L. Diane Wolfe's Blog, page 50

October 1, 2012

Healthy Eating For Writers

Michael Di Gesu invited me to do a guest post today on eating healthy. We writers tend to spend a lot of time with butts in chairs. That’s great for our writing, but not so great for our health. Besides the lack of exercise, we often end up snacking and eating junk, especially when “in the zone.” For a list of healthy alternatives and ways to balance our eating habits, visit Michael’s site.

Writing, Publishing & Promoting Tips from SpunkOnAStick!
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Published on October 01, 2012 04:00

September 28, 2012

Wal-Mart Pulls Kindles and Friday Inspirational Photo

From ZDNet:

“Late last week Wal-Mart announced that it will no longer sell the Amazon Kindle and Kinde Fire in its stores, joining Target in rejecting the devices. While the argument could be made that the razor-thin margins on those products contributed to that decision, the real reason is clearer: Amazon's tablets are a gateway to easy ordering from Amazon.com, which means fewer sales for Target and Wal-Mart.”

Wal-Mart still sells other tablets, including the iPad. Amazon is considering open...
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Published on September 28, 2012 04:00

September 24, 2012

Book Signings - Beyond the Bookstore

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Published on September 24, 2012 04:00

September 21, 2012

Returning Ebooks and Friday Photo

In the real world, a physical book can be returned if not read. Should ebook returns be allowed?

Ebooks cost much less than physical books, often between $2.99 - $6.99, so the investment isn't huge. Before purchasing an ebook, the buyer is also allowed to read a sample - often several chapters. The buyer knows what he or she is getting before spending money.

And yet ebook returns happen.

Other electronic downloads are not refundable, such as movies and music. This is to prevent someone from down...
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Published on September 21, 2012 04:00

September 17, 2012

Genre Favorites Blogfest

Today is Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Genre Favorites Blogfest. Favorite genre of movie, music, book, and guilty pleasure from one of the three.

Movie -

After looking over a list of my favorite movies, it suddenly dawned on me - animated films dominate that list. I love movies such as Emperor’s New Groove, Ice Age, Madagascar, Over the Hedge, Ratatouille, and Despicable Me. They just have a good heart and story. Doesn’t matter the type of animation, as I’m a big fan of Wallace & Gromit. (I own a st...
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Published on September 17, 2012 03:00

September 14, 2012

Industry News - In Store Printing, Smartphones and Publishers, Self-publishing - and Friday Inspirational Photos

Some interesting news in the publishing industry-

Several companies have joined together for in-store book printing:

From Book Business:

“Eastman Kodak, On Demand Books, and ReaderLink announced they have partnered to revolutionize the way all types of printed books will be marketed, sold and produced at point of sale. The venture brings On Demand Books’ Espresso Book Machine to national retailers integrated with Kodak Picture Kiosks, giving consumers a full-service, digital-to-print media cent...
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Published on September 14, 2012 04:00

September 10, 2012

Pitching to the Media

Here’s an excerpt from my upcoming book, How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now!

What is the media seeking? Let's begin with what the media doesn't seek:

“I'm an author and this is my new book.”

Here's a tip – the media doesn't care. You are just one of thousands of authors who have released a book today. Big deal! Even if the program focuses on authors or it’s your local newspaper or TV broadcast, you've got to come up with a more compelling reason for them to interview you.

Here's what th...
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Published on September 10, 2012 04:00

September 7, 2012

When do Promotions Begin?

Book promotion is a marathon, not a sprint. But there are certain things that need to happen before the book’s release. Too often self-published authors rush their books to the market, leaving no time for early marketing. Officially promotions begin with the first word and filling a need. But once the book is into production, you need to give yourself time to properly promote it. Build up your audience! Give your book the best chance possible.

Here’s a pre-release checklist:

4-8 months
Book sho...
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Published on September 07, 2012 04:00

September 5, 2012

The Insecure Writer's Support Group

It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, hosted by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

I decided to offer some encouragement and words of inspiration for you today.

So much of our success is decided by our attitude. As I stated in my book Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK: “A positive attitude seeks to move forward while a negative attitude refuses to budge…” Our attitude affects everything, from the goals we set to our willingness to risk failure.

No matter what you a...
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Published on September 05, 2012 03:00

August 31, 2012

Industry News and Inspirational Photos Friday

Some recent happenings in the publishing world:
Independent bookstores have struck a deal with the ABA to sell ebooks. They will offer the Kobo ereader, replacing Google books. There are currently 2000 ABA member stores, which means a big boon for the Kobo. Read the full article at Digital Book World.
A leader over the Seattle, WA libraries has suggested getting rid of the ‘crusty books’ since people don’t go to the library to look for books anymore. Yes, sounds controversial! Read the full art...
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Published on August 31, 2012 04:00