“We hope Jerry will have many hours of reading pleasure from the new Kindle e-Reader,” said Outskirts Press CEO Brent Sampson.  “Our authors and our fans all love the written word, and it’s our pleasure to present Jerry with this Christmas gift and to thank all of our enthusiastic fans for “liking” us on Facebook.  Happy holidays to all!”

The new Amazon Kindle e-Reader is a high tech treasure for any 21^st century reader.  Millions of books, newspapers, magazines, games and documents can be downloaded with this handy device, and one has access, as well, to the archives of the many libraries that now lend out their volumes to be read on e-Readers.  Amazon even has its own lending library now, where readers have access to thousands of books, including more than a hundred current and former New York Times bestsellers.  Those readers who might sometimes be forgetful will incur no past due fees from the Amazon library either.

For lovers of the world’s greatest literature, there are free downloads of pre-1923 out-of-copyright classics such as Pride and Prejudice and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.  The Open Library, Project Gutenberg and ManyBooks.net offer more than a million other titles ready for free download to a Kindle e-Reader, as well.

The new Kindle is lighter and more compact than ever.  It weighs just six ounces and fits handily in any pocket or small purse.  It holds fourteen hundred books at a time – one’s own personal library – and the new E Ink screen reads as easily as real paper.  There is no glare, and one can read as clearly outside under a bright sun as in the muted light of one’s own living room.

A single charge of the batteries keeps readers turning pages for up to a month – made all the easier with Kindle’s faster new page turner function — and there is always free WI FI access at AT&T hotspots across the country.  One can also connect to WI FI hotspots at home or on the road.  One can also e-mail personal documents or PDF’s direct to a Kindle for viewing and annotation while away from one’s pc.

For all authors wishing their books were available on the Amazon Kindle, Outskirts Press also offers an Amazon Kindle edition service, available conveniently at this link, just in time to start 2012 off right: http://outskirtspress.com/p/kindle.

And here’s some great news even if you didn’t win. Since we got so close to the 5,000 fans needed to “unlock” the free Barnes & Noble NOOK drawing, we are going to keep the promotion going into the New Year. Once we reach 5,000 “likes” on our Outskirts Press Facebook page, we will hold the drawing for your chance to win a free Barnes & Noble NOOK. So stay connected, keep writing, keeping publishing, and keep promoting your book with the help of Outskirts Press!

In fact, 2012 is the best year ever to stay connected with Outskirts Press and stay friends with us on Facebook. In January we will announce your opportunity to get published for free in our next Facebook Anthology, Fandemonium Volume 2 — exclusively for our Facebook friends.

And in February, just in time for Valentine’s Day, comes our exciting “Share the Love” event and your chance to win a free Apple iPad 2! Stayed tuned for the details. You’re going to love it.

Speaking of Kindles, Nooks, and iPads, did you know Outskirts Press makes it easier than ever to publish your book on these 3 leading e-book devices? And it doesn’t matter where (or if) you have published. We take care of all the conversions, submissions, and details – and you keep 100% of the profits. It’s that simple!  Click on the links below for more details or to order now:

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Barnes & Noble Nook Edition
• iPad/iPhone Premium Edition with iBooks Distribution

The twelve days of Christmas expand this year to twenty-five in Outskirts Press’ 25 Days of Christmas contest that awards a Kindle, a Nook or an iPad2 in a drawing from the publisher’s Facebook fans who “Like” them from December 1st to the 25th.

The more fans that “Like” Outskirts Press’ Facebook page at http://facebook.com/outskirtspress, the better the self-publisher’s giveaway will be.

• If there are 5,000 fans or less by Christmas day, Outskirts Press will have one random drawing from among all its fans to see who wins a free Amazon Kindle.
• If there are between 5,001 and 10,000 fans, there will be two random drawings; one for a free Amazon Kindle and one for a free Barnes & Noble Nook.
• If over 10,000 fans have “Liked” Outskirts Press, there will be three random drawings: one for a free Amazon Kindle; one for a free Barnes & Noble Nook; and one for a free iPad2.

“Tis better to give than to receive,” said Outskirts Press Vice President Kelly Schuknecht.  “This is a way of saying Happy Holidays to our authors and fans from all of us here at Outskirts Press.”

Any of the three e-readers that are available to be drawn on Christmas Day will make a perfect gift for a lover of the written word.

The new Amazon Kindle is a lighter, smaller and faster version of its renowned earlier models.  It weighs only six ounces, and while it has the same six inch screen, its body is eighteen percent smaller and fits easily into a pocket.  It has a built in Wi-Fi®, has a high contrast E Ink® display that allows reading for extended periods without eyestrain, and its battery holds a charge for up to one month.

The new Barnes & Noble Nook allows readers to touch, open a book, make the type bigger, look up words, organize one’s library, lend a book or shop for new titles.  It has a breakthrough E Ink® display with a Best-Text™ function that reads just like a paper, even in the bright sun.  More than two and a half million books are available instantly with the built in Wi-Fi® and, as with the Amazon Kindle, one can borrow books from one’s public library, as well.

The Apple iPad2 is the crème de la crème of Outskirts Press 25 Days of Christmas e-reader gifts this year.  It is only a third of an inch deep, weighs as little as one and a third pounds and allows users to surf the web, check e-mail, watch movies and take pictures.  There are, in fact, two cameras on the device: one on the front that shows the user’s face as he or she talks via the device, another on the back that can be used to pass on a look at one’s surroundings as one talks.

And, yes, the iPad2 can also be used to download and read books, periodicals and other texts — just like the Kindle and the Nook.

Authors are being encouraged to click the “Like” button themselves for the Outskirts Press Facebook page and then to tell all their writer friends to do the same in order to increase their chances of winning.

The drawing(s) will take place and the winner(s) will be notified on Christmas Day, December 25^th.

Go ahead. Like us. http://www.facebook.com/OutskirtsPress

‘Tis better to give than to receive.

Here at Outskirts Press, we’re kicking that phrase up a notch for the holiday season. 2011 was an exciting year for Outskirts Press and all our authors (all those awards they’ve won, for example). We want to share this positive energy with all of our Facebook fans, too! So we are putting all of you in control of exactly what we give away. You read that right – you have control over what type of e-book readers we give away–and how many– during our Facebook holiday promotion. It’s kind of like how all our authors keep 100% control over their books.

Introducing the 25 Days of Christmas for our Facebook Fans.  From now until December 25, the more “likes” we get on our Facebook Page, the better the giveaway and the more chances you get to win. Here’s how:

• If we have 5000 fans or less on Christmas Day, we will have one random drawing from among all our fans to see who wins a free Amazon Kindle.
• If we have 5001 – 10000 fans, we will have two random drawings, one for a free Amazon Kindle and one for a free Barnes & Noble NOOK.
• If we have over 10,000 fans, we will have three random drawings (for an Amazon Kindle, a Barnes & Noble NOOK, and a free Apple iPad).

All you have to do is visit our Facebook page and click the “Like” button. Then tell all of your writing friends. The more authors who enter, the more prizes we give away and the better your chances to win one. 

That’s it! Easy!  And it’s worth sticking around. 2012 will be a great year for our Facebook fans, beginning with the invitation to submit materials for our second annual Fandemonium Facebook Anthology, Volume II, which will be announced on our Facebook page early next year.

The drawings will take place, and the winner(s) will be notified, on Christmas Day, December 25. This is just our way of saying Happy Holidays from all of us at Outskirts Press, where you keep 100% of your rights, 100% of your profits, and 100% of the control over your book.

Need help self-publishing your book? Let’s talk…

Now it is time to vote in the public poll below.  Votes will be accepted through the end of April. You can only vote once, but you can get everyone you know to vote once, also. Notify your friends on Facebook; tweet your Twitter followers. Post a link to the vote on your blog, etc.

The winner will be identified on May 1st based upon the total number of votes received in this public poll. The winner will be awarded the Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year award, which includes a $1,500 prize and an exclusive award graphic permanently added to his/her publication.

To refresh your memory, here are the Finalists, one last time, along with links to more information about each one:

Finalist #1: The Key To Job Success In Any Career: Developing Six Competencies That Close America’s Global Skills Gap, by Frank B. Leibold, Ph.D. of Longs, South Carolina

 Visit Frank’s author webpage by clicking here to:

• watch a video book teaser
• listen to an audio excerpt recorded by the author
• read more blurbs and quotes
• learn more about the book
• read an excerpt
• purchase the e-book instantly

Visit Frank’s book on Amazon by clicking here to:

• purchase the paperback
• write a review

Finalist #2: Psych Consults: A Concise Guide to Common Psychiatric Conditions, by Robert J. Mignone, M.D., F.A.P.A. of Sarasota, Florida

Visit Robert’s author webpage by clicking here to:

• watch a video book teaser
• learn more about the book

Visit Robert’s book on Amazon by clicking here to:

• purchase the hardback
• read the review
• write a review

Finalist #3: The Beads of Lapis Lazuli: A Greek Mystery, by Doris Kenney Marcotte of Cincinnati, Ohio

Visit Doris’ author webpage by clicking here to:

• watch a video book teaser
• learn more about the book
• read and excerpt
• purchase the e-book instantly

Visit Doris’ book on Amazon by clicking here to:

• purchase the paperback
• read the reviews
• write a review
• purchase the Amazon Kindle edition

It’s time to vote!

Here is the winning book:

This time of year, most people are busy making a list and checking it twice. A good way to wind down from all of the hustle and bustle this season brings is to curl up with a book written with the holidays in mind. Authors like Barbara write books that allow readers to escape the pressure and truly enjoy what the holidays are all about.

Outskirts Press can help you get your promotional efforts off to an exciting, high-quality start, regardless of where your book was published. Outskirts Press published authors can order Custom T-Shirts from the Marketing Options screen of their Publishing Center.  Authors who did not publish with Outskirts Press can view all of the marketing services we provide for you and order any of them from the Marketing Solutions page.

Not published yet?

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO WIN

• Go to  http://facebook.com/outskirtspress
• Click the “Like” button on the top of our Facebook page and you’re automatically entered to win!  If you already “Like” our Facebook page,  then you are already entered for the contest, and eligible for the Kindle.  It’s that easy! Tell your other Facebook friends on your wall and tweet this holiday giveaway to Twitter.

• On Tuesday, December 14th, the first winner will be selected randomly. We will announce the winner on our blog at http://blog.outskirtspress.com on December 15th.

• On Tuesday, December 21th, the second winner will be selected randomly and announced on December 22nd.

What are you waiting for?  Head over to our Facebook page and click that “Like” button!  Good luck and happy holidays from Outskirts Press.

The following ten books were selected for the 2010 Holiday Season – Best Holiday Book Contest. View all of the books in alphabetical order below (click on the cover to visit the author’s webpage and read more about the book) and vote for your favorite holiday book at the bottom of the page. The author of the winning book will win a free Custom T-Shirt, courtesy of Outskirts Press.

Voting begins now! Votes will be tracked through the end of the month and the winner will be announced in the first week of December.  

Here is the winning cover:

Like it or not, people tend to judge books by their covers. When it comes to self publishing a high quality book, there is no doubt that a strong cover is among one of the most important elements. And when it comes to strong, artistic, custom cover design, there is no doubt that the designers at Outskirts Press are at the top of their game.

In addition to excellent publishing services, Outskirts Press also provides a plethora of marketing solutions for self-publishing authors.  Fast, flashy, and fun, book teasers are an ideal, cost-effective way to kick-start your online video and social networking promotional efforts for your book.  Here is the Book Teaser created for the winner of this cover contest:

Outskirts Press can help you get your social networking and video sharing promotional efforts off to an exciting, high-quality start, regardless of where your book was published. Outskirts Press published authors can order the Book Teaser from the Marketing Options screen of their Author’s Center.  Authors who did not publish with Outskirts Press can view all of the marketing services we provide for you, including the Book Teaser, and order any of them from the Marketing Solutions page.

Not published yet?