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.

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 !

Blake Mantle and the War for New Creatia is released by author A. J. Nolan, published by Dog Ear Publishing.

Blake Mantle and the War for New Creatia is a new self published fantasy book written by author A.J. Nolan. The book follows Blake Mantle, a young Hawaiian man, who gets forced by his very first client to make a dangerous airplane delivery to the neighboring island Maui during a dangerous tropical storm. As his plane crashes down on top of Mt. Kilauea Volcano, Blake is somehow sucked safely deep into the heart of the volcano. There he discovers two cities that have been hidden from the surface world for decades that are currently at war with each other.

In this underground world of Paradise, the weapons of choice are 13 unique jet packs that allow its user the ability to form Battle Armor over his entire body directly from the pack itself; whether Spartan, Roman, Ninja or Samurai. Here is where Blake accidentally discovers a uniquely powerful armor that allows his very body to form into a weapon that has such power it has been sought after by both sides for several years. As Blake is befriended by the good city New Creatia, he is relentlessly hunted by the evil city s inhabitants who are desperate to get Blake s new armor for their own sick twisted king, Essex.

Battle armors collide as Blake seeks to protect himself underground while making his way back to the surface, not only to escape this nightmare but also to save his girlfriend Erika who is in great danger. Unfortunately for Blake, he is attacked above ground just as he is united with his girlfriend Erika. This attack forces him to return to New Creatia to confront this relentless enemy Essex once and for all.

Blake Mantle and the War for New Creatia will keep your interest throughout, from the opening battle sequence underground until the final confrontation between the two main characters!

A.J. Nolan was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He has traveled the world to such spots as France, Mexico, Bahamas, Florida and California. But to him, Hawaii has always been his favorite destination. This is one reason why Blake Mantle and the War for New Creatia is centered there. He has spent a lifetime reading, collecting and enjoying all sorts of comic book genre. He has a keen understanding or how superheros work and how they can truly affect a child s imagination. His own imagination has always remained an important part of his life, something that has truly allowed Blake Mantle to shine through.

The author's web site is blakemantle.com

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You will find more information about self publishing a book or self publishing companies at the Dog Ear Publishing web site.

Blake Mantel and The War for New Creatia
A. J. Nolan
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN:1-59858-769-2; 164 pages; $12.95 US