Publishing

Publish Your Own Books

Publishing your own books can be as easy as downloading a program. For the Kindle or Nook software, these are free formatting software publishing techniques that take a simple afternoon to learn how to use. They are available all over the web, and writers are now enjoying the freedom of writing, editing, and publishing their own work. Many have found that once they do publish their work, they can post their books online as e-books on such sites as Amazon, or Ebay.

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How it Works

The process of getting an e-book assembled for publishing is as easy as typing. The programs used to place text into a Kindle format or Nook format is like using a word processor. Users can simply open up the program, and begin typing. The header, footer, and page numbers are already inserted based on the information provided before writing begins. This information can be edited at any time, but it just makes things easier to have a defined way to work.

The other aspect to the software is that writer can see their text form in the exact way that it will appear on an e-book. This means that the user experience is seen right away, and writers can make changes or modifications based on what they see and read, just like a reader would. The other nice part is that changes can be made at any time. This means that updates can be republished at a later date, and this would give customers automatic updates to their purchase.

Filed Under: eBooks, Reading Tagged With: AmazonKindle, Kindle, Publishing

Travel Books to Go

You can go anywhere, anytime with a good book of fiction that lets your imagination run wild. But what about books that help you go on actual, real-life, adventures? This is the world of travel books, and they are more than a good read.

There are several well-established names in travel literature. A few of the most popular and trusted are Fodor’s, Lonely Planet and Frommer’s. All of them publish guidebooks to help you find your way to and through almost any destination on the planet.

Eugene Fodor of Hungary wrote his first guide book in 1936, titled On the Continent. The Entertaining Travel Annual. It was one of the first tourist guides to include information on local culture and practical advice such as tipping standards, as well as the usual lists of attractions and places to stay. Today it is the largest publisher of travel information in the English language.

Frommer’s was one of the first companies to introduce Americans to affordable international travel. It was started in 1957 by a young U.S. Army corporal named Arthur Frommer. He started by writing a travel guide for his fellow GI’s, and then decided to write one for civilians, entitled Europe on $5 a Day. Today his daughter Pauline carries on the legacy, and publishes over 350 guidebooks to major metropolitan areas around the globe, as well as such titles as Frommers With Kids, and MTV Travel Guides.

Lonely Planet travel books take you a little further off the beaten path. It was started by two young lovers, Maureen and Tony Wheeler, who decided to spend their honeymoon crossing Europe and Asia in their beat-up old car. At the end of the trip, flat broke but inspired, they wrote about their experience and titled it Across Asia on the Cheap. It was an immediate success and their new company Lonely Planet was born.

Whether you choose to go with one of the major guide series, or a more personal account, a good travel book is always a fine companion on any trip. Don’t leave home without one.

Filed Under: eBooks Tagged With: Guide book, Publishing, Tourism, Travel

Traditional Book Publishing Process Revealed

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Hundreds or even thousands of people claim that one day they will write a novel. The actual number of people that go through with that claim is significantly lower. Approximately 1-2% of those people will actually end up writing their novel. Once a rough draft is completed it must be refined and edited until it cannot be worked on anymore. This is only a drop in the bucket in the writing and book publishing world. Once it has been refined, a synopsis and cover page are created to send out to book publishing companies. That is when the wait begins. Some companies allow a writer to send their synopsis only to them. Others will accept them and allow writers to submit to other publishers at the same time.

Each book publishing company has their own wait time. It could take a matter of weeks from a smaller company, larger companies may take months. The key for the writer is to catch the attention of the editor right away, otherwise their book will never even be read, must less published. Once the synopsis has gotten the attention of editors, it is time for the entire manuscript to be shipped out. Again it may takes weeks or months for an author to hear back from a book publishing company.

If the manuscript is accepted then a contract is offered to the writer. Any advances that may be offered from a book publishing company are often low and all of the amount will come from the royalties of the book sales. Once a contract is agreed on, the editing, cover art selection and other details are decided upon. This process tends to take from 18 to 24 months to complete. So in reality, a book can take 3 years or longer to go from the first word to the printed version on the bookshelf.

Filed Under: Famous Books Tagged With: Arts, Book Writing, Business, Publishing, Publishing and Printing, Self-publishing, Writer, Writers Resources

Successful Book Publishing

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A great deal of writers and some non-writers seem to think that you create a book, sign a contract for a large amount of money and then the book publishing company sends you on an all expense paid book tour. This is fantasy for most authors. The big money is reserved for the likes of Nora Roberts, Stephen King and other big name authors. The truth is that even if an author is signed to a big publishing house they are pretty much on their own when it comes to promoting their book. This is where creativity and drive are necessary. Being fearless helps as well.

Successful book publishing involves picking up the phone and setting up their own book tour. This means that all expenses are coming out of their pocket so that should be taken into consideration. Writing up press releases to as many PR places as possible is always a good idea. Writers should find out if the local radio or even television station will give them a short spot to discuss their book. The best type of promotion is to think “outside of the box”. This may involve doing book signings at local schools for children’s books or perhaps at coffee houses if the target reading audience visits coffee shops.

The point is that no matter what type of book publishing company is used, the success of a book is all up to the author. They must get their name out to the public and their book into the hands of readers. The second most successful way to build up a writing career is to continue writing. The more books an author has published the easier it is to sell their work. Plus if readers like one book then they are likely to go back and purchase the previous work of an author.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Author, Children's literature, Nora Roberts, Press release, Publishing, Stephen King, Writer, Writer Resources

The Art of Reading Presented by Madisonavenuebookstore.com

Madisonavenuebookstore.com was started as a way for anyone interested in books, reading, writing, book publishing, or other literary pursuits to stay connected to that world. It is an adventure in learning about the old and the new of the literary world. Books have transformed over the centuries but are still the basis of entertainment and information. For readers, it is always an adventure. They can never get enough of learning about new characters, new worlds, or even traveling back in time to a place where they can never go.

Reading books is an exploration. Madisonavenuebookstore.com encourages that exploration with their informative articles about a plethora of books. It’s not just about specific books but about the benefits of what reading can do for each and every person. From gathering information from inspirational books, finding religion, or rediscovering the classics, there is something to be found on this website. They discuss how books can make you a better problem solver or simply cause your brain to work at a higher level than before. Books, whether fiction or nonfiction, contain knowledge, having knowledge and taking action with it is a powerful thing. This creates productive individuals in society.

Along with higher brain function, reading books can be fun. Learning to appreciate such classic books as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe or The Catcher in the Rye will help to teach a valuable history lesson as well as see where the world of books and reading have come from.

Madisonavenuebookstore.com also talks of children’s books. Not only about classics but about illustrators as well. There is a full discussion about Mo Williems, Dr.Seuss and much more. The Eric Carle museum for children’s picture book art is discussed as thoroughly as the concept of reading itself. This highlights the entire world of reading, writing, book publishing and illustration. Which is the entire reason for madisonavenuebookstore.com

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Children's literature, Publishing, Shopping

Book Distribution Information on Madisonavenuebookstore.com

Madisonavenuebookstore.com discusses everything to do with reading, writing, book publishing and book distribution. The idea is to allow readers to explore the literary world from every possible angle. This is where the peak into the book distribution part of publishing comes into play. There are several angles in which the articles on this website approach the topic which lends to interesting reading for virtually anyone.

There is a mention of the option of self-publishing books. It is not necessarily a pro or con argument, simply a discussion of the availability. It is a brief but important mention of why this option should be considered for writers and also highlights that this is not a cure to the best sellers list.

Other discussions include information about the Western canon. This was something created centuries ago for books and still continues today. This involves a great deal of information about books. It contains works of literature dating back to Homer, Shakespeare, Dante and more. Even the books of Victor Hugo and Emily Dickinson have been noted on this canon. A full description is available on madisonavenuebookstore.com.

Articles on the trends of book publishing and literary works fall under the category of book distribution. Some focus on the current trends such as magic or even the explosion of the detailed popularity of coffee table books. Before people would place magazines on their coffee tables. Now they place full volume, hardback books loaded with pictures and a few captions. These often reflect the interest of the reader and can be much pricier than any novel off the shelf. Others articles focus on specific books that cause people to ponder life as well as literature. People are searching for more and more answers as to why things are the way they are or how they can improve their life. While not all books are created equal, there are a select few spotlighted on madisonavenuebookstore.com.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Book, Literature, Publishing

All Things in the Reading, Writing, Book Publishing World

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There are a great deal of websites for writers and publishers. Where do the readers go? While there are sites that review books, there is not a great deal of selection for those that simply like to learn about the reading, writing, book publishing worlds. The madisonavenuebookstore.com website is one that deals with those aspects and more. From history lessons on vampire books to publishing trends to author information, this site has a plethora of informative articles.

The topics that are explored involve stories of fictional and real characters that have transformed through the ages, when vampire books were first published, the basics of self-publishing and a great deal more. The good thing for readers is that new items are being added on a regular basis.

Discover more about cookbooks, travel books, or about one of the most expensive coffee table books on the market. This site helps readers get back to how books have helped enlighten people through the ages. It re-enforces the fact that religions have become much more focused with the publication of their religious books. Aliases of many an author is revealed at madisonavenuebookstore.com. While the published names of Dr.Seuss, Lewis Carroll and Mark Twain resound with most readers, their real names are not always noticed. What is even more interesting to those with an appetite for books is why these authors used a pen name to write.

Other points that are brought to light at madisonavenuebookstore.com are the children’s books from past and present. These children’s books have been favorites to generations of children and taught them a few things along the way. The theme of friendship, respecting ones parents, being honest and doing chores resound in children’s books today but simply in different forms than they once were. Discovering about the past helps to appreciate where the books of today have come from.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Children, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, Publishing

Plethora of Genres: Which Books to Read?

The world of books and book publishing is virtually never ending. Not only are hundreds of new books published every year, new genres are being created as new writers create works “outside of the box”. There are numerous genres and sub-genres for a reader to choose from. Even non-readers have things like comic books or graphic novels to choose from. Interestingly enough, even though there are a great deal of genres, people tend to stick with the one or two types that they’ve enjoyed reading from the very beginning.

The basic fiction genres are science fiction, horror, detective, romance, chick lit, young adult, middle grade and elementary age. Nonfiction includes things like business, travel, self-help, parenting, instructional and religious. It is not uncommon to find fiction genres crossing into one another. There may be a horror or science fiction book with a little romance going on as a secondary story. This happens the same way as romance books that have a murder mystery or happen in outer space with two warring planets. Children’s books are getting more and more complicated as popular culture invades books for younger children. The Harry Potter series was originally created for ages 8-13 year olds. It transcended that age group and moved into adult reading. This may have been more due to the length of the books than the actual content. Nonfiction books rarely cross genres, however there has been an influx on business books written for women by women. As more and more women move up the corporate ladder they are passing along the lessons learned to their fellow women. Interestingly enough, most of these successful business women created their own businesses.

The truth is that whatever a readers interests are, there are books on the shelf waiting to be found. There is almost no topic that has not been written about in either fiction or nonfiction. A great deal of them have been written about in both.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Book, Harry Potter, Publishing, Science fiction

The Power to Publish Your Own Book

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Similar to the way online peer-to-peer file sharing has taken power from record companies and film studios, self-published books remove traditional print publishers from the process. It’s extremely easy to self-publish a book online. The internet has provided everyone with a voice, and now anyone can publish a book and collect royalties for their work. Like file sharing, self-publishing puts distribution power in the hands of the individual, but the similarities end there.
Self-published work is different from file sharing. Many of the legal issues involved in audio and video sharing do not exist with self-published books. After all, you own the rights to your book, and you are responsible for its distribution. Comparatively, many legal battles over illegal downloading stem from copyright violations and online leaks, where the artists never authorized the art’s release.
Releasing a book independently places control over the work’s future in the hands of the author. Submitting manuscripts to numerous publishers can often lead nowhere, even if your manuscript is objectively good. An author self-publishing in either print format or in an e-book format cuts out a publisher’s subjectivity. A publisher’s job is to find projects that will make the most money for the company and that can lead to massive rejection to many writers.
If you want to publish a book, several online companies can help you. Before you rush to publish something on your own, treat your manuscript as if you were sending it to a professional publisher. Avoid all grammatical errors and have someone, even several people, edit your work. If you truly believe in your work, make it worth reading.
Although people will have the opportunity to read your work, don’t assume people will. Self-publishing does not mean you will suddenly sell thousands of copies. The process is still the same when it’s in a publisher’s hands. You will need to market your work and promote it. If you have finished or are working on a manuscript, you realize how tedious the process is. Self-publishing won’t solve everything, but it will put the power of your work in your hands.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Book, Publishing, Publishing and Printing

Book Publishing – The Keys to the Kingdom

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So you want to get a book published. Some think this assumes you already have a book written, but the surprise is, you might want to start at the other end–find an agent first and propose your idea before you spend precious years writing something that will never see the light of day. This may sound crassly commercial, but you notice the title is about getting a book PUBLISHED, not WRITTEN. (Writing the book is a whole other story, or, uh… book. Annie Lamott has written a great one about that titled Bird by Bird, which is highly recommended).

The literary world is so full of aspiring writers and their manuscripts that there has to be some filter. That’s why we have literary agents–to separate the Shakespeares from the charlatans. So agents, being in great demand since they are really the only way to get into a publishing house, have an awful lot to read. This is why they often prefer a well-written proposal, or query letter, wherein you outline your book idea and why you are the perfect person to write it.

If they like it, they could sign you to a contract that gives them15% of the proceeds from your book-to-be (a small price, really, for the access to potential sales). Then you get busy writing the book and they get busy trying to sell it for you. It’s important to research agents so you get the appropriate fit for your project, and a good resource for this is WritersMarket.com.

Finally, be persistent. Fledgling writers should take heart that the first book of the wildly successful Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer was reportedly turned down by no less than 14 publishers before Little, Brown saw its potential. To get a book published, of course you do have to be able to write, and maybe even love whatever you are writing. But to get the keys to the publishing kingdom, you also have to find a literary agent who believes in it too. Of course there is the route of self-publishing, but that again is another story.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Publishing, Writer, Writers Resources

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