Interview with Author Jan Scarbrough

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Kentucky Rain by Jan Scarbrough

We have the pleasure to meet author Jan Scarbrough today, who just launched Kentucky Rain, the latest one of her seven Bluegrass Reunion series books.

Jan, how would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?

Kentucky Rain is part of my Bluegrass Reunion series for Resplendence Publishing. Each book in the Bluegrass Reunion series can stand alone, but each have similar themes—reunions, single moms, horses if I can fit them in—and all are set in Kentucky.

Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp?

You can grow as a person even during the most troubling time of your life.

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What inspired you to start writing?
A life-threatening illness when I was 38 convinced me that I needed to start making my dreams come true.
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How did you get the idea for the novel?

Although I write about single moms, it’s taken me twenty years to be able to write a divorced heroine. Because of my own experiences, I wasn’t ready until now.  I like Kate because she deals with this situation many of us have dealt with, she grows, and she survives.
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Does your book have any underlying theme, message, or moral?

Another person can’t make you happy. You have to do that for yourself.
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Are your characters based on real people?

No, but my husband discovered our cat Folly in the book when he was reading it.
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Who is your favorite character and why?

Kate, because she grows as a person and is wise enough to not depend upon a man to make her happy.
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Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:

“I am never disappointed by anything written by talented author Jan Scarbrough. Kentucky Rain, her latest ‘reunion’ story, is an emotionally satisfying read that has us rooting for Kate and Scott the whole way. We love them, hate Kate’s ex-husband, and enjoy her supporting cast. Highly recommended for everyone who loves a happily-ever-after ending.”
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Jan Scarbrough

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How much of the book is based on real life (either yours or someone you know)?

Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what’s your favorite part of the process? What’s your least favorite?
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How did you get published? Please share your own personal journey.

It took eight years. I heard from another writer about an opportunity at a major publisher that was looking for 50,000 word completed romances. I cut out 35,000 words from my manuscript, touched it up, and submitted it.
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What do you find is the best part of being an author?

Recently, during my riding lesson, I rode a very expensive, five-gaited American Saddlebred horse. This horse is a champion, but now retired from showing and in a lesson program. The mare was professional. Her gaits were smooth. She was responsive and game. It was like riding a dream. I said to myself that I’ll never be able to afford a horse like this. But my characters can. I can create characters who live out my dreams. I can create heroines who are stronger and spunkier than I am. In short, I can make my stories into the world of my dreams.
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What’s one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about you?

I take a riding lesson once a week on an American Saddlebred horse to get my weekly “horse fix.”
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Where can readers learn more about your book series?

Bluegrass Reunion Series book trailer on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ve6C3fKYc

http://www.janscarbrough.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Jan-Scarbrough/e/B001K8768A/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1365952793&sr=1-2-ent

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jan-Scarbrough-Reader-Page/204815941631

https://twitter.com/romancerider

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/198797.Jan_Scarbrough

THANKS Jan for giving us a glimpse in your writing life and to find out about the many books you published. 

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If you would like to be interviewed and to get help in all things publishing, have your book heavily promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites:  We offer all this and more for only a “token” of $1 / day for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/seminar

Please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 730 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

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http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Author Interview: Lawrence Winkler

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In 1980, a maverick young doctor gave it all up, to hitchhike around the world. He wrote four books about his experience, which I personally find some of the best travel literature, even topping my former favorite, Bill Bryson.
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Lawrence Winkler

His name is Dr. Lawrence Winkler, now a medical professor on Vancouver Island, Canada, from whom you would not expect sentences like these:
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“Tip the world on one side & everything loose will land in Los Angeles”,
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“We honed the fine art of stuffing a Falafel, so a dollar could last all day” or
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“If you want to sell your whisky to buy hashish, I may be of service, he said…”
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I really love to read his books and have the honor today to interview him.

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Lawrence, what inspired you to start writing?
I had promised my father that I would someday write a book about my hitchhiking trip around the world. He was a pillar, a good man, and not quite convinced that my wanderlust was anything other than a selfish indulgence.  Unfortunately, he died before I finally began typing the story. My writing was initially an exercise in legitimization. But then I discovered that I had entered a new universe, which was not only wonderfully fulfilling, it was fun.
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How would you describe your books to someone who has not yet read them?
The most fascinating books I’ve read have always been narratives that were alive on many different levels. So far I have written two kinds of books. The first, ‘Westwood Lake Chronicles’ is a dreamscape diary of our deliberate attempt to live with nature, under the inexorable development pressures of the exploding population around us. The second set of books, a quadrilogy of a five year hitchhiking trip around the world in the 1980′s, is an attempt to present the world, as close to the ground as I found it, as an odyssey that defined my identity and destiny. I believe I have written the consummate epic travelogue, like no other you will ever read.
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Is there a message in your books that you want your readers to grasp?
I would like my readers to see the fine interconnection of many aspects of life that they may not have previously understood to have any connection at all. I want them to see how complex, sophisticated and intricate, and yet how simple, the richness of this experience is. I hope to inspire them to see the little details as the great whole, and how the quantum is related to the cosmic, how the tragic and comic duality of our short existence is the source of how deep and wide we can live.
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Are your characters based on real people?
Oh, yeah. But I hope they don’t notice, and I will deny it, if anyone else does.
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Who is your favorite character and why?
Tough one. Steve of the Jacuzzi is an archetype, and still a best friend. Gold Tooth was comical, Hair Trigger Ray dangerous and tragic, Mike and Mike were Doonesburyesque, and I never saw them again. Wayne the Rock was personified evil, Harold Broomberg and Mr. Godfrey saints, Mama Szlapak  an oracle, and they were just in Orion’s Cartwheel, the first book of the quadrilogy. But I loved Hungry Butterfly, the Japanese guy who escaped his father’s factory to travel in Eastern Europe, and found his own liberation. Hahahaha.
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Are your plots based on your real-life experiences?
Absolutely.
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Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of a book:
“Not a gulp-able book – it should be savored in sips.”
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Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you have learned as a writer from then to now?
That it is always possible to do better, if you care enough to slow down, and take the time.
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Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what’s your favorite part of the process? What’s your least favorite?
I actually have yet to see my words on a bookstore shelf, as I have yet to produce a physical print copy. My most favorite part of the creative process is seeing a large number of ideas separated by what I had thought were insurmountable barriers avalanche into a brilliant epiphany. My least favorite part of the creative process is, having to exclude the many other people and things I love about life, to concentrate my efforts on creating the circumstances for this to occur.
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What genre have you not yet written but really want to try?
Poetry. But not yet.
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If your books would be made into a movie, who should play the main character?
Johnny Depp.
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How did you get published? Please share your own personal journey.
Its a work in progress. I had an agent, but I think she was stuck in the headlights of the current revolution in publishing. So far, I’ve done it myself. I’d rather be writing than marketing, so I will likely look for a print publisher after I finish my current infatuation with ‘Stories of the Southern Sea.’ I’ve learned that there is a lot of published nonsense, even more unpublished brilliance, and a vast number of brilliant authors that were either discovered long after they departed this mortal coil, or never were discovered. For me, it’s not about the notoriety, it’s about the notation.
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What do you find is the best part of being an author?
The perfect peaceful solitude in imprinting your thoughts on an otherwise uncaring universe, one irrevocable word at a time.
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What’s one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about you?
How amazed I still continue to be at how amazing this journey still is.
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Thank you so much for taking the time during your busy life and answering our questions!

Here is one more:
Where can people learn more about your writing and you as an author?  

http://www.lawrencewinkler.com

https://www.facebook.com/lawrencewinklerauthor

http://www.amazon.com/Lawrence-Winkler/e/B008UVGLM2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

http://bit.ly/Yn6LsB   (short link to Dr. Lawrence Winkler’s books on Kobo)

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6460890.Lawrence_Winkler

https://twitter.com/LawrenceWinkler

http://pinterest.com/drwink/boards/

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book heavily promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only a “token” of $1 / day for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/seminar

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 710 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then click on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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How to Plan your Publishing Business

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Before you explore author-publishing possibilities in this series, lets first have a look at your business plans as an author and the most important question: Why are you writing? Are you creating for yourself (as a hobby, just for the fun of writing) – or for an audience?
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Can you answer these questions: how many books with the same topic / the same genre are on the market? What is the sales ranking of these works? How are these books priced? What is the social media ranking of the most successful writers in this genre? Where are these books sold on- and off-line? The advise you read here is based on the assumption that you want to entertain, inform, increase your audience and eventually earn some money with your writing.

If you’re producing work for an audience, it means:

• playing by at least some rules of the industry
• caring what others think of your work
• establishing an authors platform from which to communicate
• interacting with your audience and being available to them
• doing things not for your art, but out of service to your audience
• putting on a performance, or adopting some kind of “brand”
• marketing your work and being visible

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If you’re creating for yourself, it means:
Writing is worthwhile for you, regardless of who sees your work.

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Why should authors have a business plan?
Unfortunately many writers first create their work – and ask questions later.  Any author can write a book, but only a successful author knows she/he is now in business.  Again: “Writing is an art – publishing is a business!”  A serious business!
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There’s no point to go without some kind of strategy in place if your objectives really are in building a writing career. It’s never too early to treat your writing as a business – no one would open a brick&mortar business without a plan!
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A business plan can help new (and established) authors to clarify the proper publishing path for their works. A business plan serves as a road map, helping to keep the project and related endeavors like marketing and platform-building on schedule and for the author to track the results of his or her efforts.
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The business plan starts when you start thinking about writing a book, it covers all aspects of your future work. At the moment you begin a novel or non-fiction book, you must already have a clear vision of the message, the audience and even the venues where it can be sold.

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Traditional business plans have these components:

• Executive summary
• Business description
• Market strategies
• Competitive analysis
• Design and development plan
• Operations and management plan
• Financial factors

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Sounds a bit theoretical? OK, here is the version for author-publishing:

• The topic of your work fiction / non-fiction
• You target audience / readers
• Your competition online and in book stores
• The likely contents, length, format etc. of the book
• Your marketing and promotional strategies
• The expenses you face for publishing and promotions.

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It is vital to have a business plan because your books and you are the products to be sold. It makes some writers uneasy, but without a plan, you can’t truly figure out a way for your book to sell itself. Think of it as a map, guiding you from starving writer to successful author.

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What makes your product so special?
No point in writing a book if you don’t know why or if it’s special. Many writers write books they’d love to read, many write books who’s marketing studies show readers are buying, some write books because the subject is risky or has never been explored before. Know why you and your book is special – and most important: what is the readers benefit of buying your novel or non-fiction book.
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Who will want to buy your work?
Jot down all those people who likely will want your book, why they’ll want it and how effective they will be at getting more people to want it. Know who your readership target is. Do you have enough (at least 2,000 on each social media outlet) contacts to spread the word about your book? And with contacts I don’t mean other writers, I mean READERS, bookworms, book lovers, book clubs, avid readers, reviewers! That’s the type of audience you will want to look for.
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Competition
Research in bookstores and online, how many and which books will be comparable to the one you are writing. Check them out in libraries, on reader forums, such as Goodreads, Shelfari or Wattpad. Visit independent stores and go to big chains  research these books on all online stores, not only Amazon, find out what genres are they placed, what reviewers say, how their author pages are designed etc. to get a real picture of your competition – and your potential readers.
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Format of your book?
Books can be sold in many formats and also in many languages. Research at least these three popular formats:

• e-book format
• audio format
• Print format

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How do you plan to promote your product?
You know people, hopefully lots of people. Online and off-line. And those people know people. Unless you can spend ten-thousands of dollars every months for advertising, you should plan now, before you write your book social networking, book events, gaining interviews, speaking engagements, seeking book reviews and attending book shows. Schedule all these activities in advance, add as many readers as possible to your current accounts on reader community sites, all social media sites – minimum are: Goodreads, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Facebook.
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What are your marketing strategies?
OK, your book is available on Amazon or in your local book store, but where else might it fit in perfectly? Other online retailers where you can sell your book? Stretch your mind and think creatively: Libraries, book clubs, foreign right sales … there are so many possible outlets for your book. Find out what’s their commissions are, and how much you would make on each sale of your book.

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Calculations & Pricing
Both, digital and print books need to be proof-read, edited and then formatted, not to forget a really fabulous, enticing cover.
Pricing on print books is largely based on the number of pages in the book and quality of binding, costs for cover design and book layout. Pricing is also dependent on making print books available for a wider distribution than just Amazon. Since a wider distribution is used, books must be priced
so that the other outlets will be offered wholesale pricing.

Turbulence in the rapidly changing eBook world should also be taken into consideration. Pricing may be subject to change based on sales, current pricing trends and need to create upward movement in Amazon rankings. Books may be discounted if it fits with marketing strategy and promotion.
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Don’t forget other expenses, such as webdesign and hosting, advertising, marketing expenses, phone and internet, travel cost etc.  The good news: you can deduct them from your writers income.
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What is your timetable for writing, editing, book production, marketing etc.?
After you have figured out your market, your reader audience, your competition and your sales planning, you will feel much better, having a clear vision of your writing / publishing career.  A business plan does not have to be scary, especially for a simple business such as your writing business. In fact, a business plan should be somewhat comforting. It spells out what you want to accomplish, in which time frame and how you plan to do it.

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Further reading:
http://www.spawn.org/editing/sevenpublishingmistakes.htm
http://selfpubauthors.com/category/business-plan/
http://www.aboutfreelancewriting.com/articles/business/writereality.htm
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-32373.html

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book heavily promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only a “token” of $1 / day for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/seminar

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 710 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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How to Become a Self-Publisher – Step-by-Step Explained

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Dear Reader:
This weeks blog posts will be dedicated to one subject only: REAL Self-Publishing.
Keeping all your rights, being your own publisher, play by your own rules… During the last weeks you found quite a few articles here on this blog, related to “Author Beware!” What could happen if you contract with so -called “publishers”.
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Now I will show you HOW you can become a publisher yourself, without contracting, and how you
can publish on your own terms. And it is not theoretical: I began as a publisher of books and an
aviation magazine almost 30 years ago (print) and still do it (print and digital). I also have seen many authors giving the rights to their fabulous work away for a pittance and now are trapped their whole life in very unfavorable contracts.
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Why should you be your own publisher?
Consulting and coaching authors, I can see every day how difficult it is for authors when they don’t own full rights to their books, even their own book marketing efforts are limited and they have to rely on the mercy of their “publishers” where their books are sold, how long their book is listed, to which price it is listed etc. I know an author who is waiting for more than two years that her books are converted into e-books by her publisher.
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Being your own publisher

• it costs less than you think to publish
• you “shop around”, check quotes and decide your service providers
• you earn 100% of your net income, don’t have to split it with anyone else
• your book will be faster on the market, compared to traditional publishing
• you retain all rights, worldwide and forever for your books
• you can sell your book as long as you want – not as someone else dictates
• everything in the publishing process can be easily learned
• you will have to do your own marketing – no matter if you self-publish or go the traditional route
• author-publishing is about taking personal responsibility for the management and production of your writing content
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Listen to the interview with Hugh Howey,  author of “WOOL” where he explains the benefits of being an author-publisher of his (digital rights) e-books: “No compete clause, having more time to write and you can take your time until your books take off.”
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James Altucher, another bestseller author wrote in an article about self-publishing:
“I have published eight books in the past seven years, five with traditional publishers (Wiley, Penguin, HarperCollins), one comic book, and the last two I have self-published. In this post I give the specific details of all of my sales numbers and advances with the traditional publishers. Although the jury is still out on my self-published books, “How to be the Luckiest Man Alive” and “I Was Blind But Now I See” I can tell you, these two have already sold more than my five books with traditional publishers, combined.”
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James Altucher lists the con-site of going the traditional route:

• Advances are going to zero
• Marketing by trade publishers is almost zero
• Grueling long process until the book comes out
• No control over content and design

… and most amazing: “Often bookstores will look at what’s hot on Amazon and then order the books wholesale from the publishers” - which could be you!
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Do as most authors did before the 1920′s: they published their own books – before clever business men discovered this as a lucrative way of income. And told writers in the past “no self-respecting writer would self-publish. It’s for losers who couldn’t get their work published by a publishing house.” Why? To get the book rights and make the money – on the expense of authors.
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It seems self-publishers approach the publishing process more and more confidently, are well-informed, and aware of how much publishing will cost and how long it is likely to take. Finalizing a project you have long planned feels good, and it never was easier to be your own publisher!
This morning the British Guardian had an article, geared to traditional publishers, who are flocking to the London Book Fair,  about the cultural significance what’s going on in the publishing world.

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Read in the next blog posts:

• How to plan your publishing “business”
• Where to find all the necessary information – with lots of links
• Editing, cover design and book layout
• Printing and the distribution of your printed book
• Marketing, communication with readers and book promotions

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book heavily promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only a “token” of $1 / day for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/seminar

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 710 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Introducing Author J.H. Walker

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We have the pleasure today to introduce a rising star:
J.H. Walker, the author of REWRITE REDEMPTION received raving reviews. She is a YA fiction author living in Colorado, in the foothills of the Rockies, working away on her next novel. The premise behind Rewrite Redemption is: “What if we could edit time?” It makes for a fantastic read with wonderfully complex and compelling characters. 

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Reviewers wrote:
“Many authors have tackled the subject of time travel but few manage to deliver an original story line; J H Walker is without doubt one of those rare exceptions.”

“Telling her tale from the alternative perspectives of Autumn and Constantine the plot is complex yet so deftly is it woven into the action that it doesn’t impair the enjoyment, making Rewrite Redemption a genuine page turner. The tale looping back upon itself with unexpected twists and turns that make it a hard book to put down and worthy of a weekend read.”

“Dialogue is certainly one of J.H. Walkers strong points and never better than when Lex, one of the supporting cast, takes on her mother in a scene that heralds a well scripted climax. With no unnecessary characters and no long, boring ineffectual dialogue to dog the story line, J.H. Walker has written a cracker of a debut novel that begs a sequel.”
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About the book:
She’s sixteen. He’s seventeen. They don’t know each other…at least not yet.
She has a secret and her whole life revolves around keeping it. Every few months and with little warning, she simply disappears, pulled into the past for hours or even days. She’s terrified it will happen in front of someone, changing her life forever. So far, the only witnesses have been her parents, and that didn’t end well. She has no control over it and no idea why it happens to her.

She wants answers. He has answers—at least he understands what’s going on. He has a secret, too…

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Curious about her novel? Get it on Amazon:  

Amazon.com/Rewrite-Redemption-ebook/dp/B00B6GT4H2

Amazon.co.uk/Rewrite-Redemption-ebook/dp/B00B6GT4H2

• 388 pages  $4.99 Kindle Purchase
• Borrow this book for FREE on Kindle
• 18 5-Star Reviews !!!

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Author J.H. Walker

Author Bio:
J.H. Walker grew up in Central America. She now lives in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies with her photographer husband and many, many books. In addition to her never-ending study of human behavior, she’s a political junkie and a certified tree huger. Rewrite Redemption is her debut novel.
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The author in her own words:
“I love young adult books. I’m not much into horrific violence, but I love a good story. Before the YA market really existed, (or before I knew it existed,) I read sci-fi and fantasy. I’m a fan of the unusual and the strange, and the YA market is more open to those things.”

“As for me personally, yes, I’m a political junkie. I’m a progressive and well aware that what happens politically hugely impacts our fate as a species. It’s of paramount importance. I’m interested in women’s issues, for sure. The men in Congress should not be making decisions about a woman’s right to control what happens to her own body. My gay friends should have the right to marry the person they fall in love with. Everyone should have equal and easy access to the voting booth. I’m also concerned with climate change. We all should be. The young adult market today is filled with dystopian novels with bleak world situations. Why is that? Could it be that our collective conscience senses that we’re not doing a very good job of taking care of the only planet we have access to?

“I have just begun the sequel to Rewrite Redemption. I left a hint in the last chapter of something that isn’t quite right with A.J., my main character. The sequel will take off days later when that “something” becomes glaringly obvious. As for a sequel cover, that’s a long way off. My next book will have more sci-fi elements. Not hard-core sci-fi, but the planet of Oreon will play a part. I like world building. I mean, how fun is it to completely make up your own world? But the gang will be back, and I’m sure there will be a few new characters. It’s starting to form in the back of my mind.”

“I see my role as a writer, first and foremost, to tell a good story. But with my background in human behavior, I can’t help but be aware of the impact of books on young minds. So no matter what I write, I will be writing it with the intent of being a force for good on the planet. And I will have had impact in some small way, and that’s what matters most to be as a writer, as a humanist, as a person. I think the next decade or two will be focused on writing. I am happiest when I’m creating something, whether it’s as an artist or a writer.”

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To learn more about the author and to connect with her:

Goodreads page

Google+ page REWRITE REDEMPTION

J.H. Walker’s Google+ page

Blog

Tumblr page

Facebook

Twitter: @jhwalkerbooks

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Introducing Author Michael J. Sullivan’s Books

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Michael John Sullivan

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Michael John Sullivan, Author of two books and a novelette, was homeless at the age of 23 after watching his mother — his protector in a dysfunctional family — die from cancer. A year later his father asked him to leave. Riding a New York City subway train at night, his only companion was a green plastic bag of belongings. During these bleak days he began writing his most reflective and emotional childhood and adult memories now featured in two of his novels.
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Necessary Heartbreak

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Necessary Heartbreak

Michael Stewart has lost his faith and is overwhelmed by the demands of raising his precocious fourteen-year-old daughter Elizabeth. When he and Elizabeth find a cellar door in the floor of a church basement, they discover a tunnel that transports them back in time to Jerusalem during the tumultuous last week of Christ’s life. There they encounter numerous characters including Leah, a grieving widow; a menacing soldier who is determined to take Elizabeth as his own; Judas on the last night of his life; and a close-up of the man, Jesus. Trapped in the past, Michael comes face to face with some of his most limiting beliefs and realizes he must open himself up to the possibility of a deeper faith in people, himself, and love if he is to ever find his way home.

A captivating and spiritual tale, Necessary Heartbreak will leave readers moved and transported.

256 pages, $10.69  Amazon.com/dp/B0033DDIVY

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Everybodys Daughter

 

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Everybody’s Daughter
What if you had a chance to ask a loved one for forgiveness – after they died? What would you say?
Would you give up your own lifetime of happiness for someone else?
Michael Stewart confronts these questions as he travels back in time through a mysterious tunnel in an old church when the Romans ruled with brutal violence and Jesus preached his peaceful message. 

His Teenage daughter Elizabeth soon follows Michael, but is surprised to discover that her father is nowhere to be found. Little does she know that Michael has returned safely to the present, leaving her to battle a vicious Roman soldier.

Separated by centuries, Michael is trapped to fight his own battles in the present day. Elizabeth’s disappearance, and the discovery of her blood in his car ignites a rush of judgment as the FBI focuses on him as a person of interest. Michael’s only hope for saving his daughter rests in the hands of his best friend – a local pastor with secrets of his own – and a mysterious old journal containing tales of miracles within the walls of the old church itself.

Thrilling and suspenseful, Everybody’s Daughter takes readers on a miraculous journey of their own, where salvation can be found in acts of sacrifice and hope remains forever eternal through the passage of a tunnel.

330 pages, $3.47  Amazon.com/dp/B007A2SQ8O

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An Angel Comes Home

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Novelette “AN ANGEL COMES HOME”
Michael John Sullivan: “Over the past decade I’ve been working on a time-travel trilogy, occasionally reflecting back to my childhood and young adult experiences and incorporating it into the plot. While the hardships of spending nights riding a subway train were an emotional and sometimes physical burden for me, there’s been a wonderful conclusion to this period of time.”

“I’ve been able to heal while writing NECESSARY HEARTBREAK and EVERYBODY’S DAUGHTER . It’s also given me a chance to reflect upon the story and the characters and what they truly mean to me. I decided to write a prequel to EVERYBODY’S DAUGHTER, a novelette. I felt it important that the reader should know who George Farmer was in more detail and to bridge the gap between the two books.”

“There’s a twist, too, in showing the relationship between Pastor Dennis, Michael Stewart, and George Farmer. George was a man of strength, love, faith and hope. Perhaps someday you’ll run into someone like him. Or better yet, you already have.”

99c   Amazon.com/dp/B00B7FIJHI

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Enjoy Sullivan’s books as much as his many readers did:  “I’ve been truly blessed with the opportunity to review all these wonderful novels and if you haven’t read any of them, you are truly in for a treasure. ” and “Eagerly awaiting Sullivan’s next book. ”

Michael J. Sullivan can be reached on https://twitter.com/AuthorMSullivan
or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-J-Sullivan/237943096234593

 

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3 TOP Reasons to Have Your Book on PINTEREST

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You might be addicted to Pinterest already. And I am the first to confess, it’s fun to browse their site and pin away… After all, it’s the third largest social network in North America. There are lots of reasons, not only female writers should be on Pinterest, just everyone who sells books or other items can benefit tremendously from joining Pinterest. Can it really help you sell more books? And how to sell your book via Pinterest?
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1. By showing your book on Pinterest
It means not only, to pin the cover image, but also illustrations and images representing the content of your book. Let’s assume you wrote a historical novel and the heroine lives in Scotland. It means you can show tons of images regarding to your story. Get them on free photo sites, use links we posted in former blogs. To find them, just type in free images into the search function at http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com

Search on these free photo sites for landscape photos of Scotland, antique furniture, dresses from the period, recipes… the list goes on and on. Possible board topics at Pinterest could also include book quotes, books turned into movies or book inspired art. Create a separate page for each of these topics, and in no time you will have dozens or even hundreds of “pins”, which makes it interesting for your visitors to browse your books’ Pinterest page.
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2. By creating a direct link to your sales page
Pinterest drives more referral traffic than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn, combined. This means if you want people clicking through to the book page on your website or on Amazon, B&N or Kobo, Pinterest may be your best bet. Don’t post only your books. Treat it as a way to share things you love. Visitors to your page will be happy to “meet the author”.

And this is how your visitors can find – and buy your book:
Add a description of your book, the direct link to your sales page and add the price after the description with a $ sign. Example: $2.99. Pinterest will place the price in the upper left corner of the image. Pinterest will automatically link to your site or product when a person clicks on it. For example:  http://pinterest.com/pin/262053272040143005/
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3. By writing about your book & adding your book trailer
Your presence on Pinterest invites your readers into your life and gives them a reason to buy your books. Keep your presence welcoming. Have a dialogue and re-pin some of their images on your site as well. And if you are an established writer with several books, create separate Pinterest accounts and pages for each one of your books.

Writers who already have a personal account on Pinterest will be able to convert it to a business account. The process to open an author / business account with Pinterest is very easy and really fast. Visit their sample sites to learn more. Use Pinterest’s buttons and widgets to make it easier for people to pin items from your site, see what you’re doing on Pinterest, and follow you or your boards.

Unlike Facebook, Pinterest users don’t have to restrict their searches to information pinned on their friends’ walls. Users can choose to search the entire site. So while a user may not be following your profile, they can still look at and click your link even if they don’t re-pin the link, they will find your books’ sales page.

However, not only photos, also videos can be posted, which means you can add your book trailer (video) as well!

Pinterest is the hottest social media tool right now. How do you make your Pinterest page work for your book business? Have a look at these pins: Maximize Pinterest for your Business!

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“Grace Unexpected”, a Romantic Comedy by Gale Martin

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Today we meet Gale Martin, the author of Grace Unexpected, the dating life of a 30-something: Grace has slogged through crummy jobs and dead-end relationships with men who would rather go bald than say “I do” …    

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How would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?
Grace Unexpected is a romantic comedy about a smart, fun-loving professional woman who blunders into an unexpected romantic triangle.

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Grace Unexpected by Gale Martin

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Grace Unexpected has a promotion on Sunday, March 24, and is available at all retailers for only $0.99.  So, readers can take advantage of this amazing offer and download chick-lit at its finest. Wit, drama and surprise fill every page. A 5- star read. 273 pages of fun!

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Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp?

Love will find you, if you let it.

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How did you get the idea for the novel?
I don’t travel to the extent that a lot of people do, I suppose, so any trip I take makes a profound impression on me. When I visited Shaker Village in Canterbury, New Hampshire in 2005, I couldn’t stop thinking about the place. Everyone’s lives were so neat and ordered and prescribed. The idea of a place for everything (and everyone) and everything in its place is attractive, to a degree, until it becomes stifling.
So, when I learned men and women were expected to live in celibate community in Shaker Village during the 19th and most of the 20th centuries, it profoundly affected me. I am a better person for having found a wonderful, loving man for a life partner. The more I thought about it, the more severe it seemed to restrict an entire culture of women intimacy with the opposite sex while LIVING alongside men. I wrote a short story about Grace visiting Shaker Village that eventually evolved into a novel.

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Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
“I absolutely LOVED Gale Martin’s, Grace Unexpected and recommend it to anyone who loves chick lit. Grace Unexpected has it all: sexual frustration, great friendships, witty dialogue, hilarious scenes, and even a shocking twist thrown in that will shock you!  Do yourself a favor and read this great book, you won’t be disappointed!” — Candace Lybarger, Endless Days of Literary Ecstacy

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Are your characters based on real people?
My characters are inspired by real people because real people are hilarious and infuriating and endearing, alternately. In this novel Lacy is is several wretched annual fund directors rolled into one treacherous young woman. True was inspired by a very charismatic 60-something I met when I was 30-something, whose charm and physical appeal left an indelible impression on me.

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What inspired you to start writing?

After being a lifelong reader, I woke up one day in midlife and started writing a novel. It helped me deal with a lot of heart hurts I’d accumulated but hadn’t surfaced since my teenage years, and I found the writing to be actually pretty cathartic. So, I began writing at age 46 and haven’t stopped writing since.

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What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author?

Here’s an excerpt of a review from Barbara Bamberger Scott that shows she gets me as a storyteller: “Martin has taken a likable smart young woman and dropped her into what seems like an overwhelming series of landslides (relationship woes, job stress, sprained shoulder, car on the blink, enemy of the powerful) and then it seems, she watches with us as her character comes alive and digs herself out. We are all amazed at Grace.”
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If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be? Today on Oprah we’re talking to women who fell in love with much younger men and women who fell for much older men. Can relationships with either (or both) can really work? In Gale Martin’s newest novel, her protagonist Grace Savage becomes involved with one of each–a young stud and a silver fox.

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Gale Martin

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What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of, and why?

Beginning on p. 171 — “If you’ve ever grown zucchini, you know they all ripen the same day. You wait all of June and July for zucchini. August rolls around, and one day—bam! You have more zucchini than you know what to do with. You start handing them out to your neighbors and friends at work because there’s no way any single person can handle all that zucchini. Not even if you’re smart and resourceful and have accumulated dozens of good recipes, not even a person who likes zucchini as much as I do.”

I love that passage because it shows how funny and literary Grace is, relying on an extended metaphor to carry the humor.
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Grace Unexpected can be found at Amazon

Barnes&Noble  and Local Booksellers / Kobo

Grace Unexpected has a promotion on Sunday, March 24, and is available at all retailers for only $0.99.  So, readers can take advantage of this amazing offer and download chick-lit at its finest. Wit, drama and surprise fill every page. A 5-star read. 273 pages of fun!

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Phantasy Baseball: It’s About a Second Chance

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Phantasy Baseball by John A Hoda

The Author John A Hoda:

“When a Little League coach wins a trip to Phantasy Baseball Camp, it sets in motion an unforgettable season with his beloved Philadelphia Phillies.

Joe DiNatale, a thirty-nine-year-old insurance agent from Reading, PA, discovers that he has a magical pitch and through luck and circumstance receives an improbable try-out.

Nobody is prepared to handle the instant rock-star celebrity and this average Joe has to hold on to his home-town values for dear life.

The ride gets bumpy during the All-Star break on and off the field, setting the stage for an unforgettable finish.
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From the simple act of a child and parent playing catch, to the bright lights of a packed big-league stadium, John A. Hoda captures the game and how it can intertwine itself into the fabric of a family and a community.”

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We pick up the story where Joe’s picture-perfect marriage is crumbling, wrecked by his only child’s drug and alcohol abuse. His last days as a little league coach ends with a surprise at the sports banquet. Little does Joe realize the real import of winning the grand prize.

In a world where second chances are few and precious, follow Joe’s remarkable journey for a baseball season like no other. You will want to come along on Joe’s magic carpet ride when you see that it’s more than just what happens on the field.

Phantasy Baseball is available as e-book and soft cover: Amazon.com/dp/B00BBFU0V2
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Phantasy Baseball book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqnmR9YvzCM

John A. Hoda, a Baseball fan from toddler-age on, has good stories and tells them well. He is a former police officer and insurance fraud investigator. He is presently a licensed private investigator and missing heir researcher. He is a die-hard Philadelphia sports fan. A lifetime athlete, he has run marathons, played semi-pro football and adult softball. He has produced, directed, written and acted in amateur theater in New Haven, Ct where he resides with his wife Gloria. John has written articles in PI Magazine and is the creator of the DVD: The Ultimate Guide to Taking Statements. His cases have headlined in The Philadelphia Inquirer and New Haven Register.

Visit John Hoda’s website at phantasybaseballnovel.com

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The Magic behind the Fantasy

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WilliamStadler

From the small town of Reidsville, and now from Raleigh, North Carolina, William Stadler enjoys writing novels, specifically in the epic fantasy genre where heroes and villains come to life.

William Stadler: “I wrote short stories in sixth grade, and my teacher used to give us six or seven lines to fill in. I’d use those seven lines, and then I’d turn the sheet over and fill up half of the back.  After that, I didn’t write extensively again for over fifteen years (except for a poetry phase).

But then something crazy happened. Steve Jobs died. I’m not typically bothered by the death of a celebrity, but Steve Job’s death really got to me. I started reading some of his quotes, and one said, “Set a goal, and work at it everyday.

Now I’ve heard that philosophy all my life, but something about that instance really got me thinking about what I truly enjoyed doing: writing.  Steve Job’s final words about working at your dream everyday materialized a writing passion within me. Because this has been so liberating, I have developed an inner desire to see people write.”
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The Pioneers Saga series was created. After months of writing, often until 3 a.m. and on his lunch break, Stadler’s first three novels have been released. He has already begun to work on his next trilogy saga.

His literary influences are George R.R. Martin; Stephen King; Terry Goodkind. Friends say William Stadler’s Stephen King-esque productivity has pushed them to make time for writing. “Hanging out with him has inspired me a lot to rediscover the passion that I have,” a friend said.
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If you would like to follow William Stadler, you can find him on twitter @William_Stadler.
He also writes a weekly blog, teaching aspiring authors how to develop their writing skills.
Goodreads, almost a must for writers and readers, shows him and his books, as well as Google+

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William Stadler created a video for The Pioneers series – EXTRACTED 
His Book Trailer can be found here on YouTube: http://bit.ly/11ReXrV

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While on a routine mission in the neighboring province of Broughtonhaven, Caleb Eaves and his squadron are ambushed by a band of assassins.  Left to die in an icy prison, Caleb has not heard from his wife who has gone missing, and he fears that his people have abandoned him.He must find a way to escape and track down his attackers if he ever hopes to regain the life he once he had.
Available on Amazon and B&N, 384 pages, $0.97

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Six months have passed since the victory at Bachenlaw. A new and incompetent governor has been named the head of the Polarist Region, and Broughtonhaven is at risk of being Dominated by these cold-blooded neighbors to the northwest. The Spiritualists plummet into darkness as they struggle to defend themselves from their invaders. The Alpha Council has refused to intervene, while Caleb, Sarai, and the Pioneers fear for the fate of the mainland.
Available on Amazon and B&N, 323 pages, $2.98

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Since the last war, the mainland of Clydenholm has known peace for the past three years. The Pioneers have settled their own civil disputes, and the life of tranquility that Caleb has longed for seems to be within his grasp. What he soon realizes is that this life is farther from him than he knows.

While on an Emblem Run in the Polarist Region, Caleb and Sarai discover that they are being watched, spied on by the Alpha Council. The location of the Pioneers is on the brink of being revealed, and if Juten is discovered, the Alphas promise to demolish the entire island, abandoning the Pioneers to their death.  Amidst it all, a dark evil looms over Clydenholm, one that threatens to expose the very wickedness of its inhabitants. Caleb and Sarai must face their own darkness if Clydenholm will be saved.  Available on Amazon and B&N, 306 pages, $3.02
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Enjoy the series and gift the author with a review : )    These three books in the Pioneer series cannot only be bought with one click on Amazon, but also be gifted: just click on “Give a Gift” and it will be send to the recipient’s email.  No Kindle necessary with Amazons free Cloud software.  Readers can also order a sample of each book with the “Sample now” button on Amazon.
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Book Reviewers wrote this:
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5.0 out of 5 stars SIMPLY AMAZING
“I have never liked a book this much !!!”

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, possibly the next big thing!
“In his debut novel, William Stadler has crafted a refreshing new addition for the fantasy genre.”

 

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to feed your imagination, spirit, and heart
“I was never a sci-fi reader, but I took a chance at “The Pioneers: Extracted” because I knew it wouldn’t merely become a book to expand my imagination. My expectations were abundantly filled by Stadler’s writing style and ….”

 

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging Thriller, Satisfying Story, and Original Fantasy
“This book is both quality fantasy and a read I would recommend to anyone interested in an intriguing novel (I have already bought it as a gift for a couple people).”

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read
“I really enjoyed reading this book.”

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story!
“This is a great story. I have rarely seen such great depth of character and character development.”

 

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Interview with Author Michael Watson TREASURE OF THE ANASAZI

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Hello Mike, thanks for being with us today and telling readers more about your Jack Trader series and yourself as a writer. Let’s start, as I have lots of questions for you today:

How would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?
Treasure hunters threaten the discovery of the single remaining Anasazi village deep in the Mesa Verde area of SW Colorado. Jack Trader, the main character, and Ranger Samantha Baker must stop the men even when their own lives are threatened. The Anasazi, the coyote people, have the capability to transform if they are forced to protect themselves.

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What inspired you to start writing?
Research about Noah’s Ark led to the writing of my debut novel, “The Nestorian Alliance“.

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How did you get the idea for the novel?
This second novel, “Treasure of the Anasazi“, is a continuation of the Jack Trader series. My research of the Mesa Verde / Durango area gave the inspiration to write this book.

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Are your characters based on real people?
Not specifically, but I’m sure my personal experiences find their way into the characters.

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Treasure of the Anasazi by Michael Watson in a YouTube Book Trailer:
http://youtu.be/UCQp1_NF9yU

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Who is your favorite character and why?
Jack Trader is the leading character and my favorite. He always strives to do the right thing and will take personal risk to protect those around him. He is not perfect. He still struggles with his relationship with Samantha.

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Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
“Darn awesome. I felt like I didn’t want to put it down.”

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Michael Watson

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If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be? Adventure in our National Parks.

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How much of the book is based on real life (either yours or someone you know)?
It’s not based on any one person’s real-life event(s), but does try to reflect real situations, dialogue and real character actions.

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What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author?
He writes realistic interactions and natural flowing dialogue.

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Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
The writing process cannot be rushed.

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Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf,

what’s your favorite part of the process?
One of my favorite parts of the process is the research.
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What’s your least favorite?
My least favorite is the revising and re-reading over and over and over. Oh yeah. Marketing is a real pain too. It takes away from writing.

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What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I enjoyed the last scene when (spoiler alert) Jack and Sam may finally come back together.

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If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything about your book? Nothing. There were changes after my editor and beta-readers went through it though, and I’m glad they did.

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What genre have you not yet written but really want to try?
I’ve never written a western, but I am now in the process of writing one based on research I stumbled upon at the historical museum at Durango, CO while researching this book.

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If your book would be made into a movie, who should play the main character?
Hugh Jackman

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How did you get published? Please share your own personal journey.
After receiving a huge pile of rejections from every agent and publisher I queried by snail mail or email, and failed pitches at numerous writer’s conferences, I took the leap to self-publish. The experience through CreateSpace has been very positive. The downside is the amount of time necessary to market.

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What general advice do you have for other writers?
Write what you are interested in. Don’t follow trends. Establish good writing habits.

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What do you find is the best part of being an author?
Being able to research and write about what interests me. The schedule to write is my own, however, the more structured, the better.

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What is one thing that you have done that brought you more readers?
Hired a great designer (Laura Wright LaRoche) for the book cover. First impression is extremely important, even though we are told not to judge a book by its cover.

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What else your readers would be surprised to know about you?
I didn’t start writing seriously until I was 50 years of age.

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Where can people learn more about your writing?
My blog on http://www.adventurewithmike.com/mikes-books-etc.html

Thanks so much Mike, for answering so many questions I had. And to all your readers: Have fun and enjoy Mike’s great book series!

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More Options for Authors to Sell Their Books

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Amazon’s global competitor Kobo sells not only in Great Britain and Ireland. More countries will follow as Kobo will be soon the second-largest international online e-book retailer.  In former blog posts we covered the benefits of Kobo’s “Writing Life“.  Uploading is easy and you get 70% royalties, same as on Amazon.
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More and more bookstores will sell books in any form, on any platform, Kobo e-books is one of them. The Huffington Post published an article a while ago, how independent bookstores can survive and mentioned the iconic San Francisco bookstore Kepler’s in Menlo Park, CA, who is listed under the Independent Bookstore participants and the Kobo e-reading program.

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Indiebound.org
Indiebound offers more than 3.5 million titles. Check out these independent Bookstores in your town/State, that are participating at Indibound.org  and upload your book or e-book to Kobo.  And than for sure, you can arrange a book signing with these “brick & mortar stores”.  Indiebound.org’s website offers also a North America map, the “Indie Store Finder” for USA and Canada where you get lists of all indie bookstores in your area.
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Authors can also earn on their website from Indie books. As part of the IndieBound.org Affiliate Program, they can extend the passion and knowledge of independent bookstores into your online community, and earn generous commissions.
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Writer Molly Greene explained on her blog Kobo to her (non-Canadian or UK) writing audience and how they set up and sign in with Kobo and how to upload and sell your e-book with Kobo.
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In a recent article we reported about the great improvements for Kobo Authors.  Kobo lets you sell your e-books to readers worldwide, e.g. Canada, USA, Australia, Japan, Brazil and European countries.  Kobo customers own their books for life! Read your Kobo books on any open standard device and bring your books to a growing number of Kobo eReading Apps.  Free Kobo eReading apps are offered for smartphones, tablets and computers – Kobo automatically saves your place and syncs your bookmarks across devices.
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Why sell books only to one or two companies? Well, actually, it’s not even selling, it is a kind of consignment… as online book retailers don’t pay you upfront, only when your book is sold will you get money. Upload your book not only to Amazon and Barnes&Noble, but to Kobo as well, an online retailer where your books can be sold in independent, local bookstores.

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are
almost 700 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email?
Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the
“SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+,
Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

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http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

Don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who
might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks

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Have You Got a Marketing Plan for Your Book?

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Marketing possibilities for your book sometimes seem to be overwhelming. Use this article to schedule and divide it into small pieces to execute one at a time – make it a habit to work on it every day.
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Let’s assume that you, as a self-publishing author have produced an excellent, high-quality book or e-book and now you are going to publish and to market your book.
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Or take scenario two: you have written the best book and found the best agent possible and she’s made the best deal she can get with the best publisher who’s interested, then you will be surprised to learn about the reality in traditional publishing: Publishers do spend money on advertising, PR and paid placement in bookstores, but they don’t spend the same amount on all books. On average publishers spend less than $2,000 on advertising 90% of their titles—not much to get the word out about your book.

Bookstores will return your unsold books after three months to the publisher, which means almost the end of your book’s “brick & mortar” career. These are the reasons YOU will have to get the word out about your book, no matter if you author-publish or if you go with a big, traditional publisher.
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You certainly have done your homework before you started writing your book:

• You researched your possible competition and how popular the genre is in which you are writing.
• You have identified your target market and in which time-frame you want to accomplish the introduction for your book.
• You made plans for your writing career, you vision already – and maybe even lined out several books, you know that one book only doesn’t make for a writing career.
• You thought about where you want to be in one, three, or five years from now, and what you want to have accomplished as a writer then.
• You also know that book marketing starts ideally before and while you write your future bestseller.

There are two avenues to market and sell your work, even if you have sold your manuscript to a traditional publisher. Either you:

• will invest lots of money and buy ads / go on book signing tours / attend book fairs – or you
• will invest time into building a platform and an authors brand through the use of social marketing and content marketing, plus you learn some fast and free tricks to spread the word about your book
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And then there is 1. the promotional, social part and 2. the “hard-selling” part for your book.
The latter will barely work if you have not laid out the foundation with the first part. Would you likely buy something from an unknown person, no matter if on- or off-line?  Remember that your competition in published books is fierce and there are millions published every year. Readers have to be convinced to buy an unfamiliar book from a totally unknown author…
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It will be the same for both, fiction or non-fiction: The foundation for your books’ success is in building a community, a social environment and a platform to introduce yourself and your work to readers. How can you accomplish this, even before your book is finished? It takes a year to make yourself known in the book community, so start early in order to have a successful book launch:
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1. What you can do before your book is ready to go to the beta-reader, copy-editor and final editor:

- Have a professional! photographer taken a portrait to use for your avatar
- Get to know and introduce yourself to potential readers, sign up at Google+
(good for SEO), Twitter, FB, Pinterest, Flickr
- Join several book communities, #1 Goodreads, #2 Wattpad, #3 KindleBoards, BookTalk, Scribd…
- Visit forums in your field, especially if you write non-fiction
- Join HARO (Help a Reporter out) to make yourself a name as an expert in your field
- Start and write regularly (once or twice a week) blog posts
- Create your own (not a free!) author website 
- Send your blog articles to newspapers / magazines and even to e-Zines
- Write guest blogs for other bloggers to get your name out
- Write your “elevator pitch” and practice your “elevator speech” for quick pitch
- Start a spread sheet or list with email addresses of potential readers
- Create an email signature & use it for every email you send out
- Print business cards / book marks
- Get an ISBN number and register your copyright
- Register with Bowker to have your book worldwide listed (free)
- Choose the right genre (category) and keywords for your book
- Gather as many reviews as possible and write a compelling blurb
- Research media contacts and prepare Press Releases
- Invite several thousand! people as followers and friends on your social media sites

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2. Plan of action, once your book is edited, has an appealing cover – that’s what people see first, is professionally converted (e-book), or got a perfect layout (print) and is ready to launch:
.- Place your book into the right category / genre and sub-genre (important for its success!)

- Create a second, separate BOOK PAGE on Amazon, Goodreads, Google+ and FB
- Submit your book to the Library of Congress (USA only)
- Set up a media press kit on your website with a link to your book trailer
- Plan and create an email campaign to potential readers
- Get customer orders for special (price) pre-launch sale
- Invite more reviewers for your book
- Submit photos of your book cover image to Pinterest, Flickr…
- Create a slide show  and/or video book trailer
- Send copies to book reviewers in various publications and to book bloggers
- Send review copies to book clubs with large distribution
- Automate submissions to and between all your social networks
- Write a blog post about the upcoming launch
- Spruce up your website and blog for your book launch
- Write a compelling press release
- Ask your friends to “Like”, “Thumbs up” & “Listmania” your book on Amazon
- Participate in “Carnival of the Indies” blog carnival to promote your blog URL
- Comment on other blogs and write lots of guest blogs
- Submit your blogs including an URL link to even more e-Zines
- Consider to participate at KDP Select free days, announce your upcoming book for free
- Offer interviews at Radio /TV stations and newspapers or on other blogs
- Try to set you up to become a desirable guest expert on a talk or morning show
- Befriend influential book bloggers for even more reviews and articles
- Donate your book to local libraries and offer to speak
- Contact local bookstores for book signings
- Gather writing friends for cross-promotions and blog tours
- Add press clippings and articles, already published, to your website
- Get a new business card with an image of your book and sales link
- Place the books’ cover image & description daily on your Google+ stream
- Announce your book launch or book signing on Google+ for FREE
- Get even more friends, followers and people in your circles on social media sites
as you need lots of audience to spread the word about your new book!
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What else can you do to increase your books’ success:
- Become a guest speaker at writers conferences or business seminars
- Sell your book to libraries
- Let your book translate in other languages or sell foreign rights
- Split your (non-fiction) book in pieces and sell single articles to magazines
- Participate in writing contests and book awards

The possibilities are endless… Stay tuned for more tips at http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com
Make sure you have done every one of these steps to have a great start once your book is published. Write for pleasure – publish for profit!

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 700 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

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Young Readers Use Social Media to Discover Books

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Young E-Book Consumers Three Times More Likely to Use Social Media for Book Discovery reports Digital Book World.  Social media is an increasingly important discovery tool for all forms of entertainment, and the survey shows the impact it is having on the book publishing industry. 

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E-reading consumers who use Amazon or Barnes & Noble e-readers are more likely to use online and e-book storefronts as a book discovery tool, according to new research by NextMarket Insights.

Another interesting finding is the drastic difference in the usage of social media for e-book discovery by age group:
According to the survey findings, e-book reading consumers aged 18-29 are two times more likely to use social media for book discovery than those aged 45-60, and over three times more likely as those aged over 60.

Read the whole article / Press Release at Digital Book Worlds’ website.

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Traditional Published Authors Interested in Self-Publishing

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A third of traditionally published authors are interested in self-publishing their next book,
according to a new survey from Digital Book World and Writer’s Digest. The survey, “What Authors Want: A Comprehensive Survey of Authors to Understand Their Priorities in the Self-Publishing Era”, queried nearly 5,000 aspiring, self-published, traditionally published and “hybrid” authors (authors who have both self-published and traditionally published). It was presented at the Digital Book World Conference + Expo.

This trend should be worrisome for traditional publishers, which are struggling to demonstrate to the marketplace that they add value to the publishing process in an era where anyone can publish a book.  Perhaps of even more concern is that two-thirds of hybrid authors are interested in self-publishing their next book. It’s not surprising given the context of the rest of the survey: Time and again, hybrid authors had relatively negative opinions about publishing companies — that they keep too much money, don’t “get” digital and, generally, don’t add much to their publishing process.

At the same time, when offered the opportunity to publish traditionally, nearly three-quarters of hybrid authors are interested and — also good news for publishers — about two-thirds of self-published authors are interested. The prestige of a traditional publisher, the wide distribution a publisher can generate and help with marketing were all reasons cited.

Read the whole article by Jeremy Greenfield: 
What Authors Want: A Third of Published Authors Interested in Self-Publishing Next Book

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My thoughts on this excerpt, especially the last sentence: 
Both ways of publishing have their positives and vice versa. However the perception of traditional publishing is often not up to date in public , as the way of book marketing has totally changed. Only celebrity authors get the full PR treatment, other writers have to fend for themselves, and they often do not realize that their books have only a maximum of three months to survive on the bookstores shelves until they will be pulled out and returned to the publisher or discarded. 
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The prestige of a traditional publishers is also dwindling, as some of them, such as Penguin / Random House ally with dubious POD’s, establishing a subsidiary in an attempt to jump onto the self-publishing bandwagon and find a way to fleece unsuspecting writers.
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Even the wide distribution a publisher can generate is something, authors can organize these days by themselves: as soon as they have at least three print books (not necessarily their own, they can also partner with other writers) they can establish a publishing firm and work with Lightning Source / Ingram and have their print books distributed worldwide.

E-books can easily be uploaded at Amazon, Kobo, B&N, Apple and a dozen more online retailers. Proof-reading, copy editing, editing, book layout, cover design, translations, printing… just about everything can be outsourced by the author – including book marketing and PR.

Best advice for any author is to familiarize themselves with every aspect of the publishing
process, to consult a professional to get a clear picture of the time/financial involvement and
advice from a contract lawyer before they sign up any publishing contracts including those of
Print on Demand Publishing.

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