The Merry Bird...

Dissolving TheMerryBird Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 11:52:00 +0000

After 8 + years of running an online/offline graphic design business I've decided to close my online freelance doors. The business times in the past two years have been erratic and slow, so officially, March 2015 TheMerryBird Designs will no longer offer graphic services.

The following shops, online links and Merry Bird places will be pulled down or altered to fit a new phase of business at a later time.

www.TheMerryBird.com
www.the-merry-bird.blogspot.com
TheMerryBird etsy "Your Stationery in Flight"
http://www.twitter.com/TheMerryBird
http://www.facebook.com/TheMerryBird.Designs
TheMerryBird Ryze
TheMerryBird Thumbtack

5 Tips for Creating an Ingenious Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 18:07:00 +0000

Wheeewww! it's been a while! And I thought while my mind was helping my children with childhood projects and presentations I would fly in to blog about tips to keep your presentation top notch!

Years ago, as a graphic book cover artist I would never forget to "present" my work in its best form, clean, concise boards on easels and a flawless speech about my ideas. Here are some tips I remind myself of each time a presentation is needed at work or for a freelance client. These tips hold true for a professional as well as a student presentation:

1: THINK BIG

Can everyone read the presentation board you created from 4-5 ft away? or from a seat in the back row? TEXT must be BIG enough to read from afar.

2: SHOW SIMPLICITY

Being simple is best. Don't use too many words or have too much to read. When presentation boards are simple, those reading them or viewing them can easily remember points about the presentation or see images in their mind when they walk away.

3: HAVE CLARITY

Color, Font Size and Font style all come into play so think before you choose a "script font" in "red" printed on a blue background... the audience will get a headache!

4: SET A GOAL

Have a goal in mind for your presentation. Do you want to engage? educate? make a joke? or be serious? or inform your audience?

5: PRACTICE YOUR SPEECH

The more you practice the less you have to read from your info/prompt cards!

If you use these five tips your presentation will be off to a great start! You will have confidence and will prove you know your stuff! So fill in the blanks and practice, practice, practice!

Think before you turn the other cheek!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 20:18:00 +0000

So, I'm conversing with my 10 year old son and he's told me to "kiss this!" ( as he points to his butt). I said "I beg your pardon? who taught you that one?" he replied "oh mom!.... The Grinch..." He evidently was joking.

I took a moment and thought how bizarre my mind was working at that moment. The thought I had in my head wasn't a pleasant one but when I realized his statement came from the movie The Grinch, I bowed my head and released my breath. What is society really thinking out there? If scenes of a movie have so much control over our minds do we have to accept it? ignore it? don't watch it? forget about it?

It's amazing how words conjure up emotions that in turn conjure up reactions. I guess The Grinch won in that conversation I had with my son and now I'd like to take a lesson. Images come from statements that stick. In today's online world of flashing images, colors, sounds and god knows what else, a serious business needs to take notes on how to reach an audience with a statement that sticks in their mind for more than a nano second. The Grinch's green coat isn't as scary as the thoughts he planted in my child's head - I like to come up with a positive "statement" for any business I work with that would capture it's respective audience without insulting anyone and yes stick.....or maybe, I should insult....people seem to be immune to this way of thinking and like it.

Our immunity to insulting behavior is due to all of the slang utilized in posts, articles, blogs, talks and movies. Society has become immune to hearing truth in words and images. The reflection is evident in our way of thinking that it's ok to accept insults and laugh about it. Complacency is our worst enemy but as I learned I can't turn the other cheek when asked to "kiss this"!

- Kristine Sheehan

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 11:56:00 +0000

After dealing with some serious health issues I'm back to say hello and Happy Thanksgiving! This time of year always rolls around so quickly that I have to remind myself there are only 33 days left to shop for Christmas... Holy cow! (or should I say Bull to my local readers?? poor thing!)

I have been tracking many authors hoping to catch them thinking about book cover design or to interview them about a latest novel they've written - It's so exciting to watch budding authors or master author works show up on the Amazon best seller list or find out a movie is in the making. Thinking about movies, how many of you can't wait to see Catching Fire, Hunger Games? or better yet The Book Thief? I'm looking forward to both!

As the end of the year approaches I reflect on the awful status of our economy, the mickey mouse government and the nuclear option...well before I get blown to bits let me make you aware I am thankful for health, family, and friends and of course my readers! I'm researching other avenues to write about here and hope to post helpful, informative or friendly graphic, publishing or artistic idea's this coming year..... it can only get better! See you soon!

Today's Meet The Author - Tina Gerow

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 23:33:00 +0000

Glad to speak with you today Tina Gerow (aka Cassie Ryan)!

Tell us about all about you…as the non- author first then about you as author.

I have a varied background. I’ve done many different things – band director, Dominos pizza manager, House manager of a 30-plex movie theatre, Business Systems Analyst, Technologies Project and Program Manager and Starbucks barista, but I’ve always wanted to be an author. I live in Arizona with my hubby, my 19-year-old son, two feisty cats, one king snake, and several fish…

I'm a multi published author under two pen names. I write sensual paranormal romance as Tina Gerow and erotic paranormal romance as Cassie Ryan.

I'm also an experienced line editor and a public speaker on many topics both motivational and writing related and teach online writing classes several times throughout the year.

So basically I'm a slacker ex band director with an outgoing personality and an overactive imagination that I've put to work for the safety of myself and others :)

How long have you been writing?

I’ve written something or other all of my life and always dreamed of a day when I’d see one of my books on the shelf, but I didn’t start writing seriously until 2003 when my husband encouraged me to stop talking about it and DO it J I joined RWA and hit the ground running.

What inspires you to write in the style that you do? (what genre do you write in? does it vary?)

I grew up loving anything paranormal in both books and movies. And when I hit my teen years I started stealing books off of my brother’s bookshelf – Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffrey, Terry Brooks and a whole host of others. I actually HATED romance for a long time. I had read a few of my mom’s Harlequins when I was ten or eleven (she probably still doesn’t know about that!) The heroines at that time were wimpy and whiney – or at least to me. I wanted them to stand up for themselves, wield their own swords and kick some ass! But then when I went on a vacation with a friend in my late 20’s and I ran out of books on the beach so she loaned me Nora Robert’s Born in Fire. It wasn’t paranormal, but I fell in love with the characters, the vivid descriptions, and yes, the romance of it all. From there, I read the rest of that series and began to branch out to other romance authors and found some paranormal romance authors like Cheyenne McCray and Sherrilyn Kenyon who became favorites. Then I began to think I might actually be able to write in that genre, so when I joined RWA that’s where I started. My first book Into a Dangerous Mind, was about a psychic serial killer and has gone on to win several awards and be published in Spanish, Portuguese and Turkish. It will be available on audio book soon! I only have one book out that doesn’t have any paranormal in it – it’s Take It Off and is a fun little contemporary romance with lots of snark – and snark is in ALL of my books. I tried my hand at erotic paranormal romance several years ago and Kensington picked me up for a three book deal. That’s how Cassie Ryan was born. Those are all paranormal and all smokin’ hot J I don’t see myself foregoing either the paranormal or the romance any time soon. I love both writing and reading them, so I think they are here to stay, at least for me!

How many words per day do you like to write? Is that a daily goal or weekly goal?

I like to TRY for at least three thousand words a day, but since my brain blowout a few years ago, that goal has been a tough one to keep up with. Since then on a good day I can get in a few thousand, but that involves at least a few naps. Sometimes instead I’ll give myself a time goal – things like “I’m going to write for two hours today” and then depending on how I’m feeling when that two hours is done, I can always extend it.

What is the name of your first book? How long ago was

It printed? Where did you market it and did you have a good sale number?

Into a Dangerous Mind was my first book. I published it originally with a small press publisher who has since gone out of business. Its first release was in 2005. For marketing I took out ads at several review sites like Romance Junkies, Fallen Angel Reviews and took promotional items to Romantic Times convention and RWA Nationals. That’s back when My Space was the big social media outlet, so I did promo on there as well. It didn’t hit the market with a huge bang, but over time it is still my best selling Tina Gerow book to date. In the last few years my agent has sold the foreign language rights so that now it’s available not only in English, but in Spanish, Portuguese and Turkish. And I’m finally putting my audio book rights into play and should have that available before Christmas of this year.

I understand you have a book series. How many books are in the series (or will be in the series when completed)? How did you come to write a series?

I have a few series under both pen names. As Tina I have the Maiden series. There will be four in that series when it’s done. The only reason there are four is that there are four sisters in it and each one of them will get their own story. I wrote the first two and then that publisher went under so I never got to publish the last two in that series. I still want to go back and finish those and publish them on my own. People ask me all the time when I’m going to do that so I need to make it happen in the next few years.

As Cassie Ryan I have two series. The first one is the Seduction series – Ceremony, Vision and Trio. I sent in a partial of Ceremony and when Audrey LaFehr called to offer me the contract she asked me if I could make it into a three book series. To be honest I had no idea how I was going to do it when I assured her that of course I could! But I did it and Ceremony of Seduction is my best selling Cassie Ryan book to date and is in its second printing. My second series for Cassie is the Sisters of Darkness series. There were supposed to be two more books after Seducing the Succubus and The Demon and the Succubus, but Berkley didn’t pick up the last two books in the series. So I need to go back and write those two as well. Fans are already asking for those so it’s definitely on my To Do list. When I pitched the overall idea for the book they asked me if I could write it in such a way so it would be a series, so that’s how that one ended up as a four book series.

How do you feel about online book reading? Do you have a book that you’ve written for a digital shelf like ibooks or kindle?

I love reading both online and in paperback. Ebooks are really convenient and I have a kindle reader on my iPhone that I use quite often. And sometimes the e versions are cheaper than the print, which is nice when it happens. All of my books are available in e-formats – pretty much any e-format you can imagine, in fact. If you go out to your favorite ebook site and search by Tina Gerow or Cassie Ryan you should find them all.

Do you think it’s worth to ask buyers to purchase a digital novel for the same amount of $ as a print novel?

I, personally, think that’s ridiculous. An electronic book should definitely be less expensive than a print book. I know there is labor involved in both versions, but electronic doesn’t have printing and storage and postage and all of that involved. Authors normally get less royalties on those versions as well, which I also don’t agree with. But unless we self publish them, we don’t get a say in how much the books are offered for.

How do you think the change in the publishing industry affects authors today?

I know more and more authors are self publishing. I even know several New York Times best selling authors who have said they will never publish another book through New York or small press. It’s going to be self pubbing all the way for them. They have more control and they make more money that way. Since they already have a solid reader following, they can make quite a good living at it, as they are already proving.

Authors have more choices but with those choices comes more work on the author’s side. If we choose to self publish, not only are we now writing the books, but we are finding ways to get them edited on our own, finding and working with cover artists, figuring out marketing, copyright filing, distribution and a whole host of other things that a traditional publisher usually deals with. There are definite plusses to both traditional publishing and self publishing and I think authors owe it to themselves to stay educated on both and choose the best path for them, which sometimes involves BOTH paths.

If you could give a budding author advice what would it be?

Talk to successful writers and make good connections. A LOT of this business is about networking, so take the time to make good connections, not only with other authors, but librarians, book cover artists, editors, agents, readers and everyone else you can. Not only is it a great way to keep yourself sane by surrounding yourself with other people who “get” the fact that you constantly hear other people “talking” inside your head, but when you need it, your network is a great place for information and support.

Beyond that – ALWAYS read and follow ALL submissions guidelines. It will save you a LOT of pain AND rejections J

And write. Write lots and write even more. And don’t forget to read!

And last – don’t ever give up on your dream. Don’t let anyone steal it or talk you out of it. Grab it with both hands, invest in it and go after it! I fulfilled my dream of being a published author, then my dream of being multi published and even award winning. My next one is to be a #1 Best Selling Author on the New York Times list. Hey – go big or go home, right? And I’m not giving up until I get there!

Can you recommend our readers a publisher that you like to work with?

There are several great publishers out there but I’ve only worked with a few. Both small presses that I worked with are no longer around, but I’m also published with Kensington (their Aphrodisia line as Cassie Ryan) and Berkley (which is part of Penguin – also as Cassie Ryan) My best advice is to get plugged into a writing network like RWA or even friend lots of writers on Facebook and pay attention to what’s said, and what’s NOT said. Ask around and form your own opinions. Also, read books from those publishers and pay attention to the quality of their products.

If you could be a famous author, who would it be and why?

While I don’t want to be long dead J I think I would choose Jane Austen. I love her books, but I also love her spirit. Think about the spirit she had to have to be a female writer during the time she lived in. I think she and I would’ve been good friends since neither of us are wilting flowers. I love that all of her stories delved so deeply into characters and themes that they are still beloved today. I would love to leave that kind of legacy behind when I go.

Tell us where we can find your book(s) and provide a link!

Thank you!

Tina Gerow books:

Into a Dangerous Mind –

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Into-a-Dangerous-Mind-ebook/dp/B006MN847A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378234053&sr=8-1&keywords=Tina+Gerow

Print: http://www.amazon.com/Into-Dangerous-Mind-Tina-Gerow/dp/1927111471/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1378234053&sr=8-1

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/into-a-dangerous-mind-tina-gerow/1008205573?ean=2940013843035

Stone Maiden:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Maiden-ebook/dp/B007XA9V3C/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1378234441&sr=8-1&keywords=Tina+Gerow%2C+stone+maiden

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stone-maiden-tina-gerow/1007559013?ean=2940016701622

Print: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1933471468/ref=tmm_pap_used_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=1378234441&sr=8-1

Fire Maiden:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Maiden-ebook/dp/B0087HC5OM/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1378234668&sr=8-1&keywords=Fire+Maiden%2C+Tina+Gerow

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-maiden-tina-gerow/1007948706?ean=2940016701462

Print: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1933874376/ref=tmm_mmp_used_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=1378234668&sr=8-1

Take It Off:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Take-It-Off-ebook/dp/B007JLRNGM/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378234733&sr=1-4&keywords=tina+gerow

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/take-it-off-tina-gerow/1102882607?ean=2940016559797

Vortex Blues:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Vortex-Blues-ebook/dp/B006UHKU5M/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378234733&sr=1-6&keywords=tina+gerow

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vortex-blues-tina-gerow/1102882616?ean=2940016701806

Hansel & Gretel’s Real Estate Ventures:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Hansel-Gretels-Estate-Ventures-ebook/dp/B006ZLHM6S/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378234733&sr=1-7&keywords=tina+gerow

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hansel-gretels-real-estate-ventures-tina-gerow/1114473173?ean=2940044289031

Fantasy Quest:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Quest-ebook/dp/B0072ZZST4/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378234733&sr=1-8&keywords=tina+gerow

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fantasy-quest-tina-gerow/1102882591?ean=2940016731506

Books written as Cassie Ryan

Ceremony of Seduction

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Ceremony-of-Seduction-ebook/dp/B000UMAEIG/ref=sr_1_10?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378235025&sr=1-10&keywords=Cassie+Ryan

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ceremony-of-seduction-cassie-ryan/1100308573?ean=9780758226488

Print: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002VPE8ZA/ref=tmm_pap_new_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=new&qid=1378235025&sr=1-10

Vision of Seduction:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Vision-of-Seduction-ebook/dp/B0027XIYEW/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378235172&sr=1-1&keywords=Vision+of+Seduction%2C+Cassie+Ryan

Nook & Print: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vision-of-seduction-cassie-ryan/1009150431?ean=9780758220660

Trio of Seduction:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Trio-of-Seduction-ebook/dp/B002I1XSB2/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378235317&sr=1-1&keywords=Trio+of+Seduction%2C+Cassie+Ryan

Nook & Print: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trio-of-seduction-cassie-ryan/1100306553?ean=9780758220677

Seducing the Succubus:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Seducing-Succubus-Sisters-Darkness-ebook/dp/B0042JSOOO/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378235407&sr=1-1&keywords=Seducing+the+Succubus%2C+Cassie+Ryan

Nook & Print: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seducing-the-succubus-cassie-ryan/1100256599?ean=9780425236840

The Demon and the Succubus:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Succubus-Sisters-Darkness-ebook/dp/B004ELA5B0/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378235482&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Demon+and+the+Succubus%2C+Cassie+Ryan

Nook & Print: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/demon-and-the-succubus-cassie-ryan/1100253298?ean=9780425239063

The Pleasure Project (an Anthology with other authors)

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Pleasure-Project-ebook/dp/B00BC2Z8IE/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378235545&sr=1-9&keywords=Cassie+Ryan

The Changing Times: Children's Books and Cover Art

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 21:21:00 +0000

All summer long I encouraged my children to read, “Yes, please read this, please read that, whatever is of interest to you Sam I am”. Of course that excitement lasted all of about the first week of summer and then it was onto video games, swimming, volleyball, playing with pals, vacation or just hanging out became their norm. This drove me nuts since I really enjoyed my down time as a kid with a good summer book, why shouldn’t they? Isn’t that what summer is for? I mean the sunshine on my back while laying in the grass, the whispering wind through an open window, a rainy day on the patio, in my room or a tree house hideaway….. ahh nostalgia. What made reading those books so appealing? (I’m not even that old!)

This got me thinking about children’s books and cover art… isn’t the old adage don’t judge a book by its cover? After all, content is important! With the shift in the past decade from manual illustrations to computer graphic design, books and the covers surely reflect the NEW times we now live in. No wonder my children didn’t want to read a “book” as I know it, they were reading them on the computer. Here are a few differences I found intriguing.

Comparisons: Now and then

Drawing vs. computer graphics – cover art now is just different than it used to be. Shapes are bolder, images are morphed, touched up, digitally sketched, pigmented, blurred etc. FONTS are amazing… no graphic tape needed here, neither sharpies or pencils make a difference… nah! Instant graphic design!

Color then vs. colors now Color back in the hay day of printing wasn’t as thrilling or it took allot of work to mix to make the color you wanted your images to have, not to mention the price tag of production. Pantone colors are easily accessible today, making it much more palatable to the eye. Not to mention the extensive graphic programs that make color creativity and placement easy.

A Page turner indeed: No more paper cuts, no more folding corners or book markers to save pages. Digital book pages turn with a gentle glide, a page is marked with touch of a corner, closing a book with the touch of a button and putting it back on a shelf, tucked away on a digital page. The cover can later be found twinkling on a surreal bookshelf... waiting for one click. It seems that tangible ownership of a book collection isn’t as important to kids as the visual “collection” of them now. BUT, the main thing my kids enjoy is book Interaction. One could “Click here” and hear the character speak, or “click there” to see an animation. FUN!

The scent of a good book is lost – I never realized the scent of ink made me as happy as it did until I couldn’t smell it anymore. The kids will miss out on this point! For sure!

Check these links out for an interesting view of then and now children’s cover art for books – some of it is downright hilarious while others are quite offensive!

http://flavorwire.com/378513/20-embarrassingly-bad-book-covers-for-classic-novels/18

http://www.dailydawdle.com/2012/09/26-traumatizing-childrens-book-covers.html

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/09/book-cover-time-changing-art-our- childhood-reads/56801/

Today's Meet The Author: C.M. Fields

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 16:21:00 +0000

Glad to speak with C.M. Fields today!

Tell us about all about you…as the non- author first then about you as author.

I am 42, an engineer and working for the high tech industry. I have more than 15 years of experience in this career and for a while I was sort of burned out, gained weight and had lost my mojo. As I don’t have a family yet and wanted to be prepared to have one, I took it upon myself to get in shape, live a healthy life and I educated myself on nutrition and exercise. With a mix of nutrition, regular workouts and yoga, I went from 220 pounds down to 165. Although I still want to improve and stay fit for the rest of my life, I am comfortable with the goals I have reached so far.

As an author, one of the things that drive me is a passion for traveling and experiencing new cultures. This passion has taken me to many different places and has helped me expand my views of the world. Working in the high tech industry with virtual teams gives you an access and a view to the world that opens your mind and gives you a bigger picture. My first novel is a project that I kicked around in my head for about two or three years. I would start writing something and then would stop. Then I would start something else and stop again. Eventually I realized that I simply had to plan my story and write it, so I did. I put together a rough idea of what I wanted to have in each chapter. Once I had this, things just flowed. I would come back from work, play some music and things would just happen. As a self-published author, I realized soon the road is long and there’s no easy way to make your message known. Just like everything, you have to be persistent and believe in your message, stay at it and keep going. So, this is where I’m at. I believe in the overall message of my story and will continue trying to spread it.

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing since my early twenties. First I started with essays and short stories. Over time, I realized friends and classmates liked what I wrote. So, it eventually evolved into a desire to write a book. Off and on, it has been all this long… approximately twenty years. Looking back, I gotta say, it’s a long time! I guess I have to start upping the gears and be more prolific.

What inspires you to write in the style that you do? (what genre do you write in? does it vary?)

This is my first novel. What inspired me to write in this style is that I wanted to give an overall message. There is a story in the book and I try to share my view of where things might be heading to; I felt I had to make it more generic, hence I chose this style.

In my next book, I will most probably choose a story in the first person, it will be a way more personal story and so will have to be in this style.

How many words per day do you like to write? Is that a daily goal or weekly goal?

I approach writing as a way to open your mind and your heart, as a way to pour your heart out with what’s bouncing around in your mind. It’s a sort of therapy, if you will. So, being that it’s something somewhat emotional and whimsical, there are days when I was close to writing an entire chapter, and there were other days where nothing came and I simply spent my time correcting things in the story, adding and removing little things here and there.

What is the name of your first book? How long ago was

It printed? Where did you market it and did you have a good sale number?

The name of my first book is “A Life as a Stock”. It was first printed in September 2011. I published it and marketed it through iUniverse and it’s available in amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Sony books, and other major online retailers.

My sales have not been what I expected and I think it’s one of the things about self-publishing. You have to try different formulas and find out what works and what doesn’t. Right now, I had read different posts from successful authors that a low price for the electronic version of a book is something that has worked for them. So, I’m right now working on finding out how to lower the price of the electronic version with the major online retailers. I have gotten overall good reviews (you can find one at The Urban Times online: http://bit.ly/XJJ501) though.

Will your novel become a series?

Right now, I don’t have a series in mind. And it’s funny, I have been asked about this before. Maybe I should consider it.

How do you feel about online book reading? Do you have a book that you’ve written for a digital shelf like ibooks or kindle?

Even though I did not write my book specifically for the electronic version, I think it’s a great new platform. Everything I have read tells that it’s a growing market and platform. I’m all up for it!

Do you think it’s worth to ask buyers to purchase a digital novel for the same amount of $ as a print novel?

I don’t. When I first went into this I went with the same price thinking that that was the way things were done. As I have learned more about it, it’s clear that you can’t. And it makes all the sense in the world. With an electronic version you’re not using paper or ink to produce a physical product. You’re simply selling your story, that’s all.

How do you think the change in the publishing industry affects authors today?

My perspective is that with every major change, you have to focus on the big picture. It’s great because now everyone who has a story has access to publish it and have a shot at doing so. It’s not so great because anyone who self publishes has to go through a learning curve, has to try different formulas and find what works and what doesn’t. That assumes that your story is good and has potential; if it’s not, then that’s a different story.

If you could give a budding author advice what would it be?

Make it look professional. Proof read a lot, polish your message and don’t give up. Nobody’s going to do the work for you, you have to knock doors, try different formulas and, most importantly, you have to realize that most successful authors became successful until their second, third or later novel.

Don’t spend your money unnecessarily with publishing packages that promise you the stars. There’s a lot of cost effective alternatives. Look for those. Reach out to the book clubs and introduce yourself to them, give books away. At the end of day, it’s about making connections.

Can you recommend our readers a publisher that you like to work with?

The only one I have worked with is iUniverse.

If you could be a famous author, who would it be and why?

Gary Jennings. He had a way to transport you to the world he was describing. You could see and smell the world in the story, you could feel the dust in your feet.

Tell us where we can find your book(s) and provide a link!

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/10zWeAx

Barnes & Noble.com: http://bit.ly/ZWmrak

Kobo Books: http://bit.ly/1ajKGDF

Sony eBooks: http://bit.ly/13SEFIZ

Thank you C.M.!

P.O.D Preference?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:19:00 +0000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Print_on_demand POD a Definition

How many authors like the option of POD or Print on Demand today? According to “The Economist” in February of 2010:

“About 6% of books in America are now printed on toner-based or inkjet machines—a rough proxy for print-on-demand (POD)—as opposed to on offset presses, estimates InterQuest, a market-research firm. Over the next five years, it predicts, this figure will increase to 15%. In 2008, the latest year for which data are available, about 285,000 titles were printed on demand or in short runs—132% more than in 2007 and for the first time more than in the conventional way. Amazon, the world's biggest online bookseller, uses POD machines, although it does not reveal how often.”

With all of us saving the trees, the atmosphere and time, a POD option is a novel idea! (no pun intended) As more people turn to their e-readers for book purchase, the POD option is equally tantalizing for those that like to have a book “in hand”, to turn actual pages. For authors this is a great way to control printing costs. With POD, purchases can be “on call for print”. A customer online can simply click purchase (ie AMAZON) and the printing process begins for the book they have chosen. For the Author this means the novel sits on a computer server until someone clicks purchase. Now books are printed on demand. There is no “out of stock” or two week waits for replenishment. But just a few years back an analysis was made that claimed large print runs won’t go away for any novels that are in high demand….hmmm, in 2013 it seems you can get your e-book and read it now, regardless! So times are changing…and FAST! I wonder what will happen 5 years from now in the POD realm. I'll check back with blogger with statistics when they become available.

For now, all is good. Authors take note when considering POD: the better the quality or durability of a printed book, the more expensive it will be to print and sell. If there are edits or changes to a book, POD allows the simplicity of loading a new e-file to the server to make easy alterations to the book. Now books that have errors or additions can be altered immediately with almost no repercussions.

Authors must know that cover choice is important as well. Output of book covers and how the book will be perceived by the purchaser depends on the kind of paper stock chosen. Smooth finish may look like quality but may not be durable. Glossy finish may not look like quality but has durability. (as noted in an article here: http://netminds.com/blog/lessons-learned-about-print-on-demand-publishing )

I guess the question remains… do you prefer e-book or printed style reading?

Kristine Sheehan – TheMerryBird.com Designs

Lead Generation Tools: Truth or Dare

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:22:00 +0000

Anna Campbell, mother, author and business guru gives her take on lead generation. After reading her article let me know how you feel about purchasing leads for business. Does it work for you? Are you playing truth or dare with lead generation tools?

Remember playing truth or dare as a kid at a friend’s house? I personally hate this game because I am a control freak and I don’t like to share too much personal information about myself or be forced into doing something that I normally wouldn’t want to.

So, how do lead generation tools work and are they playing truth or dare with you, your time, and your money.

While in the real estate world, I unloaded a great deal of money to wipe away years of time my fellow Realtors had already put into their businesses. As a newbie, I needed to play catch up and there were two very large lead generation companies that provided statistics, answers and huge potential dollar signs. I learned very quickly and painfully how to understand which companies were telling the truth and which were asking me to dare.

When a company forces you into a 3 month, 6 month or annual contract; they are daring you to invest your money into their product or service with very little truth. Zillow and Trulia both force you into a potentially expensive and long-term contract with very little return. In fact, their goal is to have you upgrade, upgrade, and upgrade even more, so that you are so heavily invested in their service/product you feel that you can’t afford to go anywhere else, because your cash is tied up into their dare.

These two companies promise you quality business leads. What they forget to mention is that 50% or more of real estate buyers and 75% or more of real estate sellers are only going to use someone they know or someone they are personally referred to. You can’t buy quality leads, because they aren’t for sale. Quality leads are breathing human beings with needs and fears. You must earn the opportunity to serve quality buyers and sellers.

Another choice many business owners need to make is about a website. This will be one of your biggest online lead generation tools available to you, when you know how to use it properly. The way to tell if a website designer is telling you the truth or asking you to dare, is when they present you with a cookie cutter template price, with a cookie cutter style and service. When a website designer is not able to answer your questions, doesn’t have time to help you understand how to use your website, or what it takes to get your website ranking (without you paying them to list it), then you are talking with someone that isn’t able or isn’t interested in providing you with a business service that will actually help your business long-term.
Business websites are your virtual face, business sign, and basic first impression. How your website looks is very important, attracting people to your website is just as important. How will people find you? Why will people want to visit your website? How often will they come back? Is there any reason why someone would want to share your page with others? These are all questions your website designer should be able to help you understand. Once you understand them, then you will know what type of website is best for your business, and what you will need to do to build traffic to it.

The key to truth and dare is information and working with people who are not afraid of sharing information with you without a contract. We earn our clients, and our clients should earn us as well. Take your time, build a relationship, learn about the person you are working with because it is a lot less stressful and a lot less expensive to take your time and work with one honest person than to hurriedly blow through thousands of dollars on all the wrong people.

In truth, patience is very hard. However, you and your business are worth the time.

Now it is your turn, what have you found to be truth or dare while running your business?

Written by Anna Campbell with My Monthly Business Journal. Anna uses many ways to share the tools her clients need to grow their business. She has a published business journal workbook, notes and feedback on her facebook page, articles and information on her website, small group time at her monthly Coffee Breaks, and very in-depth break through sessions with clients on a one-on-one basis as needed.
http://www.MyMonthlyBusinessJournal.com

Get ready, set, publish your ebook!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 May 2013 10:55:00 +0000

The self-publishing world is ever expanding. The once coveted novelist that was chosen exclusively by the likes of Simon and Schuster is able to throw caution to the wind and self-publish her own works. It's as easy as diving in, writing and publish. TA DA!

Yes, it is a faster way to get your book out there but alot of work goes into the sef-publishing angle. Authors must not only write the book, they must take the time to edit, format, create, and choose the way a book will be acknowledged out in cyberworld. After a book is written it must be formatted in one of the following file extensions, .epub, .mobi , .azw and most recent epub3. These file formats allow a book to be published on Nook, Kindle, Ibooks, or any other book readers available:

.Epub, or electronic publication is a popular, standard format for ebooks. With the exception of Amazon/Kindle (unless it has been changed recently), it is the format utilized by major retailers.

Mobipocket or .Mobi is an ebook format that makes room for blank pages at any point in the text for images, notes etc.

Kindle or .azw is the format chosen by Amazon with digital rights management protections.

And finally, ePub3. This format allows video, audio snippets, interactivity, global language support, multi-column layout, Embedded Fonts (a big high five for graphic designers!) improved accessibility and more.

Once your book file has either been converted to a file format listed above (contact BookBaby for conversion help) the task continues. Choose the self publisher you want to work with, Lightning Source is a great place to go! I've heard good and bad things about AuthorHouse but it depends on your $pocketbook.

Cover art can be worked up by an in-house self-publishing artist or you can have more control and have an independent designer (like TheMerryBird.com Designs) do it for you to create what YOU need and want on the cover of your book.

Final tweeks by an editor and you are ready to publish, price and follow sales. This takes time and work so don't think your job is done! You've just begun to manage your promotions, marketing and distribution of your ebook!

Now, get, ready, set, GO publish your ebook!

Fly in for Book Cover Design: http://www.TheMerryBird.com Designs

.

Today's Meet The Author: Diane Tegarden

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Diane and I have been networking for many years online. She is extremely energetic, thoughtful and creative!
I am happy to have interviewed Diane, here is what she has to say about herself, writing and publishing today.

Thank you for taking time to answer my questions Diane - I'm looking forward to working with you again in the future!

Tell us about all about you…as the non- author first then about you as author.

My name is Diane Tegarden, a freelance writer living in Pasadena, with my husband and furkids. My hobbies include: planting flowers, trees, vegetables and herbs (whatever I fancy for the season). I love to write letters and compose cards to friends and family, and do crossword puzzles to relax. My husband and I watch lots of movies; we have a large collection and are constantly adding to it.

I've been a print journalist since 1992, writing on a wide range of subjects including; renewable energy, environmental concerns, holistic health, women’s issues, and Native Spirituality. My work has been found in: The Pasadena Star News, Security Sales Magazine, The Pasadena Weekly, The Solar Flare, The Feral Forest, Earth Luvyrs Calendar, The Daily Sundial, the West Coast Well Being, Yahoo Content and Health Breakthroughs.

My publishing company, FireWalker Publications, was formed in 2004 to promote my passionate, original written works, ideas and creations. Since 2005, I’ve written for two online content producers, Yahoo Content and The Examiner.com.

In April 2004, I published my first book, “How to Escape a Bad Marriage– A Self Help Divorce Book For Women,” which provides step by step instructions on how to achieve financial and emotional independence in preparation for a divorce.

I released my first poetry e-book, "Light Through Shuttered Window" in December 2007; it’s a compendium of my poetry about life, love and the creative process.

In February 2008 I completed my third book, “Anti-Vigilante and The Rips in Time”, a science fiction novel set in the distant future, involving Senselles,

MagicoMathematicians and the MOB. One of the scientific highlights features OTEC, a renewable energy that dynamically changes the face of the planet.

My second self help book “Budgeting on a Dime: 10 Steps to Financial Independence” was completed in October 2012, and is available both in paperback and ebooks formats.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing creatively all my life, and remember creating verses to cards for my family’s birthdays and holidays.

Professionally, I’ve been writing since 1992, writing for various newspapers and magazines.

What inspires you to write in the style that you do? (what genre do you write in? does it vary?)

I write in several genres, from newspapers and magazines, to blogs and online social media. I’ve also written, produced, published and promote four full length books; 2 self help books, a poetry collection and a full length science-fiction novel.

How many words per day do you like to write? Is that a daily goal or weekly goal?

When I’m writing a book, I write every day, but don’t set a word or page goal.

What is the name of your first book? How long ago was it printed? Where did you market it and did you have a good sale number?

My first book was titled “Getting Out of Limbo- A Self Help Divorce Book for Women”, which was released in 2004 and is now in its second printing with a new title “How to Escape a Bad Marriage: A Self Help Divorce Book for Women”. It’s for sale at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, CreateSpace, available in libraries and is listed on the Ingram Book List so that brick and mortar bookstores can stock it. Thus far it’s my best selling book.

How do you feel about online book reading? Do you have a book that you’ve written for a digital shelf like ibooks or kindle?

All my books are available as ebooks, because I want to give my readers as many options as possible to access my books.

Do you think it’s worth it to ask buyers to purchase a digital novel for the same amount of $ as a print novel?

No, digital readers expect to pay less for their books, and as the cost of producing ebooks is less than print. I agree with that thinking.

How do you think the change in the publishing industry affects authors today?

Authors must now be more than just writers, they must be savvy about the marketing and distribution of their books and have a hand in the decision making process for their business as well as the creative process.

If you could give a budding author advice what would it be? Be prepared to be involved in the marketing of your book, and educate yourself on the process of producing your own books.

Can you recommend our readers a publisher that you like to work with?

I publish my own books, so I’m not knowledgeable about using the big publishing houses.

If you could be a famous author, who would it be and why?

I want to BE the famous author in question! I dream about having one of my books on the New York Times Best Seller list!!

Tell us where we can find your book(s) and provide a link!

My new book “Budgeting on a Dime- 10 Steps to Financial Independence”, which was published October 2012 and is available on Amazon.com at:

http://www.amazon.com/Budgeting-Dime-Steps-Financial-Independence/dp/0974536970/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354724445&sr=1-4&keywords=Budgeting+on+a+Dime

or Barnes and Noble.com at:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/budgeting-on-a-dime-diane-em-tegarden/1113581209?ean=9780974536972

Thank you for including me in your article Kristine!

A LESSON IN BOOK COVER DESIGN

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:52:00 +0000

Writing a novel takes a lot of discipline, research, passion and TIME! The same goes for the cover art that don’s the store shelf or kindle view. I’d like to offer some advice on how to create a book cover yourself but then offer even more important advice, HAVE A PROFESSIONAL create one for you.

To start, you (the author) should have a “blurb” from your novel that epitomizes what your novel is about. The “blurb” you choose should be descriptive of characters or places. It should capture the essence of the story without giving away the ending! It should make your reader want to know more. You can find these blurbs usually on the back cover of a book. It is what makes the reader interested in reading more. The cover design is based on this blurb and is used to bring the eyes of potential readers to read that “blurb” and see what they’ve just read on the cover.

For example, I will use The Dark Ship by L.M. Sherwin and create a new cover to show a new perspective of a paranormal feeling. I utilized the “blurb” on the back cover.

“Lyra has always felt too plain and uninteresting to be a part of her parents’ social sphere, the upper class of Juneau One. Now, they expect her to act like a proper lady at one of the moon’s most prestigious girls’ schools: St. Xavier’s. On the voyage to the dreaded school, Lyra discovers an enchanted mirror in the lower decks of the ship. Whenever she looks at it, her reflection appears beautiful, mysterious, and otherworldly. Something about the glass draws her in; time, thought, and emotion fly past when she gazes into its depths. Could there be something dangerous about this simple golden mirror? Does some sinister force lurk within, drawing her into its clutches? Find out in this thrilling novella by L.M. Sherwin!”

Say you’d like to use a photo (a hand drawn illustration will be another article!). Begin your cover by finding an appropriate image or images. Try Big Stock Photo or upscale Getty Photography Archive. Let’s open up Photoshop! (Do you have Photoshop? Most professional designers do!) Take the image you would like to work with: you have choices to make. To simplify ask yourself if you want to use the image as is or do you want to alter it? Photoshop is a powerful tool that can change image, color, shape or even take pieces of an image to create a new image altogether. Be sure you understand the printing process too all these settings are important for a perfection in actual printing.

Ok – I found an image, I altered it to give an eerie feeling. The same feeling I get from The Dark Ships author “blurb”.

After I find, alter and take the image to the point of desire, I move the image into Adobe Indesign. (do you have Adobe Indesign? Most professional designers do!) Know your spine width, font(s), and don’t forget your barcode if you self publish! Do you own your barcode? You will need to purchase one if not.

The title of the book should also be shown on the spine of the book. And don’t forget the publisher icon. It is placed on the spine and back cover. It’s all in the details for printed covers! Kindle cover layouts differ in that the front cover image is all you will need. For Kindle cover art, specifications are necessary to be followed. Again, research what you need – it’s all the details that make it happen! Or call a professional graphic designer – they know the ropes!

Taking on cover design may seem easy at first, but your imagery is just as important as your “blurb”. So sit back and let a professional design your cover. It is the only way to ensure you have proper settings, imagery and finished product to impress your potential audience. It will make or break your book sales!

Today's Meet The Author: Nina Lewis

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:40:00 +0000

Nina and I met on Facebook. I learned that Nina's book The Englishman is presently being published and will make it's debut on May 7, 2013. Read on to learn about an official new romance novelist on the market!

Glad to speak with you today Nina Lewis!

How long have you been writing romance novels?

I have been writing stories, on and off, since I was nine or ten. Mostly in imitation of the stories I was reading, so I started with versions of The Famous Five and Malory Towers, imagining myself and my school friends in exciting adventures. Then I started reading my Mum’s romance novels (secretly, obv.), and my own writing became a little more, um, adult.

What inspires you to write romance novels? Is that the only genre you write?

Romance (writing it and reading it) is like a holiday from reality, and I find I need a lot of holidays! We are taught to feel guilty for not functioning efficiently 24/7, in our families, in our jobs; but that is actually unnatural, and also unhealthy. People need down-time, and people need to tell stories about their lives that allow them to go back and face reality again.

Although The Englishman is contemporary fiction, I feel most at home in historical fiction and historical romance, and that is what I will be writing in future.

How many words per day do you like to write? Is that a daily goal or weekly goal?

I am extremely undisciplined, so I have no daily or weekly stints. But I am fairly obsessive, so when I am in a ‘flow’, I write a great deal in a short time. Other times, I merely polish or edit; and that can be both rewarding and frustrating.

What is the name of your first book? How long ago was it printed? Where did you market it and did you have a good sale number?

I have published non-fiction, but The Englishman is my first published fictional text. It will be published by Omnific Publishing in May 2013 as an ebook and a paperback – and here’s to hoping it will sell well!

I understand you have a book series. How many books are in the series (or will be in the series when completed)? How did you come to write a series?

I do not plan to write a series, although I’ve lately thought that I may want to. But because I am interested in a number of different historical periods, the novels that I hope to write next will variously be set in the French Revolution, late fourteenth-century Oxford, and twelfth-century France and England.

How do you feel about online book reading? Do you have a book that you’ve written for a digital shelf like ibooks or kindle?

I do not own a Kindle yet, and I am reluctant to get one, because I stare so much at a screen anyway. But I expect I will get one within the next twelve months, or so. It’s the future.

Do you think it’s worth to ask buyers to purchase a digital novel for the same amount of $ as a print novel?

Authors and readers are likely to have differing opinions on this. You’d think that an ebook costs less to produce, so it should be cheaper. But authors must live, too, and what price would you put on creativity? In the end, supply and demand regulate the market.

How do you think the change in the publishing industry affects authors today?

Self-publishing and indie publishing put established publishers under pressure, and that is a good thing. At the same time, there is a glut of ebooks, and while some are outstandingly good, there is a lot of stuff that’s not so great. Dividing the wheat from the chaff can be time-consuming and frustrating. I dip into so many novels to decide which one I want to buy, that at the end of a couple of hours’ surfing and reading, I am frustrated and bored and end up buying nothing.

It obviously makes a huge difference that you can pick up a paperback and browse through it, while you can typically read the only first few pages of an ebook. The shape of stories changes if you know you must hit the readers between the eyes on page two, or they won’t buy it.

If you could give a budding author advice what would it be?

Keep at it. Learn to stand back and look at your writing as if you were an editor.

Can you recommend our readers a publisher that you like to work with?

I have worked only with Omnific, and I have found them helpful and professional.

If you could be a famous author, who would it be and why?

The ideal situation, I think, would be one in which I could be proud of my novels because I feel that each of them is the best I was able to write at that time, and at the same time one in which I am able to make enough money to live by writing. I envy all writers for whom this is the case! If you want names – in the romance genre, I admire Georgette Heyer, because she is a restrained writer, both in language and in emotion. And she writes brilliantly witty dialogues.

Tell us where we can find your book(s) and provide a link!

The Englishman will be published by Omnific Publishing on May 7, 2013. The cover, blurb and an extract were revealed on subclubbooks.

Please find me on facebook!

Thank you!

Happy to speak with you Nina - Thank you for sharing your journey as an author, as well as The Englishman, your first novel!

Today's Meet The Author - Debra Jayne

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:05:00 +0000

Glad to speak with you today Debra Jayne!

Hello and I appreciate you asking me.

Please tell us about all about you…as the non- author first then about you as author.

Well, I am retired professionally from social work since 2004. I still volunteer three or four times a month though, and I enjoy working especially with people with disabilities.

As an author, I just got published a year and a half ago and it's a great learning process. I never knew at this age, that I could enjoy web design, graphics and making book trailers. You are never too old to pursue what you love!

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing since I was seven years old. I wrote a story called Ghost and Sabre and sold it for fifteen cents. I was hooked.

What inspires you to write Romance novels? Is that the only genre you write?

One of my inspirations for my book came to me after a long depression from the break up of my marriage. I found a crooked heart-shaped stone in the grass one day. It reminded me that even though hearts get broken and scarred from loss, that you are still capable of love. Finding the stone renewed my will to go on, and I realized it had a message for anyone recovering from heartbreak.

I also write science fiction and enjoy that, as well as my favorite, paranormal romance.

How many words per day do you like to write? Is that a daily goal or weekly goal?

I have writing “spurts” which are moments of inspiration where I write for hours or whole days then it slacks off and I do research. I never set word count goals.

What is the name of your first book? How long ago was

It printed?

My first book is called Radiance: Love after Death and it was published a year and a half ago.

Where did you market it and did you have a good sale number?

My publishing company, XoXo marketed it on their own site, on Amazon, Book Strand, and All Romance E-books. I promote it online in every social venue I can find, like blogs, Facebook,Twitter etc. My book is in e-book form as of now , so it takes a lot of time with a strong online presence. My sales are decent and I think my next releases will do even better, since I know so much more about promotion.

I understand you have a book series. How many books are in the series (or will be in the series when completed)? How did you come to write a series?

There are three books in my series. The second follow up to Radiance: Love after Death is: A Kiss from the Past and will be this year and the third will follow shortly after. Readers hate to loose characters they come to know and enjoy. Also, authors who do series have greater book sales over all.

How do you feel about online book reading? Do you have a book that you’ve written for a digital shelf like i-books or kindle?

Online book reading is great! Yes, I have a kindle book and I think it's wonderful. How awesome to pick out a book and read it instantly. It saves time and money. I love that! Reading became so much easier to do because of electronic reading devices.

Do you think it’s fair to ask buyers to purchase a digital novel for the same amount of $ as a print novel?

I think digital copies should be just as competitive as print copies, because even though you don't have a copy in hand, it was still the same amount of work for the author to produce it.

How do you think the change in the publishing industry affects authors today?

The trends of switching to publishing electronic books has been amazing. There are pro's and con's. Due to the large amount of self publishing markets there are floods of e-books, so the markets are very diverse and more competitive. On the other hand, e-books are better environmentally, since there are no trees cut down to produce paper.

If you could give a budding author advice what would it be?

Be friendly to other authors and publishers. Some of the best promotion I have learned has been from friends I have made online.

Can you recommend our readers a publisher that you would like to work with?

I would love to work with Little and Brown who published Stephanie Meyers Twilight series.

If you could be a famous author, who would it be and why?

Shakespeare. His work will live on through the ages. The beauty of his work in Romeo and Juliette is haunting and unforgettable. That, now, is a legacy!

Tell us where we can find your book(s) and provide a link!

Thank you! My links and social media are below:

XOXO: http://t.co/skrRzpQD

Amazon: http://amzn.to/YD6G74

http://www.bookstrand.com/radiance-love-after-death

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-radianceloveafterdeath-751110-140.html

Social Media:

http://facebook.com/debrajayne.east

http://twitter.com/juliet2cool4u

http://yearoftheangel.blogspot.com/

http://youtu.be/2s_bdXQHdhg

Today's Meet The Author: Tima Marie Lacoba

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:45:00 +0000

Tima and I crossed paths on Twitter recently. Here's what I learned about her and her upcoming novel.

Glad to speak with you today Tima!

Tell us about all about you…as the non- author first then about you as author.

I’m an archaeologist and ancient historian who turned high school teacher, and loved – almost – every minute of it. I used to take my students on excursions to Italy, France and Britain to visit archaeological sites there. Only recently I decided to quit and pursue my MPhil in Ancient History when I began to write Bloodgifted. The idea popped into my head during one summer holiday and took off from there.

That was three and a half years ago.

Since then, I’ve entered several writing competitions and came 4^th in one and 7^th in another, and only last week was offered a publishing contract.

How long have you been writing?

I only started writing fiction three and a half years ago. Before that, it was academic papers and a thesis. So, this is a huge shift for me – and I love it. I don’t know if I’ll ever go back and finish that MPhil!

What inspires you to write in the style that you do? (what genre do you write in? does it vary?)

I write paranormal romance – vampire stuff. Ever since I was a teen I loved anything to do with the mysterious, the paranormal, and vampires in particular.

Someone once said, write what you love, and what you would read. And, that’s exactly what I do.

My shelves are filled with books by Maggie Shayne, MaryJanice Davidson, Tanya Huff, Charlene Harris and Lindsay J Pryor.

How many words per day do you like to write? Is that a daily goal or weekly goal?

I don’t have a set routine, as that simply doesn’t work for me, but when I can, I try to write at least a thousand words a day. Otherwise I work on editing, plotting the next book, creating a genealogy of my characters, or planning my promo images.

What is the name of your first book? How long ago was

It printed? Where did you market it and did you have a good sale number?

My debut novel is called Bloodgifted. It’s due for release in May and I hope – like every other author on the planet – that it ends up being a good seller. As it's not on the market yet, the rest of those questions will have to be saved for another time.

I understand you have a book series. How many books are in the series (or will be in the series when completed)? How did you come to write a series?

Yes, Bloodgifted is Book 1 in the Dantonville Legacy series. At the moment I’m planning on a trilogy, although there could be the possibility of a fourth book.

As soon as I began Bloodgifted, I knew one book would not be enough to tell the complete story. Although set in modern Sydney, the tale itself begins almost two thousand years earlier, in Roman Britain. There’s an epic quality to it.

When I’ve completed this series, I intend writing a spinoff featuring the secondary characters from Dantonville. After all, each of them has their own unique story to tell.

How do you feel about online book reading? Do you have a book that you’ve written for a digital shelf like ibooks or kindle?

I love my kindle, but I still enjoy the feel of a paperback. Bloodgifted will be released as both ebook and POD (Print-onDemand) on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Sony and Apple, so readers will have a choice.

Do you think it’s worth to ask buyers to purchase a digital novel for the same amount of $ as a print novel?

No, not really. The digital doesn’t include the cost of the paper, printing and cover, as well as distribution. As such my ebook will be at least $10 less than the POD.

How do you think the change in the publishing industry affects authors today?

I think it’s fantastic as it gives writers a far greater choice. Gone are the days when authors were slaves to the whims of the publishing industry. Now, we don’t have to rely on their approval.

It means a lot more work, though, but for the control freaks among us (* cough, cough*) the independence to be in charge of our own creation and earn decent royalties in return, is worth it.

If you could give a budding author advice what would it be?

Write what you love and don’t give up. Enter as many competitions as you can for the experience, but especially for the exposure. It’s good to compare your writing to the best, and always aim high. Also, join a writers group near your as they’ll be your best source of encouragement and support, as well as providing practical help with editing and critiquing your manuscript.

Can you recommend our readers a publisher that you like to work with?

There are a lot of good publishers out there and I think it’s a matter of finding the right one for you.

Recently I was offered a publishing contract, but later realized (thankfully before I signed the contract), they weren’t right for me. I’ve since decided to go indie.

If you could be a famous author, who would it be and why?

I couldn’t possibly choose just one; perhaps a combination of Maggie Shayne, Mary Janice Davidson and Lindsay J Pryor. They write page turning stories, with great plots, interesting characters and memorable dialogue.

Tell us where we can find your book(s) and provide a link!

Okay, once my book’s released – in May – it’ll be available on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo and other online retailers.

The link will be on my website – http://bloodgifted.blogspot.com

On Goodreads –

http://www.goodreads.timamarialacoba.com

and on my facebook page – www.facebook.timamarialacoba.com

Thank you Tima! Keep me posted on how your new work is evolving!

You’re welcome Kristine. Thank you for asking me.

Today's Meet The Author: L.M. Sherwin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:42:00 +0000

Glad to speak with you today L.M. Sherwin!

Tell us about all about you…as the non- author first then about you as author.

First off, thank you so much for having me “over” to your blog, Kristine! It is an honor! As a non-author, I’m a pretty nerdy individual. I love reading (an addiction), drawing, playing video games, fantasy/sci-fi TV shows and movies, knitting, crochet, cooking, learning languages, creating languages....the list could go on and on, so I’ll cap it off there. ;-) In all seriousness, I have many interests and I try my best to give each one ample development time in my life. I am the wife of my high school (and college) sweetheart and we have an incredible life together. We have two fur-children in our fancy rats, Winterbell and Snowbell. :-)

I’m a fantasy/sc-fi author and I love to write books that involve magic, mystery, and family connections. My novels (at the moment) are appropriate for young adults and adults alike. I really want my books to be approachable for everyone. I published my first book, Night Bells, in August of 2012 and its sequel, Silent Shades, in November. My most recent published work is a science-fiction novella called The Dark Ship. All my recently published novels and current projects take place in a fictional universe I’ve created called The Primoris System. The idea is that humans colonized another solar system in the distant future and find that they have to start their lives over on these worlds without the technological advancements they enjoyed on Ancient Earth. Most of the colonists discover that things they only dreamed about back in their old world (things like magic) exist in their new homes!

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I was too young to hold a pen by myself! I had all these stories in my head and I rattled them off to my mother, who graciously wrote them down until I was old enough to write myself. Once that time came, there was no stopping me. I wrote short stories all growing up and we have tubs full of my old writings. In third grade, I decided I wanted to be an author when I grew up. In middle school, I started creating my own language and trying to create an epic novel. I could never quite get all the story pieces together (I honestly think it was a bit too grand for my adolescent mind), but I kept writing over the years. In college, I began my work on Night Bells and I vowed to myself that I would finish it.

After my husband and I got married, he challenged me to write an hour every day to build up my discipline as a writer. That practice changed my life. Within a year, I had written four manuscripts (one of which became Night Bells in its final version)! That was a very broad explanation for a very short answer: I’ve been writing all my life. :-)

What inspires you to write in the style that you do? (what genre do you write in? does it vary?)

As a fantasy author, I’m most naturally inspired by other novels. I love reading grand, epic stories of magic, romance, adventure, and wicked villains. An avid reader, I’ve always favored fantasy stories. As well, I’m very much influenced by my love of nature and the world around us. For me, a hike in the woods is akin to a trek through Narnia. I’m always finding new characters in my head while out on walks and spending time outside helps me to conjure up new plot ideas. My style sometimes forays into science-fiction territory and many of my fantasy works (like Night Bells and Silent Shades) have science-fiction aspects within the story.

How many words per day do you like to write? Is that a daily goal or weekly goal?

On an “average” day, I try to write 2,000 words. Because I also have a job as an administrator for a graphic design company, I have to split my time between my author-stuff and my other-job-stuff. On a day when I have little other-job-stuff to do, I can sometimes crank out 4,000 words. I was sick one day about a month ago and I was able to work in bed and write over 6,000 words! So, I suppose it varies depending on the day, but my minimum daily word-count goal is 2,000. :-)

What is the name of your first book? How long ago was

It printed? Where did you market it and did you have a good sale number?

My first book is called Night Bells and I published it last August (2012). For marketing, I mainly focus on maintaining an active Twitter account, Facebook page, and other social media outlets. I also ran an advertisement on Goodreads after I published it. While focusing primarily on these things, I also reached out to book bloggers for reviews, but most didn’t have the time. Most book bloggers these days are extremely busy and slammed with review submissions. I also tried giveaways via Goodreads with some good exposure. In “real life”, I had a book signing at a local Barnes and Noble store (which went extremely well). My sales have been steadily climbing. I’m happy with my consistent sales growth. More and more people are finding out about my books and that is the goal.

How do you feel about online book reading? Do you have a book that you’ve written for a digital shelf like ibooks or kindle?

All of my books are available for Kindle, Nook, Novel Nook, and Smashwords readers. In fact, my first book Night Bells is free in eBook form at Smashwords and Novel Nook. It is my hope that it will one day be free digitally on Amazon as well. I think eReading is a terrific model. I adore my own Kindle and have thoroughly enjoyed reading books on it. I still love print books (which is why I still publish my books in print as well), but I think eReading will continue to grow in popularity.

Do you think it’s worth to ask buyers to purchase a digital novel for the same amount of $ as a print novel?

Absolutely not. Part of the reason that print novels are (and should be) more expensive to readers is due to reproduction costs. An eBook, however, does not have to be printed and is therefore much “cheaper” to distribute. I try to price all my eBooks under $5.00 and all my print books under $15.00. I want readers to have access to my work and price should never be outrageous, in my opinion.

How do you think the change in the publishing industry affects authors today?

I think the biggest challenge with the publishing industry today is its volatile nature. What worked for authors (marketing-wise) even as recent as last fall may not work anymore. As an author today, you have to constantly “study up” on the industry to find out what is trending in marketing, what methods of publishing are working best, and how to reach readers in the most genuine, efficient way. Honestly, this aspect of publishing can be somewhat tiring, but with consistent effort, research, and social networking, it is possible to “stay ahead of the game” or at least stay “with the game”. :-)

If you could give a budding author advice what would it be?

I would tell budding authors this: It is of the utmost importance that you manage your time well. Becoming an author takes immense amounts of time, dedication, and hard work. It can be overwhelming and it can even be hard to squeeze in writing time every day when you’re busy with marketing, formatting, developing, and maintaining an online presence. If you want to succeed as an author, however, you must continue to write prolifically and get your work out to your dedicated readers. Learning to split your time between writing, marketing, publishing, and social networking is essential. You really do have to “do it all”, but the good news is that, though it is challenging, it is totally possible. :-) You can do it!

Can you recommend our readers a publisher that you like to work with?

Well, as an indie author myself, I’d tell them to go the indie route and work for yourself! In all seriousness, being an independent author is an amazing journey. Though you are solely responsible for every bit of the writing, editing, formatting, publishing, and marketing, there is something extremely satisfying about working for yourself. I don’t have to answer to a publisher about my deadlines or about my choices regarding distribution. I can choose and hire my own editors. I can develop my own cover art or hand-pick an artist. I can publish how and when I want. So, my advice would be to seriously consider your options. There is nothing wrong with going the traditional publishing route, but that was not personally the best choice for me. I have loved my time as an indie author and have no future plans to approach traditional publishers.

If you could be a famous author, who would it be and why?

I would be Juliet Marillier. She is my absolute favorite author of all-time. Her novels are so rich, beautiful, and enchanting! Daughter of the Forest, her first novel, is my favorite story ever and I have read it more times than I can reasonably count. I would be her, because her writing style speaks directly to the heart. Her words are carefully woven into a tapestry of vivid imagery and immense meaning. Her talent is astounding and I can only hope to aspire to one day be as successful as she.

Tell us where we can find your book(s) and provide a link!

Here are the places you can find each of my books! I truly hope you’ll consider checking them out and if you do, enjoy!

Night Bells : Amazon (eBook and print) // Smashwords (FREE in eBook) // Nook (eBook) // Wattpad (FREE in serialized form) // Novel Nook (FREE in eBook)

Silent Shades: Amazon (eBook and print) // Smashwords (eBook) // Nook (eBook) // Novel Nook (eBook)

The Dark Ship: Amazon (eBook and print) // Smashwords (eBook) // Nook (eBook) // Novel Nook (eBook)

Thank you for sharing! I look forward to reading your work!- Kristine Sheehan, TheMerryBird Designs

EFCB Logo Contest on Linkedin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:07:00 +0000

Yes, I have applied to a logo contest for the Eastern Fairfield County Business group on Linkedin.
I'm not sure how many entries have been rec'vd, but I do know that my design has been rec'vd.
Wish me luck! I'd appreciate YOUR VOTE when the EFCB group posts the contest entries on /after April 1, 2013! Here is my logo design entry.

Today's Meet the Author: Alex Laybourne

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:37:00 +0000

Today TheMerryBird is speaking with author Alex Laybourne to learn about his writing process and his feelings about today's publishing industry.

Tell us about all about you…as the non- author first then about you as author.

I am 29 years old and have 4 children aged 6, 4, 2 and 6 months. I live in Holland but was born and raised in England. I moved to Holland at the end of 2006, and view it as one of the best decisions I have ever made. My four year old son has autism and so I am always actively looking to help people understand what is it, and how it works. I have plans to write an epic story collection about it.

As you have hinted, I am a writer, and have several items available for sale, including my debut novel Highway to Hell (book one of a trilogy). The sequel comes out in June, so you all have plenty of time to grab your copy and get up to speed on things.

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a pen. I have always written stories. When I was a kid at school out first assignments were only supposed to be one page long and I was regularly churning out fifteen or twenty pages. I first decided to write a book when I was fifteen, and I did. I was crap, but I wrote it, and to be honest, I still have plans to do something with it. Rather, the main character in it was my own hybrid sort of werewolf and I have a whole YA series planned out with those characters.

I wrote Highway to Hell back in 2006-2007. It took best part of two years in the end, to write and edit. In between I also wrote four short story collections – which should be published around August this year – and numerous other short stories.

What inspires you to write in the style that you do? (what genre do you write in? does it vary?)

I write horror, with the odd flirtation with Fantasy and both standard and urban. If I am honest, I don’t believe in genre, I believe in words. I view writers as artists, and with art, there should be no boundaries. A sculptor does not need to define his work, neither does a painter. We feel the need to classify words because they are so easy to interpret, but really, words are art, and therefore need no explanation.

If a story I am writing heads in a certain direction, I will not reel it in for the sake of a label such as genre.

How many words per day do you like to write? Is that a daily goal or weekly goal?

I like to get between 1500 and 2000 words written every day. Now with the kids, and a full time job as well, this is often easier said than done. That being said, this year I have come close to the 2,000 mark every day. Sure, I sacrifice sleep, but who needs that. At the moment I am writing a zombie serial, and each chapter is around 12,000 words, so I have more of a weekly target at this moment in time, but once after two more chapters I am done. Then I should probably get back to work on the third Highway to Hell novel. That is due for sale around December time, so I had better get my skates on. Don’t tell my publishers that I have no started yet.

What is the name of your first book? How long ago was

It printed? Where did you market it and did you have a good sale number?

Well, my debut novel has been published twice. I self-published on Amazon and Createspace to being with, but after about six months I signed a book deal with MayDecember Publications, and so Highway was pulled from the shelves and republished in December 2012. Until now sales have been poor. I will be honest with you. I have struggled to get sales and reviews. This is not down to the writing but down to myself. I am not a great salesperson, and lack the liquidity to invest in promotional materials. I am learning every day about the whole marketing side of things, and will get there eventually. I am not afraid of the hard work required to pull it off, and that is half of the battle one.

How do you feel about online book reading? Do you have a book that you’ve written for a digital shelf like ibooks or kindle?

As I mentioned, I self-published my first novel originally, and am self-publishing my zombie serial. I think self-publishing is a dangerous game. There are a lot of people who do not take it seriously, or are flooding the water with unedited and untidy work. On the other hand there are a great many authors who are professional and put together great packages. The trouble is being able to separate the wheat from the chaff and not get lost in the middle.

I would like to think that I will always mix and match my methods. I mean, my serial is published once every two weeks, and that is too quick for many publishers, but it is fun and really gives me a good writing workout in between novels.

I do think we will continue to see some big changes in the world of indie and self-publishing, and without wanting to sound arrogant, I hope that it makes moves to separate the good from the bad.

Do you think it’s worth to ask buyers to purchase a digital novel for the same amount of $ as a print novel?

Charging the same price… no not at all. I would not pay the same price for an ebook as the paperback. I am a fan of real books. I think they are now and always will be the best choice. If the prices were the same, I would much rather buy that. On the other side, I think too many authors are pricing themselves out of the market. Setting your books to 99cents may have worked for John Locke, but we are not all John Locke. If we were, then the world would be a very different place. Independent authors should not be afraid to charge that they deserve for their books. $3.99 for a full length eBook is not extravagant. It is fair.

How do you think the change in the publishing industry affects authors today?

I think the modern publishing industry is, as I have already alluded to, a double edged sword. It is now easy to publish. One button and your work is available to the world. Yet, too many people expect to push that button, go to bed and wake up on a diving board like Scrooge McDuck and pull a double gator into a pile of cash. It doesn’t work that way. Being an indie publisher is like working on a market. You are surrounded by stalls all selling the same product as you, and you need to make sure you shout the loudest without scaring anybody off. We are in the middle of an explosion at this moment in time, but I firmly believe this will die down. Things will take a big swing and not necessarily in our favor. Nothing lasts forever, and when the big rush dies down, those left standing, will be the professional and dedicate writers That will, in turn, usher in a new age of indie writing, and it is that which I look forward to most.

If you could give a budding author advice what would it be?

Write, write every day. Live it , breathe it, sleep it. Writing is not an easy ride, it is not a coast. Sit your ass down in a chair and type until your fingers bleed. Tape them up and write some more. It doesn’t have to make sense, it doesn’t have to be good (in the beginning), you just need to write. Letters, emails, lists, short stories, novellas, character biographies, interviews, you name it, if you can put words to it, write it down. In those moments when you are not writing, read, read as much as you can across a wide genre, don’t limit yourself or your imagination. Don’t listen to people that doubt you, simple write on and prove them wrong.

If you think writing is easy, then stop, and find something else to do, because when the writing is done, and you have a product, that you think is wonderful. Sit on it for a few weeks, don’t even think about it for 14 days, and then go back with a red pen and a thick skin, because that is when the shit gets serious. Edit out anything that brings the story down, that detracts from the story in anyway. Tweak things and re-write things, but don’t get lost, too many people get lost in their first novel and never find their way out.

Sounds like a lot of work… well, I have not even started to get into detail yet.

If you still want to be a writer, then you have what it takes, so stop reading this interview now and go write… oh wait… go buy my book first.

Yes, buying my book. That should be the first piece of advice I give. It’s awesome.

Can you recommend our readers a publisher that you like to work with?

I am contracts to MayDecember Publications LLC, and I am delighted with them. I cannot fault Denise or Todd in anyway and I am delighted that they have agreed to publish me. There are so many other publishers out there; small presses, and I am friends with a great many people within them, but two currently companies that really have my eye are Evolved Publishing and Evil Girlfriend Media.

If you could be a famous author, who would it be and why?

That is a tough question. I guess Clive Barker or Stephen King, if we are looking at modern writers. Clive Barker is a genius and his words read like poetry, and Stephen King… well, surely his name says enough. Looking at years gone by, well, I am not sure if I would want to be them, but to write with them, or in the same time as them – as friends – I would say Poe, Charles Dickens or in slightly more recent years, Richard Matheson. His work I love, or George Orwell… ok, there are just too many on this list now, so you know what. If I could be a famous author, I would be myself… in a few years’ time. Because now is the very time, because it is the time we have. The past or the future may look nice, but it is today, this very moment that we live in.

Tell us where we can find your book(s) and please provide a link!

All of my work is available on Amazon (both US and UK)

Highway to Hell

http://www.amazon.com/Highway-to-Hell-ebook/dp/B00AUD0U20/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362630259&sr=1-2

Diaries of the Damned: Jessica

http://www.amazon.com/Diaries-Damned-Jessica-ebook/dp/B00BGAO6X0/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_1_MSM1

Diaries of the Damned: Leon

http://www.amazon.com/Diaries-Damned-Leon-ebook/dp/B00BN1Y4ZC/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2

Diaries of the Damned: Robert

http://www.amazon.com/Diaries-Damned-Robert-ebook/dp/B00BUOAN7U/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

Thank you for Interviewing with TheMerryBird.com Designs!

Helping to Grow Your Business the Smart Way

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 16:43:00 +0000

How many of you take on "every" task to run your business? As a business owner myself, I know sometimes it is next to impossible to juggle every aspect while focusing on what you do best. Why not hire a Virtual Assistant to make more time available to you? CTVirtualAssistance.com offers just what you need and what you should be looking to find. From Administration services to Marketing campaigns, Michelle Anastasio of CTVirtualAssistance can assist you to grow your business the smart way. Ask for "ala" cart service prices or a formal contract, CTVirtualAssistance is ready to take on the things that take you away from your focus -

Check out CTVirtualAssistance today! http://www.CTVirtualAssistance.com

Logo Design by TheMerryBird.com Designs - Kristine Sheehan

New Logo Design for Daughter of a Rose Gift Baskets Company

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:27:00 +0000

Daughter of a Rose is a wonderful Gift Basket Service that offers a wide variety of baskets for every occasion. From holidays, corporate gifting or a small gift for your neighbor, Sherrill Barbary has been putting these wonderful baskets together since year 2000!

Sherrill gave me the opportunity to work with her this year as her logo designer. It's been a pleasure to help create a new look for her business. Contact Daughter of a Rose for your next friendly gift basket or corporate gifting need! http://www.daughterofarose.com/index.html

www.TheMerryBird.com Designs
Kristine Sheehan

Pin up!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:16:00 +0000

There are so many new and exciting ways to advertise, market and push your business on the web.

By now you've heard of Pinterest. Yes, please Pin away! Know that "an individual Facebook user is valued at more than $100 and that it takes nearly 8,900 tweets to earn a company $10 - while just 20 pinned items on Pinterest will yield the same amount". -- Website Magazine June 2012

I learned some creative ways to utilize Pinterest for marketing and advertising:

Pin your YouTube videos! That's right, sell your product, service or image via YouTube. Make a video/ commercial and Post. Easily, your video can go VIRAL and open doors for your business!

(TheMerryBird Designs can assist you there if you need!)

Create an Events Pinboard and post upcoming events. That will entice onlooker to want to take part!

Pin your favorite "Cause" to build funds and work with your cause by donating a portion of your sales!

The main idea is get creative on how to communicate on the vast and ever growing web! Attention is key!

Kristine Sheehan

TheMerryBird.com Designs

2012 Plugins for WP

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 22:15:00 +0000

Authors, Designers, How often do you blog?

I wonder how often to blog. Too much drives readers away, too little makes them forget. I was told to think quality over quantity. Good advice, as if there is quality, then people will find you again and again. With a blast of infomania online, bloggers have to trust their instincts and choose wisely about what to write and publish. Try out wordpress with the suggested plugins to enhance the quality over quantity tactic – blast, share, touch and digg! Oh my!

And don't forget to check out what author A. Allen has to say about blogging slowly! (June 3) http://annerallen.blogspot.com/

Hi Ho Hi Ho! Boy has Snow-White has changed since I was a girl! Oh my!

Ok, so now that I’ve dated myself I will engage in the positivity of new WP plugin's for blogging.

I found that wordpress has some awesome 2012 plugins that everyone should check out and try to utilize. (although I can’t speak from experience yet, I have a good feeling about my source!)

I like these top 4 Wordpress plugin recommendations from Leo Widrich:

1.       Share Share and do some Digg Digg! Digging! (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/digg-digg/) According to my source this plugin alone increases social sharing by up to 7 times! Gotto get this one!
2.       Go Mobile with WP Touch (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wptouch/) apply a theme today! Easily advertise to your mobile traffic
3.       Let’s go All in One SEO pack! (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/)
4.       Display All you got with Social Media Widget (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/social-media-widget/) Show off all your social media profiles on one sidebar!

I’m off to apply these to my wordpress!

Beyond a Digital Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:31:00 +0000

So I built it in 2006 and I'm wondering when they will come! Blog, website, press, yada yada yada. Page views are there but I want to learn how to claim more space and business on the net. Another words get under a viewers skin. (A Light Bulb Moment!) But the question is how? And do I really want to do that?

Design. Design on the web today goes beyond the way something "appears". It moves web viewers into an "Experience". A design will evoke a desire in a viewer to share, buy, need and want to come back again. So as a traditionally trained designer, I lost my natural inclinations or intuitions years ago, to follow a format that was accepted as a lure for online business. Kind of stiff, understandable and tightly professional for those Non-designer types to understand.

The web and how it is perceived has changed over the years. People now NEED the web for multiple things. Shopping, banking, searching for information, communicating, and having fun. A world within a world, one that cannot always be stiff. The internet and it's design has made life easier, better in some ways.

As I come to grips with changes I must make to create this "Experience" of a website and business, I have to reach BEYOND what I know, losen up the perception of my online viewers.

I guess going BEYOND that would be called exceptional Creativity. Write creatively, create images creatively, photograph creatively and think globally with social media. With the rapid progression of technology and the changes that are occuring so quickly I feel as though I learn something today only to find I'm a step behind. In a blink a new muse has arrived on the scene again.

Anyway online business people look at it, to win in a digital economy you have to be the marketer, social media expert, advertiser, smoozer and creative creator/director. I liked it when all I had to do is design and image to make a smile and a sale.

I like this excerpt from "How to Win in a Digital Economy by Jeff Bullas http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/04/19/how-to-win-in-a-digital-economy/:

To Win in a Digital Economy

Build, optimize and maintain your online assets
Market your online assets relentlessly, everywhere
Don’t ignore the growth of mobile
Optimize for search engines
Don’t underestimate the value of email
Create Multimedia “Liquid” content
Publish and promote your content on social networks

To create the winning "Experience" people NEED to see, hear and find on your business website, you must keep all lines of website development and optimization moving.

Anyone...need a job?

TimeLine

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:11:00 +0000

Timeline. That’s what I used to use to keep myself organized, back in the day…

But today Facebook gave a new meaning to the word timeline. Timeline refers to the new format facebook has migrated it’s personal and business fanpage design. Like it or not, if you have a facebook page you will have the new timeline format to play with. Although the buzz about timeline has been around for months, by the end this month of March, it will be on every facebook page.

At first I wasn’t happy with the change as it created a lot of glitches for business page design. No longer can businesses “fangate” and no longer can designers take on the roll of linking and having fun with subscriber and non-fan page design, (yet). Old pages can still be accessed and viewed by those that are fans, but it limited the way businessescan market themselves. New rules state that businesses cannot use text that “sells” or text that is“call to action”. This rule alone, in my opinion makes it very tricky for smaller businesses to excel.

My new motto is let the images do the talking. (didn’t images always do that?)An oxymoron at best! Check out this very short video for the basic new rules of Timeline.

Writing a Kick Ass Proposal in Six Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:24:00 +0000

Many freelancers must submit proposals to clients to volley for the job. Here’s 6 tips for writing a Kick ass proposal and win the job.

First, always take note about what the client needs. You must show the client you can solve their puzzle and make the job count! Understand their design needs and customize your proposal to prove you are the best person to do the job.

Second, allow the potential client to evaluate your work via web links to past clients or to your portfolio. Target the past works that show you understand where the potential client wants to go.

Third, create your marketing pitch by providing background information about you and your business. Ie. http://www.themerrybird.com , you may have a short bio on your web page or direct the prospective client to a place where then can read about you – http://www.facebook.com/TheMerryBird.Designs

Fourth, quote a fair price or a competitive one. Observe what other designers are charging: Hourly or Fixed? Base your fee on your experience. You may feel like Picasso but look like a recent college grad or you may be a seasoned professional exploring new venues for freelance work.

Fifth, respond to those potential clients in a timely manner. You could lose the deal if you don’t take note of the email/correspondence that potential client sent last week! Check your communication venues regularly. Answer, wait and FOLLOW UP!

Sixth, customize your proposal to each client. By doing so, it will show that you are committed to focusing on the prospective job. You will get noticed!

Ok, you just Kicked Ass at writing a proposal! Good luck!- Kristine Sheehan