New batch of self-published author sites go live!

We've had our newest batch of author sites go live - quite a mix of books and authors in this round.

Check 'em out:

Glen Miller and his book - Empowering the Patient: How to reduce the cost of healthcare and improve its quality bring a new look at healthcare that you won't hear discussed by either political party.

You can visit his new web site at: http://www.empoweringpatients.org

 

 

 

Following up on the 'different side of things' angle, author Paul Jamiol shows us the softer side of those guys who ride motorcycles. He's brought us a childrens book on the topic - and his web site is located here: http://www.bikersareanimals.com

 

 

 

Alaska’s Heavy Light is a thriller from the far northern reaches -by Barbara Hunt. I won't give more away - but you can read an excerpt on her site: http://www.alaskasheavylight.com

 

 

 

Womens Way of Leading, co-authored by Linda Lambert and Mary Gardner, invites the reader into a journey of self-discovery informed by a fresh definition of leadership that transcends position and gender. Their web site is http://www.womenswaysofleading.com

 

 

 

Floyd and the Irresistable Cookie is a wonderful childrens book brought to us by Kristine Daniels. The beautiful and 'irresistable' story line bring us a great lesson for kids of all ages. http://www.kristinedanielsbooks.com

Florida Vigil wrote and published a book about beauty, life, love, family, and prayer.We've presented her book, titled Embracing Life: Poems that Inspire the Heart and Soul on her own web site here: http://www.embracinglifepoems.com

 

 

 

Last, but certainly not least (as the cliche goes...) is a book by actress Patricia Wilson. Those of you 'of a certain age' may remember her as a star of stage (Broadway: Fiorello where she starred with Tom Bosley) and numerous TV and film productions. She's finally brought her autobiography to us - Yesterday’s Mashed Potatos: The Fabulous Life of a Happy Has-Been - you can find out more on her site: http://www.patriciawilsonbook.com

A Day In the Life of a Dog (Dog Ear Publishing that is...) redux

Well, there you go... that's what I get for having too many blogs...

The post immediately below ended up on my Self Publishing Stories blog (a blog of press releases and announcements from Dog Ear Publishing authors...) because I forgot what I was logged into... (social media dementia - now there's a post for my technology blog Self Publishing Today... do you start to sense a theme?)

Anyway - here's the post I meant to post here... so don't go read it there... (because it's already here... unless you want to... never mind...)

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OK - as I posted on my 'corporate' blog about self publishing - summer is winding down, the kids are headed back to school (on the bus this morning here in Indiana), and it's time to get focused again...

So - I'm starting out by asking some simple questions that we chased around over the summer... what can publishers (self publishers specifically) do to 'give back' to our society?

We've got a few things in the works - you can see 'em over on the Dog Ear Publishing site - and would welcome any thoughts you might have; send your comments to me via email (I'm rayr -you know what goes in here- dogearpublishing dot net ... isn't spam a pain...) or leave them below.

Google Book Search - amazing tool for self publishing gurus

This is an example I was TRYING to display over on my blog at selfpublishingtoday.com - which happens to be a WordPress.com blog... which also happens NOT to allow *iframe* code ... so - to see the article about this cool new Google Book Search feature go here...

Otherwise, enjoy a preview of Bill McGann's Tour de France book.

Green publishing and Dog Ear Publishing

It's kind of funny to see the publishing industry embracing a 'green' revolution - especially when the SELF publishing industry, for the most part, has always been green.

In the vast majority of our self publishing efforts, print-on-demand is utilized to produce the books. Print-on-demand is by its very nature more green than printing thousands of books that then sit in warehouses, often simply to be sent back to the shredder. It's even more green when the books are truly print-on-demand and the technology is used to fulfill end consumer orders. The print-on-demand model (when used to satisfy end-consumer need) is just about the most environment-friendly book publishing option in the book industry (really only e-books are more environmentally gentle). Imagine how many trees would be saved by only printing the books that are ordered, using strict environmental practices and certified materials.

My company, Dog Ear Publishing, works very hard to be the best and smartest choice for authors, and we quickly realized that building beautiful books doesn’t have to be harmful to the environment. We use recycled papers – though it may vary in percentage as our printing process does limit us in some ways due to the speed at which we print our books.

The offset printing-hold inventory model of publishing requires large amounts of printed inventory – all of which are produced BEFORE a sale is ever made to keep costs low and profits high. Practically every single title produced by the traditional publishing market in a traditional offset-printed matter have a large quantity of books that go unsold and are consequently returned and destroyed. To make matters worse, this is typically in addition to being shipped and handled multiple times.

At Dog Ear Publishing, a book is typically printed only after the sale is made – ensuring that each book we print has a home with a reader. Print on demand helps eliminate waste, reduces carbon emissions and helps us be a good steward of our valuable natural resources.

The raw materials used in all Dog Ear Publishing books carry certifications that promote the health of our planet and industry - our raw materials are obtained from Chain of Custody (COC) certified suppliers, which guarantees the environmental sustainability and sourcing of materials used. We use environmentally certified papers that carry one or more certifications from:

FSC – The Forest Stewardship Council
SFI – The Sustainable Forestry Initiative
PEFC – The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification GREEN-E

Some of papers we use are even are produced using 100% wind power. Dog Ear Publishing papers contain NO old growth forest content, content from forests of exceptional conservation value, or the Amazon Basin; and all papers ARE sourced from Sustainable Reforestation Programs.

My partners, Alan Harris and Miles Nelson, and I believe that building beautiful books doesn’t have to be harmful to the environment. In addition to recycled papers, Dog Ear Publishing has retrofitted its entire office with energy efficient light bulbs, and our equipment is energy star rated. With quite a bit of success, we've implemented an office wide recycling program. Very little of anything is simply thrown away - we are reducing and recycling everything from paper, aluminum to our equipment.

We created “Dog Ear CARES,” a program through which we dedicate a portion of sales to supporting environmental efforts to reduce pollution (including carbon emissions), protect natural habitats and foster alternative and renewable fuels - in addition to organizations like RIF and others that promote literacy.

Changing up A Day in the Life of a Dog

I'm shifting things around here in this blog - moving the Dog Ear Publishing author PR stuff over to a new blog I've built - located here at Blogger - www.selfpublishingstories.com.

This blog will grow to be mostly about Dog Ear Publishing and my thoughts in the industry in general - as applied to Dog Ear directly (I also have an industry blog called SelfPublishingToday.com)

Stay tuned !

Parents Can Teach Their Children How to Save and How to Spend Money in this Brilliant New Release!

The Adventures of ExoKid and the Teachings of Money is released by author Richard Outram CPA and illustrated by Elizabeth Kapatos

Today millions of Americans find themselves in serious debt. Many people are unable to live within their means while others have made serious financial mistakes. How can we teach our children to avoid the usual pitfalls of bad money management? More importantly, how can we instill in them good common financial sense?

The Adventures of ExoKid and the Teachings of Money is an exciting new children’s book about money that parents and children can read together. One day ExoKid, a boy from outer space, spies a green piece of paper floating through space. He decides to take the paper back to its source, planet Earth. There he meets Pennie who gives him a tour of a bank and explains how savings accounts work. Later Pennie takes him back to her family where he learns all about how to save money, write up a budget and spend responsibly among other things.

The Adventures of ExoKid and the Teachings of Money begins with elementary explanations of coin and dollar amounts, but as the book progresses, children are introduced to more sophisticated topics such as investments, interest and debt. Each short chapter in the book ends with a list of questions to review the topics and to encourage a dialogue between parents and kids. For example, kids are asked, “What is a budget?” or “Describe the difference between a need and a want.”

The Adventures of ExoKid and the Teachings of Money is a great tool for parents to teach their kids about finances in a way that not only makes sense but is exciting for them. The dynamic and colorful illustrations by Elizabeth Kapatos will keep children entertained as they learn about the workings of money. Parents will feel relieved that their children are learning about finances and children will enjoy riding along with ExoKid!

If you would like more information about publishing your own book, visit the Dog Ear Publishing website.
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The Adventures of ExoKid and the Teachings of Money
Ricahrd Outram CPA
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 978-159858-898-9 36 pages US

Available at Ingram, Baker&Taylor, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, Borders and fine bookstores everywhere

Praise for the United States of America in this Exciting New Release

What America Means to Me is released by self-published author Albert F. Chestone

What does it mean to be an American citizen? Why is it important to keep God in the Pledge of Allegiance? Are there anti-Americans living among us who want to change our form of government?

Author Albert F. Chestone, a retired FBI agent and self-proclaimed patriot, addresses these questions and many more in his new book What America Means to Me. Drawing from the voices of many authors, historians and political figures, Chestone has produced a comprehensive anthology of essays and speeches about the uniqueness of America and the American experience.

What America Means to Me contains a wide range of contributors including Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, David Horowitz, Rick Scarborough and Dr. James Dobson, to name a few. People will enjoy reading what these important figures have to say about such topics as American history, immigration, God, and the challenge of freedom.

What America Means to Me is an eclectic mix of prose held together by the common thread of praise for our great nation. This is the perfect book for anyone who feels proud to be an American!

Chestone used his experience as an FBI agent to write a book with an interesting and meaningful commentary on America. If you would like to share your hard-earned insight about a topic, consider self-publishing. Visit Dog Ear's website to find out more about our company and self-publishing in general.
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What America Means to Me
Albert F. Chestone
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 978-159858-895-8 376 pages US

Available at Ingram, Baker&Taylor, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, Borders and fine bookstores everywhere

Star Crossed Lovers Rediscover One Another, Fight Terrorist and Discover Supernatural Abilities in this Spunky New Novel

Freckles: Angel on her Shoulder is released by self-published author Eric G. Waggoner

When seven year old Mara meets nine year old Orson on the beach on Whidbey Island one day, they are instantly attracted to one another. They dive for seaweed and kiss under the water and when the day is done, Mara is inconsolable. “I’ll find you again” promises Orson. Fast forward forty-five years to the future and Mara is a widow and a single mother raising a 16 year old daughter. She’s also a state trooper full of spunk and devoted to fighting crime. When she pulls over Orson, a successful software magnate, for speeding one day, the two fall in love a second time.

Freckles: Angel on her Shoulder is an off-beat romance by author Eric G. Waggoner that will keep readers entertained from page one. At one point, Mara and Orson find themselves working together to stop a dangerous terrorist cell from carrying out an attack and they both end up in the hospital with extensive injuries. There they meet a rather special nurse named Ruth, who will clue them into their supernatural abilities and the real reason behind their serendipitous encounters. It seems that their attraction for one another is no accident!

Perhaps the best part of this novel is the playful banter between Mara and Orson. By the time you finish Freckles, you will feel like you know these two oddballs better than your best friend. Theirs is a love that will stand the test of time!

To find out more about self-publishing in general, or how to publish your book with Dog Ear Publishing, visit our website.
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Freckles: Angel on her Shoulder
Eric G. Waggoner
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 978-159858-889-7 332 pages US

Available at Ingram, Baker&Taylor, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, Borders and fine bookstores everywhere