now use the self-service Kindle Digital Text Platform (DTP) to upload and sell books in English, German and French to customers worldwide in the Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore). Until today, DTP was only available to authors and publishers based in the United States. Now, authors and publishers outside the United States can take advantage of this same opportunity and start offering their books to Kindle customers at http://dtp.amazon.com/.

"We are excited to make the self-service Kindle Digital Text Platform available to authors and publishers around the world," said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Kindle Content. "Now any content owner can offer English, German or French-language books to the fast-growing audience of Kindle owners around the globe."

Additional language options with DTP will be added in the coming months. To learn more about the Kindle Digital Text Platform visit http://dtp.amazon.com/.

FastPencil Announces Ebook Publish-Ready Format for eReaders

FastPencil announced their eBook Publish-Ready Format for eReaders offering the only authoring solution that ensures an author's book can be read anywhere today and in the future. FastPencil (http://www.fastpencil.com/) provides authors with an end-to-end publishing platform where they can maintain control of the content creation, price, distribution and sales activity every step of the way.

Authors are frustrated by the inability of traditional publishers to quickly take advantage of new distribution opportunities and in today's market eBooks are increasingly constituting a larger percentage of sales. No matter the device or manner in which authors want to distribute their content, FastPencil puts more money in authors' pockets by stripping out the cost and complexity of eBook and print publishing.

FastPencil gives eBook authors immense flexibility. For instance, authors can take individual book chapters and create eBook editions to promote the larger work. Short-story writers can also use FastPencil to quickly and easily create and publish their stories. Also, as eReaders become powerful and incorporate multi-media, such as video, audio, animation, slides presentations and games, FastPencil authors can rest assured that their books can be edited and new eBook editions can be first-to-market for the richest reading experience.

With the influx of eReaders there will continue to be a variety of eBook formats and with the FastPencil eBook Publish-Ready Format authors can protect themselves by future-proofing their work. Authors using FastPencil to create and store their projects have access to the broadest distribution and complete flexibility for when new destination devices are released and existing devices are upgraded.

"Nearly 25 million eBooks were downloaded in 2009 and FastPencil is committed to making sure that projects written through our platform can be read in print and on any eReader that ever comes out," said Steve Wilson, FastPencil Co-Founder and CEO. "As eReaders progress to incorporate multimedia and new technologies, our write-once and publish anywhere approach ensures your book can be read anywhere today and in the future."

FastPencil Publish-Ready Format Features:

-- Auto-generate table of contents
-- Auto-pagination
-- Auto-merge into professional book design template
-- Auto-merge into eBook formats
-- Uphold Industry standards compliance (title page, copyright, ISBN)


FastPencil Features:

-- Select from a variety of free book templates
-- Flexibly publish original works, blog to book or import existing
stories
-- Connect and share through Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, AOL, Yahoo and MSN
-- Print on Demand or to eBook formats
-- Distribution at over 32,000 online retailers including Amazon and
Barnes & Noble
-- Author concierge services including consulting, design services and
formatting
-- Collaborate with your book creation team, personal network of friends
or industry professionals
-- Integrated self-publishing wizard for step-by-step assistance
-- Access to many royalty free FastPencil Classics including Tarzan of
the Apes and Cinderella

Kindle Publishing Competition Heats Up

Discover the new popularity surrounding eReaders and how to begin publishing on Kindle and for Kindle-friendly devices.

Free white paper all about publishing on Kindle(Nationwide)---Discover the new popularity surrounding eReaders and how to begin publishing on Kindle and for Kindle-friendly devices.

Experts are predicting that 10 million eReaders will be sold throughout 2010. Compare that to the 3 million that were sold in 2009 and you can see the new interest behind these devices.

Our Kindle Publishing Competition Heats Up includes seven Kindle publishing tips:

Kindle Publishing Tip #1-Why your books and publications need to be online. This section contains additional statistics on how consumers are using the internet to fulfill their need for books, magazines, newspapers, and blogs.

Kindle Publishing Tip #2-Industry trends incorporating 10 segments of the communications industry that are growing in popularity.

Kindle Publishing Tip #3-Nine segments of the communication industry that are becoming less popular, as other technological advances come forth.

Kindle Publishing Tip #4-How to publish your blog on Kindle immediately after reading this report. Your content could then be available on Kindle within 48 hours.

Kindle Publishing Tip #5-Other eReaders to pay attention to in 2010.

Kindle Publishing Tip #6-Preparing yourself to be digitally adequate in modern times.

Kindle Publishing Tip #7-Publishing approach, file formatting, and pricing.

The Mequoda Group constantly strives to help publishers succeed online by providing them with an array of services, including free daily tips, free reports, webinars, live events, consulting services and software services.

If you want to learn how publish your content on Kindle, visit http://www.mequoda.com/free-reports/kindle-publishing-competition-heats-up/ for your complimentary copy of our Kindle Publishing Competition Heats Up: Valuable Information for Joining the eReader Revolution, and How to Benefit From It.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Samsung Unveils Its First E-Book for Reading, Writing and Sharing On-the-Go



Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, unveiled its first e-book devices, with six-inch and ten-inch screen size offerings, at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The E6 and E101 further solidify Samsung's position as a global leader in display technology by raising the bar on the quality of writing capabilities for e-books.
"We've used our expertise to create a high-quality e-book with today's on-the-go consumer in mind," said Young Bae, director of display marketing, Samsung Information Technology Division. "Samsung is addressing a common frustration that users experience with many of today's digital readers with a stylus that allows them to annotate their favorite works or take notes. Coupled with wireless functionality that enables sharing of content, this is a truly multi-faceted device."

Handwriting Capabilities

Unlike other e-book devices, Samsung's E6 and E101 enables handwriting directly onto the display, allowing users to annotate their reading selections, calendars and to-do lists with a built-in electromagnetic resonance (EMR) stylus pen. This dedicated pen prevents mistypes caused by hands and other objects that may graze the screen's surface. A variety of pen and eraser thicknesses makes the Samsung e-books perfect for drawing and writing.

Low Power Consumption

The Samsung e-book displays reflect light naturally and deliver an appearance similar to that of printed paper, allowing people to read more naturally than they would with other backlit electronic paper devices. The E101 boasts a ten-inch screen, while the E6, is the more portable sibling at six inches. Because Samsung's e-book is not backlit, the power consumption is lower than that of other portable display devices. Only four hours of charging prepares the battery for up to two weeks of use, depending on the extent of daily use.

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Wireless

Samsung's e-books are equipped for wireless connectivity as well. Wi-Fi 802.11b/g allows users to download content such as books and newspapers from a server wirelessly, as well as to share certain content with other devices. Bluetooth 2.0 is also a built in feature.

The Samsung E6 and E101 will be priced at $399 and $699, respectively. They will be available in early 2010.

Publishers Newswire Announces its Latest List of 'Books to Bookmark' for Q4 2009

Publishers Newswire (PNW), an online resource established in 2004 for small publishers, as well as lesser known and first-time book authors, has announced its latest semi-annual "Books to Bookmark" list, for the fourth quarter of 2009. This list is a round-up of new and interesting books (and e-books) which are often missed due to not originating from major New York book publishing houses, or "big name" authors.

"Even with the slower economy, ardent authors and small publishers continue to give voice to their muse in print," said PNW editor Christopher Laird Simmons. "And, thanks to breakout products like Amazon's Kindle, e-book versions - which were a gimmick a few years ago - are swiftly becoming ubiquitous." Simmons has been a working journalist for 25 years, and has written widely on the topic of publishing, marketing, and e-books.

The following list of books are provided as "worth a look" for media and booksellers, as well as avid readers of new and unique literary content. To learn more about these and other books, in detail, visit: http://www.publishersnewswire.com/

 Rock Star's Rainbow - They Threw Him Out A Plane, But They Couldn't Throw Out His Story

"Rock Star's Rainbow," by author Kevin Glavin (ISBN-13: 978-0982546604, Kevin Glavin Publishing, 500 pp., paperback), is a new novel chronicling a recent and mysterious scandal involving one of the nation's most cherished "icons." The far-fetched story begins in August 2009, when a renowned entertainment reporter is thrown out of a plane over Los Angeles. At the time of his unfortunate death, he was completing a manuscript detailing the strange personal life of the most secretive mega star of our time - "Rook." The quixotic adventure journeys from L.A. to Amsterdam, to India, and back. Along the way, Rook struggles with celebrity excess, re-ignites with his old flame, gets mixed up with the mafia, and must rescue the daughter he never knew he had. From the heights of hedonism to the depths of despair, this topical parody explores the "beast of fame."

New Book: Murder Mystery Solved on Montana Forest after 175 Years

In his latest book titled, "Saving Eden" (ISBN-13: 978-0979129391, EnDeavours Publishing, 386 pp., paperback; editor: Nathan Condron), set in the Tobacco Valley, Montana author David C. Deavours shares a message of environmental awareness through a fictional story full of mystery, adventure, romance and tragedy. Deavours relocates his main character, Nate Stone, from his Southern Appalachian home and plunges him into the wilds of Montana's Kootenai National Forest, where Nate suddenly finds himself enveloped in an unsolved murder mystery dating in the early 1800s.

Falling Apart: Newly Released Book Depicts 'Anti' Bernie Madoff Character

The media is saturated with real-life accounts of financial scoundrels such as Madoff, Sanford, and Rothstein making people sadly aware of men who strive to cheat their clients through alleged criminal schemes and outright theft. Such is the story line of husband and wife co-authors Ken and Tammy Brown's "Falling Apart" (ISBN-13: 978-1605943954, Llumina Press, 224 pp., paperback; also available in hardcover). However, the man in this book is innocent. Set in today's world of financial disintegration, "Falling Apart" is a timely book that depicts the horrors one man faces as his life crumbles to dust and ashes.

New Book Helps Women Find Peace and Happiness after Abusive Male Relationship

A Step Beyond Publishing announces its first non-fiction, and potentially controversial book: "I Apologize to All Women in the World - From Man" (ISBN-13: 978-0979972409). The author, Billy Prowell, inspires women to accept their roles as dignified creations of God and to reject the assumed role, imposed by men, of indentured servant. This new book provides readers with a process to heal and inspires the wounded to rebuild their lives without harboring hatred in their hearts. Through thought-provoking letters and 11 different relationship examples, readers will gain insight into the egotistic behaviors of men and the gullibility of women.

New Book Exonerates Thomas Jefferson in DNA Controversy over Slaves and Sally Hemings

In this startling and revelatory new book, William G. Hyland Jr. shows not only that the evidence against Jefferson is lacking, but that in fact he is entirely innocent of the charge of having sexual relations with Hemings. "In Defense Of Thomas Jefferson: The Sally Hemings Sex Scandal" (ISBN-13: 978-0312561000, Thomas Dunne Books, 320 pp., hardcover; also in Kindle edition - ASIN: B002UL3392), has just been published by St. Martins Press and concerns the major historical controversy surrounding Mr. Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings. "In Defense" claims to definitively destroy the cultural myth that Jefferson had any relationship with Ms. Hemings.

'Party Line' May Touch the Very Dreams of its Readers

Sageous Press has announced the release of "Party Line" (ISBN-13: 978-0578035932, Sageous Press, 328 pp., paperback). a new novel by Peter A. Luber. This, Luber's second foray into the realm of dreams, establishes a unique vision which serves not only to entertain but to enlighten the reader as to the depths of his or her own consciousness. His first work, "Oneironauticus," was published in 2008 by Sageous. The narrative of "Party Line" consists of the dreams of seven troubled, doomed, or inspired individuals. Each dreamer's personality and experience form both the content and style of their respective chapters. This creates a reading environment that truly portrays, rather than simply describes, the nocturnes and relationships of the major characters.

The Unbearable Sadness of Zilch - New Novel Exposes Hollywood Hyper-reality in Intimate Private Investigation

No one is innocent ... not in this town. In this town, the apocalypse has come and gone, lifting the veil of innocence like a great velvet curtain in an old movie house, where the only victims that don't return for the sequel are the gods themselves, struck out long ago by the big blue pencil. In this town, every man, woman, and child takes the limits of his or her own field of vision to be the limits of the world. In his latest novel, "The Unbearable Sadness of Zilch" (ISBN-13: 978-1440158261, iUniverse, 160pp., hardcover; also available in paperback), Konrad Ventana explodes the myths behind the so-called Star Machine with a whole new level of intimate private investigation.

Unique Booklet Helps Readers to Discover in Thirty Minutes or Less How to Accomplish Everything One Desires

A new booklet by author, motivational speaker, and business expert Marty Niedelman, "Rx For Success" (no ISBN), is a clear concise manuscript to help anyone achieve their goals and aspirations. Many people work hard and struggle to survive. Others do things in a certain way and have all the wealth and fame. Marty has combined the knowledge of many motivational books, tapes, courses, and lectures. He feels in essence, everyone is saying the same thing in different ways. By reading his booklet in thirty minutes or less, people will reap the benefit of reading many books which could amount to thousands of pages. Available in eBook and print editions.

Authoritative Guide to Long Term Care Insurance Now Available in Electronic Editions

Almost for sure, you or a family member will need expensive long term care someday. How will you pay for it? What public or private insurance options are available to you? Now you can get those through "Dignity for Life: Five Things You Should Know Before Considering Long Term Care Insurance" (ISBN-13: 978-0615142531; also Kindle Edition - ASIN: B0030GFC4K) by Cameron Truesdell, CEO of LTC Financial Partners, LLC (LTCFP), one of America's most experienced long term care insurance agencies. The latest edition is also available for iPhone, using the Kindle for iPhone App.

More Information:
For more information on these and other books and entertainment publishing you likely have never heard of, visit: publishersnewswire.com/news/publishing-news/book-news.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Book Writing Tips to Speed Write Your Book for Maximum Sales Sooner by Earma Brown

Where are you in writing your book? Whether you are almost finished after 2 years or just beginning, these book writing tips may help you. You owe it to yourself and your important message to finish fast and sell sooner.

For years, my book manuscript would end up in the drawer with the rest of my unfinished projects. No more; now I finish my book writing projects strong and fast.

I learned from my mentors who showed me the way. I even learned from my competitors who finished their books fast to sell sooner.
Here's some book writing tips to help you speed write your book for maximum sales sooner:

1. Place book writing goals in your top 3 priorities. Setup a regular writing schedule. Think about your priorities right now. Can you fit 7-10 hours a week in? If you have to let something go that is not high on your priority list, do it. Now is your time. Later is not better.

2. Put your reader first. When writing your book, you should be writing to your reader. Use the word "you" and avoid as much as possible using the words "I" and "We". An author friend chooses a friend interested in her topic and writes all her books to them.

3. Write an intention goal for your book. Do you have a plan in place? Write on purpose. Don't set yourself up for failure by not planning. Even if it's a simple intention goal like "I complete my book (title of book) this year by (date and year.) I educate myself and do what it takes to complete it." Set one and write it down so you can hit the target.

4. Break your writing into short sections. It's easier on you to write. Furthermore, it's easier on your reader to read. Try to break long paragraphs into shorter, more digestible chunks. Make it easy to read and you'll reach more readers.

5. Use short sentences and simple words. Writing and reading a long sentence takes longer than a short one. Cut lengthy sentences in half to make your writing easier to read. Aim your copy so a 6-7th grader could understand it. Remember using complex words won't impress your readers. Most times it will annoy them to the point of not finishing your book.

6. Be concise but specific. Compelling copy is concise. Unnecessary words waste your time and most of all your reader's time. It dilutes your message and makes your book longer than necessary. Additionally, be specific. When writing your book, stick to the specific information about your topic. The more relevant facts you include, the better. If you don't bother to dig for specifics about your topic, your book may end up vague filled with meaningless words.

7. Write your book the easy way to finish fast. Three of the top ways to speed write your book includes: Act Now. Action will paralyze fear each and every time. Avoid marathon writing. Know you don't have to become a hermit to write and complete a successful book. Commit to the tracking approach. Doing a set amount,even if it's only 30 minutes to an hour, each day builds a cumulative effect.

8. Use laser focus. Apply laser focus to complete your book writing project faster. For example, if you look at a 40 watt bulb, the light is soft. Yet you can take the same 40 watts; put it in a laser gun and the same 40 watts become a focused beam of light that can cut through different objects like a sharp knife through paper. To use laser focus in your book project, prioritize, do only one project at a time and complete one project before you start another.

If you don't use these book writing tips to finish fast, you may be this time next year working on the same book project. Remember to put your book writing in the top 3 priorities of your life, write an intention goal, put your reader first, break your writing into short sections, use short sentences and simple words, be concise but specific, learn to write the easy way and use laser focus. Using the above simple book writing tips you can easily write and complete your book fast. See you at the finish line. Finish fast; finish strong and sell sooner.

Earma Brown, 12 year author and business owner helps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Earma mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine "iScribe." Send any email to iscribe@bookwritinghelp.com for free mini-course "Jumpstart Writing Your Book" or visit her at Book Writing Tips

Amazon sells more eBooks than paper books

For the first time ever, online retail giant Amazon.com sold more electronic books for its Kindle device than old-fashioned paper books, the website said Monday. The sales record was achieved on Christmas Day on Friday, when people who had received a Kindle as a present logged on to the Amazon site to load it with reading fare. Amazon said that the Kindle was the most gifted item in the company's history, but gave no sales figures for the device or the electronic book sales.

Amazon said its busiest day ever was on December 14 when customers bought 9.5 million items worldwide, equivalent to 110 items a second. Amazon said it shipped items to 178 countries and that its most popular items were the Apple iPod Touch 8GB and the Garmin Nuvi 260W GPS device.