publishing

I am talking to yet another author about an ebook for Craft e-Revolution. Things are picking up. I am re-writing my first ebook, and then will move on to my second book, which also needs to be updated. I have two authors who have submitted their drafts to me, as well. Things are very busy around here! 

Please bookmark Craft e-Revolution, as our launch will happen very soon. You will be able to have immediate downloads of the step-by-step craft tutorials you have been anticipating. Awesome!

According to a report from the International Digital Publishing Forum, ebook sales in the United States for the first quarter of 2010 were "off the chart."  Said chart does show a dramatic increase from quarter 4 of 2009, which shows sales of about $55 million. Quarter 1 of 2010 shows sales of over $90 million. 

Read more here. 

Cover photo by Thomas Hawk. Used with permission.

This (long-neglected!) series of posts focuses on the free ebook, What Matters Now, compiled and distributed by Seth Godin. 

Page 15 discusses vision, and how important it is to a company. "When times are tough, vision is the first casualty."

Connecting our actions to a larger story, as this page mentions, can help a business to survive. So I shall do just that.

My vision for Craft e-Revolution:

I want this site to be the premier craft tutorial ebook shop. People will come here because the books are of such high quality, and because of the variety. I envision it to be a place for crafters to read, learn, and recommend to their crafty friends. 

Because of my experience and degrees in education, I know that the vast majority of learners are visual learners. My vision for this company is to help people learn a new skill, quickly and efficiently, and with ebooks that are stylish and rich in content. Learning is a lifelong process that can help change lives for the better. That's what I want this site to do.

What is your vision? 

Cover photo by Thomas Hawk. Used with permission.

This post is a reaction to page 12 of What Matters Now, a free ebook arranged by Seth Godin. Please leave a comment and join the conversation.

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"If you like this ebook, please send it to everyone who needs to read it!"

Seth Godin arranged for this book to happen, telling all the contributors that it would be given away for free. Seth Godin is all about giving things away. It is part of how we make a connection in permissions-based marketing. If our market likes us, and wants to hear from us, and we give them things, then they will respond by purchasing things from us.

It works. Just the other day, I purchased Lynchpin. Paid full price for it, too.

Blogging is free, as well. What can you give away to your readers? Toward that end, I have decided to reshape my personal blog in order to give things away. Literally. I am waiting on one detail, and then I will post my first crafter interview and giveaway on that blog. The features will include an interview with a crafter or artisan about her products and business, and will include a giveaway with each post. Do you know someone who would be interested in participating? Email me.

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Page 14 discusses capitalism, and how it is adaptable. Business changes to meet the desires of the buying public, just as birds' beaks evolve to fit the flowers from which they feed. Someone who looks ahead and sees how to sell something that has no physical value (i.e. information) will be able to succeed.

I've been away because of several personal issues. Rather than dwell on them, I'll let you know that I have recently undergone laser surgery on my eyes! Four days without any computer access (doctor's orders!) was a strange experience for me.

I'm glad to be back, if things are still a little fuzzy. I have been talking to two potential authors, which is exciting! One is planning a sewing book, and the other will have home-grown bath and body products.  I'm always interested in your ideas for books--pitch your idea here.

Photo by maxually via Flickr. Used with permission.

Cover photo by Thomas Hawk. Used with permission.

This post is a reaction to page 11 of What Matters Now, a free ebook arranged by Seth Godin. Please leave a comment and join the conversation.

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Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged about What Matters Now. I was taking a break from blogging. Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of page 11, encouraged me to do this.

Ease is lost in our society, apparently. The ability to just sit and do nothing escapes us. This is very true for me, as I'm certain it is for many entrepreneurs. There are always a million things to be done, each day. Always. Busy? Entrepreneurs wrote the book on busy. We published it ourselves, too.

How can taking it easy benefit us? A fresh mind can work more efficiently, for one thing. A glass of wine had with good friends around a delicious meal enriches our bodies with sustenance and emotion. It shores us up. We should make time for it, regularly.

Perhaps this is something we should all consider for 2010: take it easy, one day each week. Really, really easy is what I'm talking about: not-getting-out-of-my-jammies-all-day-not-for-nobody-not-nohow easy. When was the last time you had a day like that?

It's hard for me to remember. Which tells me it's time to have a day like that.

Oh, fine. Schedule it if you must! Put it into your iCal on your iPhone or Crackberry. But keep this appointment! Maybe we should all have it as a yearly goal--then, as entrepreneurs who work ourselves to death, we will be forced to focus on our ease.

Did you know you had some?

Photo by horsager via Flickr.

Happy Birthday to me!  That is not me in the photo. On this auspicious occasion, I recommend remembering all the good times that have been had last year, and all the good times yet to come. Today, I am 41. In my 40th year I accomplished the following things:

• released 35 pounds from my body
• had my eyes evaluated for laser surgery
• rode an upside-down-going roller coaster
• launched a publishing project
• started another publishing project
• taught my daughter to swim

In my 41st year, these are my personal goals:

• release another 35 pounds from my body
• have my vision surgically corrected (this appointment has been made!)
• launch the publishing project I started (you are looking at it!)
• finish writing 3 books that are in process
• travel to Maine
• travel home to Iowa

Time to get started!

I have created a survey to let you tell me what you want. What do you want out of a craft ebook? What experiences have you had with ebooks? Love them? Want to smash them with a hammer?

Let me know all about it, here. It should take fewer than 5 minutes. Thanks for your time!

The following post is a reaction to What Matters Now, a free ebook compiled by Seth Godin. Please join the conversation by leaving a comment. 

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Page 10 of this book is a collection of inspirational sentences:

Hugh MacLeod has a lot to say. My favorite messages from this page are: