Ronda J. Del Boccio's Blog: Writing is pure Bliss, page 30
April 2, 2015
NEW Low Vision Hijinx Podcast, Sharing Trials and Triumphs of Being Mostly Blind in a Sighted World
I’m continually surprised by people telling me I’m inspiring. OK wow, that sounds like maybe I’m being prideful, but I’m honestly not. I’m just a mostly blind woman living my life, refusing to let a little thing like low vision get me down.
After a bunch of years after my first book I’ll Push You Steer with my fabulous co-
author Bonnie Tesh, people come up to me and tell me how much they loved the story of the ironing board for the blind, or the story about how I can’t get a man with a dog.
And people ask me how I do various things or laugh at my travel tales with Molly Flagtail, my former guide dog. So, I decided to have some fun and start a weekly podcast called “Low Vision Hijinx.” Yeah, I create podcasts in my spare time, for fun!
Low Vision Hijinx Podcast Accepted into the iTunes Store in Record Time – 96 Minutes!
OK technically maybe 96 minutes isn’t record time, I don’t know for sure; but honestly, I thought I had a couple days to let people know it was coming! Yes, 96 minutes from “under review” to “published in the Tunes Store.” Here’s the cool cover art:
The Low Vision Hijinx Podcast Logo
I designed this cover myself! (Thank you, Canva.com for making me look good!) The cover needs to be:
Simple
eye-catching
readable as a teensy icon in iTunes
Relevant to the show’s theme and content
I chose a nice readable font. When I found the adorable bumblebee with a magnifying glass, I decided that was the perfect graphic. Anyone with limited eyesight has to do things that seem impossible or at least extremely difficult.
Bumblebees shouldn’t be able to fly, by all the laws of physics. Yet they do. This is a real world, every day miracle. Perfect symbol.
Low Vision Hijinx Podcast Episodes
Each show will be under 10 minutes, except perhaps for something superbly spectacularly special.
Episode 1: That’s where you get to know me a little better.
Episode 2: “Just Growl and Mean It” – getting rid of stalker.
Episode 3: The Perfect Travel Roommate” – That’s what Bonnie calls me, because she gets to hog the bathroom while I put my makeup on in the dark.
Watch for new episodes every Thursday.
Please Subscribe, Rate and Review the Low Vision Hijinx Podcast!
I’d like to get this podcast to the top of the rankings for new shows, and to do that, I need your help!
Please subscribe in iTunes to the Low Vision Hijinx Podcast
Please LISTEN to an episode or 2 & RATE the show (I’m hoping for 5 stars!)
Please REVIEW the podcast in iTunes.
Please accept my heartfelt gratitude!
Why this podcast?
I’m doing this to share a message of hope and joy. Limited eyesight need NEVER limit your life! Everyone will be touched with some degree of eyesight loss with age or with illness or accident. That need not slow you down one bit!
I hope these stories will give you a laugh and something to think about.
Follow your BLISS,
Ronda Del Boccio
best selling author, speaker and mentor
March 27, 2015
Social Media for Authors: Why Create a Pinterest Group Board/
Have you ever considered creating a group Pinterest board? Or has anyone asked you to contribute?
Maybe you’re not sure what that means or why it’s a good idea. Find out during this quick Pinterest tutorial.
A couple benefits of having multiple contributors to a borad:
More hands make lighter work for all.
Those who follow the board or any of its contributors see new pins in their stream.
It is a way to expand your reach and perhaps find new readers.
I hope this tutorial helps! Let me know what you want next.
Get a weekly success tip plus some fabulous tools to help you get the most out of your book at WriteOnPurpose.com/free.
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Follow your bliss,
Ronda Del Boccio
best selling author, speaker and mentor
March 25, 2015
Inspiration for Authors: Am I Good Enough to Write a Book?
So much about writing is an inner game. There’s the writing part, sure, but it’s the head stuff that tends to cause issues.
I saw this infographic some time ago, and it’s just as powerful today. Thanks to Kristen Joy, the Book Ninja, for this infographic full of inspirational thoughts for budding authors!!
You ARE worthy! You DESERVE all good things!
Kristen Eckstein, the Ultimate Book Coach,Read More http://www.debgallardo.com/virtuoso/2001/are-you-good-enough-to-write-a-book/
There are so many mindset issues authors face. Feeling you’re not good enough is such a loss! It truly pains me when would-be authors get in your own way. The world DESPERATELY needs you AND your message!
Get more inspirational thoughts – and most importantly, write your book with the help of the next LIVE author webinar. Go to www.ProfitableStorytelling.com/live for details about the next event.
Follow your bliss!
Ronda Del Boccio, the Story Lady
bestselling nonfiction and fantasy author, author mentor and speaker.
Are Kindle Singles Authors Making Money?
NOTE: This post updated 3/25/15 to reflect the accurate current number of Kindle Singles titles. Note that all quoted text includes the original article source permalinks and is appropriately attributed to the originator
Are Kindle SIngles Authors Making Money?
There are so many ways to publish a book today. Kindle Singles may be Amazon’s best kept secret for authors. There are just over 300 titles published to date, and, as you’ll see from the story below, some authors are making big bucks on these 99 cents or $1.00 short-to-medium-length books.
“All of this stands in evidence that in its Kindle Singles brand, Amazon is investing in a serious business model behind a quality editorial product. We all — readers and writers alike — stand to benefit from that combination.” Rebecca J. Rosen in “Authors of Kindle Singles Raking in Tens of Thousands of Dollars” (see below)
According to Amazon, Kindle Singles are shorter works expressed in their “natural length.” To Amazon, this means 5,000 to 30,000 words. If you’re not sure how long that is, it’s roughly from 20 to 120 pages.
Works such as memoirs, novellas, short stories, special reports, and chapbooks (poetry collections) are ideal for Singles.
Currently there are only 750 Kindle Singles as of March 25, 2015. (Current count appears hwere it says “Showing results 1-10 of ___” on the upper left of the Kindle SIngles list..
Here is an excellent snippet from an article from The Atlantic showing how well authors can do with this way to publish a book on Kindle.
Original Article Source: Authors of Kindle Singles Are Raking in Tens of Thousands of Dollars
by Rebecca J. Rosen – Rebecca J. Rosen is a senior associate editor at The Atlantic. She was previously an associate editor at The Wilson Quarterly, where she spearheaded the magazine’s In Essence section.
here’s been a lot of buzz lately about Kindle Singles, the e-publishing format that’s longer than a magazine article but shorter than the typical published book coming out of Amazon’s dedicated Singles shop.
One, Mishka Shubaly, author of “The Long Run,” the ninth-best-selling Single of all time, told PaidContent that he is so pleased with the experiment, he hopes to name his first child Amazon. PaidContent estimates that Shubaly has made about $130,000 from his three Singles.
The other four writers in PaidContent’s report have brought in amounts ranging from a bit less than $9,000 to $65,000. The Singles in PaidContent’s round-up all sell for either $0.99 or $1.99 a pop, and authors see 70 percent of the revenue.
The successful Singles authors aren’t undiscovered gems but professional writers who have published elsewhere before.
Nevertheless, that shouldn’t tamp down enthusiasm for these numbers. The fact is a new genre is emerging as a result of e-reading technologies, one that is proving successful both editorially and financially.
All of this stands in evidence that in its Kindle Singles brand, Amazon is investing in a serious business model behind a quality editorial product. We all — readers and writers alike — stand to benefit from that combination.
The Kindle Singles Selection Process
Unlike Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle Singles authors go through an approval process. This makes Singles publishing more like going through a publisher.
There are quality guidelines for Kindle Singles. Here is what they are seeking:
We’re looking for compelling ideas expressed at their natural length–writing that doesn’t easily fall into the conventional space limitations of magazines or print books. Kindle Singles are typically between 5,000 and 30,000 words.
Permalink to Original Source Kindle Singles Submission Policy
How to Submit a Book to Kindle Singles
How to submit
We will consider ebooks recently published via Kindle Direct Publishing, manuscript submissions, or pitches.
• To nominate your self-published book, simply email us at kindle-singles@amazon.com and include the title, ASIN, and a brief summary.
• If the work is not yet published, you can submit a manuscript or a detailed pitch for your Kindle Single. Send as much material as you have available to kindle-singles@amazon.com and include your name and a writing sample.
• Writers or publishers wishing to propose an idea for a Kindle Single can write to our editors at kindle-singles@amazon.com.
Permalink to Original Source Kindle Singles Submission Policy
Help to Publish a Book on Kindle
Even if you decide to submit to Kindle Singles, you’re free to publish a book on Kindle. It is free to self-publish a book on Kindle with Kindle Direct Publishing. However, you may find it helpful to have a little more guidance.
More Help: Publish a Book with Digital Publishing
Instant Author Formula shows you:
a book writing template to make your life easier
Video tutorials to walk you through the KDP publishing process.
a Kindle publishing resource guide with all the links you’ll need in 1 place.
a Kindle FAQ audio with PDF guide where I answer the most common questions about publishing a Kindle book.
Free publicity from me when you publish your Kindle book (and you own Effortless Kindle Publishing or another program from me).
And a couple of bonuses, Claim it now at
Get started NOW!
Follow your bliss!
Ronda Del Boccio, the Story Lady
#1 bestselling nonfiction and fantasy author
Creator of the BLISS Butterfly
March 24, 2015
Book Review of Suspense Anthology The Apostate by J. B. Hogan
Welcome back to another Write On Purpose book review. Each week, I review a well-written book, highlighting what makes it good from the reader’s perspective and what writing skills and techniques make it an irresistible read. Thus, each review serves both writers and readers.
This week, it’s a collection of suspenseful tales called The Apostate and Other Stories of the Contemporary Southwest by J. B. Hogan
The Apostate by J.B. Hogan
Bobby Earl, a desperate boy with psychopathic urges,
sticks a gun to the head of mild-mannered college professor and fugitive Michael and kidnaps him. The police and FBI are on the lookout, but Michael’s hidden past makes attention from the FBI the last thing he wants. His past hadn’t been a problem until now but his predicament has drawn the attention of the one man in the state who would know him for who he really was. A successful rescue might mean death or imprisonment for Michael, but staying in a killer’s clutches is certain doom unless Mary Beth – a sweet but damaged woman-child – can calm Bobby Earl. And time is running out.
Read my 5 Star Amazon Review!
What Makes a Great Suspense Story?
Some suspenseful tales focus on high speed chases. Some focus on character struggles. This collection has both. Yes, there are police and FBI investigations, manhunts, and the like. Hogan, however, goes much deeper into the characters and their motivations than many thrillers.
I’ll tell you, hanging out (literarily speaking) with a psychopath is unnerving! Hogan brilliantly moves the plot along while still revealing character. The reader is left with a sense of the cold calculation of Bobby Earl, the fear of the professor Michael. Bobby Earl tosses his pistol in the air like a kid playing with a toy. He sticks in the head of the captive professor dealing with the crazy man and his placid girl.
Read an Excerpt of The Apostate
“Michael Wright felt the cold metal against his left temple and closed his eyes. It was a .38, he guessed. A Saturday night special. The only kind the frantic boy beside him probably could afford, or get his hands on. Damn it, Michael cursed inwardly, feeling the short barrel of the pistol drift towards his forehead. . . . This is karma, Michael thought bitterly. Karma. Cause and effect. This was the effect from a cause he, Michael, had caused. Some time, somewhere. And the hammer had come down across the years. He knew he deserved this. He didn’t want it anyway.”
Setting as Character
One of the things I felt while reading these stories is that the land, the Southwest, reads like a character unto itself. Certainly it has no dialogue, but its essence infuses each story. You can feel the dry desert heat and smell the dirt. Excellent writing.
A good friend of mine lived in the Lordsburg/Deming NM area, and this is the first book I’ve read that mentioned those places.
Buy The Apostate
Buy on Amazon
Buy from Pen-L Publishing
About J. B. Hogan
J. B. Hogan’s latest book, The Apostate, was inspired by the years he spent in Arizona during the 1980s and 1990s. He currently has over 230 stories and poems published in online literary journals.
Learn more about J.B. at www.JBHogan.com.
Connect with J. B. Hogan
Website: JBHogan.com.
Amazon’s Author J. B. Hogan page
Facebook page
Please share this review all over the social web!
Follow your B.L.I.S.S.
Ronda Del Boccio
#1 best selling author, speaker, and Amazon Top Reviewer
Read More Book Reviews by Ronda Del Boccio
Looking for more book reviews? I share insights on books in most genres. See them all in the Book Review Category
About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best 
selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon.
Join Ronda’s readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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March 17, 2015
Book Review of Contemporary Mainstream Fiction Type and Cross by Staci Troilo
Thi
Type and Cross by Staci Troilo
Welcome back to another Write On Purpose book review. Each week, I review a well-written book, highlighting what makes it good from the reader’s perspective and what writing skills and techniques make it an irresistible read. Thus, each review serves both writers Welcome back to another Write On Purpose book review. Each week, I review a well-written book, highlighting what makes it good from the reader’s perspective and what writing skills and techniques make it an irresistible read. Thus, each review serves both writers and readers.
This week’s excellent read is Staci Troilo Amazon Author Page
Strong Theme
It’s in the blood. Blood is thicker than water, as the old sayin goes, and this tale is all about the power of blood.
A family secret of infidelity and misdirection comes to light because of blood.
A young woman dies because of this secret. And that’s just in chapter one!
Secrets, Lies, Adultery, and Other Deadly Sins
Type and Cross tells the story of a family who seem by all appearances to be the kind of family many people wish they had. Dad is a highly successful doctor. Mom does high level charity work. The kids go to private school. They have a housekeeper who keeps their lavish home spic and span, cooks their meals, and makes a fantastic cup of java.
But that’s just on the surface. That’s what the outside world sees. THe truth is dark and sordid.
Read my 5 star review on Amazon
Character Development through an Onion Plot
I don’t read much mainstream. Mostly I find it boring. Not so with Type and Cross. I adore suspense, and this book has it in spades. Staci Troilo created a plot with more layers than an onion.
Just when one plot twist comes to disrupt life for the doctor and his family, another is beginning to peal back its layer to reveal a stinging truth.
Family dynamics play a big role in this book. And in an era where people so easily throw away anything that doesn’t work, some characters in this novel try to mend fences.
Get Type and Cross
Please share this review all over the social web!
Follow your B.L.I.S.S.
Ronda Del Boccio
#1 best selling author, speaker, and Amazon Top Reviewer
Read More Book Reviews by Ronda Del Boccio
Looking for more book reviews? I share insights on books in most genres. See them all in the Book Review Category
About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda’s books on Amazon.
Join Ronda’s readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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March 16, 2015
how to Boost Book Sales by 2400 Per Cent
“Somebody on an e-mail list was 24 times more likely to buy a book, than somebody that was following on Twitter.”
This quote from book marketer Tim Grahl was one of many great things from our interview with him: http://buff.ly/1vj3i4g
March 10, 2015
Wondering What to Read? My Bevvy of Book Reviews on Amazon
I am an AVID reader, and I review tons of books and other products on Amazon. Wondering what to read/ See what I’ve been reviewing and perhaps something will catch your eye.
My reading tastes are wide and varied:
Cooking
Self help
Marketing
Animals
Fantasy
Paranormal
Historical
… to name a few!
Authors: Using Instagram yet?
On location – Show your writing in process, locations for stories and more.
Quotes – Share your tips and wisdom. share quotes from your book.
Have fun! Here are some fabulous tips from +Rebekah Radice to help you start. Thanks +Peg Fitzpatrick for bringing this to us!
My Instagram account is http://instagram.com/thestorylady. I invite you to follow me! If you’re interesting, I’ll follow back.
Follow your BLISS,
Ronda Del Boccio
#InstagramForAuthors #SocialMediaMarketing
Reshared post from +Peg Fitzpatrick
How to use Instagram to Expand your Business Reach
via +Rebekah Radice
One tip:
Give a Unique Perspective
Instagram is a great place to highlight what makes your business special.
It’s also an excellent way to humanize your company.
Whether you’re taking a picture of your latest creation or sharing an upcoming event, choose eye-catching images.
Stay away from typical shots or standard stock photos. Instead, capture a unique aspect or feature.”
Are you on Instagram? You can find me here: https://instagram.com/pegfitzpatrick/
#instagram #instagramtip #socialmediatips
How to Use Instagram to Expand Business Reach
Are you using Instagram to connect with potential customers? 6 ways to use Instagram to expand business reach!
March 5, 2015
Are You Making These 10 Common Press Release Errors?
As an author, you’re likely to write a press release from time to time.
Are you KILLING your credibility with any of these errors?
Careful about homonyms, wrong use of quotation marks, and more. Use this graphic as a guide to better press releases. Thanks to BusinessWire for this infographic.
Writing is pure Bliss
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