Amazon.com Review

There are so many literary goodies in Judie L.H. Strouf’s Literature Lover’s Book of Lists that one gets a bit breathless trying to get across the full range of pleasures that await. Basically, this is a book of many lists, the sort of lists a lover of literature might seek and relish. There are lists of literature types and literary terminology, Nobel Prize winners and influential writers, schools of criticism and biblical allusions. There are reading lists of bestselling books, children’s books, and lists of books for every genre of literature imaginable, from autobiography to Western masters. Strouf has a full section on poetry, as well, with lists pertaining to major poets from around the world, plus examples of ballad, elegy, and limerick. Drama is treated as thoroughly, as are literary periods, literary themes, and–of course–literary references. A brilliant reference itself for any student of literature, Strouf’s opus is also an a (more…)

Review

“The Literature Teacher’s Book of Lists is one of the first resources I turn to when beginning any literature unit. It is well organized, comprehensive and extensively cross-referenced–in short, indispensable!” –Dee Brtt, library media specialist, Valley Schools, Boulder, Colorado “What better resource for teachers for ESOL than The Literature Teacher’s Book of Lists for making language acquisition both stimulating and enjoyable.” –Joseph P. Glendenning, bilingual educator, Eastern Massachusetts Literacy Council, Inc. “Judie Strouf’s encyclopedic Literature Teacher’s Book of Lists is truly amazing! I recommend it enthusiastically to all my students–especially those who are prospective teachers.” –Michael Flachmann, professor of English, California State University, Bakersfield and 1995 Carnegie Foundation United States Professor of the Year “Nobody but erudite Judie Strouf could write a more comprehensive, clear cut, concise ref (more…)

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From Publishers Weekly

If salespeople are worried about how to sell, Gitomer (The Sales Bible) believes they are missing out on the more important aspect of sales: why people buy. This, he says, is “all that matters,” and his latest book aims to demystify buying principles for salespeople. From the red cloth cover to the small trim size to the amusing (but not cloying) cartoons on almost every page, this is an appealing and accessible book. The author is obviously enthusiastic, if not manic, about sales, and though some of his mantras verge on hokey, much of his prose is straightforward and realistic. Each chapter includes a mini table of contents, pull quotes and takeaway sound bites, examples of typical whines from salespeople (e.g., “the client said they spent their whole budget”) paired with a positive response (e.g., “Decision makers make the budget. Non-decision makers spend the budget”), and plenty of advice and ideas that can be taken in and studied as a whole o (more…)

Becoming a New York Times Best Seller is a tough challenge. It requires a well-planned and executed aggressive marketing campaign and authors have to maintain a gruelling schedule of interviews, book signing, etc. So why do authors aim for this accolade?

Here are five reasons why authors strive for this coveted title:

1. Prestige
The prestige that you gain when you become a New York Times Best Seller is huge and it is a title that is yours to keep for life. The parameters for becoming a New York Times Best Seller are clearly defined. They are not subjective or open to interpretation compared to becoming say an Amazon Best Seller.

The latter can manipulated and can be achieved by selling as little as 300 books sometimes even less. In addition, some authors claim to be an Amazon Best Seller when they have hit Amazon’s top 100 or even top 1,000 which lowers the credibility of this title. No one questions your credibility when you are a New York Times Best Seller.

2. Visibility
Your book will receive prime placement in bookstores. Your book will be placed in a prominent place in show windows. Special displays for your book are also created within the store. This of course all adds up to greater visibility for your book and therefore a greater chance for people to see your book and perhaps buy it.

3. Discounted Price
Bookstores generally discount NYT Best Sellers anywhere from 20 to 50% and at no cost to the author. In other words, the bookstore will still purchase the book at the same price and so authors will still receive the same royalty for each book sold. However, the reduction in price will naturally encourage more book sales.

4. Greater Volume of Book Sales
As said earlier you have to sell many thousands of books to become a New York Times Best Seller. This is achieved through having a wide distribution and an excellent marketing campaign. However, success breeds success. Once your book hits the New York Times Best Seller list the publicity machine gains momentum.

More people hear about your book and more people want to discover for themselves what made your book so popular. The net result is that you can expect a greater volume of sales. And authors can capitalise on this, keep their marketing machine going to stay on this best sellers list for consecutive weeks. For instance, Stephen Colbert’s “I Am America (And So Can You)” was on the New York Times Best Seller’s list for five consecutive weeks during 2007 and 2008.

5. More Opportunities
As a Best Selling author you will receive far more opportunities as a consultant, trainer, leader, speaker, etc. There will be increased media opportunities as well. Where you previously had to court the media you’ll discover that the media will actively seek you out as Ephren Taylor discovered, much to his surprise, when his “Creating Success from the Inside Out” was published.

“I’ve been on National TV, CNBC. I’ve been on 2020. I’ve been on Montel – twice! I’ve got a weekly slot on Fox News Cable nationally…I’ve been on hundreds of radio shows and it has been indexed on blogs, in newspapers…My speaking fees have quadrupled. I’ve got an agent now – believe it not – an agent that represents me for speaking engagements. I’ve done two movies with the book deal. So the book was great for me. It’s brought in tons of clients – people who read the book.”

An important thing to note is that Ephren Taylor’s book “Creating Success from the Inside Out” has not, to date, made the New York Times Best Seller list. However, this book is an Amazon Best Seller and, given that this is a far less prestigious achievement, imagine how your life can change once you become a New York Times Best Seller.

You have just broken up with your ex and are looking to find advice.   Don’t be fooled by the best seller books on relationships when looking for books that can help you,

I am going to show you how to select the best and what I teach you sill surprise you. 

Start by ignoring the glossy previews of authors who have no practical life experience.  They have no doubt studied all the theoretical sides of the subject and can boast a list of academic qualifications as long as your arm. They, however, do not have the ability to relate their so called theoretical experience to the world around them. 

Look for authors who can demonstrate that they have a practical grasp of what they write about.  They have put their life back together after coming through a break up or been able to help a lot of their friends, by showing they cared, either been through a break up and put their life back together successfully or they have been able to help many of their friends through a period of despair. 

You should avoid the books that tell you to forget about your relationship for a month and get some psycho analysis.  These sorts of reports are usually drawn out into books that are void of any real substance.  They are nothing but a waste of money.

Look for a book that will tell you things your friends can’t tell you.  It should set out what women are looking for most in a relationship, with a step by step description get help and achieve what they are recommending.    They will describe clear procedures for helping you get over a break up and fight the grief from which you are suffering.

Look at who is recommending the book as testimonials are often written by friends of the author.  When they are given by people coming from all different walks of life and situations, they are more meaningful.  If they come from different places throughout the world, this would indicate that people from completely different cultures have all found the advice was useful. 

You can find plenty of books written by people who have never been through or near to the destruction a break up can cause, and so have no serious practical experience to offer.  Their content is usually of a rather general nature; they should be avoided as they contain little information that can help you

So take the time to find a book that will give you the advice you nee.  Your relationship merits this effort so be sure you get the best available.

Joe Bisley 

For further information click here.

Review

“This widely expanded update to the original 2004 edition defines nearly every facet of contemporary life  from arts, grammar, mythology and culture to science, economics, and geopolitical issues.

Though bearing an authority and informational wealth that might rival the voluminous Oxford Dictionary of English, this surprisingly manageable volume is organized alphabetically by subject and contains thousands of highly accessible essays, tables, and lists, all composed by New York Times field experts.

It also includes an introduction by longtime “On Language” columnist and Pultizer Prize winner William Safire.

An essential background reference for almost every subject: highly recommended for all public libraries.” ~Library Journal 

“I wish I’d had this book 25 years ago. It is certain to become an indispensable tool for fact fanatics.” ~ Bill Bryson, author of A Short History of Nearly Everything

“In short, this is the largest, most up-to-date and affordable one volume (more…)
 

Everyone has a unique story to tell. 

From explaining business processes to revealing our personal history, we all have a natural desire to share our experiences with the world. 

As a result, bookstore shelves are packed with numerous titles that promise to entertain, enlighten, and educate readers. 

Perhaps, then, the old saying that everyone has at least one book in them is true. If so, how do you know whether your current idea really is book worthy or if it needs some fine tuning to have maximum market ability. 

Before you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, put your book idea to the test. Use the following questions as a way to hone your idea s development and create a manuscript destined for the best seller list. 

• Can you state your book’s purpose in 10 words or less 

Many new authors face the challenge of wanting to give too much information at once. 

Instead of focusing on one specific idea, they try to wrap multiple concepts into one book. This approach not only makes it difficult to organize your book, but it also overwhelms your readers. 

With any good book, you can state the book s specific purpose in 10 words or less. Realize that your purpose is not the same as your theme or plot. 

The book s purpose is what you specifically want the reader to do or think as a result of reading your book. Now, a statement such as to live a better life or to run a better business is not specific. 

A purpose is not a generalization. It is a specific action that you motivate the reader to embark upon. 

For example, if you are writing a business book, your purpose should be to help your readers improve one specific business function, such as its marketing efforts, its customer service, its project management, etc. 

Your purpose should not be to teach business executives how to create better marketing materials, deliver improved customer service, establish long term customer relations, increase employee retention, and locate the best new talent. 

That’ s simply too much for one book to cover. Keep your purpose specific so you can deliver targeted and useful information. 

• Does your book have a specific audience 

While you certainly want a large audience to market your book to, you also want an audience that s targeted to your topic. 

Simply stating that your audience is business people or women or the general public is not a targeted audience. 

Why?

Not all business people have the same concerns, not all women are interested in the same topics, and not everyone in the general public will be able to identify with your ideas. 

When you narrow your audience to include those with a specific tie to your theme or who fit a certain demographic, you gain a marketing edge that can position your book more effectively. 

So instead of stating that your audience is business people, perhaps you can narrow it down to company owners, middle management, or entrepreneurs. 

Rather than target the broad category of women, you’ d have better sales by focusing on women over age 50, working moms, or single women under age 35. 

All these categories consist of a large number of people, yet they are narrow enough so you can streamline your message. 

• Are you saying something new 

If you want people to invest the time and money to read your book, you have to tell them something new. 

Too many authors attempt to reword or rehash old ideas that others have stated over and over. 

While you should use other people s works to substantiate claims or add credibility to your message, make sure your central idea is fresh and unique. 

How can you make sure your approach is new Incorporate the results of a survey you personally conducted. Include case studies from your own business or life. Interview people who can contribute facts and information. 

Add elements of yourself to punctuate your message. This is your book, so tell your story or stance on an issue. 

Many authors are afraid to state a new opinion on a topic that others have covered. They think they may turn people off or offend. 

Remember that people like controversy, so if your book can stir things up and make people think twice about something, you will have a greater chance of creating a buzz about your book. 

• Are your writing skills up to par

You could have the best idea in the world, but if your text is filled with errors, is poorly organized, or is difficult to understand, no one will want to read it. 

Before you write too much of your book, brush up on your writing skills by attending a writing class, studying a writing guide, or hiring a writing coach to help you correct your writing challenges. 

Also, educate yourself on what writing style appeals to your audience, and then strive to imitate that style. 

Gear your writing to your intended audience as much as possible. 

If you are unsure whether your writing skills make the grade, consult with a professional editor or ghostwriter who can rework your writing and bring it up to publishing standards. 

Do not let poor writing skills ruin your best selling idea. 

Start Writing Now Writing a book is no small undertaking. When you can answer yes to each of the above questions, you will be on your way to transforming your idea into a publishable piece of work. 

Take the time to nurture and develop your idea before you start writing so you can be sure to create the best book possible.

A little pre planning and foresight is all it takes to give your book the most market appeal.

Yes, audio books demand is growing very rapidly and the industry has a hard time delivering what consumers demand. And the increased demand means for consumers that prices are coming down as quantities increase.

One has to distinguish between the physical product audio book, that is delivered on cassettes and CD’s and the digital audio book that can ‘only’ be downloaded from the Internet. But let’s first look why the demand has increased that much:

The hectic lifestyle most of us are forced to lead leaves little time to sit down and read a book. Commuting, heavy work schedules, the kids, different daily chores use up a lot of time. There is simply not enough time left to pick up a book and sit down to enjoy it….

On the other hand we all have time in the day when we are not really busy mentally, where the brain is in ‘idle’ or has at least a lot of spare capacity.

Whilst you are occupied with work that demands that you use your eyes (and hands), the mind would be glad to get decent and stimulating input.

Just think traffic jam, weeding or cutting the grass, or any other manual chore and housework that use up hours every day, or jogging, working out – any type of sport that mostly occupies the muscles.

An audio book, read by a professional narrator who is telling you the story, is an ideal way to ‘read’ books that you wanted to read for a long time, but that lack of time did not permit.

Story telling has a very long tradition and with the new technology, it is gaining popularity again.

“For many people, listening to an audio book is an opportunity to hear an author firsthand,” says Mary Beth Roche, president of the Audio Publishers Association (APA) and president of Audio Renaissance, a New York-based audio book company. “It’s like having the very best lecture series, not just in your own town, but in your own car or home.” – and at your command, they’ll read when YOU are ready to listen.

Audio books used to be thought of as limited special products for only the blind and sight impaired or for kids and lazy people who either can not or do not want to read themselves. This has dramatically changed over the last few years.

A survey of the Audio Publisher’s Association has found that the average listener to audio books is about 45 years of age and has an average yearly income of more than $50,000, at least a college education and often more advanced degrees. And these people are very Internet savvy.

In short: These affluent middle aged internauts are the ideal customers for on line audio book shops. Downloading an audio book is like picking up their email for these customers and they appreciate the ease of purchasing a new novel in form of a down loadable audio book, be it for their iPod, Zune or other MP3 player.

“Middle-class, well educated, and smart, that’s a great demographic to have,” says Eileen Hutton, vice president of editorial for Brilliance Audio, one of the oldest publishers of audio books.

Roche says there is no data on sales for the industry as a whole. “We are just beginning to send out surveys to compile sales information, but individually, members of the Association boast of annual sales increases in the double digits,” Roche adds.

Audio book sales are increasing so fast that the audio book industry is not able to keep up with the demand. Creating an audio version of a book is more costly and time intensive than printing.

More often than not, an actor or a professional narrator has to be hired to narrate the book, and there’s the cost of the recording studio, a production crew, post production and packaging ( that applies to conventional audio books on CD – Down loadable audio books don’t have that cost attached.).

A large saving can be made by making the audio books available as down-loadable audio file. This is also reflected in the cheaper prices for audio books that are down loadable directly from an on-line audio book store.

The peak sales season for audio publishers are in the spring as Americans prepare for those long driving vacations or basking on the beach, and before the Christmas season, when people are shopping for holiday gifts.

Sales start to be a lot more even though, as people routinely pick up audio books to feed their MP3 players.

Audio books are especially good for children who hate to read because of problems in school. That way they are familiarized with the adventure of using their own imagination to paint their mental pictures of what they hear, rather than just staring on the TV screen. Also, if they have the book and the audio, reading along can help to overcome reading problems:

“Librarians and teachers have been using audio books for years in the classroom, but parents aren’t making the logical connectioome reason or other don’t have the reading skills they should have, but are intellectually fit can listen to audio books to continue their education and listen to self help audiobooks, language course audios etc.

There’s a holiday marketing campaign going on right now called BOOKS=GIFTS. The program was organized by Random House, with many other publishing companies joining the effort. The goal is to emphasize that books are a more ideal gift than ever this holiday season, with the struggling economy.

Many high profile authors like Dan Brown, Christopher Paolini, Judy Blume, Deepak Chopra and Maya Angelou are doing short video clips that share their perspective on why books make great gifts, the gimmick being that each one says “Books make great gifts because… (fill in the blank for each author),” and then “Give… (blank).”

In fact, there are several important reasons why books really do make great gifts, for everyone on your list (and especially for kids), this year and any year.

Here are just a few:
* Books are evergreen – they keep on giving, well beyond the day they are received. They give with each read, and if they are subsequently shared or passed down, they keep on giving. They are like presents that can be opened over and over again.

* Books send a message to the recipient beyond that of the book itself. They tell the reader, “I care about you. I think of you as this sort of person, and therefore I think you would enjoy this book.”

* Books educate, inform and inspire. They broaden consciousness and perspective. They also cultivate curiosity, nurture the imagination, and promote a sense of wonder.

* Books provide outstanding long-term value for a relatively low cost.

* Giving young people books as gifts subliminally underscores the connection between reading and the joy of receiving, thus strengthening the association between books and pleasure.

* There are countless types, genres, styles, subjects and authors to choose from, maximizing your opportunity to find something uniquely suited to each recipient.

* If you are overwhelmed by options, or not sure where to begin to find the right book for a loved one, there are myriad resources to help. Your local bookseller is trained to help match the right book to the right person. You can also explore Amazon.com’s “listmania” lists and “Customers who bought this book also explored…” feature.

You can pick up a copy of the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, American Libraries magazine or any number of other publications dedicated to reviewing books. There are even websites geared to helping people find books they love – one to explore is www.goodreads.com.

So give the best gift of all this year. Give books!