Archive for February, 2010

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What About Ebooks?

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

It’s Super Bowl Sunday. I’m not a football fan, but I’ve enjoyed some fun gatherings (and food) around the event over the years.

These parties remind me of some of my book launch celebrations. Once my three daughters threw me a party on the large patio of a local outdoor bookstore and invited around 100 people. That was super fun.

These days, however, releasing a new book simply means shifting into higher gear with promotion. The only semblance of festivity is a high five or a few “atta-girls” as the neighbors (or my grandsons) help us unload boxes of books from the freight truck.

There is no fanfare with the publication of an ebook, however. The fact is that ebooks are fairly obscure/invisible. There’s no excitement of a big shipment arriving at our doorstep. There’s nothing to show off in person or to place on bookstore shelves. Producing an ebook is kind of a silent victory except where the computer is concerned. When you hatch an ebook, the Internet becomes your very best friend and a hard-working tool. And the author must work even harder than ever to get the word about the secret he doesn’t want to keep.

Have you all checked out my latest ebook or any of my ebooks? If you are a successfully published author with extreme knowledge about the publishing industry, then I probably do not have a book for you. If, however,

• you hope to someday become an author.
• you have one or more books that aren’t selling very well.
• you are about to come out with your first book.
• you are working on a book,

you really must take a look at two of my ebooks—The Successful Author’s Handbook
and The Author’s Repair Kit. http://www.matilijapress.com

If you’re not accustomed to purchasing and handling ebooks, here are a few suggestions:

1: Print the ebook out on 3-hole punched paper and store it in a binder for easy reading and reference.

2: Save it in your computer where you can read it and refer to it at any time.

3: Purchase a handheld reader.

There’s still a lot of controversy about the current and future popularity of ebooks. What is your experience/feeling about them? Do you buy or publish them? How do you use them? What do you believe about the future of ebooks?

Posted in Book Promotion | No Comments »

Is Self-Publishing Getting More Complicated?

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

I have not refreshed my blog content as frequently this week because the promotion for my latest ebook, The Successful Author’s Handbook, has been attracting hopeful authors. Order your copy at http://www.matilijapress.com/successful_author_handbook.html

We’re down to the wire with the new print version of Catscapades, True Cat Tales. My goodness, how things have changed within the world of self-publishing since I produced my last print book just three years ago. Every entity requires (or at least strongly encourages) that their forms be filled out online and then they make it so doggone difficult to even locate the form, let fill it out. I now know why so many people choose the pay-to-publish (vanity publishing) option. Donahue will accept payment for the PCIP only through PayPal. I was finally forced to get my first PayPal account. I’ve been relying on my partner’s account when we had to use PayPal. But Donahue insisted that the payment has to come from me personally through PayPal.

The copyright office wants you to use their online forms and then make it practically impossible to locate the form. Bowker prefers that you use their online form for Books in Print. Even our State Board of Equalization has a new policy that requires using an online form to file for paying your sales tax. And I don’t have a problem with any of that, except that they make something that could be so simple, so difficult. Are you struggling with this, as well? Or is it just me? I guess all of these entities will get us trained eventually.

We’re just a barcode and a PCIP away from sending Catscapades, True Cat Tales to the printer. Exciting!

In the meantime, while working on the revision of Over 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book (now to be Over 100 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book), I’m also in book promotion mode. Of course, any author knows that you’re always in book promotion mode, but when you have a newly published book, you kick it up a notch or two. While promoting my new collection of 50 of my best articles for authors (many of them revised and updated), The Successful Author’s Handbook, I’m just about to launch my prepublication promotion for Catscapades. It is a busy period in the Matilija Press offices.

Want to help? Here’s how. Let me know if you want to receive information about Catscapades. And go ahead and place your order for The Successful Author’s Handbook.
PLFry620@yahoo.com

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The Successful Author’s Handbook

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Sales are brisk for my latest ebook, The Successful Author’s Handbook.

Many of you have my first book in this series—The Successful Writer’s Handbook. This is a collection of my best articles related to writing. The Successful Author’s Handbook is a collection of 50 of my best articles written over the years for authors in the areas of:

Authorship
Is Publishing a Bad Idea for Your Book?
Authorship is a Business and You Are the CEO
What is the Purpose of Your Book and Why Does it Matter?

Writing
7 Rules for Crushing Writers’ Block
Write a How-to First
How to Write a How-to

Publishing
Which Publishing Method is the Right One for You?
8 Publishing Mistakes and How to Avoid them
There’s Danger in Believing Publishing Rumors

Publishers and Agents
How to Choose the Right Publisher for Your Book

(These are just some of the articles posted in these sections.)

Also included are sections on Editing, Query Letters, Book Proposals, Book Promotion, Public Speaking for Authors, Press Releases, Tip Sheets and Book Reviews. I’ve also included articles on Genre and Book Titles.

This ebook contains the information and support you need in order to write the right book for the right audience. If you have a book in hand, The Successful Author’s Handbook will guide you in developing a marketing plan.

I actually had a client say to me the other day, “I don’t have a clue about how to promote this book.” Yikes! This client has read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (at least he owns it—maybe he didn’t read it). Together, we wrote a book proposal which included information about his platform and how he would promote this book. His book has been published. But now he is paralyzed by the thought of book promotion—doesn’t know where to begin! I suggested that he read my latest book—an ebook—The Successful Author’s Handbook.

The information in the articles have been updated, so the material is current.

Order your ebook today:
http://www.matilijapress.com/successful_author_handbook.html

Posted in New Books, Publishing | No Comments »

New E-Book for Authors by Patricia Fry

Monday, February 1st, 2010

It is finally posted at my website and ready for purchase. What it is? The Successful Author’s Handbook. It’s a collection of Patricia Fry’s best articles UPDATED, organized by topic and all related to the process of writing, editing, publishing, book marketing, public speaking and more. Here are some of the things you’ll learn:

• When is publishing a bad idea for you or your book?
• How to determine the purpose of your book and why this is so important?
• Self-editing tips.
• How to write a stronger query letter.
• Why your novel needs a book proposal.
• Which publishing method/option is right for you and your project?
• How to choose the right publisher/agent.
• When does an author need an agent?
• How to select the perfect title.
• Book promotion ideas and techniques galore.
• How to get one book review after another.
• How to establish rapport with your audience when engaged in public speaking.
• And so much more…

The 50 updated articles in this 143-page e-book could make the difference for you, between a successful publishing experience and a failed one.

Here’s your opportunity to learn from an expert with over 35 years experience in the publishing field, who is:

• the author of 30 books on a variety of topics
• a small publisher (owner Matilija Press, established in 1983)
• the leader of an international publishing organization (SPAWN)
• a publishing and editorial consultant
• a national speaker
• still highly involved within the publishing field.

The Successful Author’s Handbook is only $9.99. If you are a new or struggling author, the carefully selected, organized and updated material in this e-book will afford you the insight and give you the tools and information you need in order to succeed in this highly competitive publishing climate.

But then, if you’ve ever ordered one or more of Patricia Fry’s books, you know the quality of information you are getting.

Order your copy of The Successful Author’s Handbook today: http://www.matilijapress.com/successful_author_handbook.html

If you’re not accustomed to reading e-books, let me help. You have choices in how you handle an e-book. There is the handheld reader, of course, which few of us own, yet. You can read the book on the computer and store it there for quick reference when you have a question. Or do what I do when I download important material or e-books I want to have handy for reference purposes. I load my printer with pre-punched paper (3-hole), print the e-book and secure it in a binder. (This book will take a one or one-half inch binder.)

Here’s the ordering site once again:
http://www.matilijapress.com/successful_author_handbook.html

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