Unfortunately, due to labor restrictions and developing Author Solutions, Inc. partnerships, ASI must suspend the AuthorTree Blog until further notice.

Thankfully, however, the Wordclay team will continue to contribute to their company blog at http://freeself-publishing.com. All news regarding marketing self-published books, social networks and other publishing news relevant to both self-publishing and traditional authors will continued to be posted appropriately.

Feel free to continue posting your comments either here at AuthorTreeHouse or within Wordclay’s Blog, where our professional blogging team will respond promptly.

Thanks for your readership as well as your loyalty this past year of blogging, and we hope you will continue to read our posts at http://freeself-publishing.com.

-The AuthorTreeHouse Bloggers

Please be advised that the AuthorTreeHouse Blog will suspend posting until after the coming holiday weeks, but rest assured, we will resume normal operations effective January 6, 2009.

Should you have questions about AuthorTree or suggestions for future blogs, don’t hesitate to pitch your idea within a comment, and our blogging team will definitely address your submissions upon their return.

Thank you for your time and patience.

-The AuthorTreeHouse Blog Team

Earlier this week, Computerworld Blog posted an article entitled “Clueless book publishers miss huge opportunity,” which adamantly predicts that the growing convenience of e-books and development of e-reader technology like Kindle and the Sony Reader will soon render physical books obsolete.

Undoubtedly, e-books and e-readers have opened new areas of publishing and marketing for all genres of books, but does it necessarily follow that the printing of books is doomed to dust as a result of this digital boom?

For me, the question is not one of the merits and benefits of digital content. Of course online content has given us more convenience learning information and accessing entertainment. In fact, I found the Computerworld article online, but I could have easily read the content on an iPhone as well.

Instead, I believe the question concerns the value of the physical book, whether our hardcover or paperbacks will truly become obsolete, relics of an out-of-print past. In order to look deeper at this issue, however, we’ll need to address a few fundamental questions about the concept of the book itself and the publishing industry at large.

What’s the value of a book?
Of course there’s huge value in the content of books. Otherwise why would you search out and order particular books, by specific authors, talking about the topics or stories that interest you? And obviously, that content translates (and should translate) to a digital format. But is that the end of a book, its content? Why wouldn’t we dispose of them after reading then? Why would they decorate our house? Why would communities like BookCrossing exist if not for the demand and interest in the physical book?

The simple answer is: a book is more than its content.

For starters, a book’s design, especially when it comes to art books, children’s books and novels with nontraditional formatting like House of Leaves, can have unique, experimental layouts that are just as compelling as their content at times. Secondly, we do use them as a kind of furniture, adorning our bookshelves with classics, gorgeous collections and more. Unlike a digital book file, which is stored only in our computers or phones, flat and waiting to be deleted to make room for newer editions and literary fancies.

That said, there’s obvious convenience to digital books, since we can delete them, since we can easily download them at a fraction of a physical book’s cost. Convenience, however, is a concept that depends solely on the individual consumer. While some techies might find this digital medium convenient and easy to read, others might find the physical copy easier to follow, and perhaps even less worrisome, being unaffected by rain, snow and whatever other forces damage electronic devices.

Long story short, the value of books, whether printed or digital, is determined by the demand for their particular medium, and while both have unique value that outweighs the other, there’s no way of predicting which will win out in the end, if they’re even competing with each other in the first place.

Hasn’t online content put an end to printing?
The short answer, not really. As the Computerworld blog suggests, the music industry has adapted to MP3s and iPods (and now there’s even development in wireless cloud technology), but does this comparison hold water when it comes to books?

Many newspapers have started to limit (and even discontinue completely) their print pages, mainly because subscriptions are on the downfall due to digital convenience, speed and cost-effectiveness of online content. Does this mean that books will follow that same course? That their print medium will die because digital e-books will become cheaper and more convenience?

Far be it for me to predict the future, especially with some many variables within the publishing industry at large, but there is definitely an issue of cost and benefit at play with e-books. For example, authors have been using e-books for years, selling their first chapter to entice readers, or simply giving away the digital files to Internet surfers who subscribe to their blog, all to evidence the merit of their content and writing to booklovers around the world. In short, e-books are definitely valuable in themselves, as both marketing tools and quick, easy access to information, comparisons aside.

However, the value of the e-book doesn’t mean that printing is dead. While there’s no doubt that both established and emerging companies dealing with written content, whether newspapers, books, magazines, among others, will shift to digital representations of their content that can be downloaded via e-readers or phones, the fact remains that we still print, we own printers, we buy physical books and magazines, we used post-its and write notes on paper. Just because the world has made room for digital formats does not spell the end of printing.

Did the flashlight put an end to the candle after all?

True, the sentimental and tactile connection to pages of a physical book is strong, but one could easily agree that such affections could fade with time. How much time is the question? However one tries to attack the print industry (and its connection to book publishing and distribution), it seems we’ll always hit the same wall: there is still a real demand for content on paper.

Are publishers really missing a golden opportunity?
Who knows for sure? Of course publishers should be looking into methods of offering new books in digital files that are compatible with modern e-readers and phones. Of course they should also protect their tradition and primary source of revenue, namely printed books. Who can guess at the real internal affairs of traditional publishers, but I’m sure they’re considering their options, developing programs and technologies, weighing the costs against the potential long term benefits.

Leaving the issue of the physical books value for a moment, what publishers should be asking is not how to deliver these digital files — that much is obvious — but what the files themselves should do. There’s no doubt that the digital representation of content is different than printed content, and as a result, shouldn’t the information be displayed, designed and packaged differently, for a different audience?

Consider Cory McAbee’s (writer and direction of the indie film The American Astronaut) new short music film, Reno. To learn about the many ways individuals access video content on their phones, Sundance commissioned McAbee to create a film that could be easily viewed (and enjoyed) on a two-inch by two-inch screen, customized for handheld viewing devices. Experimenting with surveillance cameras, looping video and images you could find on any digital camera, he created an amazing video that captured countless viewers.

Essentially, this experience illustrates that e-books and digital content in general may need to differentiate itself even more so from its printed forefather, if e-book publishers and distributers plan on ever emerging from the shadow of the already-established value of the physical book.

But what do you think?
Personally, this blogger believes that the physical book isn’t really threatened by the advent and realization of the digital reading format, nor will it for years to come, especially with the acceptance of print-on-demand technology.

Obviously, both are different, appealing to different audiences for a multitude of different reason, some laid out there, some not. While it’s true that the perfect e-reader will inevitably exist one day, and even become the norm among readers, physical books will still exist, cluttering bookshelves, adorning coffee tables maybe. But if the printed book is to die, I say, let it die naturally then. Instead of comparing it to a radically different medium that’s equally as valuable (for different reasons), one that’s in demand to different individuals.

But how about you? What’s your opinion? What are your thoughts and feelings on the subject of the digital e-book industry compared to the current printing standard for books? Will the physical book go the way of the dodo? Or will it always have a home in our past, present and future?

Now, you can meet the winners of the Words of Belief Holiday Story Writing Contest. Attracting such a diversity of voices and range of topics submitted to their first annual writing contest, their publishing team wanted to share the thoughts and emotions of the writers behind the two selected winners. Read about their experience submitting, their unbiased opinions of Words of Belief, their different writing methods and even their jumps for joy at discovering their selection by the judges.

Grand Prize Winner: Tyler Powell for “Churchmas Eve”

WOB Question: How did you feel entering the contest?
Powell’s Answer: I felt great entering the contest, not out of any thought of winning, but because it was a step for me in pursuing what I’d like to do as a career. The experience of having a prompt, developing a story, executing it and then submitting it for review was the first (and truest) reward. If I hadn’t won or been a finalist, I would still have spent time working on my craft, and I would still be a story richer for it.

Q: How did you react when you found out that you won?
A: When I learned that I had won the contest, my first reaction was pure disbelief. I had no expectation that I was going to win, though I did hold some hope that I would be selected as a finalist. I read the congratulatory e-mail two or 18 times and then double-checked what it said against the website. Then, I danced a little dance.

Q: What did you know about Words of Belief before you entered the contest?
A: I wasn’t familiar with Words of Belief prior to hearing about the contest. So far, I’m impressed with what it has to offer. I am a big fan of the possibilities of new media — as a writer, it’s wonderful to be able to have such convenient access to potential readers.

Q: How did you learn about the contest?
A: I learned about the Words of Belief contest by spending a night doing endless searches for any information regarding writing contests, or short story markets, and following link to link, looking for more. Whenever I found something that looked promising or interesting, I would keep that window open. The idea of writing a holiday-themed story really appealed to me, and the simple entry process for the Words of Belief contest kept that window open, and ultimately led to my writing my submission.

Q: Is this your first time entering a writing contest? What can you tell us about your experience?
A: Yes — this was my first time entering a writing contest. It was wonderful. I’ve held several jobs over the course of my youngish life, but so far none have engaged me so much as writing. And really, the contest for me was not much more than a good excuse to write something specific. I wanted an idea, or a theme, or a prompt to write against — I find it difficult to start with a completely blank page. Words of Belief provided me with the impetus to write a holiday story, and so instead of starting from scratch, I could ask myself which holiday to write about. With Christmas approaching, and being such a central holiday in my life, I enjoyed the idea of trying to come up with a story for it. If nothing else, I figured that I would have a Christmas story to share with friends and family.

After the story was written, the rest (formatting and e-mailing per instructions) was simple. I don’t yet know how other contests compare, but if it’s always this easy to enter and the response times are always so quick, I think I’d like to enter a few more.

Q: When did you start writing? What is your experience with writing in your genre?
A: I still have my first story. It’s called “The Chicken and the Fox” and it concerns a fox who’s trying to break into a farm to eat, well, a chicken. The fox tries and fails, tries and fails, and eventually gives up in bitter frustration … to try for some grapes instead!

Oh! See? It’s a clever play on Aesop’s “The Fox and the Grapes!” Or, at least it’s what passed as clever for me when I wrote the story in 1st grade for a class assignment. After that, I didn’t really start writing until late in high school when I fell in love with writing essays and also decided to try my hand at a few short stories, most of which I’ve lost over the years.

Since then, I’ve written off and on, taking some creative writing classes and reading several “how-to” books, but always ultimately thinking of writing as a hobby while I make rent money in a more stable career. Sometime not too long ago, I realized that this was a poor strategy for me, and that I needed to make writing my primary profession. Because, I’ve come to learn that I don’t much care for anything else. I still don’t know if I’ll be able to make rent from month to month, but I believe I’d be happier as a poor writer than as a well-to-do office manager or sales associate.

To return from my digression, I haven’t yet settled on any particular genre, either large (novel, non-fiction, play) or small (fantasy, mainstream, western … okay, probably not western). As a reader, I tend to love almost everything, and so I’d like to try my hand at writing almost everything.

Q: What is your writing process? How does your work come to you?
A: My writing process is to force myself to sit at the computer and type. The two biggest challenges I have in writing are: procrastination and self-criticism. It’s hard for me to start writing, and when I’ve written even a paragraph, it’s hard for me not to read it over and want to scrap the whole project in disgust. And so, I try to schedule “writing time” daily, even if it means just staring at the screen in misery and frustration, and even if it means putting off “necessary” chores. Then, when I do write, I don’t allow myself to re-read or edit as I go.

The dishes can come later — after 1,000 words, say — and editing is great and necessary after typing “the end.” But I’ve found that if I put the dishes first and edit as I go that I don’t often manage that thousand words, let alone the two sweetest.

Beyond simply getting myself to write, the details of my process are much less important. I’ve experimented with writing extensive outlines and “winging it,” or starting with a plot versus starting with a character, and I think that every method is valid and effective relative to the writer and the project.

About the question “how does your work come to you,” I guess my most honest answer is “through my passion.” I believe that stories are bred in conflict and emotion, and so if something upsets me or thrills me or moves me in some real way, there’s probably a story there. I try to look inside myself, and figure out what it is that I’m reacting to — eliminating the sundry inconsequentials and isolating the true nature of the situation. Then, with true nature isolated, I can build the story back up again with whatever imagined details seem most appropriate and interesting.

Which is not to say it’s an easy thing to do, or that I’m all that adept at it. I just hope to get better with practice.

Q: What was the inspiration for your winning title?
A: I really hope that this isn’t too obnoxious of me, but I don’t believe I’m going to answer this question in full. On reflection, I fear that talking too much about my inspiration might drain some of the energy from the story itself. It will help the strings to show, and start to push people towards certain prescribed understandings. I’d rather people come to it without any other direction on my part, so they can reach their own, independent conclusions.

Suffice it to say that I was mainly inspired by the phrase “Jesus is the reason for the season” and also by a Christmas party I attended many years ago, thrown by the youth minister at a prominent fundamentalist church in my hometown.

Q: Did you meet any difficulties while writing your winning entry?
A: Writing is difficult. Apart from the normal challenges of word choice, characterization, trying to keep things interesting while sneaking in expository information, crafting helpful metaphors and endless more, I think my biggest problem was editing down for length.

My first “final” draft came in well above the 5,000 word limit (I think I was initially at around 5,500 and change), and it really didn’t feel like there was any good place to cut. But painful editing is a part of the writing process, and it turned out to be a good difficulty for me to face. Brevity, sadly, is not one of my virtues, and I have no doubt that the ruthless editing I had to do improved my story immensely.

Q: Have you published any other work? And how do you feel about your work being published through Words of Belief now?
A: Technically, I have published some other work, but only very little. Several years ago I wrote an opinion which I sent in, unsolicited, to my then-local newspaper (Los Angeles Daily News). I was deeply gratified a couple of weeks later when an editor gave me a call to tell me they were running my piece, and absolutely blown away when it came out as the color lead of the Op-Ed section on a Sunday paper. My mother had a copy laminated.

The only other piece is a short story that was published in a literary journal at my alma mater, UC Santa Cruz. I shared a Latin course with the editor of the journal, and knowing that I liked to write, she asked me to make a submission. Unfortunately, a week later my appendix ruptured, and so I had to withdraw from my courses, but in my convalescence I wrote a short story and submitted it anonymously through the journal’s website.

The next quarter, not having received any feedback regarding my submission, I ran into the journal’s editor and asked her how the journal was coming. She said that she was disappointed at the poor quality of submissions, and that they’d only received a few “gems.” I asked her what made a gem a gem, and she said she would describe it via example. She proceeded to describe my story!

So, yeah, my publications have thus far been very few and far between, but they’ve each been rewarding to my ego, and treasured in my memory.

Being published through Words of Belief is a true blessing for me, just as those others have been, and will now be its own story for me, for as long as I tell them. I know that my self-esteem should be such that I don’t require validation from any outside source regarding my skill, or the quality of my work. But, if I’m honest with myself, I know that this kind of validation is supremely important to me, and will help in those quiet times at night when I’m stuck and start seriously doubting my own ability.

Crude ego-stroking aside, publication means that people will be reading my fiction. And that’s pretty cool, too.

Q: What are your five favorite books?
A: Instead of my five favorite books, I’ll give you five of my favorite books; no good mother can choose among her children, and no bibliophile like me can fairly pick from so many deep-seated loves:

Watership Down by Richard Adams
I wouldn’t have thought, prior to reading this, that a novel about rabbits in search of a new home could be anything more than children’s book fluff. But Watership Down contains characters that I love as much as I’ve ever loved characters, in an epic, almost-mythic tale of suspense, adventure and ingenuity. A truly gorgeous novel.

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis is a great and beloved fiction writer, what with Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce and many others. However, as a non-fiction writer, I think he is almost without equal. Mere Christianity is as compelling, logical, and elegant a presentation of Christianity as I’ve ever read, heard or otherwise encountered. It manages to pay homage to both faith and reason while never pandering to the reader or shying away from the tougher theological issues. It is a masterful apology written without apology.

The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
I’ve picked The Black Tulip as a bit of a conceit. I’ve loved Dumas in almost everything he’s written, and especially the Musketeer’s series and The Count of Monte Cristo. The Black Tulip is lesser-known, and much smaller in both page count and scale (the plot revolves around a man obsessed with raising tulips), but manages to pack in the high adventure and drama that Dumas delivers so well. If someone had never read Dumas before, The Three Musketeers or Monte Cristo might be too intimidating due simply to their imposing girth. The Black Tulip is a friendlier first-read, and a great way to create more fans for a deserving author.

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan
Sagan’s collection of essays lauding science, and the skepticism that guides it, is funny, fascinating, and insightful. He has a true love for man’s ability to reason, and there’s nothing better than reading the work of a passionate genius.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
I’ve heard that there are abridged versions of Hunchback that cut out the majority of the setting descriptions, and architectural discussion, etc. Who would ever want that? If you read Moby Dick, you have to be prepared for a little whaling talk; if you read Hugo, you’re going to hear about every last cobblestone. That’s why you’re reading him in the first place! On top of almost placing you inside of Notre Dame cathedral and letting you ring the bell, Hugo creates such dynamic, deep and compelling characters, they can never fade from your mind. (If your only version of Phoebus and Claude Frollo are from the Disney version, and you’ve never heard of Jehan, you owe it to yourself to read the novel.)

It is in memory of the feelings inspired by novels like this that I want to write, to move men as I have been moved.

Q: Do you have any advice or tips for other emerging writers?
A: Only this: write. I’d guess that many writers are like me — we mostly live in our heads. And, being so very imaginative, we can come up with a million and one excellent reasons to put off writing. But even the right reasons are wrong if you want to be a writer and they get in your way.

Decide that, no matter what argues against it, you’ll regularly sit down and put pen to paper … or finger to key, or whatever. And, now that you’ve made that decision, start right now and don’t look up until you’ve hit 500 words. Keep doing that from day to day, and you can’t help but produce and improve.

Or at least that’s the theory that keeps me coming back to the keyboard.

Q: Is there anything else that you would like to share? Thoughts? Interesting facts? A short bio? Or a favorite quote or saying?
A: Not at all. Actually, looking back at the majority of my responses, I can’t help but to regret my bluster. I write a story so that people can read the story, not to have a platform to bore people with the uninteresting details of my life! But once I get started, I just can’t seem to shut up …

Seriously, I’m not important; my work, good or bad, is what matters. Go read that! And, if you’re a fellow writer, whip up something for me to read. It’s a friendly, fun way to share our hopes, ideas, dreams, and everything else that matters in our world.

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Editor’s Selection: Judy Nickles for “I Was Hungry: A Very Kate Christmas”

Our Question: How did you feel entering the contest?
Nickels’ Answer: I just did it — and hoped for the best! I knew that if I didn’t place, I had gained experience in submitting.

Q: How did you react when you found out that you won?
A: I hate to admit, at my age, that I squealed and bounced up and down, and the dog came running into the study to see what was the matter with “mommy.”

Q: What did you know about Words of Belief before you entered the contest?
A: I wasn’t acquainted with Words of Belief before entering the contest.

Q: How did you learn about the contest?
A: A writing friend in another state sent me the link.

Q: Is this your first time entering a writing contest? How did the Words of Belief contest compare to others you’ve entered before?
A: I’ve entered one other contest, but I didn’t place. The fact that the Words of Belief contest didn’t require an entry fee impressed me. Also, the maximum length limit was larger and gave me more room to work.

Q: When did you start writing? What is your experience with writing in your genre?
A: I suppose I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil. The original “Dragnet” was on television or radio, and I wrote two parodies: “Fishnet” and “Hairnet” in the early 1950s. I still have them somewhere! In junior high and high school, I was blessed with wonderful English teachers who assigned creative essay topics, which I loved writing. They also marked every error and didn’t accept “fluff.” My freshman teacher agreed to accept essays in poetry form since I also loved writing that.

I don’t write one specific genre. I try to incorporate romance with mystery in many pieces, and I draw ideas from my other hobby, genealogy. I’ve turned over a lot of old bones in researching various family lines!

Q: What is your writing process? How does your work come to you?
A: Usually I just take an idea and write, but sometimes that itself is not the best idea. I have about 26 more “Kate” stories, and those were written as they came to me. Writing something longer, like a novel, takes some research and pre-planning. I’ve begun to experiment with scene outlines — nothing too detailed but a sort of general roadmap.

Q: What was the inspiration for your winning title?
A: It was the season for a Christmas “Kate” story. I usually give my stories a title after they’re written, and I look for something unusual and “eye-catching,” but which also speaks to the underlying theme of the story.

Q: Did you meet any difficulties while writing your winning entry?
A: It was necessary to revise the story quite extensively from the original, so I had to be sure that all the new character names and settings were correct throughout. I’m my own worst critic, so I kept going back and reading and making small changes right up until the night I finally hit the send button on the computer.

Q: Have you published any other work? And how do you feel about your work being published through Words of Belief now?
A: I’ve only begun to pursue publication since I retired in the spring of 2007. I’ve had one short-short story published in Long Story Short, an e-zine. Another story has been accepted for publication in an Arkansas quarterly, The Storyteller. I also have a contract with The Wild Rose Press for a novel, Where Is Papa’s Shining Star? which is in the editing process, and I’m working on a sequel to submit as well.

Obviously, I was delighted to learn that I’d placed in the Words of Belief Holiday Story Contest and look forward to seeing the complete anthology and reading the other authors’ stories. The excerpt from the grand prize winner intrigues me, so I need to know where the story is going!

Q: Do you maintain a Website or a blog?
A: My website is: www.judynickles.com, and my writing blog is: The Word Place. Come visit me!

Q: What are your five favorite books?
A: I’ve always loved all kinds of books — history, biography, mystery, romance. I grew up reading Grace Livingston Hill’s books and have a 1934 copy of The Christmas Bride, which I read every December. Jane Eyre, The Secret Garden, Little Lord Fauntleroy — yes, some are children’s books, and that makes four! I’ll list a huge volume called Children of Pride as the fifth. It’s a collection of letters and journal entries of a southern family in a 20-30 year period that spans the Civil War and Reconstruction. I could name many, many more books that I love, but you said five! (Could I sneak in Tom Brokaw’s Greatest Generation books? How about Edward Everett Horton’s The Man Without a Country? And can I add all of Elisabeth Elliot’s book? Do I have to stop?)

Q: Do you have any advice or tips for other emerging writers?
A: Even though I’ve been writing all my life — and I’m not telling how long that is! — I feel as though I am also an emerging writer, so I’m not sure I’m qualified to give advice. I always wrote just for the love of writing, and I think that if a writer doesn’t love it, she won’t do it well. It’s important to me to like my characters, to feel that they are real people — so real that I’m reluctant to let them go at the end of the story. I set many stories during the Depression and World War II, both of which have a great fascination for me, since I’m a product of a family that lived through both. You have to be “tuned in” to time and place and willing to do the research to make your writing believable.

For me, it has been very important to have friends who also write. They’ve been a tremendous source of encouragement and support as I’ve dipped my toe in the publishing ocean. You have to have that connection — or I do, anyway.

Q: Is there anything else that you would like to share? Thoughts? Interesting facts? A short bio? Or a favorite quote or saying?
A: I’m just a retired teacher, and while I miss the classroom, it’s nice to have time to concentrate on writing and see where that path leads. I spent my first two teaching years in Africa. When my boys were young, we’d hitch up the camper every summer and take off ancestor-hunting. They grew up in cemeteries and courthouses, and they’re still interested in family history even now that they’re grown. I feel there are still “places to go, people to meet, things to do.” My grandfather was still on the go at 95 year old, so I hope I am, too.

I’ve got quotes on stickies all over the place, but if I had to share one that has pointed the way for my life, it would be this:

Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be … The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms …
-Deuteronomy 33: 25, 27

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• The Great Big Square: 11″ x 11″

Click on the images of the books that are shown above to read more about each style. Very soon, they’ll be adding the Mini Brag, too.

If you’d like to find out more about using Inkubook, how the software works, and how to easily collaborate with friends and family, visit their Learn More page, the Creating Photos Books page, and the Photo Book Fun with Your Friends page.

Back from the holiday week with a bang, Words of Belief has selected its winners and finalists for the Holiday Story Writing Contest they hosted in the previous months. Out of hundreds of submissions their judges received, only 15 were pulled for publication in their coming anthology, Tis the Season: Selected Stories of Contemporary Fiction and Nonfiction.

So please join us in congratulating the grand prize winner, the editor’s selection, as well as the 13 other finalists who will appear in Tis the Season:

Grand Prize Winner: Tyler Powell, for his story “Churchmas Eve”

Judges comment on Powell’s “Churchmas Eve”:
When reading the stories submitted to the Words of Belief holiday short story contest, a theme among the submissions surfaced. What do the holidays mean? This question was a common theme that the stories explored and even attempted to explain. There was one story that embodies the search to find meaning in the holidays versus the shallow commercialization of the season.

Tyler Powell’s short story, “Churchmas Eve,” successfully distills the struggle of keeping spirituality in Christmas. However, Powell’s story is a complex menagerie of characters, all of who are at odds on how the holiday should be celebrated.

Jeanette, the overbearing mother, wants to observe the strictest definition of Christmas. She wants no gifts, Christmas lights, or carols. Her son, Bobby, like any kid, wants a version of the holiday that is more festive and embraces contemporary traditions. And Larry, Jeantte’s husband and Bobby’s father, is stuck in the middle. Larry concedes to his wife’s demands for a stern interpretation but he longs for Bobby to enjoy Christmas as well.

Regardless of the internal struggle between the main characters, Bobby finds his own meaning for Christmas. Bobby’s interaction with a homeless man helps him realize what the holiday means to him, personally.

In the end, Powell has a created a classic story that explores the internal and external conflicts surrounding the holidays. This is why “Churchmas Eve,” is a successful, endearing story.

Click here to preview Powell’s story>>

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Editor’s Selection: Judy Nickles, for her story “I Was Hungry”

Judges comment on Nickles’ “I Was Hungry”:
Judy Nickles’ “I Was Hungry: A Very Kate Christmas” was a very pleasant surprise. I’m a big fan of historical fiction, and when it’s done well, it transports you, body and soul, to the author’s chosen place and time. Such was the case with this story. It begins with a strong opening, told with a confident voice, and it kept my interest throughout. Judy’s narrative has excellent attention to detail, appealing to all of the senses as she tells her story. The setting — both time and place — are important to the story, rather than being chosen randomly or arbitrarily.

She gave herself a challenge: recounting a child’s story more than fifty years later. In doing so, she’s cultivated a fine blend of a young girl’s perception of the way things were at the time, yet filtered through the older, wiser eyes and mind of someone looking back on a meaningful time of life.

The story itself — well, I won’t give away too much, lest I spoil the surprises that await you, rather like unwrapping a greatly anticipated gift. Suffice it to say, it is quite touching, without getting lost in sentimentality. Judy respects her characters and invites us into their private family moments, and so reader becomes holiday guest.

So welcome to Kate Forrester’s world.

Click here to preview the Nickles’ story>>

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Each story surprised the judges with writing quality, irony and religious message, so the anthology Tis the Season, Selected Stories should turn out to be quite the delight. This Christmas, be sure to look for Tis the Season and other publications by the winners as well as finalists in the WOB Online Bookstore, too!

For a complete list of the finalists, visit the WOB Contest page>>

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Tis the Season: Selected Stories of Contemporary Fiction and Nonfiction features the two winners and 13 additional finalists of the first official Words of Belief Holiday Story Writing Contest. In an attempt to encourage creativity and professional publishing among Christian writers around the world, Words of Belief had anthologized some of the best religious thinkers and inspirational voices within contemporary literature.

Foreword Preview:
Ah, the holidays. For some, it is a time of faith; for others, it is a time of family or feasting or frantic shopping, or some combination of the above. Ask almost anyone you know, and odds are good they have a story to tell about a holiday experience. This was the jumping-off point for Words of Belief’s short story contest.

This is a remarkable time in the world of publishing. In the spirit of independent films and the indie music scene, a wave of independent writers has emerged, finding avenues in which to publish their work without relying on the often-frustrating demands of traditional publishing. In this brave new world of print-on-demand self-publishing, thousands of new voices are arising, telling the world, “This is my story.” We bid them welcome.

The fifteen finalists you’ll find in these pages run the gamut, from modern day to times long past, locales far and near. Some are stories of quiet reflection in times of challenge. Others recount the well-known theme of scrambling to find just the right gift for a friend or relative. Still others explain a holiday tradition or custom.

Many voices gather to share their tales. We thank our fifteen finalists for their excellent work, and congratulate them on being a part of this anthology. We hope our readers will enjoy the stories they’ve shared, and be encouraged to write their own tales.

Preorder your Christmas copy of Tis the Season via Live Chat>>

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What is Words of Belief?
Words of Belief is a Christian self-publishing company that employs a free online publishing wizard to help both emerging writers and established authors spread the word of God. Promoting a positive publishing environment where Christians can share their spiritual messages, Words of Belief makes the process of turning manuscripts with hopeful and inspiring messages into marketable books that reveal true salvation.

Since all WOB authors are now automatically issued free ISBNs and unlimited global distribution, Christian writers who publish their manuscripts through our user-friendly publishing wizard not only have their books available for order within the WOB Bookstore, but orderable at more than 25,000 different retailers worldwide, including Amazon.com and Borders.

WOB authors also have the added benefit of distribution with Spring Arbor, the trusted Christian branch of Ingram Industries that services thousands of major Christian bookstores around the world, whose team will include your book within their time-honored retail database that has been fulfilling orders for more than 27 years.

Visit Words of Belief for more information>>

Please be advised that the AuthorTreeHouse Marketing Blog will suspend posting until after the coming Thanksgiving Holiday, but rest assured, we will resume normal operations effective December 2, 2008.

Should you have questions about AuthorTree or suggestions for future blogs, don’t hesitate to pitch your idea within a comment, and our marketing team will definitely address your submissions upon their return.

Thank you for your time and patience.

-The AuthorTreeHouse Team

It’s no secret that audio books are a thriving business for authors, and if you’re already publishing a book, why not look into having a voice over talent record your manuscript for audio publication?

Think about it. Millions of people listen to podcasts and books on their morning commutes and even in their offices as they peck away at the keyboard. Order an audio book can really get a great buzz going about your book. Even if one person purchases an audio copy of your title, you can bet that others will overhear, inquire about your book and perhaps even add your audio book to their online shopping cart for a listen.

Plus, with iTunes copled with the new iPod hardware so available as the modern listening technology of choice, recouping your investment can be easy with the right marketing plan.

Since Author Solutions, Inc. has yet to offer audio books, our marketing gang found two superb and trusted organizations that handles voice over talents, namely Voices.com and Voice123.

VOICE OVER TALENT AGENCIES FOR AUDIO BOOKS

Voices.com
Voices.com is a unique web service that helps you complete your voice over recording, music production and language translation projects online. It’s simple, fast, and web-based. You don’t need to download or install anything — everything happens in your web browser.

Helping more than 58,000 people, some of their clients include ABC, NBC, CBS, Dreamworks, Disney, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Bell South, Nortel Networks, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Xerox, Ford, GM, BMW, Shell, Texaco, NASA, the US Army and many more.

In addition to being fast and diplomatic, ensuring you get the best deal while connecting to the best voice over talents, their clients have said they have reduced their costs by as much as 60 percent by using their service. By working directly with professional voice talent you don’t need to book recording studios, hire an audio engineer or casting director to complete your project.

With their free Client Account you can:

• Post a job or search the database
• View voice talent profiles and listen to audio demos online
• Compare qualifications, quotes and availability of professionals
• Pay the voice talent using SurePay™ Escrow service
• Download finished work securely from Voices.com
• Satisfaction Guaranteed when you use SurePay™ Escrow!

Voice123
Voice123 is one of the biggest and most technologically advanced group of voice over talents and voice producers in the world. Whether you want a local voice talent for your next national TV commercial or a fully-produced piece of audio in Japanese for your book promotions in Japan, Voice123 can help. Voice123 allows you to hire thousands of voice over talent and voice producers from all over the world within your budge. Language, accent and geographical borders are now things of the past!

Post a project and let talents or producers submit auditions or proposals. No time for auditions? Easy: get in contact with the talent or producer right away. Use Voice123′s SmartSearch feature to find the professionals you like, or simply allow SmartCast find the best voice for you.

The entire process may take a couple of hours. Most of their talents and voice producers have their own recording studio facilities, saving you time and money.

Manage all your castings quickly and free! Talents submit their audition using their state-of-the-art online auditioning system. You manage the auditions as you wish grading them, sharing them, downloading them, storing them and much more!

The Point: An investment in audio books can not only earn you money, but also become a lucrative strategy to promote your book worldwide and even break into yet another marketplace.

Greetings all, this is Tasheena, posting here at AuthorTreeHouse on an innovative and effective way to publish and sell your original content online in an affordable digital version.

With the number of active, interested Amazon Kindle users increasingly growing each month, this unique digital publishing market is booming. A perfect portal for new authors to launch their careers without a large investment or high amount of risk, any writer now has the opportunity to reach a mass market of readers with little to no personal investment.

Since consumers are limited by the range of books now available in this specific format, authors now have the rare opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this fresh and fast growing trend in the book industry.  No ISBN is required for publication, and authors have the opportunity to set their own “list price” for their uploaded content.

A great way to maximize your sales potential, reformatting your original written works into a Kindle-friendly e-version can be done by simply visiting Amazon’s Digital Text Platform and creating an account. Once uploaded, files generally become available for order in the Kindle Store within 12 hours of being published.

Don’t have time to set-up an account and convert files yourself? If you have published with Wordclay, they will do the work of reformatting your files for you. Simply visit their Services Store to get started.

Also, websites such as Smashwords.com can help you not only reformat your files for the Kindle, but for many other venues such as Sony Reader, IRex Iliad, or smart phones such as the iPhone or Treo.

Watch their simple tutorial below:

Interested in further details about Amazon Kindle publishing opportunities? Check out Steven Windwalker’s The Complete Step-by-Step Guide To Publishing Books, Articles & Other Content for the Amazon Kindle: Creating Your Own Success Story with New Technologies. Available in both paperback and Kindle versions, the do-it-yourself guide details how authors and publishers alike can “make a smooth and profitable transition to the digital publishing future.”

Until next time in AuthorTreeHouse, this has been Tasheena. Tune in next week for more riveting publishing advice, same blog time, same blog channel.

Justin here, and today we’re posting the winner of the fifth AuthorTree Online Spotlight Competition. Now, please join me in congratulating Gary Greenfield, this month’s featured AuthorTree author.

What’s the Author Spotlight Competition?
The Author Spotlight Competition is a monthly opportunity for authors with free AuthorTree Web pages to feature their various site and books. The AuthorTree staff reviews all entries and selects those they believe actively engage readers and fellow writers.

The judges base their decision on features such as:

• Presentation
• Readability
• Blog entries
• Book reviews
• Social networks
• Additional Web sites
• among other features…

As the winner of the AuthorTree Online Spotlight Competition, a quick link to Greenfield’s Web site, where you can read about his publication and order his title, will be listed on the sidebar of AuthorTreeHouse for the following month.

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Who is Gary Greenfield?
Gary Greenfield is a speaker, author, trainer and business coach/consultant who helps people and their organizations “Profit Through Performance.” His areas of expertise are performance improvement and inspirational leadership skills. He provides expert solutions for ten business challenges:

Performance Improvement

• Driving productivity
• Languishing sales results
• Public speaking skills
• Impacting accountability
• Productivity Improvement solutions
• Need for keynote speaker

Inspirational Leadership

• Employee job performance
• Clarity in business direction
• Innovative solutions to company growth
• Customized training solutions

Greenfield had three decades of experience in the financial services industry when he made the leap from the corporate world to the life of professional speaking. Now the real life skills he learned — while rising from an insurance agent to an Executive Vice President managing thousands of sales managers, sales representatives and a multi-million dollar budget — are brought to bear in helping many clients reach their performance goals.

Greenfield is a professional member of the National Speakers Association, The Florida Speakers Association and the International Federation for Professional Speakers. He is currently the President of the Florida Speakers Association.

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Available by Greenfield:
Title: Life’s Ride or Fall … You Make the Call: Thoughts, Stories, Lessons Learned and Actionable Ideas to Help Create the Ride of Your Life!
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Description: A focused, multi-dimensional approach to help people searching for motivation and direction so they can connect where they have been and where they are to where they want to go in life.

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Greenfield’s Web sites:

Greenfield’s website: http://www.garygreenfield.com
AuthorTree Author Site: http://www.authortree.com/glgbook
Social Networking: http://www.LinkedIn.com
AuthorTree Blog: http://authortree.com/glgbook/Blog
Company Blog: http://blog.garygreenfield.com
ForeWord Review:

“Every new horizon is cloaked in a mist of uncertainty,” the author writes. “The only way to clear the mist and see the sharp edge of opportunity on the horizon is by using a roadmap — a plan of action.” In this well-organized and engaging volume, author Gary Greenfield asks readers to define the legacy they would like to leave, and offers the story of his own rise to success as a guide to the excitement and fulfillment of a life well lived. Read more>>

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Why Gary Greenfield?
First and foremost, Greenfield’s enthusiasm, great management and genuine desire to help professionals as well as organizations are rivaled by none other. He hosts conferences, maintains his own websites, forges successful, lucrative partnerships, features videos and actively manages blogs, not to mention the book he’s published to reinforce the work values he teaches

Greenfield is a fine example of an author willing to actively promote his book by helping individuals achieve success and maintain an optimistic attitude in the work environment. Just listen to Julie Morgenstern, CEO of Julie Morgenstern Enterprises:

Gary Greenfield is the consummate professional. He brings extraordinary expertise, vast breadth of experience, integrity and an accurate eye for excellence that ensures every project he’s ever done has been absolutely top-notch. I’ve used Gary repeatedly on a variety of projects; including instructional design work, client consulting and facilitation of workshops – he’s an excellent listener who meets every goal we set for each initiative. He is also a complete pleasure to work with, bringing positive energy, and genuine support to each person he encounters. I wish I could clone him.

Definitely check his book and sites out this month!

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Submission Guidelines
Become AuthorTreeHouse’s next spotlighted author by creating a free Web site with AuthorTree and posting a comment with your exact URL below. Once the bloggers have carefully reviewed each site submitted, a new author will be selected for a monthly presence within the company blog.

Should you be selected, your Web site will not only appear in an independent blog entry, but a direct link to your author page will be posted on the tree trunk (sidebar) of AuthorTreeHouse. Entering your AuthorTree site only takes a minute and just might direct curious browsers that number in the thousands to your author page.

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What Are the Benefits of Winning the Author Spotlight?
Think about it – you’re being recognized by professionals who review Web sites for a living – that has to mean something, doesn’t it? And your SEO (search engine optimization) should improve with each spotlight. With the more links and content (like this blog entry, for example) that reference you, the greater the chances people searching for your book and your themes will find you (and order your new titles).

Designing, maintaining and submitting your AuthorTree author site is completely free, and it takes hardly any time at all. What’s there to lose? Only one thing’s for certain – not creating and submitting your free Web page won’t help.

• Book Glutton
• SmashWords
• NaNoWriMo
• Rainbow Authors
• BNStudios

Book Glutton:
A better way to read online, Book Glutton’s mission is to offer book that are different, engaging, intelligent and digital. Their intent: build an experience that is simultaneously a book group, a computer and a book.

Their team believes that people want to read, annotate and discuss books while immersed in the text. In respect for the solitary side to reading, their members are also provided with the chance to tune out the community whenever desire. Book Glutton’s free reader was designed for the laptops people carry to their coffee shops, and meant for the network, not the desktop.

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SmashWords:
Smashwords is a digital self-publishing platform where independent ebook authors and their audiences come together to interact in ways never before possible.

At Smashwords, authors have complete control over the sampling, pricing and marketing of their written works. Smashwords is ideal for personal memoirs, novels, short fiction, non-fiction, essays, screenplays, newsletters, poetry, or other written forms that haven’t even been invented yet. It’s free to publish on Smashwords.

For readers, Smashwords provides an opportunity to discover new voices in all categories and genres of the written word. For registered members, the site offers useful tools for search, discovery and personal library-building.

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NaNoWriMo:
NaNoWriMo.org is an innovative, yet fun approach to novel writing. Anyone can register for free, and join the thousands of others in your area who want to finish a novel. All participants began writing Nov. 1, 2008, and everyone will try to write at a 50,000-word novel by midnight, Nov. 30th.

Because of the limited writing window, the only thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and simply write. Reread, rewrite and revise later, but get your draft out in November.

As you spend November writing, take comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows, taking breaks and heading to work in the morning. Wrimos in your area even meet throughout the month to offer encouragement and support.

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Rainbow Authors:
Rainbow Authors, powered by Wordclay, provides gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered authors with a streamlined, user-friendly option for self-publishing their work. With Rainbow Authors, gay and lesbian authors have publishing options that range from free layout and sales on the Wordclay site to the option to purchase worldwide distribution packages.

Rainbow Authors realizes the challenges for GLBT writers to bring a new book to market. Whether it’s the hurdle of getting your work accepted by a traditional publisher or dealing with the realities of small publishing houses with limited resources, Rainbow Authors can help emerging writers.

Plus, you can now submit your book to their Book of the Year contest. Complete the publishing process for your book by November 30, 2008 and then send an e-mail to contest@rainbowauthors.com. Include your contact information and a 250 word synopsis of your book. You’ll then automatically be entered in the First Annual RainbowAuthors.com Book of the Year Award – 2008. By January 10th, five authors will be selected and asked to send via email a complete copy of their book manuscript. The winner will be announced on or before March 1, 2009.

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Barnes and Noble Studio:
Filled with numerous enlightening and interesting videos, audio and various forms of new media, Barnes and Nobel Studio features categories that include:

.

WHY I READ: Asking Readers about their favorite and worst books
NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL: Interviews with authors and publishing greats
GUEST BOOKS: Notable readers like Stephen King share their fav books
MEET THE WRITER: Writers and authors discuss their topics
CENTER STAGE: A change to chat with authors online
COVER STORIES: Profiling various authors and key publishing industry staff

Visit their Web site for more videos>>

Check them out on YouTube.com as well>>

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SUBMIT YOUR MARKETING WEB RESOURCE
Submit individual and organization Web sites that deal with the major aspects of book promotion for a chance to be featured as AuthorTreeHouse’s Monthly Internet Selection. Entering your online weblog or nominating a company you trust is easy. Simply post a comment below (or to “About AuthorTreeHouse”) that includes the official title of your Online Marketing Resource and the corresponding URL. After our bloggers review your submissions, the winning sites will be showcased for the month and linked to from the tree trunk (sidebar).

Emerging writers from across the world have accepted the National Novel Writing Month Challenge, and they’re already on day four of what could become the first step in a lengthy writing career.

What is NaNoWriMo.org?

NaNoWriMo.org is an innovative, yet fun approach to novel writing. Anyone can register for free, and join the thousands of others in your area who want to finish a novel. All participants began writing Nov. 1, 2008, and everyone will try to write at a 50,000-word novel by midnight, Nov. 30th.

Because of the limited writing window, the only thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and simply write. Reread, rewrite and revise later, but get your draft out in November.

As you spend November writing, take comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows, taking breaks and heading to work in the morning. Wrimos in your area even meet throughout the month to offer encouragement and support.

Why NaNoWriMo.org?

Especially since there isn’t a prize beyond finishing your manuscript, which you could complete any month. But that’s the point, isn’t it? Naturally, with such a lengthy endeavor as a novel, we tend to procrastinate. Now, with the support of fellow aspiring writers, you can finish the first draft of your book, revise later, and start sending pitches to publishers within a few months. Sounds like a pretty cool idea to me!

Please offer your support and encouragement to all writers in November, especially the ones who are participating in the intense NaNoWriMo writing marathon. Plus, check out their new addition WrimoRadio, where you can keep tabs on group progress from around the world.

Cover Design by John Gall

Helping publish at least 200 traditionally-published books per year, John Gall is Vice President and Art Director for Vintage and Anchor Books, an imprint of Alfred A Knopf, which is a publishing group within Random House, owned by Bertlesmann Corporation. Lucky for us that Barnes & Noble decided to film a brief cover story about design, during which he charismatically lists his design rules of thumb:

• Rule 1: Read the book.
• Rule 2: Inspiration is everywhere.
• Rule 3: Be thrifty with fonts.
• Rule 4: Practice sound time management.
• Rule 5: Rules are meant to be broken.

Now watch Gall detail his five rules and book cover experience!

Definitely five rules to keep in mind when you’re thinking about your cover. Whether you’ve contracted a designer or you’re laying out the cover yourself, the look and feel that the cover evokes in browsing readers definitely affects your sales. An intriguing and inviting cover makes all the difference when you’re promoting your book. A great, modern design can give you the appeal of a professional who knows the biz, inside and out.

No matter what, always remember Gall’s closing remark, “What can I say, books are wonderful things…”

Check out other B&N Cover Stories at BNStudio on YouTube>>

Click here for an interview and other covers by John Gall>>

Greetings all, this is Tasheena, posting here at AuthorTreeHouse on an exciting new opportunity for GLBT writers and self-published authors.

From now until November 30^th, Rainbow Authors, a GLBT online self-publishing company, is accepting submissions for the first annual RainbowAuthors.com Book of the Year Award – 2008.

To enter, simply visit RainbowAuthors.com and complete the publishing process by Nov. 30^th. Basic publishing is free and there is absolutely no cost necessary to be considered for the competition.

Once you’ve published your title with the help of Rainbow Authors and Wordclay’s comprehensive do-it-yourself publishing wizard, send an email with your contact information and a 250 word synopsis of your book to contest@rainbowauthors.com.

Fifteen first round finalists will be chosen from all participants, based on the strength of their book synopsis, and will be notified by Dec. 15^th. Each finalist will then be requested to send via email the first three chapters of their book for judging.

From the fifteen finalists, five will be selected on January 10^th to submit a complete copy of their book’s manuscript. 

One winner will be chosen and announced on March 1, 2009 based on the following criteria:

• Originality – Does the book have a good “hook”?
• Writing Quality – How well-written is the story? Does it draw the reader in and keep them?
• Editing Quality – Is the book well edited and free or near free of typos and grammar mistakes?
• Cover Design and Back Cover Copy Text – What level of quality was put into the cover of the work? 

The grand prize winner will receive 10 free copies of their book, as well as a professionally written press release distributed to selected gay media announcing their book being selected as Rainbow Author’s Book of the Year – 2008. Their winning title will also be widely promoted on RainbowAuthors.com and GayBookStoreOnline.com.

The four-runner ups will each receive a free copy of their book, and a special mention on RainbowAuthors.com for their participation in the contest. 

As a one of many who share a unique, diverse but united experience, your story deserves to be heard. Visit RainbowAuthors.com today for further information on GLBT self-publishing and your chance to have your work showcased as 2008’s Book of the Year.

Until next time in AuthorTreeHouse, this has been Tasheena. Tune in next week for more riveting marketing advice, same blog time, same blog channel.

Let the AuthorTreeHouse marketing staff investigate writing contests for potential benefits, prizes and deadlines. Now, by simply submitting the Contest name and the URL here, our team will do the legwork for you.

Writing scams infecting the Internet have turned writers skeptical of most contests, but with our new contest database and calendar, we hope to create a home for contest information that boils down the guidelines to easy-to-manage, helpful and brief information for all writers interested in submitting their poetry, fiction, nonfiction and artwork.

STEPS TO SUBMIT A CONTEST FOR REVIEW:

1. Post a comment below listing the contest name and URL.
2. Post any questions you may have about the writing contest.
3. Allow two or three business days for our team to make an inquiry.
4. Check back for a new blog post that details the contest.
5. Submit any additional questions to the contest blog.

Start the dialogue about a writing contest here, and let the AuthorTreeHouse bloggers sniff out the best and the worst for your submission management.

Not to mention, if you’re a legitimate literary journal or publishing company running a contest relevant for established authors and emerging writers, we’ll list the details of your contest within a blog, discussing the guidelines, prizes and potential benefits.

Furthermore, our team will discuss the major magazines as well as previous winners who have gone onto greener pastures. Which means, you can get a comprehensive picture of where and when to send your writing.

This has been your marketing woodpecker with the raised eyebrow Doubting Thomas, testing yet another publishing premise with the Cartesian method.