Jason Matthews's Blog, page 26

FastPencil Helps Indie Authors for E-Publishing and Print

FastPencil for creating ebooks and print books? From their site they are, "…an all-inclusive process that guides and assists authors from start to finish. You'll enjoy free built-in writing and collaboration tools, version control, precise formatting, multi-format output, and a market for selling your books."

Personally, haven't done it with them as the direct uploads with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and CreateSpace have been my e-publishing and print partners of choice, but that's not a shot against FastPencil, as it looks like a fine service.

Other Indie authors have reported being very happy with them. FastPencil has a 100% free program for DIY (do it yourself) types who can handle basic ebook formatting, cover design (or working with templates) and interior print formatting. The copyright always stays with the author, as it should anywhere, and ebooks are not DRM'ed, which is becoming standard. They also have an extensive Community for networking and help on any e-publishing question.

For authors with deeper wallets who'd like a bit more assistance along the way, FastPencil offers packages with varied degrees of service. There are Bronze, Silver and Gold packages priced from $999 to $1,999, which primarily covers between 1-3 hours of Project Management and 25-50K words of editorial review for text and formatting.

There's also a Premier level for established authors "…who desire more control, faster publishing times, flexible book and eBook formats, wide distribution channels and higher royalties—paid faster." Since the requirements for eligibility are different and pricing is not mentioned (a phone number is), it's a safe assumption this Premier level is based on the individual author's needs, credentials and potentials.

An interesting feature they have is the ability to turn existing blogs into books. Does CreateSpace offer this with their paid services? Not sure, as my books are the free variety there. "Our blog import tool makes it easy to grab your existing blog posts, whether for use as a compilation or for use in a completely new work. You have three options:

RSS Feed: Just enter the blog's url and we will retrieve up to 25 posts.
Sign in to your blog, retrieve up to 500 posts
Export your WordPress or Blogger blog, and import the corresponding xml file"

For a list of Frequently Asked Questioned, just visit their FAQ page. Would love to hear any experiences and how it compares with other providers.

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+Jason Matthews

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New Reviews for The Little Universe

Some recent reviews have come in from review bloggers, authors and readers for The Little Universe.

"Not only is the plot based on a brilliant and original concept, it is well crafted, tightly paced and beautifully written"- Charlotte Abel, author of Enchantment.

"This was quite an inventive story. I don't know how realistic the science was (don't worry, the author kept it very simple), but it made for a marvelous story." – Jim Chambers, Red Adept Reviews

"So different from most other science fiction – this book goes beyond the norm and looks at important Mind/body/Spirit issues in a science fiction setting. Folks wanting the normal kind of shoot-em up with rayguns SF (basically a cowboy yarn in a futuristic setting) will be disappointed. This book has SOMETHING TO SAY. It is not a religious rant. But it does deal with spiritual issues." – Tui Allen, author of Ripple.

"One intriguing aspect of the story is the ability of the scientists to monitor anything in their entire universe, to 'zoom in' on individuals on any planet anywhere." - David Rubenstein, http://www.wonderful-music.com

"The Little Universe is one of those rare books, light enough on the surface to be a fun summer read, but deep enough to keep you thinking about it long after you've turned the last page. The story is absolutely fascinating, one of my new favorite science fiction books." – PT Cruiser, top 50 Amazon Reviewer.

"The story is a blend of science, romance, and spirituality – unlike many books of this nature, it was never 'preachy' or condescending… A surprising twist toward the end! I found myself thinking a lot about the book after I finished it." – ForeverAloe, Amazon reader

"I hate giving spoilers, so I will just say that there is a fun 'stunner' three-quarters of the way through the book that will shock you – I usually can tell what will happen ahead of time, but this book actually surprised me!" – Jess Buike, author and review blogger

"Inter-weaved with the scientific are the spiritual, metaphysical queries of life as well: What is consciousness? Can it transcend matter, distance, and time? Is there a higher evolutionary position we are all destined to arrive at–individually and collectively? Is life intended to be more? These are some of the questions underlying the themes of this unique work." – G.F. Smith, author of SUBJECTED: Eye of God (book 1), Parallax (book 2) and the Predicate (book 3)

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Flickr Opens 200 Million Photos via Creative Commons

For Indie Authors selling ebooks, acquiring images for book covers, websites, blog posts and more just got much easier. Flickr, one of the world's largest online photo sharing communities, has joined forces with Creative Commons, a non-profit organization in San Francisco devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to legally share. This is similar to Open Source or Public Domain, but slightly different. With Creative Commons, the owners of the product (photography and art in this case) choose which rights they reserve and which rights they waive for the use of others.

This above work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. The owner of this image- http://www.flickr.com/photos/fidget-incispider/with/3490381655/.

From Flickr; We are proud to announce that – thanks to you – we now have 200 Million (and counting) public Creative Commons licensed photos on Flickr. This makes us the largest CC photo repository in the world! You can browse and search those CC photos by license, or find exactly the one suitable for and available to you by using advanced search, ticking the CC checkbox, and searching for whatever image you are looking for.

From Creative Commons; In order to achieve the vision of an Internet full of open content, where users are participants in innovative culture, education, and science, we depend on the backing of our users and those who believe in the potential of the Internet. We are alive and thriving thanks to the generous support of people like you. Spread the word about CC to your friends and family, and donate to help maintain Creative Commons as a robust, long-lived, and stable organization.

Here's how Flickr explains the options:

Attribution means:

You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your copyrighted work – and derivative works based upon it – but only if they give you credit.

Noncommercial means:

You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your work – and derivative works based upon it – but for noncommercial purposes only.

No Derivative Works means:

You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform only verbatim copies of your work, not derivative works based upon it.

Share Alike means:

You allow others to distribute derivative works only under a license identical to the license that governs your work.

Thankfully, we now have many more images to draw from for our needs.

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On Your Mouse, Get Set, Write!

Yes-sirree, the sign up for 2011 November NaNoWriMo is in full swing, and this writer just stepped to the starting line.

What is NaNoWriMo? It's an organization that rhymes with "Mama Rhino," dedicated to inspiring creativity in fiction by hosting an all-out assault on the written art form during the month of November. The goal is to write like your life depended on it and reach the coveted goal of 50,000 words written in just 30 days. The emphasis is on colossal, unbound, right-brain output while abandoning any attempt at polished prose. There's no need to edit any of the words, happily allowing thousands of them to be crapola.

Yikes, what the hell have I signed up for? Is 50,000 words in 30 days really in my schedule, especially considering how much time is needed for marketing current books?

Even for the fearful newbie, like me, the concept makes sense. Forget the control-freak editor within for awhile, for a long while, and let unleashed creativity alone manage the helm. If you really can type out 50,000 words along the lines of your novel's idea, plot, and/or characters… then it's bound to result in some useful stuff. Once December and January roll around, you can edit to your heart's (and left-brain's) content. And once February arrives, you may have the makings of a darned-fine novel coming to life.

Who wins and what are the prizes? Everybody who writes 50,000 words by midnight Nov. 30th wins. They get a winner's banner on the website and a million dollars. (Just kidding, that was their joke.) Visit the FAQs section for more info and NaNoWriMo humor, which seems to be within every paragraph.

(Side note; cheaters wanting to write non-fiction books can probably benefit too. Just don't tell then it was my recommendation. They do have a forum page for NaNo-Rebels.)

Fortunately, NaNoWriMo has 3.5 very distinct rules, which make this a lot easier to focus on (though not easier to do):

1) It's okay to not know what you're doing. Really. You've read a lot of novels, so you're completely up to the challenge of writing one. If you feel more comfortable outlining your story ahead of time, do it! But it's also fine to just wing it. Write every day, and a book-worthy story will appear, even if you're not sure what that story might be right now.

2) Do not edit as you go. Editing is for December and beyond. Think of November as an experiment in pure output. Even if it's hard at first, leave ugly prose and poorly written passages on the page to be cleaned up later. Your inner editor will be very grumpy about this, but your inner editor is a nitpicky jerk who foolishly believes that it is possible to write a brilliant first draft if you write it slowly enough. It isn't. Every book you've ever loved started out as a beautifully flawed first draft. In November, embrace imperfection and see where it takes you.

3) Tell everyone you know that you're writing a novel in November. This will pay big dividends in Week Two, when the only thing keeping you from quitting is the fear of looking pathetic in front of all the people who've had to hear about your novel for the past month. Seriously. Email them now about your awesome new book. The looming specter of personal humiliation is a very reliable muse.

3.5) There will be times you'll want to quit during November. This is okay. Everyone who wins NaNoWriMo wanted to quit at some point in November. Stick it out. See it through. Week Two can be hard. Week Three is much better. Week Four will make you want to yodel.

What are my thoughts as a newbie after signing up? I'm scared, bummed a little, nervous, excited. This next novel is barely coming to me. I've got the characters and a few ideas for plot, but absolutely no idea on the beginning/middle/end and what I'm hoping to say with it. Alas, this is already starting to sound like a much needed exercise in creativity.

Who's with me? Sign up and let's be writing buddies!

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KindleGraph for Author-Signed Ebooks, Designer Evan Jacobs

KindleGraph allows authors to autograph ebooks with a digital inscription that goes directly to the Kindle. It was created by Evan Jacobs, a very bright man and former Amazon developer. The program allows a brief note and signature to be added to the cover page of any Kindle ebook. It's been around since May 2011 and already has 2,000 authors representing over 9,000 books (a number which seems to be rising daily). What a smart feature for both readers and writers who want a more personalized experience.

If you're an Indie author wanting to participate, the sign up is free and easy at the author page at KindleGraph. Sign in with your Twitter account and enter the ASIN of your books to be alerted when requests come in. For readers wanting to request an autograph/personal note for any book, simply type in the Amazon ASIN to send a request to the author.

Evan, how did you come up with this project?

I came up with the idea for Kindlegraph because I felt awkward going to an author reading without anything that the author could sign for me as a memento (since I owned the author's book on my Kindle). I built the first version of Kindlegraph during a two-day programming competition in May.

Just two days? Wow. Do you have affiliation with Amazon on this?

If you click through on any of the books listed on Kindlegraph you will be directed to Amazon.com where I'll get a small affiliate fee from your purchases. Otherwise there is no affiliation with Amazon. I should also note that I spent about 10 years at Amazon as a software developer although I never worked on the Kindle or Books teams.

It says now the Kindlegraph is a separate document from the ebook; might that change anytime soon where it can be a part of the book?

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it would be nice to integrate the Kindlegraph into the book, but on the other hand I like keeping all of my Kindlegraphs together in a collection on my Kindle so I can easily find them and look at them.

It's awkward for me to draw my signature with a mouse. What are alternative ways to make my custom signature as accurate as possible?

I've heard this from a few other authors and I know that using a mouse for this kind of thing isn't easy. It does get better with practice but many authors have also had great success by using an iPad or other tablet which enables them to draw with their finger. I also want to note that it's important to capture the signature in this way because in enables all kinds of interesting transformations (e.g. resizing, animating,etc.) that simply wouldn't be possible if authors, for example, scanned their signatures and uploaded them.

Evan, what do you envision for the future with it?

The future is all about enabling a stronger connection between authors and readers. Today, Kindlegraph serves as the "introduction" between author and reader, but I'm currently working on several ideas to make it easier for authors to stay in touch with their existing readers as well as be exposed to new readers.

Any tips for making the most of Kindlegraph?

In a way, you can think of Kindlegraphs as a new form of "social media." People like to share their experiences with their social networks, and they are more likely to share Kindlegraphs that are fun and personalized so I would encourage authors to inject a bit of their personalities into their Kindlegraphs. Also, I'll soon be launching a feature which allows a reader to leave a short message for an author when she requests a Kindlegraph. This message will provide a little bit of context to the author and will allow the author to personalize the Kindlegraph even more.

Do readers need to own a Kindle to receive a Kindlegraph?

No, readers can enter a regular email address at the time of their request and they will receive your Kindlegraph as a PDF attachment via email.

Do I need to have a Kindle version of my book to sign up for Kindlegraph?

No, any book (even paperbacks and hardcovers) can be Kindlegraphed as we simply attach your inscription and signature to a cover image of the book.

Interesting stuff. Thanks for designing and sharing, Evan!

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October Indie Author Threads at Amazon US & UK

The October Indie Author threads have just come out for Amazon US and UK. These posts come out monthly and are among the few places at Amazon forums for Indies to self-promote without ruffling too many feathers of Kindle readers who get (understandably) tired of dozens of daily threads for self-promotion.

The big questions is, do these threads help Indie authors sell ebooks? The answer–yes, to some degree. Don't expect a whirlwind-like vortex of sales during the month your ebook is advertized there, although it can definitely generate sales, which is always a good thing. Occasionally a reader will leave a post saying she/he just downloaded the sample or even bought a book, which tends to excite all the authors following the post.

Some tips for making the most of your effort:

Keep your attendance there brief. No need to get addicted to the place or the Kindle forums in general. It's smart to frequent these places as with any social media site, but addiction can be a waste of time. Spread your energies around to other venues like Goodreads, Kindle Boards, Nook Boards, Facebook, Google Plus, Red Room, etc.
Write a great blurb on your book, like a 15-second elevator pitch. Hook potential readers quickly while avoiding anything that comes across as being long-winded.
Use the Insert a Product Link feature in the comment box so readers can click a link that says The Title of Your Book instead of something like this: www.amazon.com/The-Little-Universe-eb....
Repost at least twice during the month or as frequently as once a week. If you have multiple books, it might be better to spread out individual posts for each book rather than lump them all together (even though that's my lazy method). The threads can get several pages long so your book won't always be seen by readers scrolling through pages. Do not spam your message every day, but coming back weekly or so will give it more visibility.
Be courteous and professional when responding to any comments made about your book. Things have a way of spiraling downhill fast in these forums, especially if you ever become confrontational with a reader or defensive over a review. Put on your best face at all times and remember than not everyone will love your book.

The Amazon US version is here in the Meet Our Authors forum.

The Amazon UK version is in the main Kindle forum since regulars still haven't complained enough to ban this thread to some other locale. That could change in time. Maybe Brits are more tolerant to self-promotion?

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Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet just $199, sorry Apple

Amazon Kindle Fire is here. But first, some pleasant surprises.

This morning in New York City, Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, was full of good news to accompany his long anticipated announcement. Months ago he told us to "stay tuned," and we did. Bezos didn't disappoint.

To begin the day, Bezos revealed the Kindle Touch (gee, that name sounds familiar). Wearing a sports coat and jeans, Bezos began by speaking of the original Kindle, "We set out to reinvent the book ." In a move paying homage to the device that began it all, Bezos announced its predecessor, the Kindle Touch, a pure reader that still uses e-ink and is about the same size and weight of earlier models. The main difference is the touch screen and the price of just $99. Yeah, less than a Benjamin. The Kindle Touch has a new feature called X-Ray, which gives context by providing Wikipedia info without the need to go into a browser.

Then he revelaed the Kindle Touch 3G, which as you may have guessed, is the same as the Touch with the added feature of wireless mobility to download books anywhere. The 3G will cost $149. Both devices offer free service and Wi-Fi, no contract, no fees. The devices can be ordered today but shipping begins on November 21st.

Next Bezos revealed the most basic Kindle at the lowest price ever, a $79 bare-bones Kindle that's 18% smaller than the current version with just four buttons and everything a pure reading device needs: e-ink display, built-in Wi-Fi, Whispersync, Amazon Cloud storage. This model starts shipping today.

And then came the big moment, the one building for many months… ta-dah, the Kindle Fire! Bezos unveiled the 7-inch display, dual-core processor that weighs 14.6 ounces. "And it has all the content," he said. It's Android-based, of course (poke at Apple). Storage for the Kindle Fire tablet is cloud-based, no backups of data is not needed. Bezos added, "That model (another poke at the iPad) that you are responsible for backing up your own content is a broken model. The most recently used items, no matter what the content is, will be stored in a task bar/carousel interface." At a price well below cost, the Kindle Fire will retail for only $199 (the iPad starts at $499.) "We're delivering premium products at non-premium prices," Bezos said. Shipping begins on Nov. 15 and orders can be made now.

Bezos then introduced another surprise, Amazon Silk, which is a new browser for the Fire. The browser now lives partially on Amazon's servers. The idea is to improve mobile browsing, which Bezos admitted is challenging to display. This announcement raised many eyebrows in the press, because if Amazon Silk can make browsing web pages a faster experience, everyone will get excited about that, even some Apple users.

There will be three very happy ladies opening presents by the Christmas tree in our house this year. Thankfully, my wallet should still be feeling fat, at least from the gifts bought by a certain retailer. Thanks, Amazon.

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My 7 Links Tripbase Challenged Ebooksuccess4free

It's an honor to be challenged for the Tripbase 7 links, a blogging community that seeks to unite bloggers in a joint endeavor of shared lessons by identifying 7 great posts from a myriad of blogs all over the world. A now this blog, How to Make, Market and Sell Ebooks All for Free has been officially challenged. Feels like a throwdown with Bobby Flay. Bring it on.

Rule, rules, rules. Ah yes, here they are in a nutshell:

1)     Blogger is nominated to take part. Thanks to this blog in France, mine got nominated.

2)     Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1 link for each category. This shouldn't take you long to do – don't over-think it!

Over-thinking is something that will likely happen. Okay, checking back on the nostalgia of 14 pages representing 133 posts, here are my answers:

- Your most beautiful post. Aren't they all beautiful? Admittedly, beauty isn't the main aspiration of this blog; education is. However, this post on Translation Widgets for blogs with international readers and all the pretty flags must qualify as quite beautiful http://wp.me/pP9sI-7n. It was well-received, probably for aesthetics.

– Your most popular post. This little post on 2epub.com, really more of a blurb for a conversion tool to format documents like Word doc to epub and mobi generated more traffic than I ever would have thought, especially for a post of less than 100 words http://wp.me/pP9sI-2m. Just shows you never know what to expect after making a post.

– Your most controversial post.  Mine are not typically controversial at all, but this post on making covers for free was a subject many authors have strong opinions over http://wp.me/pP9sI-kB. My opinion is that it's great to be able to make book covers for free. Many authors feel only a professional should make a cover. Controversy in the air? Eh, maybe a little.

– Your most helpful post. Wow, this is hard because they're all so wonderfully helpful. Just kidding. It may have been this post on how to price an ebook since so many authors ask about that http://wp.me/pP9sI-ho. My philosophy is to target the major price points and when in doubt, keep it cheap.

– A post whose success surprised you. This post on adding a TOC, Table of Contents to Kindle books was far more successful than I would have thought http://wp.me/pP9sI-dW. Just because it was new info to me and felt like being shared, it still surprised me to see how many others found it useful.

– A post you feel didn't get the attention it deserved. This post of the new age being the free lunch actually meant a lot to me, but not that many viewers saw it http://wp.me/pP9sI-7O. I really believe the transition to heaven on Earth can take place, but one thing that will have to go ultimately by the wayside is money.

– The post that you are most proud of. I'm fairly proud of most of them. This post for helping Indie authors understand on-page SEO practices for their Amazon books stands out in that regard http://wp.me/pP9sI-lm. It incorporates two of my better lessons into one post: how to sell ebooks and how to use SEO wisely.

3)     Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part. Instead of outright nominating bloggers, my habit of rule-breaking comes in here and now, so if any bloggers would like to participate… please do so on your blog.

4)     These bloggers publish their 7 links and nominate another 5 more bloggers (unless they're rule-breakers like me, and then they can continue however they see fit.)

5)    And so it goes on!

6)    We'll be sharing the best posts from participating bloggers on our blog and everyday on Facebook and Twitter at #My7Links

Any queries – contact katie@tripbase.com and keep a lookout for the My 7 Links posts circulating through the blogosphere.

Have you been nominated? Check out the list of Nominated Bloggers to avoid nominating someone twice. This was fun, thanks.

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Amazon Tablet 7-inch Coyote Released Sept 28th, Hollywood Coming Soon

It's official after months of speculation. Amazon just announced on Wednesday, September 28th the release of its first tablet, a 7-inch iPad and Nook competitor nicknamed Coyote that will… hey wait, today is just Sept. 23rd. The thing on Wednesday is merely a press conference where select members of the media were invited with no other details given, so nobody really knows what it will be for.

Alright, so it's highly speculative the rumors are all true, thanks to conspicuous leaks coming from… Amazon? The 7-inch tablet will run a forked version of Android OS and connect to Amazon's ebooks, TV, music, movies, app store and everything else available in their galaxy of cyberspace. It's priced below cost so Amazon makes up the difference and more on future services and products.

Will it really be priced at $249 or less? Seems likely, since the Nook Color is priced at $249 with updates coming soon. $249 is also half the price of the iPad at $499, another nice round figure for shoppers doing math in their heads.

Will the 10″ tablet be nicknamed Hollywood and be priced far less than the iPad and come out well before Christmas? Uh, probably yes, unless Amazon's rumor mill isn't working properly to line up shoppers in anticipation. My guess is the rumor mill works perfectly fine.

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Dr. Angela Massey, Portrait of a Budding Indie Author

The best perk of writing a book on e-publishing is meeting so many Indie authors. For me, this has quickly become a collection of amazing people and new friends with stories that entertain, inspire and assist so many others. It's a real pleasure getting to know even a little about them.

Dr. Angela Massey is one such person. We met recently after she joined our Facebook Group for Indie authors. Since Dr. Massey is still about to publish multiple books, she's a perfect candidate for a before, during and after case-study on the entire experience of e-publishing. Hopefully, this profile of an Indie author is one that will have a very happy ending.

Q. Dr. Massey, tell us about your background.

A. I grew up in Newark, NJ in a blue collar family. Neither of my parents are college educated, but they were wise enough to instill in me the idea that I could do anything I wanted to do if I focused. My dad taught me early on that it's always better to be your own boss. I can't remember a time when my dad did not own his own business or when I wasn't working in one them! I waited tables in our restaurant, pumped gas during the summers at his gas station, and kept the books for his construction business. So it just seemed natural to find a way to duplicate what I thought was normal–becoming an entrepreneur. My mom gave me a love for words and how powerful they can be–either negative or positive–depending on how and when you use them. I was always reading, writing poetry, and I even tried writing my first book when I was 12!

Growing up in Newark, I witnessed a lot of apathy and senseless loss of the ability to dream and believe that life could be good. In fact, many of the people I grew up with are either dead, incarcerated, or living un-healthly lifestyles, i.e., drug addiction, and the like. I was inspired by my high school counselor, Mrs. Moore, to become a public speaker, and it was at her insistence that I spoke in front of 300 people at a city-wide Youth Against Drugs Rally when I was a junior in high school. The crowd seemed to hang on my every word, and I felt like I had inspired them to see a life outside of drugs, welfare, and poverty. It was one of the most exhilarating things I'd ever done! So from that, I knew I wanted to help people.

Q. Wow, that really is inspiring. Good for your parents too, raising you with those ideals. What is your doctorate in?

A. Biblical Studies. I am an ordained minister, which compliments my speaking career nicely.

Q. How has "gapology" come about? (I just looked it up and discovered this is a real term.) How did you get started, how long have you been working in the field and what are some of your experiences?

A. I was driving through the scenic back roads of Vermont headed to Albany–meditating on what my elevator speech should be. You know, how do I tell people what I do in 30 seconds or less? It came to me that I'm a gap closer! For instance, I had been teaching a public speaking class that week and saw over 100 people within a 5-day period. Those people came to me in various mental states, ranging from the fear of standing in front of others to "I'm good, but how do I get better?" Throughout our time together, I gave them tips, strategies, and techniques that closed their public speaking gaps. In other words, at the beginning of the day they started at point A with a strong desire to get to point B and no concrete way to transition. I helped them do that. So anyway, I meditated on the name "The Gap Closer," and realized that's it! My USP (Unique Selling Proposition)! My brand! It sums up so well what I do when I speak, teach, train, and coach. And while on paper, I'm the owner and president of Life On Purpose LLC; I'm really an expert gapologist standing ready to help people close their gaps. Did you know that gapology is a real word? Yep, it is. Double-Tongued Dictionary defines it this way: n. the study or discussion of marked differences between groups, viewpoints, or situations. Also, gapologist, a person who studies such differences. However, I don't just study gaps; I help people apply specific strategies to close those gaps. I've been helping people close their personal and professional gaps for the last 12 years, and if I count my ministry, it's been closer to 20 years.

Q. This is good stuff, Dr. Massey. I see on your website a book titled, Manifest Your Dreams. Is that the main book you have coming out? Are there others?

A. No, "Manifest Your Dreams" is more of a report outlining some strategies people can use to get more of what they want out of life. My main book (which may or may not be a Kindle book) will focus on the success principles I've learned along the way, and how I've been able to manifest a career I love, and a lifestyle I've always wanted. I want people to know that if I can do it, they can, too! I'm a writer, and sometimes that's a curse! I have a novel about 3/4th of the way complete. It's a "if loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right" kind of a story line. When will it be done? When the characters tell me they're finished telling their story! Right now, they aren't talking and I think that's because I'm so focused on getting this Kindle book done. What you and your readers can follow me on right now is my Kindle book: "How to Interview to Get the Job You Want." That's what's on the front burner these days. Oh, and I have written a book called "Going the Distance — Success Strategies for On-line Students."

Q. I know how it can be when those novel characters stop speaking. Sometimes you just have to do other things until they get chatty again. Tell us, what is the focus of your book pertaining to manifesting?

A. The focus is how do I get what I want. For the past few years there's been much discussion on the Law of Attraction, yet many people struggle with the concept and how to make it work for them.

Q. Definitely another gap to close. I can relate to trying to use the Law of Attraction and not always feeling like it's working. So how do you plan to market your books and who do you see as your primary readers?

A. My primary audience for the interview book are people looking for jobs, people who have been invited for an interview and need to know how to integrate the power of emotional intelligence into the process. I will use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Digg, YouTube, and other social media platforms. I haven't gotten that far in your book yet, Jason! I'm also thinking about putting on a few GAP-inars (your readers know then as webinars) where I will teach some of the content of the book and then offer it to my listeners. Of course, I'm going to force my family and friends to download it just because I said so!

Sounds like a full plate. If anyone can do it, I'm certain Dr. Angela Massey can. In the meantime before her book comes out, Dr. Massey can be contacted through her website – http://www.drangelamassey.com/. This blog plans to stay in touch with her during the e-publishing process, so look for updates in the future as we wish her the best of success. Hopefully her work can help millions of people, which seems very likely to me.

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