The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell

Today I have the great pleasure of being the host on Day 11 of the Virtual Blog Tour of author Lynn Serafinn whose book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell launches on Amazon on Tuesday December 13, 2011.

Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC is a certified, award-winning coach and teacher, marketer, social media expert, radio host, speaker and bestselling author. Her eclectic approach to marketing incorporates her vast professional experience in the music industry and the educational sector along with more than two decades of study and practice of the spirituality of India. In her work as a promotional manager she has produced a long list of bestselling mind-body-spirit authors. Passionate about re-establishing our connection with the Earth, she supports the work of the Transition Town network in her hometown of Bedford, England.

Yesterday, Lynn visited Gregory "Coach" Fernander at http://coachatgregory.blogspot.com , where they talked about the subject of responsibility in marketing & in life.

Today, I'd like to share with you a recent podcast interview I had with Lynn when she speaks about the 7 Graces of Marketing.    I hope you enjoy it.

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I hope you enjoyed this interview with Lynn Serafinn and that you’ll check out her book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell at http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.html

Here's why:

The 7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit

A FREE 7-Part Online Happening!

December 6th-9th, 2011

Register at http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/free-telesummit

When you visit the page at the link above and request a "launch reminder", you will automatically receive a FREE pass to Lynn's 7-Part online happening “The 7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit” with an illustrious panel of 24 bestselling authors and world-renowned speakers and media experts on society, business and marketing coming together to discuss how we can bring ethics and values back our business and marketing practices, and restore balance to our health, our economy and our natural environment.

Here's the spectacular list of guests speakers for the event:

Dr. Joe Vitale * Greg S. Reid * Dr. Eric Pearl * Dan Hollings * Pamela Slim * Liz Goodgold * Allison Maslan * Suzanne Falter*Barnes * Tad Hargrave * Misa Hopkins * Richard S. Gallagher * Ward Vandorpe * Barbara Altemus * Andrea Conway * Renee Baribeau * Renee Duran * Michael Drew * Chris Arnold * Jeffrey Van Dyk * Tanya Paluso * Kate Osborne * Shelagh Jones * Paula Tarrant * Lynn Serafinn

You can listen to the telesummit online in the comfort of your own home, and even ask questions during the broadcast.

                                        

If you are reading this after Dec 9th, 2011 you can still access the playback for a limited time when you register at http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/free-telesummit

This telesummit is a completely free
"no purchase necessary" gift from Lynn

FREE GIFTS

When you buy Lynn's book on Tuesday December 13, 2011, you can ALSO receive the MP3 download of all 10 hours of this historic telesummit, plus a complete library of beautiful personal development gifts from authors, speakers, coaches and other enlightened professionals from around the globe including one from me;

An audio book titled: Bliss in Divine Oneness

To claim your FREE pass to the 7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit

and read about the free gifts, go to:

http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.html

Thanks for reading! As usual, please feel free to share your comments and thoughts below. I love reading your feedback.

AND… be sure to follow Lynn tomorrow when the next stop on the Virtual Blog Tour is Tambra Harck, who will be interviewing Lynn on how can consumers help biz owners behave with more Grace? To visit that "stop" on the tour, go to http://theartofwellbeing.typepad.com/the_art_of_wellbeing/

This Week's Podcast Guest: Author and Philosopher Robert DeFilippis

Everyone knows there are two topics you don't discuss at cocktail parties: politics and religion. And given how polarized this country has become on these two issues, this caveat seems more prudent than ever before. When it comes to religion, one of the most fiercely debated topics is whether we should believe the scientific community's "empirical evidence" concerning human evolution and purpose, or whether we should follow religious doctrine on blind faith. It has become long accepted by many of us that the two viewpoints are mutually exclusive.

Well, Bob DeFilippis begs to differ...with everyone. In his third book, Faith, Stirred Not Shaken, DeFilippis explores both sides of the debate and asks all to consider, what if we are all wrong...and all right?

Faith, Stirred Not Shaken explores the probability that religion and science are not actually at war with one another, but have worked together to create--and continually shape--us and the world we live in.

Robert DeFilippis is a retired organizational development consultant and executive coach. During his 45-year-career he traveled the world to work with people of all ethnic, religious, and educational backgrounds. His experiences with them have informed and inspired his writing career.

Join Us for a Conversation with "Knock-Out" Novelist, Sijuan King

Clearly, Sijuan King learned a few things from her uncle, boxing promoter Don King. From start to finish, her debut novel packs a punch that will have you reeling.

Millennium Slave: Part I is the story of one man's struggle to regain his life after everything he holds dear-including his freedom-is stolen from him.

Charles had the perfect life--a Central Park address, a brilliant career with global giant C.E.E.L. Industries, and the lovely Trudy Henderson by his side. When he is invited aboard the company yacht for an eight-day cruise, he eagerly accepts and asks Trudy to accompany him for a romantic voyage.

But on the second night at sea, Charles' American Dream turns into a nightmare when he and the other passengers are taken hostage and brought to an island where slavery is still the law of the land.

As Charles plans his escape, he learns there is nothing he won't do for those he loves. Millennium Slave: Part I is a story of both heartbreaking loss and the triumph of the human spirit.

Click here to listen to the podcast:

Like what you heard? Order Millennium Slave: Part I today at www.sijuanking.com

For Nook and Kindle versions, visit www.barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com
For more information on Si's work, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Millennium-Slave-Sijuan-King/103778199705652

Look for Millennium Slave: Part II in 2012!

This Week's Podcast Guest is Sijuan King

Join us Friday when Sijuan King talks about her new suspense thriller, Millennium Slave, Part I.

Although this is her first novel, it is the latest in the long list of Si's accomplishments. As niece of boxing promoter Don King, she learned at a very early age that anything is possible. "Only in America," her Uncle Don always said, and Si followed his example. She has worn many hats in her life: entrepreneur, poet, activist--now novelist--and she has excelled at it all.

The idea for Millennium Slave came to Si, fully formed, in a dream. It is the story of handsome and brilliant Charles Allen Hart, a New York City executive with the world at his fingertips. While still in his early thirties, he is appointed CFO of global giant C.E.E.L. Industries. When he is invited aboard the company yacht for a cruise to the Caribbean, he considers it just one more milestone in his meteoric rise to the top. He asks his girlfriend Trudy to go along, planning to propose marriage as they sail into the sunset.

What they are sailing into, however, is an unimaginable nightmare; for their destination is not an island paradise, but a secret island where human bondage is still the law of the land.

Millennium Slave is impossible to put down and ends with a cliffhanger that is...well, downright cruel. Luckily, readers won't have to wait that long to find out what happens to Charles, because Si is planning to release Millennium Slave, Part II in 2012.

Tune in on Friday to hear more about Si King and this riveting novel. To purchase Millennium Slave, Part I in paperback, got to http://www.sijuanking.com/

For Nook and Kindle versions, visit http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Join us for a Conversation with Robert B. Wiley

This week's podcast features a conversation with decorated WWII veteran Rober B. Wiley. Wiley's memoir, Struggles, Service & Smiles: The Autobiography of a Depression Era Kid, chronicles his incredible life story--from his early childhood in Colorado, to growing up in Sioux City, Iowa after the death of his father, to how the eruption of WWII forever changed the course of his life.

Wiley's book encapsulates the perseverance and strength of his generation as they dealt with crushing financial hardship and the unimaginable horrors of global conflict. It also reveals his philosphy on life, family, and the honor of serving one's country.

Click here to listen

Like what you heard? Visit http://bwiley.com/ to learn more about Bob and buy the book.

This Week's Podcast Guest: Author and WWII Veteran Robert B. Wiley

This Friday, decorated WWII veteran Robert B. Wiley will talk to us about his memoir, Struggles, Service & Smiles: The Autobiography of a Depression Era Kid. This moving and inspirational story is a chance for us to remember the courage of our parents and grandparents in the face of global war and financial crisis.

Bob Wiley was born in a small town in Colorado just before the U.S. was plunged into the turmoil of the Great Depression. At the age of nine, his father passed away and he moved with his mother to Sioux City, Iowa. He had planned on a career in education, but life had other plans for him. In 1943, after only one year at the Iowa State Teachers College, he was drafted into the army and shipped overseas. He spent the rest of WWII as a B-24 navigator in the Pacific theater. After the war ended, he remained in the military and served as a career officer until his retirement in 1964.

He also married his childhood sweetheart, Maxine, with whom he shared the next 62 years and raised four children. Bob's memoir captures their life together, but it also captures a piece of American history that we can all learn from.

Join the WITS Podcast this Friday to hear more about Bob's story. To order Struggles, Services & Smiles now, visit http://www.bwiley.com/

Today's Podcast Guest: Kenneth Williams, Sr.

There are those of us out there (myself included) for whom the very mention of the word math inspires fear. Well, carpenter, contractor and professor Kenneth Williams, Sr. is here to take away that fear, with the simple yet practical formulas in his how-to book, Applying Mathematics to Construction.

Williams has always been a creative person. As a child growing up in New Orleans, he studied and performed music. As an adult, he creates through carpentry. Now, with his book, he has created an easier way for others to successfully complete their own projects.

While this book's primary audience are carpenters, contractors, or those learning these trades, Williams says that everyone can benefit from the formulas in his book.

Kenneth Williams is planning on writing at least two more books, one of which will be on his other love: music.

Click here to listen:

Like what you heard? Order Applying Mathematics to Construction:
http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?ISBN=9781432766436
http://www.amazon.com/Applying-Mathematics-Construction-Carpentry-Estimating/dp/1432766430/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318650919&sr=1-1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Applying-mathematics-to-construction keyword=Applying+mathematics+to+construction&store=allproducts

Join Us For an Interview with Cybercrime Expert Romina Wilcox

Join us as cybercrime expert Romina Wilcox discusses her second novel, The Calendar. It is a gripping cat and mouse story between a tech-savvy killer and Joanne Gravitz, the brilliant software architect determined to stop him.

Gravitz, who Wilcox refers to as "an ordinary woman placed in extraordinary circumstances", made her debut in the 2007 thriller, Cold Eyes. In that book, she helped the FBI find the computer hacker who had brutally murdered a college professor.

Now Gravitz is on the trail of terrorist who is keeping track of his prey through her company's intranet calendar. He has already set off one bomb at an OmegaSoft facility, and he plans more attacks unless she can stop him in time. But first she must find out who he is before she becomes his next victim.

In creating the world of her books, Wilcox combines her training in computer forensics with her fifteen years of real world experience in Silicon Valley. One thing's for sure, The Calendar is so good it will have everyone "marking the days" until her next novel.

Click here to listen

Like what you heard? Order The Calendar now at http://www.rominawilcox.com/
Also available at http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This Week's Podcast Guest: Romina Wilcox

Join us this Friday when Romina Wilcox speaks with us about her new novel, The Calendar. This long awaited followup to her 2007 hit Cold Eyes not only features the return of its heroine, Joanne Gravitz; it also reaffirms Wilcox as the queen of the cybercrime thriller.

As The Calendar opens, Gravitz has it all. She has been promoted to manager of OmegaSoft's Critical Security Department, and she is engaged to a wonderful young doctor. But her perfect world is plunged into turmoil when a terrorist detonates a bomb at one of OmegaSoft's facilities, threatening not only the lives of its employees, but the company's lucrative contract with the Department of Homeland Security.

Gravitz is asked by her employers to fix the damage to OmegaSoft's reputation, but she also launches her own secret investigation into the attack. Is the culprit a jihadist, someone from a competitive company, or one of OmegaSoft's own disgruntled employees? Whoever it is, they know her every move through the company's intranet calendar. Terrified but determined, Gravitz scrambles to learn his identity before she becomes his next victim.

In creating the world of her novels, Romina Wilcox draws on her own experience as a Silicon Valley insider. She has a liberal arts degree, as well as a certificate in computer programming and training in computer forensics from the Southeast CyberCrime Institute.

Join Us for An Interview With Ginger Allen Cucolo

This week's guest is writer and historian Ginger Allen Cucolo. Ginger is here to speak about her new book, Dog Tags: The History, Personal Stories, Cultural Impact, and Future of Military Identification.

The title promises a lot, and it delivers--tenfold. Dog Tags is a fascinating chronicle of the heroism, bravery and humanity of the United States military. But even more than that, it is the story of America itself, told through the eyes of those who protect it.

Ginger Allen Cucolo is the wife, daughter, and sister of American servicemen, and her love for the military shines through in every story. From the Civil War to current day, Dog Tags provides a window into the events--both tragic and triumphant--that shaped our nation.

Ginger has written many articles regarding this topic, both online and in print. She holds a Bachelor Degree in History from The University of Texas, and a Master of Science Degree from California College for Health Sciences. She also manages five websites, including http://www.dogtaghistory.com/


Click here to listen


Like what you heard? Order Dog Tags today:
http://outskirtspress.com/dogtags
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dog-tags-ginger-cucolo/1104047130?ean=9780983305705&itm=7&usri=dog%2btags
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Tags-Personal-Cultural-Identification/dp/0983305706/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316747248&sr=1-3

This Week's Podcast Guest: Ginger Allen Cucolo

Join us this week when author and historian Ginger Allen Cucolo speaks with us about Dog Tags: The History, Personal Stories, Cultural Impact, and Future of Military Identification.

Dog Tags is a collection of stories from the Civil War to Iraq and Afghanistan. Some are tragic, others have a happy ending; all are poignant and heartwarming.

The military has always been a presence in Ginger's life. As the daughter, wife and sister of servicemen, she has always felt a deep sense of patiotrism and a respect for those who serve their country. This book is her way of show that appreciation for their sacrifice, and of educating the rest of us on this incredible piece of Americana.

Ginger has written articles on the enduring significance of dog tags for the Texas Military Force Museum, the Korean War Veterans Association, Graybeards Magazine, TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors Quarterly Magazine), and on the US Army's homepage for Memorial Day. She also manages five websites, including http://www.dogtaghistory.com/

This Week's Podcast Guest: Sherree Rogers

Join us for a conversation with writer Sherree Rogers as she speaks about her memoir, Who Will Cry For Me?

As a child, Sherree endured years of agonizing abuse, molestation and abandonment. Her only outlet was her love of writing, which she used to purge her pain.

Today Sherree is a well-adjusted, happy woman, with a husband, children and a succesful career with a major telecommunications company. She has written a number of articles on a variety of topics and contributes to a children's newsletter. Her life now, she says, is blissfully normal.



Who Will Cry For Me? shares Sherree's journey from victim of abuse to a healthy, self-actualized adult. She has written her story so that she may help others realize that they too can heal. It is also an excellent tool for family members, friends and spouses to support loved ones recovering from traumatic experiences.


Click here to listen to the podcast


Like what you heard? Order Who Will Cry for Me?
http://outskirtspress.com/whowillcryforme or
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/who-will-cry-for-me?store=book&keyword=who+will+cry+for+me

Romina Wilcox’s The Calendar: a New Cyber Genre for New Cyber World

The Internet, as well as the technological advances that have flowed from its creation, has undoubtedly made our lives easier in countless ways. The world has grown smaller and business faster; vast libraries of knowledge are now only a Google search away. But this progress is not without a price, for it has also created a new type of criminal and has turned the rest of us into his potential victims.

We have all seen the commercials for companies offering protection from identity theft; we have all seen the news stories about our government agencies, hacked into by internet pirates. Like it or not, cybercrime has become part of our daily reality, and this reality requires a different kind of hero. In the world of novelist Romina Wilcox, that hero is the young software architect and amateur sleuth, Joanne Gravtiz.

Gravitz, who Romina Wilcox refers to as “an ordinary woman placed in extraordinary circumstances”, first made her appearance in the 2007 thriller, Cold Eyes; where, after creating security software of the same name, she helped the FBI find the computer hacker who had brutally murdered a college professor. Now, in Wilcox’s much-anticipated follow-up novel, The Calendar, Gravitz is back to stop a tech-savvy terrorist from staging another attack against OmegaSoft, the corporation for which she works.

As the story opens, Gravitz has it all: a loving fiancée and a recent promotion to manager of OmegaSoft’s Critical Security Department. Now, as the company competes for a highly lucrative contract with the Department of Homeland Security, a terrorist with an agenda known only to himself blows up one of the company’s facilities. Joanne Gravitz is charged with conducting damage control with the now-skeptical Homeland Security, but she decides that while she’s at it, she’s going to find out who is targeting OmegaSoft—and its employees—for destruction. As she races against time to find the killer before he can strike again, she learns that he is tracking her movements through company’s intranet calendar. Thus begins a cat and mouse game between Gravitz and the deadly opponent who knows how to manipulate technology as well as she does.

In creating the world of her gripping suspense novels, cybercrime expert Romina Wilcox has combined her training in computer forensics with her fifteen years of real world experience in Silicon Valley. One thing’s for sure, The Calendar is so good that it will have everyone “marking the days” until her next novel.

The Calendar is available on http://www.rominawilcox.com/, as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Be sure to listen to the Writers in the Sky Podcast on September 30 when Romina joins us to talk about The Calendar and her work in cybercrime.

Join us for a Conversation with Author Sharon Rhodes

They say the truth will set you free, but what if it will also bring a world of trouble down on your head? That's what nearly everyone is afraid of in Sharon Rhodes' novel, Family Secrets.

Sheila Robertson has everything: a loving family, great friends and a career. But will the secret she's been keeping since that summer day in 1976 destroy the life she has built for herself? It sure looks that way to Sheila, and she is terrified.

She's not the only one...Most of the characters in Family Secrets have been hiding something--sometimes for years--and they will do anything to prevent the truth from coming to light.

Sharon Rhodes had a wealth of information to draw from in writing her book. During her 28 years in the Air Force, she met thousands of people whose wealth of experiences she used in creating her dynamic characters.

Family Secrets ends with a cliffhanger that will leave you craving more. Luckily, Sharon is already at work on the sequel!

Click here to listen:


Like what you heard? Purchase Family Secrets at http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?ISBN=9781432771874

This Week's Podcast Guest: Sharon Rhodes

Join us this week when Sharon Rhodes talks about her gripping new novel, Family Secrets.

Since June 8, 1976, Sheila Robertson has been keeping a secret. Determined to move on with her life, she told no one what happened to her on that awful day. Now, thirty-four years later, the past has come home to roost. As Sheila gathers with family and friends for what should be a joyous reunion, she realizes that more than ever, her secret threatens everything she holds dear. But little does she know, her loved ones have a few secrets of their own...

Sharon Rhodes was born and raised in Opelika, Alabama. After graduating from high school, she joined the Air Force and spent the next 28 years travelling the world. Now retired, she lives in Bossier City, Louisiana with her husband and son. She is currently working on her second novel.

Join us on Friday to hear more about Sharon and Family Secrets.

This Week's Podcast Guest: Author Ian Anderson

Join us this Friday when Dana Micheli talks with Ian Anderson about his new novel, Modern Disciples.

Ian has always had a passion for mythology, so it was natural that when he sat down to write his first novel, these ancient characters and stories would take center stage. Armed with his creative writing degree and the information gleaned from painstaking research, he began mapping out an epic that combines Greek, Norse, Hindu and Japanese mythologies, to name a few.

Modern Disciples is the first in series, and Ian is already at work on Volume II.

To learn more, check out http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Modern-Disciples/223806240987072 and listen to the WITS Podcast on Friday!

Top Book Awards Authors Should Pursue

By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

Do book awards matter? Absolutely YES! In fact, just recently one of my clients won the prestigious Los Angeles Book Festival award. That then led to a flurry of media interest, which then led to a major New York agent deciding to represent the book and pitch it to all the major publishing houses. Deals are in the offing. This author, needless to say, is happy he decided to enter.

Pursuing and winning book awards will give you another opportunity to reach out to the media, booksellers and agents. Awards create interest in your book, which can lead to more sales and other opportunities. A book award may cause someone to stop in their tracks and consider picking up your book in a book store. A book award can give you an edge and sometimes that’s all the difference you need to propel your book into bestseller territory. If you win you can say you are an “award winning author.” Doesn’t that sound better? Of course it does, and you get a little magic that comes from a third party endorsement because an authority says your work is worthy, and that’s priceless.

Most awards charge a fee to enter. Not all awards have a category for your genre and not all of these will work for every book.

Here’s a list of my Top 22 book awards worthy of your consideration.

Enter to win The 2011 Independent Book Publisher Awards between January 1 and March 15 at https://secure.independentpublisher.com/trans_entry.php?srcg=ipggl1

Entering the Book of the Year Awards should definitely be on your end-of-the-year to-do list. Check it out here http://www.bookoftheyearawards.com/
Check out the National Book Critics Circle Awards and enter by December 1 http://bookcritics.org/awards/award_submissions/

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction boasts that the prize is the world's most important literary award. Enter to win by July 1 http://www.themanbookerprize.com/prize/about/rules-and-entry

The Newbery Medal was the world’s first children’s book award. Enter before December 31 http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyapp/newberyapplication.cfm

Enter to win the Caldecott Medal before December 31 for your Children’s picture book http://www.blogger.com/goog_1228723339

IACP Cookbook Awards deadline is October 29. Check out how to enter http://www.iacp.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=745

Hugo Award deadline is March 26, check out science fiction’s most prestigious award details http://www.thehugoawards.org/about/

Strive to be nominated and win the Nobel Prize in literature. Who can nominate? Professors of literature and of linguistics at universities and university colleges to name a few. (Another reason it pays to keep the ties your alma mater!) http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/nomination/

The Edgar Allan Poe Award for books submission deadline is August 15. See how to submit your book http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=Edgars-Info

FT/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year submission deadline is June 30 http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=Edgars-Info

Enter to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction before February 2 http://www.pulitzer.org/how_to_enter

The National Book Award deadline is June 15. Learn how to submit your book here http://www.nationalbook.org/nbaentry.html

Submit your work by October 31 to win the Stonewall Book Award. Click for details http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/glbtrt/stonewall/index.cfm

The Deadline for the Autumn House Press award for fiction is June 30. Check it out here http://www.autumnhouse.org/contest-submissions/

Enter to win the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award deadline is December 17. Click for more details http://www.pw.org/writing_contests/hemingway_foundationpen_award

The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction deadline is October 31. Check out how to enter http://www.pw.org/writing_contests/award_fiction

Get your book nominated for a Quill Award http://www.thequills.org/

Voting for the Indies Choice Book Awards ends March 31 http://www.bookweb.org/icba.html

Get your cook recommended for The Discover Great New Writers award http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/for_publishers/discover_program/discover_program.html

The Nautilus Book Award seeks books that make a difference and inspire. The deadline is February 25 http://www.nautilusbookawards.com/Guidelines_for_Entering.html#How_to_Send

With book trailers being an important part of all book marketing strategies be sure to enter your book trailer in the Moby Awards. They are looking for the best…and worst book trailers. Deadline in April. http://www.mobyawards.com/

Here’s a service where you can enter several book festivals at the same time for about $50 per festival. This is absolutely the best idea. Just do it. http://www.diyconvention.com/. http://bookfestivals.com/PORTAL/library/entry_form.pdf

The National Indie Excellence Book Awards competition selects award winners and finalists based on overall excellence of presentation in dozens of categories. April deadline. http://www.indieexcellence.com/

Have you written a business book? The Axiom Business Book Awards celebrate excellence in business book writing and publishing by presenting gold, silver and bronze medals in 20 business categories. They have a year-end deadline http://www.axiomawards.com/

ForeWord Reviews sponsors the Book of the Year Awards. It's open to all independently- and self-published books released that year. There are sixty categories, and in each category a gold, silver, and bronze winner. The deadline to enter is January. Check out: http://www.forewordreviews.com/

Need another reason to enter? Jim Cox of Midwest Book Review says, "The fact is award stickers help to convince buyers to purchase. I've seen this happen with librarians -- when faced with two competing titles and a limited acquisition budget the librarians will take the one that won an award, any award, over the title that doesn't have an award to its credit. I'm confident that this same phenomena works for bookstore patrons browsing the shelves as well."

The bottom line, book awards do matter. Enter a few and let me know how it goes. If you know of another book award I should check out, please send me the details.

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it's their first book or their 15th book. He's handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman's World, & Howard Stern to name a few. Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at http://www.book-marketing-expert.com/ or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist

Calling All Questioners: This Week's Podcast Guest is Reece T. Harris

Be sure to listen in this Friday when Reece T. Harris speaks to Dana Micheli about his book, Memoirs of the Phoenix: Shattered.

Memoirs of a Phoenix is a fascinating intersection of art, psychology, philosphy, mathematics, and spiritiality that chronicles, not only the author's quest for answers, but that of all humantity.

Reece T. Harris spent years as a Professor of Mathematics at New York University before heading west to become a tutor at St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. But even after all these years of sharing his knowledge with others, Reece refers to himself as a "questioner"--one who is forever striving for a deeper understanding of life's mysteries, and even the meaning of life itself.

Memoirs of the Phoenix, Reece says, does not instruct others what to think, but is rather "an invitation to a conversation."

Memoirs of the Phoenix: Shattered is available through Outskirts Press, as well as Amazon and Barnes and Noble. ISBN: 978-1-4327-7622-0

This Week's Podcast Guest: Hilderbrand Pelzer III

Award-winning educator Hildebrand Pelzer III joined us today for a discussion of his book, Unlocking Potential: Organizing a School Inside a Prison. This is inspiring book highlights Pelzer's 23 years in the service of Pennsylvania's students, including those often forgotten: incarcerated youth.

When Hildebrand Pelzer III became a teacher after graduating from college, he had no idea that education would become his life's mission. After several years at the School District of Philadelphia, he went on to lead the Penny Pack House School, located in the fifth-largest urban jail system in the United States. There, Pelzer directed the School District of Philadelphia's participation in the prison system and created the Juvenile-Focused Correctional Educational School Model, which has received national accolades and is the standard of success in educating school-age incarcerated youth.

In Unlocking Potential, Hildebrand shares both his passion for his work and his goal of bringing his Model to other prison systems across the nation. He serves as a source of inspiration, not only to America's students and educators, but to all aspiring writers who want to share their message.


To listen to the podcast, click here:

To buy the book or learn more about Hilderbrand Pelzer III's work, visit http://www.hp3-unlockingpotential.com (Also available at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Outskirts Press)

Follow Hilderbrand Pelzer III on Twitter: @unlkpotential

5 Reasons Authors Should Be Blogging Right Now

by Joel Friedlander

I’ve been asked to give a talk on author blogging next month, and it’s got me thinking. I’ll be speaking to a group of self-publishers, authors, indie publishers, and people who provide publishing or marketing services.

We talk a lot about author blogging, and why it’s a great idea for authors to create an author platform. Yet very few authors I know write regularly about their book, or its subject matter, or about anything at all.

Most blogs, in fact, are probably abandoned early in their life. There must be millions of “ghost” blogs around the internet, sitting in that same kind of stasis the old mining towns are in when someone stumbles on them in a movie set out west.

What Seems to Be the Problem?

The classic mistake made by self-publishers is not thinking about marketing until their books are at the printer. They are too busy, too wrapped up in the manuscript, or they don’t want to step so far out of their comfort zone.

I get this, I really do. We’re all busy, and marketing seems to most self-publishers like something somebody else does. But not any more.

If you’re like most self-publishers, you’ll be doing a lot of your marketing online, and that’s where a blog is going to help you out. You’ll be setting up an outpost on the internet, establishing a brand, and you can’t start too early.

Maybe you won’t have three years to blog before your book comes out, but it wouldn’t hurt. Whatever time you have, it’s important to make use of it.

Why? Read on.

5 Reasons to Start Blogging Now

1. Nothing happens at first—Although you can get started blogging within minutes, it takes time to build up some content and to get taken seriously by search engines. Lots of blogs are abandoned soon after they start, and search engines know this. Starting now is your best option, because you immediately start the clock ticking on getting search traffic.

2. It takes practice—You may be a perfectly good writer, but you’ve been writing books, or articles for trade magazines, or press releases or whatever. Blogging has its own rationale, and blog posts are not like other types of writing. You’ll need a bit of time to get used to the form.

3. You need to find readers—Maybe you’re an amazing writer, but there are a lot of choices for people who spend time online. At first, no one will know you’re there, and building a community of readers is an organic process.

4. Work on building connections—As your blog grows, you’ll naturally start to connect with other bloggers in your field. You may be surprised at how many connections you can make this way, and that there’s a supportive community you can become a part of.

5. Branding doesn’t happen in a day—Whether you realize it or not, you are creating an online author brand, a media presence, by building your blog. Brands have tremendous power over our buying decisions, but it takes time and repeated exposure to get traction for your brand.

Of course, the whole idea is that after you’ve been blogging for a while, establishing authority, building readership, gaining trust by delivering content of authentic value, there will be a payoff.

Imagine yourself a year or two in the future. You’ve done all these things, maybe because you read this article or another one like it. Now it’s time to release your book. You have an audience waiting, other bloggers ready to help spread the word, and access to media sources through your blog.

A Fine Example

This isn’t a fantasy or out of your reach. I’ve been watching (and helping) Joanna Penn, who blogs at The Creative Penn, as she launches Pentecost, her first novel. It will be a great success. Know why? She has spent the last couple of years connecting to people, delivering content of value, engaging readers and peers alike. Hundreds of people have voted in her polls about choosing a cover for the book. Everyone is anticipating its release.

Wouldn’t you like to publish your next book to an eager and waiting community of fans?

Start blogging today.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, a book designer and blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.