In the future, everyone will be on Amazon but it’s an expensive hoax

Posted by on October 3, 2010 No comments

Here’s the blog link about this scam from The Washington Post.

There is a “loophole” in the LSI system that allows volume publishers (who publish more than 10 books
a year) to become certified and have setup costs waived. So literally they do cost nothing to print other
than the annual maintenance fee (which I seem to remember is about $12/year). With luck the fees will
bankrupt “Books LLC” because most of their books have fortunately never sold one copy (at least on
Amazon).

I want the hour back that I wasted researching this mess.

Valerie Bradley-Holliday, PhD – Writing as a Working Mom

Posted by on September 17, 2010 1 comment
On September 16th, 2010 Tyler R. Tichelaar and Victor R. Volkman spoke with author, social worker, and busy mom Valerie Bradley-Holliday, PhD. Valerie’s doctorate degree is from The Union Institute and University, a distance-learning program based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her specialization is Social Psychology. She has a Master of Social Work Degree from Wayne State University. Valerie shared with us critical items to success as a writer and working mom:

  • Time management: keeping it all together
  • Respect for yourself and your craft as an artist
  • Professionalism and its importance in producing quality products
  • Dealing with frustrations and setbacks
  • Accepting success and being prepared to act on it
  • Self-publishing perils and benefits of using it.

Valerie Bradley-Holliday

Valerie Bradley-Holliday
Valerie has a husband, three sons and three adopted dogs. She has two published books (Places to Be Blessed and Northern Roots) and third book (Elmwood) is in progress. Her first love is writing. She writes like some people eat popcorn. Her varying interests include: art, singing, gardening, and reading. After being raised by her grandmother, Valerie put herself through undergraduate school by working as a kitchen helper and a certified nurse’s aide. She has taught several classes in her field at the graduate level, later served as an adjunct professor at Northern Michigan University and currently serves as an adjunct for online universities. As an active member of the National Association of Social Workers, she received credentialing for the Academy of Clinical Social Workers. Her professional experience includes working with domestic violence victims and facilitating related support groups. Valerie has also worked as a career counselor at Soumi College (now known as Finlandia University) in Hancock, Michigan. She counseled abused and neglected children and their families in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Valerie is currently working on a book about Elmwood, an African American Community that was located near Crystal Falls in the Paint River area.

Places To Be Blessed

Places To Be Blessed
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Drew Gerber – Catapult Your Book with Media Coverage

Posted by on September 3, 2010 No comments
On September 2, 2010 Irene Watson and Alan E. Smith spoke with author and media coverage guru Drew Gerber of PitchRate.com. L. Drew Gerber is CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc.  and creator of www.PitchRate.com, a free media tool that connects journalists, publicists, and experts. Drew informed us on critical aspects of the interface between author and media including:

  • How to stand out from the crowd and brand what’s unique about your book.
  • How to make it easy for customers and journalists to find you and your book online.
  • Who wants your expertise? How to position yourself as an expert.
  • How to grab the media’s attention by creating the perfect pitch.
  • How to get to the point and use sound bites.
  • How to maximize your publicity by leveraging the coverage you’re getting to attract more traffic and leads to your website.

Drew Gerber

Drew Gerber
Gerber’s business practices and staffing innovations have been revered by PR Week, Good Morning America and the Christian Science Monitor. His companies handle international PR campaigns and his staff develops online press kits for authors, speakers and companies with Online PressKit 24/7, a technology he developed.

www.PitchRate.com

www.PitchRate.com
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Fall 2010 Lineup announced!

Posted by on August 28, 2010 No comments
date Guest Topic Podcast
Sep 2 Drew Gerber Catapult Your book With Media Coverage TBA
Sep 16 Valerie Bradley-Holiday, PhD Writing as a Working Mom TBA
Oct 7 Tom Wanek Currencies that Buy Credibility for Your Book TBA
Oct 21 Julie Ann Stricklin Things Your Need to Know Before You Hire a Graphic Artist TBA
Nov 4 Jim Bouchard Think Like a Blackbelt: Promoting Your Book by Being a Media Personality TBA
Nov 18 Diana Raab All About Writing Nonfiction: Getting Your Reader’s Attention TBA
Dec 2 Kristi Floyd and Lisa Charbonnet Getting Your Book into Libraries TBA
Dec 16 Dan Poynter Book writing, Publicity and Promotion TBA

James P. Studinger – Using Your Book as an Investment Tool

Posted by on August 14, 2010 No comments
On August 19th, 2010 Irene Watson and Victor R. Volkman spoke with financial adviser and author James P. Studinger. He is the author of Wealth Is a Choice, and owner of the JPStudinger Group, a wealth-management company. Studinger wrote this book to create a road map for his children to follow should anything happen to him. This passion blossomed into a book to educate readers and help them embrace, not fear, financial decisions. This evening he spoke about the critical role of understanding how an author can exploit their book to best financial advantage, including:

  • What is the secret to becoming wealthy?
  • Good assets vs. bad assets
  • Efficiency
  • Where is there profit in a book?
    • Sales of books
    • Ancillary services
  • What have other authors done in your field
  • Leverage your credentials
    • Where would you like this to take you in the future?
    • Keep aligning your efforts with your goals.

James P. Studinger

James P. Studinger
Studinger’s expertise was called upon by the State of Michigan where he was instrumental in the passing of a new 529 College Savings Plan. For his part, Studinger was happy to participate in a plan that helps Michigan families educate their children. In 2009 he became the Vice Chair for the Michigan JumpStart Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to raising the financial literacy bar for kids. He is frequently a guest on Fox News for their “Money Matter’s” segment.

When not writing and advising, James enjoys the outdoors: hiking, camping, and fishing. He likes being active by running, triathlons, and hockey.  He resides in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with his wife and their two sons. To learn more, please go to www.jpstudinger.com

Wealth Is A Choice

Wealth Is A Choice
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