December 1, 2006 Volume 4: Issue 3
"Self Published Authors" Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Helping self-published authors promote and market their books and share information and resources.
December 1, 2006 Volume 4: Issue 3
Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.selfpublishedauthors.com
By Subscription Only! You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter.
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Editor's Notebook
2. Newsletter Submission Guidelines
3. Feature Article By Mark Levine
4. Resource Links
5. Writing Article By Gary Keehner
6. Free Products, Services, Downloads
7. Review By Dan Shaurette
8. Events, Classes & Workshops
9. Commentary By Shirley Cheng
10. In Other News
11. Reciprocal Links
12. Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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1: EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
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Welcome to the December 2006 newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com. For those of you who are new to the website and newsletter, I hope you will enjoy this issue. Thank you for visiting the website and subscribing to the list.
To the regulars out there, thank you for joining us for another issue. This month we have three wonderful articles, plus a review, as well as more great resource links.
If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or if you’d like to contribute, be interviewed, add an event or have a request, please reply to this email, or drop a line to me at: editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
Here's wishing you happy holidays and a prosperous new year!
Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.DanShaurette.com
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2: NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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The newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com is here to provide a resource for all authors. Obviously, I want to help you succeed in your writing, self-publishing efforts, and self-promotion. I have received a few requests from fellow authors asking what they can do to promote their books in the newsletter.
I am always happy to help promote an author and their works in the newsletter. That's what we're here for. That being said, the best I can do is one of the following.
If you are interested in writing an article about your experiences as a self-published author, I would be more than happy to consider it for publication. If I publish the article, I will give you space for a signature box that you could use to promote yourself and your book.
If you would like to send me an ARC copy of your book, eBook format preferred, I would be happy to review it and interview you. The interview would most likely be what gets published in the newsletter, but reviews of recommended books may also be published. Please note, I have already been presented with some works to read, so please query me first before sending your books. I'd rather return a book than form a slush pile.
If you have a book signing coming up, we do try to list those when they are timely. Remember our newsletter is published in February, April, June, August, October, and December. If you host a class or workshop, or have a website that promotes a writer's resource, please let us know about it. All links about such events are provided free of charge. Your name, location, dates, and contact info. will be presented.
If instead you are just interested in placing an advertisement in the newsletter for your book or website, I'll ask for some patience. I am re-evaluting various plans for advertising in both the newsletter and the website.
Currently there are places for you to list your books, websites, and even join our banner ad exchange. You can also feel free to post in our forums and tell us about yourself and your books. As soon as I figure out a new model for classified ads in the newsletter, I will let you all know. Thank you for your patience.
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3: FEATURE ARTICLE by Mark Levine
Myths and Misconceptions of Self-Publishing
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There once was a time when authors self-published their books because they couldn’t get a traditional publisher or literary agent to give them the time of day. While the literary establishment still attempts to perpetuate the myth that self-published authors aren’t “real” authors, no one else is really paying any attention.
The Internet and the ability for authors to print books in small quantities are responsible for turning self-published authors into successful entrepreneurs and leveling the playing field. When a potential reader sees a self-published title on Amazon.com and then clicks over to a book published by Random House, so long as the self-published book has a professional looking cover, description, etc., there is no difference.
Yes, big publishing houses offer “distribution,” but what does that really mean? If you’re a new, unproven author, even if you get signed by one of the major publishers, other than producing your cover, handling the edit and layout of your book, you won’t get much more. Publishers may make it easier for bookstore chains to order your books, as they will include them in catalogs and might give them to some of their sales reps, but that’s if you’re lucky. The big publishers don’t provide new authors with much, if any, marketing services, and if the author doesn’t figure out how to market his or her book, the publisher will drop them after the initial print run.
Add to all this, that in 2005, traditional publishers released 18,000 less books than they did in 2004, and you can see that no longer do the major publishers subscribe to “throw-it-against-the-wall-and-hope-it-sticks” theory of publishing. Thus, the plight of the new, unproven author just got tougher. In reality, any author should see this news as a good thing. It’s liberating, actually. We all want the acceptance letter from a big publisher to validate us a writer. And, we all spend countless and fruitless hours submitting our books to publishers and agents hoping for approval. Knowing that the chances of getting invited to that dance just got slimmer should cause you to look into the mirror and look for validation from the only people who count – potential readers.
Today, an author can control his or her publishing by either handling all the aspects on their own – finding a cover designer, a layout specialist, an editor, etc. Or, authors can use one of many self-publishing companies that do it all, allowing the author focus on writing and marketing and not the logistics of publishing.
There are dozens of great self-publishing companies that help writers publish a book without breaking the bank. For under $1,000, you can get book cover design, editing and layout copyright registration, listing on Amazon.com, etc. under one roof. In my book, THE FINE PRINT OF SELF-PUBLISHING, the contracts and services of 48 major self-publishing companies are ranked, analyzed and where necessary, exposed. There are also many books available about how to self-publish on your own.
Why You Should Stop Trying to Impress a Major Publisher or Literary Agent and Focus on Getting Your Book Published.
Instead of waiting for a publisher or literary agent to make your dream of being published come true, do it yourself. Whether you self-publish or publish with a traditional book publisher, you’ll be handling most, if not all, of the marketing on your own. Given that, why should you only make 10 percent in royalties when you could be making 50 percent or more from a self-publishing company? Yes, you have some up-front costs for book cover design, editing, layout and books; but, with the advent of print-on-demand technology you can print books only when you need them, so having thousands of books rotting in your garage is no longer an issue and instead of tying up money in inventory, you can use those dollars to promote your book.
For under $1,000, you can find a reputable self-publishing company to handle all the aspects of publication (except for editing, which is typically a $.01 per word for a basic edit).
Then, when it comes to marketing, let the Internet work for you. Smart authors are building optimized web sites and then purchasing advertising on Google, Yahoo!, etc., driving potential readers already interested in the book topic to their website. With the Internet, advertising becomes less about eyeballs and more about getting qualified eyeballs. The result is highly qualified leads for pennies.
Complementing a search engine optimized (SEO) website are blogging and social network marketing. Blogging is an easy way to promote yourself and your book for a small cost – an hour or so of your time each week. Free blog sites include Blogger from Google and WordPress. Many authors also take advantage of social networking sites like MySpace, Friendster and others to generate a buzz for their books.
The Internet is simply the most cost-effective way to market your book today. One publisher, Mill City Press (http://www.millcitypress.net) provides free, customized, online book marketing plans for authors, regardless of whether the author publishes with them or not. Other self-publishers and publishing sites offer articles and downloads to help authors plan their self-publishing journey. Take advantage of such free resources, so you can learn how the Internet makes self-publishing the smart way to publish.
How to Make the Traditional Publishers Beg For Your Work
Once you figure out how to successfully market your book and start generating sales, major publishers will be seeking you out. Why? Because they want to invest resources into proven commodities and by proving that you know how to market your books, you become that to them.
No traditional publisher can ever offer you the type of money per book that you make by selling on your own, but they may be able to dangle distribution, advertising dollars, public relations help in getting interviews, etc. With self-publishing, in essence, you form a joint venture, and because of the position you create for yourself, they are not in control – you are.
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Copyright © 2006 Mark Levine. Reprinted with permission.
Mark Levine is the author of THE FINE PRINT OF SELF-PUBLISHING, a best-selling book on the self-publishing industry. For more information visit http://www.book-publishers-compared.com/. Our review of his book can be found later in this issue.
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4: RESOURCE LINKS
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STICKYOURNECKOUT.COM - Author and Artist Ezine
StickYourNeckOut is a volunteer confederation of authors, artists and their friends who want to help make new work, by novices and experienced professionals alike, more widely known via this website.
Online since Mar. 1, 2001, we publish artistic and literary works on all subjects in almost any category —- anything that is apt to be attractive to the web visitor and that evinces a love of the arts and language.
Why not share your work online, for all to see? We publish fiction, nonfiction, and graphic arts of all kinds, by novice and experienced alike. You retain all rights. Visit our website for submission details.
http://www.stickyourneckout.com
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5: WRITING ARTICLE by Gary Keehner
Writing Article Text
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So what is writing article text really all about? The following article includes some basic information.
Let's assume that you have your topics and you've done your research, now it's time to start actually writing the article text. You don't need the title first; in fact, sometimes you can come up with a better title for your articles after you've written the article text.
Your article needs a beginning (introduction), middle (body), and end (conclusion). Without an introduction, readers can get confused and may stop reading if they're not sure what you're talking about. Conclusions are important because they sum up the main points of your article.
Writing article text for the Internet is different than writing for anything else. Online markets are highly competitive, and it's easy for visitors to click away from your website if you don't hold their attention.
Here's how to do it:
- Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Big blocks of text on a screen are difficult to read, and the typical Internet surfer's eyes will glaze over when confronted with a page of solid text. Don't indent, and skip a line between each paragraph. Include the occasional one-sentence paragraph to attract more attention.
- Keep the language conversational. Internet users aren't impressed with ten-cent words; if they have to stop and look for a dictionary, they'll probably just try another website. You are trying to make it easier for people to digest the information you're offering them.
- Create a sense of interaction by using the word "you" in your articles, as though you're talking directly to the reader. Use bulleted lists (like this one) to further break up the text on the page and provide fact-filled summaries that draw the attention.
- Images can spice up an article as well, but go easy on them. Slow-loading pages (graphics-heavy sites) are still one of the biggest reasons Internet users look for cleaner pastures.
Finally, keep in mind that grammar and spelling does count when writing articles for the web. Running a spell check on your article text before you post it is a great idea, but spell checks don't catch every mistake. Reading the article aloud can help you spot inconsistencies or flaws. You could also ask a friend or associate to read it over for you-a fresh pair of eyes can find mistakes yours can't.
How long should your articles be? The answer is: "As long as they need to be-and no longer."
Internet articles generally range from about 200 words (three or four short paragraphs) to about 1,500 words (about six pages). Much longer than that, and you're entering e-book territory. The length of the article usually depends on the topic being discussed.
400 to 800 words is a good general target for most articles. For those you want to post in places other than your personal website, you'll want to keep them on the shorter end of the scale. It is much easier for another webmaster to post a 400-word article that can be put on one page than one that must be broken up and given two or three pages of its own.
Whatever length you choose, it will be sufficient as long as you include all the information you want to convey, and no more.
When you're writing article text, your primary concern is what readers will think. When it comes to titles and keywords your main objective is search engines.
The majority of Internet users still find most of the websites they visit through search engines. Keywords help to boost your search engine rank, and the titles of your articles will be the first thing people see in the results.
Which of these articles would you want to read?
Using Vinegar in the Garden
Or...
The Cheap, Safe Way to Rid Your Garden of Weeds (Without Digging!)
Both of these articles would discuss the same thing-how to use vinegar as a natural weed killer. However, the second one sounds more exciting and useful. Chances are you would choose to read the second article over the first if they both popped up in a search engine.
The titles of your articles should attract the readers attention, if not outright demand it. Coming up with an interesting, compelling title takes time, but it is well worth the effort. Think of your title as a newspaper headline. If your title appeared on the front page, would you buy a copy?
There are several ways to generate article titles that stand out from the crowd and get read. Here are a few examples:
- Use numbers, such as "Five Steps to Home Business Success" or "Three Good Reasons to Choose Fixed Insurance over Variable." You don't have to limit number titles to list-style articles. Nearly any article can be broken up into a number of steps or reasons.
- Create a play on words using a popular phrase. For example, an article about how to wash the outside of your second-floor windows might be titled "Don't Let Window Washing be a Pane in Your Neck." " Make your title a question: "Can You Really Make Money Online?"
- Compare something to something else: "Why Apples are Just like Oranges."
- Fill in the blank: "How To (Blank)," "From (Blank) to (Blank)," or "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About (Blank)."
Another good way to get ideas for titles is to pay attention to newspapers, magazines, and popular websites. You can keep a "swipe" file of headlines that catch your attention and use them as a basis for your article titles. The more you practice coming up with attention-grabbing titles, the easier it will be.
Now let's move on to keywords in your article text... the bane of every Internet marketer's existence. Use too few and the search engines will ignore you; use too many, and your website could be banned from search engines altogether. Then there is the matter of choosing the right keywords for your website.
The use of keywords can be a confusing subject with no exact answers. It can be difficult to understand why some keywords generate massive results, while others yield next to nothing.
Keywords are single or multi-word phrases relating to your topic that help Internet users find your website when they enter them in a search engine. The placement of keywords throughout your articles text can help to raise your page rankings and online visibility.
Your first step should be to generate a list of relevant keywords for the article you're working on. There are tools that can you help you to discover good relevant keywords. Such as http://www.nichebot.com/. Choose several words or phrases relating to your topic that Internet users would be likely to use in a search for the information you're offering.
After you've written your article text, go through and count the number of times each of your keywords or phrases appears. Three to five times each is a good range to aim for, and you may want to repeat your main keyword (in this case, "small business") even more-eight to ten times.
The trick is to make the keywords sound natural within the text. You've probably seen websites stuffed with keywords to the point of generating downright irritating sentences: "When your small business is ready for a small business startup, your small business should get the best small business resources for small business startups." This makes for clunky, uninteresting reading; something you want to avoid.
It's also a good idea to include your main keyword or key phrase into the title of your article. Search engines give more weight to page titles than text, and when you post your articles on your website, you will name the page with the title of the article.
Once you have built up a good number of archived articles on your website, you can start including on-site links within the text of your articles to refer visitors to similar information. On-site links help keep visitors on your website longer and increase your chances of converting them to customers.
At the end of every article, you should include a short biography, a disclaimer, and a signature file. These components establish you as an expert on your topic and direct readers who find your articles on other websites to yours.
An author bio is a short one- or two-paragraph description of you and your experience concerning the subject of the article. Bios are written in the third person (Shelly Smith is a word processing expert who owns and operates WordWare, Incorporated...). Your bio establishes your credentials and convinces Internet users that your information can be trusted.
What if you don't have any professional experience? No problem. You can include anything in your bio that relates to your topic: life experiences, hobbies, high school or college credits, even personal interest. If you're just starting out in your field, use the reasons you decided to enter this particular business to formulate your bio.
Once you have some practice in generating bios, you can start tailoring your bio to match the contents of each of your articles. Customized bios can be humorous and fun, or helpful and to-the-point. You'll also find it easier to refer to yourself in the third person with more practice.
Your signature file can be part of your bio, or it can appear separately following the bio. It contains a link or links to your website and a brief one or two sentence description of what is available there.
The active link contained in your signature file is what allows search engines to catalogue your website and track the inbound links. This is an important part of article marketing that some people overlook. You should make it a habit to include a signature file with every piece of information you post on the web.
Every article you write should include a disclaimer giving readers permission to repost and redistribute the article on their own websites. However, you must state that your bio and signature file have to be included, or you won't be able to take advantage of inbound links and additional traffic.
So now you know a little bit about writing article text. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge.
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Copyright © 2006 Gary Keehner. Reprinted with permission.
Gary Keehner operates http://www.home-internetmarketing-business.com/. Your guide to developing a profitable home based internet marketing business.
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6: FREE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, DOWNLOADS
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FREELANCE WRITING ORGANIZATION, INT'L - A Free Web Resource for Writers
FWO-Intl. is an ongoing endeavour to construct the world's largest, free, online writing resource database. Started in 1999 we provide free writing resources and writing links in a database filled with international writing web sites.
Our system offers writers of all genres a free resource database, our much acclaimed and recognized monthly Inkwell Newswatch (IN) Writing and Literary Ezine for Writers, our newsletter Writers Site News!, plus internal site links. This site is packed with writing resource materials saving you tons of Internet searching.
Writers Site News! provides a plethora of vital writing resources emailed weekly to keep you up-to-date on site events, news and the best in writing products.
http://www.fwointl.com
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7: REVIEW by Dan Shaurette
"THE FINE PRINT OF SELF-PUBLISHING" by Mark Levine
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Genre: Non-fiction/Reference - Publishing
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Bridgeway Books
ISBN: 1-933538-56-2
Price: $16.95 USD
Ever wish you had a buddy who was a lawyer who could take a look at that publisher's contract for you? Even better, do you wish you knew a lawyer who would critique about 50 contracts for you -- for less than $20? Mark Levine has done just that in his book, "THE FINE PRINT OF SELF-PUBLISHING: The Contracts & Services of 48 Self-Publishing Companies -- Analyzed, Ranked & Exposed". Moreover, he's done it well, with tips and advice that every self-published author -- prospective or published alike -- should read.
The title of the book tells you what the meat of this book is about. Not only has Levine listed the most prominent POD publishers, he's ranked them into categories. These categories make up the second half of the book and have the same style of self-explanatory chapter titles, which are: Outstanding Self-Publishing Companies, Some Pretty Good Self-Publishing Companies, Publishers Who Are Just Okay, and the most important, Publishers To Avoid. Within each category, the publishers are listed alphabetically. In turn, among other details, each publisher is listed with the genres they accept, a breakdown of their fees, royalties and notable contract provisions, and an "author-friendly rating".
I found this rating to be the most valuable, because it isn't a numerical scale; it's Levine's commentary about that publisher. Some publishers gained more coverage than others, but in all cases I found it worth reading. Especially the ones in the last category because he explains why these publishers are nefarious. Myself, I have done business with Xlibris, BookSurge, and Lulu, and I agree with his conclusions on all three of them.
The rest of the book, which is the first half of the book, is full of Levine's advice and tips for authors. Even though the second half has "the goods", the first half should not be missed. The star of the book is his list of the nine qualities of a good self-publishing company. He spends a good deal of time explaining each quality and why it's important. He also delves into the fine print of publishing contracts in general and helps the reader to understand them.
The whole book is written by an author and lawyer who has obviously worked hard to make this material accessible to the rest of us who have not gone to law school as a prerequisite for becoming a writer. He does this without dumbing down the material nor in leaving anything out.
If I have one request of Mark Levine for future books, I'd like the publishers to be listed in an expanded table of contents, or better yet in a comparison chart. While I definitely found it extremely useful to jump into a category like "Outstanding" or "Pretty Good" publishers, I also naturally wanted to know how publishers I was familiar with ranked. I think that some kind of index would benefit the book. Having said that, I personally did not mind going through all four sections. All ratings were worth reading and have given me food for thought for the future. In the end, I highly recommend this book, and would consider it to be a vital part of an author's arsenal when choosing a publisher.
To find out more about Mark Levine and his books, visit http://www.book-publishers-compared.com/.
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Copyright © 2006 Dan Shaurette. Reprinted with permission.
Besides being the editor of this newsletter, Dan is the author of LILITH'S LOVE, a modern vampire romance novel, which you can learn more about at http://www.Liliths-Love.com. He also hosts "Is This Thing On?", an eclectic podcast featuring chat, interviews, and independent music at http://is-this-thing-on.net
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8: EVENTS, CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
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HOW TO BE PUBLISHED WORKSHOPS - Meridian, Mississippi, USA
January 26-27, 2007, 1:00 PM-9:00 PM
What does it take to become a published author? Like any other profession, becoming a professional writer requires a career plan. Where should your initial focus lie in order to meet your goal of publication? Success as a writer requires far more than just sitting at the keyboard. Learn the keys to success in today’s competitive publishing industry, including marketing techniques that move you closer to publication. Your manuscript could be the greatest of its kind ever written, but if you don’t know how to get it into the hands of someone who can buy it, it will never sell.
Presented by: Michael Garrett, Editor
Location: Meridian Community College - 910 Highway 19 North - Meridian, Mississippi, United States
Price: $79.00 per workshop, available online at http://www.mississippiwritersguild.com
Contact: Richelle Putnam, President
Address: P. O. Box 3845, Meridian, MS 39305
Phone: 601/482-4121
Email: richput@mywebemail.net
http://www.mississippiwritersguild.com
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9: COMMENTARY by Shirley Cheng
Blind, Disabled Writer Successfully Publishes Own Books Through Lulu
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Writing and publishing is a process that is both challenging and rewarding for most people, especially for those who are blind and physically disabled, and this is the case with me. Having lost my eyesight at the age of seventeen, I no longer could express myself in my artwork, so I turned to writing to share with others my imagined worlds and creations. I became an author at the age of twenty, completing three books within one year. I wrote my books using a screen reader, a computer software that reads what's on the screen and tells me which keys I type. It has great functionality that enables its users to use most computer programs with relative ease.
When I first started out as a professional writer, I was clueless to as what I should do to publish my books. I never heard about self-publishing or print-on-demand-technology, nor did I know that traditional publishing is not the route for everyone. I began by researching on the Internet and joining discussion e-mail groups consisted of writers, publishers, editors, and other professionals in the publishing world. I searched for publishers, and learned what to look for in a publisher. For my first book, I first published it with a small publisher who uses print-on-demand technology. It differs from many other print-on-demand publishers in that they review manuscripts in order to accept those of high quality before accepting them for publication. I was thrilled when my book was accepted, and in a matter of a few months, it was published.
For my following two books, I decided to self-publish them through Lulu.com. Although Lulu.com is listed as the publisher since I bought my ISBNs through them, I still consider myself as a self-publisher, for I have completed every self-publishing task, including formatting my manuscripts, on my own without eyesight; I had to upload the formatted ready-to-publish pdf files onto Lulu's servers, set the binding type, color, specification, pricing, etc.. I also found editors and artists to design my covers.
Lulu.com primarily acts like a printer. Whenever I need more copies of my books, I simply order them through Lulu.com at the printing cost without any other fee associated with it. Lulu also fulfills my orders when people order my books through them or from Amazon.com and other booksellers, like brick-and-mortar bookstore managers.
I highly recommend Lulu for several reasons:
1. There are no contracts to sign; there is only the member agreement (the usual terms of service)
2. You retain full copyrights to your work
3. There are no fees to publish any work (but you have the option to buy one of the two ISBN services they offer)
4. You can make your books available through Ingram by purchasing their ISBN service, and it will in turn make your books available on Amazon.com and other major outlets; and bookstores and libraries have the ability to order and stock your book
5. Publishing is instant; after you upload your file onto Lulu's server and specify the options, your book is immediately published once you click on the last button at the end of the simple steps. Once it is published, it is immediately available for others to order through Lulu. (Getting listed on Amazon can take up to eight weeks.)
6. You can have the option of making your book available only to yourself through Lulu, so you can order a copy to make sure everything looks okay before making it available to the public
7. You can publish your books in different sizes and binding types (i.e. trade, textbook-sized, perfect, coiled, stitched)
8. You can use your own ISBN instead of theirs, so you will be the publisher of your work
9. Their printing quality is quite high, combined with paper of fine quality and glossy covers
10. 24/7 availability--you can publish, revise, and order your book anytime
11. You can revise your book anytime for an unlimited number of times, and it's free, unless you have their ISBN+ Distribution where you have to pay $80 for any revision
Publishing through Lulu has been a wonderful experience. Since I do everything myself, depending solely on a computer, and cannot travel to any printers, using Lulu's printing services have been a dream come true for me.
As for marketing my books--I mainly depend on the net for that as well. I design and maintain my own website at http://www.shirleycheng.com
Yes, a blind can do all that just with plenty of passion and faith! I also enjoy appearing on radio shows, holding book signings, and I am in the process of scheduling speaking engagements in my area.
___
Copyright © 2006 Shirley Cheng. Reprinted with permission.
Shirley Cheng, a blind and physically disabled motivational speaker, poet, author and contributing author of eight books, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy, and did not receive education until age eleven. She mastered sixth-grade level in all areas after about 180 days of schooling in her lifetime. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University. Despite her multiple disabilities, Shirley is living the life she loves and she empowers, inspires, and motivates others to do the same. Be inspired by her books, including THE REVELATION OF A STAR'S ENDLESS SHINE, and her newsletter Inspiration from a Blind, to which you can subscribe via her site at http://www.shirleycheng.com/.
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10: IN OTHER NEWS
Poet Tugs Upon The Human Psyche With Quantum Physics
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For Immediate Release, August 1, 2006 --
Forget the ivory tower and mushy sentiments. Magdalena Ball's latest chapbook QUARK SOUP takes its cue from the world of quantum physics and astrobiology. With the subtle mystery of Schrödinger’s famous cat, the work evokes a range of physical conundrums, including Einstein's weird action at a distance, the birth of galaxies, the beginnings of the universe, the nature of space/time, dark matter, and string theory among others.
"I love the interplay between the micro world of Quantum physics and the macro world that Astronomy takes us into. Once you get past a certain point, concepts like a theory of everything, the origins of the universe, or wormholes are all poetry anyway, which isn't to say that there's no truth there. Poetry is all about truth, but perhaps the kind of truth which is difficult to capture with a linear, proof oriented perspective." Magdalena Ball is an award winning poet, novelist and book reviewer--the well known editor of The Compulsive Reader, http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/.
While the poetry is rich with the quantum and astronomical world, QUARK SOUP is no scientific treatise. The work is ostensibly about what it means to be a human, and tackles subjects like love, birth, death, and sensuality; uniting the domestic with the esoteric. The work has been described as "utterly accessible," "finely crafted," and "exciting," with an appeal for readers of all backgrounds.
Of QUARK SOUP, poet Carolyn Howard-Johnson says that "Magdalena Ball has a knack for placing the mysteries (to most of us) of quark and quantum smack dab into our personal spheres."
For more information on QUARK SOUP, including downloads of audio recordings and samples of poetry, please visit: http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/images/quarkindex.htm
The author is available for interviews, readings and promotions, and the book is currently available for review. Contact the author for review copies or more information.
Contact: Magdalena Ball
e-mail: maggieball@compulsivereader.com
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11: RECIPROCAL LINKS
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WRITE, SELF-PUBLISH, AND PROMOTE YOUR PRINT OR EBOOK
Judy Cullins shares up-to-the-minute information on book writing, publishing and marketing the easiest and cheapest ways--the Internet. Tips, Recommendations, and great resources to help grow your book.
To receive this monthly no charge "The Book Coach Says..." or "Business Tip of the Month" ezine by Judy Cullins, 20-year book and internet marketing coach, go to http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml or put "subscribe" into an email to judy@bookcoaching.com. Dan Poynter says, "It's totally worth your time."
http://www.bookcoaching.com
SOULENGRAVINGS.COM - Horror Fiction and Poetry Ezine
A Tangled Script of Intangible Soul Engravings
This Ezine is constantly evolving and is seeking submissions of horror or dark fantasy fiction and poetry (preferably 3,000 words or less). Multiple poetry submissions are accepted. They pay $20 USD for fiction and $10 USD for poetry via PayPal.
Send your submission to masterengraver@soulengravings.com with the subject of "submission". Visit the website for more details.
http://www.soulengravings.com
SHAURETTE.NET - The Home Page of Dan Shaurette
- His Novel, LILITH'S LOVE - http://www.Liliths-Love.com
- The Lurkers' Domain (creative writing forum) - http://lurk.us
- Is This Thing On? Podcast - http://is-this-thing-on.net
All of this and more at: http://www.Shaurette.net
YOUR LINK COULD BE HERE!
Contact Dan Shaurette for more information at editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
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12: Subscriber Management / Contact Information
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