Did You Use Fiverr Already?

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Big corporations do it – and so can you as a small publisher: out-sourcing tasks to one of th many freelancers. I am sure you have heard or maybe even used Fiverr already.  With several hundred-thousand active listings on the Fiverr site you might find a quick and inexpensive fix for many challenges in self-publishing, website and computer issues and even graphic design jobs. For me, it turned to be a great help for the tiny amount of $5 that I spent on each small gig, ordered at Fiverr. This now 3-year old global online marketplace is offering tasks and services, referred to as ‘gigs’ and micro-jobs, beginning at a cost of $5 per job.

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Fiverr originally started out as a new and very unique concept. There were only these well-known large freelancer sites, such as Elance, Guru and Freelancer in the past.  Fiverr brought in a refreshing change with its flurry of practical micro tasks like CSS micro bugging, social marketing, resume revising and PowerPoint editing help. The site grew to the top 200 in the world since the beginning of 2013.
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Here are some samples of “I will”:

• Will place 40 Delicious, 40 Diigo and 40 StumpleUpon bookmarks for you website/video for $5

• Will write original and effective content up to 500 words for your website for $5

• Will tweet your product, services, or link to my 16,000+ twitter followers for $5

• Will translate any text from 50 to 200 words from English to Spanish and vice versa for $5

• Will draw a cartoon with your messages or sentences for $5

• Will post any message on my Facebook wall of 4,000 friends for $5

• Will convert ANY of your files from one format to another for $5

• Will edit, proofread and provide feedback on any document up to ten pages for $5

• Will audit your website design and usability from a DESIGNERS point of view for $5

• Will make a nice logo design for your business and deliver the LOGO within 3 days for $5

• Will do Performance Testing of your website for $5

• Will teach you how you can Set Up a Database in Excel for $5

• Will edit CSS for you for $5
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http://www.Fiverr.com is really easy to use, give it a try. Snippets from the Wall Street Journal: “Although buyers pay $5, sellers receive less than $4, after PayPal payment-processing and Fiverr fees, which is the primary way the site makes money. PayPal is the payment method and posting or finding a gig is free.  Fiverr.com, is a site that allows you to buy and sell (business) tasks for $5 and the site is a good match for this economy. Buyers are looking for cheap prices and sellers are often unemployed or underemployed, seeking freelance income. There is a bizarre joy to browsing the sometimes hilarious user-created content on the site.”

There are a lot more sites where you can find inexpensive and professional freelancers for all kind of jobs, also not for $5.00. 

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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.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

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

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How I Survived – Gloria Gaynor Might Publish Your Story

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Gloria Gaynor

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Famous singer Gloria Gaynor wrote her story of a life-altering accident in a recent Huffington-Post online article:
“The “Queen is dead,” was the report rumored to be circulating around my record company. A few weeks before, I had fallen on stage, jumped back up, and continued my show, including the rigorous choreography. I went out to breakfast after the show, gone home and off to bed. The next morning I felt refreshed. But then I reached for the phone to call my boyfriend and could not turn completely over. I tried to turn over again and felt an excruciating pain that hit me in my back … “. Read the whole story on Huffington Post.
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However, Gloria Gaynor (born Gloria Fowles on September 7, 1949 in Newark, New Jersey) is not only a great singer, but also writes. She will publish a book with real-life stories that read like fiction – maybe your story too:

Have you survived an illness, personal tragedy, abusive relationship, financial ruin, or other life experience that brought you to your knees?  Did the disco-era song “I Will Survive,” by Grammy Award-winning songstress Gloria Gaynor, inspire you to rise and thrive?
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If so, we’d love to share your story in a new book of personal narrative essays that tell the story of how you survived the experience and how the song influenced your life. We’re looking for real-life stories that read like fiction—similar to the stories in the “Cup of Comfort” book series, compiled and edited by Colleen Sell.

The book will include 50 stories of 1,000-2,000 words each. For each essay selected for publication in the book, the author will receive $75, a complimentary copy of the book signed by Gloria Gaynor, and a signed photo of Ms. Gaynor. Well, it’s not a big money maker, but it could be satisfying to write your story and maybe see it in a celebrity book. Start for a freelancing career? Who knows. Listen to her music on YouTube.

Submit by April 30, 2013
E-mail: glolo2004@me.com
or susancarswell@aol.com/

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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.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Improve Your Amazon Page, Sell More Books

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One of the greatest benefits of selling your e-book or paper book at Amazon (or Barnes & Noble) is the space they provide you to “advertise” your work.  If you are a savvy author, take advantage of this marvelous opportunity and insert as much information about your writing and yourself as you can.

Look at it from the standpoint of a reader; which e-book or book would you buy: The one that shows just a boring cover, name of the author, and a very short introduction to the book – or the one that:

• has a beautiful cover
• an all-embracing editorial review
• an authors bio with a portrait on the author page
• lots of customer reviews

So, what can you do to improve your appearance on Amazon and improve book sales? A lot indeed! Starting with the book price to earn the maximum:

• an appealing cover
• lengthy editorial review
• a marvelous author’s bio
• lots of customer reviews from readers, fellow authors and journalists that are writing for newspapers book review articles

1. APPEALING COVER

Rule # 1 for your book cover at Amazon is NEVER to use a white background! White on white is barely visible and your book will not stick out, especially when you chose to have the text in black. Your book cover should be:

• be aesthetically appealing
• appeal to the book’s intended audience
• represent the book’s content

• use a clean, readable font
• use bold or complementary colors
• use light on dark for dramatic effects
• visit a bookstore to research book cover designs

And most important:
Test the cover in thumbnail size to make sure it looks good at Amazon’s website!

If your funds are too limited to hire a cover artist try this for an appealing book cover: Use software, such as bookcoverpro,  if you are computer-savvy and creative / artsy or hire a professional at Freelancer  or Elance  or just get in touch with your local colleges’ graphic design class to find a young and eager cover artist. Lots of free photographs and graphics can be found at “111Tips to Create Your Book Trailer“.

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More about editorial reviews, author page, customer reviews getting more visitors to your Amazon page in my next blog. Stay tuned!

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts (there are more than 560 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, 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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Read This: Open Letters To “Content Mills”

Just found on the Internet:: Open letters to media job boards everywhere

Laura Roberts writes: Here is the text of an email I just sent to Media Job Search Canada, and which I have forwarded to MediaBistro. It can equally well apply to any media job boards everywhere that uphold this offensive policy of posting scam “jobs” meant to trick and/or entrap young, inexperienced writers:

“Dear Media Job Search Canada
As a hard-working freelance writer, I’d like to make a suggestion for your media job-posting site: Don’t post ads from “pay-per-click” sites like Suite101!  To me, this is not a job. It is insulting to see these types of scam ads on media-friendly, media-focused job boards, as the “pay” depends on the writer’s constantly pimping links to friends, family and random strangers. You are only “paid” when you reach a certain number of views on your articles, and for most writers on the site, places like Suite101 never pay out. Period. How do I know this? I “worked” for them, and have never received a paycheck for any of the articles I wrote for their site.

This is not a job, it is a scam. To post ads from scammers like these demeans all media job-seekers, and suggests that we are not worth paying for our efforts. We ARE worth paying, and I would really like this ad—and others like it—banned from your site.”

My fellow writers, please do not apply for these types of “jobs.” They are not jobs, they are scams. Even if you are just starting out, you are a professional writer, and professional writers deserve payment for their work. If you must write on spec or for free in order to achieve clips for your portfolio, do it for a reputable company, one whose work you have read and admire. There are plenty of great magazines that are run by unpaid volunteers, and I would much rather see my friends and fellow freelancers contributing to these types of endeavours than getting scammed by scumbags like Suite101 and their ilk.

P.S. To clarify, I do respect MediaBistro as an authority on media jobs, which is why I find it puzzling that they, too, are posting “jobs” from people like Suite101. Suite101 is perpetually “seeking writers.” Is it any wonder, given their lack of payment?  Also, if you’d like more comments/info on Suite101, WritersWeekly has a forum full of comments and complaints about them.”

Read more about this and view all the interesting comments ….
http://buttontapper.com/2009/09/17/an-open-letter-to-media-job-boards-everywhere/

Or this one from another author:
“First, for the pitiful pay they offer, they take ALL rights: “…with Demand Media being deemed the sole author of the contribution and the owner of all rights…”  That’s right.  You write it, you sell it to them, and you earn nothing more after the initial low fee, even if they syndicate it and sell it over and over again.  They can edit it, remove your name, and more.  Theirs is a work-for-hire contract. Let me tell you folks…$5 to $20 for all rights is, in our opinion, downright insulting, especially since resources and references must be cited, a free graphic must be chosen and included….”
http://www.writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/005650_10142009.html

Or this one:
Dear Mr. XYZ Startup,
Thank you for finally getting back to me, but I can’t live on “impact” and “possibly fame,” neither of which pays any bills. It is my opinion that if you can’t afford to pay the writers who will create content for your site, you shouldn’t start a business at all on the Internet. Professional writers need to be paid a professional rate for their work, just like any other skilled profession, such as doctors or dentists.
DeAnn Rossetti
Freelance Writer/Reporter
27 years of award-winning copy
http://writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/007138_01112012.html

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Freelance Writing

Here are 8 possibilities to offer your freelance articles.

Check out their previous editions and study carefully submission guidelines before pitching a story. 

COUNTRY BUSINESS
http://www.country-business.com/magazine/submissions.aspx

Note the editorial calendar. Readers find useful tips and articles that pertain to any retail operation–everything from marketing and display ideas to finance and legal matters.

 

SALVO
http://www.salvomag.com/new/mag/subguides.php
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Salvo publishes an eclectic range of articles in the areas of sex, science, and society. What distinguishes our content is its systematic deconstruction of false ideologies, philosophies,
and worldviews. Articles should be well-researched and logically sound, as well as somewhat timeless in subject matter. Salvo is intended as a permanent resource; thus, articles that are overly tied to current events will be rejected. Articles should be no less than 600 words and no more than 2,500. Pays 20 cents/word.

 

SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH
http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/about/submission-guidelines.html

Spirituality & Health is a nondenominational bi-monthly magazine that reports on the people, practices, and ideas of the spiritual renaissance in contemporary society and their impact on personal and community well-being. It provides readers with practices to aid them in their own spiritual formation and strives for journalistic objectivity in the presentation of stories about specific religions and denominations. Features may run from 800 to 2,500 words.
We do not accept fiction, poetry, or music submissions. Pays $300 to $1,000 for features and up to $200 for briefs.

SPORTING CLASSICS
http://www.sportingclassics.com/contact

Hunting, advice, true-life adventure, and equipment about sport hunting. Also accepts fiction and art with hunting themes. Pays up to $800 for fiction up to 3,000 words and articles up to 2,500 words. Departments are 800 to 1,200 words and pay $250 to $750. Photos pay extra.

HERIZONS
http://www.herizons.ca/contribute

Payment is made in Canadian funds upon publication. Articles in Herizons are licensed for first time North American rights @ .20 cents/word with an additional .5 cents/word for non-exclusive subsidiary rights, including the right to transfer articles to CD rom for educational/academic libraries and/or secure on-line database services. Herizons’ audience is a feminist readership.

BREATHE
http://www.readbreathe.com/contributors-guidelines/

We’re looking for content that’s both informative and entertaining for active women who value a healthy lifestyle. A “healthy lifestyle” encompasses everything from how we treat our minds and bodies (nutrition, fitness, health, beauty) to how we treat our planet (green living, social responsibility, eco-friendly products and practices). Our features vary in length from 800-2,500 words.

SECOND STORY PRESS
http://secondstorypress.ca/submissions

We are a Canadian feminist press publishing books of special interest to women. Our list is a mix of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books. We look for manuscripts dealing with the many diverse and varied aspects of the lives of girls and women.

COLLCA
http://collca.com/index.php

Collca is an electronic publisher specialising in bite-size ebooks and apps for the Apple iOS devices – iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. We’re also starting to expand our electronic publishing program beyond apps for iOS devices.  In particular, we’d like to hear from authors who could write bite-size non-fiction ebooks on almost any subject, well-structured, contain around 10,000-15,000 words and written for the general public rather than for experts. Pictures and diagrams are desirable but not essential.

Excerpt from www.fundsforwriters.com 

Subscribe to their newsletter and you will find regularly tips about freelance writing.

 

Appealing Book Cover

Or: How to Sell More Books

Rule # 1 for your book cover at Amazon is NEVER to use a white background! White on white is barely visible and your book will not stick out, especially when you chose to have the text in black.  Your book cover should be:

– be aesthetically appealing
– appeal to the book’s intended audience
– represent the book’s contents

Furthermore:
– use a clean, readable font
– use bold or complementary colors
– use light on dark for dramatic effects
– visit a bookstore to research book cover designs
– test the cover in thumbnail size to make sure it looks good at Amazon’s website

 

 
 

An appealing book cover can be done through the use software, such as bookcoverpro, if you are computer-savvy and creative / artsy or hire a professional at Freelancer http://www.freelancer.com/ or Elance http://www.elance.com/ or just get in touch with your local college / graphic design class to find a young and eager cover artist.