Reading

Comparison: Scribd eBook and Audiobook Subscription vs Kindle Unlimited

Scribd

 

Scribd is an audiobook and ebook subscription service that offers its members access to millions of titles.  Often nicknamed “The Netflix of Books”, Scribd has access to over 1000 different publishing houses including the so-called ‘Big 5 Publishing Houses’ – Simon and Schuster, Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, and Macmillan.

Dave Chesson from Kindlepreneur compared Scribd to Kindle Unlimited:  “As for selection, Scribd can give you access to over 1 MILLION different eBooks, magazines, and audiobook titles.  Scribd works as an all-in-one service, providing you with both:  audiobooks and eBooks that you can check out and read on just about any platform out there — Mac, PC, iOS, Android, and even Kindle!”

Founded in 2007, Scribd set out to become the #1 option in online libraries.  It has made major progress towards that goal with over 100,000 monthly subscribers worldwide.  One of the advantages of Scribd is that it provides both audiobooks and eBooks in one place – compared to Kindle Unlimited.  See how they compare otherwise.
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One Month Trial Period
After your trial period expires, change to their paid premium service.  If for some reason you are not satisfied with the service after a month, just go ahead and cancel your subscription.  This way you won’t be charged a dime.  The cancellation process is very easy and quick.  And if you fall in love with Scribd and decide to continue using the service, you don’t have to do anything to renew your membership, Scribd will automatically do that for you.
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When it comes to price, compared to its competitors, Scribd gets the blue ribbon.  A monthly subscription is only $8.99!  That’s around the same cost as three cups of coffee.   For unlimited books…  That’s a fantastic deal!
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Pros and Cons of Scribd

Scribd eBooks can be downloaded for offline access or read online.  You can even set up a sleep timer from between 5 minutes to 2 hours.  Or add highlights and bookmarks to track your progress.  Follow major periodicals such as Time Magazine or Fortune Magazine.

 

Unlimited access doesn’t necessarily mean unlimited.  Scribd practices throttling when it comes to their checkouts.  High-demand books are often restricted once the throttle cap (mostly for bestseller lists) is reached. Readers can download up to ten books at once and two audiobooks per month.
Scribd allows you to borrow books, but you don’t own them. If you cancel your membership, you won’t have access to your downloads anymore.  They offer only online access to customer support.

However, the unlimited nature (even with throttling) provides higher access to books than Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited and Audible–not to mention that books from the Big 5 publishers are available, unlike at Kindle Unlimited.  And when it comes to audiobooks…  Scribd definitely is a much better deal if you listen to quite a few of them a month.  Just like practically every other book service out there, it is a recurring subscription, but you can cancel at any time.
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Easy to Use

Scribd is very user-friendly and easy to use.  Once you sign up for a free trial or purchase your membership, go to http://Scribd.com or download the Scribd app on your mobile device.   Now you are all set and can start listening or reading any book you like. You can browse by author, title, or category. When you find the book you like, just download it to your account and read it on- or offline.
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Bundle

Consolidation among similar or complementary services might be the next wave if the partnership between The New York Times and the digital library Scribd is any indication.  Janko Roettgers from Variety.com wrote about a “bundle” of Scribd and the New York Times:

“E-book service Scribd has teamed up with the New York Times for a new joint subscription offering: Subscribers of the new Scribd and New York Times bundle get unlimited access to the Times’ website as well as over one million e-books, magazines, and audiobooks for $12.99 a month.

Included in the bundle is basic digital access to the New York Times website as well as the New York Times app. The Times currently sells basic digital access on its own for $2 per week, which comes to around $8.70 per month. Scribd charges its users $8.99 for unlimited access to e-books, audiobooks, and magazines. This means that the bundle saves subscribers close to $4.70 per month.”
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Give a Scribd Subscription as Present

Give your friends and family endless entertainment, knowledge, and inspiration for their birthday or Christmas. A gift they will open every day of the year. It provides instant access to a vast world of need-to-read ebooks and audiobooks, in-the-know podcasts and magazines, and even rock-and-rolling sheet music.

So, why buy your mom two hardcovers for $50 when you can buy her a 6-month Scribd subscription that gives her access to thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and podcasts for the same price?  There’s also an option to give a full year for $100.

Scribd is overall the best and most convenient deal for online reading.
~ Business Insider

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Books by Doris-Maria Heilmann:

To the TOP

Smart Free Marketing for Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed

ebook: https://books2read.com/u/mqv8Z1

print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1988664381

ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08957T6XN/

Audiobooks


Audiobooks for Success

Valuable guide book for authors, audiobook publishers, narrators, voice-over artists, and audiobook listeners. Learn how to create, produce, publish, and market your audiobooks.

https://books2read.com/u/bPRRyJ

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W81MN2Z

 

111 Tips to Create Impressive Videos
How to Plan, Create, Upload, and Market Videos
https://www.books2read.com/u/3GYnpa

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BYDH41S/

 

111 Tips To Make Money With Writing
The Art of Making a Living Full-time Writing –
An Essential Guide for More Income as Freelancer
https://books2read.com/u/bWZMjz

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1988664187

 

111 Tips on How to Market Your Book for Free
Detailed Plans and Smart Strategies for Your Book’s Success
https://books2read.com/u/bMre1a

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018RA72LY

 

111 Tips to Get Free Book Reviews
Best Strategies for Getting Lots of Great Reviews
plus 1,200+ reviewer contact links
https://books2read.com/u/mZ5nx5

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018RA72LY/

 

111 Tips to Create Your Book Trailer
How to Create, Where to Upload, and How to Market Your Videos
https://books2read.com/u/mVZkjr

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CHWX6X2/

 

Book Marketing on a Shoestring
How Authors Can Promote their Books

Without Spending a Lot of Money
https://books2read.com/u/mZ5gdp

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1988664225


Hello Friends, visit my Author Page here too:

https://books2read.com/ap/n4EYY8/Doris-Maria-Heilmann

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Book Lovers Can Be Found Here:

Reader-Groups

You might have already posted your book’s cover on Pinterest, Google+, Flickr, Snapchat, Facebook or Instagram, and other image-based social media sites with some success.  Sometimes readers are even able to order your book right away from these sites, such as from Pinterest.

But you can do more: most reader / writer book communities and forums are also places to show your books cover, and meet future readers, and find even reviewers for your books.  Always read carefully the guidelines on forums you want to join, and their policies.  Some are very generous, such as many Google+ communities, others are stricter, and you can only show a stamp-size picture of your book.
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Popular Meeting Places for Bibliophiles:

http://www.librarything.com/

http://www.BookLikes.com

http://www.kindlemojo.com

http://www.Wattpad.com

http://blog.booksontheknob.org/

http://www.goodreads.com/

http://www.booktalk.org/

http://www.booktalk.com/authors/

http://bit.ly/1e1pCCN

http://bit.ly/1a827Xv

http://bit.ly/13NFyBT

http://bit.ly/HwcJpA

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS

http://bit.ly/1dy6IU9

http://bit.ly/1dy6IU9

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More book forums and reader communities can be found under 99 Top Forums.
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After you joined a group, contribute and be an active part of conversations.  Don’t sign in and start immediately talking about your own book.  Other members will find out about it from your profile.  To be more engaged in discussions is the key for success on these places.  There are many ways to provide writing advice and book recommendations.  Offer to become a beta reader for others writers.  Ask members for their favoured books.  Your suggestion to read your book will be welcomed more once book lovers get to know you – especially when you announce your giveaway to the group.  Do write lots of book reviews for other writers – it will make you and your books popular!
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Find Not Only Readers, but also Reviewers:
Goodreads comes to mind, where are ten-thousands of groups await readers and writers, and also reviewers.

Google+ has a dozen or more book lovers / reviewer communities.  They built a large community of users online, sorted by interests – for example these communities of reviewers and authors:
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Book promo-review group
“Writers/readers/bloggers group. Join if you love to read, write, review and promote books. There are for example two sections: ‘Books Need Reviews’ and ‘Readers Offering Reviews’.”

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MODERN GOOD READS Free Ebooks 4 Review
“FREE ebooks available to all, but please leave an honest review.”
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Indie Author Book Reviews
“The Place to promote and be promoted. Modelled on the Indie Author Review Initiative on Goodreads, this is the place to write and get reviews for your Indie published books.”
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Book Reviewers.
“For readers, writers, and reviewers. This is a place to introduce your books, share your reviews, post giveaways, author interviews, or just simply be creative.”

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Join at least a handful of online communities or forums to find beta readers, mentors, book buyers and writing buddies.  Contribute through comments, messages, friending, and active participation in forum discussions.  Spread the good Karma!

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A Great New Title for Fantasy Lovers: VENGEANCE

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Vengeance

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Praise for Vengeance
“A magical novel that takes you into the world of half-elves.”
“A great mix of fantasy and humor.”
“A well-written novel packed with vivid imagery, strong world-building, characters that resonate with the reader and a single thread of taking vengeance for the death of a loved one.”

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Vengeance 
Four centuries ago, the Rebellion against genocide established a safe-haven for the Far Isles Half-Elven.  The uneasy truce with the enemies that surround the Half-Elven is now collapsing.
An unprovoked attack, that kills her granddaughter and almost kills her daughter, is evidence enough for Mariah.  But, will the fierce warrior and her ring-mate, Ashton, be able to convince Linden, Lord High Commander of the Marches, that their people are in danger?

With attacks by the Trestemontans from over the eastern sea, hints of magic by the Suthron Hounds, and Drummer Warriors using Spirit drums made from the skin of live human sacrifices, the Half-Elven Warriors have reason to worry…

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About the Author M. K. Theodoratus
A Northern California gal, M. K. Theodoratus has been intrigued by fantasy since she discovered the Oz books.  She has traveled through many fantasy worlds since then.  When she’s not disappearing into other writer’s world, she’s creating her own alternative worlds — that of Andor where demons of many forms stalk humans and that of the Far Isle Half-Elven where she explores the social and political implications of genetic drift on a hybrid elf / human people.

A sixth grade English assignment introduced her to story writing. The teacher asked for a short story.  She got an incomplete, 25-page Nancy Drew pastiche which turned into a novel the next summer. Theodoratus has been addicted to writing stories happily ever after.

“Though I have several novels sitting in my computer waiting to be edited, I find I prefer to write long short stories or what Kindle calls, Short Reads.”

“Visit my author website for story snippets and/or sample chapters of works in progress at http://www.mktheodoratus.com. As for social media, I can be found at my blog, Lessons from My Reading, and on Facebook [http://goo.gl/JIc13], Twitter, GoodReads, and Goggle+.
Vengeance is an e-novella or a Kindle short read epub, probably will be labeled by them as a 90 minute read 17,000 words.

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Short Author Interview:
“If someone has never heard about it, how would you explain in two sentence Vengeance?”

“After four centuries of political infighting with Linden, the ruler of the Half-Elven, Mariah does her best to avoid him, but when privateers attack her daughter, her anger boils over. With Ashton, her ring-mate and Linden’s half-brother, Mariah seeks vengeance, ignoring Linden’s decrees, only to discover a strange magic that threatens every thing the three hold dear.”
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“What are the keywords for the book?”

“Heroic fantasy, political fantasy, fantasy about half-elves, historical fantasy, privateers, magic, epic fantasy [since it’s part of a multi-generational saga], sword and sorcery [from a female point of view].”
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“What type of reader do you envision for it?”

“Simple answer: fantasy readers from teens through adults who like Sword & Sorcery and / or political fantasy.  The subject matter of Vengeance is similar to the Game of Thrones though the storyline is not nearly as violent, and there are no dragons and only mild sex. My Half Elves are rather grubby and don’t come close to the magnificence of Elrond Halfeven in The Lord of the Rings. In short, I really break genre clichés.”
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Follow M.K. Theodoratus here too:

Facebook    My Blog    Google+     GoodReads   Pinterest
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Audio-Book: Rabbit in the Jungle

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Audio-Book-Rabbit-in-the-Jungle.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS – ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS

Rabbit in the Jungle tells a classically American story of second chances, hard work and hope. Sometimes raw and gritty, the book traces Anthony Alegrete’s rise from the streets of Los Angeles, through the penal system, to the halls of academia and the competitive business world of Las Vegas.  Along the way he had a lot of fun, a little trouble and learned some lessons.  This book shares his story in a way meant to be cautionary and inspiring.

With more tricks than Bugs Bunny and more charm than Roger Rabbit he navigated the street culture of Los Angeles during the heyday of West Coast hip hop; navigated safely through prison politics; built a reputation for himself at University of Nevada – Las Vegas and partnered up with local fitness experts to bring a trendy gym to the downtown area of Vegas.

Price:  $14.95, or FREE with Audible.com 30-day free trial membership
Listen while you drive: “Rabbit in the Jungle”, now as an AUDIO-BOOK too!

http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B00EDRW1OE

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From a Book Review:
“Alegrete describes in his book the rough neighborhoods of Los Angeles, interactions with gang violence, police chases, prison riots, drug dealing and repercussions of street snitches. He met rap artists, criminals, celebrities, CEO’s, academics, people dedicated to good causes in non-profit organizations and everyone in between. His book describes a life, no thriller author could have come up with. Most important of all, he shows that there is always a way out, how he learned to make better decisions, into a life with a cause and how important family and friends are. His book is meant to be motivation and encouragement.

He tells them that struggles are never excuses to be complacent and not to do anything about circumstances, not to sit idle, hoping for change. And that’s exactly what he did, he survived and in this book he gives a kind of road map how someone can turn negatives into a positive way of life.”  Price:  $14.95, or FREE with Audible.com 30-day free trial membership


Get a Sample of “Rabbit in the Jungle” audio-book here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EEAVS4E

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Short excerpt from the audio-book:

“The first time I went to prison was in 2004. They charged me with conspiracy to commit access device fraud. I wasn’t creating the documents or using them for criminal purposes myself. My job was distribution. In the eyes of the law this is viewed as conspiracy because of the set-up required to produce and distribute the IDs and other items, which are then further used. Another participant in the scam got caught, and to protect himself he wore a wire and set me up.

My personal sense of honor prevented me from accepting a similar offer. I did it, I was caught, no point in taking anybody else down with me. Besides, I ain’t a snitch. Never have been, and never will be. It’s not worth it. Where I come from, a snitch is the lowest kind of maggot.

Guests of the federal prison system frequently get shuffled around, and I made stops in California, Oklahoma, and Texas. The constant moving sharpened my powers of observation and forced me to adapt. Boredom and loneliness were also constant challenges. The established routines for each day only fill so much time. The rest of the day feels very empty.

One of the main things I did was reading.
I remember reading is The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Green. Like Machiavelli and Sun-tsu before him, Green adopts a very ruthless, martial view of leadership and power. Over the course of 452 pages, he not only made history real he gave me the outline of a plan for my future. Prisons are essentially military systems. Just as Green used moments in history to illustrate the ways power is gained and manipulated, I used his work to negotiate my way through the minefield I had landed in.  Green’s confrontational, militant, almost malicious style seemed tailor made for my surroundings. I couldn’t soak it in fast enough.

Anthony-AlegreteUp to that point my reading experience consisted of thumbing through magazines and completing school assignments. The idea that I could read something in a book and immediately apply it to improve my own position revolutionized my thinking. My encounter with that book was a defining moment.

It’s kind of a no-brainer that a majority of the gentlemen in the pen are not too fond of the government. As a result, conspiracy-theory books are fairly popular. The one I picked up was called Behold the Pale Horse by Bill Cooper. I decided that type of reading wasn’t really my thing. People connected with the anger and suspicion that goes into that kind of literature. I guess if you have trust issues it kind of plays into your mindset to read about things like the Roswell cover-up, secret societies and the new world order. If you travel too far down that road it’s hard to find your way back to a place in the real world. It’s not that I didn’t believe some of what was in those books, but that’s not a healthy, helpful way to think considering my circumstances at the time.

I looked at reading as a way to build myself up so I only read enough of that dark stuff to see what it was about and then moved on to things that helped me to move forward. I read nonfiction to fuel my ambition and shape my world view, but fiction had a place in my plan, too. Novels were a great way to escape and distract myself, but beyond that I could have vicarious experiences and get important insights into human nature. James Patterson, who wrote the Alex Cross series, and David Baldacci, who authored The Winner, tell compelling stories that held my interest. In prison you should read every single piece of writing that you can get your hands on. Beyond that though, you have to learn what to do with what you read.

Reading kept my mind occupied, it kept me out of trouble, and it provided peace in the midst of chaos. Everyone in prison reads, but not everyone is reading the right stuff and not everyone is taking the knowledge and using it.”

TV-Interview: Anthony Alegrete, author of “Rabbit in the Jungle” talks about his book – From Bars to Books – http://youtu.be/sypbPoE7lRs

Rabbit in the Jungle by Anthony Alegrete is certainly available as paperback and as an e-book

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help:  http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/  to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 970 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://www.111publishing.com

http://www.e-Book-PR.com/

http://www.international-ebooks.com/

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Tagged: Anthony Alegrete, Audible.com 30-day free trial membership, audio-book by Anthony Alegrete, justice system, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Rabbit in the Jungle

5 Habits of Smart People

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#1 Smart people are avid readers.
Or in other words:  For those who want to lead – READ! A study conducted in Stanford University, proves that reading is the workout the brain needs in order to stay in its optimal health.  In a blog article “20 Reasons to Become an Avid Reader” is for example listed:

  • It boosts imagination and creativity
  • Enhanced intelligence
  • Improves empathy
  • Self-improvement
  • Better thinking skills

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The Habits of Smart People
Source: Online-PhD-Programs.org

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#2 Smart People Have Dedication
Jenna Goudreau wrote in a Forbes article: “One thing successful people know: Dedication and blind persistence are two different things. You can work hard but not smart. When something’s not working, you’ve got to tweak it. Successful people maintain success by consistently learning and adapting to the environment around them.” 
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#3 Smart People Set Goals
There are hundreds of research studies going back decades showing that setting goals can increase people’s performance. How to avoid the four common mistakes in goal setting is well explained in this PSY blog.  Now, who accomplished the most goals: 64% who had written down their goals and 76% of those who shared their goals with friends! 

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#4 Smart People Are Self-Aware
Author Scott Berkun wrote: “There are many methods that can help an interested person in learning more about themselves:

  • Meditation
  • Keeping a journal (and reading it periodically)
  • Trying new experiences that challenge you, such as traveling alone
  • Asking close friends ‘What am I not aware of about myself?

When we focus our attention on ourselves, we evaluate and compare our current behavior to our internal standards and values. We become self-conscious as objective evaluators of ourselves. 

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#5 Being Self-Disciplined
“It’s easy to think of the highly self-disciplined as being miserable misers or uptight Puritans, but it turns out that exerting self-control can make you happier not only in the long run, but also in the moment” writes Neuroscience journalist Maia Szalavitz in a TIME magazine article

Furthermore: “Through a series of tests — including one that assessed 414 middle-aged participants on self-control and asked them about their life satisfaction both currently and in the past — and another that randomly queried volunteers on their smartphones about their mood and any desires they might be experiencing, the researchers found a strong connection between higher levels of self-control and life-satisfaction.”
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If you’re looking to improve your success at home, work, school or at your writing you can start by working the positive habits of smart people into your daily routine. 

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 159 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.international-ebooks.com/book-promo to advertise your new book, specials or KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 900 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and to StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Tagged: 5 habits of smart people, avid readers, journalist Maia Szalavitz, Neuroscience, PSY blog, set goals, Smart People Have Dedication and Self-Discipline, TIME magazine, workout the brain

7 Top Reasons for Writers to Be on Goodreads

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Seven-Top-Reasons
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How Can Goodreads Help Your Book Take-Off?
Goodreads is a kind of Facebook / Google+ for people who love to read books. A free website for book lovers. Bookshelves, reviews, ratings, reader communities, author pages, book giveaways  … all this is Goodreads. There is more offered on their website: join a discussion group, or start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing. More tips about the benefits of joining Goodreads and how you can use Goodreads to promote your blog.
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1. Goodreads Author Program
Use it to promote yourself and your books. What is the Goodreads Author Program? It is a
completely free feature designed to help authors reach their target audience — passionate
readers. This is the perfect place for new and established authors, to promote their books. What
Can You Do as a Goodreads Author?

a) Show Your Author Profile

  • Add a picture and bio.
  • Share your list of favorite books and recent reads with your fans!
  • Write a blog and generate a band of followers.
  • Publicize upcoming events, such as book signings and speaking engagements.
  • Share book excerpts and other writing.
  • Write a quiz about your book or a related topic.
  • Post videos. Add the Goodreads Author widget to to your personal website or blog to show off reviews of your books.

b) Promote Your Books

  • Sign up to advertise your book to up to the Goodreads Community—16,000,000 readers!
  • List a book giveaway to generate pre-launch buzz.
  • Lead a Q&A discussion group for readers.
  • Participate in discussions on your profile, in groups and in the discussion forums for your books.

How do I join and who can join is explained in detail in one of our former blog posts about Goodreads.
The Author Program is designed for people with published books, or who are just in the process of
publishing a book. It’s best if your work is on a bookseller’s website, such as Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble, but Goodreads will accept any author who has published a book. This includes authors from
other countries as well as authors who are self-published. If your book is self-published and is not yet in the Goodreads database, you may manually add it.

How To Use the Author Program
Learn more about how to promote your books with special tools on Goodreads. Each slideshow
demonstrates a different aspect of our Author Program.
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2. Reader and Writer Forums
Did you realize how many writer forums and groups are on Goodreads? Just go to the top of each page and click on Groups. A new page opens and shows “Recently Active Groups”, “Featured Groups”, “Goodreads Author Groups” etc. and one the right hand site of the page “Browse by Tag”. This is were all the groups are listed by over 1,000 keywords. For sample:

  • Book Club
  • Historical Fictionistas
  • Non-Fiction
  • Young Adult Book Groups
  • Suspense
  • Super-Natural
  • The Perks Of Being A Book Addict
  • Womankind Worldwide Book Group

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As you can see, when you scroll down on the right hand site, there are ten-thousands of groups!!!
Books & Literature (26598) Business (1393) Entertainment & Arts (2222) Friends & Common
Interest (6914) Geography (490) Goodreads Authors (2535) Just for Fun (22709) Organizations
(3365) Student Groups (6129)
There is even a group that encourages Author-Publishers (Indies) to promote their books – a rarity
at Goodreads, were obvious self-promotion is not well received otherwise. These groups are a hidden gem to meet readers and reviewers. Almost all are public groups. Anyone can join and invite others to join. However, it’s not a place to blatantly tout your books, with the exception I just mentioned. ”Authors are welcomed and Goodreads supports authors in many ways, but the groups are primarily geared towards readers. Authors should join and participate in the group as a reader first.” Once you are known in these forums, your author site and your books will automatically be read – and often reviewed.

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3. Get and Give Reviews
When I was talking recently with an author, who desperately wanted more reviews. When I asked him how many reviews he has written in the last year, he stumbled … and said: “well, NONE so far”. Shall I say more? Don’t forget: To be a Goodreads member and to benefit, especially from reviews, requires that you are a bit more active on this site, for sample in shelving books of other writers, in participating from time to time in forums, read books and review them. How could someone expect to receive reviews if they are not writing some for others? Be a good pal in this book community!
From a Goodreads statement: “Books with no written reviews are added, on average, by 7 people, while books with just five written reviews are added by more than 40 people.”

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4. Friends Can Recommend Your Book
And you can recommend books from your writer friends? To send out a book recommendation, go to the book’s page and click on the “recommend it” link at the top right side of the page. A new site appears with three possibilities: “friends” “manual” “facebook“.

Under the icon “friends” your Goodreads friends are listed and you click next to the name to whom
you want to send your book recommendation. Enter under “manual” single email addresses of readers that are not yet on Goodreads. The “Facebook” icon lists your FB friends, who are not yet members of Goodreads to recommend the book to.
Click on “My Books” in the top navigation menu and add away! You can add books into read, currently reading, to read categories or edit your bookshelf to add your own categories. Once you read them, write a review!  Many authors who’s books you recommended will return this favor to you.

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5. Share This Book
Another hidden gem on your Goodreads page, that your visitors, readers and friends can use in order to promote your books: ”Share This Book“.  Did you realize that everyone of your Goodreads book’s pages has share buttons to submit your book to Google+, Pinterest, Twitter and to their Facebook page, even “like” it on Facebook?  Go to the right hand side of your books page and scroll down, until you see the button: ”Share This Book
There is another possibility to spread the word about your book:  Next to these Social Media icons are two unassuming words: Your Website. When you click on it, a window appears with some code that one can be easily copy and paste onto their blog or website and will show an image of your book and a link.  Another way to spread the work about your book! Let your friends ping to Google+ and FB
On the left lower corner of Goodreads are icons to these two websites to which your friends can send your image, books name and a link for your book – as well as a comment, such as “must read”, “great book” or “you will love it”.
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6. Advertise Your Events for FREE
Goodreads encourages you to publicize upcoming events, such as book signings and speaking engagements. This is a feature, similar to the one which is offered on Google+  -  see our blog
http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/announce-your-book-signing-on-google-for-free/. Start about 3 weeks before your book launch with your event announcement. Use Goodreads’ event listing form to start the process. It has an RVSP feature and people can state if they are “coming”.
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7. Give Away Copies of Your Print Book.
It makes sense to give away books – if your goal is to get reviews. More than 50% of giveaway winners review the books they win, so the more books you offer, the more reviews you are likely to get. Run your giveaway for two weeks to a month. Goodreads says, “Giveaways less than two weeks run the risk of not getting enough entries, while a four-week giveaway will generate more entries.

Goodreads recommends even two giveaways: one about three months before publication to build pre-release buzz and reviews, and a second to increase awareness when your book hits the stores. Both will result in a lot of people adding your book to their to-read shelves – visible for all their friends.” Read more about Goodreads Giveaway rules in a former blog post.

 

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 159 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.international-ebooks.com/book-promo to advertise your new book, specials or KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 900 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and to StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Tagged: Goodreads communities, Goodreads forum, Google+, share button on Goodreads, Show your book on Google+, Slideshare, social networking, spread the word about your book, use Goodreads to promote your book

Amazon in India, the World’s Most Avid Readers

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Who Spends the Most Time Reading in the World?  INDIA  It took the Western world a bit by surprise, that the most avid readers can be found in India. See the info-graphic by Publishing Perspectives. Canada is #21, Germany #22 and the USA #23 …
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David Gaughran wrote:”The Indian market has huge potential: a burgeoning middle class which speaks English and enjoys an increasing level of disposable income. Skeptics might point to high levels of poverty and low levels of internet connectivity, but with a population of 1.2 billion, only a very small percentage of the population needs to purchase devices (or read on existing devices such as lap tops or smartphones) before this is an extremely important market.”
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Forbes.com posted on July 2, 2013:  Amazon’s Perfect Timing for India – Why Jeff Bezos’ late India entry will work to the company’s advantage.  Business Today wrote: Amazon launches India website, begins with books and movies categories.
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Most popular in India: self-help books
Penguin India, for example, has sold 5,000 copies of The Ultimate Visual Dictionary. According to a report published in The Sunday Times, in small towns, encyclopedias and dictionaries are sold by travelling salesman and are often occupy pride of place as the sole book owned by a family.
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The strong market for educational books reflects the fierce competition faced by young Indians when applying for a job or a place in the university. Self-help books, how-to guides and textbooks are considered the quickest way to improve prosperity and social status. Every middle-class family dreams of having a doctor or engineer in the house.
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Children-India
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Reading for pleasure is considered less useful and a novel is a bestseller if it sells 2,000-3,000 copies, a tiny number in a country of more than one billion people.  India seems to be almost a paradise for non-fiction authors!
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More readers
With literacy rising, there are also more reasons to pick up a book: Improving conversational skills, being ‘in the know’, and getting cheaper books.
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More publishers
Penguin India, is celebrating its 25th year in India. Plus there are other big publishing houses such as Random House and HarperCollins on the Sub-Continent. There are also independent publishers, for example Katha Press. And many writers are self-publishing, in print or digitally.
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More contests and prizes
Notable ones are the Hindu Literary Prize, the DSC Prize, Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize, and many others.
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More Festivals
Mumbai has three literature fests, Goa, two. There are fests in Kerala, Kolkata, Hyderabad; and these are just the major ones. Many more literature events are taking place in other Indian cities.
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More authors

Goodreads Listopia presents a huge list of “Best Indian Books” – and readers can vote!  
One more author from India: Fiza Pathan.  Her books (short stories) as well as the new one
Classics: Why we should encourage children to read them  (launch July 2013), 
can be found on Amazon. Poetry lovers go to http://insaneowl.com to read more from Fiza. 

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Classics-for-Children

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Amazon explains:
“Authors can track your book sales to customers in India with the new KDP sales reporting, detailed by country. Digital Books enrolled in KDP Select will be eligible to earn 70% royalty for sales to our customers in Brazil, Japan, and India. The List Price you set for Brazil, Japan, and India must also meet the 70% List Price requirements for sales to customers in these territories. If your Digital Book is not enrolled in KDP Select or you do not meet the 70% List Price requirements, you will earn 35% royalty.”   Let me add this: Authors can enroll in KDP Select (which means their book can be borrowed by Prime Members, and which earns the author more than $2 per borrowed book) but they do not have to use the 5 free days, if they don’t want. 

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book heavily promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only a “token” of $1 / day for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Once you are on this website, click on Seminar to register.

Please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are 785 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and to StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://pinterest.com/111publishing/
http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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MERRY CHRISTMAS – One More Gift

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Santa seems to be relaxing after his busy job… 

And I hope you can relax too and enjoy the Christmas Holidays.

Here is another little Christmas gift for you:  A FREE e-book on Amazon:

111 Tips to Create Your Book Trailer

Amazon.com/dp/B008Y15YYO

Are you an author who had video-taped interviews, or has already a book trailer? Business owners and professionals who include videos in marketing campaigns: Get this FREE e-book to have an abundance of links to video sharing sites, helping you to get your message out. Videos, aka “book trailers” are one of the best ways to introduce your book to millions of readers worldwide.

Using this valuable guide book, you

  • learn how to plan, create and most important:
  • market your video, step for step explained in this new e-book.
  • Over 100 useful links help readers to find free photographs and graphics,
  • free music and top websites where you can upload your video and let it go viral.

You might have seen many movie trailers, but did you know that book trailers have the same success rate and that they have the potential to go viral? Video content in web pages / emails almost doubles visitor rates!!! You don’t need a Kindle to read “111 Tips to Create Your Book Trailer”, just download the free Kindle app for your computer/laptop or your phone!
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111 Tips to Create Your Book Trailer  is FREE from December 25 – 29

Tell all your friends, and use the tiny SHARE but below to tweet it or send to Pinterest, Google+,

Facebook, Tumblr or StumbleUpon – what ever social media you are on  T H A N K S

Maybe you even write a REVIEW ?  Who knows…

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How Can Goodreads Help Your Book Take-Off?

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GoodreadsGoodreads  is a kind of Facebook for people who love to read books. A free website for book lovers. Imagine it as a large library that you can wander through and see everyone’s bookshelves, their reviews, and their ratings. You can certainly post your own reviews and catalog what you have read, currently reading, and plan to read in the future. There is more offered on their website: join a discussion group, start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing. More tips about the benefits of joining Goodreads and how you can use Goodreads to promote your blog.
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How can friends recommend your book?
Or how can you recommend books from your writer friends?
To send out a book recommendation, go to the book’s page and click on the “recommend it” link at the top right side of the page. A new site appears with three possibilities: “friends” “manual” “facebook

  • Under the icon “friends” your Goodread friends are listed and you click next to the name to whom you want to send your book recommendation.
  • Enter under “manual” single email addresses of readers that are not yet on Goodreads.
  • The “facebook” icon lists your FB friends, who are not yet members of Goodread to recommend the book to.

Reviews are essential
Like on Amazon reviews on their site help your book stand out in two ways. The more people review your book, the more visible it will be. Goodreads reviews also appear on sites like Powell’s, Google Books, and the Sony Ebook Store.  From a Goodreads statement: “Books with no written reviews are added, on average, by 7 people, while books with just five written reviews are added by more than 40 people.”

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Let your friends ping to Google+ and FB
On the left lower corner of Goodreads are icons to these two websites to which your friends can send your image, books name and a link for your book – as well as a comment, such as “must read”, “great book” or “you will love it”.

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Add your favorite books
Click on “My Books” in the top navigation menu and add away!  You can add books into read, currently reading, to read categories or edit your bookshelf to add your own categories. Many authors who’s books you recommended will return this favor to you.

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Give away as many copies as possible.
It makes sense to give away a lot of books – if your goal is to get reviews. More than 50% of giveaway winners review the books they win, so the more books you offer, the more reviews you are likely to get. Run your giveaway for two weeks to a month. Goodreads says, “Giveaways less than two weeks run the risk of not getting enough entries, while a four-week giveaway will generate more entries. We recommend even two giveaways: one about three months before publication to build pre-release buzz and reviews, and a second to increase awareness when your book hits stores. Both will result in a lot of people adding your book to their to-read shelves.”

Goodreads will also use the recommendations to help authors and publishers advertise their books to readers who are most likely to be interested in them. Seventeen thousand authors, including James Patterson and Margaret Atwood, use Goodreads.

Infographic 25 Top Reviewers on Goodreads (no links to them, to find out one has to dig into Goodreads website.
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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 600 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

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Like to Show Your Books for FREE – Welcome Bibliophiles

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Biblio Connection  is a social community for all book lovers. Their goal is to connect and encourage interaction between readers, authors, booksellers, publishers, illustrators and book collectors. Here are just some of the possibilities, offered by the amazing Biblio Connection:

  • Meet – fellow writers, collectors, sellers, authors and readers
  • Connect – find others with a passion for books
  • Find – browse the Classified Ads and enhance your book collection
  • Promote – your book and brand through giveaways and article features
  • Organize – schedule a book collectors/club meeting, a book fair, invite friends
  • Sell – your used/collectable books in the Classified Ads
  • Start – a group and discuss your favorite books or collecting experiences
  • Win – free books through our sponsored book giveaways

Last but not least:
Service Provider Directory – Do you provide editing, book reviews, blog writing, cover designs, illustrations or maybe publishing services? Members, list your services for FREE in BiblioConnection’s new Service Provider Directory.

From their website:
“Authors can introduce their latest works, post listings and participate in giveaways. Collectors can post listings in the classifieds, locate, trade and find information about books. Independent booksellers can network with readers and collectors. Those offering publishing, illustration or book cover design can find ways to connect with indie authors. Maybe you offer specific restoration, binding or location services that may be useful to collectors. Become a member and meet others just like you with a passion for books.”

Follow Biblio Connection on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BiblioConnect

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts (there are more than 550 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

Don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

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