by J. Michael Squatrito, Jr.

When I set out to write my fantasy series called The Overlords I never envisioned how many people
I would meet – and need. As I tell my students at my workshops and presentations, the easy part is
actually writing the book. However, marketing and promotion is another thing. With that in mind,
I’m here to tell you that in order to sell your books you need to interact with many people. My
collaboration efforts include professional editors, artists, website designers, school teachers and
librarians, and let’s not forget the Internet where interactions with social networking sites, newsletter
creations, blogs, and the millions of people that come with them all work to get my word out.

Does all this sound overwhelming? Well, it kind of should! But, while you should keep an eye on the
big picture, don’t be afraid of tackling these efforts one at a time. First and foremost, surround yourself
with good people. What I mean is, someone that can help with your website, your portal to the world.
Then begin building your fan base, usually starting with friends, co-workers, and relatives. Don’t forget
about your local schools and libraries – you’d be surprised at how many people are willing to hear
about you and your book. In tandem with all of this, you need to reach out to the Internet community.
Find other authors, work to help promote them and they will help to promote you. I have been doing
reciprocal blogs where I post a topic to a fellow author’s site in return for them posting on mine. It has
been a lot of fun and it’s another avenue for you and your book to gain exposure. The more people and
businesses you interact with, the more you can spread the word.

Having taken the better part of twenty years to figure all of this out, in an effort to further help other
authors like myself, I formed a self-publishing consultancy called Self Publishing Insight (SPI). SPI
furthers my collaboration efforts by joining the author to the various services that they will need to
succeed like editors, artists, web designers, social networking experts, one-on-one consulting, and much
more.

Make no mistake about it; no one is going to promote your book more than you will, but you can’t
always do it alone. Now go out there, make your connections, and tell the world about that book you
have just finished!

~ Mike

–

Contact me by at mike@the-overlords.com

To purchase my books or eBooks, visit my website at www.the-overlords.com.

To purchase through Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-
alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=squatrito+overlords

To purchase through Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/squatrito-overlords?
store=book&keyword=squatrito+overlords

NEW DELHI: India and Kazakhstan today agreed to carry forward their civil nuclear cooperation beyond 2014, the deadline for the supply of fuel for the reactors as per the present nuclear contract, with the uranium-rich nation assuring to help meet the …See all stories on this topic »Economic Times

View the original here:

India, Kazakhstan to carry forward civil nuclear cooperation beyond 2014

Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, will be publishing a middle-grade novel called The Creature Department by Robert Paul Weston.

The author has teamed up with an Academy Award-winning special effects group called Framestore.  Together, they have worked on “an array of visual assets” that will accompany this book on different platforms.  This includes a special Creature Department app.

Read complete article found here: Novel Collaboration

Coop Stories Workplace comedy. Will we see a Season 2?

Co-Op Stories is/was an on going comedic series about some of the daily activities that happen at the Co-Op in Santa Monica, Ca. I came upon this video series recently – being from Portland – it very much reminded me of home, and similar to the awkward and hilarious Portlandia.  Santa Monica writer/director Ben Wolfinsohn has created this half reality, mostly scripted web series. He has produced 17 episodes, but with an all volunteer crew, and an inability to use to Santa Monica Co-op location week after week, the show has temporarily/permanently stopped.

Wolfinsohn has directed four feature films and has had two previous web series that have been picked up by networks such as Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network’s “Adult Swim” channel.

“I’ve wanted to do a funny, interesting web series that involves around some daily activities at a grocery store for a while,” Wolfinsohn said. “The CO-OP was definitely a top choice in mind. Not only are there interesting people working at there, but the store promotes healthy eating/living.”

Comedic narratives tend to communicate more efficiently in the realm of social media, so he thought the videos would introduce the store to people who were previously unaware of the CO-OP, even though that wasn’t the primary goal of the project. “My intent was was to create a short videos that would entertain himself and his friends, and hopefully other people, too.  No one gets paid to make any of these videos. After filming each episode, I’d buy breakfast/food at the CO-OP for each person who participated, he said.”

Here is the Santa Monica Co-op Stories series. If you like it, let him know, maybe we can get a season two?

Here is Season 1, episode 1.

Co-op-stories All 17 Episodes

Co-op Stories Facebook Page