RSS

Monthly Archives: October 2009

Top 10 Self Published Books for Halloween

Outskirts Press, the fastest-growing full-service self-publishing and book marketing company wishes you a Happy Halloween by shining the… moonlight… on these spooky tales. They are certain to chill your spine and raise the hairs on your neck.

In alphabetical order, the Top 10 Self Published Books for Halloween are:

All these books, and other Outskirts Press titles, are available from all major online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powells, Books A Million, and others, plus conveniently from the Outskirts Press bookstore at http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore (or in quantities of 10 or more for full wholesale trade discounts at Outskirts Press Direct (where the retailer saves money and the author still get their full royalty): http://outskirtspress.com/buybooks

Votes are still being accepted throughout Halloween day for your favorite Halloween Book Video trailer. Click here to vote now.

Not yet a published author?

Start Publishing


Bookmark and Share

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 31, 2009 in Top 10

 

Tags:

Self-Publishing Spotlight: The Cross and the Psychiatrist

As a mental-health patient, Terry Dorn was discouraged from being a writer and publisher. He proved them wrong in short order, publishing a book collecting the creative talents of mentally challenged people in Washington state. Now, Dorn is sharing the remarkable story of faith and experiences that led him to that and other triumphs in The Cross & the Psychiatrist.  The book tells of an existence that hit rock bottom and lays out the simple ingredients that can rebuild anyone’s life. Because of an injury, Dorn lost his successful business, and was divorced, desperate and homeless by 1990. Social service agencies directed him to therapists, who diagnosed Dorn with bipolar disorder.
Homeless and mentally ill would be enough to crush most people’s drive. But not Dorn’s. Frustrated by others’ ignorance and misunderstanding, Dorn singlehandedly pushes to publish a compilation of prose, poetry and art by Washington’s mentally ill – despite what one caseworker tells him is a “delusion of grandeur.” Against all odds, he raises the money and travels to countless social-service centers to collect material for the project, which was published in 2001 as “Our Memories” and has helped change opinions about what’s possible by the mentally ill. It’s an effort he follows up with “The Insider,” a newspaper for mental-health consumers which promotes hope and recovery. What helps him accomplish these outsized goals is an enduring faith in God, a determination never to give up – and an adorable puppy called Wayne, Dorn writes. “Six years of therapy had been almost useless, but after a little less than a year with a puppy, I started feeling better,” states Dorn.At once brutally honest and optimistic, The Cross & the Psychiatrist will give those going through similar experiences hope for what they can achieve. For mental-health professionals and caseworkers, the book is an invaluable portrait of the successes and failures of the system in one man’s life. And for general readers, Dorn’s book is a call for respect and understanding – while revealing some life lessons that can help anyone accomplish their goals, no matter the circumstances.

 About the Author: Terry Dorn has published a book for Washington state mental health system and has been the editor of a mental-health newspaper. His overarching message is that, he says, “You must learn to turn your problems into lessons.” Terry’s ability to see the good in people has helped many individuals to return to a productive life. He lives in Vancouver, Washington.

This author purchased the Book Blast package and saved 25% on 5 powerful marketing services to blast his book into the stratosphere! The Book Blast package includes the following options: Custom Press Release, PR Publicist Campaign, Book Review Submission Service, Book Video (shown above) and Personal Marketing Assistant. Outskirts Press authors can easily and conveniently add this package at any time from the Marketing Options screen of the author’s center.

Is it time to get published and receive
marketing support and services like this?

Start Publishing


Share this Post
 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 30, 2009 in Author Spotlight

 

Tags: , , , ,

Last Days to Vote on Self Publishing Halloween Book Videos

There’s just 3 more days to vote on your favorite Halloween Book Video Trailer.

The votes will be collected through Halloween night and then the winner will be determined by looking at the publicly-available results on November 1.

The author of the book featured in the most popular book video will win an Enhanced Audio Excerpt with iTunes Distribution, courtesy of Outskirts Press (a $199 value!).

Here are the videos again, and the voting poll is at the bottom…

21 Bizarre Short Stories
by José Cepeda GarcíaWhat at first shocks begins to feel oddly familiar and uncomfortably relevant as García trains his eye on the fundamentals of the human experience-from our capacity to endure great suffering to the never-ending quest for truth. What results is an exquisitely imagined world that might not be so strange after all…

Click PLAY to watch the book video trailer….


Demon Key
by David BrookoverAided by a psychic’s remarkable visions, the FBI track a kidnapper to an isolated island on the eastern edge of the Florida Everglades. A key with an eerie and violent past. Demon Key. A place where the kidnapper’s victims have mysteriously vanished. Forever.

Click PLAY to watch the book video trailer….


Destiny’s Warriors
by R.M. PutnamCeltic mythology and folklore are the threads used for weaving this fantasy about the brutality of human sacrifice to appease the ancient Gods.

Click PLAY to watch the book video trailer….


The Peruke Maker: The Salem Witch Hunt Curse
by Ruby DominguezThe Peruke Maker: The Salem Witch Hunt Curse is a compelling and suspenseful story that focuses on the infamous Salem Witch Hunt Curse, an ancient and evil practice which is unearthed from necromancy and violates the course of natural events in a modern day world.

Click PLAY to watch the book video trailer….


The Vampires: Minotaur
by Levant DuPraeNaamah who’s very name means loveliness, daughter of Lamech by his wife Zillah. That was before Lilith, the immortal first woman of Creation as well as through an inadvertently, horrendous punishment the first undead blood drinker and ravager of men found her desirable as a sister.

Click PLAY to watch the book video trailer….

Are you publishing with the fastest-growing full-service self-publisher, and receiving promotional access to book video trailers, iTunes-distributed Audio Excerpts, and seasonal contests? Now is the time to start (or switch)…

Start Publishing


Bookmark and Share

 

Tags: , , ,

Former Yankees Pitcher Bestseller in Self Publishing

For the first time since 2003, the New York Yankees are headed to the World Series.

What a great time to read about some of the history of the Yankees!

Mickey Mantle Is Going To Heaven, by Former Yankee pitcher, Fritz Peterson, was just published this summer and was one of the top 10 best selling self published books by Outskirts Press in September.

In the 1960s in New York City, every young boy dreamed of playing for the Yankees. The difference was that Fritz Peterson was born with a pitcher’s arm that would take him to “the Show.” In his rookie year, in 1966, Peterson had the opportunity to play with Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Then he made a name for himself—both on the field and off.Like so many of his colleagues, Peterson was a prankster; and as his story unfolds, we are given a home plate look into the quirks and foibles of his time with such baseball greats as Whitey Ford, Thurman Munson, Jim Bouton, Bobby Murcer, Joe Pepitone, and Mel Stottlemyre. In 1973, Peterson was involved in what Sports Illustrated called the most highly publicized trade in all of sports history —when he and a teammate traded wives. The storm of negative publicity and disapproval damaged his career. But whether in his very public years as a baseball player or in his later, private struggle with prostate cancer, Fritz Peterson continued to seek “salvation” and ultimately came to understand the truth of God’s Grace.
Fritz Peterson was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on February 8, 1942. He grew up in the Chicago area where he graduated from Northern Illinois University, earning three degrees. He signed with the New York Yankees out of college and went on to become the best pitcher of all time in earned run average (ERA) in historic Yankee Stadium. Today he travels from New York to Colorado raising money for prostate cancer research, and writes books about the grace of God.

Of course, books cannot become best sellers if they’re only printed and then only sold from the publisher’s website. Books must to be available via multiple sales channels, both wholesale and direct. All Outskirts Press books published with the Diamond, Pearl, and Ruby packages fall into that category. See details about the Distribution-on-Demand Sales Channels by clicking here.

Begin your own self publishing journey today by clicking the button below.

You can get up to 30 free books when you start today.
Click here for the necessary promotion code and details.

Start Publishing


Share this Post

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 28, 2009 in Author Spotlight

 

Tags: , , , ,

Top 10 Best Selling Books in Self Publishing for September 2009

Outskirts Press, the fastest-growing full-service self-publishing and book marketing company, today announced its top ten best selling titles for September 2009 according to combined data from Ingram Book Wholesalers and Outskirts Press Wholesale Direct via http://outskirtspress.com/buybooks

In alphabetical order, the top ten best selling books in self publishing during the month of September were:

Congratulations to our best selling authors from September 2009!

All these books, and other Outskirts Press titles, are available from all major online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powells, Books A Million, and others, plus conveniently from the Outskirts Press bookstore at http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore (or in quantities of 10 or more for full wholesale trade discounts at Outskirts Press Direct (where the retailer saves money and the author still get their full royalty): http://outskirtspress.com/buybooks

Not yet a published author?

Start Publishing


Bookmark and Share

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 27, 2009 in Top 10

 

Tags: , , , ,

Book Award Deadlines for Self-Publishing Authors

Registration deadlines for the winter season book awards are fast approaching:

Reader Views Literary AwardsNovember 12th, 2009
Benjamin Franklin AwardsNovember 30th, 2009
ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year AwardDecember 17th, 2009

Outskirts Press published authors can purchase any of these a-la-carte award submission options or select the package and save 25% on all 6 award contests throughout the year.  Enjoy maximum convenience by allowing us to submit your book to 6 recognized, vetted, and legitimate book award contests, some of which offer major cash and prizes (Writer’s Digest and Foreword) and all of which offer the chance  for extra exposure, recognition, and the chance to claim “award-winning” during your marketing efforts.  Click here for more information about the Book Award Submissions Package.

It used to be that simply having a published book was indicative of supremely high quality, but now that self-publishing is available for everyone, winning a book award is one of the most powerful and effective ways you can make your book stand above the crowd. With so many book awards and contests available, Outskirts Press has pre-screened and vetted 6 contests. Outskirts Press can facilitate the submission details to all these contests for you. With your purchase of this package and your eligible book, we will handle all the details, including

  • the award submission fee
  • registering your book with the contest
  • sending them each the necessary review copies of your book
  • accurately and completely filling out the necessary entry forms
  • selecting the most appropriate category for your book (if we’re not sure, we’ll ask you)
  • shipping and handling costs of your book to each of the contest’s multiple judges

Ready to get published so you can have an award-winning book?

Start Publishing


Share this Post
 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 26, 2009 in Marketing Packages

 

Tags: , , ,

Self-Publishing Spotlight: Turnings

Princeton-educated author Donald R. Fletcher announces his latest release, Turnings, published by Outskirts Press. This unique autobiography—part memoir and part anthology—describes in vivid scenes the road Fletcher has taken through a long life and the epiphanies that have come to him along the turnings of that road. And at the age of 90, this author has a wealth of experience from which to draw.Turnings chronicles the surprises, disappointments, and the ordinary stuff of life made extraordinary by the beautiful and emotional poems studded throughout the book, including poems dedicated to his lifelong love and partner, Martha. These lyrics bring to life the struggles and achievements of a sensitive spirit, and they resonate with the common humanity of us all.
The story begins in early 20th-century Korea and features vignettes seen through the eyes of the author as a youngster, a sensitive and observant child of missionary parents in a far-off time and place. There is a radical turn of events when Fletcher comes to the United States and is introduced to the intoxicating environment of Princeton University. There he majors in English and begins to experiment with writing poetry. In postgraduate study he turns to theology, then back to English. He meets his future wife, Martha, and together the idealistic young couple volunteer for mission service. They find themselves posted in a desert seaport of northern Chile, where they start a family. From there, turnings in the road lead to Mexico City and flights around the Caribbean, then to teaching at the University of Texas, and at a predominantly black college in Alabama during the civil rights struggle. Another turning and the family, all eight of them now, are back in the East, with Fletcher traveling and working out of Philadelphia, then in New Jersey. All along the way, his faith—and the poetic expression of it—has been evolving as he serves the church, full- and part-time, in many capacities.Retiring at the age of 67, Fletcher devotes his time and energy to writing, but after a few years there is another turning, and he finds himself pastor of a community church of an “active adult” community, leading a congregation made up solely of seniors. After six years, Fletcher retires yet again, this time to overcome a bout of cancer. Today, at 90, he’s hale and hearty, although he admits “the poems come less often.”Turnings is Donald Fletcher’s third book, with a fourth nearly complete, and in subject and style all four are widely different. One thing they have in common, however, is the lyrical expression and perspective of a long and thoughtful life.

About the Author: Donald R. Fletcher grew up in pre-World War II Korea. He earned degrees in English and theology at Princeton, and has lived and worked in Chile, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the southwest, south, and east of the United States. He taught at high school, college, and university levels and served extensively in Presbyterian and ecumenical churches. A creative thinker and writer, Fletcher is the author of I, Lukas, Wrote the Book; Doors of Bronze; and View From the Playroom Floor, as well as numerous poems, plays, and prose pieces.

This author purchased the Book Blast package and saved 25% on 5 powerful marketing services to blast his book into the stratosphere! The Book Blast package includes the following options: Custom Press Release, PR Publicist Campaign, Book Review Submission Service, Book Video (shown above) and Personal Marketing Assistant. Outskirts Press authors can easily and conveniently add this package at any time from the Marketing Options screen of the author’s center.

Is it time to get published and receive
marketing support and services like this?

Start Publishing


Share this Post
 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 23, 2009 in Author Spotlight

 

Tags: , , , ,

The USA Book News Award Winners in Self-Publishing – 2009

The National Best Books 2009 Award Winners and Finalists have been announced by USA Book News. Congratulations to the following Outskirts Press titles and authors:
The Grocery Garden, by Elise Cooke

The Grocery Garden, by Elise Cooke, Winner in the Home: Green Living Category

The Soldiers of the Cross, by J. Laurence Stillwell

The Soldiers of the Cross, by J. Laurence Stillwell, Winner in the Poetry: Religious Category

Titus, by Leon Newton

Titus, by Leon Newton, Winner in the Theater Arts: Drama/Plays Category

What Can We Do Next?, by Toula Magi

What Can We Do Next?, by Toula Magi, Finalist in the Children's Picture Book: Softcover Fiction Category

Gene The Pumpkin Man, by Carol Rhodes

Gene The Pumpkin Man, by Carol Rhodes, Finalist in the Children's Picture Book: Softcover Non-Fiction Category

I'm Not Weird, I Have SID, by Chynna T. Laird

I'm Not Weird, I Have SID, by Chynna T. Laird, Finalist in the Children's Picture Book: Softcover Non-Fiction Category

Little Stories, by Jeff Roberts

Little Stories, by Jeff Roberts, Finalist in the Fiction & Literature: Anthologies Category

21 Bizarre Short Stories, by José Cepeda Garcia

21 Bizarre Short Stories, by José Cepeda Garcia , Finalist in the Fiction & Literature: Short Story Fiction Category

Lee and Eli's Quest, by WC Hargis

Lee and Eli's Quest, by WC Hargis, Finalist in the Fiction & Literature: Western Category

The Grocery Garden, by Elise Cooke

The Grocery Garden, by Elise Cooke, Finalist in the Home: Gardening Category

The Gate of Beautiful, by Gerald Rasmussen

The Gate of Beautiful, by Gerald Rasmussen , Finalist in the Religion: Christian Inspiration Category

The Butterfly Cometh, by Diana Webb

The Butterfly Cometh, by Diana Webb, Finalist in the Religion: Prayer & Devotionals Category

Schroedinger's Universe, by Milo Wolff

Schroedinger's Universe, by Milo Wolff, Finalist in the Science:General Category

Russia Becomes You, by Jeffrey Wilgus

Russia Becomes You, by Jeffrey Wilgus, Finalist in the Travel: General Category

Congratulations to all our winners! We already know Outskirts Press helps our authors publish award-winning books, and now it is easier than ever to promote your award with our Award Recognition Cover Enhancement option. For details and to order, visit the Marketing Options screen of your author’s center.

Ready to publish your own award-winning books? Click here for free publishing guides to help you get started.

Start Publishing

Share this Post

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 22, 2009 in Awards

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Self-Publishing Author Testimonial

Missing: Kidnapping the Image of God
by Barry M. Carlos & Jeffrey Allen Micheli
Recently published by Outskirts Press

Press play to listen to comments from co-author Barry Carlos about the publishing experience with Outskirts Press.

self publishing

Visit the author’s webpage by clicking here.

Are you ready to get published?
Click here for free publishing guides to help you get started.

Start Publishing

Share this Post

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 21, 2009 in Testimonials

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Halloween Book Video Trailer Contest Hosted by Self Publishing News Blog

October 20, 2009 – Denver, CO – The recently relaunched Self Publishing News blog at www.selfpublishingnews.com has announced a Halloween Book Video Contest in association with Outskirts Press, America’s fastest-growing full-service self-publishing and book marketing company.

Five Halloween book video trailers were posted on SelfPublishingNews.com on October 14th.  Votes started being collected via the blog on October 15th, and will continue to be accepted through Halloween. The author of the most popular Halloween-themed book video trailer will receive an Enhanced Audio Excerpt, courtesy of Outskirts Press.

“There is no better time than Halloween to shine the spotlight on five authors who are building their author platform in horror, mystery and the occult,” said Outskirts Press CEO Brent Sampson. “Today’s successful self-published author realizes that in order to separate one’s self from the pack, one must leverage every resource available. And that means publishing with a full-service self-publishing and book marketing company that offers book videos, iTunes-syndicated audio excerpts, and much, much more.”

The Halloween book video trailers being showcased on SelfpublishingNews.com are for the following books, listed in alphabetical order:

21 Bizarre Stories, by José Cepeda García

Demon Key, by David Brookover 

Destiny’s Warriors, by R.M.Putnam 

The Peruke Maker, by Ruby Dominguez

The Vampires: Minotaur, by Levant DuPrae

Voting continues through Halloween and the winner will be announced on the Self Publishing News blog on November 1st, based upon the publicly available poll results at that time.

The winning author will receive an Enhanced Audio Excerpt, featuring the professional voice talent of radio personality (and bestselling author herself) Sally Shields. The audio excerpt is then added to the author’s free author webpage and includes RSS distribution, plus podcast-level syndication, including availability via iTunes.

Book video trailers and enhanced audio excerpts (with iTunes) demonstrate the additional marketing services Outskirts Press offers to help its authors promote their books.  Outskirts recognizes that authors need to take advantage of every resource available to them to market their books and therefore offers them the widest possible range of promotional venues, all at the best value for the author. 60-second book video trailers costing $1,200 – $1,800 with other self-publishers cost just $399 with Outskirts Press.  Continued attention to post-publication value and services like this keeps Outskirts Press at the vanguard of today’s self-publishing industry.

About Self Publishing News:

The Self Publishing News blog at www.selfpublishingnews.com is a showcase for self-published author successes as well as a venue for new self-publishing announcements.

# # #

Outskirts Press, Inc., 10940 S. Parker Rd. – 515, Parker, Colorado 80134
http://outskirtspress.com  1-888-OP-BOOKS

Share this Post

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 20, 2009 in contests

 

Tags: , , , , ,

 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 5,082 other followers