A newish trend has impacted our magazine stacks. Call them our latest obsession. We love online lifestyle magazines! Sure, you can’t cut out the pages (or hoard them by your bedside), but if you’re familiar with sites like Pinterest and FoodGawker — in a digital way, you can.

Flip (click) through each page, and with the expertly intuitive design of online magazines like Matchbook, clicking on an item will send you directly to a page to buy said product. It sounds like a catalog (aren’t most magazines?), but the better online lifestyle magazines offer content that’s well written and relevant in addition to must-have it items.  The content in some of the higher profile online lifestyle magazines may range from  interviews with top designers, authors, fascinating travel destinations, and the best new restaurants. Think less top 5 ways to get a man, and more of a focus on style and substance.

Go ahead, and share in our latest addiction with these online style files. Here are a few of our current faves.

Matchbookmag.com

Ruemag.com

Lonnymag.com

Ivyandpiper.com.au

Enjoy!

Which side are you on?

I’m not writing about the heated political debates this election year –I’m referring to a conflict that’s leaving many in the book industry befuddled or decidedly decided: To eBook, or to not eBook.

Jonathan Franzen, the bestselling American author, has spoken out against the glowing eBooks during a literary festival in Cartagena, Colombia. Believing the electronic readers to be cumbersome, prone to coffee spills and a “con” on the unsuspecting consumer. Insisting that the erratic need for new technology isn’t a matter of convenience, but actually an elaborate con on the average consumer. Franzen’s argument is both tempting and elegant, noting you’ll never need to “refresh,” The Great Gatsby in hardcopy form. But does it make sense? Is it logical to continue to buy physical books?

I mentioned in an earlier post something about my recent addiction to the YA teen saga, Twilight. Let’s just say that in the past week I’ve made quite a dent in the series buying both the eBooks and paperbacks. And in a quick study assessment I agree with Franzen on a few points. I have, given my terribly clumsy nature, spilled multiple liquid contents onto both reading devices, thankfully neither have broken. On the point of cost, the paperback cost a dollar more than the eBook. As far as the tactile experience, my Nook is the clear winner. I apologize Mr. Franzen, but I agree with Tom Chiver’s from the Telegraph-you’re dead wrong.  Well, that is to say, when it comes to drawing such divisive lines on the subject. Chivers recently wrote a rebuttal to Franzen’s position on eReaders.

I enjoy reading books on my Nook, very much, but I also enjoy reading them the old-fashioned way too. As far as the matter of preference is concerned, ignoring nostalgia, the eReader is less cumbersome to handle in bed, on the couch, outside, inside and in any light (given you can adjust the brightness). I’ve grown to thoroughly enjoy reading eBooks. And while preparing for a move, I have to say, I’m glad to have donated a large portion of the books my husband and I own. Books can very difficult and heavy to move.

I still have dreams of sitting in an impressive library, with a ladder that wheels from ancient leather bound text to the next. And maybe someday that library with its deep smells of well-worn backs and pages will become a reality, but for now the eReader fits quite nicely in my home without any renovations required.  My point being, I currently prefer the eReader, but it’s just that-a preference, and one that changes from book to book. For instance, I wouldn’t enjoy the experience of looking at the images from my favorite coffee-table book, 1000°C Deyrolle, (and the happiness I get from guests discovering the book in my living room) through a tiny device. The images from that particular book are taken after a fire ravaged the renowned French curiosities shop. Beautiful, and extravagant pieces of taxidermy, peculiar collectables, ancient maps, and butterflies were left either completely singed or some simply blushed with black from the catastrophic fire. It’s a breathtaking book, one that requires quiet moments and the comfort of holding something familiar while hit from the shock and awe of it’s pages. A book I certainly enjoying sharing, and in a very specific form.

An eReader is a more intimate device, one with passwords and such, they’re less inviting than say a book deliberately left out for everyone to enjoy. Again, I’m reminded of my post on Twilight, I would prefer every guest that comes through my home to not shuffle through my eBooks. I don’t mind if they browse the ones on display. And I wonder if that will become the true path of hardcopy books, will they simply be our display items, toys for guests, nostalgic relics like a type-writer or a record player?

Both Franzen and Chivers have their points, and musing on which is best becomes almost silly to someone attached to both. I hate to see the reasoning behind printing books diminish completely, but I’m also not prepared to ignore the ease and convenience of eBooks.  Why not eat your cake and enjoy it too? And truthfully, if I were an author…I’m not sure I would be terribly concerned with which form of book you prefer, as long as you’re buying books!

Announcing IBPA’s Publishing University on March 9-10 in a NEW location on the West Coast

Where is it? Announcing a new location in San Francisco, easily accessible no matter where you’re traveling from. All the events and all the sessions will be held at the Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf hotel, making it that much easier for you to network with old friends and new colleagues.

When is it? Friday and Saturday, March 9-10, 2012

What is it? You won’t want to miss the Independent Book Publishers Association’s Publishing University 2012:“Content is King: Print, Electronic and Online Strategies to Help New and Growing Publishers Boost the Bottom Line.”

Publishing University delivers the kind of tools you need right now to give your books the edge they need. No matter what stage of publishing you’re in—an author-publisher, a beginning publisher, a more experienced publisher—IBPA Publishing University brings you hands-on tips and techniques to succeed in a world where the only constant is perpetual change.

What’s in it for you?

• 20 breakout sessions including the hottest how-to topics in publishing led by industry experts. We’ll be speaking in Session 302: Getting the Word Out: Publicity and Promotion in the Digital Age.
• General sessions featuring the movers and shakers of the industry, the back-by-popular demand “E-magination” panel of e-prognosticators, Amazon and more
• The opportunity to “Ask the Experts” in your own private consulting session
• Formal and informal networking with colleagues and future mentors
• Opportunity to register for one day or both days

Where do I sign up?

Check out www.ibpapublishinguniversity.com for all the details, including early bird pricing, and bookmark it to return often. Just as the publishing industry changes on a daily (hourly?) basis, IBPA will be updating IBPA Publishing University to bring you the very latest speakers with the most up-to-the-minute information.

Head over to www.ibpapublishinguniversity.com, make your plans to attend IBPA Publishing University in San Francisco on March 9-10.

We look forward to seeing you there!

-Emily Southard-Bond

How about a little friendly writing competition to get your heart pumping faster? The Belmont Hotel in Dallas, located within the hip Bishop Arts District, is having a lovey-dovey writing competition. They’re asking couples to write short entries (no more than 400 words) with stories of honeymoons, weddings, first kisses and everything in between that’s steamy and dreamy! If your story is dubbed the dreamiest, you and your special someone will receive several lovely prizes!

The winning couple will receive a couples photo shoot at the Belmont and their stories will be published on the hotel’s site. The victorious loving duo will also be treated to an evening in one of the Belmont’s chic Garden Suites with all the fixins for romance included.

Let’s see if your writing style is sharper than cupid’s arrow, let the best lovah win! Enter here.

The contest ends February 7th, so get to writing!

***

I have been following author Jennifer Weiner for some time now.

The first book I read by her was Good in Bed, which follows the smart, sharp-tongued journalist, Cannie Shapiro, on her journey from relationship to accidental pregnancy to unplanned motherhood (with many more unfortunate, yet hilarious events along the way).

While Weiner’s work may be disregarded as “chick lit”, her stories never follow the genre’s typical equation: girl meets boy, girl chases boy, and eventually they live happily ever after. Yes, Weiner’s heroine does get her happy ending, but it is not without monumental roadblocks.

Certain Girls, the sequel to Good in Bed, follows Cannie into her 40s. The book chronicles her stable adult life with her 13 year-old daughter and doctor husband. While I would recommend Certain Girls, it is definitely not as good as Good in Bed. When you hit such a homerun with the first book, it is hard for the second to compare. Certain Girls has a more mature tone, as Cannie is no longer suffering from the growing pains of her 20s/30s. In this book, Cannie definitely does not get her fairy tale ending.

Now, I am reading Then Came You, Weiner’s latest book. This book doesn’t chronicle Cannie; instead, she follows the lives of four very different women struggling with a variety of problems. While I am only about half way through the book, Weiner has yet to disappoint.

Check out PR by the Book founder, Marika Flatt lend her support to Saint Louise House through the I Live Here I Give Here project in the vlog above!

Saint Louise House is a fantastic organization based in Austin, that provides affordable housing and essential services to mothers and children impacted by homelessness in Central Texas. With a deep belief in the power of women to transform their lives, their families and our community, licensed social workers and case managers partner with residents to reach their individual goals. In apartment-style housing environment, families are embraced and encouraged to be a part of our supportive community as they work or attend school. Saint Louise House collaborates with our families, partner organizations, donors and volunteers to serve the most vulnerable of our community in their hour of need—and in the months and years that follow.

I Live Here, I Give Here’s mission is to deepen and expand the culture of personal philanthropy by inspiring Central Texans to invest more money in our community. We educate and connect individuals and non-profits so more Central Texans experience the personal benefit of increased philanthropy.

Embarrassed? Don’t be, we all have a book hidden from houseguests and a snack strictly for parties of one.

It started in a grocery store. In the cheese section, eyeing the Sharp Cheddars, fondling the Gouda, sniffing the Manchego, a woman working behind the counter asks if I would like some help. I ask for a new suggestion, something to pair with a dry Riesling, nothing too pricey, and that I hate Swiss, cheese that is. She walks around her counter and leads me to the Goat-Cheeses, and that’s where it happens. She suggests I try a new cheese from San Antonio, Goat-Cheese with potato chips crushed in. Thoughts in my head at this point: OMG a cheese abomination! What type of person does she think I am? That I have a brother my family only refers to by some sort of nickname, like, Spud? Potato chips crushed into Goat-Cheese? Walk away, walk away. Sensing my horror, she offers a sample. Only one thought runs through my head at this point, never turn down a free sample.

And then it happened. I was wrong, so wrong about so many things. Suddenly I wished I could refer to my brother as Spud, because I was hooked to this salty abomination melting in my mouth. My cheese elitism had wronged me from enjoying this delicacy for too long; I wondered what else had my narrow mindedness kept from me?

Walking to the checkout with a new lease on life, vowing to open myself up to new experiences, suddenly I was confronted by my most narrow of stigmas…books written by Stephenie Meyer. Firmly believing the Twilight series was written by at best, a two-year old, I began to waiver. Was this series about vampires that sparkle and abstain from sex, just like the potato chip cheese in my basket? Was I wrong about this too? I tossed a copy of Twilight onto the checkout counter, stigma, cheese, and all.

I’m 64 pages in and I will finish this book. Initially, the potato chip cheese embarrassed me, along with the copy of Twilight on my nightstand. And to be perfectly honest the better purchase was the cheese and not the cheesy YA novel, but I’m enjoying both. Wondering what books have caused similar feelings of shame, I went to Twitter and Facebook with a simple question: What book are you surprised you’ve read, and liked? The answers ranged from neo-conservative savior Ayn Rand to tearjerker favorite Nicolas Sparks. So don’t be embarrassed, what’s one man’s Chelsea Handler is another’s James Patterson. You just have to open up a little and be prepared to enjoy what you thought was for someone else, perhaps someone named Spud, might actually be perfect for you.

“It’s what on the inside that counts.”

Someday, I will pass this sacred truth down to my future children. I will tell them that the size of one’s bank account is nothing compared to the size of one’s heart.  That the beauty of a mirror reflection is nothing compared to a beauty of spirit.  That the … well, you get the idea.

However.  As a publicist, I believe the exact opposite.

If you are my client, I will tell you it is absolutely the outside that counts.

Which is why I get so sad when an author has slaved away over their book, and completely neglected their website.  ”No – don’t tell me – NOOOO!!!” I want to cry, Edvard Munch The Scream-style, when their site is haphazard and confusing.  That’s because it’s the biggest piece of their brand — bigger, even, than their book.  More on that later.

Recently, the team at PR By the Book decided that, more than publicity services, some clients need our help with branding first.  And then, when their brand is tightened up and pretty-fied, they’re truly ready for us to take them public.

If you are in this position, wondering whether or not your brand needs some tweaking, here are five questions you can ask your brand:

1. Do you exist? Some clients are new to this whole “brand” concept.  I don’t blame them: It’s just become a big buzzword in the past five years or so.  But if you’re an author, trust me, you’ve got a brand — you may just not know it yet.  Acquaint yourself with the meaning of a brand here.

2. What is your promise? Every brand has a promise.  What is yours?  Do you tell suspense stories?  Offer money-saving advice?  This may feel reductive to a creative spirit, but if you’re looking for publicity, your chances of media will increase if your specialty is clear and definable.  So ask your brand to describe itself in three words.  One of my favorite clients is Ellie Scarborough of Pink Kisses, whose brand I could describe this way: Female-centric, bombshell, breakups.

3. Who buys you, brand? Who are your readers?  What age are they?  What gender?  Have they gone to college?  Do they have a lot of money, or are they thrifty?  It may help you to literally sketch out (if even just mentally) a person who would buy your book or service, by imagining the day-to-day activities of his or her day, as well as his or her personal history and aspirations.

4. What do you look like? Oh my God, I cannot stress this enough.  It is important (so!  Important!) to invest in good design for your brand.  And I’m primarily referring to your website here.  Think about question number three: The type of person that would dig your brand.  If they are masculine manly men, reflect that on the website.  That means no pink.  No cursive-y, scripty fonts.  I know I know, I sound terribly stereotypical — and I don’t mean to suggest that you need to rely on overgeneralizations.  But, do consider the types of material (online or print) your audience is reading on an everyday basis, and make your site resonant with them.

The reason I’m a website lunatic is because I’ve experienced the benefits of good design firsthand.  I blog, and, after my first redesign traffic doubled.  For clients it’s even more important, since you could be getting booked for media, events, or speaking engagements by people who haven’t read your book — they’ve only read your your site.  So make it special.  Make it a place where people want to linger.

5.  Who are your competitors? Think about other brands that are similar to yours.  This will help in two ways: To give you some design cues, and also help you differentiate your brand from the pack.

But there may also be opportunities for collaboration with your competitors.  Say you’re a foodie, and you’ve just written an Italian cookbook.  You use money-saving ingredients and can cook an Italian feast for under $25.  If you want to speak at a food festival, what if you reached out to another cookbook author — also Italian, but one who focused on top quality, expensive ingredients?  This way, you can each leverage your individual exposure for even better group exposure.

BOTTOM LINE: Your brand is your friend, but first, you two have to get to know each other better.  The process may seem daunting at first, but as the American thought leader Lady Gaga once said: “don’t hide yourself in regret / just love yourself and you’re set.”

It’s true you never write anymore…letters that is. But neither do I, in fact given the dismal numbers of cuts to the US Postal Service, it’s safe to say fewer and fewer people do. I’m even embarrassed to admit recently I sent invitations out for a close friend’s baby shower and temporarily forgot key elements to the whole process. And it’s truly a shame, because who doesn’t love to receive a handwritten note? A card is always nice (particularly ones for birthdays from grandmothers), but the personal and intimate experience of a truly well-written letter is more delightful to receive than a smiley face in an email.

This February let’s join blogger and Hugo Award Winner,  Mary Robinette Kowal, in her challenge to make February an epistolary month to remember!

The Month of Letters Challenge

by Mary Robinette Kowal

Last September, I took a month off from the internet. During my vacation, I told people that they could correspond with me by paper letter. Some people did. Some people still are. Every letter delights me.

When I write back, I find that I slow down and write differently than I do with an email. Email is all about the now. Letters are different, because whatever I write needs to be something that will be relevant a week later to the person to whom I am writing. In some ways it forces me to think about time more because postal mail is slower. “By the time you get this…” It is relaxing. It is intimate. It is both lasting and ephemeral.

How so? I find that I will often read the letters that I receive twice. Once when I get them and again as I write back. So, that makes it more lasting. It is more ephemeral because I don’t have copies of the letters that I write and I am the only one who has copies of the letters that my correspondents write. So, more ephemeral.

When was the last time you got a letter in the mail? December sees a lot of mail and you remember that sense of delight when the first card arrives. You can have that more often.

I have a simple challenge for you.

In the month of February, mail at least one item through the post every day it runs.  Write a postcard, a letter, send a picture, or a cutting from a newspaper, or a fabric swatch.

Write back to everyone who writes to you. This can count as one of your mailed items.

All you are committing to is to mail 24 items.  Why 24? There are four Sundays and one US holiday. In fact, you might send more than 24 items. You might develop a correspondence that extends beyond the month. You might enjoy going to the mail box again.

Feeling intimidated? It’s fewer words than NaNoWriMo and I know how many of you do that. Join me in The Month of Letters Challenge.

FAQ – Website (Yes, I just made one) – Facebook – Twitter or as #LetterMo

About Mary Robinette Kowal

Hugo-award winning author, Mary Robinette Kowal is a novelist and professional puppeteer. Her debut novel Shades of Milk and Honey (Tor 2010) was nominated for the 2010 Nebula Award for Best Novel. In 2008 she won the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, while two of her short fiction works have been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Short Story: “Evil Robot Monkey” in 2009 and “For Want of a Nail” in 2011, which won the Hugo that year. Her stories have appeared in Strange Horizons, Asimov’s, and several Year’s Best anthologies, as well as in her collection Scenting the Dark and Other Stories from Subterranean Press.

When she isn’t writing or puppeteering, Kowal brings her speech and theater background to her work as a voice actor. As the voice behind several audio books and short stories, she has recorded fiction for authors such as Kage Baker, Cory Doctorow and John Scalzi. She likes to describe voice acting as “puppetry, without the pain.

Kowal is serving her second term as the Vice President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Mary lives in Portland, OR with her husband Rob and over a dozen manual typewriters. Sometimes she even writes on them.

Marika Flatt, founder of PR by the Book, dishes on blurbs with the insightful blogger: Dr. Liz Alexander of The Insourcer.

Marika Flatt of PR by the Book: Why Book Blurbs Matter (and Which Ones).

It’s never too soon to discover what needs to be done to enhance and promote your book once it’s published. That includes thinking about those kind souls who will take the time to read the final manuscript and write testimonials. These will be the blurbs you showcase on the front and back covers, and sometimes also inside the book under “Advance Praise.”

I have my own views on how many of these are desirable.  For example, I find it tedious and a tad overdone to wade through five or six pages of glowing testimonials, seemingly from everyone the author knows or has done business with. It always seems to me these folks are trying too hard to impress.

Not wishing to come at this topic with my own prejudices, I sought out the perspective of Marika Flatt, founder of boutique publicity firm PR by the Book.

As a result of this enjoyable conversation, I can share the following insights from Marika on why testimonials matter, how many is “enough,” and how a business author might select the right ones to feature*:

(*Bear in mind that finding people to write book blurbs isn’t a service typically provided by book publicists, as their work begins when the book is done and this kind of third-party validation needs to be secured several months beforehand.)

Liz Alexander: Marika, why do testimonials matter?

Marika Flatt: We’re a bandwagon society. Anything that has name recognition and stands out in our minds will help a book sell. For example, if you’ve had successful dealings with an internationally known company like Dell or Microsoft, and someone in the company thinks enough of you to agree to write a cover testimonial, that name recognition of the company will go a long way to enhancing the trust a reader feels when they purchase your book.

If you’ve been on a platform with Stephen Covey and can persuade him to say something about your book, you’d want to feature that on the front cover. It really makes a huge difference to the typical reader.

L.A.: What if you’re not doing business at those lofty heights?

M.F.: If your work is mostly with small and medium sized enterprises, then you still need to try and attract testimonials from companies that your target reader would at least recognize. They’re going to be impressed by Fortune 500 names, for example. Much depends on whether you intend to sell your book in stores like Barnes & Noble, or have mostly back-of-the-room sales during workshops and talks. If you’re looking for more mainstream appeal, then the bigger the name, the better it looks.

L.A.: Does it matter what these folks say – as long as it’s positive, obviously?

M.F.: When somebody is looking at testimonials on the cover of a book, their eyes will automatically gravitate to the person’s name and title rather than the statement. It’s more about the person giving the quote than what they actually say.

L.A.: I’ve read that you need to be careful to select people who are directly relevant to your book’s topic and target audience. So business book readers will be looking to see names of CEOs and entrepreneurs, right? What if I’m chummy with Sandra Bullock but I’m writing a book on leadership?

M.F.: I think these days it’s good to offer a range of people who are blurbing your book. So instead of three CEOs, you might chose one CEO, one sales person and a celebrity. Having Sandra Bullock’s name on the cover of your book is not going to harm you, regardless of the topic.

I would encourage authors to think about who they know or have come across in their lives that could comment on their book in a way that’s relatable to the average consumer; someone who has any kind of name recognition.

L.A.: And that includes other authors, right? I’ve heard they like to be asked to blurb since that gives them an additional way to promote their own books?

M.F.: Yes. It’s always a good idea to connect with authors of books that your target reader would already know, to ask if they will write you a testimonial.

L.A.: Okay, I’ve already revealed that I’m skeptical of authors, especially self-published ones, who have every-man-and-his-dog quoted on or in their books. What do you consider to be the optimal number of testimonials – either for the back cover or inside the book itself?

M.F.:  Most books have anywhere from three to five quotes on the back cover. There’s no need for any more than that as the reader will get bored of reading blurbs eventually.

L.A.: Finally, Marika, any tips on how to guide folks to write suitable testimonials?

M.F.: You’re looking for the three Cs: Clever, Concise, Compact. Two powerful lines are better than a paragraph of fluff. The only time I would use more than two to three sentences for a testimonial is if what they wrote was so power-packed, I couldn’t bear to cut anything out.

Testimonials may be written about the book specifically, but often you can use what you already have on sites like LinkedIn or use on your website. If someone has written that you are the most forward-thinking person they’ve come across, then a consumer is going to see that and think you really know your stuff.

Brilliant, Marika – thank you.

Having recently received a copy of The Age of the Platform by Phil Simon to review, I thought I’d see how many testimonials he’d included, and by whom. Here’s the low-down:

Front cover: One sentence from Adrian C. Ott, award-winning author of The 24-Hour Customer.

Back cover blurbs: Two authors, two corporate presidents.

Inside “Additional Praise” page: Five more – two broadcasters/authors; one author/editor; two CEOs.

Discussion Questions:

1. What testimonials, if any, would be more likely to persuade you to buy a book?
2. What are you more concerned with — what the “blurber” has written, their title/position, or their name?
3. Has seeing a testimonial on or inside a book ever caused you NOT to buy? For what reason?