“Why did I switch from independent- or self-publishing topartnership publishing? I have three reasons: occupationalpreference, economics, and longevity (book survival).After 40 years of working for a living, I was free finally tochoose what I wanted to do full-time and how I wanted to do it.OCCUPATIONAL PREFERENCE: While I find everything about booksfascinating, I realized that I truly prefer writing topublishing.

I’m a writer. That’s my passion. I decided toconcentrate on writing. ECONOMICS: The best thing about self-publishing is that it givesthe author total control. But the economics of self- publishingare something else again. They are not as glowing as they oftensound or as rosy as they are often painted. There is a greateconomic squeeze play that cuts deeply into profits. Take a bookthat sells for $14.

95, for instance. A distributor or wholesalerrequires a 50 percent discount, and more. That leaves you with$7.50 (rounded off). The printing cost can be anywhere from $2to $3 a book. That leaves you with $4.50 a book. Out of this youmay have to pay shipping costs (media rate is $1.42, for onepound or less, USPS). Then there are publicity, promotion andmarketing expenses. You may even have to accept returns of booksthat didn’t sell, for credit or refund.

It takes skill tooperate a, three person tent, profitable business. I preferred the challenges ofwriting to the challenges of business, three person tent, . LONGEVITY: This is a very personal, subjective matter, an”author-thing.” Writing, at its deepest level, has to do withmaking a statement about life, asserting one’s identity, seekingimmortality. Commercial publishing is about the bottom line: Canthe book make money, preferably big money?

If not, it does notget published. If it does get published, it is given three tonine months to succeed. If the book does not make it within thattime period,, three person tent, its life is over. Self-publishing, on the other hand, allows for a book’snurturing and longer lifespan . But when a company changes handsor goes out of business, a book’s life may end. That is where Print-on-Demand Partnership, three person tent, Publishing provides anideal answer.

The new digital technology eliminates the need forcostly inventory. A 300-page book can be printed, cover and all,in less than 30 seconds. POD printing/publishing allows books to be kept alive virtually”forever.” -It allows books to be discovered and rediscovered.-It allows one or many copies to be printed instantly, ondemand. -It allows ongoing profits to be made, by all concerned.-It allows authors to take control of the writing and marketingof their books, while the publisher provides the technicalsupport and services -including printing, online, three person tent, bookstores,author websites, listings, order fulfillment, sales- androyalty- reports, and various forms of author support.

Years ago, vanity publishers existed to publish the works ofamateur writers at a high cost, paid for by the writer. Few oftheir books were actually printed and even fewer sold. Thesebooks had little if any value, three person tent, and were generally shunned.Some refer to today’s POD publishing as vanity publishing, or,more politely, as subsidy publishing. True, the decision topublish lies with the author, not the publisher.

It involves anominal fee, which means that anyone can get a book published,including amateur writers. However, POD publishing attracts a great many professionalwriters, with excellent track records. POD-published books getpicked up by commercial publishers. POD books also generatesignificant media attention. When the self-publishing movement began in the 1960s and 1970s,self-publishers were often stigmatized as vanity publishers.

Today, self-publishing is a major, economic force. Estimatesvary as to the actual number of independent publishers, from25,000 and up, and from one-title firms to firms with 2,500titles in print.Why would professional writers go the route of Print-on-DemandPartnership Publishing? There are several reasons: their bookmay have been turned down by their own commercial publisher;they may not have been able to find an agent or commercialpublisher; or they may not have wanted to wait the nearly twoyears it takes to get a book published by a commercialpublisher, when they could get it published within two or threemonths through a POD publisher.

(My third POD book was in printwithin three weeks, from the time of submission!)Here are some examples, for instance, of professional writerswho have been published through iUniverse:RIANE EISLER – whose non-fiction book, “The Chalice and theBlade” sold 600,000 copies world-wide – published “The Gate”through iUniverse, a fictionalized, dramatic new memoir of heryears, three person tent, growing up in pre-Castro Cuba after a narrow escape fromthe Holocaust in Nazi Europe.

COLLIN KELLEY’s poetry book, “Better to Travel,” is currently anominee for the Georgia Author of the Year Award.LAWRENCE BLOCK, author of the iUniverse, three person tent, book, “Random, three person tent, Walk,” isan award-winning crime fiction writer, whose, three person tent, published worksinclude 50 novels.RON CUTLER is an award-winning filmmaker and author of ninenovels, including iUniverse’s “The Firstborn.

“JOYCE MANARD’S iUniverse book, “To Die For,” was originallypublished in 1991 and made into an acclaimed film, starringNicole Kidman.Some iUniverse authors, who have had their books picked up, three person tent, bycommercial publishers, include:LAURIE NOTARO, author of “The Idiot Girl’s Action AdventureClub” (2000), which was picked up within a year by Random Houseand hit the Top Ten on the New York Times Best-Seller List.

MIKE HAWLEY’s first book, “The Double Bluff” (2001), was pickedup by Penguin-Putnam as a mass market paperback under the Oniximprint. Hawley was given a contract for two more books.BILL PURCELL’s book, “The Dark One,” was picked up by Wizards ofthe Coast, after they had turned it down originally. Purcell wassigned to a four-book deal, with a terrific advance.POD publishing is here to stay, three person tent, .

iUniverse, for instance,currently has 11,367 authors and 15,515 book titles. Itpublishes 400 new titles a month. It received the Editors’Choice Award from PC Magazine, with a five out of five-starrating.There are other POD publishers, so you need to check them outand evaluate their various services carefully.There are pros and cons to any of the three publishing models:1) commercial publishing; 2) independent, self-publishing; and3) POD partnership publishing.

Some I have already mentioned.Following are others:With POD partnership publishing, authors are totally responsiblefor publicizing, promoting and marketing their books. That’s alot of work, if you do it yourself. It takes know-how, time andmoney. Or you must hire a book publicist to do this for you.That costs money. Yet you’re not much better off with commercial publishers, whowill only do a certain amount of publicity, promotion andmarketing for your book.

If you’re not one of their superstars,your, three person tent, book will just get some basic publicity, promotion andmarketing. You need to supplement what they do, or your bookwill fall through the cracks – and disappear quickly.That’s what almost happened to ANITA DIAMANT, author of “The RedTent,” published by St. Martin’s Press. When Picador USA decidedto bring it out as a trade paperback, St.

Martin’s announced itwould remainder the hardbacks. Diamant pleaded with them not to do so but use them forpromotion. She suggested that they be sent out to clergy.Diamant got the lists and the publisher paid the postage,provided the books, and mailed them to female rabbis in ReformJudaism, followed by a mailing to male and female rabbis ofReconstructionist Judaism. Diamant also had the publisher send around 200 copies toChristian women, three person tent, ministers in New England.

That made thedifference. The book went on to sell 1 ฝ million copies in theUS. and was published in 18 countries.The other serious problem is media bias against POD partnershippublishing. Some trade and consumer publications actually have apolicy against POD published books – they will not review them. There, three person tent, are now 150,000 new titles and editions published everyyear.Yet commercial publishing does not guarantee that your book willget reviewed.

The Library Journal, a major trade publication,receives 40,000 new books published every year. It reviews 6000of these, representing only four percent of the 150,000, three person tent, newbooks published every year!Consumer publications review even fewer books. The Los AngelesTimes, a major metropolitan, three person tent, newspaper, only reviews 1500 books ayear, representing, three person tent, one percent of the 150,000 new bookspublished every year!

What, then, are the chances of getting published commercially?HarperCollins Publishers, one of the major publishing companiesin the US, reportedly receives 10,000 submissions a year. Ofthese, only 75 books, less than one percent submitted, getpublished. Even then, the chances of success are slim. While thefigures vary, they indicate that only 1 out of 7 or 1 out of 10books published commercially make a profit.

These are among thereasons why other publishing models came into being.Once authors were at the mercy of agents and commercialpublishers. No more. That changed when the independent self-publishing, three person tent, movement came into being. Today, thanks to digitaltechnology, POD partnership publishing provides a legitimate,additional choice.Authors can now get published. Then, through effort andresourcefulness, they can find ways to connect with theirreaders.

Source: articleage.com

One day my boyfriend at the time was perusing my travel journals and read the children’s words and couldn’t stop talking about the profound effect the accumulation of the children’s thoughts had, three person tent
, on him. From that moment on, I began to consciously create a book to memorialize the children’s voices to share with others.

The end product
being my book, “Whispers from Children’s Hearts.”
Juanita:, three person tent
, What would you like this book to reveal to your readers?
Lisa: The truth and honesty that is innate in each individual. The unconditional love and innocence
we all hold deep within our souls. That we are all connected, regardless of what color skin we have
or what language we speak.
Juanita: It really is amazing how the simple answers of children can touch us so deeply.

Why do
you think the thoughts of children are so profound?
Lisa: I believe that the thoughts of children are so profound because they are still innocent and
forming their ideas about life. I found that regardless of what they have been through they are still
open to ideas of others.
Juanita: How long was this book in the making?
Lisa: About five years. It started with a passion for knowing others intimately.

Then grew from there
as a sociological and psychological exercise, then to a place of surrendering and letting go – letting
the book express what it wanted to say without manipulating, three person tent
, it.
Juanita: You ask three questions to the children in your book: 1) If you had one wish what would
it be?, 2) Is God Fair? – Why or why not?, 3) Who in the World would you most want to meet?
How did you come up with these particular questions?
Lisa: Trial and error.

I asked several different questions but these three particular questions were the
ones that offered the greatest insight. They were simple questions for the children yet they were
fueled with passion when the children answered them.
Juanita: How has the innocence and honesty of the children’s answers made a difference in your
life?
Lisa: It made me feel connected, three person tent
, to the world in a much deeper way.

It helped me break down some
of my, three person tent
, old worn out pre-conceived notions of what people were, three person tent
, like in various parts of the world.
Now when, three person tent
, I travel, I look for “my family” in each place I visit and bond at much deeper levels than
simply visiting, three person tent
, a place as a tourist.
Juanita: Which countries have you found the most compelling in regards to the culture and location,
and why?
Lisa: I have found all the countries I have visited compelling in unique ways.

If I had to choose a
couple of countries that left an indelible impact on me, they would be Cuba and Iraq. Cuba because it
was like walking into a time capsule or a huge never-ending movie set. Also, the people were so
warm and inviting. I felt like I was literally meeting my “family” from all walks of life. They are also
very intelligent and innovative. I felt completely inspired with every breath I took in Havana even in
the simple moments of silence and people watching.

Iraq, because they have been through so much.
I visited Baghdad in 1998 right before Clinton bombed them. Just spending time with the Iraqis who
have been living under the dictatorship of Saddam and them tentatively sharing their feelings with me
on videotape was profound because if for some reason the tape was confiscated, they could be killed
for saying the wrong thing. I interviewed top officials, sheep herders, orphans, Shiites, Sunnis, and
Chaldeans.

I learned about compassion and unconditional love there. I have the deepest respect for
the people of Iraq.
Juanita: Where would you like to travel that you haven’t already?
Lisa: Kenya. I want to go on a African Safari.
Juanita: “Whispers from the Children’s Hearts” is a book for all ages and cultures. Who is reading
this book and what have been some comments so far?
Lisa:, three person tent
, Parents are reading it to their children, teachers are sharing it with their students, adults are
reading it for better understanding of other cultures.

Many people have been influenced by the book
because one can’t help but be moved by it. It sort of sneaks up on you. When someone first picks it
up they, three person tent
, think it is a simple book for children, then as they keep reading they realize the value and
depth of the book.
Juanita: Has there, three person tent
, been a difference in reactions to the book between the young and adult readers?
If so, please elaborate.

Lisa: Children enjoy the freshness of it. They have no preconceived notions, three person tent
, . Many times they
express interest in meeting the children from these places, based on the quotes. They ask a lot of
questions like, What was Juanita like in Mexico? What was her home like? What was she wearing?,
etc. Adults are shocked by what they are learning from these children when they previously felt they
knew much more about the, three person tent
, world and different cultures.

I am happy to say that both gain from the
experience. We are now in the process of turning the concept of Whispers into a daytime Saturday
morning TV series.
Juanita: How important do you feel travel or the knowledge of other cultures is for children, and
will this type of experience translate through your TV series?
Lisa: I feel travel and knowledge of others cultures is extremely important today.

Our world is
getting smaller and the importance of tolerance has never been stronger. My main goal in the TV
Series I’m creating based on my book Whispers from Children’s Hearts, is to open the doors to the
way other families live around the world. To have children watching other children relate to people
very different from themselves and take away something unique and special from each experience.

Juanita: You are a writer, director, filmmaker, and a “creative soul coach,” for starters. You have
been featured on radio programs, magazines and television for your many pursuits. Where does this
passion for life come from?
Lisa: It originally came from boredom and needing a, three person tent
, sense of purpose. I was brought up in a Middle
Eastern household that had a lot of restrictions.

I felt I didn’t have a voice and that my life was being
planned for me, a life I didn’t want. So, I of course rebelled and started traveling to escape my
destiny of early marriage to a cousin and a household of kids by age 25.
Juanita: Do you have any other book projects in the works?
Lisa: Yes. I have a screenplay called Belly Dance co-written by the very talented Randall McCormick
that is similar in style to Bend it Like Beckham.

I would like to see it produced in the near future. It is
a comedic tale about growing up in Detroit, Michigan under a Middle Eastern roof. It is about the age-
old struggle between the old and new, parents and their children, fate and free will. It is also about
two young women coming to terms with their sexuality while caught between a culture, three person tent
, that
suppresses it and another that exploits it.

I also have an ebook series called Write On: A 365-day
Inspirational Writing Journal. And several 30-day Write On books that focus on a particular subject
like Leadership, Mysticism, Love, Erotica, Self Help, and Writers and Artists. I am also finishing up a
book tentatively titled Unmade Beds, which is a very personal memoir of my travels around the world
as a single woman.
Juanita: How can your readers find out more about you and your endeavors? Do you have a website?
Lisa: Yes, I have a monthly newsletter that talks about the upcoming month’s retreats and
workshops and I have three websites:
www.

lisahaisha.com (updates, information and press kit for the media)
www.composingalife..com (my coaching practice and information and tips on self help)
www.whispersfromchildrenshearts.com (Website for the book Whispers from Children’s Hearts, three person tent
, and
Cultural Retreats)
Juanita: Thank you so much for your inspiring and thought provoking book. “Whispers from the
Children’s Hearts” will undoubtedly open the heart of every one it touches.

Is there anything else you’
d like to tell your readers?
Lisa:, three person tent
, Yes! Remember that miracles are happening everyday in your life, watch out for them and they
will change the way you view the world and the way you choose to do life.
Juanita Watson is the Assistant Editor for Reader Views

http://www.readerviews.com

Source: articleage.com