It\u2019s been a week of variety here in the Matilija Press offices. I\u2019ve had a mix of book sales to handle, the processing involved with welcoming new SPAWN members, several inquiries from authors who need a little help, interesting questions from clients, two manuscripts to evaluate and I\u2019m planning for my presentation next week at the Cat Writer\u2019s Association Conference in New York. Of course, I have also kept up with this blog by posting something every day. I\u2019ve written a few articles and submitted them. And I\u2019ve attempted to keep my finger on the pulse of SPAWN, my own writing business and the publishing industry at large. <\/p>\n
As if I\u2019m not busy enough, I\u2019ve been seeking out speaking opportunities in order to fill my schedule for 2010 and I\u2019ve volunteered to promote a friend\u2019s new animal-related business through my cat blog. I\u2019ll let you know when the new blog is posted at Catscapades. <\/p>\n
Yesterday, I pulled out my book in progress and actually got to spend a few hours working on it. Now that\u2019s where heaven is for me\u2014engaging in the actual process of writing something I want to write\u2014something significant. <\/p>\n
Have I told you the title, yet? It\u2019s Your Guide to Successful Authorship<\/em>. I plan to produce it as an ebook, at least, for now.<\/p>\n The Heart of an Ebook<\/strong> Do you have ebooks for sale? How are sales? Some authors are giving away their ebooks\u2014offering them for free at free ebook sites. I suppose that these are authors who are using the ebook to promote their print books. Makes sense to me.<\/p>\n My most valuable ebook, in my opinion, is The Author\u2019s Repair Kit: Heal Your Publishing Mistakes and Breathe New Life Into Your Book<\/em><\/strong>. But I don\u2019t sell very many copies of it. It\u2019s only $5.95 and it features a fresh concept that no one else is promoting. Yet, how many authors are struggling to sell their books? I can tell you that most of them are\u2014the huge majority. <\/p>\n Think about it, how many authors do you know who are as successful with their books as they would like to be? Are any of them earning a living with their books? Have they even paid their publishing or printing bill, yet? <\/p>\n If you have a book that is struggling in the marketplace or if you know someone who does, check out my book, The Author\u2019s Repair Kit<\/em><\/strong>\u2014as I said, it is designed to help the author to breathe new life into a floundering book. <\/p>\n
\nDo you read ebooks? I do if that\u2019s the only format available and it is something I want to read. But I print them out to read them. How about you? When you read an ebook, is it on the computer screen, on a handheld device or do you print it out? Do you clip the pages together or hole-punch them and put them in a binder? I\u2019ve done both. <\/p>\n