First Word

Unless you're a publisher you might give the eBook revolution no more consideration than you do the iTunes revolution. It's happening, and you love your eBook reader -- it's compact, carries thousands of books in your purse or briefcase, and it's really fun to play with. As a publisher, our focus is to shift and change with the business model. While "old-schoolers" continue to embrace their paper tomes, eBook readers are buying the electronic versions in droves. In the last six months, our company 3L Publishing has seen the most dramatic shift in interest when it comes to eBook sales vs. print. This change was long ago predicted to escalate by 2015, and so goes the trend. Our last top-selling book sold one print to nine eBooks. Whereas just last summer our top-selling book sold more like every 4 out of 5 eBooks. The eBook revolution isn't going to slow. Diminishing floor space in Barnes and Noble, increasing restrictions in national distribution system...

Keep it Simple Stupid... how many times did I hear that in high school? We'll distill this down to keep it simple, period. I'm not a fan of calling anyone stupid -- although some moments warrant the descriptor or moniker depends on how you use the name. So here is my real point. I've been learning our back-end systems at 3L Publishing , which includes the remittance functions for our vendors. Money is important after all. So in my intrepid exploration of the systems, I have constantly run into Apple-related (I won't be kind because honestly they earned it) stupidity. I am specifically talking about their two silos, which should be one system (take a hint from Kindle): iTunes Connect and iTunes Producer. First, let me express my disappointment that any Apple-related product be this disconnected and "dysfunctional". I'm a Mac diehard since the Mac resembled an over-sized lunchbox turned upright on my desk. I use all Apple products. I'm a fan. I am NOT...

Sometimes no matter what you do barriers just stand in the way of productivity. I started my day off with 30 minutes of meditation (I try to meditate daily). I get up. I had nonstop barriers yesterday too. Our new operations manager is gone, and I realized our Amazon orders weren't being addressed. So I have to go out to our storage unit to get books, but then realized I don't have the key. Our inventory is at my operations manager's house so I contact her and now I have to go retrieve books. Then I try to print up the invoice sheets and the printer fails. Now I'm frustrated naturally and the cat won't stay off my desk. I throw him out and go to retrieve something and come back, and he's gotten back and spilled Diet Coke on my desk and narrowly misses my new keyboard that I bought last week because he spilled water on the previous one. I throw him out again (after a few choice words). Later I go to retrieve something else and make the mistake of not closing the ...

Now with social media taking over the networking landscape, here are three things NOT to do on social media: Logos as your face on a professional page and not a fan page – never place a logo in place of a face. People don’t interact with brand names and swirly letters. They like to know they are talking to (e-gads) an actual warm-blooded human being. Fan pages are different. Liking a logo works in this case. I can think of a handful of “logos” I interact with and wonder, “Is this a guy or girl?” Mug shots are scary – don’t use your iPhone to snap what appears to be nothing more than another Lindsay Lohan mug shot. If you’re genuinely using your social media to market and network, try a nice and professional head shot that is appealing. I’m not saying you need to look like a super model or GQ guy just keep it nice and “in focus.” What ya got in your hands there Fred ? What are you doing in your profile picture or background shot? Drinking? Table dancing? Wearing a biki...

With so many self-publishing choices, many authors confuse something very important: the ability to publish OR the ability to publish it RIGHT . Many different "distribution mechanisms" like Create Space enable authors to publish on the cheap (and I use the word "publish" loosely since Create Space is not a publisher but a "publishing tool"). Authors write the book and find the tool (they call the tool their publisher, which again it is not a publisher), and they call their books published. They also believe they got such a deal, and this cheap publishing tool enabled it. The book might sell to friends and family -- and that's all the audience it will ever find. It wasn't even done professionally. It's often not professionally edited (the author is a professional writer and their English teacher friend proofed it). They didn't have a graphic designer design it, they hit "format" in Word and it is "formatted" and not d...

"New Mexico Sky" by Scott D. Roberts, author and now talented photographer! I want to print this photo for my wall. Gorgeous!!  My dear friend and fellow author Scott D. Roberts , who recently penned the novel Vengeance is Now , was out on the road for his book tour and sent me this picture of the New Mexico sky (isn't it gorgeous). Can you believe that was taken on an iPhone in HD? Amazing what technology does on a Smart Phone. Well, the ghost in the machine moment ... I was at my desk last night and suddenly this photo gets sent (on its own) from my phone to my email. How utterly bizarre is that? I love this photo! I didn't send if from my iPhone. It parked itself in my email in-box all by itself. I sometimes wonder what the fairies are up to LOL. My good friend and operations manager Bo Bradley and I often marvel over the fairies. I'm not entirely sure what is the message behind sending me the photo, but it's gorgeous and I'm sharing with all of you...

Okay, I have to start off with an astute observation made by wonderful boyfriend Kirk Donnelly who whispers all sorts of sage wisdom in my ear. One day we were bantering back and forth in text and the discussion took a serious turn.  Suddenly, my phone rings and Kirk says, "Why the heck are we having a serious discussion in text?"  I started laughing. "I don't know sweetheart, why are we?"  "Text is no place to have a serious discussion, sweetie." LOL ...  And words to live by ... TEXTING is no place to have a serious discussion whether personally or professionally .  We are a strange techno society indeed. What is up with people using text to discuss important matters? I had a relationship where the person never picked up the phone and all the heavy stuff went down in text. First, text and email are cold media -- no voice, no inflection, no tone, and no idea of the true intent or emotions behind it. The only upside, you ca...