TWO DAYS IN JUNE: John F. Kennedy and…

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Two Days in June

TWO DAYS IN JUNE John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History  by Andrew Cohen.

In June 1963, John Fitzgerald Kennedy has been president of the United States for almost two and a half years.  That spring he is grappling with the two seismic forces of the early 1960s:  the proliferation of nuclear arms and the struggle for civil rights.  On two consecutive days, in two lyrical addresses, he appeals to Americans to see both the Russians and the “Negroes” as human beings.

His speech on June 10 leads to the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963, the first arms control agreement of the Cold War. A day later, his next speech on June 11,  leads to the famous Civil Rights Act of 1964, a watershed in American history.  In lily-white, Cold War America, this kind of language is unprecedented, if not almost subversive.

Andrew Cohen, an award-winning journalist and bestselling author, evokes the writing of William Manchester and Theodore White as he presents a president pivoting dramatically and decisively on the two biggest issues of his time. Based largely on hours of unseen documentary film shot in the White House and the Justice Department on these two days, as well as fresh interviews and a rediscovered draft speech.  Two Days in June elegantly captures Kennedy at the high noon of his presidency in new, rich, granular detail.
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Read more at SavvyBookWriters.com/two-days-in-june/

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How Newspapers / Magazines Deceive Readers

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A Joke? Statistics about the numbers of e-Books versus print books – taken from companies that sell only print books? Yes, that’s right – or have you ever purchased an e-book at WalMart, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target or K-Mart? How can statistics be true if one (large) part of the measurement is not taken?

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Flawed Survey, Sloppy Research, No Fact-Checking…
“Print Books Still Outselling e-Books” or “Print Books Outsold Ebooks In First Half Of 2014” are the big headlines these days at newspapers and magazines, from PublishersWeekly to GoodeReader and Huffington Post.
“According to Nielsen’s survey, e-books constituted only 23 percent of unit sales for the first six months of the year, while hardcovers made up 25 percent and paperback 42 percent of sales.”

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What’s NOT Included in these Articles:

• The fact that NielsenScan covers a maximum of 75% of the US and UK book market
• NielsenScan does NOT count e-books at all! How can they compare print vs e-books?
• From which book retailers and which publishers – trade and / or independent publishers?
• Does it include used book sales or only new books? Just launched books or back lists? Book retailers usually stock only new books…
• In which countries are these stats taken – probably it means just the USA.   But after all we are on the world-wide web, right?  And in countries who are avid e-book readers, the picture looks completely different, e.g. the Netherlands, who has more e-book readers than the UK, or Germany.
• According to Nielsen: “Library, professional, corporate, premium, export, and some specialty retail sales are not included in the BookScan physical panel.
• NielsenScan does NOT report any Print-on-Demand books including CreateSpace!
• Amazon reminds authors:
  “Note about Amazon print sales: Sales reported depends on which retailers selling your book and participate in Nielsen BookScan, and whether your book is registered with one of the companies from which Nielsen derives its list of reported ASINs. If your book is registered with the Ingram Company, for example, you will see sales info. If your book is Print on Demand, your publishing company may not report ISBNs to Ingram and you may not see sales information. If a disproportionate number of your books are sold by stores that do not report to Nielsen, your sales information may underestimate your total sales.”
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  These are the Facts:
  
• Millions of independent published books, Print-on-Demand books and e-books as well as retailers are NOT included at all in Nielsen’s statistics
• How wrong Nielsen’s numbers are, can be found in several articles, one of these on Forbes, where authors proofed their royalty statements, that have completely different book sales numbers.
• NielsenScan covers only major book chains and mass markets, such as WalMart, Costco, Sam’s, Target or K-Mart in the United States and Great Britain. Presently they try to target the Australian market.
• Amazon cautions: Most Amazon print sales are included in the sales figures; however, Kindle or other e-Book sales are NOT included because those figures are NOT reported by Nielsen BookScan.

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A Harvard University Article Explains:
“Prior to BookScan, the only source for market data for some individual titles were Best Seller lists, compiled by publications such as the New York Times that survey selections of book stores from which they generate estimates of rankings. However, these published lists don’t indicate how many copies of a book have sold or the relative sales among books on the lists.”
“Since 2009, BookScan does supply weekly “book charts” to the Wall Street Journal, but they are just best seller lists. The bottom line is, only book publishers have comprehensive sales data, and they don’t usually make it public. Strange as it may seem, we know of no reliable, publicly-available way to get comprehensive statistics for book sales at this time. Nielsen BookScan, which reports point-of-sale data, but even that claims to represent only 75% of all retail sales!”
“If you are looking for current sales figures, you can use Amazon.com to get a general idea, although it relies on very recent numbers, so the figures are not really accurate. The “Author Central” feature on Amazon.com does provide BookScan data to current authors only.”

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How Bestsellers Are “Made” by NielsenScan
“Bestseller doesn’t necessarly mean it is a terrific book, worth to read. It rather shows a 2-3 week old sales statistic of books that sold well in chain bookstores and at independent booksellers, who are connected in a certain country (e.g. USA or UK) to Nielsen BookScan which currently covers approximately 75% of retail sales.”

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To Compare e-Book Sales with Print Sales
Paper books and e-books will co-exist peacefully.  Most book lovers read their favoured titles not only in print, but as well in e-book format.  A comparison of e-book sales with print sales will NEVER show the real numbers!  Good only for a catchy headline, but it lacks the journalistic facts: who, when, where, what, why and how.
If Nielsen wants to deliver serious stats, they would have to be done world-wide, at all book retail outlets and all publishers – small, big, trade or independent.  So, if someone is stating statistics they need to be explained: from which country and which retailers those “statistics” are rendered and that they not show the real picture – especially when they are taken from retailers who DO NOT sell e-books at all.  It’s like comparing apples and pears, don’t take them seriously!

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BookBoon Offers Everyone to Participate in a Survey:
“In June 2014 we started a new eBook survey to get an idea of the latest trends. Please help us by answering our 11 questions (takes maximum 2 minutes). At the end of the survey you can see the preliminary results. Click here to start the survey.”

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $179 for three months – or less than $2 per day! Learn more about this customized Online Seminar / Consulting for writers: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 1,100 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
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Great Story Idea – But Too Short for a Book?

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Recently, The Guardian wrote about Amazon’s SINGLES and the New York Times ran a fascinating profile of David Blum, the editor of Amazon’s “Kindle Singles” store, and the whole phenomenon of Singles – and also what it means for the future of books.
Amazon has sold nearly 5 million Kindle Singles over the last 27 months, according to Teleread. Blum receives more than 1,000 unsolicited manuscripts each month, from which he “cherry-picks” the best ones.  Out of a couple hundred Singles, more than 5 million Singles have been sold in the last three years.  28 of these authors sold more than 50,000 copies.

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What’s the Benefit for Authors?
Writing articles is one of the most effective methods to attract website visitors. If a reader values the content we write, they will often pass it on to their friends through social media sites such as Google+, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.  If we include the right keywords in our content, people will find our articles in the search engines. If we are smart, we submitted these articles to Online or print magazines, newspapers, guest blogs or even eZines, adding our web links and readers will click on these links and come to our website to buy books.

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Kindle Singles
Now it is possible to write 5,000 (better 10,000) to max. 30,000 word articles, Amazon calls them “Kindle Singles” and sell them online. A prominent author of these Kindle Singles is Stephen King, with his Single “Mile 81” a top seller. So, instead of submitting our work to reader forums or our blog, we can sell those articles to the internet giant Amazon website and receive 70% royalties, even for Singles priced under Dollar 2.99. To be precise for Singles priced between 99 cents and $4.99

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Other Criteria’s at Amazon are:

• Original work, not previously published in other formats or publications
• Self-contained work, not chapters excerpted from a longer work
• Not published on any public website in its entirety
• But they are currently not accepting how-to manuals, public domain works, reference books, travel guides, or children’s books!!!

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Amazon’s Submission Policy
“A Kindle Single can be on any topic. So far we’ve posted fiction, essays, memoirs, reporting, personal narratives, and profiles, and we’re expanding our selection every week.  We’re looking for high-quality writing, fresh and original ideas, and well-executed stories in all genres and subjects.  We will consider e-books recently published via Kindle Direct Publishing, manuscript submissions, or pitches.”

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Read more how to submit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000700491
Individual writers may benefit the most from the program, as it makes it easier for them to self-publish works that precisely for reasons of length can’t find support from traditional publishers.
What content is sitting on your computer, just waiting to become an e-book or a Kindle Single?  

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $179 for three months – or less than $2 per day! Learn more about this customized Online Seminar / Consulting for writers: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars  Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 1,030 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

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Publishing News from All Over the World

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The Guardian reported:
The University of Central Lancashire has announced the launch of what it describes as the world’s first degree in self-publishing.

The MA will begin in September, and course leader Debbie Williams believes it will help “legitimize” self-publishing. “Things have definitely changed. In the last two years, self-publishing has stopped being a dirty word, and is a legitimate option for authors,” she said. “Even the biggest authors are looking at it now.”

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Gook eReader reported:
The London-based Alliance of Independent Authors announced today that it has partnered with Kobo to release a guide to its newest author campaign, the Opening Up to Indie Authors guide. ALLi will use Kobo’s extensive global retail reach to make the guidebook available to its 190 international marketplaces.

Unlike initiatives that woke consumers up to the great titles being published by independent authors, this campaign is aimed at the local booksellers in hopes that they will finally see the benefits to taking risks on self-published books.

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Publishers Weekly reported:
The London Book Fair has announced the agenda for its Publishing for Digital Minds Conference, in alliance with the Publishers Association, and sponsored by the Copyright Clearance Center. The sixth edition of the conference will take place April 7, just before the opening of the fair.

Among the speakers confirmed for the 2014 edition are Dominique Raccah, CEO of Sourcebooks, who will appear in a session for industry thought leaders. Bill Thompson, the veteran technology journalist and head of partnership development at the BBC Archive will deliver a keynote speech, and the BBC Director of Children’s, Joe Godwin will participate in a discussion on targeting child and YA audiences online. Hugh Howey will talk about his experience of being a simultaneously conventionally published and self-published author.

Entrepreneurs from publishing start-ups will also be represented at the conference. Open Road Media’s Rachel Chou will explore the content marketing company’s experience of promoting e-books.
Read more about the London Book Fair’s program.

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Digital World reports:
The Competition Bureau of Canada, an independent law enforcement agency, announced that it has reached an agreement with four major trade book publishers that limits their use of agency ebook pricing in Canada.

Following an 18-month investigation into the ebook industry in Canada, the Competition Bureau concluded that Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster have engaged in conduct that resulted in reduced competition for ebooks in Canada, in contravention of the country’s Competition Act. The four publishers have signed a consent agreement to remove or amend clauses in their distribution agreements with individual ebook retailers that the bureau believes restrict retail price competition. Read the whole article here.

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $179 for three months – or less than $2 per day! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/  to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 1,000 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

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Disappointing Results and a Scandal: Amazon’s Withdrawal

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Promoting local public libraries since fifteen years, and running a great website, PublicLibraries http://www.publiclibraries.com/  reported about Amazon’s withdrawal from becoming a big trade publisher:  “Amazon is toning down its plans to become a full scale publisher. The retreat from publishing appears to be a result of black listing of author’s signed with Amazon by brick and mortar book retailers.”

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Opposition from Bookstores
“Amazon has struggled to gain traction for its publishing division. It appears that Amazon underestimated the amount of opposition that it would experience from the traditional publishing and book retailing world. Major book retailer Barnes & Noble refused to carry any of the titles published by Amazon. Amazon has also had trouble attracting major authors to its division.”
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Disappointing Results and a Scandal
“Authors that have signed with Amazon have experienced disappointing results. Amazon’s first big title, Penny Marshall’s My Mother Was Nuts, performed poorly in print sales. This was largely due to the fact that brick and mortar books refused to carry the Amazon title. Even the eBook edition was effectively blocked outside of the Amazon marketplace as Google, Barnes & Noble Nook Store and Apple iBookstore all refused to distribute the digital version.”

Industry Newsletter Shelf Awareness also said that “In connection with [Kirshbaum’s] departure, the most ambitious part of Amazon’s publishing operations will be scaled back. Already several editorial people have left or been let go, and Amazon has not been a factor in bidding on major books the way it had been just two years ago.”

Wallstreet Journal Online wrote: “In quick succession, Mr. Kirshbaum signed up a number of well-known writers and personalities, among them actress and director Penny Marshall and best-selling writer Timothy Ferriss. The signings worried rival publishers who were concerned that Amazon’s deep coffers would enable it to pluck many of the book industry’s biggest stars.  In January 2012, Mr. Kirshbaum’s efforts were effectively checkmated when rival bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc. said it wouldn’t put titles published by Amazon on its shelves. A number of other retailers followed suit, making Amazon a less attractive alternative for many writers and their agents. The big-name signings stopped…”

Read the whole story how bookstores and trade publishers fought back here on PublicLibraries, NY Times, Gigaom.com and PublishersWeekly.

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 970 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Mixed Stocking of Publishing News

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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY READERS – ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS

 

Inspire!: Toronto Launches New Book Fair in 2014
Inspire!, a four-day Toronto International Book Fair, will make its debut next November at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. News of the fair’s launch comes just three months after the release of a feasibility study, funded by the Ontario Media Development Corp., which raised the tantalizing prospect of a reimagined Toronto book fair after six years without one.”

Steven Levy, a “master of big consumer trade shows, has partnered in the venture with Rita Davies, former executive director of culture for the city of Toronto, and publisher John Calabro of Quattro Books, according to the Star. Levy noted that while the show partially fills a gap left by the demise of BookExpo Canada, Inspire! will be 80% public and about 20% for publishing industry insiders.

“In Toronto we have a large audience with a serious interest in both print and digital subjects,” he said. “And we have a highly diversified society, with many different languages and cultures. Our challenge is to create a number of unique events that will be entertaining and educational, and engage this audience.”
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PAINTER OF THE HEAVENS Amazon Kindle Countdown Deal

“A Novel of Crime and the Heart” by Bart Stewart   http://bit.ly/18YaHqY
Starts Dec ember 26, at 08:00 am, @ 99cents

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Kobo to Raise Revenues for Authors
e-Book retailer Kobo is raising the minimum price for an e-book to qualify for 70% royalties from $1.99 to $2.99 and has dropped the upper range limit of $9.99, this way DOUBLING the revenue offered by Amazon’s Kindle on higher-priced e-books. The change represents a 50% increase as, previously, to qualify for 70% payments, an e-book on Kobo Writing Life had to be priced between $1.99-$12.99, with the royalty dropping to 45% for e-books outside that range.  In comparison: Amazon pays 70% royalties on e-books priced between $2.99 and $9.99 and 35% outside that range.  It looks like a move that could attract a new wave of authors to Kobo, especially those with high-end e-books, such as text books and “coffee-table” books or those with lots of images.

The minimum prices internationally to qualify for 70% e-book royalties from Kobo are:

• £2.99 in the UK (previously £1.99-£7.99)
• $2.99 CAD in Canada (previously $1.99-$12.99)
• $2.99 AUD in Australia (previously $1.99-$11.99)
• €2.99 in the European Union (previously €1.99-€12.99)
• $2.99 NZD in New Zealand (previously $1.99-$12.99)

Certain conditions apply: See the Kobo website
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From Kobo’s News Release:
Kobo expanded its distribution channel in France with the addition of top France retailers Pixmania, Cora, Casino, Auchan, and Boulanger.

Kobo takes e-Reading to a New Continent
World-Class Platform Now Available to South African Consumers :
Kobo brings eReading to South Africa through its partnership with Pick n Pay, one of the largest and most successful retailers in the country. Not even a month after partnering with the New Zealand Booksellers Association and Paper Plus, Kobo brings its world-class e-Reading experience to people in South Africa, with the award-winning Kobo Touch e-Reader and a localized online customer experience.  Local content is also available in both English and Afrikaans, including works from authors such as Deon Meyer, Leon van Nierop and Tess Gerritsen.

More Languages
Kobo’s self-publishing platform is now available in German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch, in addition to English.

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/
to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 960 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Kindle Countdown Deals – How They Work

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Kindle Countdown Deals are limited time discounts on Kindle eBooks. A note about the pending price increase tells customers the regular price and the promotional price on the book’s detail page, as well as a countdown clock telling them how much time is left at the promotional price. This Amazon feature is more like a sale that gives authors and publishers another way to push through sales of a Kindle exclusive book. They set incremental pricing which will change at decided intervals.

Kindle Countdown Deals is a new KDP Select benefit that allows authors to run limited-time discount promotions on their books, which can help earn more royalties and reach more readers.

Customers can see the regular price and the promotional price on the book’s detail page, as well as a countdown clock telling them how much time is left at the promotional price. You will also continue to earn your selected royalty rate on each sale during the promotion.
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Actually it is not a countdown, but rather a count-up, as the book price starts very low and then goes up to its original price.  See an example of a Kindle Countdown Deal:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DFOT5VI

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Amazon explains the benefits of Kindle Countdown Deals:

• They’re time-based: Not only does this give you more control to decide how long the book is discounted, but the time remaining for the promotion is visible to customers to increase excitement for the price discount.
• Customers see the regular price: It’s easy for customers to see the great deal they’re getting, as the regular price is included on the book’s detail page, right beside the promotional price.
• Royalty rate is retained at lower prices: You will earn royalties based on your regular royalty rate and the promotional price. As a result, if you are using the 70% royalty option, you’ll earn 70% even if the price is below $2.99.
• There’s a dedicated website: Customers can easily browse active; Kindle Countdown Deals at www.amazon.com/kindlecountdowndeals, providing yet another way for books to be discovered.
• You can monitor performance in real-time: A new KDP report displays sales and royalties at each price discount side-by-side with pre-promotion performance, so it’s easy to compare.
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During each promotional day, your book’s detail page will display a counter announcing the promotion, the current price, the time remaining until the price changes, and the next price. If your book, for example, has a list price of $4.99, and you start a promotion on Monday at 8 A.M. your time, with a starting price of $1.99. You set three price increments to run 24 hours each.  To me this new way of building excitement about your book seems to make more sense than the FREE KDP DAYS.  What do YOU think?
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Resources:

http://rogerpacker.com/blog/kindle-countdown-takes-off/

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/big-deal-on-amazon-kindle-countdown-deals-and-amazons-new-kindle-first-service/

https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A3288N75MH14B8&

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $159 for 3 months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, specials or your KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 940 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Amazon Bundles Print and E-Books

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e-books AND print books

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Discounted e-books for those who own the print version. 
You might remember an blog post “11 Reasons Why You Should Offer Print Books Too” last year where I wrote why it is smart to have print books too…

A complaint of Amazon’s Kindle users since day one was, that there ought to be a way to purchase the print and digital versions of a book together – and at a discount.  Beginning in October, first in the USA, they will be able to buy cheap e-copies of books they have already bought in hardcover or paperback. The most expensive titles will sell for $2.99; the rest will be $1.99, 99 cents or, in some cases, even be free.

Russ Grandinetti, head of Kindle content for Amazon, said: “If you logged onto your CompuServe account during the Clinton administration and bought a book like ‘Men Are from Mars , Women Are from Venus’ from Amazon, Kindle MatchBook now makes it possible for that purchase — 18 years later — to add an e-book to your Kindle library at a very low cost.”

Joan E. Solsman wrote in a cnet.com article:
“The Kindle edition via MatchBook isn’t limited to reading on a Kindle device; the e-books will work on PC, Mac, iPad, Android tablet, or mobile phone too – contrary to the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library that is part of an Amazon Prime subscription, which as its name suggests, lets only Kindle device owners participate in book borrowing.”
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What it means for readers:
Certainly a dandy offer, also they might not have a great selection in the beginning.
So far, when you purchase a book on Amazon, you don’t get it until at least a day or two after you order it. If you order the print and e-book edition “bundled”, you can start to read right away. However, it will take a long time until until they can get the e-book version of all their former book purchases – if ever. Some publishers might not participate or have given back the publishing rights after books went out of print. And as e-books or any digital content technically are not “owned” it might be a good idea to get the print version, just in case … or if it is such a pretty cover, readers might enjoy to see a certain book in their shelves.
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What it means for writers:
A great opportunity, and as a smart author-publisher they have already (at least a POD) print version of their work. See the blog post: “11 Reasons Why You Should Offer Print Books Too“.  If they keep the book at $2.99, royalties (or rather correct: revenue, as Amazon is an online retailer for self-publishing authors, not a publisher!) will be 70%, almost $2.00, while at $0.99 for example, it is only 35%, about $0.30 per book.  However, if they have written more than 3 books, they could also skip CreateSpace and go with Ingram / LightningSource – where they have worldwide distribution to bookstores, and are seen as publishers and can “bundle” their books too.
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And what it means for Amazon:
They will be the big winners, for sure, and certainly “MatchBook” is a clever sales tactic, as author-publishers and small publishing companies might order more POD-created books from CreateSpace (an Amazon subsidiary) to avoid large, costly, print runs – if they choose to “bundle”. And trade publishers may or may not agree with cheap versions of their soft- and hard-covers, and might start formatting digital books or reduce prices of an already digital version. People who are considering buying a Kindle, especially if they have already bought books from Amazon, would consider it a big incentive, and so it’ll drive sales long-term. And it might drive sales on Amazon, even if not many books are available, which can only be seen online. But once potential customers are on Amazon’s site, they might buy other things instead.
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So, what’s the catch?
The program launches in October and.includes so far only more than 10,000 titles, a very tiny fraction of all books available – actually less than 1% of the titles available on Amazon… So far, large publishing houses involved, include only Harper Collins and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Amazon said it was now urging other authors, self-publishers and trade publishers to enroll. Not an easy sell, especially to big publishers. That’s why you and me received Amazon’s email …

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Excerpt from Amazon’s Press Release and emails to self-publishers:
“We are excited to introduce Kindle MatchBook, an innovative new program which enables you to offer your Kindle book at a discount when readers purchase your print book, so you can sell more books. It’s easy to enroll.”

Select your Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) title on your KDP Bookshelf (your books account on Amazon) and check the Enroll box for Kindle MatchBook on the “Rights & Pricing” page.
Set the discount for your book by choosing a promotional list price of $2.99 or less.

By enrolling your book, you will be among the first to be able to take advantage of this new program. The discount you select will not appear on Amazon.com until the program is fully launched in the coming weeks. We will notify you by e-mail as soon as your Kindle MatchBook discount is live. Your readers will soon have an easy and affordable way to read your book in both print and digital formats.

Don’t have a print version of your book? Create one today with CreateSpace – Amazon’s independent publishing platform for print books.  Visit your KDP Bookshelf today to enroll your books.

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 159 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/ Once you are on this website, click on Seminar to register.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are 880+ 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 to StumpleUpon.

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Christmas in July! SANTA’S KISS

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It’s Christmas in Legend, Tennessee, and there is no finer place to visit than this small mountain town, sitting snug and cozy in the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s Christmas time! People are coming home, visiting family, and maybe settling a few misunderstandings.
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Dawn Smith lives life on the edge, seeking thrills, changing herself into someone else and became a superstar. But Dawn’s world is crumbling. She need’s to get away from the bright lights and the heartache, but it is Christmas time. There’s no way she can face her family this year.
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Clint Roberts is Legend’s fun-loving bachelor, who still loves his high-school sweetheart, now actress Dawn Smith. When Dawn needs someone to turn to, Clint shows up on her doorstep in a snowstorm dressed as Santa. Will Dawn welcome his help or their lovemaking bring even more heartache? Can Clint convince her that it’s time to come home to stay?
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“Santa’s Kiss” by Jan Scarbrough, Kindle Edition Special only $0.99  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A5ADFPW
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All her four books in the original Legendary Christmas series are on sale for 99 cents!
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About the author:

A technical writer, Jan spends her days writing information protection policies. At night,
however, she leaves the technical jargon behind and escapes within her own world to
create romances from the heart. She has dabbled in medieval romance with MY LORD
RAVEN and under her pen name Darby York created a series of sensual short stories.
Her paranormal, TANGLED MEMORIES, was a RWA Golden Heart finalist. Jan wrote
more than 20 books and several novellas. Check out her blog too!
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Follow Jan on Twitter @romancerider
See Jan Scarbrough’s Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/Jan-Scarbrough/e/B001K8768A

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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/ Once you are on this website, click on Seminar to register.

Please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are 815 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 to StumpleUpon.

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MUST READ for Parents and Teachers

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Fiza Pathan’s latest book  Classics: Why we should encourage children to read them.

Reading is an adventure that begins early in a child’s life and should extend beyond the classroom. By encouraging children to read at home, parents too, can help their children establish a lifelong love of books, transforming reading from a basic skill to a pleasurable activity.

The book explains why children (and parents) should especially read classic books:

• it lists favorite works by brilliant writers
• how their work can influence reality
• how reading these books improves language skills and vocabulary
• how these classic works help to develop imagination
• how they can further general knowledge and even morals
• it shows skills one can develop by reading classic literature
• how good fiction can make reality a lot more tolerable

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Fiza is a History and English teacher, and this is her third book that she wrote – beside many poems she has published and for which she has quite a following on her blog Insaneowl.  Her goal is to channel everyone’s attention on the advantages of reading classic literature, the understanding of classics, and how it can influence a readers life positively.
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Fiza Pathan: “All the students and teachers mentioned in my handbook are real people whom I have known personally. The students mentioned in my book are the ones whom I tutor and I enjoy every bit of time spent with such wonderful pupils.”

“All the incidents that I have mentioned in my book are all true and based on the experiences shared by my students and by me. From their development to their love of reading, all the examples cited are true occurrences that have taken place over the past four years of my teaching experience.”

“If my reviewer/reader states that my handbook has aided them to know the importance of reading classics and has encouraged them to implement my suggestions of reading classics in their children’s lives to enhance their overall potential, I think that’s when I as a writer and teacher will feel that they have understood me. Saying so in words will not mean as much to me as their acting on my advice.”
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Classics: Why we should encourage children to read them
Available in USA
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1490506004 (print $6.29)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DUVZ3GW (e-book $2.99)
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Available as e-book:

Canada
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00DUVZ3GW
India
http://www.amazon.in/dp/B00DUVZ3GW
UK/Ireland
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1490506004
Japan
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00DUVZ3GW
France
http://www.amazon.fr/dp/1490506004
Brazil
http://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B00DUVZ3GW
Italy
http://www.amazon.it/dp/1490506004
Spain
http://www.amazon.es/dp/1490506004

More retailers, such as Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Goodreads, Apple, Diesel, Sony etc. will follow in the next days.

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Rabbit in the Jungle: Goodreads Giveaway

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Rabbit in the Jungle

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Goodreads Giveaway –  “Rabbit in the Jungle”

With more tricks than Bugs Bunny and more charm than Roger Rabbit he navigated the street-culture of Los Angeles during the heydays of West Coast hip hop; navigated safely through prison politics; built a reputation for himself at University of Nevada – Las Vegas and partnered up with local fitness experts to bring a trendy gym to the downtown area of Vegas.
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The story of Anthony Alegrete and how he went from bars to books…
“Rabbit in the Jungle“, launching next week, tells a classically American story of second chances, hard work and hope. Sometimes raw and gritty, the book traces Anthony Alegrete’s rise from the streets of Los Angeles, through the penal system, to the halls of academia and the competitive business world of Las Vegas. Along the way he had a lot of fun, a little trouble and learned a few lessons.

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Strong, controversial and eye-opening:
This book shares a true story in a way, meant to be cautionary and inspiring. Anthony Alegrete wants others to know the important role that family, friends and education play in keeping their lives on the right track. The title for the book comes from Anthony’s ability to survive in multiple dangerous environments.

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ENTER TO WIN – your FREE copy of “Rabbit in the Jungle” on Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17979976-rabbit-in-the-jungle

More about the book and its author:

http://www.rabbitinthejungle.com

http://pinterest.com/pin/365354588490950308/

 http://www.facebook.com/rabbitinthejungle

https://twitter.com/JumpLA

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Pre-orders for RABBIT IN THE JUNGLE – an amazing true story, hold your breath…
http://www.anthonyalegrete.com/rabbitinthejungle/

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Are You Looking for a Publisher?

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Amazon.com recently announced Kindle Worlds, a digital publishing platform devoted entirely to fan fiction.  It is a broadly-defined term for stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator.  Unlike when you self-publish your book and load it up to Amazon as seller, with Kindle Worlds Amazon is the publisher and you are selling your work to them forever.
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From Amazon’s Web site:

Get ready for Kindle Worlds, a place for you to publish fan fiction inspired by popular books, shows, movies, comics, music, and games. With Kindle Worlds, you can write new stories based on featured Worlds, engage an audience of readers, and earn royalties. Amazon Publishing has secured licenses from Warner Bros. for Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and The Vampire Diaries, with licenses for more Worlds on the way.
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Kindle Worlds for Authors

Kindle Worlds is easy to use. When the Kindle Worlds Self-Service Submission Platform opens, you will be able to upload your story easily—along with a title, editorial description, and other information. Sign up to be notified when we launch the platform.

• Kindle Worlds will accept novels, novellas, and short stories inspired by the Worlds we have licensed.
• Using our Cover Creator, you will be able to design a cover for your Kindle Worlds story.
• World Licensors have provided Content Guidelines for each World, and your work must follow these Content Guidelines. We strongly encourage you to read the Content Guidelines before you commit the time and effort to write.
• Stories will be available in digital format exclusively on Amazon.com, Kindle devices, iOS, Android, and PC/Mac via our Kindle Free Reading apps. We hope to offer additional formats in the future.
• You will receive monthly royalty reports and payments for all copies sold.

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Here are the details that will help you get started:

• All works accepted for Kindle Worlds will be published by Amazon Publishing.
• Amazon Publishing will pay royalties to the rights holder for the World (we call them World Licensors) and to you. Your standard royalty rate for works of at least 10,000 words will be 35% of net revenue.
• In addition, with the launch of Kindle Worlds, Amazon Publishing will pilot an experimental new program for particularly short works (between 5,000 and 10,000 words). For these short stories—typically priced under one dollar—Amazon will pay the royalties for the World Licensor and will pay authors a digital royalty of 20% of net revenue. The lower royalty for these shorter works is due to significantly higher fixed costs per digital copy (for example, credit-card fees) when prices for the entire class of content will likely be under one dollar.
• As with all titles from Amazon Publishing, Kindle Worlds will base net revenue off of customer sales price—rather than the lower industry standard of wholesale price—and royalties will be paid monthly.
• Amazon Publishing will acquire all rights to your new stories, including global publication rights, for the term of copyright.

Prachi Gupta from Salon.com

“Through these licenses, or “Worlds,” as Amazon has named them, approved fan fiction pitches will be published by Amazon Publishing, who will pay royalties to the rights holders and the writers. Works of at least 10,000 words will yield 35 percent of net revenue, while stories ranging between 5,000 and 10,000 words will yield 20 percent of net revenue. Titles will go on sale in the Kindle store, priced between $0.99 and $3.99. A note of caution to writers, however: Amazon will retain the copyright to the text.”

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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

Please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 760 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.

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50 Biggest Publishers in the World in 2012

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UK Publishing Pearson was already the world’s biggest publisher before they joined with Penguin-Random House (Bertelsmann Group, Germany). Seeing their revenues, one might wonder why they pay their authors such lousy royalties…

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Rank (2011)	Rank (2010)	Publishing Company (Group or Division)	Country	Mother Corp. or Owner	Country Mother Corp.	2011 Revenue in $M	2010 Revenues in $M
1	1	Pearson	U.K.	Pearson	U.K.	$8,411	$8,097
2	2	Reed Elsevier	U.K./NL/U.S.	Reed Elsevier Corp.	U.K./NL/U.S.	$5,686	$7,149
3	3	Thomson Reuters	U.S.	The Woodbridge Company Ltd.	Canada	$5,435	$5,637
4	4	Wolters Kluwer	NL	Wolters Kluwer	NL	$4,360	$4,719
5	6	Hachette Livre	France	Lagardère	France	$2,649	$2,873
6	8	Grupo Planeta	Spain	Grupo Planeta	Spain	$2,304	$2,427
7	7	McGraw-Hill Education	U.S.	The McGraw-Hill Companies	U.S.	$2,292	$2,433
8	5	Random House	Germany	Bertelsmann AG	Germany	$2,274	$3,844
9	11	Holtzbrinck	Germany	Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck	Germany	$1,952	$1,512
10	10	Scholastic (corp.)	U.S.	Scholastic	U.S.	$1,906	$1,912
11	9	Cengage Learning	U.S.	Apax Partners et al.	U.S./Canada	$1,876	$2,007
12	13	Wiley	U.S.	Wiley	U.S.	$1,743	$1,699
13	12	De Agostini Editore	Italy	Gruppo De Agostini	Italy	$1,724	$1,843
14	15	Shueisha	Japan	Hitotsubashi Group	Japan	$1,714	$1,597
15	16	Kodansha	Japan	Kodansha	Japan	$1,551	$1,498
16	17	Shogakukan	Japan	Hitotsubashi Group	Japan	$1,444	$1,441
17	33	Readers’ Digest	U.S.	RDA Holding Co.	U.S.	$1,438	$1,460
18	14	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt	U.S.	Education Media and Publishing Group Limited	U.S./Cayman Islands	$1,295	$1,673
19	19	Springer Science and Business Media	Germany	EQT and GIC Investors	Sweden, Singapore	$1,138	$1,149
20	18	HarperCollins	U.S.	News Corporation	U.S.	$1,100 (est.)	$1,269
21	20	Informa	U.K.	Informa plc	U.K.	$1,069	$1,039
22	21	Gakken	Japan	Gakken Co. Ltd.	Japan	$1,043	$956
23	22	Oxford University Press	U.K.	Oxford University	U.K.	$1,004	$941
24	24	Grupo Santillana	Spain	PRISA	Spain	$936	$852
25	23	Bonnier	Sweden	The Bonnier Group	Sweden	$909	$927
26	26	Kadokawa Publishing	Japan	Kadokawa Holdings Inc.	Japan	$904	$794
27	27	Simon & Schuster	U.S.	CBS	U.S.	$787	$791
28	28	Egmont Group	Denmark/ Norway	Egmont International Holding A/S	Denmark	$703	$792
29	29	Woongjin ThinkBig	Korea	Woongjin Holding	Korea	$685	$723
30	25	RCS Libri	Italy	RCS Media Group	Italy	$667	$805
31	31	Klett	Germany	Klett Gruppe	Germany	$594	$617
32	32	Cornelsen	Germany	Cornelsen	Germany	$558	$584
33	34	Mondadori	Italy	The Mondadori Group	Italy	$506	$549
34	35	GeMS – Gruppo editoriale Mauri Spagnol	Italy	Messagerie Italiane	Italy	$494	$525
35	39	Lefebvre Sarrut	France	Frojal	France	$467	$430
36	36	Harlequin	Canada	Torstar Corp.	Canada	$450	$468
37	37	Sanoma	Finland	Sanoma WSOY	Finland	$446	$464
37	40	China Education and Media Group (form. Higher Education Press)	China (PR)	China Education and Media Group	China (PR)	$445	$393
39	38	Media Participations	France	Media Participations	Belgium	$442	$434
40	46	Abril Educação	Brazil	Abril Group	Brazil	$411	$308
41	47	Perseus	U.S.	Perseus	U.S.	$350	$300
42	43	Westermann Verlagsgruppe	Germany	Medien Union (Rheinland-Pfalz Gruppe)	Germany	$339	$342
43	41	La Martinière Groupe	France	La Martinière Groupe	France	$335	$377
44	44	Bungeishunju	Japan	n.a.	Japan	$331	$337
45	55	AST	Russia	Privately owned	Russia	$330	$215
46	45	Groupe Gallimard	France	Madrigall	France	$329	$320
47	42	Shinchosha	Japan	n.a. (privately owned)	Japan	$319	$364
48	49	Kyowon	Korea	Kyowon	Korea	$298	$273
49	48	Weka	Germany	Weka Firmengruppe	Germany	$282	$277
50	52	Saraiva	Brazil	Saraiva	Brazil	$267	$249

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For the latest news about the publishing giants check out Publishers Weekly Financial.

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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 720 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.

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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:  

http://www.amazon.com/Rewrite-Redemption-ebook/dp/B00B6GT4H2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rewrite-Redemption-ebook/dp/B00B6GT4H2

• 388 pages  $3.99 Kindle Purchase
• Borrow this book for FREE on Kindle
• 58 x 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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Amazon acquires Goodreads

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Boon or Bust for Small Publishers?

Just dreaming of a quiet Easter, when one after the other news message comes in:

Marketingpilgrim.com
“Goodreads now has 16 million members and a book rating and reviewing system that can’t be beat. In addition, there are genre specific social groups, groups for writers and hundreds of daily book giveaways. “Over just the past 90 days, members have added more than four books per second to the “want to read” shelves on Goodreads.”
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Amazon explains:
“Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading,” said Russ Grandinetti, Amazon Vice President, Kindle Content. “Goodreads has helped change how we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon has helped expand reading around the world. In addition, both Amazon and Goodreads have helped thousands of authors reach a wider audience and make a better living at their craft. Together we intend to build many new ways to delight readers and authors alike.”
Goodreads says: 
“Our members have been asking us to bring the Goodreads experience to an e-reader for a long time. Now we’re looking forward to bringing Goodreads to the most popular e-reader in the world, Kindle, and further reinventing what reading can be.”

New York Daily News Blog writes:

Amazon now owns both Audiobook retailer Audible and Goodreads, as well as its own robust publishing arm. This should improve the Seattle-based giant’s position against competitors, which lack their own supporting social media networks. Barnes & Noble, in particular, is set for challenging times, with Nook sales are set to suffer even further.

“Out of all the commenting about books, Goodreads was the most powerful ecosystem for recommending what you read next and Amazon was a close second. Now it’s just Amazon… With the collapse of the Nook, [Barnes & Noble have] lost the online game and we just have to count out the final steps,” said Thad MacIlroy, a Vancouver-based publishing consultant, in an interview with Digital Book World.

Salon.com author Andrew Leonard writes:  “A shudder went through the entire world of publishing Thursday afternoon, after Amazon announced the purchase of the social reader site Goodreads. When people who normally eschew Hitler analogies compare an Amazon move to the Nazi invasion of Poland, it’s time to pay attention. Or as author Alex Irvine immediately tweeted,“Next, publishers will be required to dig own graves.  Goodreads, according to Salon’s own publishing maven, Laura Miller, “was the single major readers’ community independent of Amazon.” But maintaining that independence has not been easy.”

And now, they have been acquired by Amazon… More in news:

Exiting news about Goodreads

An emotional day for the co-founders of Goodreads
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