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I recently had a discussion with a client about using quotations in his book. As I told him, quoting someone else must be done with caution or you run the risk of plagiarism. Sometimes it's a fine line. When is a quotation short enough and when is it too long?
It's perfectly acceptable to quote someone else to illustrate a point and it can even be flattering to the person being quoted. It's not a bad thing for someone else to think that your words are so profound that no one else can possibly come up with the same meaning. However, if you use a lengthy quotation it is most advisable to request permission from the source or the dreaded plagiarism word rears its ugly head.
Really, though, do try to come up with your own way of expressing ideas. If you are writing a book, originality is the key to success. If the reader wants to know what someone else has to say on a subject, the reader might as well read the original.
In defense of quotations, at times they do lend credibility to your work as you are aligning yourself with a recognized authority. Just be careful about how many quotations you use and about the length of each quotation. And, be very diligent about the accuracy of the acknowledgment: as I told my client, the original source can usually afford a lawyer more than you can.
On that note, I am signing off for the Christmas season. Best wishes to all of you.
Denise
www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com 
I was watching my little grandchildren write their Christmas letters. It is so wonderous to see the concentration and the creativity that they possess - traits that I hope they never lose.
Children are so good at living in the moment which allows them to focus solely on the task at hand. No multi-tasking for them. We all need to go back to that state of mind. I do try but it is so very difficult as the multitiude of to-do's pop into my head.
I wonder how creative we all would be if we could do everything with the single-minded purpose of a child?
Denise
www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com
This is definitely gift-giving season. It is the time of year when we think of others. A gift that continues to give all year long is the best gift of all.
What could be a better gift than a book? The genres that can be read many times include:
- children's stories because children want to hear the same story many time over and over
- health books because health is for every day, not just for a few days of New Year's
resolutions
- business books because advice and support are timeless
- spiritual books to help us through life's difficult times
- travel books that allow us to dream of faraway places
- nature books because Nature is so constantly amazing
- gardening books that offer advice during planting and harvesting, and ideas for planning the
next season
- sports books so that sports enthusiasts can get the inside information on their favorite
teams and players
- fitness books to keep those abs tight all year
- and so on, and so on.
I hope that I have helped a bit with your Christmas shopping.
Cheers,
Denise
www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com
The sun is shining and the ground is covered with sparkling white snow. It looks like we are living in a Christmas card, which is perfect as we rush around getting gifts wrapped and cookies baked.
It seems that at this time of year there is a plan but a very loose plan. We can get away with that in our personal lives but not in business, and amazingly this comes as a surprise to so many authors who self publish - publishing is a business. I can't tell you how many times I have had to make that clear.
A book is like any other product that you are selling - it just another widget that requires marketing. Which brings us to today's topic - #BOOK MARKETING PLAN with the key word being plan.
The new year is fast arriving, so what is your plan for marketing your book in 2012?
Denise
www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com
So busy at this time of year. It's a good kind of busy but it's a good kind of busy.
I don't have much time to be chatty today, but thought I would touch on the subject of foreign rights. What are the advantages? -
1. Money that you would not earn otherwise.
2. Creates good credibility.
3. Good credentials to add to your media kit.
4. Good publicity in other countries.
5. Fun to have copies of your book in other languages.
6. Opens new markets for selling your book to corporations.
7. Selling your foreign rights costs nothing but has the potential to earn extra cash.
Our agent is one of the leading experts in foreign rights sales. Contact us if you are interested.
Denise
www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com
To e-book or not to e-book, that is the current question. Today's authors agonize over whether to publish a traditional print version of their books or whether to go the e-book route. It is definitely something to ponder. Which book will sell better? Which book will be most profitable?
Major publishers have been struggling with the same questions for some time now, although as recently as a few years ago they might have scorned the idea of producing an electronic book. No one would like reading on a screen, they thought. Well, surprise. The e-book format is taking the world by storm.
Now, even the major publishing houses are seeing the light, so to speak. What they have discovered is that , lo and behold, there is more profit to be made in an e-book than in the print medium version. Some of the big e-book sellers have actually bankrupted some of the bricks-and-mortars book stores. Impossible to believe ten years ago.
The only sure thing in life is that things will change. There is no such thing as status quo, and isn't that fabulous? Life is never boring if you stay abreast of changes, even though change can be intimidating and fearsome.
In the publishing world, it is time to embrace the changes. But really, why choose one or the other? It is entirely possible to have your cake and eat it too. Why not have your graphic designer create two files? - one print ready and one for e-book sales. You will be ready for any and all types of book sales and selling books is the ultimate goal of publishing.
Welcome to the future.
Denise
www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com
So, instead of thinking of books and publishing, I am decorating my house for Christmas. This is a wonderful time of the year - people can be somewhat distracted from the doom and gloom in the media and focus on their Christmas activities. I do speak of Christmas rather than the "holiday season" or such words. Let's just stay true to our heritage and acknowledge where this "festive" season originated. We welcome everyone else to join in and celebrate whatever their heritage and their spirits direct and understand that we are all connected, no matter what language we speak or what cultural beliefs we hold. Humanity is humanity so let's celebrate it.
However, we can speak of books, even though they are not my primary focus right now, because books are always a part of my gift-giving. It's fun to search out books that match the family members and friends who will receive them. Books can be such a personal gift. As we all know, not everyone will enjoy the same book. That's what makes the giving of them so much fun. The giver has to get inside the head of the recipient a bit to find something that will resonate with that special person, so it means that the giver really has to put some thought into the gift. You can't just randomly choose a book because it is on the latest bestseller list - you have to step further into the book store (even if it's online) to find that unique work. The recipient has to somewhat think like the author.
That's what authors need to consider when they are writing a book. For whom are they writing? They need to consider the audience that is being targeted and write with them in mind. After all, if the author is writing for herself or himself only, that's just a journal. If that author is you, keep if for yourself and write something that other like-minded people will want to buy.
Well, there you go, I did get onto a more serious matter of books after all. I just can't help myself, I guess:-)
Denise
www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com
