"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ:..." Eph. 4:12
January 2010
In May 2010 Company participates in National Black Book Festival
http://www.nationalblackbookfestival.com/
May 21-23, 2010, Houston, Texas. . .Dozens of Authors
. . .Thousands of Readers
. . .All Under One Roof
Crowne Plaza Hotel - Downtown Houston
2010 Participating Publishers
Revolutionary Disciples Media
Overview
The National Black Book Festival (NBBF) is an annual event, sponsored by Cushcity.com, the world's largest African-American retailer online. The event attracts a wide array of authors, publishers, book clubs, libraries and individual readers from the Southwest U.S. and nationwide. NBBF 2010 will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Downtown Houston.
The event features a pavilion of authors, including those who are notable and new. Book signing and discussion sessions with featured authors, workshops and seminars, a spoken word poetry slam and book club give-aways are just a few of the exciting featured activities at NBBF. Authors will be grouped according to genre and there are 17 genres that will be represented.
The Festival is open to the public and admission is $5.00 per day for adults and teens. Admission is FREE for children under the age of 12.
The Festival schedule includes the following events (items with asterisk [*] are ticketed events which require ticket purchase in advance):
Friday, May 21, 2010 @ 7:00 p.m.
"Welcome to Houston" Reception*
Crowne Plaza Hotel - Downtown
1700 Smith St., Houston, TX
Friday, May 21, 2010 - 10:00
p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Slumber Party w/Authors Brenda Jackson and Beverly Jenkins*
Ladies only - Must be 18 years of age
Crowne Plaza Hotel - Downtown
1700 Smith St., Houston, TX
Saturday, May 22, 2010 @ 8:00 to
9:30 a.m.
"Get Acquainted" Breakfast*
Crowne Plaza Hotel - Downtown
1700 Smith St., Houston, TX
Sunday, May 22, 2010 @ 9:00 to
10:30 a.m.
Prayer Breakfast*
Crowne Plaza Hotel - Downtown
1700 Smith St., Houston, TX
Sunday, May 22, 2010 - Time TBD
Spoken Word Poetry Slam
Crowne Plaza Hotel - Downtown
1700 Smith St., Houston, TX
Tickets for the above events may be purchased online here: http://www.nationalblackbookfestival.com/eventtickets.htm
Get driving directions to the Crowne Plaza Hotel
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2008-2009
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Currently a 10% discount is being offered on book orders printing between 25-500 books. There is also an offer of 8% off orders of 1000 copies or more. Both of these offers expire April 25, 2008.
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Sharing, Caring and >than Surviving
We understand that major reform is needed in the foster Care System; however, this anthology is not dedicated to such. We endeavor to convey the poignant and intimate thoughts of those who inhabit the system and those who sustain them. We wish to share the perspectives and experiences of children and teenagers living in foster care.
We want to promote a more positive image of foster youth among agency staff, youth workers and the general public. These children are precious to us, and we know that they are intelligent, awesome, God fearing individuals.
The essays are organized into the following categories:
· What the public should know about young people in foster care
· A vision for the future
· How we've helped others
· A disability won't hold me back!
· Advice about facing demons (fears)
· Change is good...
· Sharing, Caring and more than surviving
Contribute your stories about foster care.
like this in my name welcomes me.”
—Matthew 18:5
Do Your Research on Writing contests!
This is one of the oldest scams in the business. In this scam writers enter a contest sponsored by a publisher where the prize is either publication or cash. The problem is that hundreds of thousands of naive authors often pay huge fees to enter the contest.
Of course there are organizations that do offer legitimate writing contest. One example is the RITA award sponsored by the Romance Writers of America which awards works and authors in their genre. Legitimate publishers who are starting a new line will also often hold a writing contest. Any entry fee charged by legitimate organizations holding a writing contest is usually very minor, between $25 and $50.
Having some knowledge is the best way to avoid scams and fraud. Joining a legitimate writing organization is one of the best ways to become and stay informed. You should also inform writing organizations if you fall victim to a scam so that other writers can be warned.
In addition to a-la-carte services, we offer the following publishing packages…
Bronze Package— Most Affordable Publishing package, but does not have the perks of the Silver or Gold package. Price— $550.00. You will receive 2 free paperback books. The fee includes —an ISBN, Barcode, and a cover design, 50 business cards and an author website.
Silver Package— This package offers more features than the Bronze. Allow yourself to turn more of the process over to RDM. Price— $750.00. You will receive 5 free paperback books. The fee includes —an ISBN, Barcode, and a unique cover design, 100 business cards, 25 bookmarks and an author website.
Gold Package— This is the most comprehensive publishing package that RDM has to offer. Price— $999.00. You will receive 10 free paperback books. The fee includes —an ISBN, Barcode, and a unique cover design, 150 business cards, 50 bookmarks, an author website and a BOOK TRAILER.
There is debate about what actually constitutes children’s literature. Most often the term is used to describe those books which are written for and read by children and have been judged appropriate for children by such authorities as parents, teachers, scholars, and award committees.
Some books which were originally written for adults are now considered children’s literature. Examples include both The Prince and the Pauper and Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain. It has also happened that so called children’s books are popular among adults. Today the books are often marketed in separate editions for children, adults, and young adults.
Many of the books which are considered children’s literature remain popular throughout ones entire lifetime, such as Alice in Wonderland. Books that were enjoyed in childhood become classic favorites in adulthood.
The fact that these novels are enjoyed by both children and adults has led to problems. One recent example of this is the demand that certain children’s books be pulled from library shelves as they are considered inappropriate for children by some groups.
Huckleberry Finn is an example of such a book because of the offensive language that it contains. The books in the Harry Potter series are another example. While these books may inspire children around the world to read, their inclusion of witchcraft has led many to call for their removal from the children’s shelves at both bookstores and libraries. Some adults feel that the lack of reality in any work of fiction is inappropriate for children. Others feel that reading works of fiction helps to stir a child’s imagination.
Children’s literature is now broken down by many publishers into different age groups. In the United States the current breakdown is ages 0-5 (pre-readers), ages 5-7 (early readers), ages 7-11 (chapter books), and teen books.
These age brackets are not perfect, leaving the ultimate decision of what is appropriate for children up to parents. Parents must use their religious, cultural, and ethical standards to make the best choice for their families.
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By Marilyn and Tom Ross
Self-publishing used to be the Rodney Dangerfield of book publishing. It didn’t get “no respect.” Today that’s all changed. With originally self-published books like The Celestine Prophecy, Butter Busters, The Christmas Box, and What Color is Your Parachute? monopolizing bestseller lists—do-it-yourself publishing is very much in vogue.
To be successful, however, it’s mandatory that you adhere to certain guidelines. By following the tips below, you’ll avoid the pitfalls and enhance your chances of flourishing.
1. Educate yourself. Self-publishing is a business. Approach it as such. There are informative books on the subject, seminars offered, and associations where you can learn the ropes and network with the more experienced. This can be very lucrative if properly approached. Conversely, you can waste thousands of dollars by blundering along without knowledge or a plan.
2. Get professional editing. No, we repeat no, author should edit or proofread his or her own work. You’ll miss the forest for the trees, overlooking things that are obvious to you, but unclear to your reader. And it’s so easy to pass by the same typo time after time.
3. Have a dynamite cover. The cover is your book’s salesperson in bookstores. Get it designed by a professional who understands cover design . . . not just somebody who does nice logos or pretty brochures. You have enormous competition—and a wonderful opportunity to stand out.
4. Make the interior inviting. Go to a bookstore and study the insides of books. Find one with clean, “user-friendly” pages. Use this as your model. It may not make sense to purchase and learn typesetting software if you’re only doing one book, however. In that case, consider hiring an outside vendor.
1. Don't think. Creating a story or book has little to do with the intellect or language when we first begin. Our best ideas will emerge as a spark or image. Like dreams, they will make little sense. Followed, they will hold the key to the creative unconscious.
2. Creativity is cyclical. You cannot and will not be creative all the time. What is full must empty and what is empty will fill. Creativity has its own internal rhythms. Learn to listen to yours.
3. Nothing kills creativity faster than criticism. Don't share your work-in-progress with people who are critical or those whose opinions leave you vulnerable, no matter how much you love them. Good critiquing should leave you inspired, not deflated.
4. Spend time listening to your inner critic. He or she is not comfortable with the risks demanded by a creative endeavor. By becoming aware of the foul jabber of your inner critic, you can see how your own mind puts up roadblocks to your creativity.
5. Being a creator is risky business. Don't underestimate the tremendous emotional risks the journey demands. Learn to push ahead even when you are afraid. Learn to love the risk.
6. Don't be afraid to fail. Every successful creator has failed hundreds of times. Failure is an integral part of creativity. It doesn't mean you're wrong or stupid. It only means you've uncovered a path or technique that does not work.
7. Don't be afraid to write garbage. Every successful writer writes mounds of garbage. Give your work time to percolate. Play the What If game. For example, if you're writing fiction and a characters is sweet and loving and you're stuck, have the character mean and hateful. In the world of the imagination, anything can happen.
8. Nurture your creativity. It is as fragile as a budding flower. Open to the dance. Listen to music that makes you feel like flying. Go for a walk. Laugh with a friend, child or lover. Creativity is about feeling.
9. Be passionate. Creativity is passionate. Passion is always creative.
10. Learn your craft. And write, write, write! The more you write, the better you will get. Discipline yourself. Successful writers are disciplined writers.
www.thefictionwritersjourney.com
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