The Cost of Exclusivity

A Guest Post by Author Karen Baney

Kindle Direct Publishing’s Select program was announced by Amazon just a little over a year ago as a tool for authors to give away free books and earn a royalty on book lending through Amazon Prime.  Authors flocked to the program as rumors of insane eBook sales success circulated.  Everything was great until Amazon changed their algorithms, no longer giving equal weight to free books.

The biggest kicker in the whole KDP Select phenomenon was a clause that requires the eBook to be exclusively available on Amazon for ninety days.  Since many authors still swear that KDP Select is working for them, I thought it might be fun to present some interesting facts and figures related to the cost of exclusivity.

eBook Market Share

Amazon is not the only eBook retailer out there.  In Jan. 2013, Kobo rose to capture 20% of the global eReader market (1).  Amazon only had 51% of eBook market share in the US as of Mar. 2012 and less than 19% globally (2).  For the same time period, Apple (through iTunes and iBooks) held 24% of global eBook market share (2).  What does this mean for the exclusive KDP Select author?

Exclusivity limits your reach and growth potential on a global scale.  For the KDP Select author, at best, you can only hope to reach 51% of the US and 19% of the global market, or whatever Amazon’s current market share is.  By going exclusive, you’re betting on Amazon’s ability to dominate a market that they are currently not dominating on the global scale.

No Sales with Other Retailers

Many authors pulled books from Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and more in order to go exclusive with KDP Select.  Their number one excuse is that they weren’t selling well with other retailers.

Let’s, step back for a minute and ask a few bigger questions.  Were they selling anything significant on Amazon at that point?  Were they advertising for each retailer instead of always posting links to the Kindle version of their books? 

It’s hard to know for certain without running a survey, but in my opinion based on talking to a number of authors over the last few years, chances are they were not advertising at all.  If they were advertising, they were strictly directing users to their own website or Amazon.  They probably had some sales at Amazon, but hadn't really put in the effort to grow sales with other retailers.

Exclusivity limits your income potential.  As of Jan. 2013, 27% of my royalties (over $1,500) comes from Barnes & Noble sales.  After I left KDP Select in May 2012 (except for the first 90 days of new releases), I began deliberately building Nook sales by:

1. Setting the first book in my 4 book series to free on all retailers.

2. Tweeting specifically for the Nook market with direct links to the Nook version on Barnes & Noble.

The results were dismal at first, partly because of the summer sales slowdown and partly because I had to build an audience from scratch again.  In September 2012, things started to pick up.  B&N became about 5 – 10% of my royalty income, even as Kindle continued to grow.  By Jan. 2013, I was completely blown away that during the height of the eBook sales season, B&N made up 27% of my income.  That’s a nice enough check that I would not have made if I were exclusive with KDP Select.

My point?  It takes both time and targeted marketing for a specific retailer in order to build sales.  Without both, your book doesn't stand a chance.  With both, you might start to see some numbers you like.

Consider the Cost

I hope this gives you some solid ideas about the cost of going exclusive with Amazon on KDP Select.  Consider all the factors for your marketing plan.  Perhaps it is time to leave exclusivity behind.

Learn more about pricing, distribution, and the other keys to eBook marketing success in Karen’s new book for authors, 10 Keys to eBook Marketing Success. Now available on Amazon.

Best-selling self-published author, Karen Baney, enjoys sharing information to help authors learn about the Business of Writing.  She holds a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University and has worked in various business related career fields for the past 20 years.  She writes Christian Historical Fiction and Contemporary Romance novels.  To learn more about her novels visit her website:  karenbaney.com.  Authors can find tips and information on self-publishing and marketing at:  www.myauthorservices.com.

Connect with Karen on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Sources:

(1) http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/devices/article/55537-kobo-has-strong-december.html

(2) http://www.myauthorservices.com/retailer-market-share/

_____________________________________________________________________

And here's our year of book marketing update:

Day 49

“Know yourself.  Be yourself.  Stop whining.”

~ Susan DiMickele

This kind of goes back to our quote from Zig Ziglar a few days back. Mindset is important. Know who you are – as an author, a marketer, a person. Be that person. Don’t try to be John Kremer. Don’t try to be E.L. James. Be yourself – and don’t whine about it. It sounds pretty straight forward, but it’s easy to fall into a comparison trap and compare your book sales to that of another author. Or to expect the same results from a promotion that someone else got. Each book and each author are different. My mailing list is different from yours, and your Twitter following is different than mine. The reason this book doesn't include a pre-built marketing plan is because each book and author is different.

Don’t try to be, or expect to be, somebody else. Just be you, and be happy about it.

Marketing prompt:

Look over your list of marketing strengths – the things that you are doing well. Not everyone’s list will be the same. Focus on improving on something you’re already doing well today.

Days to go: 316

Optimizing Amazon

“For true success ask yourself these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now?”

~ James Allen

I’m not really sure where I first heard the above quote by James Allen, and I’m not sure he was talking about marketing – but it fits. Why are you marketing your book? Why not? Why shouldn’t you be the one to do it? Why not work on it right now? The answers are simple. You should market your book so that people can read it. There isn’t any reason that you shouldn’t market it. There is no one better than you to market your book. And there’s no time like the present. To quote Nike – “Just do it!”

Marketing prompt:

Today's marketing prompt is to optimize your Amazon experience.

My friend and colleague, Shelley Hitz published a new book back in October entitled, “Marketing Your Book on Amazon.” The book was an instant success, and now has been added as a valuable bonus to her “Amazon for Authors” course that she sells on Self-Publishing-Coach.com. Here’s a little bit about the book:

“Marketing Your Book On Amazon” will help you optimize your book sales page, choose the best book categories and more – setting up a solid foundation for all your marketing efforts. Follow the steps in this book to set up your book for success.

Not only will you get all the content within this Kindle book, but you will also get access to a 27 minute bonus video Shelley recorded for you.  She wants you to be successful in your book marketing efforts and so in this video, she shows you on her computer screen exactly how she optimizes her books on Amazon after publication.

Here’s some of the praise that her book has received so far:

“I’m a self-published author who has sold tens of thousands of books on Amazon.com. I only wish I has access to Shelley Hitz’s book, “Marketing Your Book On Amazon” years ago. In it, Shelley shares many tips I had to figure out my self through trial and error; she also shares tips new to me that will help me going forward...”

- Tony Eldridge, Author of The Samson Effect, The Lottery Ticket, and Conducting Effective Twitter Contests, Blog.MarketingTipsforAuthors.com

 - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

“Marketing Your Book with Amazon is the simplest guide for using Amazon’s powerful marketing systems to sell more books. I can guarantee that even if you’ve published a multitude of books and have them listed on Amazon, you’re missing at least one (or like me, five or six) key components to sell more books and make Amazon do the work for you...”

- Kristen Eckstein, International award-winning speaker and two-time best-selling author, UltimateBookCoach.com

This book normally sells for $6.99 on it’s own, but is absolutely free when you purchase “Amazon for Authors” along with some other great bonuses: 

You can purchase "Marketing Your Book On Amazon" directly from Amazon.com here

or, get the whole kit and caboodle by ordering "Amazon for Authors" here

Days to go: 317

Defensive Marketing

“To defend what you’ve written is a sign that you are alive.”

~ William Zinsser, WD

I don’t know if you’ve ever gotten a bad review for your book, but they do happen. It can be tempting to want to respond to the review and defend yourself and your work – but that’s usually not a good idea. On the flip side, all of book marketing should be considered defending your book. Why is your book worth reading?

If someone said that your book wasn’t as valuable as another book in your niche, or the writing style was different then so and so’s. How would you defend your book?

What would you say to them?

How would you respond?

Marketing prompt:

Write a blog post telling people why your book is worth reading. Defend it against unknown rebuttals if possible.

Days to go: 328 

Permission Marketing

“...one way to sell a consumer something in the future is simply to get his or her permission in advance.”

~ Seth Godin

Seth Godin is the author of “Permission Marketing.” He recommends earning the right to tell your readers about your book, by simply engaging with them first. It’s based on that whole relationship thing that I keep coming back to. Here are the four steps he outlines in his book:

1. Make sure every marketing effort is something that encourages your audience to respond to you – and then respond back to them (build relationships through marketing).
2. Keep a record of people who you are building relationships with and market to these people.
3. Make sure that you are intelligent when talking about your book. Don’t just speak without having something to say. Have a planned out marketing response for when people ask you about your book.
4. Use your book to deepen the relationship you have with your readers. You met them online, they bought your book, let your book invite them into a deeper relationship, not be the end-all.

Marketing prompt:

If you don’t already have a mailing list, start building one now. This is a good way to keep a record of people you are building relationships with. Don’t spam this list, just use it to communicate with them.

Days to go: 339

P.S. My birthday giveaway is open until January 29th, so if you haven't already entered, make sure you check it out: http://authorheatherhart.blogspot.com/2013/01/Birthday-Giveaway.html

Everyone Loves Free Stuff

Guess what? It's my birthday!!! In honor of my birthday, I wanted to give one of you a present. So besides the book launch giveaway that's still going on (you can find that here), I'm hosting a separate giveaway today :) In order to enter, all you have to do is comment on this post with a marketing tip or prompt - who knows, you might even be quoted in part 2 of "A Year of Book Marketing"... Speaking of which here's today's entry:

“Don’t be an expert, be a filter.”

~ Penny Sansevieri

Being an expert in your niche will help you sell books. But one thing that is needed more than another expert, is someone to filter all of the experts that are already out there. Most authors don’t realize it, but promoting other authors in their niche, is a great marketing tactic. Do you write fiction novels? Write what you like about another author’s book(s). Do you write non-fiction? Let your readers know what you’re reading, or what books you would recommend.

Besides providing your readers a filter, promoting other authors in your niche is also a great networking opportunity. Let them know that you've reviewed their book, or that you’re promoting it and ask if they have anything they would like you to include – they might just decide to return the favor.

Marketing prompt:

Write a book review of a book similar to yours for your blog – remember the golden rule. If you don’t want that author to turn around and say the same thing about you, don’t say it about them.

Days to go: 342 

And of course, here's the free stuff I mentioned:

I don't know what genre you write in, but I'm currently looking for people to review my book. If you already have a copy of my book, I'd love it if you could take a moment to review it in one or more of the following places:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AVGUSVO/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/270291

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17201693-a-year-of-book-marketing-part-1

If you don't have a copy, but would like to review it for me please send me an e-mail at: authorassistant@hotmail.com and I'll get a review copy to you. Note: to get a free review copy, you must agree to post a review on both your blog and one or more of the above places within 1 month.

My Birthday Giveaway:

Comment below with a book marketing tip or prompt to be entered to win a FREE book marketing plan package. Here's what's included:

• Building a Book Marketing Plan Report
• Book Marketing Profile Template
• Book Marketing Tracking Sheet
• Marketing Checklist
• And a Mini Book Launch Report

Entry requirements:

You must first comment with a book marketing tip or prompt in the comments section of this blog - this is a required entry to win. By commenting you grant me the right to use your comment in the second half of my book if I choose to do so.

For additional entries:

• Share about this giveaway on Facebook
• Share about this giveaway on Twitter
• Write a blog post about this giveaway 
• Write a blog post about "A Year of Book Marketing - Part 1" and link back to the launch page.

All entries must be left in separate comments with the links to the posts to be counted, and the will only count if you have submitted the required entry of a marketing tip or prompt. Giveaway open until 1/29/13.

*Make sure to leave an e-mail address or check back next Wednesday to see if you've won.

Save BIG on Books During This Christmas Book Sale

Are you looking for books about writing or marketing?

Maybe you would just like to load up on some novels?

Perhaps, you are more into self-help books - well, no matter what your into, the Christmas Book Sale going on now has something for you. 

With over 60 books to choose from racking up $200 in savings, you won't want to miss this sale. 

Now through the 15^th, authors from all different walks and genres have pooled together to offer readers free and reduced price books.

My book, "Book Marketing 101" is included, and you can get it for FREE by visiting the Christmas Book Sale page at: http://bit.ly/ChristmasBookSale

Not only can you save BIG during this sale, but we’re also giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky reader. 

If you like to read, this is one sale you won’t want to miss. So head on over and check it out at: http://bit.ly/ChristmasBookSale

My New Favorite Author

Anyone who really knows me, knows that for as long as I have had a favorite author, it has been Lori Wick. Her books have always amazed me, and after reading every single one of them (at least a dozen times), instead of picking up new authors, I would simply re-read them all over again. The first book I ever read by her I picked up at Wal-mart at random one day. The cover drew me in, and while up until that point in my life I had hated reading, I couldn't help but make the purchase. Part of it was the price, part the cover, and part the back cover description, but it all worked together and I brought it home and loved it. After finishing it I immediately started building my collection of her books. The ones that I couldn't find at Wal-mart I borrowed from the library and stopped at Borders to purchase one each time I was in the city (this was back when I lived in the boonies). In my college writing class I even did my author presentation on her. Her writing greatly influenced my own desire to be a writer (my favorite book is Pretense), and I learned a lot from her. But last year I decided admitted that it was turning into an obsession and that the best thing to do was to set myself free. I donated my entire collection of her books to our church garage sale and have both regretted it and been thankful ever since. Her stories are forever etched in my heart and I have been debating re-building that collection as I genuinely miss her books.

The best part of her books isn't the way she tactfully writes about romance - in fact, that was part of the reason I decided to give them away. Her stories are so well written that it's like you're falling in love instead of the characters in the books, and at the time I gave them away I felt that I needed to concentrate on loving my own husband, not fictional characters... But anyway! The best part of her books was that in each and every one of them, she led someone to Christ. She placed people in their lives that showed what true (but not perfect) faith looked like, and a genuine conversion took place. I loved it! She will forever be one of my favorite authors, but last month another author joined her on that list for the first time.

Jody Hedlund also write's historical Christian romance novels, but hers have an added bonus - they are based on real life people. While reading about Christians living out their faith, you get a history lesson at the same time. I've donned them "True Historical Fiction" novels and am so excited to have found them. I won "The Doctor's Lady" off of a blog and immersed myself in it for 24 hours (and somehow my family survived and I didn't lose my job), needless to say it was love at first book and ordered another one right away from Amazon, "The Preacher's Bride". Which arrived on Tuesday and when my internet went down on Wednesday I read through it. It was just as wonderful as "The Doctor's Lady" and I finished it in 10 hours (you can read my full review here). I kind of felt bad though... The author poured herself into this book for probably an entire year, and I finished it in less than half of a day. To her credit I couldn't put it down, but I still feel like I cheated her in someway.

It's like re-living the beginning days of reading Lori Wick's work all over again. Thankfully my Jody Hedlund obsession book collection won't cost me near as much as Lori Wick's books did as Mrs. Hedlund currently only has a few titles in print, but since I'm reading fiction again, I might start building back up my Wick collection as well - because let's face it, I do miss her books!





What about you? Do you have a favorite author? What makes their books your favorites?

Writing for Children: Book Review

I recently borrowed this book from my local library and am now convinced that it is something that anyone who is considering writing for children of any age should have. I was a bit skeptical at first because of the fact that it is published out of London and all of the pricing information is in euros instead of American dollars, but that is just such a small portion of this fabulous book. The author takes you through general guidelines, common mistakes and things to avoid, as well as giving you helpful tips so that you can successfully write and publish books for children (babies through teenage years) - fiction, non-fiction and poetry are all covered from idea to publication and marketing. I can't think of a single aspect of publishing books for children that was not covered.

I have been writing books for teenagers for years, and my first picture book is coming out later this year. This is definitely a book that I will be recommending to other authors. In fact, at the writer's conference I was at a few weeks back, I'm wishing that Margaret Clark had taught the class about writing for children/teens instead of the editor of Oncourse magazine. I would have gotten so much more out of it!

CCWC Recap:

I was blessed enough last week to attend two days of the Colorado Christian Writer's Conference - and I loved it! It's like Church camp for authors - it's great. Held in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the beautiful scenery and local wildlife provided a heavenly atmosphere for connecting with other Christian authors and learning to "Write His Answer."

While I definitely want to go again, it wasn't all roses. First, you have the fact that I am not social by nature. In fact, speaking to people I don't know makes my mouth dry out, and it gets a little hard to breathe - thus it's hard for people to understand me and I look like a complete idiot (not an intellectual author). This is why I prefer writing to speaking - it's easier for me. None the less, I made it through the conference only feeling like I might faint once, though I had to repeat myself several times to clarify what I was saying...

Due to a lack of available babysitter's, I missed quite a bit of the conference. But I enjoyed almost every single aspect of the parts that I was there for. Here's the recap:

• God really worked miracles. I walked in the front door of the conference hall to see the one and only person that I knew there - such a blessing! I don't know what I would have done without her kind and helpful spirit. 
• My first workshop was the "Secret to Marketing Your Message" by Rob Eagar (great speaker by the way). I already knew quite a bit about book marketing - I'm actually writing a book about it right now - so mostly I just had what I already knew reaffirmed. But I still really enjoyed this workshop.
• Next I had signed up for "Writing Fiction Children Want to Read" with Tony Bonds - but it was changed to "Writing for Teens" with Amber Weigand-Buckley... I missed that announcement, but I do write for teens, so I went with it - though I wish I hadn't. Because it was a last minute switch, I don't think that Amber prepared at all. She spent the entire time talking about her, and what she does, what she has written. It wasn't helpful at all. Maybe if you want to be just like her - but I don't. In fact, I disagreed with a lot of the things she encouraged us to do to be just like her. Teens don't need another peer - they need role models who understand them.
• My continuing session was also by Rob Eagar, and was titled "Marketing for the Promotionally Challenged Author." Once again, I already know quite a bit about book marketing - but I was able to see what a truly promotionally challenged author was, which  will help me update my book to be understandable by those authors.
• I missed Friday altogether. I was bummed.
• On Saturday my first workshop was "Drive 'Em to Your Site" with Megan Breedlove. It was my favorite workshop from the entire conference. Megan's website "Manna For Moms" has been the #1 Google search result for multiple categories for years. I can vouch for that because I found it several years ago when I was searching for devotions for Christian moms. I even had the opportunity to review her first book when it came out. Megan knows her stuff. I have been attempting to learn about SEO for months, but Megan explained it in a way that was relevant and easy to understand. I am now confident that I will be able to apply what I learned. My only complaint was that the workshop was so short. I'm hoping they give her a continuing session at next years conference!
• Megan took me to lunch after her fabulous workshop and introduced me to a few people. I didn't say much, but what I learned just listening to everyone else was amazing. Megan and one of the other women at the table spent a good 15-20 minutes talking about SEO, and it was fabulous! Did I mention that I would love to see a continuing session by Megan next year? This woman knows her stuff and has a heart for sharing that knowledge with others. She is such a blessing!
• My last workshop was "Silver or Dross" with Patricia Durgin. The goal was to learn to discover if ideas are from God. I really enjoyed this workshop - she walked us through several questions that we could ask to see where ideas are coming from. It was a very informal workshop, and she made each person part of it. 
• The conference (for me) came to an end with the closing session in the auditorium. I talked briefly with another author who is interested in writing for teen girls. I passed on information about our devotional product and invited her to write devotions for us if she was interested. 
• The closing session was centered in a wonderful blend of worship and prayer. The keynote speaker was Tim Shoemaker who shared his writing life testimony with more passion than I have ever seen from any public speaker. He was AMAZING. God is doing so much in and through him. I hope that I have the opportunity to hear him speak again.

The last day of the conference was quite a bit chilly and a heavy drizzle kept us all moist, but even the gloomy weather was unable to put a damper on what God was doing. My only regret was that I couldn't attend the entire conference, but I got so much out of what I was able to attend that I am eternally thankful. I'm praying that God will provide a way for me to attend the whole conference next year. 

Expand Your Reach

You've heard of the "Great Commission," right? After Jesus was ressurrected from the dead, and just before He ascended into heaven, He gave what we know as the "Great Commission." He commanded us to go into all of the world and share the good news of what He had done. Have you done that? Have you traveled the world preaching the good news to all creation? Probably not. Many of us would say that we aren't called to be missionaries, yet others would be quick to add that the "Great Commission" applies to us all. 

Take me for example, it is completely unreasonable to suggest that I go to Lebanon to share what Christ has done with the Muslims there. Even though my husbands parents were missionaries there, and he was actually born there, it would be pretty much impossible for us to go there now. You see, we have 4 small children, and the cost of getting there just isn't practical for us. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that there are lots of Christians that can relate to that. Which is what prompted this post. 

There is another way.

While I have never personally been outside of the connected United States of America, God has used me to touch the lives of people in Australia, Africa, Europe, and other countries. How? Through my writing ministry. And He can do the same with you. 

Christian author and speaker, Shelley Hitz, recently gave a seminar about self publishing books at Grace Christian Church in Sterling Heights, Michigan. I had the privilege of watching the video recording of the conference and all I can say is WOW! 

She pointed out that 80% of people say that they want to write a book someday, and then she went on to equip people to make that day today. The best part is that she did it all with Christ in mind. Suggesting that people pray about what God would want them to say in a book, and how they could use it to bring Him glory, because publishing a book allows you to go places that you would never be able to reach otherwise.  

Obviously, you don't have to go to a seminar to self publish a book, but I learned so much about self publishing through watching Shelley's seminar that I wanted to let you know about it. If you have ever said, "I want to write a book someday." I encourage you to check out Shelley's website, Self-Publishing-Coach.com (she has tons of free resources available there), download her eBook, Self Publishing Books 101, for free (or purchase a paperback copy from Amazon.com) and/or signing up to get your own copy of her latest seminar that was created with Christian authors in mind. 


Reaching the world for Christ through writing is my passion. It might not be yours, but I encourage you today to seek out creative ways that God might be calling you to preach the good news to all creation.

I'm linking up with Word-Filled Wednesday over at Internet Cafe Devotions. 

Check it out for more Word-Filled posts by visiting: http://internetcafedevotions.com/

A Review of: Got Print

I finally did it. I ordered my business cards that I have been wanting for a long time. My husband designed them for me last fall, we just never got around to doing anything with them. After doing some research online, I found Got Print. Got Print had some amazing reviews and it looked pretty promising. It was fairly cheap (okay, extremely cheap compared to the local Kinko's).

For 250 business cards, we paid right around $30, but almost half of that was shipping.

The time it took to receive the cards was exactly what they said it would be, which I wish I would have paid more attention to when ordering, as it was much longer than I had thought it would be.

However, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the final product. You see, Got Print offered a free online proof, or we could pay to have a physical proof mailed to our house. I went with the free online proof, which wasn't really a proof at all. I never saw what the final product would look like, so I was honestly still waiting for a proof to be sent to me via e-mail or something.

How it works:
Got Print has you upload your card to their site, and make sure that everything is right. They require a bleed, and expect you to center your card in one box and make sure that everything that you want on it is inside of that box. The next box out is the cut area. They cut between the first and second box... somewhere. So anything in that box may or may not end up on your card. Then the third and final box is for the bleed - just in case they cut all the way at the edge of the second box.

So what that means:
My card is off center. They cut as close as possible to the first box on the top and on the right side, but all the way to the edge of the second box on the bottom and left side. Leaving my design high and off center. That being said, there's nothing I can do about it as they did exactly what they said they would do.

In conclusion, I won't be reordering from them. If I ever need more cards (I say ever because 250 is a lot), then I will find a different company. If anyone is considering them, I highly recommend paying the extra money for the physical proof.

Facebook Timeline

Well, Authors, Facebook has changed yet again, and many of us are stuck not knowing what to do with the changes. Self Publishing Coach, Shelley Hitz walked her customers through the changes in a live webinar the day before the changes went through, and she is now offering that same training to us.

Her course "Get Your Facebook Page Done!" has been updated to include her most recent webinar on Timeline for Pages, along with the printable PDF report. Besides giving authors the knowledge we need to optimize our pages under the timeline format, she also provides tools that we can use to help come up with cover photos, app badges, and even to build an Amazon store right on our Facebook page to sell our books!

If you're an author that has yet to optimize the new features of the Facebook Timeline layout, you can't afford to pass on this offer. Head over to Shelley's site now and check it out now and Get Your Facebook Page Done!

You can check out the changes I made on my Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/heatherhartauthoreditor
(Please note that my cover photo is still being designed and the current one will be replace as soon as it's done)

The Christian Writer's Manual of Style - Oh Yeah!

Okay, I know that I'm a geek, but I finally got around to ordering my style manual - and I love it! I really ordered it because I couldn't get a definitive answer to a few style questions via Google search, and I needed (okay wanted) to know the right way. What were those two troubling things that cost me $20?

#1 - The correct way of writing "amen". This little word seems to be very troublesome to the Christian author. Each book I read seems to deal with it a different way, so I've been on a search for this answer for quite some time. I have my own way of doing it, which, come to find out, wasn't 100% correct - but that's why I bought the book! So what is the correct way? Is it capitalized? Not capitalized? Does it stand alone as it's own sentence, or does it need ...more? How about all of the above?

If you use "Amen!" as an interjection, it is capitalized and stands alone. If you are using it within a sentence, then there is no reason for it to be capitalized. The style guide shows the following as an example: "...in Jesus' name we pray, amen." Which I had come to believe was completely in correct. Funny, huh. I'm still a bit unsure of this, as 'amen' means "so be it" or "may it be so", thus I'm trying to decide if it would be proper to use a comma, or a semi-colon - as I have been doing - or maybe no punctuation between the two at all... -Thoughts?

#2 - Do you capitalize 'Him' and 'He' when referring to God? I know that I like to, but I'm not sure it's proper. And if it is, should I also be capitalizing 'You' when referring to God? ...As of yet I have not found the answer to that question addressed in this book. :( Do you by chance know the answer?

Even though those were the specific reasons that I ordered this book, I'm eager to read through it in it's entirety. :) I know, it sounds nerdy, but I find it fascinating! Sadly, while reading this book I have actually encountered a few typos... For a book like this, I was really disappointed by that. But I guess it just goes to show that no one is perfect. I think the biggest issue is that some of the words run together. Sometimes it's just like they forgot to put a space between the words, but other times the letters actually overlap, which makes me think it's more of a printing or formatting issue...

Authors and Amazon

The reviews on Amazon can be a great tool for authors. Good reviews can boost sales, and all of the reviews provide the author with feedback about their work. Thus, I review a lot of books. I love reading, and I love giving authors feedback on what they have written. Obviously, the funnest reviews to write are the ones the 5 star ones. Giving authors encouraging feedback simply makes me feel good. That being said, there are just some books that you can't put 5 stars on. Whether the author just really shouldn't be writing, or the message in the book was horrible, there are just reasons that keep you from adding up the stars. I'm sure you all understand.

I took some time last week to look back over the reviews that I have written on Amazon, and I noticed the way that I have grown during that time. Originally, if I found a horrible book, I wouldn't hold anything back, but just totally mock the work. - I'm so sorry! Now when I have to post a negative review, I still try to include some positive feedback in some way or another. And as I was pondering on  my review history, I wanted to put out some suggestions for authors in dealing with Amazon reviews.

#1 When someone takes the time to review your book, you should take the time return the favor and mark their review as helpful - even if the review was negative. Why? Because they took the time to review your book and give you feedback. Is there any truth to their comments? Did they say anything good at all? Why didn't they like your book? Can the answers to those questions help you while writing your next book?

#2 Resist the urge to comment on the reviews. If someone bashes your book, let it go. It will do nothing for you to write a rebuttal, and most likely someone who enjoyed your book will do that for you anyway.

#3 Take the time to review books for other authors, and always try to say at least one positive thing - remember that they might review your book in return. Some authors have suggested using different accounts to post reviews then the ones that they use to publish their books, but Amazon frowns on that and you can actually get banned if they catch you (so I wouldn't recommend it). You might consider only writing positive reviews, and knowing that if I book is bad, just not reviewing it, but I chose to speak the truth in love whenever possible - even if it means that I might get a negative review in return.

So there you have three suggestions for dealing with reviews on Amazon:
Return the favor
Resist the urge
and Take the time

Do you have any tips to add?

Hacked!

I had the horrible experience last week of having my e-mail hacked. I was rather surprised when I saw an e-mail from myself in another e-mail account that I have. Moreover that I was supposedly in London and begging for money so that I could get home. :( 


These things happen sometimes. But how do you handle that professionally? How do you reassure your clients that their information is safe, when obviously yours wasn't? I have no idea how they hacked my e-mail, I just know that someone did. 


Okay, all that being said, I wanted to have a little fun with this horrid experience. How? Because the hacker had very poor grammar! Here's the message:

Hello,      I'm sorry I didn't inform you about my traveling,I'm writing this with tears in my eyes as i write to you..My family and I came over here to London United Kingdom for a short vacation,Unfortunately my worst fears came true. As we  were headed back to the hotel, we were robbed buy a crazy man with a gun. He took our bags,  wallets, and phones. We have no credit cards or cash. Thankfully, we had left our passports in the  safe at the hotel We've been to the Embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in few hours from now but we're having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills. We just need ($1,500) so we can settle the hotel bills and fly back home..As soon as we get back home, I can repay you. If you can help, send me an email back, we have internet access from the  lobby in the hotel. I'm Sorry to bother you, I just didn't know .how else to contact you quickly. Am freaked out at the moment!! Thanks, Heather Okay, so anyone I correspond with regularly would know that this wasn't written by me. Honestly. #1 I don't even have a passport. There's no way I could be in London! But onto the actual writing of this message... The first thing I noticed was the spacing and punctuation is whack! No spaces after commas, but there are spaces after periods, double periods, random periods, double spaces, no spaces, and capital letters after commas... it makes me wince just reading it! The double use of the word write (and writing) there are so many better ways that I would have worded that! There is no flow there. London United Kingdom: okay, I already mentioned that I don't even have a passport, but who says "London United Kingdom"? Not me. I might say "London" or "The United Kingdom" but never "London United Kingdom" - especially not without a comma... "My worst fears came true": I'm sorry, being mugged is not my worst fear. I'm not saying that I would happily welcome a guy with a gun robbing my family, but I'm not living in fear of it happening. Just sayin'. Buy vs by: really?  P.S. I don't own a credit card, so it would be really hard for someone to steal one from me... Wait! Did I mention that I don't even own a passport?! How could it be in the safe if I don't have one? Um, I don't freak out easily. I have extreme faith in my God to provide. If that ever actually happened, I am confident that I would turn to Him. Finances are one of the things that just never freak me out, no matter how rough it gets, God makes a way. Oh, and I wouldn't contact random people on my e-mail list. I would contact my mom - that's it. :) My advice to this hacker? Get an editor. PLEASE! But wait! There's more! Message #2: Oh no...l know this sounds weird and you wouldn't believe me...Yes, am really stuck out here in the UK and it's so devastating at the moment i really need your help l wish l could cal but l don't have access to phone at the moment , I really need your help to get myself out of this mess. The hotel management has been kind to let have an access to a library to get across to anybody to help me since my luggage's was also taken away.Hope to hear from you soon.....I don't really have much time I'm in a Local Library right now please get ME out of here. This one just makes me laugh. Am I in the hotel lobby, or the public library? Aparently I'm not sure. Maybe the robber stole my brain along with my non-existant credit cards? Okay, but back to the original question. When things like this happen, how do you reassure your client base that everything is okay? I'd love to hear from you!

High Hopes

So many things are changing around here. Well, I guess things are always constantly changing, but I mean big things! It's kind of funny actually. A couple of weeks ago during a Bible study that I am doing with a friend, one of the things it talked about was setting goals. But you see, I'm not a goal setting person. Small goals, yes. Long term goals... not so much. I know that my goal is to finish my second devotional book by the end of this month, but 5 years from now? Who knows!

All that being said, I have a new goal - and it's a big one! It's one of those dreamy goals that people never actually put down because they never really see it as attainable. Are you ready for this? My goal is that within 5 years, my husband and I will be working together from home, doing what we love. Okay, that's the safe version, that I feel better typing out. The tough version is this: By the end of this year (God Willing), I will have established our business and be thriving!


Looking back over the past 12 months, God has done amazing things to lead me to this goal. In fact, if you would have asked me in February of last year if I thought I would ever make any real money working from home, I would have told you no. I did lots of volunteer work at that time, but had never received a pay check. It's crazy how quickly things change. Could I be back to nothing next year at this time? Maybe. But I have faith that this is God's will for my life, mainly because I never asked for it. My main prayer is that wherever God takes me on this journey, that I do it all for His glory... which reminds me. I reviewed a book about that on my other blog today. You should hop on over and check it out: http://servantwifemother.blogspot.com/

Before I head off in pursuit of my dreams, I have to do some planning: What will it take to reach my goals? What will have to be sacrificed vs. what will have to take priority over them? I have to have a game plan! More on that coming soon ;) For now, I'd love to hear about your goals or dreams that you have yet to turn into goals.

A Gift for You!

So, I don't have many faithful followers here yet, but I wanted to give a gift to those of you who do follow me. :)

Self Publishing Books 101 was released last week on Amazon, and today, I am giving away copies here on my blog. The best part? Anyone who wants one can have a copy! Simply go to Self Publishing Books 101, and download your copy.

I had the privilege of formatting this book, as well as writing the conclusion, so obviously I'm going recommend it highly. But I really do think that anyone who is new to the world of self publishing will find it beneficial.

Book Description:

Self publishing books has never been easier.  With the print on demand technology that is now available to us through companies like CreateSpace and Lulu, it has made the process of self publishing available to anyone and everyone.

However, there are certain steps to self publishing that you need to know.  I've been publishing books since 2008 and want to share what I've learned with you. In this eBook I cover everything from the different companies and costs, to copyright information and book design. So I invite you to come with me and take a walk through the step-by-step process to getting your book published. After all, if you can dream it, you can do it!

Download your copy now!

Self Publishing Books 101

P.S. If you do download a copy would you consider writing a review on Amazon?

eBook Formatting

After formatting "Unshackled and Free: True Stories of Forgiveness" last week, I am on formatting overload. It's great to be busy! I have picked up several new clients, and it's just a joy to meet so many new people.


I don't know if any of you were following me when I first started formatting eBooks, but I originally loathed it. It's funny how things turn out. Once I figured out what I was doing, and go a little practice, it's actually one of my favorite things to do. God definitely knew what He was doing when He told me I had to persevere through the learning process.  I have also been helping other authors learn that process themselves through one of my side jobs (Self Publishing Coach Support Services), so I can't imagine where I would be if I had thrown in the towel.

Did you ever have a job that you disliked, but came to enjoy? Or a story of perseverance that you could share with me? I'd love to hear from you!

P.S. I learned how to format eBooks from Shelley Hitz' "Get Your Kindle eBook Done!". If you want to learn, I highly recommend it. But then again, you could also just hire me to do it :)

Free on Kindle

I'm excited to share with you that the latest book project that I was privileged to help with as well as my devotional book for teen girls are BOTH free on Kindle today and tomorrow.

Unshackled and Free: True Stories of Forgiveness by CJ and Shelley Hitz was release earlier this week, and has already generated some amazing reviews. A follow up book to their best selling "Forgiveness Formula: Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ", "Unshackled and Free" is exactly what it says it is, true stories of forgiveness. Over 33 people came together to share their personal stories of forgiveness in this beautiful collection. From forgiving spouses and parents, to murderers and convicts, these stories of forgiveness will touch your soul, and point you down the road of true forgiveness.

I highly encourage you to head over today or tomorrow (March 7th and 8th) and get your free Kindle copy. But then again, I would also highly recommend purchasing a paperback copy just to keep on hand. Either way, I'm confident that this book will bless you.

And, while I'm promoting books, "Teen Devotionals... For Girls!" is free on Kindle today and tomorrow as well. This is your last chance to get a free copy, as we won't be renewing our contract with KDP select - the program that allows us to give it away for free on specific days.  

~On a side note, I'm hoping to have Teen Devotionals...For Girls! Vol. 2 ready for publication by the end of this month (God willing), so keep your eyes out!

Publishing Terms 101

I wanted to take a moment to share with you about a book that I edited last year about this time.   Publishing Terms 101 by Carole Crosby was released in July of 2011. This was such a fun project to work on, even more so because my husband and I worked together. I was the editor, and he designed the cover.

This is such an amazing tool for any author to have, no matter what method of publishing they use! Carole has taken publishing terms and abbreviations and defined them so that you won't be left scratching your head. If you have ever found yourself there, I highly recommend it. She isn't out to get rich and has the eBook priced at just $2.99.

You can learn more about Carole Crosby at her website:
Live Your Life Boldly