President's Page Archives - 2010 & 2011
On this page you will find messages from me covering 2010, when we opened our doors, through the first half of 2011. As the months pass and the years turn, you'll find all of my message, both written and in video, stored in these pages.
Feel free to scroll around, take your time and explore!
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August 11, 2011
It has been a while since I posted, but that's not due to lack of interest or words to say! A lot of changes have impacted my life, both personally and professionally, and as I deal with them, time once lost to me returns, opening the door for me to again speak to you directly.
We may have been silent for the past few months, but we have by no means been idle. ClearView Press, Inc. took the wise step and hired Cindy Grudo as Office Manager in July. We already feel the positive effects of this move. Cindy stepped right in and set up print runs, organized filing systems, and initiated marketing ideas and literature; she has jumped into the publishing fray with sincere excitement. We are diligently working on projects that will revolutionize our company and help authors present their work with cutting-edge technologies.
September 16-18. Mark this date on your calendars! WPN (Women’s Prosperity Network) is putting on an incredible Un-Conference with none other than Jack Canfield (of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” fame) leading the way. This conference will be a blockbuster affair that 500 entrepreneurs will be glad they did not miss. Check out the info at www.theprosperityconference.com. We at ClearView Press, Inc. are grateful to Nancy Matthews for inviting CVP to be a sponsor of this event. I hope to see you there!
Welcome www.ReadtotheWorld.com- Beginning August 2011, CVP will be looking for children’s books to be read by the book’s author. Children’s books published through CVP will automatically be placed on the Read to the World website. On this site, readers will be able to listen and watch as the pages turn and the author reads the book. The first 10 pages will be included in the publishing package. When the customer finds a book they like, the rest of the video may be purchased along with a copy of the book, if desired.
We are very excited to be able to use technology to inspire and connect children to writing, reading and authors in such a personal manner. Getting our kids off to an early start in reading and writing is a life-long, positive move!
This month ClearView Press, Inc. launches our sister press, Out of Your Mind Publishing LLC – a subsidy publisher offering a low-cost, efficient, and expedient approach to produce any and all books to the readers of the world. Like ClearView Press, Inc., Out of Your Mind Publishing delivers the same style video promotion for authors as ReadtotheWorld.com. - once again using technology to put a face and voice to the author’s name and book. Look for www.OutofYourMindPublishing.com to be online soon.
CVP author Phil King’s book, Saint Augustine Carriage Tour, is entered in the Florida Publishers Association’s Presidents Awards for outstanding books published in Florida. We cheer Phil and his book on through the awards process!!
Here at ClearView Press, Inc, we provide solutions to our authors, releasing them from the convoluted learning curves of the publishing industry. We understand that writers want to write. It’s that simple. The hassles of an industry in flux drive many writers to distraction. We’re here to alleviate those distractions so authors and speakers can focus on their dreams and goals. And – we are determined to put money into writers’ pockets.
Keep tracking us and stay on the leading edge of what’s happening in publishing today!
January 3, 2011
Amazon.com Screws Authors Again!
Yes, Amazon.com once again sinks to depths that boggle the mind. First, Amazon forced digital book prices under $10, cutting profits for small presses and authors. Now Amazon institutes a “Kindle Book Lending Program” that allows the owner of a Kindle book to loan books out to other readers for 14 days. Free.
Authors rely on what pittance they receive from their writing to continue their craft. Does Amazon want to drive creativity out of the marketplace? Supporting oneself as an author already requires alternate sources of income for most. By ‘giving away’ an author’s product, Amazon continues to rob writers of necessary income.
What’s in it for Kindle? (Anywhere you see the word Kindle, read it as 'Amazon.com'). An interesting statistic emerged last year that ebook sales actually help boost physical book sales. Based on these findings, it appears Amazon has found a way to sell more paper books through ebook advertising. My beef here is that the author pays the price for this and Amazon laughs all the way to the bank.
If a book is really good and it gets lent out, yes, the author will receive money from the physical book sale, but will miss out on the money from the “lending-a-Kindle” deal. This is an ebook the author would have sold had the book not been lent out in the first place. If the book is not so good, still, the author will not make the ebook sale NOR the paper book sale. Amazon has yet again found a way to reach into authors and publishers pockets for their own gain.
Most digital books sell for paltry amounts like $2.99. Does Amazon believe the market won’t even pay $2.99 for a book? Amazon frankly does not care. This is all about greed and the bottom line. There was no notification of this ‘change’ prior to the new “Kindle lending program” announcement. The email just shows up out of the blue.
Right after the email announcement of this new “Program”, I uploaded a book on Kindle. There was a box that stated there is now a “Kindle Lending Program”, but you are not allowed as an author or publisher to decline the option. Amazon continues to use digital strong-arm tactics in the hope that passive writers will shrug and keep giving away their rights to their material. The sad part is, Amazon’s tactics will probably work.
Amazon’s bonehead executives see only dollars for the company, not for the writers struggling to make a living by providing content. When the quality of content drops to the pathetic levels Amazon appears hell-bent on creating, an alternative will arise and hopefully Amazon’s greed-mongering will go away.
The future does not bode well for writers. Short-sighted, dollar-worshiping corporations like Amazon refuse to look at the damage they wreak. They need to find a way to encourage a quality product with fair compensation. Writers fuel Amazon’s empire. Without writers, there is no content to sell. Why won’t Amazon do something that helps the creative minds supplying them with inventory? Because there is no money in it for them. Pure corporate greed.
The stupid ‘big-house’ publishers became victims of their own greed and megalomania. They sucked writers dry for centuries, taking the bulk of the profits while writers languished in a day-to-day struggle to pay their bills.
I’m not speaking of the token few authors who the large house publishers launched to fame, but the millions of excellent writers who did not reach the fame and glory of the ‘special’ writers. Amazon follows precisely in the large house publisher’s footsteps. The only difference is Amazon can rip off writers and publishers faster and more effectively than the large presses.
One of the saddest aspects of this whole scenario is that the general public remains ignorant of this whole situation. Their ravenous appetite for more material fuels Amazon’s greed. As long as the public screams for more and writers can be bought for peanuts, the corporations will suck the very life out of creativity.
Amazon will continue to find ways to screw writers out of well-deserved money. Amazon will continue to be the corporate greed leader laughing all the way to the bank. Other companies will follow suit. Writers will suffer. And we thought Walmart was bad…
I’m excited on a number of fronts today. The first doesn’t appear on the surface to be related to writing and publishing, but in fact it is very connected. Upward Basketball season has begun and I have the honor and privilege of coaching my son’s team for the fourth year in a row. This is his last year of eligibility in the league, so this one will be special.
The tie-in to writing? I just negotiated a deal with Daddy123 (www.daddy123.com) to write an article a week for their site. As many of you know, my first book Fatherhood 101: Bonding Tips for Building Loving Relationships was written to help fathers understand and embrace their key role in raising their children. The book covers what dads can do pre-birth through toddler to build a strong bond with their child.
Last week Daddy123 contacted me and inquired whether I would be interested in contributing content to their site. After I looked over the site I got excited. Recently I’ve been searching for a ‘fatherhood’ writing opportunity. There are loads of sites for moms, but the Dad sites are limited.
A week before Daddy123 contacted me I had begun my search for a writing outlet. When their email came in, at first I thought something I had done recently had triggered their interest when in fact my association with AllExperts.com was what caught Daddy123’s attention.
I’ve been answering “dad” questions for well over two years on that site. This just tells me the timing is right for this next step in my writing career. Our hope- Daddy123’s and mine- is that their site will bring an awareness of the critical role fathers play in children’s lives AND we hope that the content we supply affords fathers everywhere a resource they can rely on to educate and support their efforts to be the best fathers they can be.
Please pop over to www.daddy123.com and check out the site. Please, recommend the site to fathers everywhere- heck, moms too! Parenting should be a dual endeavor. My articles will begin on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 and will post every Tuesday from that day forward. In fact, the first article will be about dads, children and Christmas. Come check us out!
Click here to visit the Daddy123 web site.
November 23, 2010
Happy Holidays!
ClearView Press Inc. is gearing up for its first full-length fiction novel, Terrorcruise by author Charles Brass. This action packed sci-fi hits the ground running and does not let up. I read the original draft of this book about 15 years ago. Even back then I felt this book should be in print.
The new, updated version is stronger than ever. While producing a book is always exciting, this book holds a higher level of anticipation because one– it’s fiction; and two– it realizes both my and the author’s dream of seeing this book in print.
As a huge sci-fi fan, I can attest to this novel’s adherence to the qualities of the great sci-fi writers of the past who made the genre great. I know that when a reader picks this book up, prying it from their fingers will be a most perilous proposition. I know, I’m the President of CVP and I’m touting one of our own books, but as a sci-fi aficionado, I’m telling you! You will love this book!
Check back early December for more details!
October 19, 2010
I chafe at the term "vanity press." Did you know, according to Dictionary.com, this term originated nearly 70 years ago? Think about that a moment. How much change has the publishing industry experienced over the past 70 years? 2010 is not the same world as 1950!
Let's look at the definition of vanity press: a printing house that specializes in publishing books for which the authors pay all or most of the costs. Hmmm... With a traditional publisher, most authors, unless fortunate by fame or prior publishing success, must pay for their own marketing and promotion of their books, which can be quite expensive. The author nowadays pays for professional edits of his book. The author also pays agents out of proceeds from his book- Wait a second!
Who created the content? Who wrote the book? The daggone author, folks! The author writes something he/she is proud of and wishes to get it in print. Doesn't the author foot the bill for everything in the end?
The publishing companies are just corporations that have the money to print huge volumes of books. They are no more than bankers. Out of the proceeds of an author's book come the print charges, editing, agents, advertising - heck, ALL PUBLISHERS ARE VANITY PRESSES!
People, please! Look at the time in which you live. Big house publishers are still operating off a business paradigm that REQUIRES huge print runs to be successful. This distinction is not enough to offset the fact that all publishers are in the business of "vanity press".
What kills me as a publisher is that these huge "respected" (and I use this term loosely) publishers financially rape the author. The author doesn't even keep rights to his book in many cases! Insane! Writers desire to be published by these corporations for VALIDITY? Give me a break. Writers have been taken advantage of for centuries. Many, if not most writers are not aggressive business people like the publishers.
There is a certain amount of "vanity" in any author wishing to have his book published with ANYONE. A writer MUST have an ego or else he wouldn't place enough importance on his work to want it published.
For far too many years, large house publishers have determined what is good/great writing and what isn't. We now live in a time where the market will decide, not a select few people with a lot of money wishing to manipulate the masses.
When you see the term "vanity press", please scoff- at least once, for me. Does a restaurant open up because they think their food sucks? No. Do we call each new restaurant a "vanity eatery"? No, that's ludicrous. Are there restaurants that suck? Absolutely. What happens to most of these bad-food restaurants (except places like McDonalds, of course)? They go out of business because the public will only be fooled for so long.
There are a ton of unsavory publishers out there who are preying on writers who do not research what they are doing. There are MORE writers out there operating under a 70 year old MYTH about "vanity press" than there are writers getting duped.
People have the gall to say to me - "A writer should be paid for writing, not pay someone to get published." What a crock! The huge corporations that run the huge publishing companies have become filthy rich off the backs of writers. Who got paid? The select few? The Grishams' and Rowlings' and King's (not me, unfortunately) got their large sums, but who grabbed the LARGER piece of their pies?
Think about it. JK Rowlings purportedly made more money off Harry Potter than the Queen of England's holdings. Do you suppose for one instant that the publishing house (Scholastic) made any less than Rowlings? If you do, I'm sure Gullible is your middle name.
In a time when the big houses are under duress by something called - COMPETITION - it is in THEIR best interests to keep this "vanity press" label going. As long as writers fall for this ridiculous, absurd lie, the large house publishers can cling to their failing stranglehold a little while longer.
Big house publishers have not paid their writers SQUAT for decades if not their entire existence. Don't go spouting "vanity press" at me when I'm paying writers 50% royalties and better if they'll just help out a little with the production costs of a book.
The term "vanity press" irks me beyond tolerance.
For more information, see our Services Provided page, read the packages and you'll understand the workings of a true, today's-world publishing business, where the author, with the appropriate belief in his or her product and an up-front investment, shares in the rewards of publication!
October 11, 2010
ClearView Press Inc. continues to move forward into the book publishing market with a number of new products. The recently-published Bearding the Lion that Roared is receiving recognition as a well-conceived collection of Harry Levinsen's work in psychoanalytic theory. Also making some noise is the book Writing is Easy authored by four talented writers known as the Rogues Gallery Writers. Their book release party at A Taste of Portugal in Palm Coast Florida Saturday was a huge success. Newcomer author Susan Ann Marion's book Freeing Unconditional Love: Unchaining Your True Self will be available for sale by the end of this month.
On track to be published in early 2011 is Terrorcruise, an incredible science-fiction offering by author Charles Brass. We at ClearView Press, Inc. are very excited about this book as Terrorcruise is our first foray into fiction. We feel we could not have found a stronger manuscript for this momentous event.
CVP is also offering a PDF download of Loves Lost and Found in full living color. This award-winning collection of poetry can now grace your computer screen with its complimentary paintings and of course, the written word. Priced significantly lower than its paper counterpart, purchase of the PDF can turn into an even larger bargain if the reader chooses to purchase the physical book. When a PDF purchaser decides to order the actual book, the price paid for the PDF is applied IN FULL to the price of the book - a great deal in anyone's book!
CVP will also publish a booklet of eight Rogues Gallery Writers' short stories that did not get included in the Writing is Easy book. This book is appropriately titled More Writing is Easy and should be available by October 9, 2010 on CVP as well as Amazon.com and other fine online retailers. The price is right as well at $1.99!
CVP is looking forward to many new offerings in the near future, so please, check back and see what we're up to. Our goal is to produce quality books for our readers. Have a great Autumn!
June 14, 2010
People are busy and events are happening at ClearView Press these days. We signed a new author/editor, Ann Marie O'Roark. CVP is publishing her book Bearding the Lion That Roared, which is a fine compilation of Harry Levinsen's work in psychology. Our goal is to have the book ready for sale by the end of July, 2010.
Also in production is Writing is Easy, the first book from the Rogues Gallery Writers. This group of four writers work from a standpoint of intending to help other writers in their quest for publication. Writing is Easy is the Rogues' first major foray into purposefully getting out to assist and encourage writers. In addition to being a great fiction read (short stories from each author), the book is also designed to show writers some of the thought processes behind the stories. Look for this book to be available by August, 2010!
It's busy, being President, but a good busy! I hope you stay with us as we work through these wonderful summer weeks!
June 06, 2010
While I wear many hats here at ClearView Press, Inc., and this business of writing does consume rather enormous amounts of my time, I make an effort to remember I am first and foremost a writer at heart. As such, I devote certain creative energies to my own work, most frequently in the form of a trio of blogs.
I invite you now to visit these blogs- consider them an extension of my work here at ClearView Press, Inc. I hope you find them easy on the eye, perhaps entertaining and inspiring, and return often. I find inspiration in simply being able to post fresh thoughts and ideas, without worry of edits or deadlines. My topics vary, from procrastination (a blog I meant to write a long time ago) to writers groups and finding publication. I welcome your questions and comments as well, and I will make my best efforts to respond, as I know sometimes a simple little reply does signal that yes, someone is listening, you're not alone, and such small words can provide uplift and inspiration all in themselves.
My Links:
- Fiction's Footsteps - glimpses of my true passion at blogspot.com
- The Rogues Gallery Writers - stressing the friendship and importance of a writer's group
- Fatherhood 101 - never forget the important things in your life
- HubPages - perhaps my most extensive writing presence on the web
Again, thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoy your stay and make ClearView Press, Inc. a frequent stop on your web travels. We're a young company but growing, and a lot of exciting events are on their way!