Honoring
11 years ago
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
The step-by-step guide to self-publishing for profit by Pinheiro and Russell
I have heard authors say that writing is the easiest part of their job. All authors need a book like this next to them at their desk. This easy to read book covers everything an author needs to know about publishing and marketing a book, from setting up an office space to setting up daily goals, from to choosing apen name and designing business cards, from designing a book cover to setting up PDF files, from finding a niche to marketing on amazon.
There are a number of books on the market in this genre, each with a unique twist. This book adds elements about the life of a writer that are helpful and refreshing. It also focuses on great detail on the self-publishing service provided by CreateSpace. At times this comes across as a bit of a comercial, but overall the effect is educational. Many of the suggestions in the book can be applied to more than one company and are very detailed in nature. This is one of the stronger parts of the book since there is a great deal of information that is difficult to find in one place. I recommend this to anyone starting out in the world of self publishing.
The book also focuses on marketing and promoting books over the internet, including sites to use for a website. The advice is very clear and easy to follow, just as the step-by-step in the title suggests. The internet world is very large and can seem overwhelming, but this book helps an author get started and keep going. I also enjoyed the author interviews included at the end of the book covering promotion techniques and the list of resources.
All of this is presented in an easy to read format. I carried this book on an airplane and read the entire book on one leg of the journey. I suggest that you have a highlighter handy while you are reading this book. Mark up and bookmark the pages because you are going to want to refer back to many areas again and again.
I recommend this book to any author looking at the world of self-publishing, which seems to be most of us. Many authors have told me that even though their work has been picked up by a traditional publisher they still have to market themselves and their work. This book will is a great resource for anyone needing this advice.
I have heard authors say that writing is the easiest part of their job. All authors need a book like this next to them at their desk. This easy to read book covers everything an author needs to know about publishing and marketing a book, from setting up an office space to setting up daily goals, from to choosing apen name and designing business cards, from designing a book cover to setting up PDF files, from finding a niche to marketing on amazon.
There are a number of books on the market in this genre, each with a unique twist. This book adds elements about the life of a writer that are helpful and refreshing. It also focuses on great detail on the self-publishing service provided by CreateSpace. At times this comes across as a bit of a comercial, but overall the effect is educational. Many of the suggestions in the book can be applied to more than one company and are very detailed in nature. This is one of the stronger parts of the book since there is a great deal of information that is difficult to find in one place. I recommend this to anyone starting out in the world of self publishing.
The book also focuses on marketing and promoting books over the internet, including sites to use for a website. The advice is very clear and easy to follow, just as the step-by-step in the title suggests. The internet world is very large and can seem overwhelming, but this book helps an author get started and keep going. I also enjoyed the author interviews included at the end of the book covering promotion techniques and the list of resources.
All of this is presented in an easy to read format. I carried this book on an airplane and read the entire book on one leg of the journey. I suggest that you have a highlighter handy while you are reading this book. Mark up and bookmark the pages because you are going to want to refer back to many areas again and again.
I recommend this book to any author looking at the world of self-publishing, which seems to be most of us. Many authors have told me that even though their work has been picked up by a traditional publisher they still have to market themselves and their work. This book will is a great resource for anyone needing this advice.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Book Review The Talent Code by Coyle on Amazon: This book was a surprise. Somehow I expected something about how to spot talent, hire talent, or use talent for corporate success. What I got was a great book on learning and brain development. This well written and well researched book discusses the power of deep practice on the Myelin coating in the brain. Myelin is the insulating sheath surrounding nerve enabling them to conduct impulses between the brain and other parts of the body. The electrical current must travel without being corrupted, scrambled, diverted from the proper path, or leaking energy. Therefore, myelin is like the layer of plastic insulation surrounding an interior wire, which is the nerve.
Myelin increases when we engage in deep practice. Much like Gladwell discusses in Outliers, success comes after thousands of hours of good correct practice. This intense practice occurs when we are in a zone of focus, repeating correct actions over and over again, stopping and correcting mistakes, and repeating correct actions again. This grows and thickens that myelin over the nerves allowing for faster more accurate responses.
Before we can practice we need motivation, which he calls ignition. He also discusses why some motivation sticks and some does not using examples from a variety of sports and educational settings. This is not the world of pep-talks, but of inspiration that comes from the HSE…the Holy Shit Effect. We suddenly see someone just like us who won a golf tournament and realize that maybe we could play golf well. Coyle give numerous examples that support the HSE.
Finally Coyle points out the importance of good coaching. He reports on many studies on coaching and teaching that change our notions of the “sage on the stage” and encourage us to be a “guide on the side” to be effective. He found that short, precise and intense feedback is more effective than lectures. He uses examples from education citing the KIPP and KEEP projects, as well as more sports.
This is a great book. I was inspired to return to my piano and work on my novel. The more I practice the more myelin I grow and the better I get. Intense focused practice in the sweet zone is the secret. See perfection, measure my distance from it, reach, repeat.
Great book for educators and coaches, or anyone interested in brain research or cognitive psychology. Great book to get anyone motivated to try harder!
Myelin increases when we engage in deep practice. Much like Gladwell discusses in Outliers, success comes after thousands of hours of good correct practice. This intense practice occurs when we are in a zone of focus, repeating correct actions over and over again, stopping and correcting mistakes, and repeating correct actions again. This grows and thickens that myelin over the nerves allowing for faster more accurate responses.
Before we can practice we need motivation, which he calls ignition. He also discusses why some motivation sticks and some does not using examples from a variety of sports and educational settings. This is not the world of pep-talks, but of inspiration that comes from the HSE…the Holy Shit Effect. We suddenly see someone just like us who won a golf tournament and realize that maybe we could play golf well. Coyle give numerous examples that support the HSE.
Finally Coyle points out the importance of good coaching. He reports on many studies on coaching and teaching that change our notions of the “sage on the stage” and encourage us to be a “guide on the side” to be effective. He found that short, precise and intense feedback is more effective than lectures. He uses examples from education citing the KIPP and KEEP projects, as well as more sports.
This is a great book. I was inspired to return to my piano and work on my novel. The more I practice the more myelin I grow and the better I get. Intense focused practice in the sweet zone is the secret. See perfection, measure my distance from it, reach, repeat.
Great book for educators and coaches, or anyone interested in brain research or cognitive psychology. Great book to get anyone motivated to try harder!
Book Review of Trade-offs by Maney. Read it on Amazon
Is there a magic formula for success? This author suggests that successful products and companies know that they must choose between Fidelity and Convenience. Fidelity refers to outstanding quality that might be difficult to obtain, but is worth the effort. Convenience is, well, just what it sounds like, easy to obtain or less expensive. Harvard is fidelity, University of Phoenix is convenient. One is not better than the other, they just fill different niches.
There are two difficult areas on the scale between fidelity and convenience. The first is the fidelity belly, where most companies and technology start. The Kindle is in the belly right now. It is cool to use, but still expensive and not very convenient. Either the technology will improve or the price will come down for the kindle to become more convenient.
The second dangerous area is the mirage that a company can be both high fidelity and highly convenient. Starbucks tried this and has diluted their brand. At first Starbucks was high fidelity, a Starbucks cup meant that you had been somewhere special. Then something changed, Starbucks appeared on every corner and became convenient. They lost their aura of fidelity. Aiming for the fidelity mirage they ended up in the fidelity belly. Success is usually obtained if products of companies possess Super fidelity or Super convenience, they cannot have both.
This formula might be simplified, but it does make a great deal of sense. Target is convenient, Nordstums has fidelity. Both are successful, but for different reasons. Companies that try to be both usually fail. Imagine if the University of Phoenix tried to become the Harvard of the west, or if Harvard had extension campuses in every state. Neither concept would work. The best advice is to pick one and do it well.
This book is an enjoyable read with solid examples and advice. I recommend it to anyone running a company, non-profit or institution, or developing a product. It is also a good read for anyone interested in marketing or cognitive psychology.
Is there a magic formula for success? This author suggests that successful products and companies know that they must choose between Fidelity and Convenience. Fidelity refers to outstanding quality that might be difficult to obtain, but is worth the effort. Convenience is, well, just what it sounds like, easy to obtain or less expensive. Harvard is fidelity, University of Phoenix is convenient. One is not better than the other, they just fill different niches.
There are two difficult areas on the scale between fidelity and convenience. The first is the fidelity belly, where most companies and technology start. The Kindle is in the belly right now. It is cool to use, but still expensive and not very convenient. Either the technology will improve or the price will come down for the kindle to become more convenient.
The second dangerous area is the mirage that a company can be both high fidelity and highly convenient. Starbucks tried this and has diluted their brand. At first Starbucks was high fidelity, a Starbucks cup meant that you had been somewhere special. Then something changed, Starbucks appeared on every corner and became convenient. They lost their aura of fidelity. Aiming for the fidelity mirage they ended up in the fidelity belly. Success is usually obtained if products of companies possess Super fidelity or Super convenience, they cannot have both.
This formula might be simplified, but it does make a great deal of sense. Target is convenient, Nordstums has fidelity. Both are successful, but for different reasons. Companies that try to be both usually fail. Imagine if the University of Phoenix tried to become the Harvard of the west, or if Harvard had extension campuses in every state. Neither concept would work. The best advice is to pick one and do it well.
This book is an enjoyable read with solid examples and advice. I recommend it to anyone running a company, non-profit or institution, or developing a product. It is also a good read for anyone interested in marketing or cognitive psychology.
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