4 Reasons to Include Live Chat in Your Marketing Strategy

Any sensible entrepreneur will agree that merely making sales is not the ultimate goal in setting up a business. To be able to sustain the success of business, owners also need to ensure customer satisfaction as much as they can. One effective way of covering this base is by establishing reliable channels for customer assistance. Customers appreciate it when they see that a brand exerts considerable effort in making sure that every transaction is a happy one, and that the owner isn’t in the business just to earn money.

Providing assistance through live chat is one of the budding methods businesses are starting to integrate in their websites. A system that allows you to be of service to your customers through instant messaging, it’s a viable alternative to long-established practices such as phone and email support. If you’re the kind of entrepreneur who looks after your customers’ welfare, here are four reasons why you should offer them the live chat option and how it will help you stabilize your business on firmer ground.

1. It enhances customer experience

When it comes to shopping, customers prefer it if every step of the process is a breeze. From the selection of the one item they want, having it tested until they’re convinced, finally paying for it, to reaching the customer service hotline when they need aftersales assistance—customer seeks convenience when doing all of these. The part where live chat comes in is providing superior customer service in the most convenient means possible. By installing a live chat widget on your website, you can make it easier for your customers to reach you, especially those who don’t have access to a phone or whose concerns are too urgent for an email. While it’s still important that you offer other channels of assistance, live chat ensures that conversations happen in real time and customers are attended to with a sense of urgency.

2. It is convenient for you

One of the good things about giving your customers the live chat option is that it minimizes the possibilities of your representatives being verbally harangued by customers. Attending to customers is stressful enough, but going as far as placating irritated ones can take a toll on your staff. Although live chat doesn’t necessarily eliminate this scenario, it’s easier to handle customers through chat than listen to them screaming at the other of the line. Live chat also allows your customers to type the information they need, which means your staff doesn’t have to do all the work of encoding while paying attention to the customer. Your reps can then concentrate on the customer better without having to divide their focus.

3.It increases conversions

The presence of live chat revolves toward effectively engaging your customers here there is engagement,there’s also the possibility of increased sales. Much like when shopping in an actual store, a lot of customers prefer if there are staff that are always ready to render assistance. Customers seek the same experience when shopping online and live chat is a great way for you to help them navigate your website and your product/service catalog. Shoppers like it when their questions are answered immediately because it enables them to make buying decisions just as quickly. The sooner their inquiries are satisfied, the likelier it is for them to make a purchase and come back for a second time.

4. It gives you an advantage over competitors

The value of live chat support to business has been underrated for quite some time that not many entrepreneurs are keen on having it on their website. The thing is there are customers who tend to switch to other brands when they don’t find immediate assistance at the ready. Make live chat support your leverage over your competition in the business by enjoying the perks of such channel can do bring to your enterprise. By completing your customer service arm with the addition of live chat, you’ll have a better shot at giving your customers a gratifying experience.

The installation of a live chat support system in your website may cost you a few bucks but provided that you have a great product and even better staff to begin with, you’ll reap the benefits in no time. If you have experience in using live chat to cater to your customers, you can share with your tips below.

9 Signs You Are Writing In A Wrong Way

There are dozens of articles on the Web with different tips on how to become a good writer, what tricks to use to attract a new audience, what words and word expressions to use for your stories to sound better, etc. But why no one tells you how NOT to be a writer? Are you sure, you write all your articles and stories in a right way? Do your readers ALWAYS like the results of your writing? Do publishers always accept your works?

It is very easy to find the information about how to become a good writer. Everyone who writes a couple of words at least is proud to call himself an author already, and he believes that he has a right to advise others how to write like a pro. Maybe it would be better to tell about some signs, that will tell you are writing your stories in a wrong way and have a wrong idea about what a good author looks like? Well, we’ve tried to gather all these signs, and we are here to share them all with you.

So, you are NOT an author, if:

1. You do not write.

No comments. A writer should write. Your Twitter or Facebook posts do not work here, neither does your personal blog, where you share your thoughts about weather and mood. Certainly, a writer writes for himself first of all, but an author writes for people.

2. You write when you are in mood only.

Certainly, it is always better to write when you have inspiration and mood for it. But you will never become a writer, if you just sit and wait for this inspiration to come (it may not come at all actually). Your task is to train your creativity, and sometimes it means just sitting in front of your computer and forcing yourself to write something at least. The more you train yourself – the better results you will see soon.

3. You write for money only.

Writing is not about money actually. We doubt, that J.K. Rowling or E.L. James thought about millions of dollars to get out of their writings. They just wrote and shared their stories with people. Certainly, some chances are that your novel will become a bestseller, and you will have a chance to quit your job and rest at the Maldives for the rest of your life. But let it happen when it happens, and do not be in a hurry to leave everything for your writing. If you start thinking of writing as a way to earn money, your best ideas will be killed, as you will try to write only about something potentially commercial. It is not good for the process of creativity, is it?

4. You want to become the next Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, or E.L. James at least.

When you focus on someone’s success and try to do everything to repeat it, this is a wrong goal to focus actually. Even the worse thing is your attempts to copy the writing style of other writers and use the same ideas with a hope to become famous in such a way. This approach will never make you a good author, and the only thing you’ll get will be a degree of a plagiarist, or a lack of energy and ideas to continue your writing at least.

5. You do not read much.

Stephen King, a guru of all writers for sure, says that he can’t spend a day without reading. It inspires you, helps you understand the writing styles of other authors better, improves your own writing, gives you new ideas, helps you learn something new… Reading is just like food for a writer, and if you do not like this process, you have probably chosen the wrong occupation.

6. You always follow the rules.

Every genre has its rules of course, and when you write your story, you always try to follow them. But it does not mean you should be stuck there! Some rules exist to break them, and if you feel that your story will sound much better without some necessary aspects of a genre, do not be afraid to change something the way you feel it.

7. You can’t bear any critique.

The biggest mistake you can make being a writer is to ignore critique and think, that you are genius enough to write a perfect story without any critics at all. Yes, critique hurts, but if your ego is too tender to bear it, you will never be a successful writer. Only the strongest authors will survive, so, learn to accept critique and analyze it in a right way.

8. You talk about your writing more than you actually write.

Certainly, it is not bad to share some your ideas with your friends or family, but talking is still not writing. One can not be called a writer for his ideas only: we all have some imagination and ideas in our mind, but not all of us write books anyway. So, it would be better to write a page per day at least, than tell everyone about how cool your future book will become one day.

9. You believe everything people say

So, your uncle Fred likes your protagonist much. Your best friend Mark can’t help admiring the end of your story, but he would change the protagonist for sure. Michelle says, you would better make your protagonist a girl and change the end of your story completely…. Do not listen to all of them! There is no story in the world, that all people would like! Just listen carefully to all their remarks, and write your story the way you see it.
Do you recognize yourself here? If two or more items are about you, maybe it is high time to change your approach to your writing, and start doing it the way it will be better for both you and your readers? Good luck, and happy writing!

http://www.bookwhirl.com/blog/the-moonlight-emporium-by-violeta-sterner

From the author of Cold from the Inside Out comes the equally riveting sequel, The Moonlight Emporium.

Author Violeta Sterner continues the saga of the Ravenwood Clan in this second book. The Ravenwoods are finally getting their family settled but the adventures haven’t stopped.

Kate has to fix her head, so they made an appointment with the doctor. Though the results fascinated the doctor, these were not alarming. Gabe has healed nicely after the beating administered by Professor Gilbert, while Gilbert spent time in prison after he recovered from his beating by Ravenwood. When the new DA charged Ravenwood with attempted murder, Ravenwood broke his jaw when he would not keep his hands off Kate.

Come and enjoy with Ravenwood and Kate as they celebrate their wonderful wedding – and hear Ravenwood play the violin to surprise his beloved. Accompany Kate as she learns that she could calm the mares during the birthing process, just as she could calm the family.

But what role does Stella, who runs The Moonlight Emporium, home of Po’s Potions, play in the lives of the Ravenwoods? Read on to find out the exciting adventures and surprises the emporium has in stored for you.

About the Author

Violeta F. Sterner was a project manager for AT&T, Storage Tech, and IBM. She is no longer able to work due to a disability. She lives with her mother in Ballwin, Missouri.

Edie Bradley LaDuke’s Postal Blue Image

Postal Blue Image

The treasure of postal acclaim found its original concept during the same time as the tiny village of Rome was rising to its political heights. And this spread out from Europe through America and to the rest of the world. Even today, there is that notable honor specially given for these mail servicemen everywhere.

On September 21, 1963, one special mail lady crossed the rank and file of the postal blue to become the very first female foot letter carrier in this district, which included the states of Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. And she invites you to join her, using the mode of transportation: her pair of feet and the U.S. mailbag in her story. Come and walk a mile or two with her and take a rather keen look at the street life of a mail lady.

Are you ready to face the rain that comes with thunder and no umbrella in sight, with stinking socks and black toenails? Find out if you can survive the street life of a mail lady as you leaf through the pages of Postal Blue Image.

Edie Bradley LaDuke

As far back as one can go in a young child’s memory, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up! A newspaper reporter was top billing. And still today, 2008, I have mellow dreams. No money for college has destroyed many of a dream. Yet there are ways to rebuild that dream. Just ask me. My greatest accomplishments in life have been my second marriage to my beloved Frenchman, Kenny and the warm loving five children (Richard, Tommy, Steven, Billy and Theresa) I have from my first marriage. The love and support that Kenny showered upon me helped me to find the courage to become a college student. How proud he walked beside me that night I graduated from Indiana University with an Associate Degree in Journalism. My children and now their children have listened and shared their views in so many ways throughout all the years I have had the honor of having them to love. God has certainly blessed me. My cup runneth over! My hat’s off to all who have listened to me whenever I shared my wonderful memories. Your support and laughter is priceless.

At age 16, another goal began to take shape, ‘I wanted to write a novel one third as good as Gone With The Wind. What a lofty and notable challenge that was! I offer you for your reading pleasure Postal Blue Image. My computer and I now reside in The Hoosier State.

My Body My Baby by Irene Chain Kalinowski

When will women take back the power of childbirth? Woman, it’s your choice. It’s time to take charge of childbirth – and celebrate it!



The truth is not all women in today’s society have the choice around childbirth. And now is the perfect time to change that. Women should not be made vulnerable to the system. And that’s exactly what midwife-nurse Irene Chain-Kalinowski wants to achieve with her book, My Body My Baby.

This book educates women about the different perceptions and spin-off effects of medical interventions in childbirth. Oftentimes, women are vulnerable and busy taking care of their baby after their birth that they do not have time to complain. But they do need to find time to do that. The media release needs to highlight that women deserve the right to free and informed choices.

In this experiential, insightful and empowering read, the author has indeed re-echoed the voices of countless women throughout history, calling for every woman to be able to choose where she births, to have control of her experience, and to be given healthy choices.

Overview

The truth is not all women in today’s society have the choice around childbirth. And now is the perfect time to change that. Women should not be made vulnerable to the system. And that’s exactly what midwife-nurse Irene Chain-Kalinowski wants to achieve with her book, My Body My Baby. This hopes to give childbirth back to women so they can make informed choices and celebrate them.

“You need to be well informed throughout your entire childbirth experience and only then can you make healthy choices,” adds Chain-Kalinowski. “After all it is ‘Your Body and Your Baby’.” And this book does just that. It allows women to take charge of childbirth – and celebrate this experience.

Oftentimes, women are vulnerable and busy taking care of their baby after their birth that they do not have time to complain. But they do need to find time to do that. The media release needs to highlight that women deserve the right to free and informed choices. In this experiential, insightful and empowering read for expectant mothers, the author has indeed re-echoed the voices of countless women throughout history, calling for every woman to be able to choose where she births, to have control of her experience, and to be given choices.

About the author

Irene Chain-Kalinowski was born 21 July 1956, Rotherham, South Yorkshire England. She has been a practising midwife for 32 years and has worked in both hospital and community settings. Kalinowski is protective of women’s rights which promote the principles of partnership, protection and participation. She has worked in both hospital and community settings and been exposed to multicultural environments.
A registered nurse and midwife, she practices in a holistic midwifery health care setting that creates healthy mothers where medical intervention and referrals are rarely required, women are empowered to take charge of their health and birthing experiences are celebrated.

You can purchase a copy of My Body My Baby through these online bookstores:

Bookwhirl | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

When is Enough, Enough? by Morongwa Makakane

“Clearly, entrepreneurship is not for everyone. But if you’ve always wanted to know if you have what it takes, this step-by-step guide to launching a business is highly readable and highly recommended. Industry trade associations will want to consider recommending it to prospective business owners.” – Blue Ink Review 

“Some of the most useful counsel a would-be business owner can get is from a person who started a small business and failed. It is this individual’s unique perspective on what can go wrong that creates a valuable learning experience. This is one of the primary reasons Morongwa Makakane’s honest, authentic When is Enough Enough? stands out among many books targeting entrepreneurs.” – ForeWord Reviews



Starting and running a business is a responsibility that must be taken seriously, and must be implemented using proven step-by-step methods to ensure long-term sustainability. And that is definitely not an easy feat.
Learn ten things aspiring entrepreneurs need to know to start and run a successful business
.
Based on the author’s true story of her life: her failed business and the mistakes she made that led her business to close down and left her highly indebted, this self-help business book contains tips on what to do and what not to do, to ensure that aspiring entrepreneurs can start and run viable, profitable and sustainable business. It’s a practical, inspirational handbook that provides insights into the things that must be put in place, and be done, to ensure that an entrepreneur achieves their dreams and goals.

“The book is also essentially about making personal change, it’s about not giving up when you have experienced a failure, it’s about taking responsibility for your actions, and recognising that true change comes from within,” says the author.

Even though the book is about how to start and run a successful business, each and every chapter is a life lesson in itself…

Morongwa Makakane

Morongwa Makakane is an outgoing, goal oriented, self motivated strategist and talent management expert, specialising in Organisational Transformation in the areas of Change Management, Business Strategy and People Development in South Africa. Having owned a small business, which was one day, very successful, and the next day, saw it crumbling in front of her eyes, she uses her experiences in this book to educate all aspiring entrepreneurs of the things that need to be done, most of them overlooked in running a small, and successful business. Morongwa is also an accomplished inspirational speaker, who authentically interacts with her audiences. Optimistic and resilient, she believes in showing people, through practical strategies and her personal life-stories, how to succeed where they have failed and how to rise above the difficulties and challenges in business and in life.

You can purchase a copy of When is Enough, Enough through these online bookstores:

Xlibris | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

How To Publish A book: Self-publishing VS. Traditional Publishing

Aspiring writers who seek to get the voice in literary industry have their own distinctive goals and guidelines to follow along the way.  Most importantly, they all first need to have a craft well done and be published before they can pursue their paths towards becoming successful authors.

Your next concern will be as to how and where are you going to start. You’ve got 2 options before you can be called an author: either you will start securing a contract from an established publishing house and do the traditional publishing; or you can work with a self-publishing company to get your book published.

Whichever way you feel comfortable in pursuing; still, there is always a need for you to know the basics on how to self-publish your book and how to publish it the traditional way. So here is the overview of both.



TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

You’ve got the book and now you’re ready to have it published. Consider these basics steps on how you can do the traditional way of establishing yourself as an author in the market.

• Identify the right category for your book

Classifying the right category for your book helps you decide whether which company or publisher you would like to send your book proposal to. In an instance that you want your non-fiction book be published traditionally, you will need to submit a book proposal along with sample chapters of your book to publishers which deal the specific genre of your book. Also, you need to include the description of your book and your potential readers. In cases of fiction books, it is a must that you complete first your manuscript before contacting any publishers and send them a query letter stating your high interest to get your book published.

• Secure a contract

Granting that you have found an agent who can help you publish your book or the right publisher of your book, you should next consider acquiring a contract with them. But of course, it only happens when they accept the book proposal you sent them. After all, publishers have the full discretion whether to accept or reject your proposal. If your book is lucky enough to be considered for publishing, they will send you a contract.

• The publisher prints, publish, and sell your books

Acquiring a contract from a publishing company is a great payoff to all your hard work in traditional publishing. Once you can secure one, the publisher will start printing your manuscript and publish it. The publishing company will also take in-charge of marketing and selling your work to different bookstores, distribution, and warehousing for your book. Traditional publishers also help an author promote his books for 3 months before an author has to do book promotions by his own.

SELF-PUBLISHING

• Complete your book

Well, of course you need to have your manuscript complete as the foundation of your journey towards self-publishing. Having your work complete means that from the cover, text, design, and formatting– you should see to it that you have all what you think it needs to be ready. In self-publishing, you are responsible for your every action. You need to make sure you have edited your work a couple times before moving forward. You might need the help of professionals for fees. These include professional editors and self-publishing companies offering essential services.

• Print your book

When your book is ready, you can start printing your work or contact a self-publishing company to do it for you. You shoulder the expenses in printing. Some publishing companies have different service levels in publishing your work such as black and white and colored. Of course, their prices differ based on the quality.

• Market your book

In self-publishing, you have all the control on what kind of promotional materials you can apply for your book. When it’s already published, your next step is to market your book so that you can start gaining the profits from your endeavor. You can start from simple platforms to market your book such as community forums and exhibits where you get the chance to talk about yourself and your work. You can also take advantage of any book marketing services offered by different self-publishing companies.

Whether your option is the traditional way or self-publishing, there is a common responsibility addressed to authors in both ways—promoting your book. Either way, you take the responsibility of kicking some promotional effort to get sales. Traditional publishers do offer help any author promote his/her book such as sending your book to reviewers and securing some media ads for you in a specific span of time. In self-publishing, you get all the control of time, money, and effort to promote your book. The span of time of your book exposure online is also not limited.

At the end of the day, it is still your choice as to what way you think that best fits the kind of book you have. Take your steps as early as now and get published.

Best Self-Published Fiction Books of All Time

1. Fifty Shades trilogy by E.L. James

Fifty Shades trilogy has sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. The publication of the book started on the author’s website as she started out writing fan fiction stories. Fifty Shades of Grey was self-published through a small Australian company, which released it on eBook and print-on demand. Her passionate fan base had driven the book to extreme levels of popularity.

2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

By the end of its first year in publication, Gone Girl had sold over two million copies in print and digital editions. This self-published book has become the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller list for eight weeks. Further, it was also twenty-six weeks on National Public Radio’s hardcover fiction bestseller list.

3. Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

This self-published book has sold over a million copies of her books, primarily in eBook format, making the author a widely considered the exemplar of self-publishing success in the digital age.

4. Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman’s sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer’s disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova. This self-published book spent over 40 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, sold over a million copies in print, chosen as one of 30 titles for World Book Night 2013, and has been translated into over 25 languages.

5. The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

The Christmas Box is an American fiction and was self-published in 1993. It became the first book to simultaneously reach the No.1 position on the New York Times bestseller list for both the paperback and hardcover editions. That same year, the book was made into a television movie.

6. Invisible Life by Harris E. Lynn

Just a few years ago, E. Lynn Harris was selling his self-published novel Invisible Life out of the back of his car. Today, he is a bestselling publishing sensation, having more than one million copies for the book. Invisible Life has been hailed as “one of the most thought-provoking books and is adapted into motion picture screen jointly produced by Edmonds Entertainment and Proteus E2 productions.

7. Bared to You by Sylvia Day

With almost a half-million copies sold in the U.S. in six weeks, foreign rights sold in 26 territories, and twelve weeks and counting on national bestseller lists, Bared to You is one of the fastest selling books in the country. The novel was initially self-published on April 3, 2012 by Day. The book is a 2012 New York Times best-selling erotic new adult romance novel.

8. The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan

The Mill River Recluse, a self-published fiction book has become a word-of-mouth e-book sensation. With nearly 700,000 copies sold, the book appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists for 30 weeks and became a heartwarming favorite of readers across the country.

9. Wool Series by Hugh Howey

Wool Series has sold half a million copies. It is #1 Bestseller on Amazon and Winner of Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Book of 2012 Award.

10. The Wedding Gift by Marlen S. Bodden

As a self-published book, The Wedding Gift sold over 140,000 e-books. This novel started out as a self-published e-book but when it made its way to the top of the Amazon bestseller list, this top-selling self-published author won an international book deal.

Successful self-published authors have their own secrets on how they are able to reach the peak of self-publishing triumph. For some, they use their intellect and creativity in making decisions while they pursue the path of becoming their own publishers of their work. For some, focus is always the greatest starting ground. Consequences of your decisions differ based on your reasons as to why you self-publish. It is a matter of time, effort, and good decision-making. So, decide what seems so suitable to your publishing and book marketing needs and get that recognition that these authors have reached.

House of Mirrors by Debbie Boswell

 

Love, friendship and forgiveness intertwine in this fictional story of pain and revenge.

To the town of Gordonville, the Crandalls are a respectable Christian family. But inside the house, trouble and danger abound…

Meet Jenna Crandall, a docile public relations receptionist with an exceptional talent for art. But she carries with her some heavy baggage – the mental and emotional abuse by her mother and sisters. Jenna suffers in silence and only her best friend, Rosa Garrison, knows the truth and has the solution to her problem: kill her mother and sisters. However, Jenna won’t hear of it until she reaches her breaking point. Find out what she’s planning inside the House of Mirrors.

Unravel the hidden scandals with families and the lengths people go through to portray a pristine persona while hiding the truth about themselves and/or their families in author Debbie Boswell’s second book.

Debbie Boswell

Debbie Boswell has a B.S. in accounting and an Enrolled Agent license (E.A.). She is also the owner/manager of Crafts by Grace, a cottage industry in which she makes candles, soap and designs T-shirts. Debbie co-wrote and co-produced her first screenplay, OPEN/CLOSE, through the Brooklyn Young Filmmakers Center. House of Mirrors is her second novel. Debbie resides in Brooklyn, NY where she was born and raised.

Dick Rose Book Collection

Dick Rose was born in Chicago, IL. August 16, 1931. He attended school in Chicago through the tenth grade before moving to Los Angeles, Cal., in 1947. He finished high school in 1949 and graduated from Los Angeles City College June 14, 1951, one day before entering the Navy.
Though he had tried to enlist in the Army in August 1950, at the outbreak of the Korean War, he was classified as 4-F. By June 1951, as the Korean War entered its sixth month of stalemate, he was re-classified 1-A. His patriotic ardor somewhat dimmed, he opted for Naval Service.

He entered naval service as a radioman and was assigned to the USS Pollux, a supply ship home ported in Yokosuka, Japan in March 1952. A year later, he found out about the recently formed Journalist rating. He applied for the Class A Journalism School and was selected to attend. Following graduation in September 1953, he found himself back in Yokosuka, on the staff of Commander Naval Forces, Far East in the History & Awards section, preparing a month-to-month history of the Navy’s participation in Korea.

He left the Navy in May 1955, attended UCLA, and married Barbara Feder. Bored with the study of 17 century English writers, he re-entered the Navy in February, 1956. He was assigned to the News Department of Armed Forces Radio, Taiwan, in Taipei. He was the news director, newscaster three times a day, and hosted a couple of musical shows.

In November 1956, his daughter, Debbi, was born in Taipei.

Successive tours of duty from 1959-1965 found him advancing in rate, serving in Seattle, Washington; Hollywood, California; and Pt. Mugu, California.

In 1965, he returned to Japan and Armed Forces Radio to head the news bureau at Far East Network, Tokyo. A promotion to Senior Chief Petty Officer brought a sooner-than expected transfer to Saigon, Vietnam, on the staff of Commander US Naval Forces, Vietnam.

In Vietnam, he was the senior enlisted man and officer supervisor for a 12-man contingent of navy journalists and photographers. He supervised their assignments to Navy detachments throughout the country, primarily in the Mekong Delta, south of Saigon. During his one-year tour, he participated in fourteen combat missions on attack helicopters, river patrol boats, and with the U.S. Marine Corps-trained Vietnamese commandos, service which earned him the Navy Commendation Medal with combat “V.”

It was during this service, as he personally observed the progress of the war, attended press briefings for news media correspondents, read situation and action reports, read the English language version of Saigon newspapers, and listened to his fellow servicemen of all four services, that his disillusion began.
He finished his Navy career in Coronado, California, on the staff of Commander Amphibious Force, US Pacific Fleet. Further contact with returning servicemen as well as conscientious objectors who were assigned to the commander’s staff while awaiting their processing out, sharpened his concern over the war. After 3/12 years of absence, his return to the United States in October, 1968 had introduced him to the increasing opposition to war.

Following his retirement as a Master Chief Journalist in 1971, he entered San Diego State University, earning a BA with honors in English in 1972, and an MA in 1975. While in school, he realized that he had to tell his story, his view as a participant, and as a disillusioned career navyman.

The story became his Master’s Thesis, Moveable Forts and Magazines, re-published as Tarnished Brass Curtain: A Novel of Vietnam, about the Vietnam experience. In it, he was able to dramatize the contradictions and doubts faced by a dedicated and loyal Navyman. It also allowed him to explore alienation, the outsider status he had always felt as a Jewish second generation American in a WASP-oriented society. The book was a finalist in the 2011 National Independent Press Excellence Awards in the military fiction category.

In 1997, he and Barbara retired from the IRS. They moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in January, 2000, where he continued to write, tend his rose bushes and koi pond waterfall, and prepare occasional tax returns.
Though he had many news stories and feature articles published in military and civilian newspapers and magazines, and wrote an award-winning radio drama in 1966 saluting the Hungarian Freedom Fighter, he remains focused on Vietnam. He was active in Vietnam Veterans of America, where he served in various chapter offices, and edited a newsletter, Frontlines. He was also a contributing editor to the VVA California State newspaper, The California Zephyr.

Throughout his post-Navy career, he wrote humorous newspaper columns for various VA and community newspapers, under the title Through Rose-colored Glasses.

In November, 2012, he published a collection of articles, stories and poems about Vietnam, written while there, and afterward, entitled “Vietnam: Through Rose-colored Glasses” This book won Honorable Mention in the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Book Festival in the mixed-media category and a Bronze Medal in the Current Events military category of the Independent Press (IPPY) 2013 contest. His latest book, a collection of short stories, “Did You Ever Try to Melt a Lemon Drop?” won the 2012 MANA 1st Prize Sunrise Writers Contest and is expected to be published by MANA in June, 2013. Barbara died in 2007, and Dick and his daughter, Debbi, now live in Henderson, Nevada.

What Really Matters by Dr. Ralph Redding

Meet Zeke the zebra, who sees his reflection and gallops off on an adventure to learn about the color of his skin.

Set in the African savanna, the story begins as Zeke wonders whether he is a black zebra with white stripes or a white zebra with black stripes. In his search for answers, his animal friends’ opinions have only made him feel confused and inferior. Perflex, Zeke decides to approach his wisest friend, Matilda the elephant. With Matilda’s sensible words, Zeke soon discovers that color or physical appearance is unimportant, as long as one realizes what really matters.

Celebrating the diversity of our human race, this thoughtful fable offers young readers a simple and clear explanation of how differences in physical appearances do not matter, because What Really Matters! is the personality or inner character with each of us.

About the Author

Ralph Redding was raised in Lethbridge Alberta, Canada. After graduating from the public school system, he attended the University of Alberta for both his undergraduate and medical school training. He got additional medical training in London and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He then moved to New England with his family and taught pulmonary medicine at Brown University. He is the author of fifty scientific and medical articles, and this is his first children’s book.

The most significant event in his life was the discovery of bone cancer at age thirty-five, which prompted amputation of his left shoulder, arm and some ribs. His survival and recovery spurred him into newer interests such as death education for medical students, and participation in the early development of hospices, both in Miami, FL, and Tulsa OK, where he practised medicine for fifteen years.

He is now retired in New Bern, NC, and lives with his wife, Beverlee. Married for 38 years, they share six children between them, and twelve grandchildren. In New Bern, they started a free clinic that provides medical attention and medicines to un-insured low income individuals.

The House of Sand by Terrence Douglas

Witness The House of Sand trickle down in this allegorical novel, replete with humor, about those consumed by self-interest, greed and ambition who rule a fictional desert, located in the middle of the Empty Quarter.
Follow Aziz as he reluctantly agrees to lead a caravan across the treacherous sands at the village merchants’ urgings, anxious to capitalize on a royal wedding. The journey is as difficult as Aziz predicted and the travelers nearly lose their lives, but for the sudden eruption of water from the empty sands. And it is this water that serves to finance the future Kingdom of Aquifia.

Proclaimed unanimously king by the survivors of the near tragedy, Aziz abdicates as soon as possible, turning power over to Sultan, his self-absorbed son, upon the latter’s return from Clatterbush Military Academy in the U.S. which he has been studying. Accompanied by a respected alumnus, the now-King Sultan begins his reign. Foreign businessmen rush to the kingdom, anxious to satisfy the king’s every whim—agreeing to build at exorbitant cost the vessel dubbed the boat that would not float, organizing a safari in the bush to include dancing girls for Sultan’s pleasure, to recreating a water park in the desert for his entertainment as well.

As the Kingdom approaches its demise, Aziz, the once-king, retakes the reins of power from his son, and leads the citizens and businessmen across the desert to safety just as a huge sinkhole swallows up what was once the Kingdom of Aquifia.

“…Sharp satire with crisp, intelligent writing and spot-on characterizations.” – Kirkus Reviews
You can purchase a copy of The House of Sand through these online bookstores:

iUniverse
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Book Marketing Ideas You Should Apply

Writing a book and being one of the famous authors in the world do not only happen because you’ve accomplished and published your craft. It happens because people get to know you and your work and that brings you to that fame. Therefore, to simply write a book is not enough because in order to get that name in the literary world and be popular would mean that your book or books should in return, give you that prize you deserve. These are in the forms of book sales and profits, which are acquirable only when you take the risks and do whatever it takes to attain that goal.
Book marketing is simply an absolute and a must for you to get out of your way and to slowly grab and gain these profits. Though authors have different book marketing ideas, there are strategies that are commonly seen and done by top-selling authors of today.

Advertise your book

You need not to just sit there and wait for the results because it is essential that you do your own way to sell your books. It doesn’t matter how. So long as you know you are featuring your books in all activities in your life. Perhaps, you can talk about your book in local forums in your community or you can write a blog about your book online—that is still advertisement without necessarily hurting your pocket.

Use the Internet

I agree with the fact that authors, especially self-published authors, find it challenging to understand the kind of marketing effort that can surely fit their books. But the Internet has created an environment in which everyone can compete on a much more level playing field. Just be savvy on how to gain the readers’ interest and study the different skills that can be useful online because your prospect buyers might just be there, waiting.

Build your platform

You can build your platform even when you start the advertising campaigns for your books. In most cases, you can do it using the social media because you can be sure that through making some noise in these sites can gain attention from their thousands and even millions of visitors and viewers.

Reach out to your readers

Know who and where are your interested followers. Among the proven effective ways to communicate well with your readers so as to know their needs is to build a mailing list. This enables your readers to be informed of your new blog posts, book signings, and all other activities you plan to do. According to Lori Culwell, founder of BookPromotion.com, it is important that you, as author would develop an audience of people who like your writing to boost book sales even on the first day you are selling your book. In most cases, the word-of-mouth promotion from the readers and buyers follow.

Communicate with your fans

It is also a way of saying you are reaching out to your readers but to make it more personal is proven effective book marketing idea. Never ignore your fans or readers who write comments on your blogs or advertisements online because they can be your future purchasers. In a recent online survey of 141 people about what and why they buy books, 78% of the respondents said they buy self-published books and 42% of those who buy self-published books have claimed that they buy the books because they know the author and/or illustrator and so, they want to express full support. So, appreciate every reader/fan’s comments and their ideas by saying thank you through a personal e-mail.

Get influence from popular authors

There are these popular names such as James Patterson whose book earned $91 million between June 2012 and June 2013, Suzanne Collins, whose book, “The Hunger Games” has put her on the top 3 best-selling authors recognized by Forbes. These authors are just among the many who have earned millions because they have come up with the right book marketing ideas for their books at the right time. Find out more popular names in the market and study their distinctive techniques to acquire the same fame. Examine how these authors reach their fans online and how their books have put them in that place of fame.

Make it a personal commitment

Start committing yourself the moment you just start thinking about writing a book. Know your objectives as to why you plan to write and what makes you so eager to be an author. Doing that can help you create a focus on every single campaign you do for your book—one step after the other. Make sure that every correspondence you make for your readers doesn’t only revolve around the profits you can get from them. It is always important that you build their trust towards you which can lead to a better branding for yourself and your book.

Myths on Self-Publishing: The Truths and Consequences towards Book Marketing

In the vast and mostly challenging world of publishing, there are hundreds and even thousands of contradicting stories as to why the number of authors today who decide to self-publish their crafts is increasing. Why not? They have found a lot of reasons and advantages especially with the word “control” for their books.

We can dig dipper unto the usual reasons why do authors shift into self-publishing. Let’s find out what are mainly the myths and the truths behind them which affect self-published authors’ successes.

Myth #1: Self-Publishing only fits for Bad Writers.

“Very Bad Things” by Ilsa Madden-Mills

With the increasing popularity of self-publishing among authors, they now have that option to wait for two years or six months before their work can be considered for publication. Two years is the standard waiting period when an author chooses the traditional publishing while six months for self-publishing. When an author doesn’t want to wait that long in order for his book to be published, that doesn’t mean he is a bad writer. If it means that way, then the self-published book, “Very Bad Things” by Ilsa Madden-Mills can’t be featured as bestselling book by Goodreads, Amazon, and anywhere online.

The truth is that self-publishing used to be the place of an uncertain gamble for some authors who would pay a huge amount of money to print his book and fulfill his own orders. But today, things have changed with the Internet, digital readers, and the concept of print-on-demand (POD). Authors have also gone out with their own ways to promote their books and the fact that there are self-published books that sold millions of copies prove that these authors do not shift into self-publishing because of their quality issues as writers.

Myth #2: Readers are not interested with self-published books.

The truth is that all readers in all walks of life choose to read good books no matter if they are published traditionally or self-published. The reading public are, on the whole, also consumers like us who want to get the worth of every penny we spend. And so, even if a book is self-published yet good, informative, and interesting; people would love to purchase and read it.

As of the 3rd week of August 2013, self-published books, “Wicked Firsts,” by six independent authors: Elisabeth Naughton, Alexandra Ivy, Cynthia Eden, Laura Wright, Katie Reus and Joan Swan and “Ruin,” by Rachel Van Dyken are the first and second best-selling books featured at USA Today. In fact, this is not the first time that these authors have topped the list. This shows that when they were able to grab the readers’ interest towards their books from the very beginning, then the next time around would be easier for them to sell their books to these people. People would simply find them and buy their books because there is already trust built towards the quality of their work.

Myth #3: Standard quality of self-published books’ production is vividly low.

In the earlier period of self-publishing evolution, there might have been a visible inconsistency between the huge conventional publishing houses and self-publishing companies. But that is no longer true today.
Through the Print-on-Demand (POD) and e-books, and the power of the Internet, self-published authors are now having a lot of options that they can do for their books—professional editing, formatting, and cover art designing so that the quality of the books they want to self-publish can equal the quality of those that are traditionally published.

Myth #4: Most self-published authors can’t get their works into big chain book stores and that hinders their successes.

Long time ago, huge book stores were the only primary places where people can buy their favorite books and where students can purchase their textbooks. But that is no longer true today. In a recent poll about book buying habit of the readers conducted online in August 2013 by “Drowning in You” author, Rebecca Berto, 74% of her 104 respondents said that they prefer buying books online while 49% choose to read e-books.

This only shows that people nowadays buy books where they are comfortable of doing so without necessarily driving away from their homes just to look for bookstores. Further, younger generation of today generally prefers the comfort downloading and reading books through their computers and through the use of any other downloading program they are comfortable with.

Myth #5: Self-published authors are doing their own ways of promoting their books and that hinder their success.

Fact is that even the traditional publishers do ask authors to do tours to promote their books, interviews through newspapers and television, and book signings. Those writers who are going the traditional way of publishing their books are also asked to submit their book marketing plan.

It is therefore a must for every author to come up with a strategic book marketing plan because for any author, book promotions are important to drive book sales.

Many believe that all self-published authors only self-publish because they were rejected over and over again by big publishing houses and book agents from the traditional companies. Some have continued to think that way but these successful self-published authors I’ve mentioned prove that anyone can be successful when you choose to believe in yourself and the story you intend to unfold. Success in self-publishing doesn’t count on how many times you were rejected but rather what book marketing strategy do you do in order to achieve it.

Whisper of the Flame A Book of Rev. Kemi Nahal

It’s time to hear the Whisper of the Flame. Let Rev. Kemi Nahal open the door for you to discover once again the illuminating inner flame that shines ceaselessly within your heart and soul. Find your infinite connection to the source of your existence – your Creator, God the Almighty.

How? By embarking on this magical inner journey deep within the core of your being… There is an enchanted place there that’s waiting to be explored.

Based on the author’s personally experienced countless spiritual events and conversations with the Flame, this book hopes to enhance and help readers become aware of and reconnect to their Essence Life. As we walk our Sacred Journey on this Earthly Plan, we must keep in mind that this journey is not just on the physical level, it is an Inner Journey, unseen, yet can be seen and reached, and be fully connected with, where indeed, it exits on the higher realms and the higher dimensions. It is ‘Only A Whisper Away’… for us, to the true meaning of our life – To become aware of God’s omnipresence and consciously Live with God.

Rev. Kemi Nahal

Rev. Kemi Nahal was born and raised in Israel. She started to play the Classics Piano from the Age of 4, and studied Classic Piano for 12 years at the ‘SHOR’ music school. When she became a teenager, she started to study Jazz piano with Professor Ztvi Karen in Tel Aviv and 5 years with Pisi Osherovitz. She also underwent Vocal Training for over 10 years with a great Opera Tenor Mr. Antonio Cohanov and a much known Soprano Singer who sang with Placido Domingo– Mrs. Judith Taylor Alexandrovitz.

When she graduated from the Academy of Music, she produced and released her original 11 music CD and in the midst of recording her 3 new CDS and about to release her 2 new books with A Rose and The Bridge of Light.

She lives in New York and performs her spiritual works. All her service works are dedicated to God and every time she writes; she asks HIM to be that voice that carry her on and write her words. Her desire to help, heal, and open the hearts of the people for them to breathe God in themselves is her inspiration to have been able to write her spiritual books, especially with her Whisper of the Flame.

Author Jean Jacobs Fort shares A Slice of Life and Trouble

Jean Jacobs Fort

Born in big family of eight siblings, Jean had an abundance of inspiration for writing. Jean’s stories are mostly about her family.
Jean just turned 75 but her age was never a hindrance to fulfill simple and heartwarming dreams like publishing two books. Her first published book entitled “A Slice of Life” is a compilation of Jean’s stories and poems. On the other hand, her second published book which she titled “Trouble” was dedicated to her great grandchildren. He wrote those two books after taking a class in creative writing.
On her free time, Jean loves to read and solve crossword puzzles. She believes that these creative activities will make her mentally alert.
Married to Bill for 57 years, they are blessed with three sons, four grandchildren, and three greatgrands.
Author Jean Jacobs Fort shares A Slice of Life and a little Trouble along the way to give some color in your reading time.

A Slice of Life

Enjoy A Slice of Life as you get to know the author in this collection of short stories, essays and poetry about rural Arkansas where she was born, raised and lives.It will bring back memories of yesteryears before there was electricity, modern plumbing, television, computers, cell phone or McDonalds. There are stories about families of now and then. There is humor, a little of the whimsical and the grief that touches all of us one time or another.
Smile, laugh and shed a tear as you follow her down this road we call life.
You can purchase a copy of A Slice of Life from these online bookstores:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author House

Trouble

Meet a little calf named Trouble and his friends, a little calf named Rosie and crow named Jake. They live on a farm, Shady Acres, owned by Mr. Fort who is forever getting the little calves out of the trouble their curiosity gets them into. Not only does Trouble try Mr. Fort’s patience, he also tries his Mother’s. In spite of all his good intentions and promises to be good, curiosity wins and Trouble is in trouble again.
What trouble will Trouble get into? Find out in this engaging fable.
You can purchase a copy of Trouble from these online bookstores:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author House

Print vs. Digital: Advantages and Disadvantages

The Print

Printed books revolutionized the world nearly 600 years ago and since then, they have influenced every part of the world specifically in cultures, science, inventions, imaginative thoughts and every person’s intellect through these materials’ power to share ideas and information.

Tangibility
Choosing print copy of a book is opting for prolonged existence and tangibility. It has the ability to be seen forever in the shelves with your other books.

Readability
The fact that print books are professionally printed and bound in the standard 8.5”x5.5 easy-to-hold book format, for the devoted print book readers, these books are much easier to read compared with those electronic forms.

It’s for everyone
Even the non-computer literate readers and members of the family will find no worries when they want to read. They can always opt for print books.

Understandability
Printed books can help you understand more easily. Readers reading printed book can put mark and can take notes so that they can easily understand what the writer wants to say.

No batteries needed
What you only need is your print book and you can start enjoying whatever the book has to offer you. Print books don’t require you to charge the battery of your device so you can start gaining the information and benefits they offer.

No need for an e-reading device
Of course you need an electronic device for you to read an e-book. With print books, you don’t need it. If you find yourself stuck in a place and want to read but you can’t download a new title through your device, you can just drop by the nearest bookstore and buy the book that interests you.

Reading print books is to keep the traditional zone—the comforting smell of paper or the weight of a good book. However, if you are a fast reader and want to read more books, you might need more space in your shelf. And when you are travelling, you can’t bring the whole shelf with you. Print books are printed the standard way so when they are at your hand, there is nothing that you can adjust for your convenience, such as the fonts’ color and sizes.

It turns out that e-books have these certain advantages.
Some years earlier, Bob Brown has come up with the idea of the e-reader through his book, The Readers. But it was in 2010 that e-books boomed and continued to gain sales along with the increasing volume of e-book readers. Some authors who were rejected by publishers have started to offer their works online so that they can be heard and be seen by the reading public despite their failures with the traditional publishing.

Convenience
In a recent survey of 300 American readers, 80% of the respondents have claimed that they need to own an electronic reader for convenience. For instance, if you are a traveler and at the same time a book lover, e-books allow you to bring a whole library with you anywhere.

No limit on storage
If you own a lot of books, you tend to have limits on the number of books you want to store in your shelf. With e-books, you can read as many books as you because you can save a lot of storage space on your device. You can even have backup online if something happens to your books unexpectedly.

Cheaper
Because there are no printing fees associated with e-books, they seem to be often cheaper compared with the print books. In fact, you can find and read free e-books in the Internet.

Speed
The moment you decide to read an e-book, the fun begins and it is quicker than waiting for your ordered print book to arrive at your doorstep.

You can adjust the fonts
Your reading materials can have too small fonts for you to be able to enjoy your reading moment. With an e-book, you can instantly adjust the fonts’ size, or change their darkness so that they will be so clear on your end.

Print copies of books do not fade despite this challenging matter with electronic books. They remain to be playing a vital role in the way people experience books despite the continuous increase of online popularity. In a recent survey of the 300 American readers, around 60% of them have shown the same interests of buying both e-books and print books in the last 12 months up to the present.

Both forms of books have many advantages and choosing which a better option is depends only on you. You may find convenience using the technology or to continue experience the comfort of traditional reading zone. However you decide, it is a matter of your own convenience. What is important is to know that despite a lot of changes in the market, there is nothing that has changed the peoples’ interest to read.

Self-Publishing Royalties: Self-Publishers Need to Know

Book royalty is just a fancy word for book sales’ profits. It’s the money that authors get after their books are sold and normally varies on a specific calculation charts of different publishing companies. Huge publishers normally pay authors advance amount, plus compensation through a pre-determined royalty on book sales.
Tucker Max, author of self-published book, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, has made it on top of best-selling authors at New York Times. He claims that when he was able to triple his book royalties; that made him succeed.

The calculation of royalty differs from the formula of every publishing house and generally is not as simple or as straightforward as it seems. If an author doesn’t understand how royalties work, this lack of knowledge can cost him a lot more of his money. So, it is essential that authors will have this basic and general information before going further into self-publishing.

What is a book royalty?

A royalty is the percentage of a book’s price that gets credited to an author’s account. It is the money that authors get after their books are sold.

What is an advance?

An advance is a sum of money upfront to you with the promise of more royalties should the book sell well.

How much are royalties per book?

It completely depends on the cost of the book and your contract with the self-publishing company bound by the company’s formula in calculating book royalties.

How much royalties are given to self-published authors?

Royalties differ from each self-publishing company. Some offer 70%, 75% up to 100% royalties. Of course, a smart author will always look for a self-publishing company that offers 100% royalties to authors.

What is 100% royalties?

Instead of receiving a certain percentage of royalties, some self-publishing companies give it full. It means that an author receives every penny of his e-book sales and receives 100% of the net payments if sold through another channel.

Do I earn royalties when I buy my own books?

In most cases, you do. It depends on the policy of the self-publishing company you are partnering with. Some are exempting all author purchases for royalties and rather give them discounts. It is then so important that you research them thoroughly before taking your next steps.

On what types of book sales do I earn royalties?

You will earn royalties on all books sold regardless of what genres.
Why is the price of my book higher in other countries than in my own?
There are several reasons that this happens from region to region and that includes taxes in a specific area or country, delivery costs, and other operating costs.

How long does it take to receive payment?

It certainly depends on the self-publishing company you are partnering with. Generally, these companies prefer quarterly mode of sending authors their royalties. There are some companies that wait for two months after a quarter closes.

When writers self-publish their books, the expenses towards the entire process must be covered by them including the printing, distribution, and marketing costs. In the end, they are likely to profit more on their works as self-publishing companies are either giving a huge percentage of royalties for the authors while some offer 100% royalties instead of the authors receiving a 25-cent or 50-cent royalty for each copy of the book sold as how traditional publishing royalty policy works.

Self-published authors tend to be paid with their royalties a lot faster especially on copies of the book they sell directly to customers. You earn more money for every copy of your book purchased. Though it is vividly seen as a challenge for self-publishers to get distribution in major bookstores, it remains reachable. Hence, it is indisputably necessary that before going further, you need to research about how royalties work in different self-publishing companies. Since you are self-publishing, make sure that at the end of the day, you are getting every penny that is supposed to be going to your account as a payoff for your hard work.

Ways to Publish and Sell your E-book [Infographic]

To publish an e-book can be challenging yet interesting. To sell an e-book is critical. Though the trend of self-publishing across the world has radically heightened, when readers can’t find that high interest upon looking at your book, there is no way for them to buy it.

Impress your prospect readers

The best way to do it is simply make sure you, yourself, as the author of your e-book is highly impressed by your work. If you are, there is no reason why readers can’t see the spotlight of that story you want to tell them.

Create an impressive cover design

Selling copies of your e-book can be so critical. Your frenzied fans will have all the reasons to either recommend it to their other friends or not. So, make sure that from the cover design of your book, you are giving your best.

First-rate book description

From the cover, readers’ eyes will surely be dragging down to some eye-catching words on it. Write the best description for you book so readers can find no excuses of not adding it up to their cart.

Quality matters to all

This simply refers to a good book and a good book means a well-edited, well-presented, and well-formatted one. So, don’t get tired of re-editing your work because it is only you who can profit in the end.

Fair book pricing

See to it that your book price isn’t so much of pain for the buyers and at the same time, can give you satisfaction to yourself on the kind of manuscript you’ve just done.

Quantity

The more e-books you can offer to the readers, the more buyers you can tap. Amanda Hocking, author of the best-selling e-book, Trylle trilogy, became a self-publishing multi-millionaire with her teen supernatural thrillers before bagging a$2M publishing contract with St. Martin’s Press. She writes more and keeps on earning millions.

Advertise and use social media

Advertising knows no limit. Today, one of the bests and proven effective way to get your book an exposure before the right audience is through constant advertising. Getting in contact with the prospect readers through social media works well as it’s getting a vast number of users in the world. Statistics says that 80 percent of social media users prefer to connect with brands through Facebook.

Create platforms

Think as many ways as you can in the name of your book’s exposure. The more spots your books are available, the better. Compete with the other authors and think of ideas you think will surpass their ways. Competition is healthy because it drives you to aim higher.

Open your doors

When there’s a chance for you to sell your books internationally; grab it. You need to experiment things. When one seems not to work out; hop on to better chances such as hiring book sellers whose passion is selling. Don’t hesitate to trust and ask help when most necessary.

Tips and Tricks on Self-publishing Your Book

Not all people are born to pursue the same path in writing. Not all people are destined to become a book author and not all aspiring writers are destined to be successful and best selling novelists. Your book needs to be published, bought and read by the people before you can claim yourself to be a book author or a successful novelist. So first, you need to publish your book before people can recognize you’ve written that manuscript. Today, the entire complex process to make it happen has been abridged in parallel with the world’s high technology. You don’t need a publisher when you can self-publish your book. Nobody is required to approve your time and your effort.

First, focus on your expertise

Every aspiring writer has specific interest. Before thinking about moving forward, make sure what genre your book embraces. Know who your book audience are and see to it that your book catches their attention by their first time looking at it. Impress the readers with what you actually know and what you can share to them.

Impress yourself

You as an author, have all the right to judge your book before others can. Judge your book first by its cover. When you are not satisfied with the design of your book’s cover, try one more time and even several times until you will be satisfied. When you are content with the outcome of the design, there is no reason why others might not be feeling the same.

Know NO Stipulations

You can go on and start self-publishing your book with no required approval from huge publishing houses. You simply do it by yourself and continue until you reach the highest peak of your self-publishing. How does it work without the aid of these gigantic companies which used to be contacted by aspiring writers and given proposals for possible publication of their works?
Scale yourself. When you think you can do everything such as editing your work over and over again; then you can just do it and save that money you can pay for a professional editor. You are the boss in this new trend in the world of literature; so you’ve got the power to manage the way you want your self-publishing go.

Be professional

Imagine yourself receiving criticisms from the readers about your book. Surely you can’t impress everybody but if all of them are complaining about the same problems of misspelled words and grammar issues; then the problem really exists. Make sure your book is well-edited and the flow of the content is smooth so readers won’t be misled.

Price your book as low as possible

Especially when you are just a new author and are self-publishing, people do not want to spend much of their money on your book. You need to do the experiment first by setting a very low price for your book and from there you will know if they have the sympathy for the genre you are trying to lay emphasis on. When you are sure you’ve done all the professional works necessary to perfect your book; there is no reason they won’t be impressed by it and that’s the beginning of your name to be established. In that case, you can start setting price for your next books that is reasonable for both of the readers and you.