The Case for Self Publishing Fiction

When I read different books on publishing, I think it is implied that publishing your own informational, inspirational or self-help books are the only works one can self-publish successfully. Granted, this is the Information Age and people buy information. But all due respect to how-to books, there is still a market for self-published fiction. I have found that self-publishing is just as viable an avenue for fiction, if not more.

One only has to look at the many fictional books that are circulating on the Internet (and off) which are doing well financially and which were self-published. Some have even been picked up by mainstream. One only has to go to Mosaic Books.com and Cush City.com and even my column, On The Same Page, to see this is true. Many of the authors I interview on my Internet radi shows are self-published authors of fiction.

To begin with, self-publishing is not only becoming more acceptable, it can be a lucrative venture. A few years ago, I read about a novel in the Publisher's Weekly's newsletter. Although this book was a self-published fictional book (it sounded like a roman a clef of Monica Lewinsky), it was chosen by the Double Day Book Club! This was a first. Now to me, that meant this was a door opener. For other examples, in mainstream America we can look to Grisham and James Redfield, the author of The Celestine Prophecy. What would have happened had these writers not self-published their fiction?

In African American literature, we know what happened with Michelle McGriff and many others who have 'blown up.'

In addition, it is not unusual for authors who have been published by mainstream to turn around and self-publish their subsequent works. Why?

Factor in the recent explosion of print-on-demand companies and ebook companies or writers selling books directly from their website, and fiction is a great way to get your name out to the public.

Let's look at what you gain when you publish your own non-fiction, then what you gain when you publish fiction. Neither one is better than the other. This is just to encourage writers of fiction to consider publishing their own works. When you self-publish non-fiction, these are the things you gain:

· Speed. Most publishers work on an 18th month production cycle. Will you miss your market?

· Authority. The word 'author' is the root word in authority. People listen to you when you are an author. You become an 'expert' or 'authority' on a subject. From here you can do seminars, tapes, speaking engagements, and consultations.

· Control. Twenty-three per cent of publishers do not give the author the right to select the title, 26% do not consult the author on the jacket cover's design, 36% rarely involve the author on the book's promotion.

· A profit center. You make more money. The profit margin is 40% on a self-published book. After the advance, you only get 6 % to 15% of the sales on a traditionally published book.

· A reading audience. Many publishers receive more than 100 unsolicited manuscripts for consideration each day. As a result, no one will ever read your manuscript.

· A tax-write off. You get more write-offs as the publisher/author, than just the author.

When you self-publish fiction, in addition to all of the above, these are your gains:·

- Posterity. Your deciphering of mankind's trials and tribulations in the twentieth century are recorded for future generations.

· Fame. If you build a reading audience, you may become famous. Even if you don't become famous, you have a sense of satisfaction. A sense of testifying, a way of saying, 'I lived. I was here. I made a difference.' ·

- A possible movie deal. Movie companies, television and independent filmmakers are always looking for good stories. Many movies, such as Waiting to Exhale or How Stella Got Her Groove Back are made from books. My favorite book, Beloved, has been made into a movie. Although the movie can not touch the art of literature, Oprah has tried to capture its essence on film for future generations.

· A reading audience who loves stories. From the time man sat around the first cave fires, they loved to hear stories. When one hears a story, this can resonate in their mind long after the story is over. In essence, you are renting space in your reader's imagination, which they will carry around with them for years.

Also take this fact into consideration. Many books which we have studied in our classrooms, such as Lady Chatterly's Lover, (D.H. Lawrence), Leaves of Grass, (Walt Whitman) and Ullyses (James Joyce) would never have become classics if the writers hadn't self-published. These books were ahead of their times and considered too risque to be published by mainstream publishers. So for writers of fiction, don't wait for years and years to be discovered!

Life is a smorgasbord! Go out there and help yourself!

Turn Foreclosed Homes Into Energy Efficient Showcases

They can be seen on any street and in any neighborhood. The un-mowed lawns, boarded up windows and vacant driveways of foreclosed and bank owned property. There are many ideas on how to turn these neglected remnants of corporate greed and misguided trust back into marketable homes.

We should strive to make these homes into more than just a marketable home. We need to start the process of transforming the way we power our homes. The renewable energy technology is available to make these foreclosed homes models for our communities.

There should be incentives given to banks who sell these properties at a discount to contractors or prospective home buyers. The new owners would contractually agree to remodel their home to a set of standards such as the HERS rating system. The work should include installing a renewable energy system, (i.e. Solar, geothermal or wind). The outer shell must be completely sealed, also known as closing the envelope of a home. The windows, doors and all the appliances should have high energy star ratings.

The banks would receive government incentives to sell at a discount. They could possibly receive future tax credits as an example. The new home owner would receive the incentives already in place for installing energy efficient products. This includes a very nice size return for installing renewable energy. There are many incentives available from the utility companies as well as from Federal, State and local governments

We could also go a step further and require all work to comply with the LEEDS for homes guidelines. This requires the contractor, when working on the home, to install products that are the least toxic to our planet. They pollute less and we are able to them recycle later. This is commonly known as green building.

There would be many benefits to implementing this program. The resale value of the surrounding community would increase. It would add many needed jobs for the contractors and sub contractors they hire. The efficiency of the homes along with the renewable energy systems would reduce our dependency on foreign oil. This program would be better than just buying bad loans. There is a return for taxpayers footing the bill.

Our government can help turn these eyesore properties into community showcases of energy saving technology. This will help create a new wave of home remolding using renewable energy in our country. There are certainly many obstacles that would need to be ironed out for this program to work. President Obama has showed an interest in building green in his recent programs. This would be one more step in the way to a new green era in our history. All these things will certainly help create a healthier planet.

How to Choose Boxing Equipments?

There are various boxing equipments in sports store; you may be finding it difficult to choose the best one. Well if you have money, then there's no reason why should not go in for an expensive one. However, all these expenses may just go to waste if your interest in this game is only momentary. Once your attention to boxing wavers, you will pay less often and the pricey stuff will only dissipate.

Consider the following points in choosing boxing equipment:

-> Find out how much interest you have for the sport. If you are just a beginner or if you are in the game just to while away your time during summer, then you should buy basic and lost cost equipment. However, if you have already played for a tournament, you deserve a more expensive boxing set.

-> Be knowledgeable about the complete kit of boxing equipment. At least know the basic tools used in the game, which are protective gear like boxing gloves, shoes and handwraps, headgear, Groin Protectors, Mouthguards etc

-> Wear Hand wraps to protect your wrist, bones, knuckles and thumb. Always wear hand wraps before putting boxing gloves or bag gloves. Always tell an experienced person to handwrap before the boxing match starts.

-> Choose boxing gloves based on your training. If you wear wrong gloves, it can injure your hand and wrist that will keep you out of the gym for long time. If you are not a professional player, buy Velcro gloves. Professional players should go in for lace gloves and use 10 oz gloves while fighting.

-> While buying boxing mouthguard make sure you are comfortable wearing it. It should never be bulky, irritate your teeth or soft tissues of your mouth. Boxers never wear mouth guards as they cannot speak properly or have breathing problem. These problems arise if you buy ill fitting mouthguards. A mouthpiece should be 4mm+.

-> Headgear is important boxing equipment. Wear headgear before buying so that you can know whether it is adjustable. Choose a headgear that can protect your ears and you can also hear.

-> Buy Boxing shoes that are comfortable to wear. Buy boxing shoes that provide adequate breathing and vent so that sweat does not build up quickly on the feet during training and competition. This type of shoe can also be worn at the ring or as casual. While deciding which color to purchase, most men prefer black. Most men prefer black color as it goes well with everything. Apart from color, other buying tips are it should be light in weight, have rubber soles on the bottom and have plenty of breathing room.

If you remember all these points you can buy boxing equipments based on your needs.

Montana Hunting - Tips For Your Next Hunting Trip In The Great Northwest

Montana hunting is becoming more and more popular among hunters seemingly every single year, and hunting in Montana is growing popularity seemingly every singly year. Very simply, Montana is an outdoor paradise.

It offers mountain ranges, plenty of lakes and streams, forests, etc. No matter what kind of outdoor activities you enjoy doing, Montana certainly offers something to please you. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your Montana hunting trip.

First of all, northwest Montana is probably the most popular hunting location in the state. This is popular for hunting, fishing, hiking, and again, just about any outdoor activity you can name.

The reason this is so popular is that there are very few people who live in the northwest part of Montana, or any part of Montana for that matter. This makes it an outdoors paradise. First of all, there are several different kind of animals that are popular in the state; probably the most popular to hunt here are elk and deer.

Few things beat Montana Deer Hunting, and you will certainly never run out of deer to go after on your trip. Also, elk hunting in the state is a popular past time as well, and these can offer a challenge to hunters of all ability levels.

Also, you can occasionally find elk, moose, and mountain goats to hunt as well. Also, if you are more daring, you can try targeting mountain lions and bear if you want to as well. Of course, you want to be sure you know what you're doing when taking on these larger animals, because obviously these animals are extremely dangerous; very simply, if you fire and miss, and they see you, you are in big trouble.

First of all, keep in mind that whether you are an experienced or a beginning hunter, if you are unfamiliar with the Montana area, you probably want to take out a guide to help you with your hunting expedition, regardless of what kind of animal you may be going after. Very simply, these guides know just about every area of Montana, and can help save you a lot of time and hassle when looking for the best places time.

Even if you are the best hunter in the world, if you don't know the optimum places for Montana hunting, you'll not be successful in catching any animals. Obviously, being prepared is the most important part of hunting, and this is what these guides can provide you with. Of course, if you don't want to pay the money for them, you can also still benefit from their services; simply talking to know before you go out to help you find the best places to go hunting.

They can give you out helpful tips and suggestions to find the top places to go for your Montana hunting trip. This is much better than spending days wandering around trying to find the top places to go; when you know where to go immediately, you simply set up shop there, and wait for the deer to come rolling in.

Also, keep in mind that there are many great hunting lodges that allow you to stay overnight and hunt in their private location. Obviously, you have to pay to stay in these shelters, but the best part about it is that only people who stay at the Lodge have access to the hunting location. Therefore, if you do like private hunting, this is the best place for you.

Make sure to check in on Montana Hunting Regulations, so that you can be sure that your equipment is legal in the state, and also the areas you plan on hunting in allow hunting. Without knowing this important information, you will end up in some serious legal trouble.

Also, there are many great public hunting locations of Montana as well. Hopefully these Montana Hunting tips will help you to find the top places to go in your Montana trip, and aid you in enjoying your trip as much as possible.

DAB Radio - To Buy Or Not to Buy?

There are many reasons why you should consider purchasing a portable DAB radio, the foremost being the clear PURE quality of sound and the multiple functions.

You won't be getting the annoying hissing, crackling and interruptions whilst listening to your AM/FM radio as digital (DAB) radios have much improved sound quality and reception. Inside a house, a TV or home appliance such as a vacuum cleaner will affect the signal quality, digital radio doesn't have this problem because it has a computer in the receiver which calculates the signals coming in and gets rid of any distortions, so, effectively it just takes the main signal and deletes the other signals which could cause the interference.

If the door bell goes or you have to take a break and miss part of the programme you were listening to, with a digital radio you can pause and rewind just like with digital TV.

DID YOU KNOW: You can connect to the Internet and play literally thousands of stations from all over the world all through your digital radio?

There's an enormous choice of stations to listen to with DAB radios - with everything from sports to classical music, from current affairs to the latest political news, you name it, you will find it on a DAB Radio!

DID YOU KNOW: Many of the latest DAB radios also provide an iPod Dock which enables iPod owners to listen to their music through a DAB radio?

You can charge your iPod whilst you're listening to music or radio, which is extremely useful. You can also connect MP3 players to the radio and listen to tracks from your music library.

The latest Digital radios are much more user friendly than older radios and most come with a useful LCD screen that allows you to navigate the different menus and provides a visual display of your current station.

DID YOU KNOW: No more fiddling the tuning the station - you tune them in once (and MOST DAB radios will automatically do for you when you turn it on for the first time) and can then forget about it!

The LATEST digital radios are re-chargable so you don't have the expense and irritation of buying new batteries.

There is a HUGE interest in DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) radio these days, but do your research before buying as there are so many to choose from although you can't go far wrong if you stick with the PURE DAB Brand.

To summarise, If you enjoy listening to the radio and you want reliability and functionality, it is well worth investing in a digital radio.

HAPPY LISTENING!

This really means that you can use DAB radio in any weather conditions. It doesn't matter if there's a gale blowing or it's raining cats and dogs, the signal will be just as clear whatever it's like outside and it will also give the same quality signal if you are in a city or out in the country.

DID YOU KNOW: You can pause and rewind live radio?

Entitlement Programs Kill Corporate Productivity

In articles I've written over the years, I have used "laissez-faire," a term more frequently used to characterize governments than businesses, to describe a rather laid-back management style. When I use this term, I am referring to management personnel who put very little pressure on employees to achieve their full potential by pushing them toward peak performance levels.

Laissez-faire managers had much rather maintain a stress-free relationship with their personnel than face the antagonistic environment that sometimes arises when employee confrontations become necessary. They rarely "push" their people; they allow each employee to set his or her own performance standards.

Now Judith M. Bardwick, a psychologist and management consultant, has used another typically government-associated term to describe an equally costly corporate malady; this time it's entitlement. I believe that entitlement is deeply rooted in many businesses in our industry.

Barwick describes business entitlement programs as "giving people reasonably good jobs without documenting what the company gets in return, resulting in people either not working, or people thinking they are working when, in reality, they are not adding anything of value to the business."

Just a couple of examples of entitlement that I observe take place when employees make remarks like, "It's January 10th and I haven't received my raise yet." Another is, "I received my Christmas bonus last week and all they gave me this year was a check for a lousy $200."

A willingness to accept mediocre performance is also deeply rooted in the culture of many businesses. North America has been blessed with such an excellent economy over much of the last two decades that many managers have gotten away with this attitude and still done reasonably well.

When managers allow employees to put in 40 hours while the company receives only about 20 hours of productivity, the bottom line almost invariably takes it on the chin. Managers cannot continue to allow employees to do things "the old way" or "their way" when their performance is dragging down the overall productivity of the company.

Toleration perpetuates entitlement. In her book, Danger in the Comfort Zone, Barwick says, "Organizations have failed to educate their employees that their work is not just the jobs they perform, but their ability to add value through their position in the company."

Value equates to earning capacity by the employee for the business. Neither employees nor management can afford to become complacent by believing that they can continue to live off the successes of the past. If they do, the competition is likely to strip them of several of their best customers.

How do you eliminate or prevent the entitlement mindset? Begin by defining individual performance goals and clearly communicating them in measurable terms. Then review results, reward accomplishment and take swift action with those who refuse to participate in the program.

Performance goals must be measurable. They can be measured daily, weekly, monthly or via annual standards. How frequently you give measurable feedback depends on the job function, but what is most essential is that you keep score. Otherwise, how can you possibly know the degree to which each employee is contributing.

To make this point, I often ask my audiences sports-related questions. What's the magic batting average that a position player must achieve in baseball to be considered a cut above? The answer is .300. How many RBI must a player achieve in a season to be considered a cut above? The answer is 100. Or how about keeping score among pitchers? How many games must pitchers win to set themselves apart from the pack? The answer is 20.

There are examples from all sports. In football, how many yards must a running back gain in a game, in a season or on a carry? The answers are 100, 1,000 and 5, respectively.

If I were to tell you that I am an incredibly good golfer, what questions might you ask me to determine my degree of excellence? Your questions might include: What's your handicap? Or, what do you typically shoot?

Back to business. One rule that I have always believed to be important is to provide feedback to all employees on a consistent basis. But the lower an employee's pay range, the more frequently I recommend that managers not only provide feedback, but also to reward more positive levels of performance.

The days are gone when businesses can sit back and wait for their salespeople to pick up the phone. Every salesperson must meet minimum standards both in maintaining product penetration among current customer accounts and in bringing in a budgeted amount of fresh new business.

Operations managers, as an example, can no longer allow their drivers set their own work pace. The individual productivity of each person must be measured and minimum standards established. When an individual employee consistently falls below the minimum performance levels that have been established, that employee must be counseled.

Virtually every company has employees who have made it their life's work to beat the system. The bigger the company, the more prevalent this mindset. Too many such entitlement holders eat away at the bottom line and set a costly example within the organization.

I don't believe that there is any doubt about it, if you want to earn a satisfactory amount of profit, management must be tough minded, but fair. When I single out clients who put the most money on the bottom line, they almost invariably set high performance standards for both themselves and the entire organization. They don't put up with mediocrity.

As you begin a new business period -- month, quarter or year -- I encourage you to discipline yourself to help your employees be all that they can be. Push them. Encourage them. Measure them. Reward them. And remember, if you continue doing the same things year after year that you have always done, you'll most likely get the same results you've always gotten. If you want different results, you must do different things.