At any given time, I could have 20-50 projects going on. Some are for authors, some are for publishers, and then even a few are for myself and my business identity.  Right now I have 18 open projects; publishing projects for others that have either been scheduled, been started, or in various stages of completion. That's not even including all the things that I have in various stages of completion for my business entity or things I have to do for myself or my kiddos. 

I have tried all kinds of productivity and organization methods - notebooks, planners, software, and online apps. You name it, I have probably tried it.  No matter what I tried, something would slip through the cracks, usually it was something to do with the kids or one of my doctor's appointments. Nothing like rushing around trying to get out of the house to get across town for an appointment with only an hours notice. That was my life - flying by the seat of my pants - rushing around, showing up late, and kicking myself in the rear for it.

​Then I designed this:

I had been watching a graphic designers video, and saw that her desktop wallpaper was an organization tool. So I found her blog about it and designed one that fit more with my needs. For my clients, my business, as well as my personal and sorority obligations.

Then I 'Personalized' my desktop with the image and proceeded to move my shortcuts to were they best fit - the software I used for work, the software I used to computer maintenance, as well as shortcuts to folders on my hard drive. 

I then found a 'sticky notes' app that had more personalization choices than Microsoft's Sticky Notes - that would collapse without closing the program down. I then made a stickie for each thing I had to do, whether it was a client's project, something for eBookBuilders, or something for my household. 

It looked like the image above.

The image below is what it looks like when I have one of the stickies 'unrolled'.

When I showed this to a few of my publishing friends, immediately a few of them want one for their own. So I made a few different designs - murder thriller authors didn't want the main image to be roses, and romance authors didn't want skulls.

Now I decided to offer several styles to anyone who signs up for my mailing list. 

If you would like to receive these, absolutely FREE, just sign up for my mailing list. 

http://eepurl.com/hdmX6j

You will receive an instruction sheet with download links to all 6 designs (2 in each zipped folder).

If you are interested in having one made that meets your exact needs, let us know.

ebookbuilders@gmail.com

A couple of years ago, a group of us decided to compile a list of book bloggers that review Indie and Traditional published books. We were then going to make a review logistic service - sending out interest emails regarding titles that authors we  had been contracted with, sending ARCs to those bloggers and reviewers that were interested, tracking reviews, then sending a report of the completion. 

Cancer struck and everything was ignored while I fought that battle.

For 3 years the spreadsheet has been online at smarturl.it/BookBloggerSheet

In June, I decided to compile the information on the spreadsheet and showcase it in an easy-to-read format. More than 200 Book Blogs were included with each blog being given a 2-page spread (in the print edition) with the blog's pertinent information:  

• Contact information
• Submission Requirements links
• Fiction and Non-Fiction genres each blog is amendable to reviewing
• Standard turn-around time for reviews
• Where the blogger shares reviews
• What formats of books/ebooks accepted
• Table of Contents and blog genre Indexes in print.
• Table of Contents and complete index, separated by genre/sub-genre, with each blog accepting linked back to their section within the ebook.

Plans are already underway to make the 2021 Edition even more comprehensive, listing any book blog that helps authors by offering author interviews, unboxings, cover reveals, blog tours, and more. 

Bloggers are encouraged to fill out the form to have their blog listed in upcoming editions:
smarturl.it/BookBloggerDirectory

COVID-19 has everything screwed up.

Small businesses are hurting, the economies world-wide are shrinking and everyone is feeling the pinch.  Many people are focusing on using small and local businesses to help out their local economies. So last week I had an idea, why not make a publishing professional registry so that authors and aspiring authors could find small and local publishing service providers in their states if not right there in their own community.

I put together a Google form for these professionals to fill out and then I will combine them all and then make a searchable spreadsheet available to anyone and everyone. The Registry is open to any indie publishing provider - even other book designers/formatters like myself. Just because I want to help everyone, authors and providers, at no charge. 

If you utilize or know of a publishing professional send them over to the form so that I can get them on the list. Even after the current pandemic is over and our lives are finally getting back to the new normal the list will still be available for anyone to use, even if they are not focusing on using local businesses to help on their publishing journey.

Who should sign up? Everyone, including:

• Editors
• Proofreaders
• Cover Designers
• Book Designers
• eBook Formatters
• Personal Assistants
• Marketing / PR
• Videographers (book trailers, commercials, GIFS)
• Book Packager / Book Shepherd
• Publishing Constultant
• Ghostwriters
• and anyone else involved in getting books published and sold.

Would you like access to the Indie Publishing Provider Registry once it is compiled?

At the start of 2018, it was not unusual for me to work for 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. After doing this for 8 years I was in danger of burnout so in mid-2018 I finally made it a rule for myself that I would not work on author's & client's book or accounting projects on the weekends. Really I was getting to a place where I didn't even want to open InDesign or Photoshop and I dreaded checking email much less Facebook.  When I looked back on it, I was spending more time telling my kids I was working than I was actually getting to spend quality time with them.

So I rocked along, blocking off weekends for myself to spend time with the kids, take care of personal stuff, socialize with my friends and in general just focus on more than just work. It worked out good too! Then cancer hit, I was going to daily radiation treatments which took an hour on top of the 2-hour round trip drive to the hospital. To be honest, those 2 month were horrible; I had just enough energy to shuffle to the car, then shuffle to the wheelchair at the hospital. We wont even talk about the 14 blood-transfusions and 5 hospital stays on top of the radiation treatments. I was totally wiped out - physically and mentally. 

Even though the treatment regime was just 42-days (weekdays) it took almost 2 months to complete and there were lots of emergency hospital admittings before during and after the treatment was completed. But I finally got to ring the bell signifying treatment was complete so I thought I would be able to bounce right back into my 18-hour days again.

Yeah, that didn't happen...

It was another 4 months of me just getting my strength back after being basically bed-bound for the previous 4 months of sickness. I could spend maybe 45-minutes at a time at the computer, 3 or 4 times a day taking 1-2 hour breaks between bouts at the computer.

Little by little, I recovered. It took 6 months but by Halloween I was recovered enough so that I could work on multiple projects at a time. Yay me!

And wouldn't you know, right about the time I am back to 100%, COVID-19 takes the World by storm, locking everyone in their homes, glued to Netflix and Amazon Prime, trying to home school and taking up day-drinking as if it was a gold medal event for the 2020 Olympics. 

With COVID-19, most Indie Authors noticed a decline in their income because all the readers of books (who were stuck at home instead of work) were worried they weren't going to have money to pay for toilet paper and hand sanitizer so they weren't buying books in the numbers they usually did. Add to that myriad of books being offered for free by authors as a way to give-back to the community and it was a vicious circle. 

So Indie Publishing professionals noticed a decline in their book projects. Can't blame authors or readers for this, it's just a result of the devastation that COVID-19 released on the world. Many authors can't get into the mindset to let their muse free, pouring heart and soul into a new manuscript. Most have seen their income - from writing or a day job - plummet so can't afford to have their books edited, covered, flowed and adapted into ebooks. 

I didn't let this slowdown in the industry stop me though. I used the time to be productive and do many of the things I wanted to do but really hadn't had the time for. I always have more ideas than hours.

• I had a few book projects in various stages of process;
• I updated the Book Bloggers Master List for authors and put it online for all authors to access;
• I switched from Paypal as my invoicing platform to a complete cloud accounting program for my quotes, invoicing and expenses;
• I got a group of authors who were either former teachers, current professors and editors together to make study guides of some of the literary classics;
• I finished my website that I had been working on since December of 2019;
• I signed up for a few master classes in software programs so I could be more productive and better able to help my clients;
• I took care of all the administrative stuff for E-BookBuilders that I had been too busy to do before such as making a comprehensive freelancer contract, compiling my business brochure, organizing 8 years of electronic client files.

And I am proud to say I haven't binge watched a single thing so nope, I don't know anything about Tiger King except the memes I see on Facebook.

 To help authors get back into the business of publishing, E-BookBuilders is offering 25% off (at least) on any service we offer.  Just contact us asking for a quote (Request a Quote HERE). Once you receive the quote let us know you have this coupon and the discount will be applied to the final invoice.

Have a book you have written while you were on lockdown? We can help you bring it to market at a discount. 
Still writing a book but still need it edited before you can publish it? We can help.

These coupons are only valid until June 30th 2020. Even if you don't have your manuscript ready to be designed by that date, you can schedule your project, paying a deposit, to hold your slot and discounted price. 

It's that time of year again...

Every December, people get ready to make resolutions to get fit, get organized, get out of debt, and in general make life-altering changes to their lifestyle.

With pages to help you get control of your life, this is the planner for you.

Pages included:

• Month overview
• 5 Week at a glance 2-page spreads
• 30 Daily 2-page spreads
• 5 Menu Planners
• 5 Shopping Lists (Menu & Shopping list can be removed to take to the store)
• Monthly Budget Sheet to track bills and finances

Available on these websites:

Amazon

Lulu - Spiral-bound only