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Thursday, September 29, 2011

New Christian Bookstore Open for Submissions

The New Christian Books Online Store is accepting submissions, enabling you to expand into a new sales venue in advance of the holiday buying season. The shop, run in affiliation with the John 3:16 Author Marketing Network, is managed by Author Marketing Network member Cheryl Rogers.

"It is my goal to make this a very large store where the authors and publishers of kingdom-building books can sell their books," says Cheryl, who also publishes the New Christian Books Online Magazine.

New Christian Books gives authors a unique opportunity to both publicize and sell their books on one site. Authors register for free and can submit pre- and post-release book announcements, plus excerpts. Books can be sold directly in the New Christian Books Online Store and through links to online booksellers Amazon and Smashwords.com. Authors can keep their names in front of readers by taking advantage of all three posting opportunities, commenting on other posts, and selling their book in the store.

The magazine was launched last March to accommodate reciprocal blogging agreements with fellow John 3:16 Author Marketing Network members. "My original blog started in 2007 was strictly focused on Bible-based living tips to support my devotions book, Fast Track to Victory, A Christian Guidebook," explains Cheryl. "The new magazine includes the Bible blog but also allows me to host blog tours, write about the exploding ebook industry, and share author marketing news."

Posts and products must be approved prior to becoming live. The site is run as a service to the Christian reading and writing communities and will generate revenues through book sales, advertising and potential optional services.

"It is my goal to provide a place where authors with a God-given message can get help publicizing and selling their book, for free," Cheryl explains. "I'm not a fan of book launches, so this is how I have chosen to offer help to fellow authors."

Here are some important things you should know if you want to sell your books in the New Christian Books Online Store:

* You can sell both print and digital books. YOU will be shipping the print books, so you must be available and able to ship when an order is placed. This avoids duplicating shipping charges and handling fees, keeps customer costs down and maximizes the amount you can collect from every sale. Digital books will be available for instant, secure downloading once payment has been made.

* You receive 65 percent of the sales revenue on your book, unless you refer that customer to the store. If you so you will receive an additional 15 percent, or a total of 80 percent.

* You must have the rights to enter into sales agreements before submitting your book. If you have relinquished this right to your publisher, you may want to send them to New Christian Books to submit the book for you. Or perhaps they will consider giving you rights to handle this store agreement since you are a network member.

* The store is set up in self-serve format, but there are instructions available after you register and log in. It uses Wordpress, so posting and product submission follows the basic blogging format.

* Sales are generated through an affiliate program, basically an online sales force who uses New Christian Book-provided sales banners and links to advertise the store through their websites and other means. You need to sign up for the affiliate program to collect your royalties and that means you will have access to the sales tools. You are not required to sell, but it would be great if you did.

"It is my belief that if everyone did just a little bit, posted a couple of banners, we would be able to create a substantial interest in this store," Cheryl says. "This should provide a new sales venue for Christian authors currently shut out of other stores because of unattractive consignment and return agreements, upfront costs, and monthly fees."

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

A Summer in Oakville, New Book, Launch Tuesday, September 20!

John 316 Banner
September 20, 2011
Press Release for the John 3:16 Marketing Network
For Immediate Release
John 3:16 Marketing Network Book Launch
Tuesday, September 27,  2011
Amazon
24 hours ONLY
Free e-gifts with purchase on launch day   
A Summer in Oakville
by
Lisa Lickel and Shellie Neumeier

A Summer in Oakville 
Set in Wisconsin, A SUMMER IN OAKVILLE is the story of a family reuniting to save the rural life they once cherished. One magical summer in fictional Oakville, Wisconsin, love finds its way through four entwined lives. Tessa's marriage hangs by a thread; her daughter, Lindsay, takes on the local town board and the developer who threatens to steal not only the farm but her heart. Tessa's widowed brother Art hasn't been home in twenty years; how can he send his out-of-control teenage son, Andy, to his aging parents?

"We set out to tell the story of the changing landscape in rural Wisconsin," Lickel says. "We wanted to try something unique while using our individual strengths as authors. Shellie writes fiction for young adults, and I write older characters."

"Our family, the Hasmers, could be anyone," Neumeier says. "They want to keep their heritage, while at the same time they struggle with the changing times. It's hard to make a living on a family-sized farm, and sometimes you have to make tough decisions."

      "In our story, the adult siblings, Tessa and Art, have their own problems but come together in order to help their parents and their children," Lickel adds.

      "Their children, Lindsay and Andy, are good kids who are also victims of the tough economic times and peer pressure today. But they have good hearts and learn from their grandparents' and parent's good family and faith values," Neumeier says.


Black Lyon Publishing, LLC is an independently owned Oregon-based publishing house producing fiction titles in trade paperback and e-book formats, and the only Romance Writers of America recognized publisher in the state. Black Lyon titles are available at BlackLyonPublishing.com, local bookstores and most major online retailers.




Lisa and Shelley


Shellie Neumeier 

Best-selling author Shellie Neumeier holds a degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a minor in Psychology, Sociology and Social Studies. A devoted mother of four, Shellie previously worked on staff with Northbrook Church as the King's Kids ministry assistant (serving children in grades 2nd through 5th). She is an active member of SCBWI and ACFW as well as a contributing author for various blogs.

Lisa Lickel

Multi-published author Lisa J. Lickel also enjoys writing and performing radio theater, short story-writing, and is an avid book reviewer and blogger. She enjoys teaching writing workshops and working with new writers. She is the editor of both Wisconsin Writers Association's Creative Wisconsin magazine and Written World Communication's OtherSheep Magazine. She lives in a hundred and sixty-year-old house in Wisconsin filled with books and dragons. Married to a high school biology teacher, she enjoys travel and quilting.




 Check out A Summer in Oakville Facebook fan page: Click Here

What Others Are Saying

"A SUMMER IN OAKVILLE is a cleverly-composed novel that addresses issues from the past, affecting four characters' present-day lives. Shellie Neumeier and Lisa Lickel are a dynamic writing duo!"
Andrea Boeshaar, author of Seasons of Redemption

"Like quills of bittersweet devotion that pierce the heart, yet warm with the matchless comfort of forgiveness-A SUMMER IN OAKVILLE is a beautifully woven series of unforgettable novellas." Tessa Stockton, author of The Unforgivable

"Four sweet novellas combine to tell the charming story of A SUMMER IN OAKVILLE in Oakville. Saving your heritage, forgiving the past, and uncovering years of family secrets are weaved through four very different romances to create a delightful read that I looked forward to coming back to each day. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy."
Cherie Burbach, author of Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza and Working Writers

"You'll be hooked from the first page of A SUMMER IN OAKVILLE. This novel grabs the senses and doesn't let go."
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, multi award-winning novelist and poet  

Instructor for the renowned UCLA Extension Writers' Program
Author of the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally books:
The Frugal Book Promoter
The Frugal Editor
The Great First Impression Book Proposal
Great Little Last-Minute Edits  

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Sell More Books!: Book Marketing and Publishing for Low Profile and Debut Authors





It’s All in the Name


Book Review by Lorilyn Roberts


When I read the title, Sell More Books! I couldn’t imagine anything that would help ME to sell more books.  After all, I had done nearly everything that had been suggested by marketing gurus and experts. What else was there that I hadn’t already tried?


Originally my marketing plan consisted of a little bit of this and a little bit of that, hoping something might work. I was so afraid that if I didn’t try everything, the one thing I didn’t do would be the difference maker. Why I took this approach, I don’t know, except to acknowledge that marketing is far more overwhelming and complicated than writing a book. 



Oftentimes we are bombarded with a zillion suggestions from well-meaning marketing folks, and being the newbie that I was, I tried most of them. What I found, however, is that many of those highly touted things didn’t work (and don’t work for most new or low-profile authors). Do you really need a publicist, for instance? What about all those press releases that cost a lot of money? And drawing up a marketing plan? What would that consist of, anyway? Sell More Books! will help.


Once I began reading Sell More Books! I realized what I needed were not new methods or ideas but a strategy to help me evaluate what I had already done. And Sell More Books! did not disappoint. I never thought about incorporating what had worked into a marketing plan that would fit my needs and budget into the future. I think it’s just human nature, like a cow, to think the grass on the other side of the fence is greener. Whatever we haven’t done is what we think we need to do because somebody somewhere says so—and we think they know more than we do.

Sell More Books! made me realize I was not alone, but by following some common sense, inexpensive suggestions, I could resurrect my lagging sales and achieve better results. Simply put, I needed to look at those things that had worked and continue to pursue them. And lastly, but also very important, I was challenged not to sit on those ideas but to put them to good use. When you become discouraged, oftentimes the hardest part is just getting started again. And because Sell More Books! helped me to see the mistakes I had made, I felt I could trust Steve Miller on other aspects of marketing I wasn’t as sure about.


Not everybody sells tons of books from TV and radio appearances—really? I thought I was the only one. What worked for me, I found myself asking? What about all of those wonderful book reviews I have posted on Amazon and other websites? Why not get some more? After all, you can’t have too many.


These are just two ways to market out of dozens outlined in Sell More Books. The suggestions run the gamut for every type of book in print and every type of person. Yes, we are all different. Go with what works for you and throw out the rest. Don’t feel like your book is a failure if something worked for someone else but doesn’t work for you.


In addition, Steve Miller shares many stories from authors he has talked to first-hand regarding marketing—and has concluded, as I did, that many things are a waste of money. I wish I had read Sell More Books two years ago. I could have made better choices in marketing Children of Dreams, saving myself a lot of time, money, and discouragement.


Sell More Books is the best marketing book I have read. Buy yours today and don’t repeat the mistakes others have made. You will be encouraged to keep on keeping on in the difficult world of marketing.


Saturday, September 10, 2011

Fit for Faith - 7 Weeks to Improved Spiritual & Physical Health

John 316 Banner
September 7, 2011
Press Release for the John 3:16 Marketing Network
For Immediate Release
John 3:16 Marketing Network Book Launch
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Amazon
24 hours ONLY
Free e-gifts with purchase on launch day

Fit for Faith - 7 weeks to Improved Spiritual & Physical Health
by Kimberley J. Payne
Fit for Faith

Do you want to feel better?

This book is for every person who wants a balanced approach to health and weight  loss
while improving his or her spiritual walk with God.


  
You will discover how easy it is to:

Become more physically active
Use the clear advice on goal-planning and exercise guidelines to set up a program for active living.  Apply the plan to your health through a home fitness test and three easy-to-follow strength training programs. 

Improve your prayer life.
Learn the basics to get you started. Follow simple steps to an active prayer life.

Make healthy eating a habit
Learn the secrets of eating well. Discover nutrition guidelines and hands-on, action-oriented strategies.

Read and study the Bible
Rely more on God to help you make changes in your lifestyle.  Learn simple Bible study strategies to apply to your day.

Stretch your body
Find out about proper flexibility exercises and tips on stretching.  Then apply them to your daily health routine.

Write a journal entry
Discover a new way to express yourself and communicate with God on a more intimate level. 

Dispel common myths
Learn the facts surrounding more than 40 health and fitness myths.

This program has shown people how to improve physical and spiritual health.
You can improve your health too!

This book unites physical health and spiritual health through a 7-week program for weight loss and to develop a deeper relationship with God. It is a reference on cardiovascular exercise, strength training, prayer, healthy eating, Bible study, flexibility exercise and journal writing.
    
What Others Are Saying
  
"If there are books you must have at all times, this is sure to be one of them, not as a casual read but as a guide to achieving spiritual and physical well being and a ready reckoner for maintenance at the end of the seven week programme. "
Y. P. Wright, Author

"Fit for Faith inspired me on many levels. I have incorporated many of Kim's practical suggestions into my own life routine. I especially liked the honesty of her faith in the "Reflection" portions. Her interactions with God are as natural as they are supernatural - very refreshing. This workbook is a great catalyst to recharging one's life."
Rev. R. Keyzers, Minister

"This program was not only a lot of fun, it was supportive and very well put together. This time I met my usual roadblocks with ease and satisfaction." J. Lancaster, Therapist

"In Fit for Faith, Kimberley Payne offered me no quick fixes or tricks for weight loss. Instead, this program caused me to consider my lifestyle and apply godly principles, nutritional wisdom and scriptural guidance to achieve my goals. Fit for Faith gave me the freedom to experience the joy of a healthier and more spiritually fit life."
G. Belec Freelance Writer, Children's Author & Private Tutor

"It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Kimberley's programs. Kimberley clearly demonstrated her skill in motivating people, encouraging participation and always leading by example. Kimberley has the ability to make fitness programs both fun and educational."
C. Wakeford, Owner Wakeford & Associates

"This program is so much more than just exercise. It's giving me the tools I need to enrich my life and my energy level."
M. Condon, Health Canada

"Most people come to lose weight, but they go away with so much more. It's a real ministry in people's lives."
N. Nelder, Pastor's wife

"I find that writing down how much and what exercise I am doing is helpful and motivating. It is helping me to be more conscious of what I am eating. I am also more conscious about asking God for strength and focus and this of course can only be good. I am seeing slow, small progress."
S. Stinson, participant  

  
  
           
Health/Diet/Christian Living
  
  
 
About the Author:                 

Kimberley J. Payne is a motivational speaker, writer and author. Through her work, Kimberley inspires people to live happier, healthier lives that glorify God. Kimberley is a former Certified Personal Trainer and has worked for 10 years counselling individuals on weight control, stress management, self-esteem improvement and overall wellness. She enjoys recreational activities with her husband and two children in Ontario, Canada.

Whether you are trying to lose weight or improve your spiritual life, you will refer to this program again and again. This book will empower you to be a healthier, happier you.


You can visit Kimberley's website at Kimberleypayne.com


 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Testimonial From Janet Perez Eckles




Check out this very kind testimonial from Janet Perez Eckles and her successful Amazon Best Seller book launch. I saw her book reach as high as #274 in overall books (out of 8 million books that's not too shabby :)) @ approx. 10:30 p.m. PST on the evening of her launch. I am very proud of her and her creative work on this launch!

"We cheered, we were amazed when my book Simply Salsa reached #1 in the Spirituality category on Amazon.com. But the journey wasn't simple. We had to be on our knees, asking for prayer, direction as we sought the knowledge of those who had walked on that path before. That's when Scott Shafer came along. His expertise, his knowledge, amazing support, his detailed crafting of the landing page, his coaching and patience in addition to his prayers were tools that God used to bring such stunning success. Scott's genuine commitment to help is a gem for any author. Because he took care of the details, I was able to concentrate on other aspects of the launch. He was a valuable partner in the project, which merits the highest recommendations. More questions: Contact me: janet@simplysalsathebook.com"