Amarna West Publications

After months of self-promotion I finally have confirmation that the word is out about my novel. I discovered this after checking my website statistics. The hits are really picking up all over the world and right here in the States. Egypt, Europe, Sudan, Australia, Thailand, Belgium—the list goes on and I couldn’t be happier. However…with this new internet publicity I am already encountering internet theft. Just when I was starting to feel confident in my progress, I discovered that people are going to my website, taking copy written material, and posting it on the web!

I admit that I am a novice author, so with experience comes wisdom. I hope. But I write this mini blog to warn my fellow writers and artists to be protective of your work. Do not assume that everyone is honorable. Guard your art carefully and look out for one another if you encounter copyright infringement. Support one another as only we can.

I discovered a site that offers free copyrights. I plan to use it and I am passing the link on to anyone who is reading this.

http://myfreecopyright.com

Ebooks are the new craze and ereaders are the new ipods. With everything centered around "going green" and conserving our natural resources, it makes sense that ebooks are where are future is headed...whether you like it or not.

Remember how you felt when you walked into the electronics store and realized that you couldn't buy a Polaroid camera anymore? You know, the kind that took instant pictures that always came out too dark or got messed up as soon as you touched them? That was when you looked around and noticed that every camera had become digital.

And then you also realized that your favorite record stores were gone. Now you have to download all of your music to some little gadget or to your computer. Gone are the CDs that used to crowd our entertainment systems.

And the latest casualies of war are movies. Movie rental stores are vanishing rapidly because of companies like Netflix that make it possible for people to watch tons of movies without ever leaving the house.

Well brace yourself because it's happening again.

One day your local Borders or Barnes and Nobles will be gone and you can already see it happening. Haven't you noticed that most of the books you want are online anyway?

Many of us are apprehensive of this new transition, and I was too until I realized that change would come whether I wanted it to or not. So here are my reasons why you as a writer should be publishing an ebook:

Cost

Ebooks are cheap. Really cheap. These Print on Demand companies (PODs) are making a fortune off of self-published authors because we need them to slap together a physical book. We pay them for binding, stitching, type-setting, glossy covers, etc. but ebooks are cheaper to make so they cost less to buy. That is good news for the author and the reader.

Control

Some self-published authors are avoiding PODs altogether by only creating their books in ebook format. They are taking control over how their books are distributed to the public. Some PODs can take weeks to produce a book, but ebooks can be delivered in a matter of seconds.

Competition

Believe it or not some authors refuse to publish in ebook format. J.K. Rowling, the best selling author of the Harry Potter series, is one of them. However, Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight saga, has her books available in almost every ebook format imaginable. Because ebooks are still new and because authors (and readers) are still weary of them, you have the opportunity to take advantage of the craze and profit from it. One author's reluctance is another author's success.

A variety of platforms to choose from

There are a variety of ereaders available from the Amazon Kindle to the Sony Reader and Barnes and Noble Nook. Prices range from $200 to $800, but if you are not much of a gadget person, the good news is that your computer works just as good as an ereader.

The dark side of ebooks

Even though there appear to be more pros than cons for ebooks, there are still issues of piracy and copyright infringement. Thieves exist and sometimes the DRM laws are very confusing, so do your research. But if you are ready to embark on the journey of publishing your work in ebook format, check out the free ereader software listed below.

Four Places Online to Publish

http://webupon.com/web-talk/four-places-online-to-publish-your-ebook-for-free/

Ereader.com software

http://www.ereader.com/ereader/software/browse.htm

Amazon Kindle for PC

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_85648511_4?ie=UTF8&docId=1000426311&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=left-1&pf_rd_r=0VCFCCMYMNHMPW29M4AR&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=499744531&pf_rd_i=133141011

Barnes&Nobles Ereader for Mac/PC

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooks/index.asp

Blog Submission Giveaway: Start a new Blog Series and Win a "Hawk Goddess" Journal! Login and submit your proposal. See details below!

AWP is looking for participants to lead discussions and post interesting and engaging content on the Member's Blog. Featured writers have the option of beginning an e-zine, editorial, advice column, etc.

This is a great opportunity for writers of all backgrounds to share their wisdom and insights with others. All members are welcome to participate. If you know someone who might be interested, feel free to invite them to join the site.

The purpose of this Blog is to create invaluable information for our readers and fellow members. It will be hard work but well worth the rewards in the end.

Artists, writers, musicians, and others are encouraged to share their experiences and advice for the greater good of the group. This is your opportunity to showcase your talents, inspire others, and most importantly, have fun!

Potential ideas:

Travel Journal

Recipe e-zine

Relationship and advice column

Personal growth memoir

Entertainment Reviews

Spirituality Journal

Online class

Please note that the Forums are also available for extra elbow room.

There is now a Journey through Darkness Blog for info specifically pertaining to the novel.

It will be somewhat of an online journal chronicling my progress. Eventually it will include information on the characters, themes, etc of the saga.

Right now you can check out my weekly editorial "The Journey is Long" for my musings on the self-publishing process.

http://kandake.wordpress.com/

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The Amarna West Publications Blog is an alternative place to get straightforward updates about AWP.

http://amarnawestpublications.blogspot.com/