Debut of Blogging Booksellers

Barnes & Noble, Inc. has launched Barnes & Noble.com's "Blogging Booksellers," a new feature in the Barnes & Noble Studio (www.bn.com/Studio), an online destination featuring web video series and multimedia content about books, readers and writers. "The Best of the Best: B&N Studio's One Year Anniversary Collection" celebrates the past year with a special compilation of original shows, interviews and more. Since its launch in March 2008, the Barnes & Noble Studio has featured over 2,000 video and audio offerings, with new content being added weekly.

Barnes & Noble Studio's Blogging Booksellers

As a nod to customers' favorite book shopping experience - chatting with the sales staff about their favorite reads and recommendations - the Barnes & Noble Studio has created Blogging Booksellers, a program where Barnes & Noble booksellers from various stores around the country create and upload their own video blogs about their latest recommended reads and local store events.

Blogging Booksellers currently features 11 bloggers in nine cities across the country, with more to be added. Selected for their extraordinary passion and knowledge about books, the bloggers are tasked with creating short, entertaining, and informative videos, while giving a friendly face to their local stores. The video blogs, updated weekly, are filmed with user-friendly Flip cameras, offering a real-life and personalized account of recommended weekly reads, exciting news about local stores events, and other inside scoops from Barnes & Noble's stores and Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com).

Additionally, the "Store Locator" on Barnes & Noble.com now allows visitors to identify stores with Blogging Booksellers in residence - a unique way for consumers to find their local "celeb" bloggers. This journal-like view of the stores and their communities offers a personalized, insider's feel to Barnes & Noble, giving online users and store visitors alike a unique shopping experience. (www.barnesandnoble.com/blogging-booksellers)

Tips To Help Self-published Authors Sell Books Online Fast

Today, Jill Exler, founder of jexbo, http://www.jexbo.com/, announced her tips for flourishing as a self-published author in a tough economy. Exler created jexbo so that authors can list their self-published books, get marketing bookmarks and customize a Web page to sell books online directly to customers for only 99¢ per month (plus jexbo receives 5% of whatever the author sells).

"If your workload is slow due to economic changes, there are several things you can do right now as a self-published author to build buzz, sell books online and grow," says Exler. Here are her tips:

* Enter Writing Contests.

There are numerous contests going on at various times of the year for self-published authors. To start, conduct an online search for "writing contests." Here are a few to start with:

http://www.pw.org/content/grants_amp_awards_your_guide_writing_contests
http://www.americanshortfiction.org/
http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions

You'll get some great exposure if you win. And even if you don't, the contest will give you time to practice and upgrade your writing skills.

* Share Your Personal Experiences and Tips to Sell Books Online.

If you are struggling with economic conditions, share your personal experiences and tips with others via blog entries, social media sites and more. Also, contact various publications and ask to write articles and blog entries at no charge.

You can obtain free publicity and help other self-published authors get through their current career and financial problems.

* Take a Class or Teach Other Self-Published Authors.

With a slower schedule, it may be the perfect time to take a writing or business course to improve your skills. Check your local community center, college, library, and various business associations for educational programs.

You'll improve your writing, meet new friends and learn valuable tips to help boost your attitude and career. And if you can't find a class, offer to teach one. Focus on your area of expertise and share your knowledge with others.

* Network.

Just because things are slow, it's not the time to reduce your networking efforts. In fact, start attending more events and meetings. You'll learn new things, meet interesting people and talk to other writers who can help you discover self-publishing opportunities you may not find on your own.

"Instead of waiting for things to change, use this down-time to prepare for the future," says Exler. "Share your experiences, improve your skills, meet other self-published authors, and enjoy new hobbies. You'll have a more positive attitude, sell more books online and see things start to move in a better direction filled with hope and opportunity!"

For more information, to buy self-published books, sell books online, and 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/.

Art Student Arranges Cover Art for Book by Spanish Author

Beth Halem never expected that a painting she created more than two years ago, during her sophomore year at SUNY Cortland, would be the cover art for a Spanish academic book.

Halem, of Roslyn, N.Y., a senior art and art history major, was approached by Professor of Spanish Wesley Weaver to find a few samples of her work that he could send to the author, Maria Isabel López Martinez, a colleague and friend of Weaver's.

"Beth was a student of mine for a couple of semesters and I thought it would be a great opportunity," said Weaver. "I am familiar with her work because I attended some of her exhibitions and she also made an oral presentation with one of her paintings in my class."

Martinez, a professor of literary theory and comparative literature at the University of Extremadura in Caceres, Spain, wrote La Mujer Ante el Espejo: Un Motive Literario y Artistico or The Woman Before the Mirror: A Literary and Artistic Motif. The book, which was published in mid-December, explains the recurring motif of the woman before the mirror, what she sees and how it's used as a literary device to develop character. Martinez discusses the origins and a development of the theme over time.

"Come Back to Bed," the mixed media painting that Martinez chose, was completed in Associate Professor of Art and Art History Lori Ellis' class during the 2006-07 school year. The piece, acrylic and wire on canvas, portrays a figure of a woman's back with wire wrapped around her body.

"The woman is sitting on her bed in the dark, next to the implied guy she is with," explained Halem. "She cannot appreciate the present because her mind is trapped in the past. The theme of being trapped in a situation is an illusion that your mind creates and controls. The man is saying 'come back to bed' because she is in a different place emotionally than he is.

"The painting is very fitting of the book because it shows the illusion of being trapped, women's motifs and symbolism."

"Beth's empathetic figures are a natural fit for this compelling book," said Ellis. "The international exposure will undoubtedly benefit her promising career as an artist and teacher."

Weaver, who wrote the book's introduction in English, connected Martinez with Edwin Mellen Press of Lewiston, N.Y., because she wanted to have the book published in the U.S.

"The company primarily produces books for research libraries and likes to have the authors supply their own cover art work," explained Weaver. "I thought this would give Beth exposure, something she will be able to interplay between the artwork and the book."

"It's really nice to have my work out there," noted Halem, who hopes to attend Queens College in the fall to pursue a graduate degree in early childhood education. "I feel really lucky to be given the opportunity because I never thought I would have a chance like this one. It's pretty cool to see it on the cover."

Wheatmark Continues to Boost Author Success with New Publishing Packages

Wheatmark, Inc., (http://www.wheatmark.com/) an industry-leading self-publishing company, has launched several new publishing packages created to help authors better angle their marketing efforts to the best possible niche. By tailoring their marketing, authors will likely sell more books than they would otherwise.

The packages are all genre-specific, including Fiction, Nonfiction, Professional, Poetry, and Color Children's Book packages. Each package has been developed to give the best possible support for each genre. As part of the new package launch, each package will also have a marketing analysis completed with sign up.

The marketing analysis, created by Wheatmark to give authors a clearer picture of their chances in the market place, is one of the many things that puts Wheatmark on a pedestal over other publishing services companies.

Each marketing analysis will be individually researched by a book marketing expert and the author will receive a detailed report.

For the month of April, Wheatmark will also offer free consultation to authors looking to publish their books and will also be providing their marketing workbook for free on their website.

For writers that have always wanted to publish their book, but found all the elements overwhelming, now is the time to sign up with Wheatmark. The unparalleled customer service, continued author education on book marketing, and now the specialized packages--including the marketing analysis--will get writers started on the path to being successful, published authors.

Website: http://www.wheatmark.com/

BookProposalWriting.com Helps Frustrated Book Authors Land a Book Publishing Contract for a Six-Figure Advance

A group of local book authors has donated their time and wisdom to launch BookProposalWriting.com (http://www.bookproposalwriting.com/), a new website to help aspiring authors write a book proposal and land a book publishing contract for a six-figure advance.

The book publishing industry holds a closely-guarded secret to getting published by a major book publisher -- the secret is writing a persuasive book proposal. Writing a successful book proposal allows book authors to earn a five or six-figure advance before they even start writing their manuscripts.

Brian Scott, the site’s creator and publishing director of Payday Publishing, said: "Many aspiring authors have never heard about a book proposal or how to use one to land a book publishing contract. Instead, these aspiring authors spend several months writing their books, and then grow old shopping their entire manuscripts around to busy book publishers and literary agents. It’s no wonder why many aspiring authors become frustrated and give up. This way does not work today."

To educate aspiring authors about using a book proposal, BookProposalWriting.com offers a free online "Book Proposal Writing Workshop," which teaches writers and book authors how to write a book proposal in seven days or less. The Workshop covers important topics such as: "Why write a book proposal first?," "How to generate ideas to write your book proposal," "How to write your book’s blurb for your book proposal," and "How to write your book proposal query letter." At the end of the Workshop, aspiring book authors can download a free sample book proposal and use it as a working template for their own work-in-progress proposals.

Besides offering a free book proposal workshop, BookProposalWriting.com offers many free how-to articles and audio articles on writing, designing and selling a book, as well as many instructional videos showing step-by-step how to write different components of a book proposal.

BookProposalWriting.com also offers several free downloadable products covering book writing, book marketing, and self-publishing. A few of the website’s products include: "Hot Topics in Book Writing," "How to Get a Literary Agent," "Sit Down and Write that Bestselling Novel," and "Copyright Protection for Book Authors."

BookProposalWriting.com is not just for authors who want to publish their books the traditional way, but also for self-publishers and independent e-book authors. "Even if you decide to self-publish or write a book as an e-book or a mobile digital book, you should know how to write a book proposal," said Scott. "If your self-published book becomes a big success, you may want to pitch your book (or book ideas) to a major book publisher or film agent to reap in the financial rewards."

BookProposalWriting.com is part of a network of writing-related websites -- all run and maintained by working freelancers -- which include http://www.freelancewriting.com/, http://www.bookcatcher.com/, and http://www.lousywriter.com/.

Visit http://www.bookproposalwriting.com/ and let professionals teach you how to write a book proposal and sell your book idea for a six-figure advance.

Digital Book Production Grows Revenue for Book Publishers

At the fourth annual INTERQUEST 2009 Digital Book Printing Forum on March 24, Kodak's Kevin Joyce discussed new opportunities for book publishers to expand their capabilities and grow revenue with digital book production. Joyce and other panel participants discussed the major trends in book printing, including the prospect of moving from offset to digital printing.

"In the digital space, books represent one of the top three fastest growing applications," said Joyce, Worldwide Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Digital Printing Solutions, Kodak. "Book publishing accounts for 25 percent of all printed pages, but only a small number of books are printed digitally, so there is tremendous potential for growth in this area."

For print service providers, digital printing provides tremendous gains in productivity. "It's a leaner process that also helps minimize the need for floor space, as complete book blocks are produced instead of signatures that need collating," added Joyce.

For publishers, the process of digitally printing short runs on demand helps reduce print overruns, which cuts down on having obsolete products and the need for costly warehousing. Digital production also enables a high degree of customization, opening up many new creative opportunities for authors and publishers, and making it easier than ever to customize book content or covers for current marketing activities.

Kodak's technologies and solutions for digital book production help publishers take advantage of these new opportunities in digital book production. The KODAK DIGIMASTER EX Production Platform, KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses, and KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology all help publishers "turn the page" on digital book production and make on-demand fulfillment and self publishing easier than ever.

The KODAK DIGIMASTER EX Production Platform offers book publishers exceptional flexibility with a wide range of robust system components that integrate seamlessly to produce high-volume black and white books. The inline folding, binding, trimming and on-demand book publishing capabilities give publishers full production power and flexibility to take on a broad array of high-value, high-volume applications—and deliver them with the quick turnaround, superb print quality, and a variety of finishing options readers demand.

Helping address the shift from black and white book printing to color is KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology, a continuous inkjet system that delivers offset class reliability, productivity, cost, and quality with the full benefits of digital printing for high-volume commercial applications. Kodak's NEXPRESS Presses help publishers address the shift from black and white printing to color in photo books, textbooks and children's books. The NEXPRESS Presses help book publishers produce consistent exceptional color quality, while incorporating higher value and higher margin photo press products into their book publishing operations.

To learn more, visit http://www.kodak.com/ and http://www.kodak.com/go/followus.

Free eBook Shows You How to Self Publish using a Book Template

A new ebook shows you step by step exactly How To Publish your Ebook as a Paperback on Amazon. The ebook comes with a Bonus Video that shows you exactly how to submit your book to Amazon for free.

Leigh Burke said, "Hot off the press is my latest Ebook, How To Publish your Ebook as a Paperback on Amazon.

I guide you step by step through the process of getting your book in the correct format for submission to Amazon, then submitting it and promoting your book on the world’s biggest virtual bookstore. And the best thing of all is submission to Amazon is free, and I show you how."

The ebook is 30 pages, and contains detailed instructions and screenshots guiding you step by step through the entire process.

With your ebooks for sale as physical books on Amazon, you’ll create another stream of income and increase your credibility as an author overnight.

There are a number of other distinct advantages to being a published author.

* You will be quoted in both the media and other books.
* You can add the book to your CV, biography and other marketing literature.
* You can purchase your own books at a heavily discounted price from the printer, and sell them yourself at seminars, conferences, training events, to customers, loved ones and friends.
* When you publish more than one book in your niche you gain credibility and become an expert in your field. This will increase your customers trust in you, and will lead to many indirect sales and consulting engagements.

You can grab your free copy here.