Will 2007 will be “The Year of the Authorpreneur “ for Internet Book Marketing?
Posted on August 14, 2007
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As an author, you possess the true secret to Internet book marketing success – your writing skills. Why? The biggest hurdles that Internet Marketers face is providing original content that is written to satisfy:
• The search engines to obtain good positioning
• Information hungry surfers searching for quality niche content
• The continuous need to provide quality content to maintain search engine positioning and targeted traffic
Becoming an Authorpreneur
An Authorpreneur does not compete using the traditional book marketing model. Instead, they view their books as products and effectively combine their writing skills with proven Internet Marketing techniques to accomplish better results. This allows them to become an expert within a niche based upon their book’s theme.
If you become an Authorpreneur, you can dominate your niche by doing what you love - writing. By understanding the writing process, you will accomplish what other Webmasters either fail to do or pay ghostwriters to accomplish. It isn’t a matter of well-written material from an editor’s viewpoint. Rather, it is well-written from an Internet Marketing perspective. For example, Web pages, sales letters, and articles all require different writing techniques to accomplish different Internet marketing goals:
• Theme-based Web pages pre-sell products and convince visitors to continue on to the product’s sales page
• Sales pages drive home the product benefits and converts visitors into customers
• Articles provide links back to your Web pages to obtain good search engine positioning and drive targeted traffic to your Website’s landing pages. They can also link directly to a Web page that is pre-selling a product which is a solution to a problem that you discussed in your article.
The Importance of Providing Unique Well-Written Content
Too many Website owners are more concerned about cutting corners and rushing to get their Website online rather than:
• Ensuring that their site addresses the needs of their visitors
• Properly designing their Website’s navigation
• Properly writing their Website content to place well in the search engines
• Developing a linking strategy that improves search engine placement and generates targeted traffic
• Developing a list of subscribers that grows into long term customers
By placing well in the search engines, you can increase your chances of making sales and gaining PR exposure by as much as 46%. By knowing how to correctly research your theme-based keywords, and properly optimizing them into your unique and original content, you will achieve what 95% of authors and Internet Marketers fail to achieve – dominating your niche in the search engines.
Just imagine your book sales, PR accomplishments and the supplemental income you can acquire by becoming an expert in a niche based upon your book’s theme while incorporating an effective Internet book marketing program.
My prediction is that when we look back, 2007 will be remembered as “The Year of the Authorpreneur” for Internet book marketing. Writers without a solid knowledge of Internet Marketing techniques will not survive online. Internet Marketers without effective writing skills will either fail or have to continue to invest in ghostwriters to survive. By becoming an Authorpreneur, which blends both skill sets, you will be part of the next generation of successful Internet marketers with the added benefit of possessing publishing credentials.
About The Author
V. Michael Santoro is a published author and successful Authorpreneur. For a free training course on how to become an Authorpreneur, visit his Website at http://www.proauthors.com and sign up for his e-zine. Additionally, you will receive a powerful PDF creation program as a special bonus.
Decoding Book Resurrects the Ancient Astronaut Theme
Posted on August 13, 2007
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Several decades ago, books by insurance salesman Erich von Daniken caused an international sensation as he depicted photographs of large-stone edifices hard to believe built by primitive humans. His dreams of ancient astronauts, however, soon faded into oblivion as archeologists came up with proof that primitive humans could have constructed the pyramids and like structures without alien assistance. Nonetheless, the possibility of other types of evidence for ancient astronauts cannot be discarded.
Overtly a cryptography and deception tactics book, Morten St. George’s Incantation of the Law Against Inept Critics: A Guide to Cryptic Thinking takes up the ancient astronaut gauntlet. But there’s no stone here. Now, it’s not a question of what the ancient astronauts did, but of what they left behind. Deception cryptography leads the way. The only known deployment of this unique form of cryptography is to be found in forty two prophetic stanzas published by Nostradamus in the 16th century. So was Nostradamus an alien? Hardly, but St. George’s book asserts he was the last guardian of an alien artifact.
What’s the evidence?
First, a breakthrough decoding of the forty two stanzas in which numerous contemporary events are not only accurately recounted but also systematically dated. St. George concludes there is no longer any doubt about whether or not the future was foreseen. It was, and likewise we are witnessing the powers of a super-civilization.
Second, the discovery that the forty two stanzas (perceived as a book of divine revelation) were secretly guarded, known to, and commented upon by a cabalistic sect during medieval times. St. George says these forty-two revelations predate Nostradamus by centuries, and now there is a “book of light” in the picture, not “light” like in “enlightenment” but literally composed of light, black fire on top of white fire. This describes the artifact that survived to reach Nostradamus.
Third, back to the prophecies, which come forth and tell us the name of their author and when they were written. According to St. George, they were written in the sixth century, a thousand years before the time of Nostradamus.
Why is there no record of alien arrival in the sixth century? St. George responded we are referring to creatures with two arm appendages and four fingers at the end of each, but other than that, they landed as helmeted aquatics and didn’t remotely look like humans. He says it is a myth that intelligent aliens have to be hominoids, and it is likewise a myth that the only road to technology is the road taken by humans. “In the Dark Ages, these aquatics would have been stoned as demons in most places, and if there were any reference to them, religious censorship would have obliterated it.”
Then, how do you know that they had four fingers? St. George replied, “I said they would have been stoned as demons in most places, not in all places. Archaeologists are far from perfect. They have no idea how to distinguish the drawing of an aquatic extraterrestrial from the drawing of a masked witchdoctor. Maybe some of them had suspicions but didn’t speak out, fearing for their career or whatever. Extraterrestrial intelligence and civilizations more advanced than ours are terrifying concepts for segments of human society.”
There are many unsolved mysteries in world history. Is this another one? St. George emphatically asserts: “No! These extraterrestrials were no fools. Besides who and when, the prophecies also tell us where, that is, where they came from.” He says the prophecies provide data for a star arrow rising upwards from southern skies and for a planetary arrow moving outwards from the solar system, and where these arrows collide would be the point of contact.
Then there will be contact? St. George has no doubts about the matter: “Yes. My unsophisticated astronomy software can only provide approximate coordinates, but one day astronomers will work out the precise coordinates and point a radio telescope there, and there will be contact. To provide us with coordinates and not allow contact would be deceitful, and they have no reason to be deceitful on this. Else, why bother to interfere with us at all?”
About The Author
By Gersiane De Brito with special thanks to Morten St. George and the http://www.crypticthinking.com website. Look for follow-up article called “Aliens: Where SETI Astronomers Can Find Them.”
The Amazon Book Reseller: How To Make Money With Books?
Posted on August 12, 2007
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About a year ago, Kevin found himself searching for a book that he wanted to purchase. His searches lead him to Amazon. He had used this internet site for many purchases but did not know until now that he could purchase used products here. This really cut down on his costs. As an avid reader, he found it very useful to go to this website and to tap into the vast amount of used books that came to him in perfect condition.
After making a few purchases, a light went off in his head. He realized, after looking around at the piles and piles of books that he had accumulated that he could potentially sell these books and at least get some of his money back for them. After doing some research, he found that many people were interested in some of the books he had. He found it simple to sign up with Amazon as a seller and was soon making enough to fund his reading habit. After a while, Kevin learned more and more about this business and actually turned it into a healthy second income for him. Why not? He loved to read and he loved to get things back in the form of cash too!
The Business Of Amazon Book Reseller
Amazon.com is a website which millions of individuals venture to each day to make purchases. Many of the industries leading retailers have their websites linked to Amazon as it draws so many viewers. One of the nice features here is that individuals can resell their products. What is also nice is that Amazon features these on the searches that people do for related products. This means that individuals can choose to pay full price or they can go with a used product.
For those that have bookcases of books (you know you are out there) that you have read, or planned to read about ten years ago, there may be a market for them. If you have dusty books that are in decent shape (always make sure they are not musty or mildewed) you may find that Amazon is the ideal location for you to find a way to get rid of them and earn some money for it.
The process is quite simple. You will first need to list with Amazon as a seller. This is a free and easy step that will take only a few minutes. Next, sit down with a stack of books that you would like to sell. All you need to do is list the title and author on the website and Amazon does all the rest for you. They provide all the details of the book to the viewers. Like eBay, Amazon will charge you a percentage of the amount that you sell the book for. But, unlike eBay this is not an auction but just a listing service. You are not charged anything until the book (or other item) sells.
In order to make it profitable, it is necessary for the individual to research how well the books of this type or by this author are selling. You do not want to go so high as to keep the book from being sold but you don’t want to go so low as to undermine your profit abilities. This research is simple to do on Amazon as well.
Don’t have any books to sell? You simply need to check out the wide range of options open to you in your local area. For example, there are often garage sales filled with books (again, make sure they aren’t smelly!) Or, you can visit a thrift shop or other second hand type stores, giveaways, or even the bargain bin at your local bookstore. Even second hand bookstores are a great way to buy cheap books which you can retail on at a profit!
Another way that you can earn an income from Amazon if you are a webmaster includes earning an income for referral fees. If you refer others to come to Amazon, you can earn a little extra income too. You can learn more about how to do this right on the website.
The process is simple and the rewards are fairly good. There are no outright costs to becoming an Amazon book reseller and much to be gained. In fact, it is a decent way to easily make a second income from home. Gather up those dusty books and begin your search for money through Amazon.com reseller programs.
About The Author
Keith Lee is a motivational speaker, a life coach and a fitness instructor for the past 10 yeras. He study and did research on the Internet Marketing Industry for years. Go to his webiste http://www.MyInternetMarketingSuccess.com for some superb tips.
Promoting Your “How To” Book - Customer Confidence Building
Posted on August 11, 2007
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Once you have your book completed and out in the marketplace you cannot sit back and hope the sales will be great unless you have no desire or care to see it sell, YOU have to promote it. So, what can you offer that will boost customer confidence and promote additional sales? Of course there are the traditional promotion tools, e.g., advertising, blogging, banner cross-promotion with other websites with themes that you book can enhance, etc.
Publishing a newsletter is a great idea too, and a very popular way of supplementing the information that your book already provides, but the communication with your customers is still one-way. To really get your customers involved, you need a way for them to participate and contribute whether it be by asking questions, or by sharing their experiences and you providing validation of their efforts. With a newsletter this is difficult because customers do not want to submit a question or share an experience and then have to wait until the next publication to get a response. They also like to participate in near real-time. If you choose to set up a blog and allow customer/reader comments, you may find customers apprehensive about posting because there is no privacy to their post and their post itself is subject to public rebuttals. After trying both, I found very little willingness on the part of my customers to contribute or to supply content to share with other customers.
One of the things I found that is really appreciated is to set up a restricted access message board for customers only. This seems to be popular with customers for several reasons, including:
1) It gives them a place where they can communicate with other customers and discuss various topics of your book.
2) It allows them to share their experiences with each other as they work their way through what you have conveyed in your book.
3) It gives you a platform for sharing additional explanations or information that you may not want to share with the world by posting it on your website.
4) It gives your customers a place to ask questions that you can answer.
5) Access is restricted, so your customers get a sense of it not only being their special place, but that they are protected from the harassment and intimidation normally associated with open message boards.
6) The message board will allow you to answer common questions once rather than answering individual customer emails.
Besides being a way of establishing additional credibility, providing a message board for your customers is a great way to say “Thank You” to them and to let them know that you are not just interested in selling them a book, you are interested in making sure they are able to implement what it teaches. You will also realize, and very quickly, that your customers can teach you a few things about the very topic you wrote a book about. This is a good thing because learning a few things from your customers and accepting that you do not know everything about the subject gives your customers a feeling that you are genuinely interested in listening to them.
You might also consider inviting some other experts on the topic to join your message board. This will not only add to the content of the board, it demonstrates to your customers that the intent of the board really is to help them and that you do not feel threatened by having another expert involved.
I believe that if you opt to give this concept a try, and let your customers know before they purchase your book that the board is there for them, you will find the entire scenario to be a win-win situation.
About The Author
Michael E. Mould is the author of “Online Bookselling: A Practical Guide with Detailed Explanations and Insightful Tips,” [Paperback ISBN 1427600708, CD-ROM ISBN 1599714876] and the developer of “Bookkeeping for Booksellers” [CD ISBN 1427600694], you can learn more about online bookselling at: http://www.online-bookselling.com.
Should You Publish a Book?
Posted on August 10, 2007
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It used to cost a fortune to get a book printed and published. Today it can all be done online for considerably less than $1,000…and most of that is going to go to your cover designer.
Instead of ordering 1,000 or 5,000 titles at once, you can order 1 at a time using print-on-demand publishing. So it’s not a question of whether you can publish a book or not. It’s a question of whether you should.
Not everyone should publish a book.
If you have the dream of selling a million copies and getting rich through your book, keep dreaming. It can happen, but it’s a million to one shot.
Books have the lowest margin of any information product. A CD costs $1 to $2 to duplicate and sells for $15 and up. A DVD costs $1.50 to $3 and sells for $20 and up. A multimedia course with manuals, CDs, and DVDs may sell for $100 to $1,000 or more.
A book printed in low numbers costs $3 to $5 and sells for $20 or less in most cases. Can you make money from a book? Yes…but I would never want to be in a position where I had to make money from a book.
They’re an entry product and they’re a tool for generating publicity.
I would never recommend a book for someone’s first information product. Start with a CD, DVD, or even an eBook. If that proves successful, then consider a book.
While not everyone should publish a book…every consultant, coach, and information product developer, and professional speaker should!
Let’s say we’re both consultants or coaches and we’re talking to a business owner. You sit down on the plane beside them and give them your card. When they ask me what I do, I hand them my card and my book.
Who stands out as an expert in the field?
Now let’s say we both contact radio stations and offer to do an interview. You tell them how you coach people about success in business. I tell them the same thing and send them my book. Who stands out as the expert in this case?
The book author does…Face it. You might know more than the author right now, but they will often be perceived as the more knowledgable expert because they put it in a book. Will the radio host read the book? Not likely…There are some pretty crappy books that get major publicity.
That’s enough on that before I get myself into trouble.
If you want to be perceived as an expert in your field…create a book. You don’t even have to write it yourself. Put together the materials and hire a ghostwriter to create it if you want.
Now let’s say you want your book to be a profit center. It can definitely be that, but it requires you to create large scale publicity. If you do an interview on a major radio station, you can sell 300 books or more.
If you were published by a publishing house, you might only get $1 per book. So that appearance was worth $300. Using POD publishing, you might be averaging $10 a book…so you earn $3,000. That’s not bad for the hour interview. Get a major TV appearance…and you can sell tens of thousands.
You can also do book signings and other events to sell more books…but remember this all requires you to do something. If you want a fully automated business, books are not the job for you (although you could have a PR agent making the contacts for you). There are other products where this can be done much easier. The math simply doesn’t work out for paid advertising in most cases.
When I work with a author, I like them to have additional products and services to sell on the backend. Sure…it’s nice to make money selling your book. What else do you have? Do you have a CD set or a DVD showing your techniques in more detail? Do you offer consulting or coaching on the backend? That’s where the real money is in books for the average author.
About The Author
Terry Dean is the owner of the Integrity Business Blog athttp://www.terrydean.org, Find out more about how you can Earn More By Working Less by creating your own books, CDs, DVDs, and more at his Free blog today: http://www.terrydean.org
Writing an e-Book 101: The Complete Guide
Posted on August 9, 2007
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Introduction
An eBook is an ELECTRONIC book - a file containing all the information that a hard book would contain. eBooks are downloaded directly from a secure library online to YOUR computer.
The most common file format for an eBook is a PDF which can be opened in Adobe Reader (a free PDF reader), however, you will be doing the actual “design” of your eBook in a word-processing program like MS Word (a part of MS Office).
If you have a complex design that includes lots of illustrations, you may wish to use a desktop publishing program such as PageMaker or Quark. Also, if you want to add more features to your PDF document, such as hotlinked URLs, forms, or pages imported from other programs, you should purchase the Full Version of Adobe Acrobat. It is well worth the price, particularly if you expect to create more than one eBook. More in Step 6.
Now, the paragraph above is beyond the scope of this eBook guide. Since MS Word is the most commonly used word processing program, this guide will focus on formatting in MS Word.
Now, with all that said, let’s get started.
Choosing a Topic
It goes without saying that you should pick a topic you believe other people would be willing to part with their hard earned cash for. It should not be a subject overly done or where there are already vast amounts of useful information already available. Often times, finding a small niche audience willing to pay for your information is better than trying to compete with dozens of other more common subjects.
List all of the Topics in which you are knowledgeable
To help you find a topic, make a list of all the things you could confidently write about. Do you have hobbies or skills that others would be interested in? Do not make the mistake of assuming that because you are knowledgeable about a particular subject, others are too.
Find a Niche
The trick is choosing a niche. Do not write a book which appeals to everyone. Focus on a specific area and you are on your way to success. Why? Because when you target a niche market, you already have a pre-qualified market ready to buy your products.
What information do people want? The answer to these questions, and others, should be your main focus. You need to focus on what they don’t have, sometimes you even have to tell them what it is that is missing and why they need it, and when you give it to them, they will reward you financially. Don’t be discouraged if the niche is already quite popular, this could be an advantage to you. A popular niche is proof that there is already a market, and money to be made. Just be sure that your product is superior to the competition or has a differing twist.
Research the Chosen Topic
After choosing a specific area of interest as the topic of your eBook, the next step is to spend a reasonable amount of time researching that topic. How much time, you ask? It really depends on how much you already know about the topic. What is important here is you want to be an expert in your chosen niche. At this stage, it is easy to get lost among the huge bank of information on the internet. So it is very important to get organized.
While researching your subject, collect all the information you possibly can, and put it into a specified folder on your computer. Then when you feel you have all the information you need, you can proceed to bring it all together in an organized manner. This will make your eBook much higher quality, fluent, and easy to read.
Go to Wordtracker or Overture and see how many times people a month were looking for what you want to write about. This will give you an idea if it is a viable product. Also do a straight search in Google and Yahoo for your keywords, and see what turns up. Investigate some of the sites, you may be surprised that you have a completely different slant on the information you want to present in the eBook – which is a good thing.
Create an Outline
Now that you have a good idea of what you are going to write, the next important step is to write a detailed outline of your eBook. This is the single most important step in the whole eBook writing process. The outline serves as the backbone of your eBook. It represents your ideas and flow of thoughts. Write the outline as detailed as possible.
Start with Choosing a Working Title
Why? Because it gives you a focal point. Spend time on it, as it is something you should keep coming back to for inspiration. Always make sure you don’t deviate from it. Otherwise you’ll end up with an eBook where the content doesn’t match the title. Jot down a few different titles, and eventually, you’ll find that one that will grow on you. Always remember, a great title is what sells, not your content. Period.
Next, write an Opening Statement
Begin your outline with an opening statement or Introduction. Your opening statement might tell your readers a little bit about what they are going to learn or may be a statement in regard to the subject matter. You also need to grab their attention early on and the best way to do this is to make them feel that you have all the answers regarding the topic. After all, why did they buy the book? Make them feel they made the right decision and that you know what you are talking about.
Followed by a Foreword
Your Foreword might include information in regard to who you are, your credentials, copyrights, and what you want your readers to learn.
List the Main Points
Next, refer to the folders where you stored all of your information, choose from your organized lists, and start writing headings, one right after another. This is a great way of breaking the job down into manageable pieces and tackle them one at a time making the writing process a little easier. It’s also a good way to expand on your overview and see if your headings address everything you wanted to cover.
Fill in the Spaces
Once you’ve completed your outline and are happy with your list of headings, you can begin filling in the spaces. Write your text in small blocks and leave a space between your paragraphs.
Keep it Simple
A great tip given by many when it comes to writing is to start and don’t stop. Write down everything that comes into your mind. If you try to think too much about what you are writing, you will forget important information and it will take you much longer to finish.
Picture your perfect audience for your eBook and write to him/her! Write to your reader, not for your reader. Write as if you are talking to the person. Use the language as you would when talking to your friend. Forget about having proper grammar and linguistic structures for your paragraphs. Just get your thoughts and ideas down! If you are stuck in a particular chapter, move on to the next. Don’t force yourself to write that chapter and slow down the whole writing process. It is easier to come back and try writing that chapter again at some other time. You may have new thoughts and ideas which can help you proceed. An important point to remember here is DO NOT EDIT! Just focus on writing.
Most importantly, keep it simple! The average adult only reads somewhere around an 8th grade level, so don’t write as if you’ve just devoured two dictionaries and a thesaurus for breakfast! Write as if you were in a conversation with an average everyday person.
Editing your Work
Now is the time to re-read and edit your work. Read it through several times and be sure to check spelling and grammar errors. If it’s hard for you, the writer, to read and understand then it will probably be impossible to others!
Give it to a member of your family or a good friend and ask them to read it through and give you an unbiased opinion as to whether they understand it. If they don’t, why not? If necessary, re-write portions of the whole thing, then go through this step again.
Write the Table of Contents or Chapter Titles
The final step will be to either create a Table of Contents or go directly into creating your Chapter Titles. If you’re writing your information in the form of a how-to manual, you may want to use a Table of Contents. This will enable your readers to quickly locate important information. If you’re writing your information in the form of a book, then you can leave out the Table of Contents and simply use Chapter Titles.
Whether you’re using a Table of Contents or Chapter Titles, write your titles so that when they’re read, they tell the story. In other words, when you scan your titles they will give you a step by step description of what your information is all about.
Formatting the eBook
A badly formatted eBook will alienate readers more quickly than a badly designed print book. At best, it will look amateurish; at worst, it will be difficult to read or “navigate.” Fortunately, you can create a professional “look” with just a few simple Word commands. You’ll need to consider the following elements:
Choosing a Font
It’s best to use non-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica. Use a minimum of 10 points for your text, and 12 to 14 points for subheads. Keep in mind that the reader can increase the display size of your book when reading it onscreen. Since some fonts look better onscreen than in print, and vice versa, test your fonts both ways.
Margins
Use Word’s “Format: Document” command to set margins to a minimum of three quarters of an inch on all sides. You may wish to set top and/or bottom margins slightly larger if you plan to use a header and/or footer. Since eBooks don’t have “left” and “right” pages, turn off the “mirror margins” option.
Headers and Footers
Place a “running header” at the top of each page. The easiest approach is to simply include the title of your book and the page number. You can place this information flush left, flush right, or centered or place the title flush left and the page number flush right. We recommend using a slightly smaller font size for the header, and (if you like) using italic or bold. We also like to use the “border” command to draw a line between the header and the text. Another option is to put the title in your header and the page number in your footer.
To make sure that your header doesn’t appear on the first page of each chapter, you’ll need to use the “Insert: Break: Section: Next Page” command (rather than a page break) to separate chapters. Then, make sure that you’ve checked “different first page” in the “Format: Document: Layout” menu. You can also create a new header for each chapter (e.g., using the chapter title rather than the book title); to do this, turn off the “same as previous” option in the header command.
Adding Illustrations
One nice feature of an eBook is that it doesn’t cost extra to include photos, drawings, charts, etc. If you have a scanner, you can scan your own illustrations and convert them to .gif or .jpg files. A program like Photoshop will enable you to crop, enlarge, or reduce those images, or make other modifications. It will also enable you to save them at a lower resolution, thus reducing file size.
While Word does allow you to incorporate illustrations in your text, it’s not always easy to position them precisely where you want them. If you plan to use a lot of illustrations, you might want to consider using a desktop publishing program like Quark or Adobe PageMaker. When laying out photos or illustrations, be sure to leave an ample margin between the image and the surrounding text, and, where appropriate, include captions.
Last page(s)
The last page(s) of your eBook is a good place for an index, your bio, contact information, etc. It’s also a good place to include advertisements for any other eBooks or products that you are selling.
The Big Finale
Somewhere along the line you have to decide that your eBook is finished. There will always be something that pops into your head later on… that little snippet that you’ll wish you would have used. Don’t worry about it! You can edit your eBook and resubmit it to Iggler. We’ll always be glad to update the PDF on our site.
Creating the PDF from MS Word
To generate a PDF file, use the “print” command in Word and select the “Save as File” option under the “General” pull-down menu. Select “Acrobat PDF” as the file type and set “Destination” to “File.” Hit the “print” button and your document will be converted to a PDF file.
If you actually own Acrobat, you can add other useful features to your eBook. For example, you can automatically hotlink every URL in the text (be sure to include the http:// prefix on all URLS). We recommend underlining links or formatting them in a color, such as blue, so that the reader will easily recognize them as hotlinks. Don’t bother hot linking URLs in your original Word document, as these links won’t be retained in your PDF file. You can link your table of contents directly to the text. You can also import pages or files from other programs, including charts and illustrations. If you plan to import files, leave a blank page in your original document, to be replaced by the imported page; otherwise, your pagination will be incorrect. You can also set various protection levels for your book including a restriction on printing, though we don’t recommend this!
Submitting your finished eBook to Iggler.com
Finally, you’re done! I’m sure you have a great sense of accomplishment!? Everyone does when they finish their first eBook. Now it’s time to make some money! Fortunately, Iggler does this part for you 
Submit your eBook to Iggler at www.iggler.com/sell.html and earn 50% commission on your eBook. Now that’s worth the effort, huh?
About The Author
Dr. Iggler has created many e-books, novels, etc. and presently writes a weekly newsletters called Dr. Iggler’s Weekly Igglings for http://www.iggler.com. If you are interested in other writings by Dr, Iggler, please visit his site, signup for the newsletter, and browse his unique articles.
Writing an e-Book can be a very Daunting task, but by following this step-by-step guide, you’ll be a pro in no time! Not only that, but we should you how to make money with the e-book once it’s written! This is definitely one of the most comprehensive e-Book guides available.
Creativity & Sense: How to get the most value out of motivational books and seminars!
Posted on August 8, 2007
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If you’ve ever attended a great seminar, then you’ve suddenly felt confident enough to climb Mount Everest, lose ten stone of body fat in a week or start a political revolution. In the likely event that your newfound motivation dissipated shortly afterwards, here’s how to maximise the precious time and money spent on seminars, audio products and motivational books.
1. Take it away- When I visited New York City last year, a friend and I went to watch a Broadway musical. We loved the show and afterwards Girlfriend insisted we join a rather lengthy queue at the back of the room. “Surely we’ve got to have something to remember this by,” she said. It made absolute sense and in the end I scooped up a number of souvenirs myself. Memory is fickle so don’t expect to remember much of what you hear at motivational seminars. Take notes, buy the message on DVD or audio, or at the very least take home a branded pen to remember the day by. Every time I see the knick-knacks I bought in NYC I remember an aspect of the Broadway performance. Likewise, keepsakes from motivational events can help reignite your waning sparks of enthusiasm.
2. Replay- If you bought literature or compiled notes for yourself, make time to read and re-read them. Replay audio and DVD messages over and over until it penetrates your subconscious. The more you listen, the more detail you’ll pick up. If the teaching is useful, make time to take it in. Listen intently as you commute, do the washing up or work on the PC. Get creative with the way you manage your time.
3. Take small steps- Don’t get bogged by info overload. Practice whatever strategies you learn one step at a time. Pace yourself else you’ll get fed up altogether and give up on the quest for self improvement. Habits are formed over time and cannot be changed at the wave of a wand.
4. Be consistent- Stick with the program until you see significant and lasting changes. For instance, if a book has called your time management skills into question, keep consulting that book until you are able to manage your time more effectively over a period of at least 3 months. Likewise stick with the weight-loss DVD you bought until you learn not just how to burn fat but how to keep it off as well. If the material doesn’t work for you, find one that does but keep sight of your objectives no matter.
5. Pass it on- The best way to maximise your investment in motivational seminars and products is probably by sharing the valuable lessons you have learnt with others. Talk to family members, send (SPAM compliant) emails to colleagues, organise book readings at your house or have DVD nights in with friends. My husband and I attended a motivational event once and ever since have used some of the anecdotes to cheer each other up. By sharing the tickets with him, I’ve earned a free reminder service! When you pass something on, you get it back one way or the other so be sure to motivate others every little way you can.
According to http://selfhelpInc.com, the personal improvement industry turns over about $2.48 billion annually. Whether you work with a coach or walk the path of self development alone, be sure to maximise your precious time and money starting today.
About The Author
Ogo Ogbata is a writer and speaker who empowers people to create more fulfilling lives by discovering, developing and harnessing their many talents. An abundance of insightful articles, FREE resources and helpful tools are available on her site. Do you want to stay motivated long enough to do more with life? Visit http://www.creativityandsense.com right now!
Book Review: Don’t Hate Your Enemies Just Step On Them: The Art Of Loving People
Posted on August 7, 2007
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How many times have you been tempted to complain about other people? How many times have you ridiculed, complained at or been hurt by another person’s actions? Surely we all have dealt with these types of situations.
What is the best way to handle these situations in a God pleasing manner?
E.E. Jenkins has written a book that will help you deal with some of these destructive circumstances that you find yourself in. “Don’t Hate Your Enemies Just Step on Them” will have you looking at these situations differently. Is it really the person who you hate or is it their words and actions? It’s not really the individuals that are treating you this poorly.
There is only one to blame: Satan. Blaming certainly has been around since the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God has his reasons for putting these type of people in our lives for His purpose. In Romans 8:28 it is written “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
It sounds like a strange idea to actually love your enemies, doesn’t it? But do you realize that God tells us to do exactly that. It is written in I John 4:7-8: ” Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are getting to know him better. But if a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God - for God is love.”
“Don’t Hate Your Enemies Just Step on Them” takes a look at not judging others. It talks about making checks on yourself on how you handle these things. Complaining and its destructive damage is looked at in two chapters. The power of anger is given a chapter of its own. Looking at forgiveness and how forgiving you really are and what should motivate you to forgive others, this book has many great points.
One of the most helpful parts of this book that I found is the chapter entitled “The Power of Agreement.” E.E Jenkins gives the reader suggestions as to how to agree. “Disagreement is one of the key stumbling blocks that the enemy uses to perpetuate division.” E.E. Jenkins shares his acronym for AGREE which is definitely something that is worth remembering when involved in a relational dispute. He also gives you a chart of different oppositions and solutions which will help you look to the Word to help you develop a God-pleasing solution to dealing with angry and complaining people.
When being faced with destructive criticism or wondering why I must endure these type of people, I will certainly remember this book. I enjoy the way that E.E. Jenkins uses appropriate Scripture verses to get his point across. I would have to say this is a must-read for every Christian, from young to old. You too can love others rather than hating your enemies or circumstances!
E.E. Jenkins
Published by Milestones International Publishers (2006)
ISBN 0924748702
Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (4/07)
About The Author
Bishop Jenkins is the senior pastor and founder of the True Servant Worship & Praise Church, located in Trenton, New Jersey. He invites you to visit his site http://www.donthateyourenemies.com.
Will Audio Books Help to Solve The Literacy Related Problems of Education?
Posted on August 6, 2007
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The arrival of multimedia initially pushed the use of audio books as an educational tool into the background. Seen against the backdrop of a generation of young television addicts, it is hardly surprising that the already beleaguered literacy-related abilities of children were subject to yet another setback when audio books disappeared from the scene.
Several educators soon started adding two and two together, and came to the conclusion that in order to address the myriad of challenges associated with the decline in literacy, the underlying problem of listening skills needed to be addressed. As a result, audio books have yet again stepped to the fore and have regained recognition as valuable contributors in educational terms.
Many educators are downloading audio books from the web to address this issue. All the latest titles ranging from Narnia to Harry Potter are available as audio book downloads today. Because of the popularity of these stories, children need not be coerced into listening to these audio books. They look forward to story time – regardless of whether it is a part of the curriculum or whether it is the reward for a day’s work well done!
What is the educational value of audio books to children?
The very first value that comes to mind is listening skills. The first contact an unborn babe makes with the outside world while she is still in her mother’s womb is through hearing. After her birth, she uses hearing to acquire the skill to verbally communicate with others. This language skill she develops over the first few years in her life is her first step towards literacy.
The second contribution made by audio books, revolves around language ability. Children are bombarded with visual stimuli. Television, movies and the majority of educational toys available today, are all visual. In the absence of aural stimuli, such as those offered by audio books, listening skills become under-developed, impacting both language and literacy.
Audio books impose the need on the child to listen to the spoken word (language). In addition to improving the child’s grammar, it also improves vocabulary and elocution all of which underpin literacy. Audio books allow children the opportunity to create images in their mind’s eye. By stimulating a child’s ability to imagine, her ability for lateral thinking is also greatly enhanced.
The third benefit of audio books as an educational tool falls within the ambit of reading and comprehension. These are critical learning skills. Reading centers and laboratories report that as many as 80% of all students tested not only read at speeds 2 years or more below the levels required for their specific age groups, but also show a comprehension / retention of 65% and less. There are many different methods employed to assist enrolled students with recovering the ‘lost years’. Of note is the fact that some of these centers make use of audio books in conjunction with the readers they provide.
The students follow the written text in time with the audio books being played back to them. A visual / aural link is forged between the written word and the spoken word. Once this divide is crossed, tangible progress is made both in terms of reading speeds and comprehension. In addition to the hour or two spent at these centers per week, twenty minutes’ supplemental reading is required per day. Instead of issuing a student on the read-along program with a CD, many centers offer the student access to the appropriate audio book online.
How can parents help?
The answer is simple: Get them listening to audio books – sooner rather than later. Opportunities for listening to audio books abound. For smaller children, parents can play audio books in the car. For teens, consider allowing audio book downloads to their iPods and other Media Players. Compared against the printed medium, audio books procured in this way are relatively cheap. The range of titles available means that there is something for anybody. Even for the most ‘difficult’ of teens!
Although buying audio books may not be the biggest investment a parent can make in money terms, investing in audio books may well turn out to be the biggest in terms of value.
Bou Allem
http://www.spoken-books.com
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This article may be reproduced provided it remains unaltered and the author box is kept intact.
About The Author
Bou Allem is a former teacher, now a successful internet marketer and publisher, owner of the sites:
http://www.spoken-books.com
http://www.planet3000.info
My Favorite Books on Book Marketing and Promotion Every Author Must Read
Posted on August 5, 2007
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As a book marketing guy and book publicist it’s imperative for me to keep up with all of the great books and magazine articles being published on the topic of book marketing.
I’ve read dozens and dozens of books on book marketing and usually have found a morsel or two of useful information in each one. Here’s a list of my favorites. By the way, I’ve personally met or have spoken to each author and can attest to the veracity of the material they present and their credentials to discuss these topics.
PyroMarketing. Book marketing professionals know the secrets of success that drove the sales of Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life to a chart-busting best-seller and Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” into a huge cinema phenom. Those of us in the business understand that sales of both blockbusters were driven by techniques outlined in a book called PyroMarketing by Greg Stielstra who gained fame in book publishing circles when he served as the marketing director for The Purpose Driven Life, the best-selling hardcover book in history.
PyroMarketing embraces an idea that really has been in use for some time – niche marketing. That tool is well-known and used every day by book promoters but Stielstra lays out the niche marketing principles with a new, crystal clear message that is so compelling that it is a must-read for anyone who wants to promote an idea, service or product. Read my in-depth review and watch a short entertaining video on the concept at: www.westwindcos.com. Buy it at: www.pyromarketing.com.
The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion with a High-Tech Twist
This is an excellent “how to” book on the ins and outs of online book promotion and publicity focusing on the latest technology. Author Patrice-Anne Rutledge is a bestselling author, successful technology journalist, and online book promotion expert who has utilized online marketing techniques extensively to promote her books and writing career. Patricia plows new ground filling the gap in the book promotion marketplace with her highly focused book on bringing technology to the forefront in a book marketing campaign. “Web-Savvy Writer” is a MUST read if you want to utilize the most cost effective and viral methods in promoting your book like blogs, pay per click advertising, online reviews, ezines and more. After reading a few chapters you’ll soon realize what you don’t know about online marketing could fill volumes. She’s truly brilliant. Buy the online version of the book as it has hundreds of clickable links at: www.websavvywriter.com
John Kremer’s “1001 Ways To Market Your Books”
His 6th Edition published in 2006 describes more than 1000 ideas, tips, and suggestions for marketing books – all illustrated with real-life examples showing how other authors and publishers have marketed their books. John, who is a walking encyclopedia about book marketing says, “Eighty percent of all books are sold by word of mouth, but it’s publicity that primes the marketing pump. Remember that you cannot do everything, so hire the right persons to do the things you can’t do. If you’re not comfortable doing your own publicity, then hire someone who does it for a living.” I could not have said it better. Be sure to check out his seminars on book marketing held around the U.S. too. Find out about that and his book at: www.bookmarket.com
Author! Screenwriter! How to Succeed as a Writer in New York and Hollywood
I always enjoy talking with Peter Miller, President, PMA Literary Film and Management, Inc. He’s one of the “big” agents in New York City. Known as ‘The Literary Lion,’ he has successfully managed over 1,000 books and dozens of motion picture and television properties. From big names like Vincent Bugliosi to the “next big star” he’s had eleven New York Times bestsellers and eleven produced films that he has managed or executive produced. He likes to do “three book deals” once he gets a writer he likes. In addition, he has a substantial number of film and television projects currently in active development. He divides his time between New York and Los Angeles, and frequently tours the country to speak at writers’ conferences and workshops. His insight into the publishing world and Hollywood is priceless. Buy his book, but if you can see him in person do it and tell him I said hi! www.pmalitfilm.com.
I strongly recommend the purchase of MAXIMUM EXPOSURE Marketing System Book Marketing Training Program for Publishers and Authors by Tami DePalma and Kim Dushinski. This is a very well written resource that teaches authors all about marketing their book. For example they have a complete list of reviewers you can send your book to, sample timelines, lists of distributors and much more. You can stay on top of the changes in the market too as they keep it updated on their web site and blog. Believe me, if it’s not in here it’s not important. Buy it at: www.MX-TheMatrix.com.
Since understanding all of the money making opportunities with your book can be a daunting task, I also recommend that you purchase Jim Donovan’s How to Write, Publish & Sell Your Book and Turn it Into a Never-ending Money Machine. His system will teach you the inner workings of the book business and how to leverage your books so they generate substantial multiple streams of income long after they’ve been published. Jim Donovan’s books have been published in eighteen countries and are being read by hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world so he knows what he’s talking about. www.writepublishsellyourbook.com
Free Book! That’s right, Midpoint Trade Books, a major book distributor has published an excellent handbook which features seven keys that are important for independent publishers to understand and master. If you want a quick read on everything you need to know about publishing, printing, editing, marketing and distributing your book then this is the one. The importance of using a book marketing professional is stressed by author Eric Kampmann, President of Midpoint Trade Books. Says Kampmann, “Of course, there are many reasons why a book might become a success or even a bestseller, but we believe that the single best investment for you is an effective publicist.” The 7 Keys To Publishing Success can be downloaded at no charge at: www.midpointtrade.com
Here’s a Very Expensive Book… but well worth the price. Its called “The Insider’s Guide to Large Quantity Book Sales.” Quite literally exactly what the title implies. BTW, we’re talking thousands of books at a time! Do I have your attention? You’ll be very impressed by the insight provided in the material about selling your book in large numbers. You have useful contact information for book club buyers and more importantly how to pitch and position your book for consideration. It also has sample contracts and agreements which are easily worth hundreds of dollars in saved legal fees alone if you had your attorney draft the documents. Written and published by the Jenkins Group Inc, this book is the result of years of the author, Jerrold Jenkins, publishing and selling massive quantities of books. If you are serious about selling large quantities of books and want the inside tips from a publisher who does it every day, then make the investment and download the book at: http://www.specialmarketbooksales.com/
Author 101 Bestselling Book Publicity: The Insider’s Guide to Promoting Your Book–and Yourself. One thing about the book marketing and book promotion business is that there are so many nice people in the business. I rank Rick Frishman as one of the top publicists in the U.S. not to mention he’s a nice guy too! His book, co-authored by Robyn Freedman Spizman and Mark Steisel, offers advice and insight about every stage of the publishing world. Using testimonials and commentary, this book lets authors, agents, and publishers alike show you the things you should and shouldn’t do in promoting your book. Buy it at Amazon
Brian Jud’s “Beyond The Bookstore” is a terrific book about selling your book to everyone else other than a bookstore. I met Brian while co-presenting on a panel at a Learning Annex seminar in NYC on the topic of book marketing. I covered the topic of book publicity, he covered selling books. Brian Jud says since more than half of all book sales come from outside bookstores it’s important to target these markets. Mass merchandisers such as Wal-Mart or Costco, gift shops, airport stores, home-shopping networks, book clubs, libraries, network-marketing companies, catalogs, associations, government agencies, corporations, educational markets, retail stores and military branches all buy and sell books.
Brian walks you through creating a special sales plan, where to find the people you need to contact to make your pitch. If you really want to sell books outside the bookstore market then buy Beyond the Bookstore at: www.bookmarketingworks.com
Book Marketing A-Z by Francine Silverman. More than 300 authors, marketers and publicists, including yours-truly tell about their best promotional strategies with regards to book marketing. You’ll undoubtedly find several good ideas to implement. While you’re at it, check out Fran’s Book Promotion Newsletter which for $7.50 a year is the best value in book marketing in the USA. Buy her book here: www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com
There are many books out there on the topic of book marketing, book publishing and just plain everyday business marketing in general. You can read the ones I’ve described above but unless you want to spend days and weeks learning about book marketing, you might find it useful to retain an expert on book marketing or hire an experienced book publicist. I am sure that after you read two or three of these you’ll seriously question the idea of self promotion.
Why? The reason is that today’s book market is extremely competitive. The world is awash in books. Bowker (The keeper of all ISBNs) says that in 2005 more than 172,000 books were published in the United States, plus 206,000 published in the UK. How can Borders, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, your local library or anyone else effectively sell or showcase that number let alone the millions of previously printed titles? The answer: They can’t.
Furthermore, I do not recommend self-promotion, for the same reason you don’t cut your own hair. You can do it, but it’s not going to be that good. Book marketing and book promotion requires special skills and most authors simply do not know how to market a book nor do they have the time or, more importantly, the patience. A publicist develops and nurtures relationships with writers, editors and producers so they trust us when we give them a story idea about a book or author.
The bottom line: While I do recommend these books as a basis for understanding the book marketing and book promotion process a wise author would be even wiser to retain a book publicist to market and promote their book. If you come to the same conclusion please by all means give me a call!
About The Author
Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in book marketing and author publicity. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC Nightly News, The New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Family Circle, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few. To discuss how Westwind Communications helps authors get all the publicity they deserve and more call 734-667-2090 or email scottlorenz@westwindcos.com. For more information visit http://www.westwindcos.com/book