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Adapting Christian Books to Real Life

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By Denise Turney

Adapting Christian books to real life is becoming increasingly popular. That’s a good thing. People who read Christian fiction books want to believe that the events in the novels could actually happen. Widespread media coverage of traumatic events and trends like hard divorces, child abuse, pastoral indiscretions, poverty and domestic violence have alerted readers of Christian books to more of what goes on in the world.

Empowering Christian Books with Realism

If an author writes a Christian book that depicts characters as flawless, that doesn’t take on any of the above and other challenges inherit in the world, readers are quick to notice. After awhile, readers might start to feel as if they are being cheated. Why? Readers want to easily connect with characters in Christian books; they want to be able to see themselves in scenes depicted throughout the stories. They don’t want to feel as if they are being forced to believe that the world is spotless, that the world has no struggle, disappointments or frustrations.

Another thing readers look for in Christian books is real language, the type of language that people spoke at the time stories are set in. For example, if a story is set in the 1920s, readers appreciate characters using slang and dialect that people actually used in the 1920s. They don’t want to have characters using terms from the 2000s.

To adapt Christian books to real life, inspirational authors could:

  • Develop storylines that mimic real life stories trending in the news
  • Interview area residents, asking them to reveal the top three things they would like to see change in their lives, then adapt their Christian fiction books to those top three things
  • Write Christian books that align with scenes that consistency show up in their dreams
  • Read non-fiction books, picking out the strongest character, research and historic traits in the books
  • Think about their own life experiences, as well as experiences their relatives and friends have had, then have characters in the Christian books they write deal with similar events

Fortunately, it’s possible for authors to pen Christian fiction books without abandoning the moral fiber of their stories. Authors don’t have to line the pages of their books with profanity or explicit sex scenes. That’s not what it takes for a story to feel realistic. It’s also not what readers love. Readers love an entertaining and inspirational Christian book; they also love a book that mirrors their own life, a story that feels real. As authors start writing these types of books, the more they might attract the attention of Christian and non-Christian readers.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Disadvantages of Reading Free Books Online

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By Denise Turney

Convenience and environmental conservation are the top two benefits you could receive when you choose electronic books over print books. With the click of a button, you can search through thousands of books, including free books online, while sitting on your sofa, riding the train or relaxing in bed. You can also download and start reading free books in seconds.

Electronic Books vs. Print Books

For many people, these benefits are unbeatable. However, not so fast. Free online books don’t offer all of the same benefits that print books do. Buy a print book or check a print book out from the library, and you could get:

  • Rare and classic books that increase in value over time (not sure that the value of electronic books will go up 10 to 20 years from now)
  • Opportunities to share great stories with friends without your friends having to get an ebook reader
  • Ability to enjoy your favorite stories absent the need to hunt for WiFi
  • No need to recharge or plug in electronics before you start treasuring great novels
  • Chance to gift loved ones with print books that you wrap so you can enjoy watching loved ones open their literary gifts with surprise

Sure. You can save money by downloading free kindle books and other free online books. However, if you surveyed everyone who downloaded free books online, you might be surprised to discover that not all of these people actually reads the dozens of free online books they download. It’s almost as if some people download free online books simply because they don’t want to miss out on a chance to get something without having to pay for it.

Readers Want Quality Books

But, do you really want folders of free books online that you’re never going to read? Where’s the benefit in that? Yet, let’s say you plucked down several bucks for an outstanding print book. Think you’d take the time to read and savor the book? Or do you think you’d rob yourself of the chance to enjoy a rare piece of literary work?

I’m willing to venture that you, like many other people, read to be entertained, educated, inspired or motivated. So, why would you magnetize toward electronic  books simply because they are free? Free doesn’t guarantee greatness. In fact, something tells me if a car dealer was giving away free cars, you might think twice before you test drove one of the cars, because you’d probably think something was wrong with the cars. Otherwise, why would the dealer be giving the cars away for free?

Don’t we pay for what we value? Don’t we make time for what we value? I can’t be the only book lover who looks for books that are written with a tone, voice and style I appreciate, books that are developed with memorable characters I won’t soon forget versus looking for free books online because I want to save a buck.

Oh. The joys of reading great books, rare books you don’t come across every day. Make those books available in print, and I’m in. . . . Gotta use my makeshift bookmarks. Gotta curl up with a great book, and my bookcases love holding shelves of literary gems. Yes; there are so many advantages to reading compelling books, stories that help change lives for the better.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in my new book, Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

It’s Time to Support African American Bookstores and Booksellers

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By Denise Turney

A bounty of changes have been impacting the book industry, particularly African American bookstores and booksellers. For example, online booksellers are moving as many books out of their warehouses as some brick and mortar booksellers, at times more. Self-publishing has taken off to the point where major book publishers like Simon & Schuster have entered the arena. Additionally, in a matter of seconds, book readers can locate and download their favorite books on mobile devices, desktop computers or laptops. While these and other changes offer convenience to book readers, they also offer challenges to African American bookstores.

African American Booksellers in Harlem Dealing with Book Industry Changes

As reported in The Grio‘s July 23, 2012 ” Hue-Man, One of Harlem’s Literary Landmarks Closes” article, rising real estate costs and changes impacting the book industry saw one of America’s largest and independently owned African American bookstores close its doors. The bookstore, Hue-Man Bookstore and Cafe, located in Harlem, had been serving as a literary lighthouse in the Harlem community for a decade.

The bookstore’s co-owner, Marva Allen, is reported in the article as saying, “Our lease is up. Our rent was going to go up. There is absolutely no question about it.” She continued, “The rate at which our rent would go up, our bookstore could not absorb that in new sales to be able to pay that.”

In addition to dealing with rising rent, Hue-Man found itself challenged with finding innovative ways to attract a significant number of book readers and book buyers to keep generating a profit. Allen, a business leader who remains hopeful that Hue-Man could resurface in the coming years, understands the challenge. In fact, the article reports that, “Allen says the publishing industry has also changed because of technology and will require the  creation of a new model and customer experience.”

Dallas Texas African American Bookseller Faces Changes

November 2012, Jokae’s an African American bookstore that has been serving the Dallas, Texas area since 1993, was set to close its doors. In the November 27, 2012 Dallas News’ JoKae’s African American Books to Close” article, Til Pettis, co-owner of the African American bookstore is reported as saying that, “The book sales were just not there.” Part of the bookstores’ declining sales were due to the fact that the shopping center where the store was located had started to see its storefronts going empty, business owners choosing to either close their doors or move their stores elsewhere.

Jokae’s was one of the African American bookstores where people in the community could go to receive tutoring support, hold book club meetings, catch up and chat with friends, attend writers’ group meetings and be entertained with radio broadcasts the bookstore’s owners hosted. Clearly, the owners of Jokae’s, one of several community focused African American bookstores, were creative and innovative, willing to try new strategies and activities to bring in book readers and book buyers.

Both Hue-Man and Jokae’s expressed plans to continue their businesses online. African American book readers, especially the African American book authors who gained ongoing support from the bookstores’ owners, can continue to support these and other African American bookstores online by purchasing their favorite novels, nonfiction books and coffee table books from these bookstore owners. After all, without ongoing support, what business or individual would make it?

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Sources:

http://artsblog.dallasnews.com/2012/11/jokaes-african-american-books-to-close.html/ (Dallas News: JoKae’s African American Books to Close, November 27, 2012)

http://thegrio.com/2012/07/23/hue-man-one-of-harlems-literary-landmarks-closes/ (The Grio: Hue-Man, One of Harlem’s Literary Landmarks Closes, July 23, 2012)

Keeping Peace with Family Members at Holiday Events

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By Denise Turney

holiday parties

People from different cultures and religions celebrate holidays at different times of year, strengthening local and family history. In the United States and abroad, the winter season is a time when millions of people travel long distances to visit with family and friends, eager to celebrate major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. If people have wonderful and joyous memories of times they spent gathered at a relative’s home during major holidays, thoughts about getting together with family can create welcomed emotions.

Creating Good Memories with Family at Holiday Events

However, not everyone enjoys peaceful, happy conversations and family history experiences while in the company of relatives. Comedians tell jokes about it, jokes that elicit rip roaring laughter from audiences. Movies and books retell, often exaggerating experiences, arguments and battles that take place when three or more relatives who purposely avoid each other all year long get together during the holidays. For onlookers, it can be hilarious. It can also be painful.

Funny thing is there’s usually only a few, sometimes just one, relatives disagreeing family members would rather not be around during the holidays (or any other time of year, for that matter). To be with these family members, people travel home by airplane, train or automobile, risking the chance that they might get into a heated argument with a relative. To keep the peace during holidays as families come together, people can:

  • Journal to express emotions they might have been keeping pent up for months or years
  • Write down at least three qualities they appreciate or love about each of their family members
  • Telephone family members throughout the year, taking the dynamite out of once a year get-togethers
  • Pray for peace between all family members throughout the year
  • Commit to spending time with family members absent arguments and fights; after all, they are helping to create family history

Gotta say this. Older relatives might also find it helpful to put a little butter on their tongue, softening the way they say things. For instance, I’ve heard some people complain about how, during holiday events, older relatives repeatedly call them fat, skinny or tell them how much they’ve changed (in unflattering ways) since they last saw them. Not sure if some folks think physical age gives them license to say whatever they wish to younger family members. However, just as older family members might feel disrespected if younger folks speak too-direct with them, young folks feel likewise.

People can also remind themselves that they are helping to create lasting memories and family history for children and other adults in their families each time they attend holiday family get togethers. If arguments during the holidays center around major events being held at the same person’s home, families can also start rotating whose home holiday events are held at.

It’s possible to have peace in the home during the holidays. It might take a little creativity and innovation, but it can be done. It’s also better than building memories of fights and ensuring arguments in the minds of children around the holidays. . . . Enjoy being with your loved ones during this and other holiday seasons.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Complicated Relationships in Father Son Books

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By Denise Turney

Some father son books are getting it right despite the fact that few people may want to admit it. Fact is, some father and son relationships are painfully complicated. Strain in these male relationships exist whether the father is living in the home or has been absent from a son’s life for months or years. Perhaps complications come because some fathers see a competitor, someone vying for their wife’s attention, when they look at their sons. Other fathers might look at their sons and see a child who will, one day, be as physically strong and looming as they are, someone who could easily replace them in a position of power.

Impact Father and Son Relationships Have on Society

Glimpses of this might reveal themselves in relationships male animals have with their teenage sons. After all and although it’s not written in stone, there might be something to male lions, long considered the kings of the jungle, pushing their teenage sons out of the den. If the sons don’t go straightaway, it can create problems, causing male lions to attack and harm their own sons. This tradition ensures that fathers remain kings of their families in the animal world. As difficult as it is to watch a male lion force his sons away from family, often for the remainder of the sons’ lives, when considering the harshness of the wild, it can be understandable.

What’s not understandable is how some fathers vacate their sons’ (and daughters’) lives. This trend among human fathers and sons is especially hard to understand considering the negative impact that complicated father and son relationships have on families, communities and society at large. If fathers vacate their sons’ lives, it could cause sons, even after they reach adulthood, to search for the love and support they should have received but didn’t.

Complicated father and son relationships can also impact sons’ academic performance, whether or not sons abuse alcohol or drugs, economic conditions sons grow up in and sons’ self-esteem. Of course, many of these complicated father and son relationships occur whether fathers force their sons to vacate home prematurely or whether fathers exit the family structure. To force their sons to leave home prematurely, fathers might physically, psychology, financially or emotionally assault their sons, forcing their sons to see leaving home as the only way they can gain a semblance of peace.

Father Son Books Forcing Sons to Vie for Themselves in a Cold, Harsh World

Raymond Clark and his father, Malcolm, a bitter man facing the evils of untreated alcoholism, confront these and other dilemmas in Love Pour Over Me. Yet, Malcolm doesn’t leave. His presence brings pain, yet a comfort of sorts. What isn’t evidently clear is why Malcolm stays, why he doesn’t become another father who walks off and leaves his son, the very thing Raymond both fears and begs for.

As Malcolm and Raymond discover in Love Pour Over Me, one of the thought provoking father son books on the market, nothing short of probing and addressing the struggles fathers and sons share may help open fathers’ and sons’ eyes, allowing them to clearly see that the price of not working to heal complicated father and son relationships but instead continuing to attack and hurt each other is too high. . . for everyone.

Fortunately, organizations and initiatives like the National Fatherhood Initiative, Father and Sons Together, National Center for Fathering and Supporting Father Involvement are taking steps to encourage fathers to develop and maintain healthy relationships with their sons, beginning at infancy. After all, men are not animals, and, when nurtured and guided with love, sons generally grow up supporting their fathers, not competing with them for power as might happen in the jungle with male lions and their sons.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love. 

Sources:

http://www.healthyplace.com/parenting/dads/connection-between-father-and-son/ (Healthy Place: Relationship Between Father and Son)

http://www.fatherhood.org/media/consequences-of-father-absence-statistics (National Fatherhood Initiative: The Father Factor)

Booksellers Surviving Book Industry Changes

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By Denise Turney

booksellers pubishing companies

Publishing companies and booksellers are experiencing industry changes at a pace unlike that seen in recent decades. The only other industry that has experienced changes at as rapid a pace might be the music industry.

Over the last two decades, technology changed the music industry, permanently, so that there’s no chance of going back to the way things were before file sharing and music downloading took off. Now technology is changing the book industry, forcing book publishing companies and booksellers to hang on . . . wait out the final shifting result. For example, today mobile devices and e-book readers make it possible for  readers to download, preview, purchase and start reading books without having to visit a bookstore or library.

Responding to Changes Impacting the Book Industry

This welcomed convenience may be causing book lovers to visit bookstores in smaller numbers. When I asked one bookseller about the challenges this trend causes, he told me that booksellers who stock rare books may be able to withstand the growing changes technology is bringing to the book industry. This might be true for booksellers as well as for publishing companies. Perhaps booksellers and publishing companies that market, shelve and sell tough-to-find offline books can set themselves apart, continuing to thrive in changing markets.

In addition to selling rare books, to stay relevant, attracting the attention of large numbers of book readers, booksellers could host book club events and host weekly radio programs that focus on current and upcoming events at their brick and mortar stores. They could also schedule interviews with popular local authors, organize literary events at schools and develop and distribute print and digital book reviews.

Publishing companies could hire writers to research and write e-books, how-to books and educational nonfiction books that cover common topics from uncommon angles. They can also hire writers to develop content in unique styles, ones that are rarely found on the market.

Booksellers Win by Making Readers Comfortable

Whatever steps booksellers and publishing companies take to engage book readers, they might have to do something they aren’t comfortable doing. For example, they might have to charge book clubs a fee to use their services. They also might have to ask authors to commit to marketing their book signings, helping to bring in dozens of readers rather than showing up to book signings with nothing except a pen and a box of books.

In regards to booksellers, bearing that they have the space, booksellers can also rent out meeting rooms to business and community leaders. By placing computers and WiFi in their bookstores and offering healthy food and beverages at their stores, booksellers might be able to attract a broader audience.

It’s going to take creativity and innovation, the same type of innovation that’s moving technology forward at warped speeds, for bookstores, and some publishing companies, to survive. Years from now, booksellers and publishing companies that are up for the challenge might be the lone rangers that not only survived, but also thrived, changes currently impacting the book industry.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.comand get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

EBooks Online Monopoly

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By Denise Turney

Monopolizing ebooks online may be becoming more the norm than not. It seems that just as book authors are leaping over stigmas attached to self-publishing their written works, another challenge rears its head. This new challenge surfaced in April 2012. It came in the form of a Department of Justice lawsuit made against seven book publishers, namely Apple, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, Pearson, Penguin, Macmillan and Hachette.

Goliath as an Ebooks Online Retailer

As reported in ARS Technica’sJuly 18, 2012 “Senator Says Apple E-Book Suit ‘Could Wipe Out the Publishing Industry’” article, the lawsuit charges the aforementioned seven companies with fixing ebook prices. If the DOJ prevails in its arguments, Amazon.com could be left holding the reins to more than half of the ebook market.

Oddly, Amazon.com gained a stronghold on the ebooks online market using the same strategy that worked for WalMart when it opened its first stores in the 1960s – sell products at a lower price than competitors. Today some Amazon.com self-published authors even offer their books for free, at times landing on Amazon.com’s bestseller list. So far no one in the book industry is questioning the validity of a bestseller list that includes books that are given away for free.

But that’s another matter.

When it comes to ebook pricing several publishers and non-book publishing companies (e.g. Apple) selling digital books use the agency model to set their prices. With the agency model publishers set the price on digital books sold to resellers (e.g. Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble). Resellers then set the price consumers must pay to purchase the books from them. To increase book sales it’s not uncommon for resellers to sell books below the cost set by book publishers.

Appealing to EBooks Online Readers thru Pricing

If a reseller lowers their prices to such a degree that ebook readers shift their buying habits, opting to buy solely from lower priced resellers than book publishers . . . well, you can see what a financial challenge that would present to ebook publishers. At this point we can only go with assumptions as to why some ebooks online publishers raised the prices on their digital books, assuming perhaps that they did so to gain more profit on the ebooks they sold direct to consumers.

What may not be under assumption (or need be) is the thought that monopolizing the ebook industry is good business. As Senator Charles Schumer said, “As our economy transitions to digital platforms, we should be celebrating and supporting industries that find ways to adapt and grow. By developing a pricing model that made e-book sales work for them, publishers did just that.”

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! 

Sources:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/07/senator-says-apple-e-books-suit-could-wipe-out-the-publishing-industry (ARS Technica: Senator Says Apple E-Book Suit “Could Wipe Out the Publishing Industry”)

Why Is Life Like a Rollercoaster?

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By Denise Turney

Like a rollercoaster, life seems to vacillate, going up and down. It took me several years to figure this out.

When I was a kid, my major concern was continuing to find fun things to do to fill up my day. That concern was swept away like water running off a counter edge as I played with neighbors, my sister and my brothers. Having fun was so easy then. It was my only job, the only thing I had to do. Over the years, my life (as I’m sure yours has to) has filled up with work, family responsibilities and other projects, daily responsibilities that, over time, can easily find life in this world feeling like a rollercoaster.

Riding the Life Rollercoaster

The days seem to be gone when each day seemed the same as the day before, except for the new and exciting trick, game or other fun activity my siblings, friends and I engaged in. Gone are the days when the only thing that made life in this world feel like a rollercoaster to me were major changes in the weather. I can still see myself sitting close to my family’s living room window on Dow Street watching rain streak slowly down the glass pane. I’d look out at the rain and wish it would go away. Forget the fact that rain watered plants, trees and crop, filling the earth with color and food. I wanted to go outside and play.

Then I started school (not my choice) and I started dealing with feeling propelled (pushed might be a better word) to do things that I didn’t want to do. Discovered teachers had rules, some that I questioned. Then it was off to college (of course, so I could earn more money at a job). Like you may have, I worked while I went to college, had a work/study job in the college traffic ticket office. After college it was off to a full-time job and that’s when life started taking on more of a rollercoaster effect.


My days were no longer filled with just having fun. In fact, when I started paying bills all by myself, days swung up higher and down further, intensifying the rollercoaster effect. After awhile, I no longer felt as if I could predict how my upcoming days would go, thinking they would only consist of fun-fun-fun. When you think about it, this might be a good thing. After all, do we really want to know how our days are going to go before they happen upon us? I’d think that would be a bit boring. But, then again, we’d also probably feel more in control of our lives.

Well, friends, fact is life in this world is like a rollercoaster. We hit high notes and then may have experiences that we feel will knock the wind right out of us. We’re all in this together, having different individual experiences that have common themes to them. As Raymond Clarke and his friends do in the new book, Love Pour Over Me, we can take the edge off the ups and downs by supporting each other. We can also get back to having more fun.

Get your copy of “Love Pour Over Me” Now at –

http://www.ebookit.com/books/0000001582/Love-Pour-Over-Me.html

Sources:

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Love-Pour-Over-Me-ebook/dp/B007MC0Z2C

Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-pour-over-me-denise-turney/1109600654

You’re Too Close to Your Life Goals to Quit Now

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By Denise Turney

As soon as we become aware of our life goals, we may feel excited, absolutely exhilarated with the idea that we have a specific function to fulfill. Let our life goals cause us to be placed at the center of attention, and we can become that much more enthused and inspired. It’s easy to understand why we experience those gushing, positive feelings. After all, we’ve just received a message as to what our life goals are. However, we haven’t taken steps to fulfill those goals yet.

Fulfilling Life Goals Doesn’t Always Feel Easy

We haven’t faced any opposition yet. We’ve simply received a dream filled with promise. Our imaginations go to work, telling us it’s going to be easy fulfilling our life goals. If we’re keen on organization, we might even sit down and create a setting life goals worksheet. Reading quotes about life and personal life goals examples that are written by leaders who put in the work and achieved their personal goals may become part of our daily practice. It’s this passion Raymond Clarke feels as a track and field star in the new book, Love Pour Over Me.

Then we take steps to actually move toward the fulfillment of our life goals. For example, if we want to be a New York Times bestselling author, we may take the time to discover that we’ll likely have to sell at least 250,000 copies of one of our books to hit that bestselling book list. Because we’ve never spent hours marketing and promoting our books, we may read a blog or article where another writer expressed how doing a few radio interviews, developing a website and using search engine optimized keywords in book press releases made selling thousands of copies of his novels effortless.

Of course, we don’t question the accuracy or honesty of what the author shared. Instead, we assume the author shared honest facts. So, off we go, creating accounts at every major social media network, writing one press release after another, hiring a web designer to create a search engine optimized website for us, scheduling radio and blog tour interviews and paying to sell our books at vending events.

It’s Always Too Early to Quit on Your Authentic Life Goals

Weeks then months pass. When we go to count how many books we’ve sold, we find that we haven’t even sold 100 copies of our books yet. Frustration starts to creep in. We may even wonder if we have the right life goals. Some of us will change our life goals, thinking that simply switching a personal goal will make fulfilling the goal easier. After the same cycle repeats itself, we might even start to think there’s something wrong with us. What’s wrong is our expectation, our belief that people who achieve success have an easy road to travel.

Yet, if we truly love what we do, if we really love what we’re going after, we won’t quit. Love itself will call us back. If we don’t quit pursuing life goals that are our function to fulfill, we’ll produce a good result. We won’t quit. We’ll do what it takes to move closer and closer to fulfilling our life goals. We’ll be and stay open to change (after all, who gets it all right the first time).

If this has been you – if you’ve been taking the steps to fulfill your life goals for a long time, take heart. You might be right at the edge of a breakthrough. You might be on the cusps of life changing events. You might be almost there. My friend, you just might be too close to your life goals to quit now. Raymond had to learn this in Love Pour Over Me; it might be time for you to learn this life lesson too.

Get your copy of “Love Pour Over Me” Now at –

http://www.ebookit.com/books/0000001582/Love-Pour-Over-Me.html

Sources:

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Love-Pour-Over-Me-ebook/dp/B007MC0Z2C

Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-pour-over-me-denise-turney/1109600654

How to Sell Profitable Ebooks Online

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By Denise Turney

Although writing and publishing ebooks is an achievement that may leave you feeling hopeful and excited, if you plan on selling your ebooks online you’re going to have to learn how to market and promote your titles. To do this you can start taking steps to find and connect with your book’s target audience online, people who enjoy reading the types of fictional or nonfiction books you write. Some authors use the Internet to help sell a million or more copies of their ebooks.

Write Quality Ebook Material

Write a quality e-book. To do this consider working with a professional editor to review and make changes to your book to improve features such as character dialogue, setting, pacing, plot and character development. You can also get your book edited to ensure the grammar and sentence structure is accurate.

The Association of Authors Representatives, Poets and Writers and the Literary Market Place are some resources you can use to find reputable book editors. Do your homework. Ask editors for references of other book authors they’ve worked with. Follow up with these book authors, asking them how satisfied they were with the book editors’ work. Also, ensure that you create an intriguing title and cover image for your ebooks online. If you write your book from a different angle, you can also cause your book to stand out. This is what happened with the classic book, Portia.

Market Ebooks Online Using Social Media

Sign up for social media network accounts and post an image of your e-books on the main pages of your accounts. Provide a brief overview of each of your e-books and a URL where visitors to your social media accounts can purchase your books. Also post items like book reviews, upcoming interviews where you’ll discuss your ebooks online, ebook blog tour dates and press releases about your e-books at your accounts. Major social media networks include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, Digg, Pinterest, Floost and ScoopIt. The more you market, the more book sales you might notice you’re receiving, so get out here!

creating bestselling ebooks

Blog About Your Ebooks Online

Create a blog for your books and for yourself. Include search engine optimization (SEO) keywords in your ebooks blog posts to increase the numbers of visitors you receive at your blog from search engines. On your blog’s main page include items like your books’ covers, links to your ebooks related videos and links to your social media network accounts so visitors to your blog can follow you at other online locations, like your social media networks. Free, easy-to-follow blog platforms include WordPress, Blogger and Posterous.

bestselling ebooks

Media Outlets and Ebooks Online

Write press releases about your ebooks online and distribute them to media outlets like newspapers and magazines. For example, you could write and distribute a press release about an upcoming writer’s conference you are speaking at. When writing press releases mention the title of your ebooks and where readers can purchase or learn more about the books online. You can also schedule online radio interviews with talk show hosts and book blog tour hosts to discuss your e-books.

Ebooks Online Giveaways

Giveaway copies of your ebooks as a part of a contest or quiz. Announce ebook giveaways in press releases and at your social media networks. If you go on a book blog tour you can also giveaway copies of your e-books to readers who participate in your blog tours. To get the word out about your ebooks so you sell more copies, also consider giving away copies of your e-books to online book reviewers and book club presidents.

Build an Ebook Website

Build an ebook website that includes features like your biography, ebook synopsis or overview, book cover, free excerpts from your e-books, book reviews and a book order page. You can also include a photo of yourself and a cover image of each of your e-books at your website. Consider setting up accounts with companies like PayPal or you can direct readers to purchase your books directly from resellers like Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Google Books and iTunes. Promote your website in search engines and book directories.

Use Video to Promote  Ebooks Online                                                                                                         

Set up an account with online video companies. Upload videos of you reading excerpts from you e-books and/or conducting interviews about your e-books with members of the media. Also consider creating a trailer for your book. If you do not have experience creating book trailers, you can work with marketing companies that develop trailers for authors. To get the word out about your videos, add links from your videos to your social media accounts. In addition ask your family and friends to tell people they know to view your videos. Be sure to include the title of your e-books and the URL where people can purchase your books on each online video.  

Get your copy of “Love Pour Over Me” Now at –

http://www.ebookit.com/books/0000001582/Love-Pour-Over-Me.html

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-arogundade/10-steps-to-ebook-success_b_1571095.html (Huffington Post: 10 Steps to Ebook Success)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/john-locke-donovan-creed-_n_1317237.html (Huffington Post: John Locke, Donovan Creed, Author, on Selling a Million Ebooks)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jun/06/become-an-ebook-superstar (The Guardian: How to Become an EBook Superstar)